Meal Ideas For When We Can Barely Stand Each Other's Company Anymore

My teenagers only leave their rooms to (1) use the bathroom, (2) get food and drink and (3) find charger.  I love my children, but we are all sick of each other. We just are. We are getting on each other's last nerve. We are bored with each other and our idiosyncrasies.

Living in isolation or sem-isolation calls for some ground rules: How should we do mealtime? Can we be ok with lowering the standard of nightly family meals? Should we aim for eating together one week night and one weekend night? The rest of the time, on our own? Let’s not assume we have to be together all the time. 

When we are together, how can we add some intention? Maybe come to the gathering time with a set of questions like “How is this night different from all other nights?” Or, perhaps, Arthur Aron’s 36 questions that can make you fall in love with anyone.

The purpose of the family meal is not just to deliver nutrients into bodies. As I said back in this post, food and eating meets many needs and can be enjoyed in many locations with others or alone. To help you get your next meal on the table check out these ideas: 

1. Enchiladas. This recipe keeps ‘em coming back for more. And, if not, I usually save out some chicken and offer it with tortillas and cheese. I’m still enjoying cantaloupe and watermelon with everything these days. Add a tossed salad with some avocado, radishes, and cilantro to add a crispy crunch to balance out the warm, gooey cheesiness.  

2. Rice Bowl. You can absolutely serve a bowl of rice as the main dish of a meal. I’ve done it and no one complained. Sometimes one dish is all we can muster. Open a can of fruit and a bag of baby carrots and call it good. Maybe a cheese stick if you are lucky. Fifteen years of parenting has brought *ahem* all sorts of meals to our dinner table. On a good day, I like to build on the rice with some kind of protein (chicken, beef, pork, fish, tofu), vegetables, and sauce. Here is a yummy recipe for a Korean-inspired rice bowl. Do yourself a favor and buy the pre-cut carrots and cabbage if your grocery budget allows (pre-cut veg are a bit pricier, but I tend to use it since I don’t have to first find my peeler, knife, cutting board, glasses (because I guess I need readers now when I chop veg?). 

3. Soup for the Week. Make a giant pot of soup that you can dip from for a couple of days in a row. I’m a sucker for Zuppa Toscana because I was raised believing The Olive Garden was the fanciest restaurant in the world. My husband took me there on our first date confirming that  he was “the one.” Ah, the standards of youth. Here is a list of 17 soups that will last all week. 

4. Pot Pie. You either love it, or you hate it. I love it. My children hate it. I still make it because I LIVE HERE, TOO. This recipe is quick and simple. I like to use rotisserie chicken because someone else went through the trouble. I guess I feel like it’s not just me my kids are rejecting. It’s me and Barb, the lady that runs the rotisserie at Safeway. She gets me. On pot pie days, my kids make their own food. Usually cereal or Ritz crackers + peanut butter (add a glass of milk and some apple slices to round things out. Or don’t. Sometimes rounding things out is overrated).
5. Stuffed Pepper Casserole. My mom used to call this Spanish Rice. Whatever the name, it’s tasty and satisfying. Here’s a recipe that looks similar to my mother’s. I think hers came from the red-and-white-checker cookbook (aka The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook). Is it less fussy than the original stuffed peppers? I think, yes. When I think back to eating this as a child, I have a vivid memory of a side dish of apple sauce and colby cheese slices. 

6. Bagels. A nod to the food that found its popularity in the 1990s. I was in high school when I had my first bagel and I’ve never looked back. On the weekends, I like to put out a bagel bar for us to nosh on throughout the morning. Start small with this recipe and use this and this post for admiration and inspiration. Some clever person came up with a bagel + lox inspired salad. 

7. Baked Fish. A friend made this dish for dinner at a book club I used to be a part of back in the good ole days when we were meeting in groups. She served it with crusty bread for us to sop up the sauce. I’m still dreaming of it.  

What gets you fed when the very last thing you want to do is step foot in the kitchen? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear your ideas.

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