Picky eater, help!!!?

Question

I just moved in with my boyfriend who's a really picky eater. He loves things like Hamburger Helper and those Betty Crocker ready meals. I want to make him homemade meals that he will enjoy because lately we've been arguing about dinners. I also want to add some vegetables that he wouldn't mind. I'd like any ideas you can come up with, particularly casseroles with veggies in them.

Answer 1

Try some of these easy casseroles:

Chili Relleno Casserole

1 (4 oz.) can Ortega green chilies, chopped
1/2 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb. Jack cheese, grated
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten

Layer an oblong baking dish with 2/3 Jack cheese and 2/3 Cheddar cheese. Mix chilies, eggs, and milk. Pour over cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until brown on top.



Hash Brown Potato Casserole

1 (2 lb.) pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
10 oz. American cheese, grated
1 pt. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. Corn Flakes, crushed
1/2 c. butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together except Corn Flakes and butter and put into greased casserole dish. Top with 2 cups crushed Corn Flakes mixed with 1/2 cup melted butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Makes a lot.



Cheese Grits Casserole

4 c. milk
1 c. hominy grits
1 (6 oz.) roll garlic cheese
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 3 1/2 cups milk to boiling point in medium pan. Stir in grits gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and cheese, stir until melted. Stir in eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Pour into 2 quart casserole. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 15 minutes longer. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.



Sweet Potato Casserole

4 c. sweet potato, cooked and mashed
1 tbsp. Vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. melted margarine
Mix well put into 9 x 13 pan.

TOPPING:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 c. nuts (pecans)
1/2 c. butter

Mix until crumbly, put on top of sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.



Tuna Casserole

1 (3 oz.) can Chinese noodles
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1 (7 oz.) can tuna
1/4 lb. (about 3/4 c.) cashew nuts, broken up
1 c. celery, finely diced
1/4 c. onion, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Save 1/2 cup noodles for topping. Mix rest of ingredients together and top with 1/2 cup noodles. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.



King Ranch Casserole

1 fryer
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel tomatoes & green chilies (diced)
1/2 can chicken broth
1 doz. corn tortillas
1 onion, chopped
2 c. cheese, grated

Cook chicken in small amount of water, lightly salted, until tender. Bone and cut into pieces. To make a sauce, blend until smooth the following: The 2 cans of soup, can of tomatoes and chilies and chicken broth. Set aside. Into a 2 1/2 quart casserole (greased), place a layer of chicken, 1/2 of the tortillas, cut into pieces, 1/2 of the onion, 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the sauce. Repeat the layers ending with the grated cheese. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees.



Green Bean and Tator Tot Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 pkg. frozen Tator Tots
1 can string beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Brown onions and meat, drain. Add salt, pepper to taste. Place Tator Tots on bottom of casserole dish. Pour meat over Tator Tots and spread evenly. Pour string beans over meat and spread evenly. Spread mushroom soup over string beans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serves 6.



Ham Casserole

1 med. head cauliflower
2 c. cubed cooked ham
1 (3 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
4 tbsp. Butter
1/3 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. cubed sharp American cheese
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
1 c. soft bread crumbs
2 tbsp. melted butter

Break cauliflower into buds, cook in boiling water until tender (10-20 minutes); drain. In medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and milk for white sauce. Cook and stir until mixture thickens, and bubbles. Add cheese and sour cream to sauce, stir until cheese melts. Combine cauliflower, ham and mushrooms with sauce, pour into 2 quart casserole dish. Combine bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter, sprinkle over top. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes (or until hot and bubbly) at 350 degrees.



Seven Seas Casserole

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) cream of celery soup
1 1/3 c. water
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
Dash of pepper
1 1/3 c. minute rice
1 1/2 c. cooked peas
1 can (7 oz.) tuna, drained & flaked
1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese

In saucepan combine soup, water, onion and pepper. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Pour half of mixture into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Make 3 layers in casserole, using rice (right from box), peas and tuna. Add remaining soup. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes cut through mixture with knife after baking 10 minutes.



Rice Casserole

1 c. rice
1 onion, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
Fresh mushrooms
1 stick butter

Put 1 cup rice in casserole dish, saute fresh mushrooms and onion in 1 stick of butter. Pour 2 cans of chicken broth over rice. Then, pour sauteed mushrooms and onion over rice. Stir and add pepper to taste. Cook uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees.



Baked Bean Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/2 c. catsup
1 tsp. Mustard
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 (16 oz.) can pork & beans
1/4 c. water

Brown ground beef and drain well. Add onion, cook until they are tender, not brown. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into casserole and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. This reheats well. Serves 6.



Oriental Beef Casserole with Rice

1 c. rice, white or wild
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
4 tbsp. Oleo
2 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 med. can mushrooms
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce

Cook rice; saute ground beef and drain. Saute onions and celery in oleo. Mix rice, meat, onions and celery together with remaining ingredients. Put in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 12 people. Freezes real well.



Squash Casserole

2 c. squash, cooked
1 carrot, grated
1 med. onion, chopped
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
Salt & pepper to taste
Butter
About 1/2 c. shredded cheese
Stuffing mix

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except stuffing mix. Pour about 1/3 of bag of stuffing mix in casserole dish. Then pour mixture over this. Put remaining stuffing mix on top to thoroughly cover squash mixture. Dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.



Green Bean Casserole

1 can French cut green beans
1 can celery soup
1 can French fried onion rings
1/4 c. liquid from green beans

Mix beans with soup. Layer of beans, soup, onion rings. Cheese on top. Bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees.



Baked Corn Casserole

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream corn
4 eggs
1 stick oleo
8 oz. sour cream
1 Jiffy corn muffin mix

Mix ingredients together and pour into a greased or Pam-sprayed 2 1/2 quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, between 45-60 minutes.



Corn Tamale Casserole

1 (4 oz.) can whole green chilies
3 c. fresh corn or frozen
1/3 c. yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2-1 tsp. Salt
1 c. cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter baking dish. Cut chilies in wide strips. Combine corn, cornmeal, butter, sugar and salt in blender. Layer 1/2 cornmeal mixture, chili strips and cheese. Top with rest of cornmeal mixture and put cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.



Cheesy Chili Corn Casserole

2 (16 oz.) pkgs. Birds Eye sweet corn, thawed, drained
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Velveeta, shredded pasteurized process cheese food, divided
1 1/4 c. milk
1 1/4 c. coarsely chopped corn chips, divided
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix corn, 3 1/2 c. Velveeta process cheese food, milk, 1/2 cup corn chips, peppers and chilies until well blended. Spoon into greased 12" x 7 1/2" baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup corn chips. Bake 50 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Velveeta cheese food; continue baking 5 minutes or until Velveeta process cheese food begins to melt. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 10 to 12 servings.


You can modify them to be healthier and include more veggies.

If you want to get away from casseroles in the future, try observing what he orders at restaurants, then re-create, healthy style!

Answer 2

I really suggest joining recipezaar (it's free!) http://www.recipezaar.com/

I also suggest signing up for Kraft Food & Family magazine. It's also free! Keep a look out for recipes that they say are good for picky kids...
http://kraftfoods.com/pa%5Fjoin/

You can search for specific ingredients, or just browse. I moved in with my fiance a bit over a year ago, and most of my recipes come from there. What I like to do is check out the grocery ads, and see what's on sale that week. Then look at recipezaar or your own collection of recipes to see if you can come up with any good recipes. Then, you can make a schedule of what you'll make that week. Then, ask him if he thinks the meals sound good. A handy thing is that most recipes make enough for 4, so you have 2 meals out of one recipe. Make sure he's in a good mood, and then ask him if he'll make a deal with you, and try 2 new things each week that either he hasn't had in a long time, or hasn't ever had. If you don't have a mental list of things he definitely won't eat, maybe you can work together and make one. Make sure you include the things you definitely won't eat too.

Here's a favorite recipe of ours that's pretty easy to make, and is really really tasty. You could just serve it as it is, or you could have a salad with it.

Easy Chicken Parmesan
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed overnight in the fridge
1 jar pasta sauce, any kind
1 package pasta, whatever kind you like
1 egg
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (I used to make my own, but they're cheap, I just buy them at the store now)
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Butter/olive oil/spray oil

Cut any fat off the chicken breasts, and cut each one in half so you have 4 pieces that are about the same size. Stick them in a plastic zippered bag and pound them with whatever you can find, a can or a jar of applesauce works. Your goal is to make them all about the same thickness so they're done at the same time. Now, find a shallow bowl big enough for one of the chicken pieces. Crack the egg into it and beat it. Put some of the breadcrumbs in another bowl next to the egg one, you can add Parmesan to it if you'd like. Take each chicken piece and coat it in the egg, and then coat it in the breadcrumbs. Next, you're going to cook them in a frying pan, use a big one. Either melt some butter or heat up some olive oil or spray the pan with non-stick spray and put the chicken in the pan. Use just enough butter/oil so that the bottom of the pan is coated. Keep it near you in case you need to add some more when you flip the chicken. Cook on each side on medium heat for 8 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, boil the water for the pasta, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. The chicken should be golden brown on both sides and all the meat should be white (check the thickest area). After the chicken is done, add the sauce to the pan, around the chicken. Heat until the sauce is warm. Serve by putting some pasta on the plate, and then add a piece of chicken and some sauce, and top with some shredded mozzarella.

Good luck! :)

Answer 3

Why don't you make some of the things made by Hamburger Helper from scratch? Things like Beef Stroganoff or other dishes like that that involve pasta and beef. Spaghetti is a rather easy meal to make. You could also try a chicken-rice casserole... it has broccoli and cheese in it. He might be into that.

Answer 4

I live with someone who never had to eat vegetable when they were younger so not that he is older refused to eat them. Find some that he may like and try to spruce them up...broccoli with cheese and then after he has eaten it for a while, use calorie free spray butter. Also since he is a big fan of mashed potatoes (the fake ones) i will make them for him but put lots of vegetables mixed in so he has no choice. A good way to get him to start to realize that homemade meals are a lot better than those boxed ones are to make your own homemade versions of them and from there you can expand the foods he will eat/like

Answer 5

My girlfriend was the same way when we moved in together. This is what I did.
I took those quick box meals like a hamburger helper or pasta-roni and I added my own stuff to them. Find out stuff that he likes and add those to the appropriate dinner. Like I would add baked chicken or broccoli to things and would incorporate them into the box dinners. Then start to add different things in there that he might not have had before. Then I started to separate the proteins and vegetables from the box dinners until she started to try new things.

It's all about getting him out of his comfort zone and getting him to try new things. Also compromise with him. Have him pick what to eat sometimes and sometimes you pick what to eat. Good luck and happy eating!

Answer 6

Maybe the best idea is to ask him, and even make some of those home cooked meals together. Cooking together you will not only spend wonderful times with him but also see and find out what he likes and dislikes. Next time you want to surprise him just mix some of those things he loves and you have a good home meal he will certainly love.
Cooking meals without his input is a gambling game, you could hit a jackpot, but statistical you will have more times wrong than right. And if you only a bit like me and hate somebody saying "Hum... it's OK but I don't appreciated all that much or it's good but don't do it again..." those meals would result in more fights than anything else. I get resented and he gets mad.
So do like I did, cook together, try new recipes together and mix and bake meals together - it could never go wrong!
Maybe someday he will cook a meal you love from what he finds out from your cooking times! :)

Answer 7

Start sneaking veggies into the meals he already likes. I'm sure if he tried some he would like them. My mom always gave in to me being a picky eater and as I got older I found out how much I LOVED other foods.

Answer 8

My brother is the same way. He doesn't eat anything cheese or any vegetables. His wife usually cooks him fried macaroni and cheese. Its really good and easy to make.

Take some left over mac and cheese and fry it in a pan with butter (about one tablespoon depending on how much macaroni there is) . After its lightly golden brown add some bread crumbs and wait for them to get a bit crispy.

Enjoy!!!!

Answer 9

Smy wife makes a dish call Kielbasa Surprise that we all find very good 1lbs of kielbasa cut in small pieces(can use smoked sausage)
3 or 4 potatoes cut up small
1or 2 cups of corn or any veggie you want
very little oil (olive oil works best)
pan or stir fry till the potatoes and kielbasa is cooked (potatoes soft and kielbasa is scored )
serve very good

Answer 10

make him pretty much any type of italian dish. Most picky eaters will at least like spaghetti and meat sauce. To add more vegetables try throwing frozen spinach in the sauce, or chopped up broccoli. I dont like veggies much either but by putting them in the sauce it disquises them and you cant taste them at all.

Answer 11

Try making a homemade lasagna, it is a hit with my picky husband. Since I am vegetarian I do not use meat and he is a big meat eater, but he loves my vegie lasagna. I add green and black olives and some canned tomatoes. Very good! Good luck!!