4 Meals Every Father Should Know How to Make

August 26, 2011, By Peter Chianca 16 comments

No one expects the man of the house to be a gourmet chef, but there are certain items that any self-respecting husband or dad should be prepared to prepare at a moment’s notice. And sorry, but peanut butter and jelly doesn’t count—these items are a little bit higher on the family-meal food chain, but, for the most part, not much harder to whip up.

Eggs

Eggs Benedict? Put that in front of your kid and he’s bound to look at you like you just asked him to eat a giant yellow snail. But if you can’t make a decent scrambled egg, you’ve severely limited your easy-meal options—and it’s only a small step from there to a full-fledged omelette, the perfect dish for hiding healthy stuff like spinach and tomatoes.

Eggrecipes.org has some of the best and easiest egg recipes around, including this by-the-numbers omelet recipe—although you might prefer substituting skim milk for the water to create a creamier texture.

Easy Omelet: Beat two eggs and two tablespoons water. In a 10-inch frying pan, heat one tablespoon of butter until melted. Pour in egg-and-water mixture. The edge of the omelette should set immediately.Use a spatula or tilt the pan to carefully move cooked portions from the edges toward the middle so uncooked areas can reach the hot surface of the pan. Continue until the egg is set throughout. Add a half cup of any filling, then fold in half with a spatula before sliding on to a plate.

Grilled Cheese

Just a step above peanut butter and jelly on the kids’ lunch ladder, this delicacy nonetheless takes a deft touch—and your kids will tell you if you get it wrong. Make sure to spread a generous amount of softened butter on the bread before placing it in the frying pan (electric works best, set at 350). And flip generously to avoid that unsightly charcoal crisp. Do a good enough job on the melting and you can get away with adding extras like tomatoes, bacon or even spinach or avocados.

For a healthier option, there’s always toasted cheese, which leaves out the butter—and a good amount of the grilled-in flavor. But use enough cheese and maybe they won’t notice.

NEXT: Pizza

Comments (16):

Jack H. Thanks for the suggestion, Rory. Sounds tasty--and easy. Much appreciated. - 01/16/2012

Rory R. Pasta Carabonara... it's simple. It's quick. It's nutritious. I add courgette sliced into sticks and sauteed with the lardons to mine. This adds color and is delicious. Finish by sprinkling grated parmesan on top with some dry fried pine nuts + a twist or two of freshly ground pepper... Tasty and on the table in 10 minutes :) - 01/14/2012

Jeff P. Appreciate all the comments here. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts on what should be on this list instead of the four we highlighted. - 12/28/2011

Sylvia F. Hoemmade food is best! - 12/14/2011

Phil @. Most fun I have with the kids is homemade bread. They love being involved in the whole process, especially the kneading. - 10/29/2011

Ed G. "No one expects the man of the house to be a gourmet chef..." Why not? This is Exactly what should be expected from everyone, Moms AND Dads. What's wrong with having a hobby/skill that your whole family can benefit from. There are enough cook books and TV shows now that there's no excuse to not learn how to cook. And besides, this will lead to kids actually eating good food that's good for them. - 10/05/2011

Ricardo C. If this slop is the best you expect a man to do, its no wonder women think we're useless. - 10/05/2011

C J. Oh, my gosh. Stop telling people to hide unappetizing food inside of appetizing food. When I was a kid, THIS DID NOT WORK. I always found the unwanted items and either picked them out or flat-out refused to eat the entire meal. This is not an endearing trait of a parent. A good parent knows when to push and when not to. If you have to hide it like that, you probably shouldn't be trying to force it. Offer it openly and stop trying to lie - because that's basically what you're doing. All it teaches your kids is that it's okay to hide things from you - something you won't want them to have learned well when they're teenagers. - 09/29/2011

M Ark E. are YOU KIDDING?? THAT'S REALLY HOW TO MAKE A TOASTED CHEESE? WHAT A LAME EXCUSE FOR AN ARTICLE. THE GREATEST COOKS IN THE WORLD ARE MALE MORON! - 09/25/2011

Ed H. My son loves grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and cheese pizza. What is it with kids and cheese? Keep trying to convince him to try a little sausage or pepperoni on the pizza, but he won't. - 09/20/2011

Greg B. "No one expects the man of the house to be a gourmet chef" Seriously, where is did this idea that men are clueless and incompetent come from? From annoying television commercials featuring men walking around like baboons to articles like this that assume the average man doesn't know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. A grilled cheese sandwich! Seriously, this really needs to stop. - 09/19/2011

Just A R. I'm sure the intent was good, but this article is really a back-handed, sexist put down of men. There's nothing difficult about learning to cook - and by that I mean a variety of dishes, not just some basic set. Men are accustomed to learning and adapting at work. That is no different than learning how to cook. That way you can go WAY beyond a grilled cheese sandwich. - 09/11/2011

Bert S. OR... one could have the wife do the cooking, if they were truly the "man of the house". - 09/05/2011

Jeronimo Y. These aren't really meals, just recipes. - 09/01/2011

Debora M. I really enjoy your website. Congrats on the good work! Will show my daddy this grilled cheese recipe. He'll love it. :) - 08/29/2011

Sparty A. Not a main dish, but a necessity nonetheless - every dad should know how to make mashed potatoes; what kid doesn't like them?! - 08/26/2011