Cooking Meatless Main Dish Recipes Needed

[mominwestlake]

The season of Lent is quickly approaching and I am looking for some meatless main dishes to serve my family of picky eaters. We'll often do meatless spaghetti. Most of my 5 kids won't eat tuna so I don't even bother and most won't eat fish. I guess I could make eggs and pancakes but the little ones will miss the sausage.

Anyone have any other ideas? I do have a recipe for baked potato soup that some of my kids will eat.

 

[MazdaUK]

I thought eggs and pancakes were also off limits - the reason for Shrove Tuesday was to use up all the goodies And I think I read Sundays don't count towards Lent - but don't quote me!

How about fish pie? Cheese and potato pie? (mash potato and cheese really ). Or try googling some UK wartime recipes when meat, cheese etc. was very tightly rationed

 

[Zandy595]

I'm not a fan of Robert Irvine, but I love his Red Beans and Rice recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robert-irvine/red-beans-and-rice-recipe/index.html

We had to have smoked sausage with it because DH can't have a meal without meat , but I would have been perfectly happy without the sausage.

 

[greeneeyes]

Eggs are not off limits, but the goodies made with them (like cakes, cookies and the like are), Lent is a time of sacrifice after all. And we cannot eat meat on Friday, but can the rest of the week.

I always make my lasagna and baked ziti meatless as I make the sauce with meatballs and sausage and that is the part I skip during Lent. My kids love breakfast for dinner so we often have french toast or pancakes and I don't serve sausage or bacon at dinner time ever, that is for Sunday mornings here.

My kids do love fried shrimp so I make that, but they won't eat other seafood.
They also love veggie soups so I serve that and grilled cheese (with a salad for those who want one) or omelette's with fried potatoes.
And mac 'n cheese! Can't forget that! It's always a big hit here.

 

[etoiles]

Here are some ideas:

- Quessadillas - just cheese or add other ingredients, spinach, mushroom, etc... depending on their tastes. Serve with vegetarian refried beans and spanish rice.

- Baked potatoes topped with vegetarian chili or broccoli with cheese sauce. Vegetarian baked beans is a good option too.

- Vegetable fried rice (can add egg if you want for protein) Make this after you use white rice and you can save the extra for this.

- Tacos - used black beans with taco seasoning, refried beans, or Morningstar Veggie Crumbles (vegetarian fake beef - everyone I know LOVES it and eats all my vegetarian meals)

- Pierogi - it's very simple (pasta with potato and can have cheese) we serve it with sauteed cabbage. Find it in the frozen section. Just heat and eat.

- Make a vegetarian pot pie. Follow chicken recipe just leave out chicken.

- Enchiladas stuffed with cheese or beans

 

[piratesmate]

Most of what we make has already been listed above, but I also do a sort of quiche. I don't use pie crust for mine - I will either put a layer of shredded potatoes into the pie pan or casserole & bake a while (they take longer than the egg mixture does) or use a version that calls for Bisquick.

Last night my sister & I were discussing meatless Fridays & she told me that her husband doesn't think chicken is meat. LOL She calls it "Peanut Butter Helper". For some bizarre reason, he always eats peanut butter about 30 - 45 minutes after having chicken for dinner. It never satisfies him & he's hungry.

 

[tiggerfan1]

Here are a few ideas: vegetable lasagna, 4-cheese lasagna, black bean soup, lentil soup, minestrone (made with water and tomato sauce instead of chicken broth), pasta primavera (or some other pasta and vegetable dish), vegetarian chili, french bread pizzas with vegetable toppings, veggie burgers (or black bean burgers), hearty salads with diced avocado and hard-boiled eggs (they make the salads really filling), and roasted vegetable sandwiches.

 

[PamCo88]

We keep trying different kinds of fish. DS will now eat haddock sometimes, but not every week. Also ravioli.

 

[gila]

try one of those jars of curry sauces--a mild one like korma curry and use potatoes or cauliflower or squash, maybe throw some peas in there, too, serve with rice. i had surprising success with this the other night.

 

[laura&fam]

We really love black beans with spaghetti sauce and rice.

You separately make rice, spaghetti sauce (I use a can instead of the recipie because I'm lazy) and then black beans as follows and then let each person mix them together on their plate.

Black beans:

2 cans black beans, or dried black beans cooked according to package
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat oil in frying pan, stir in pepper and onion. Saute until onions are golden. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt if desired. Serve over rice with tomato sauce.