Non-cook meal suggestions.

[toawh]

I will be leaving my husband solo with the kids for two weeks for work reasons. He does not cook anything, literally. I really need ideas of meals for him. Lunches will be cheese sandwiches of every type and peanut butter sandwiches. I will stock the fridge with cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, cucumbers, and lettuce for veggies. I'll also make boiled beets. Breakfasts are cold cereals and pre-boiled eggs. Snacks are also easily covered, but dinners have me stumped. We have no food allergies or special diets. We have no microwave either. Any suggestions?

[Um_2_4]

Will he "heat" something up in the oven? I am thinking of those foil disposable trays with covers that you can heat in the oven. I use them and just write what is in it and reheating instructions on the cover in sharpie(remove cover before putting in oven, it is paper). I don't know how many you are cooking for, but those you could do baked ziti, lasangas, enchiladas, some casseroles that don't need last minute additions....

[Parrothead]

Okay, I have one of those men. After 12 years I finally put my foot down and he cooks once a month or so. Usually when I'm having a flare up of one of my many disorders. He expected me to cook when I could barely stand.

 

There is no reason a grown man can't learn to cook simple meals for himself and his children. What if, God forbid, you die on the way home from this trip? What is he going to feed his children then?

 

If you aren't leaving today, haul him into the kitchen and teach him how to put a pot roast in the crock pot in the morning. Write down simple instructions so he can put meat, washed potatoes, and peeled carrots and onions in the pot. Add water and cook for 10 hours. Have him learn to cook a burger and put frozen fries in the oven. Tacos. Hotdogs and canned beans. Boil water for pasta and jarred sauce. Three bean chili (a can of pinto, black and kidney beans, chopped onion and 2 cans of tomato sauce with a good bit of chili powder). Scrambled eggs and sausage. fish sticks and instant potatoes. Chinese take out. McDonalds. A bag of salad and grocery store chicken.

.

Any grown man who drives a car should have the mental prowess to prepare those kinds of meals.

[HomeschoolMamaOfTwo]

If he can open a can of beans you could do bean tacos/burritos (if the kids don't mind them cold? ick).

Salads

Hummus w/ pita chips, carrots, etc

[toawh]

Okay, I have one of those men. After 12 years I finally put my foot down and he cooks once a month or so. Usually when I'm having a flare up of one of my many disorders. He expected me to cook when I could barely stand.

 

There is no reason a grown man can't learn to cook simple meals for himself and his children. What if, God forbid, you die on the way home from this trip? What is he going to feed his children then?

 

If you aren't leaving today, haul him into the kitchen and teach him how to put a pot roast in the crock pot in the morning. Write down simple instructions so he can put meat, washed potatoes, and peeled carrots and onions in the pot. Add water and cook for 10 hours. Have him learn to cook a burger and put frozen fries in the oven. Tacos. Hotdogs and canned beans. Boil water for pasta and jarred sauce. Three bean chili (a can of pinto, black and kidney beans, chopped onion and 2 cans of tomato sauce with a good bit of chili powder). Scrambled eggs and sausage. fish sticks and instant potatoes. Chinese take out. McDonalds. A bag of salad and grocery store chicken.

.

Any grown man who drives a car should have the mental prowess to prepare those kinds of meals.

 

This made me laugh. My husband is very willing to cook, but it's just not in his blood or something. Oddly enough he can grill amazingly with wood from scratch making his own coals and all, but we live in an apartment now and there is no grilling here. When he tries to cook in the house he has not met with success. I do plan on trying to teach him a couple things, but I thought since he'll have all the kids too it might be easier if cooking was minimal. I don't own a crock pot.

[magnificent_baby]

Salad bar: bagged romaine or spring mix, diced ham, chicken strips, boiled egg, cheese, dressing.

 

Potato bar: cheese, sour cream, diced ham, bacon bits

 

Nachos: ground beef w/taco seasoning, (you can prepare before leaving), melted velveeta, lettuce, sour cream, black beans, etc.

 

Of course these are not the healthiest of meals, but depending on how you plan them, they could be. You could also pre-make soup and he could reheat on stove (hopefully!).

 

Good luck!

[zoobie]

A crock pot might be a good investment right now! Or maybe you could borrow one from a friend?

 

I would probably do freezer cooking so he just thaws and heats.

Spaghetti sauce freezes well. (He can boil pasta? ;) )

Soups

Chili

Taco meat

 

Cheater lasagna: sauce + refrigerated or frozen raviolis, top with cheese and bake

 

Lots of recipes here:

http://onceamonthmom.com/

 

Label the ziploc bag before you fill it. Buy foil pans from the dollar store.

 

I'd do a calendar with instructions for that day plus the next ("Move Chicken Poppyseed to fridge"), And pre-plan grocery lists for the weekends. My DH can cook (I've been training him since we were 19!), but he'd never plan and execute on top of managing everything with the kids alone + his job. I wouldn't want to handle it all alone either! :)