How do you decide what to cook for dinner every night for a family of 3 (2 adults and 1 child) ?

Question

I have been married for 4 years now and only this past year I have been responsible for cooking every meal on a daily basis. For the past 3 years we always lived with other family members and we took turns cooking each night, so I didn't cook but 2 to 3 times a week. That spoiled me...

I have a hard time trying to figure out what to fix for dinner each night. I need something that isn't gourmet, expensive, or takes over 12hrs to make. I can deal with marinating over night or using the slow cooker. The problem is that I just don't know what to make. I have to always look on the internet for recipes and suggestions.
It makes me wonder how my mom knew what to fix every night for dinner for over 20 years.
Please give me your opinions on how to come up with ideas for dinner nightly and any recipes you would like to share.

I like recipezaar.com, its my favorite recipe site on the internet.

Thanks for your suggestions!

P.S. No peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, that won't do..

Answer 1

It's the most frustrating thing about my life. I don't really hate cooking and I'm not a bad cook, but I hate coming up with ideas. The problem is almost that there are too many choices. My task is complicated by the fact that half my family prefers Asian food (my husband's Japanese) and the other half needs American comfort food on occasion. Here are a couple of strategies that have helped me though.

1. STRATEGY #!
Assign a general theme for each night of the week. You could pick anything that works for your family, but these are what help me:

Monday is Seafood Night: for example,
foil-baked fish and vegetables, sauteed shrimp or scallops, fried fish, grilled salmon with salsa, etc.

Tuesday is Chinese/Stir Fry:
fried rice with pork, beef and brocolli, chicken sautee

Wednesday is Noodle Night:
pasta with simple tomato sauce, ramen, pasta with cream sauce

Thursday is Slow-Cooker Night:
curries, stews, lentil soups

Friday is Grilled Meat Night:
chopped beef steaks, marinated steaks, teriyaki chicken

When I start needing to think about dinner in the middle of a busy day, it helps to have narrowed the range of choices a little bit already.


2. The latest issue of the Costco magazine included a list of "Super Foods, so called because they are nutrient-dense, high in micro-nutrients. I feel that if I include several of these in our diet each day, I'm at least on the right track. It's also easy for me to keep the things in stock, since Costco carries them.

The list includes: apples, avacado, beans, blueberries, broccoli, dark chocolate, kiwi, garlic, honey, oats, extra virgin olive oil, onions, oranges, pomegranate, pumpkin, wild salmon, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, and yogurt.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

Have everyone in your family write down suggestions they'd want for dinner. You'd be surprised that they probably don't want something very big or fancy, just things that they like. If chicken is suggested, I know my mother can make it fifty different ways, just by using different flavorings that take only a second to put on.
Around once every three or four years, my mother also makes a lot of chili sauce. I'm sure the recipe is "secret," but it makes so much that she cans it all and it keeps, like I've noted, for three or four years, until she runs out and makes more. For that, all you need to do is heat and add meat, and it could be put together in less than a half-hour.
One important thing: If you're feeling too overwhelmed, don't be afraid to order out for pizza or to visit a restaurant every once in a while. Nowadays, with both parents working, it's hard to get the household things done and, as long as the family eats together, every meal will be a good meal.

Answer 3

Either use your favorite site, or cookbook. Choose 7 dinners that sound good, make a shopping list and then go get all the needed ingredients. Then you only have to decide which day to make which dish. This is the way my daughter-in-law learned, she too had never cooked every night before. Eventually, you will begin to pick up ingredients from the store and create your own dishes. Experiment and just have fun!!

Answer 4

Go by protein, green, other. So, do chicken, spinach, then either potatoes or corn. I think nutrition and make sure I always have lean meat and dark greens, and I vary them. You can marinate chicken or pork tenderloin or fish. Veggies for me are almost always cooked the same way because I'm mediterranean. I sautee them in garlic and olive oil. Some, of course, need steaming or blanching first. Some nights, I skip meat, and make beans the main dish, a vegetarian chili, or a lentil soup. I got my recipes here and there. They don't take long. I think my food is tasty because I use fresh ingredients for my marinade or dressings: fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro), fresh garlic, fresh ginger, lemon juice, etc...

Answer 5

well first you need the day off then you need to sit down with you family and create a menu you know what you like and you know what you kids like thats a start now make you menu simple then that way you not cooking 9 things at once every night you for exsample on friday nights i have a fish sandwitch some coleslaw and some fries a glass of tea and a snack and my whole family eats that total time to cook and prep that less than 30 mins cost less than 15 dollors so in less than hour the family has eaten and ready to move on the next family event know how simple it that to hell with to recipes on the net just make what you and your family eat on a daylie bases and turn it into a meal for each night and that will save alot of stress and try to narrow you cost for each day

Answer 6

You need to get a book of easy recipes and develop your own list of favorites from it. Better Homes and Gardens has some excellent recipe books. You can fix: meat loaf, spaghetti and meat sauce, hamburgers or steaks, mac and cheese, salmon steaks or patties, barbequed chicken, etc. You can pick up a rotisserie chicken at most supermarkets and serve it with a salad. In the summer, tuna salad and mac and cheese hit the spot. I like Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals. You can find the at the food network site. www.foodtv.com or www.foodnetwork.com. It's easy.

Answer 7

Learn more what are their favorite dinner. You shouldn't change every night, just create your own recipe using the component of your last dinner cook. I hope they'll enjoy even it taste little different than last night. Enjoy your cook..

Answer 8

I go to the store and pick out whatever meats, fruits & veggies look good at a good price. Then I bring it home and hunt on the internet for recipes, which sometimes means I have to go back out and get another few ingredients to make it, but I generally keep the basics in the cupboard, so all I need is the fresh meat and vegetables.

Answer 9

My mom cooked and we ate. No complaints, no making faces, no arguments. Once we put the food on our plates, we better finish it or we got a walloping from Dad. If we didn't like the food, we can go to bed hungry or make our own. That is that. :) Thought that will put a smile on your face.

There are lots of sites that give good ideas.

Answer 10

Being a chef i come up with dishes that are in season or what is around. When i cook at home this time of year i try to cook out side on the grill.