r/WhatShouldICook

Hosting a last-minute family dinner tomorrow. 8 people total: 4 adults (normal eaters), 4 kids (ages 4-9, picky). I want something that:

• Can be mostly prepped ahead
• Doesn't require me to be in the kitchen the whole time
• Looks impressive enough that I don't look lazy
• Kids will actually eat it

I have a Dutch oven, sheet pans, and basic pantry stuff. No dietary restrictions. Budget around $40. What would YOU make?

I’m an austistic person and I need more healthy meals and fiber in my diet. But it’s hard to do so when I hate beans. I hate the texture of them with a burning passion. I need to eat more healthy too but it’s also hard when I don’t like vegetables too. Do yall know anyway to just hide the texture and taste of beans and vegetables? I want to try but it’s hard. Thank you :3

I’m researching how people plan everyday meals and would love to learn from your actual routine.

When you open your fridge or pantry and see ingredients you already have:

How do you decide what to cook?

Do you usually search recipes by ingredient, use a meal-planning app, ask someone, or improvise?

Which ingredients do you most often forget about or discover too late?

How do you decide what groceries to buy before your next shopping trip?

What is the most frustrating part of planning meals?

I’m especially interested in situations where you have a few ingredients but are missing one or two items needed to make a complete meal.

Please share a recent example if you have one. I’m trying to understand the problem before deciding whether to build anything.

I've got: half a bag of frozen cauliflower gnocchi, some leftover Italian sausage (cooked), a jar of artichoke hearts, and cream cheese. Pantry has pasta, canned tomatoes, and spices. I'm craving something comforting but not too heavy. Any ideas?

I have plenty of ingredients to work with, like corn, beans, cheese, rice, broth, and a host of Asian pantry staples. We prefer simple food, nothing fancy.

[see list below]
We're trying to cook more at home and to eat more healthy, fresh food but we're not very experienced at preparing tasty dishes with fresh ingredients.

What's the best way to season and cook what we have?
For the record, my SO and I don't like roasted vegetables, and the thought of boiling vegetables makes me cringe. So maybe sauté or steam? My SO wants it one way and I want it the other, but we're happy eating it either way.

We prepped the following fresh veggies and we'd like to bring them to life. We can use all or any of the ingredients in this list:

1.5 cups sliced summer squash
1 c cabbage (pieces)
1 c broccoli (small florets)
1 c sliced onions (chunky crescents)
1/2 c carrots (thin slices)
1/2 c celery (thin slices)
1 clove garlic
[seaoning?]

Our pantry is (somewhat) well-stocked and we have a decent assortment of condiments, spices, and cooking oils.

Got a pack of chicken thighs, half a cabbage, a sad-looking bell pepper, and some eggs. Also have basic pantry stuff (rice, soy sauce, garlic). What should I cook tonight? Trying to avoid going to the store.

I have a bunch of white nectarines (sweeter than normal nectarines) and I’m not sure what to make other than a cobbler or pie.

Anyone have ideas on what to make with the extra 10 that will go bad before the end of the week?

My wife hates bratwurst in the casing, but I got a bunch free so I was wondering if I could just take the meat out of casings and what kind of recipes would go good with raw bratwurst meat?

I have a dinner planned that called for a pork loin. I was going to make “chops” with a brown sugar marinade. Instead I received a pack of two tenderloins. I do NOT want a roast or it grilled. No bowls, no ramen. I’m looking to use it as a primary ingredient in a dish, ideally one that plays into that brown sugar flavor profile and still goes well with roasted potatoes and broccoli parm bites.

I am a Post Grad student and I kinda want to cook for myself and eat some good food, but unable to because of the refrigerator issue. I'll be leaving in 2 years after Graduating and Presently it's kinda like a Motel I'm staying in where I can't get a refrigerator. I do have an induction cooktop and I make basic eggs and stuff. Meat as well I can't store so I don't buy. What are some things that I can make but also buy and store unlike Tomatoes which get rotten after a few days. Just give me suggestions. Protein preferred.

I accidentally bought really lean ground beef in a large amount. Yesterday I made one of my go to meat ball recipes and it was dry af, what can I do with the rest to not fell like I’m eating cardboar?

I have a freezer drawer full of frozen apples and pears (peeled and cored), and this year's crop is threatening to ripen early! Any ideas that I could use them for?

Ingredient list in my fridge:

1. Red onions
2. White onions
3. Sweet onions
4. Shallots
5. Pickled onions

My girlfriend is out of town for a few days. I do most of the cooking around the house but she hates onions so I can never cook with them and always have to choose lesser, inferior aromatics. Since I’ll be cooking for myself, I bought a shit ton of onions. Give me some ideas for what I can make that will be loaded with slimy yummy oniony goodness. Bonus points if it requires lots of precise, thin cuts so I have an excuse to sharpen my knives while she’s gone. Double bonus points if it doesn’t include meat and cheese, since that’s all she ever wants to eat.

I have:

Flour

Eggs

Sugar

Baking soda

Milk

small quantity of Butter

Cinnamon.