If your kids could pick any meal, what would they pick?

[Drama Llama]

We have a tradition in our family that each kid gets to pick a favorite meal for their birthday or half birthday, and we do our very best to provide it.  We have a string of kid birthdays and half birthdays, and it's always fun to see what is picked.  Today, for example, we are having homemade spaghettios, hot dogs, fruit smoothies, neopolitan cake decorated with candy, and NO VEGETABLES.  I get the impression the last part is particularly important to the half-birthday girl.  Last week we had fried chicken, a few kinds of cold salads, watermelon, and a couple kinds of pie for my 10.5 year old who apparently thinks that if you have a summer birthday you should have a summer picnic half birthday menu, even if it's January.  

So, what would your kids pick?  

[TheReader]

Mine are so varied! One would pick pizza, or Brazilian foods (feijoida). Another can never decide, but likes homemade mac & cheese. The 3rd tends to pick seafood. Well, the oldest does too but he's the personality that tends to choose what he thinks everyone will like, so it's hard to get him to choose what *he* wants. 

 

[Katy]

Pizza, cheeseburgers & fries, tacos.

[Drama Llama]

Just now, TheReader said:

Mine are so varied! One would pick pizza, or Brazilian foods (feijoida). Another can never decide, but likes homemade mac & cheese. The 3rd tends to pick seafood. Well, the oldest does too but he's the personality that tends to choose what he thinks everyone will like, so it's hard to get him to choose what *he* wants. 

 

Now I want feijoada!  

Do you have a recipe you like? 

[Clemsondana]

My kids get to pick their birthday meal (although they may not get it on their birthday due to sports schedules) and also the last meal that they eat at home before going off to an overnight camp since they won't get their favorites for a week.  I always picked fried chicken with rice, gravy, and biscuits as a child.  One of my kids usually picks Indian food, although when younger they liked to go to Texas Roadhouse.  They might also choose salmon, or a quick and easy salmon pasta dish that I make.  My other usually picks fish, although we have sometimes also done a 'ladies lunch' with chicken salad (either at home or out), too.  One year we had a karate thing that ran late and we stopped at a Japanese steakhouse on the way home, and that was fun and tasty.  I just got a gumbo recipe that is popular and they've recently discovered that they love chicken and dumplings, so I could see one of those making the list this year.  

Overall my kids are super easy to feed.  They each have a few things that they don't like (creamy/cheesy sauces like alfredo, one doesn't like mayo-based salads) but those are easy to work around - like, the non-mayo kid is fine with plain raw broccoli or boiled potatoes if I make broc or potato salad.  Usually the kids ask what is for dinner and respond with 'yum!' to anything that is cooked (as opposed to the DIY meals of boxed mac and cheese, frozen stuff, canned soup - they don't complain, but they prefer homemade stuff).  

[cjzimmer1]

We did the kid picks the birthday meal too.  The majority of the time they choose homemade pizza with cheese in the crust with one occasionally picking ribs or steak.  Desserts are much more varied from room beer floats to apple pie bars to cheesecake but no one ever asks for a traditional birthday cake.

[Drama Llama]

4 minutes ago, Clemsondana said:

My kids get to pick their birthday meal (although they may not get it on their birthday due to sports schedules) and also the last meal that they eat at home before going off to an overnight camp since they won't get their favorites for a week.  I always picked fried chicken with rice, gravy, and biscuits as a child.  One of my kids usually picks Indian food, although when younger they liked to go to Texas Roadhouse.  They might also choose salmon, or a quick and easy salmon pasta dish that I make.  My other usually picks fish, although we have sometimes also done a 'ladies lunch' with chicken salad (either at home or out), too.  One year we had a karate thing that ran late and we stopped at a Japanese steakhouse on the way home, and that was fun and tasty.  I just got a gumbo recipe that is popular and they've recently discovered that they love chicken and dumplings, so I could see one of those making the list this year.  

Overall my kids are super easy to feed.  They each have a few things that they don't like (creamy/cheesy sauces like alfredo, one doesn't like mayo-based salads) but those are easy to work around - like, the non-mayo kid is fine with plain raw broccoli or boiled potatoes if I make broc or potato salad.  Usually the kids ask what is for dinner and respond with 'yum!' to anything that is cooked (as opposed to the DIY meals of boxed mac and cheese, frozen stuff, canned soup - they don't complain, but they prefer homemade stuff).  

I'd love these recipes too!

 

[4atHome]

X

Edited February 24, 2021 by 4atHome

[Carrie12345]

Kids get to pick everything on birthdays here, too.

There was a multi-year streak of Red Robin, and now Wawa -yes, Wawa - is a big thing.  Otherwise, my homemade Mac and cheese comes up a lot. And then there are random things I can never predict. But always pure sugar cereals for breakfast @@.

[Emba]

For birthdays they get to pick at least breakfast and supper, so we have had blueberry pancakes, pop tarts, hamburgers, chili, and I don’t remember what else. I let them pick what kind of cake, too, and how it is decorated. German chocolate is DD’s favorite, DS once picked blueberry pie, other DS picked an ice cream cake a couple of years ago. He had an Ewok cake this year.

[BlsdMama]

35 minutes ago, BaseballandHockey said:

We have a tradition in our family that each kid gets to pick a favorite meal for their birthday or half birthday, and we do our very best to provide it.  We have a string of kid birthdays and half birthdays, and it's always fun to see what is picked.  Today, for example, we are having homemade spaghettios, hot dogs, fruit smoothies, neopolitan cake decorated with candy, and NO VEGETABLES.  I get the impression the last part is particularly important to the half-birthday girl.  Last week we had fried chicken, a few kinds of cold salads, watermelon, and a couple kinds of pie for my 10.5 year old who apparently thinks that if you have a summer birthday you should have a summer picnic half birthday menu, even if it's January.  

So, what would your kids pick?  

We do the same for birthdays and serve it in the red plate! 😉

We just got done with a slew of birthdays. 
DD17 - Korean bibimbap 

DS16 - fish and/or random thing he shot (every single year)

DD14 - grilled burgers and the works - sweet potato fries, sautéed onions, donkey sauce, guacamole

 DD12 - can’t remember, but I’d guess ramen because I don’t but it because I’m certain it’s going to kill them. 👀 

Little kids are random things. DS6 informed us he is allergic to a lot. Apparently this includes lamb, salmon, brussel sprouts, kale cooked, broccoli, and asparagus. So nothing green for his birthday. 
 

Potstickers and homemade wontons and crab ragoons are a popular request. Breakfast for supper is always popular. 

[Jaybee]

Mine choose the birthday main dish (I add the appropriate sides) and the cake. The most often chosen main dish is chicken and dumplings. I add salad. This has been chosen for years by most/all of my kids plus dh. A new favorite is coming up on the horizon with chicken shawarma. I cook assorted bell pepper pieces and onion with it, and add a salad with greens, garbanzos, feta, etc.

Birthday cakes are most often Mississippi mud cake or Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake/Icing with vanilla ice cream. Or coconut cake--forgot that one, but it is dh's favorite. There has been an occasional cookie cake, pie, etc., but it's nearly always one of these.

[1234]

Oldest just had a birthday and his pick is always the same - chicken fried steak,  fried okra, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I rarely make it since it’s fried food but he asks every few months for it and always on his birthday.

 Youngest always asks for baked ziti. 

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, BlsdMama said:

We do the same for birthdays and serve it in the red plate! 😉

We just got done with a slew of birthdays. 
DD17 - Korean bibimbap 

DS16 - fish and/or random thing he shot (every single year)

DD14 - grilled burgers and the works - sweet potato fries, sautéed onions, donkey sauce, guacamole

 DD12 - can’t remember, but I’d guess ramen because I don’t but it because I’m certain it’s going to kill them. 👀 

Little kids are random things. DS6 informed us he is allergic to a lot. Apparently this includes lamb, salmon, brussel sprouts, kale cooked, broccoli, and asparagus. So nothing green for his birthday. 
 

Potstickers and homemade wontons and crab ragoons are a popular request. Breakfast for supper is always popular. 

LOL.  My niece is apparently sooo allergic to vegetables that even if other people eat them on her birthday it will cause her suffering.  All vegetables, except, I guess, the tomatoes in the spaghettio sauce.  

[Drama Llama]

3 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

We do the same for birthdays and serve it in the red plate! 😉

We just got done with a slew of birthdays. 
DD17 - Korean bibimbap 

DS16 - fish and/or random thing he shot (every single year)

DD14 - grilled burgers and the works - sweet potato fries, sautéed onions, donkey sauce, guacamole

 DD12 - can’t remember, but I’d guess ramen because I don’t but it because I’m certain it’s going to kill them. 👀 

Little kids are random things. DS6 informed us he is allergic to a lot. Apparently this includes lamb, salmon, brussel sprouts, kale cooked, broccoli, and asparagus. So nothing green for his birthday. 
 

Potstickers and homemade wontons and crab ragoons are a popular request. Breakfast for supper is always popular. 

Do you think all ramen is going to kill them, or just the dried stuff with the flavor packet of death, that is the staple food of college students?

[sweet2ndchance]

Kid picks birthday meal here too. They pick many of the meals already mentioned. Oldest ds almost always picks pulled pork sandwiches though. 

[alisoncooks]

Pretty sure my oldest would pick  Spam (cubed and fried with soy sauce) and white rice. Seriously. 🙄

Youngest would probably pick takeout from our favorite, local Mexican eatery. 

[4atHome]

11 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

We do the same for birthdays and serve it in the red plate! 😉

 

We use the red plate too! Had one when I was a kid, and loved it.  Love to see my kids loving it too.  They always remember it, while I always forget it.

[Farrar]

Homemade sesame noodles with steak. It does have vegetables.

Or... homemade mac and cheese with absolutely nothing else. Realistically, I'd make a salad to go with it.

[TheReader]

1 hour ago, BaseballandHockey said:

Now I want feijoada!  

Do you have a recipe you like? 

I do, but we also tweak it; let me post the link and try to sum up our changes. 

http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.com/2010/03/recipe-feijoada-classic-traditional.html

We leave out the pig's tail, foot, and ear. 

We leave out the carne de sol. 

We do a mix of smoked sausages, garlic sausages, and Kielbasas in place of the linquica (never pepperoni)

We leave out the cilantro, having never had it in a feijoada in Brazil before (not in our regions, anyway)

We leave out the cachaca, just because we usually don't have any, but I think it would be a fun/good addition if you had some. 

We tend to be liberal with our amounts of things, rather than following the listed amounts of each meat, beans, etc. 

We do ours in the crockpot, starting with the beans, adding the meats throughout for various cooking times. (we've never used lard to cook the bacon, onions, garlic, etc, though of course that's an option if you want to).  We DO take out some of the beans and add them back in after blending them, as suggested. 

We do serve with farofa, couve/kale, and rice, as suggested. Probably both recipes for those came from the same website, and are far less "tweaked" than this one is. 

[Not_a_Number]

Mac and cheese and ice cream maybe, lol? And definitely the Kraft kind, not the kind that has actually cheese in it 😉 .

Or hot dogs! DD8 really loves hot dogs. 

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

Mac and cheese and ice cream maybe, lol? And definitely the Kraft kind, not the kind that has actually cheese in it 😉 .

Or hot dogs! DD8 really loves hot dogs. 

She might like homemade spaghettios too!  

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, BaseballandHockey said:

She might like homemade spaghettios too!  

I don't think we've tried that! Not a bad idea 😄 . 

[Arcadia]

My children have consistently picked:

Korean hotpot and BBQ (preferably all you can eat buffet)

Sushi and sashimi (conveyor belt sushi preferred)

Other than last year, we have always dine out for my children and my birthday.

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, BaseballandHockey said:

Do you think all ramen is going to kill them, or just the dried stuff with the flavor packet of death, that is the staple food of college students?

MSG won’t kill them unless they are allergic. My mom is sensitive to MSG and gets a horribly dry throat feeling.

Ramen needs a good broth and preferably a nicely done egg. 

[lynn]

Salmon, asparagus, quinoa for my daughter, d's2 baked ziti or sausage and rigatoni d's3 Marie calendar pot pie,  d's1 anything I make

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, Arcadia said:

MSG won’t kill them unless they are allergic. My mom is sensitive to MSG and gets a horribly dry throat feeling.

Ramen needs a good broth and preferably a nicely done egg. 

I was joking.  I don't think that packaged ramen with a flavor packet is actually deadly.  It's not something I'd serve to my kids as a meal.  

Ramen with homemade broth, and added vegetables, and an egg, and maybe some ground pork?  That's an entirely different thing. 

[Drama Llama]

3 minutes ago, BaseballandHockey said:

I was joking.  I don't think that packaged ramen with a flavor packet is actually deadly.  It's not something I'd serve to my kids as a meal.  

Ramen with homemade broth, and added vegetables, and an egg, and maybe some ground pork?  That's an entirely different thing. 

Also, to be clear, if my kid specifically wanted packaged ramen we'd have packaged ramen for the birthday.  If this kid had asked for canned spaghettios, another food I don't serve for dinner, we'd have those too.  But I happen to have a kid who loves rising to the challenge of making fake junk food, and has convinced his cousin he can make spaghettios that are better than Chef Boyardee.  He's probably right, that bar isn't insurmountably high.  

[wendyroo]

"Plain" (gluten free) noodles, by which they mean with butter and grated Parmesan cheese. No sauce!! Oh, and a side of bacon.

If it were up to them, they would literally subsist on that and flavored apple sauce cups for every meal. 🙃

It is a constant uphill battle to get them to eat anything I classify as "food".

[Bootsie]

When DD recently came back from a year abroad her requests were frito pie, chicken fried steak, and peanut butter.  (not all at the same meal)

[Ethel Mertz]

DS 18 - Sushi

[SounderChick]

ODD picks poutine and pork tenderloin sandwiches.

MDD just wants Japanese mushroom onion soup and gyoza.

YDD mac and cheese

[Drama Llama]

3 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

"Plain" (gluten free) noodles, by which they mean with butter and grated Parmesan cheese. No sauce!! Oh, and a side of bacon.

If it were up to them, they would literally subsist on that and flavored apple sauce cups for every meal. 🙃

It is a constant uphill battle to get them to eat anything I classify as "food".

I could happily subsist on sides of bacon.  I wouldn't even need any applesauce to go with it.

 

[gardenmom5]

it would range from grinders (and cake with no frosting/ or a glorified brownie we make) to lobster (or prime rib) and some type of Austrian torte.  (I was not impressed with the crepes with Diplomate cream. . . . . ) Chinese food has occasionally made an appearance on the list.  So has schnitzel.

My desires are simple.  Copper River Sockeye and a blackberry pie.  (wild rice makes a nice side.)  Pity their season's are mutually exclusive.

[Bambam]

One kid almost always picks maple salmon, sweet potatoes, and a veggie (usually asparagus if it is in season). She will want chocolate chip cookie/cheesecake/brownie bars for her 'cake' (yes, all in one)

Other - She changes regularly - could be some sort of pasta dish (baked zita) or Indian cuisine (samosas, butter chicken, pakoras (which I have never tried making but she did with an air fryer and they turned out pretty good!). 'Cake' will be something elaborate that she will want to make herself. 

[Storygirl]

DS15's 16th birthday is today. He requested club sandwiches made on the panini press and a molten chocolate cake. I haven't made a molten chocolate cake before, and I don't want to attempt it and fail on his birthday. So instead, I made a Texas sheet cake, and I'll made some fudgy topping for the vanilla ice cream.

He hasn't asked for club sandwiches before this year. The last couple of years, he wanted Trader Joe's orange chicken (except he eats it without the orange sauce).

DD19 always asks for fettuccini alfredo. Before she left for college, I asked her what she wanted me to make for her last few meals at home, and I think all of her choices involved noodles.

DD15 asks for my homemade baked macaroni and cheese.

DS16 is a wild card. I think most of his requests have been pasta.

[Pam in CT]

When the kids were young and all lived at home we had a standing day of the week where the rest of the family -- everyone but me, the cook, who decides what we'll have ALL THE OTHER NIGHTS -- took turns choosing what we'd have.  This Tuesday will be E's turn (tell me what you want by Sunday when I'll go to the store), next Tuesday will be J's, then S's, then Daddy's; return to start.

It was an interesting and valuable feedback mechanism, actually: it gave me actual DATA on what people's preferences were. Turned out that though I believed I knew what everyone's preferences were, there were a lot of, erm, gaps in my expectations.

I wish now I'd kept records of what they all picked. I've kept a COVID journal since last March 8, and one of the things I've been recording is what we've had for dinner every night. And it's interesting to see.

Favorites that I know about:

Eldest: roasted chicken with kugel, leg of lamb with roasted potatoes & asparagus, salmon with broccoli & rice

Middle: slow cooked lamb shanks, slow cooked chicken drumsticks, lamb tangine with couscous, brisket with carrots, chili with rice. Anything so slow-cooked it falls apart, basically

Youngest (who's been vegetarian since she was 7 yo): eggplant parm, veg chili with rice, pesto pasta, this ratatouille-kind of thing I made up, this swedish meatball variant with veg meatballs I made up along with cranberry sauce, veg lasagna, this mushroom casserole thing involving cream-of-whatever soup that I am.not.proud.of but she adores

Husband: corned beef and cabbage (sigh), chicken/turkey pot pie, tuna casserole (the origin story of youngest's aforementioned mushroom casserole), anything breaded with Cajun spices and fried

 

Actually as I think about it, pretty much everyone likes pretty much anything breaded with Cajun spices and fried -- I expect I could wad up chunks of the New York Times, dredge it and bread it and fry it up crisp, and everyone would be perfectly content. Sigh.

[Drama Llama]

5 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

DS15's 16th birthday is today.

I don't think you can call him DS15 anymore.  

5 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

He requested club sandwiches made on the panini press and a molten chocolate cake. I haven't made a molten chocolate cake before, and I don't want to attempt it and fail on his birthday. So instead, I made a Texas sheet cake, and I'll made some fudgy topping for the vanilla ice cream.

Sometimes, my kids like to pick something complicated and hope that I perform like a contestant on Nailed It.   I think they like to laugh at me, more than they like well constructed cake.  

[Storygirl]

1 minute ago, BaseballandHockey said:

I don't think you can call him DS15 anymore.  

Sometimes, my kids like to pick something complicated and hope that I perform like a contestant on Nailed It.   I think they like to laugh at me, more than they like well constructed cake.  

😆 DS15 and DS16 are 8 months apart in age (adoptive family, so we have several atypical age spans). I thought when I posted above that I should call him DS16, but I already have one of those!!! It's a weird quandary that I have when I post here.

DD15 loves Nailed It! She also loves baking, so we can try the molten cakes another day. If we "nail it" and make a mess, like the contestants do, I'm sure we will still enjoy it 😋. I wish I could be goodnatured when something goes awry in the kitchen, but it stresses me out!

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, Storygirl said:

😆 DS15 and DS16 are 8 months apart in age (adoptive family, so we have several atypical age spans). I thought when I posted above that I should call him DS16, but I already have one of those!!! It's a weird quandary that I have when I post here.

DD15 loves Nailed It! She also loves baking, so we can try the molten cakes another day. If we "nail it" and make a mess, like the contestants do, I'm sure we will still enjoy it 😋. I wish I could be goodnatured when something goes awry in the kitchen, but it stresses me out!

We had that quandry here from July through December every year, it's why I usually say middle or youngest, or DS10 and DS10.5.  

[mathnerd]

Homemade falafel wraps with hummus, tabbouleh and pita bread or homemade pizza with Açaí bowls for dessert. We eat out fairly often (pre-pandemic) that my son chooses homemade food on his birthday.

[Eos]

Oldest, summer birthday: grilled anything - salmon, burgers, veggies, and corn - plus chocolate raspberry ganache cake 

Next oldest, summer birthday: salad Nicoise, St. Andre cheese with crackers, lemon curd tart with fresh berries 

Third, winter birthday: nori rolls, slow-cooked pork or beef with mushroom gravy and homemade noodles, creme brulee

Fourth, Thanksgiving birthday - anything that isn't turkey dinner!  buche de noel for dessert 

 

[Nanax6]

My kids are all adults now...they would pick Penne Rustica ...it's delicious and labor intensive.  I usually only make it when everyone is home. 

[Sneezyone]

For my DD, anything slow cooked or stewed—chicken and dumplings, beef stew, gumbo, chili, brown beans, Bolognese sauce—with rice. Or, anything Asian—sushi, stir fry, dumplings, and rolls—WITH RICE. Did I mention rice? For dessert, red velvet cake.
 

For DS—any breaded and fried, grilled or sautéed meat with a naked side salad. His absolute favorite is a thick rib eye steak, medium rare, with barely heated veggies. For dessert, sugar in any form.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Sneezyone

[Dmmetler]

Mexican. And Taco Bell (sigh). I think the last came from the fact that pre-COVID, it was a nice place for a teen to spend some time reading or doing homework and had cheap vegetarian options readily available. 

[alisoncooks]

6 hours ago, wendyroo said:

"Plain" (gluten free) noodles, by which they mean with butter and grated Parmesan cheese. No sauce!! Oh, and a side of bacon.

If it were up to them, they would literally subsist on that and flavored apple sauce cups for every meal. 🙃

It is a constant uphill battle to get them to eat anything I classify as "food".

Oh man, my kids lived off this meal plan for several years. They love noodles and parm!

[ScoutTN]

We do birthday meals too. They get to pick b’fast and dinner. B’fast is always either pancakes or french toast with bacon.

Ds will always pick  mexican for dinner. 

Dd is less predictable. Past choices have been  burgers on the grill, chx pot pie, mac and cheese.

Dessert is usually chocolate cake, but has also been brownies with ice cream and chocolate sauce, or cheesecake. 

[Spryte]

We love the red plate, too.

This year DS chose spaghetti with meat sauce, and garlic knots.  We are gluten, dairy, nut, sesame and a boatload-of-other-things free, so desserts can get interesting but this year it was chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and pumpkin pie. He chose blueberry pie for breakfast. That made me so happy, ha!

DD - I don’t know what she will choose this year, it varies.  Favorites are egg (she requested it for Christmas!) or salmon. Vegetables are a tough sell at the moment. I’m not going to offer the “no veggie” idea or she would run with it.

[theelfqueen]

My 15 year old - bibimbap

My 19 year old- sushi and ramen 

My 25 year old - barbecue with my mom's mac n cheese

[SKL]

It really depends on what day you ask my kids.

One of mine seems most likely to want buffalo chicken nowadays.

The other one, maybe Olive Garden / Fettucini Alfredo.  (Last birthday, she said she wanted to cook her own favorite meal, but then she changed her mind.)

Neither of mine would even think about including a veggie on their own, for a celebration meal.