Dinner ideas. Picky DH, DD is coming with future SIL (!?!)

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:07 pm

amother Cerulean wrote:

Well that sounds very annoying op. I would be so stressed having to make a nice supper every night for 2 weeks. Based on what I think you said earlier, you're planning to do 1 night Chinese takeout, and 2 nights grilling. That leaves 7 suppers to figure out (Sunday-Thursday for two weeks). My dh is picky too (not like yours but still picky). So what I do is make a supper that I know the kids will eat, but serve my dh a different supper. If he's home the same time as the rest of us, I put a little divider across the table and put a separate tablecloth for his section of the table, so he can have fleishigs while everyone else has milchigs, or whatever. I make a big amount of something fleishig that he likes, and serve it 2-3 days for his supper. Could you do that?

I normally have no issues doing that I just don’t think it is nice with the future SIL coming. Normally that works.

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:09 pm

amother Ruby wrote:

Your dh is exactly like mine
But he doesn’t need a different dish every meal. He’s happy eating the same type of roast every time.

So he will have hamburgers, sloppy joes, steak etc as a main and everyone else will have whatever is for supper.

Our extended family knows about it and jokes about it. It’s not a big deal.

Dh literally heats up his own food in the microwave.

What do you normally do about supper?

This is what I normally do. Just don’t think I can with my “company”. DD would be mortified. TBH, I would be as well.

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:11 pm

Once again, thank you everyone who is trying to help me and brainstorm as I sit here as the big naysayer and squash all the would be excellent ideas. You guys are really awesome. DH is a pain. It’s a good thing I love him.

amother

Ruby

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:18 pm

amother OP wrote:

This is what I normally do. Just don’t think I can with my “company”. DD would be mortified. TBH, I would be as well.

Are you all able to laugh about it. Or is it not the type.

I’ve never thought to be embarrassed of dh’s weird eating habits. It’s just how he is. Everyone is quirky somehow and this is his.

amother

Cerulean

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:32 pm

It just sounds like more effort than it's worth for you to keep up this illusion for two weeks! I'm sure the boy's side has its share of little quirks too, no need to try to act perfect for him. Smile

mommyhood

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:37 pm

amother OP wrote:

I normally have no issues doing that I just don’t think it is nice with the future SIL coming. Normally that works.

If he was coming for a couple of days it would be weird but bending over backwards for 2 weeks seems silly when the whole point is for him to get to know you, quirks and all. I wouldn’t do every meal like that but 1 or 2 should be just fine.
I have super picky family members, anyone who knows my family knows this and future sil and dil will have to accept it.

amother

Teal

Mon, May 22 2023, 6:55 pm

Maybe DH can do a later supper a couple of nights and treat the rest the family meal like a snack so you can get away with dairy for a few nights. He can have a burger or a steak at 8.30

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 7:36 pm

amother Seagreen wrote:

Would shredded chicken pizza work? You can use cutlets or bone-in, I can give you the recipe if you're interested

Would love the recipe. Thank you!

amother

Violet

Mon, May 22 2023, 7:57 pm

Definitely
Two weeks at our house and he’s not even engaged…
Two weeks is a long time to host
Good luck

Are you sure they are planning on eating with the whole family every night?

amother

Topaz

Mon, May 22 2023, 8:03 pm

amother OP wrote:

I don't see why it's embarrassing to give him a separate dinner especially if this person will be marrying into your family. My dh is the same and if we go away I make pans of the simple food he likes and bring it along so he can eat that and nobody has to stress about his meals. It's a bid odd but who cares? This person is joining your family it's really no big deal.

amother

Seagreen

Mon, May 22 2023, 8:23 pm

amother OP wrote:

Would love the recipe. Thank you!

2 chicken breasts
3 cups water
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 (20-oz.) package frozen
pizza dough
1 red onion, sliced
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
and sautéed (optional)
Serves 6-8
1. In a pot, bring chicken and water to a
boil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove
the chicken and pull apart using 2
forks (or your hands, once it's cool
enough to handle).
2. In a bowl, mix pulled chicken with
barbecue sauce and tomato sauce. Set
aside.
3. Defrost pizza dough completely.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking
sheet with parchment paper.
5. Roll out dough into a circle. For a
thicker crust, fold over the edges. Place
dough on the baking sheet and top
with prepared chicken, onions, and
mushrooms, if using.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown
From the whisk

You can use any chicken you have on had, as long as it's soft enough to shred. It comes out yummy every time! Add some green spices or green pepper for extra looks

Goldie613

Tue, May 23 2023, 9:22 am

Does your husband do cold cuts? Maybe on the fleishig meals, you can have sliced cold cuts for whoever wants to make themselves a sandwich to go with the meal. Or do deli roll to make it look fancier.

If he does meat and potatoes, what about a meat stew as a side dish (think similar to cholent, but skip the beans). He can eat more of that and less of the official main, while others eat more of the main and less of the sides.

Generally speaking? Make one main (ok, maybe two if you need a vegetarian option) and just make sure you have enough sides and some extra bread so people can fill up that way.

Would your daughter be willing to cook one night? Or does she have a favorite recipe that might work for this?

BTW, what about your future SIL? Would you need food more like your daughter's or more like your husband's for him?