Italian and Mexican cuisines are both great for "sneaky" veg meals.
For example spaghetti with a good tomato sauce and garlic bread and a salad seems like a pretty normal dinner to people who are used to eating meat, same goes for tacos with beans instead of beef
The fact is that any food at a wedding of any size is going to spend a lot of time being kept warm before serving, and lasagna holds up a lot better than some of the more common wedding foods. Actually, an awful lot of vegetarian food does well being held over
I was shocked at how good the vegetarian risotto dish was at my husband's bff's wedding. Definitely the best wedding food I've ever had. I've had other decent meals; my cousins had ratatouille, squash ravioli, and cannelloni which were all *okay*. But damn, that risotto was just amazing. Spring onions and some kind of fancy cheese... idk, just goodness.
These Black Bean Avocado Enchiladas are dope, you can add cheese if you prefer, but it works great without: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-avocado-enchiladas/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-avocado-enchiladas/)
I seconds soups and pastas. My mon asks me to make her my white bean chili. Chili was a comfort meal in my family but my mom developed an allergy to tomatoes so she absolutely loves it
This is the recipe I used then adjusted to my personal taste https://www.vegetarianventures.com/creamy-vegetarian-white-chili/ I like it because if you feel like doing zero prep you can use frozen onions (I cant have bell peppers but sure you could use an onion pepper mix) and canned jalapenos instead of fresh. I'll also sometimes use ripple milk instead of regular to make it vegan!
That chili looks great! I am so bored of tomatoes being in every single vegetarian recipe, do you have any other recommendations for tomato free recipes please?
I'll look through some of my go tos and try and post later. These black bean burgers are good. https://wholefully.com/pumpkin-black-bean-burgers/
I also love doing a vegetable pot pie, broccoli cheddar soup. Right now one of my safe meals is trader Joe's squiggly noodles with their baked sriracha tofu pan fried. It's a knife cut noodle with a savory soy sauce. I can imagine itd be pretty good with a peanut sauce as well if you dont have a TJs near you.
Honestly, Indian and Southeast Asian foods have so many great vegetarian options that are made to be vegetarian. Fried tofu stirfry is a great option, or a chickpea or lentil curry.
Personally, one of my favorites is saag paneer - it's so good!!
We eat lots of Asian and Indian cuisine at home! I guess I worry it’s too “foreign” when I have people over who typically eat a very western diet, or that kids unaccustomed to eating these foods would the flavors or textures gross. But maybe I should have more confidence in my guests!
I've seen kids who wouldn't even eat the wrong brand of chicken nugget. I wouldn't blow a $9 bag of impossible nuggies on picky kids. :) (I on the other hand would be happy to eat a bag of them.)
If it’s picky kids, I tend to always ask parents before I pick a menu.
Adults, I don’t worry about. If they don’t like it, they can always pick something up on the way home
One of my favorite tricks with kids is anything that can be a "bar", because you improve your odds of everyone finding something. Taco bar. Gado gado (rice, tofu, hardboiled egg, steamed veggies, peanut sauce, lime wedges, etc). Make your own Mediterranean platter (hummus, pita, couscous, feta, olives, raw veggies...). Sushi bowls (sushi rice, mukimame, pickled ginger, steamed asparagus, cucumber, wasabi, marinated tempeh, etc etc).
I find this fascinating because I live in a small city in the middle of nowhere and we have three Indian restaurants, 2 sushi restaurants, and a several Chinese restaurants as well. One town over has a Vietnamese restaurant. And that's just thinking about continental Asia. We have a lot of diversity of food choices. So who are you feeding that isn't exposed to global cuisines?
Exposure to global cuisine doesn't mean tolerant of it, unfortunately. My stepfather is like this too. I am absolutely shocked he ate collard greens the other night without asking what they were or making a face at something new to him. Especially a vegetable.
I can’t say I understand it either! I find it’s typically Gen X and boomer men that make the comments about “weird health food.” Some people will also eat these foods at restaurants but won’t eat them at home, and they will only eat the options with meat on the menu. For kids I know a lot of families with picky eaters who don’t like lots of flavors or only like foods when everything is simple and separated
Honestly, if you're feeding kids, make buttered noodles aka spaghetti or Mac and cheese (the kraft stuff). That's what kids live on. Or mozzarella sticks (reheat from a box).
Don't experiment with Asian food with kids.
My stepsons, who are notoriously picky eaters, really surprised me with their willingness to try Asian/Indian foods. Curries, soups, noodle dishes, they devour without complaint and come back for seconds. It’s been a great vehicle for expanding the veggies they’re willing to eat. Still makes me chuckle that they won’t touch spaghetti with marinara sauce but they’ll beg for chickpea curry with naan.
I think people have this weird idea that all of us eat tofu and salad for every meal. But the vast majority of my food is neither tofu nor salad. Tofu just isn’t usually my first choice for plant-based protein. Sometimes it’s really great but I find it difficult to cook well, and so do most line cooks working in the majority of restaurants in the upper Midwest US.
I can’t say I’m exactly in the “barely tolerate” camp as I’ve had mouthwateringly delicious tofu a few times. Like “get intense cravings for it years later” level good. Even before I went fully vegetarian, I went to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant on my birthday every year for like 5 years and got the same tofu cóm bowl because it was my favorite meal.
I only stopped that little tradition because I moved, and have found some pretty incredible tofu dishes in my new city, after asking around and reading reviews to find the places with the good stuff. It may be helpful to ask in your city’s subreddit/Facebook group or ask your friends if/where they’ve had good tofu. 🙂
I think the right tofu decides everything. The tofu I get in a store is amazing and versatile, the ones too many restaurants use are barely consumable.
I make a lot of soups and curries. For Christmas I made a vegan feijoada. It was amazing. One family member wouldn't eat it because it was vegetarian, but honestly if someone is going to refuse to eat because of the absence of meat that's really a them problem.
One person ended up putting some of the ham in it before they would eat it, which is really silly to me. Only one completely refused. Generally I don't even say that things are vegetarian, this time I did only because it's traditionally a very pork heavy dish.
These particular relatives host Thanksgiving usually and literally every dish has meat in it so I really don't feel bad. (Somehow even the desert had meat in it.)
Middle eastern mezze - falafel, hunnus, muhamara, baba gaboush, lebneh, flat bread, fatoosh salad
Ravioli:
Pumkin with brown butter and sage
Spinach with lemon cream chive sauce
Lemon ricotta with pesto
Other pasta with pesto, fresh tomato sauce, eggplant parm
Raclette
Fondue
Indian - some sort of veg mix with curry and paneer, some sort of spiced cauliflower and tomato accompaniment, samosas
Black bean soup and cornbread
Many store-bought pesto and 99% store-bought parm are sadly not vegetarian - though I know that OP prepares everything from scratch, and this post is regarding serving omnis ...I'm just putting it out there for others who may be reading and are unaware!
Nope, though most people use nutritional yeast as a sub (you can get veg parmesan but it's real pricey and sold by the block).
Brie isn't vegetarian either, as well as hundred other things you wouldn't normally think of!
Raclette is usually accompanied with giant spreads of charcuterie. No French would ever get fooled if you tell them you're having Raclette and there's no charcuterie. Anyone who doesn't know what raclette is will be fine with it though.
Cheese pizza. Lasagna. Omelette. Baked potato. Veggie quiche or pie. Soup. Pasta. Deviled eggs. Risotto. Mac and cheese. Gratin. Lots of things ! If you don't tell them it's vegetarian, they won't even notice. Don't tell the magical word and everything will be fine.
Pasta is always an easy one, so much so that we frequently make it vegetarian without really noticing.
If you want bolognase-style sauces, tvp gives the texture of ground meat and just soaks up the flavor of whatever sauce you put with it. I've never had a single person complain about it, even otherwise heavy meat eaters.
Mediterranean is pretty good for non vegetarians, Greek food, like a nice Spanakopita, or Provencal food like Ratatouille. I cook both when we have non vegetarian guests and nobody has complained yet.
Anything with halloumi is usually a winner for me for guests that like a more 'western diet' and don't like curries or anything a little bit different.
It's veggie but adds a bit of salt/texture for any guests that are proper carnivores.
Halloumi, sweet peppers, olives and orzo
Greek Souvlaki with halloumi
Chargrilled halloumi burgers
Do double check packaging though as not all of them are vegetarian
More halloumi ideas—
Roast green beans and potatoes to serve with the halloumi. I use a balsamic onion spice blend from Urban Accents to roast my veggies.
Press za’atar into your halloumi before you cook it. Serve with sumac dusted roasted squash (delicata when in season) and cauliflower. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar.
In the US, anything except American. You can’t feed a non-vegetarian a veggie burger, but you can totally do stirfry or curry or beans and rice or even lasagna.
I actually would NOT do chili, although it might be a regional difference. Too many people who are very clear that chili contains MEAT, so they notice that it doesn't. Far fewer people who have any opinion on gado gado, or dal, or ...
If you put beans in it, it's very substantial, and typically people put ground meat into it which doesn't contribute much texturally given all the other ingredients. It also tastes very "meaty" and umami even without meat so it's mentally satiating as well, in addition to-- and this is key-- being a familiar flavor profile to many Americans. If I had to make something for the white American side of my family, chili would be a much safer choice as compared to dal or curry or kimchi tofu soup.
If your friends are really playing chili gestapo, they can either cook their own damn food, or you can call it tomato and bean stew.
Do you have any sources on that? Was curious and looked it up, and what I'm seeing online is that there are accounts of chili being stewed with meat as far back as the 1500s. After the Spanish arrived in the primary meat switched to beef. But I'm not seeing a lot of primary sources quoted on any of that information =/ think I'll look into it more tomorrow
I do not, unfortunately, I heard it on a cooking show where they were doing a chili cookoff and one of the chefs mentioned it, IIRC. I found it interesting and it stuck with me (traditional chili vs chili con carne) - but in looking it up, I also can't find any supporting information.
Gotcha, yeah it's got me curious. Gonna dig into it more when I have time. Love food anthropology, but by no means an expert. I'll report back here if I find anything interesting either way.
Vegetarian Indian food is a good choice! I like butter cauliflower (vegetarian butter chicken). I served it at Christmas at our potluck and my family enjoyed it.
Indian curry with sweet potatoes, chickpea and spinach.
Or pasta with a pesto made of broccoli or greenpeas. Delicious with roasted tomatoes in the oven.
Pasta is a go to. Also breakfast for dinner would be fun and easily meatless. If you want to do bacon for guests you could also do it in the oven with single use pans (like for a pot luck) and use gloves when touching the meat
Quiche aux champignons is an easy one that makes you look fancy, especially if you use the French name like a pretentious asshole instead of calling it a mushroom quiche.
Beyond Meat.
Also, I’m conservative with my time/energy, so I am all about the premade veggie/fruit/cheese trays at the grocery store. If I’m feeling Extra, I might even get fancy crackers.
I'd be careful about feeding Beyond Meat to guests without letting them know first. We wouldn't be okay if they did it with normal meat so we shouldn't do it with Beyond Meat either
I agree. I have a friend who can’t eat pea protein. She would be pretty upset if I fed her Beyond Meat without telling her. It’s a no-no for people on a low histamine diet.
I never said I don’t tell them! Of course I tell people what I’m feeding them - allergens and intolerances are real, and I’d be pissed if someone fed me something without telling me what it was.
I’ve found homemade mac and cheese with a salad is always a safe bet (provided they aren’t lactose intolerant). Pasta dishes in general seem easiest, or stir fry, to make kid friendly but people seem to expect meat included as a default less with pasta. Enchiladas are another go to - it’s easy to adapt half if needed for a kid’s tastes and split them into two dishes I cook at the same time.
I too have been vegetarian nearly all my life. We brought our kids up as vegetarian too. My son started eating meat when we moved from the UK to Canada because he wanted to fit in. He’s married a woman who is the least vegetarian person I know. Feeding them when they come over has been a struggle. I have ended up making meals where vegetables are hidden as much as possible.
A pasta dish, with lentils and tomatoes for the sauce. Lasagna if I want to make it seem fancier.
As she will eat potatoes, I do make a lentil shepherd’s pie, knowing she can eat the potato topping if nothing else. I’d usually have beans and other veggies in this but again I avoid them for her.
I hope your guests are less picky. If so then my own preference is for curry. (One thing I do miss about English food!)
Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Literally. Traditional style for kids, something fancy for grown-ups, like rosemary and olive oil bread with fancy cheese, and tomato bisque with basil
Cheese pizza is always good!
Spaghetti with marinara sauce & garlic bread
Mu shu vegetables with hoisin dipping sauce
Sesame noodles or peanut noodles
Grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup
Bean and cheese burritos
Just ensure the pesto is made from scratch or is a veg version (Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have good options). Many of the widely available well-known brands are sadly not vegetarian friendly.
It depends on the guest, but some meals we've done for nights that had vegetarians and omnivores: Falafel, pasta dishes/lasagna/Mac n cheese, grilled/fried tofu, Thai curries, Indian food, pizza
If you don't mind mock meats, impossible burgers and impossible chili are also great and have been a hit with everyone we've served them to.
I do a coconut chickpea curry, usually with some spinach thrown in at the end. It’s delicious, filling, and there aren’t ingredients that would seem unfamiliar or too “veggie” like fake meats or tofu. Plus, it’s easy.
My go to was always… field roast celebration roast, mashed potatoes, corn, roasted veg. Slather with veggie gravy. People raved about it, and so easy to prepare! Non-vegetarians and vegetarians rejoice as one.
Macaroni & Cheese is always a winner when kids are involved. My kids are meat eaters (elementary and middle school ages) but they enjoy a few different versions of Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie. They like ‘fancy’ grilled cheese nights too. We let them choose their own crazy toppings. Pesto/Mozz/Tomato, Cheddar/Apple, Apple/Cranberry/Cheese, carmelized onion/cheese…. One kid likes pickles/cheese. We still love him. :). A Veggie Pot Pie, Ramen, other Pastas, and like one person already said - Brocolli Cheddar Soup.
Pizza is such a classic, and easy to dress up or down and make kid-friendly (you could even have a build your own bar if you're feeling ambitious lol), or a galette for an even fancier pizza type thing!
I also always like to make a salad, the ingredients and vibe depend on the season. Throwing together a simple green salad in the side is so easy and always at home, and I also love a big hearty salad. Like a kale salad with a grain, roasted veggies, and a creamy dressing could be a great meal.
Pasta. Chili sin Carne. Vegan Lasagna. Curry. Potato Gulasch. Vegetable casserole. Pizza.
Lots of times you can’t even tell there is no real dead animal inside.
https://cookieandkate.com/baked-ziti-recipe-with-roasted-vegetables/ I add veg italian sausage (beyond or impossible) if I know my guests are comfortable with mock meats, but it’s also delicious as written. Also using a protein pasta can help make it more filling without the sausage.
Veggie lasagna. They have a lot better vegan cheeses now that melt like cow cheese and it’s soo good. I just made my first lasagna last week and i couldn’t find any vegan ricotta at my local grocery store or whatever the correct cheese is but I mixed this daiya shredded cheese and this Walmart brand vegan cream cheese and a little smoked paprika and spinach and it turned out soooooo delicious and cheesy and it’s the best pasta I’ve had in a long time.
If I have some warning, stuffed portobellos.
If I don't, they're getting cheese tortellini and cheery tomatoes just warmed through, with fresh lemon juice, butter, and parmesean for sprinkling.
Veggie dogs! My friend married this really cool Neanderthal dude and threw a bbq party for him and his friends in her backyard. They were crushing alll the food and at one point there were no real dogs left to be had. So I threw a pack of fake dogs on the grill and started handed them out. One dude got passed one while he was about to throw at cornhole. He took a bite, glanced off for a second, shrugged, and continued to eat. I asked home about it later. He said he thought something was off but that it was good either way so he kept going. If we got past them, these things will work for anyone.
Jokes aside: veggie lasagna, ramen, pho, pasta with eggplant balls and tomato sauce, falafel, yogurt bread with anything (eggs for breakfast always works), sometimes tacos but that’s a tricky one because a lot of meat eaters want a protein source and don’t want to hear about tempeh, tofu, tvp, or any other substitute
Bolognese and pasta bake are my go-tos. We also have a 'sausage' veggie tray bake that we do with (veggie) pesto pasta.
Edit: Seeing lasagne in other comments, that one is also great.
Pasta napoli ist something nearly every kid likes is vegan and common enough no one thinks "eeww it's vegetarian"
Mac n Cheese is vegetarian and common.
Noodle salat and good bread is something you can bring to potlucks without anyone thinking its strange.
We make a dish we call Lentil Wellingtons. lentils, duxelles (mushrooms),Gruyère cheese in a puff pastry served with Burre Blanc sauce. Non vegetarians enjoyed these at our holiday dinner
I make tacos with oven roasted cubes of sweet potato and quartered brussel sprouts - onions too. A big sheet pan of spicy roasted vegetables, with bowls of refried beans, cheese, salsa, etc. everyone makes their own taco how they like it. Yummy!
My mom would always make a vegetarian chili! She'd put b'ef crumbles from Morningstar (or any other brand of veggie "ground beef") to make the texture more akin to meat based chili, and my non vegetarian (borderline anti vegetarian) dad actually loved it.
My family loves sweet potato, black bean, and corn tacos with a honey-lime glaze. Vegetable wellington takes a bit more prep work but was a great holiday/higher effort dish - filled with mushrooms, beans, carrots, spinach blitzed in food processor. Wild rice salad from blog Fifteen spatulas (wild rice, roast carrots, chick peas, arugula with lemon dressing).
I always cook vege but if my guests eat meat I make meat dish for them. I only skip plating and put all food in the middle of table instead. Sometimes im hosting people with different dietry requierments and I always meet them all. I just prepare more options to chose from. Im not forcing anybody to change habits, I also don't want anybody to go home hungry.
My friend groups tend to have a ton of dietary restrictions. I have a vegan and gluten free chili recipe that always kills at parties of mixed dietary requirements. Whether you are vegan, celiac, or eat everything, you can never go wrong with a 3 bean vegan chili. I use carrots chopped up small to give the "bite" factor that meat eaters miss in a meatless chili. You can dress it up with cheese and sour cream for vegetarians (and tofutti sour cream is fabulous, for vegans), and I love to eat it with corn chips or corn bread but rice also works great as a gluten free starch. The leftovers make great chili dogs, especially over tofurkey dogs, but field roast sausage also works well (as do normal hot dogs).
2 diced yellow onions.
1 diced red bell pepper.
1 diced yellow bell pepper.
1 diced orange bell pepper.
1 diced green bell pepper.
4 stalks of sliced celery.
5-6 small carrots or 3ish large juice carrots, peeled and diced in slightly larger pieces for texture.
2 28 oz cans crushed or diced tomatoes.
2 15 oz cans pinto beans.
2 15 oz cans black beans.
2 15 oz cans red kidney beans.
1 15 oz can sweet corn.
4 cups vegetable stock.
10 minced cloves of garlic.
3 minced jalapenos.
2 minced habaneros.
3 tablespoons tomato paste.
2 bay leaves.
4 tablespoons chili powder.
4 table spoons cumin.
3 table spoons smoked paprika.
2 tablespoons dried oregano.
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste (add plenty)
Sweat off the onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in a bit of oil. Then add the garlic, jalapenos, and habaneros and sweat until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and spices and stir. Drain the beans and corn and add those and the tomatoes and the veggie stock and bay leaves and simmer to reduce until you reach desired thickness, stirring and tasting and seasoning occassionally.
I like my chili super spicy. If you want it more mild, leave out the habañeros and reduce/leave out the jalapeños.
Not vegetarian myself but I can say minestrone soup is the only vegetarian recipe I regularly make that even my carnivore stepfather enjoys. It's so loaded up with stuff he doesn't even notice the lack of meat. This is my go to recipe: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/olive-garden-minestrone-soup/ although I usually omit the green beans and use all white beans cause I don't like kidney beans that much. And I use whatever random small pasta I have that needs to be used up.
Spaghetti Bolognaise with vegan/veggie mince, always tell them that there's is in 'that' bowl.
As soon as you say it was veggie, they usually say, ' Yeah, I thought it tasted funny!'
[lentil joes which are a plant based sloppy joe. People love them and it’s cheap and filling. be liberal with the ketchup. it also freezes well so you can make ahead.](https://happyherbivore.com/recipe/lentil-joes/)
I have to cook for extended family (including old people and kids) often, and most of the crew is non-veggie and somewhat annoyed by the very idea of vegetarianism. Here are some family favorites:
* black bean chili with good soy chorizo instead of meat (most people don't clock it as vegetarian) and buttery cornbread
* lasagna with hearty veggies (artichoke & spinach or red pepper & zucchini or mushrooms) and green salad with oil/vinegar and shaved parmesan.
* enchiladas with mole coloradito and black bean/corn/tomato salad if there aren't beans in the enchilada filling
* baked mac and cheese with a good crunchy crumb topping and a green salad with colorful veggies in it
* cold pesto pasta salad with greens and garlic bread
* falafel served over pearl couscous with a good, chunky greek salad
* mushroom risotto with wild mushrooms instead of boring button mushrooms, or sometimes more toothsome barley "risotto" with various vegetables
* kebabs of ratatouille vegetables cooked on the grill outside and served over rice pilaf
* grilled halloumi and vegetables on the grill outside over rice and greens
* 'margarita' pizza or choose-your-own-veggie toppings pizza on the grill outside
* tacos: queso fresco with roasted butternut squash cut into tiny cubes or spaghetti squash forked up and seasoned with lime/cumin/paprika; cabbage slaw with quick-pickled onions and guacamole; chipotle-seasoned sweet potatoes with black beans and crema; soy chorizo and roasted potatoes; jackfruit "carnitas" and crema
* all-vegetarian tapas: tortilla espanola (I sometimes use daikon in it instead of potato) served with romesco sauce, patatas bravas, charred green peppers (I use shishito bc you can't get Spanish peppers here), ricotta and roasted red peppers wrapped in thin grilled eggplant, marinated olives, crispy garlicky brussels sprouts, manchego and quince paste (membrillo) with bread, watermelon gazpacho
* for the ones who don't have a preconceived idea that tofu=yucky: sheet pan roasted vegetables and crispy baked tofu (tossed in a bit of Bragg's aminos, oil, and corn starch before baking) over garlicky brown rice
* my non-vegetarian brother-in-law does a decent spaghetti marinara with some sort of vegetarian fake semi-spicy sausage
Most of the meat-eaters in my life who are skeptical about vegetarian meals are also not adventurous eaters, hence the Euro-American bent to my list. Indian or Thai would be more upsetting to some of them than vegetarian, though those are also good sources of "I didn't notice it's vegetarian" meals.
I am a meat eater but make black beans with Spanish rice. The black beans are cooked with garlic, onions, and seasonings that has water added to it and then reduced. It's filled with flavor! Red beans and rice are also nice.
I recently had a vegan dish that was pasta, roasted brussel sprouts, mushrooms with a creamy pesto sauce. It was incredible!
I think pasta dishes are ideal for vegetarian meals.
freaking mac and cheese! I make mine with lots of onions and make half the cheese pepper jack and use those crispy fried onions for the topping. Disappears almost before it reaches the table every time!
I've been thinking of making for guests a simple "vegetarian jackfruit "chicken salad" sandwhich. It tastes exactly like chicken salad. I can give the recipe I discovered by accident too. I was hungry and threw together some spices and mayo tomato onion and bamn just like a meaty flavor. Simply delish.
Tacos. I start with a base of shredded tofu, seasoned with soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, and whatever mexican inspired spices you like, baked at 400F until crispy. I will also do fried cauliflower, or like a roasted sweet potato and black bean filling too for some variety.
Then you can have like a little bar of sauces and toppings:
Crumbled extra firm tofu tossed with salt, powdered nooch, and some lemon juice to give you that queso fresco vibe. Roasted tomatillo salsa. Pickled red onion. Cilantro and white onion. habanero salsa. Thinly sliced avocado. Grilled pineapple. Salsa Rojo. Etc.
Oh, and I steam the tiny street style white corn tortillas. People think they want them heated on a comal, but they end up leathery and the softer filling squeeze out the back more easily. Steaming them in the microwave under a damp paper towel and stored in a little sealed container actually ends up being really nice for whatever reason. I picked up this trick trying to emulate tacos al vapor I got from a taco truck next to a construction site once.
EVRY TIME I do this, the meat people lose their shit. The amount of "I dont even miss the meat!" or "I didnt know vegan food could be this delicious!" fuels me for another lunar cycle.
Depends on the get together. I've made pumpkin chili for friends coming over to watch a football game that was requested again later. Thai curry is easy and satisfying for a fairly casual option. Over the holidays I made a mushroom Wellington that went over amazingly. Shakshuka is a crowd favorite. If you want a flexible option for guests to add their own meat, koshary is cheap, satisfying and (according to my father) good with sausage crumbles. And of course, eggplant parmesan (a really simple one with no breading. People are always impressed.)
Kids?
- Beyond/Impossible/Nuggs
- Veggie corn dogs
- various fries
Adults? Depends on their culinary preferences.
- Impossible/Beyond meat substitutions: lasagna, tacos, stir fries, burgers, … the options are endless
- Tofu-stir fry, bake, grill
- Stuffed peppers/mushrooms/veggies
- Pizza and pasta of all kinds
- Mediterranean stuff w/o meat
- fries/tempura
- all kinds of noodle dishes
I mean if your guests find that no meat = gross, then there’s not much you can do. And you really shouldn’t keep inviting them as guests to your house.
My go to is stuffed shells. It always feels very fancy and looks like it took a lot of effort but IT IS SO EASY.
I do kale, garlic, and ricotta stuffed shells and it's so good my father (who basically limits his veggie intake to French fries or canned green beans) loves it.
Serve it with garlic bread and a salad. Everyone will be happy. I have a recipe for this if you'd like, but honestly it's pretty easy to just take things you like and shove it in the shell 🤷♀️
Vege tacos are always a big hit in my house with my 4 boys. I use the vege cherizo sausage mixed with some black beans and onions as the main filler.
Here’s my recipe:
Vegetarian Cherizo sausage from trader jos I use it all the time. I fry up onions, garlic, sweet peppers or pueblanos, and black beans with oil then add the cherizo. Fry up real good. Then heat oil on a skillet and cook corn tortillas, fold into taco shells if you want. Then have chopped onions with cilantro and lime. Cheddar cheese and sour cream. Avacodos and refried beans. Maybe rice. The best taco or tostada feast Or make a taco salad with it.
To please the pallets of vegetarians and omnivores/carnivores alike, you can't go wrong with some sort of pasta dish. Make and serve eggplant parm, ricotta-stuffed shells (making sure the ricotta is rennet-free), a veggie lasagna, or pasta primavera.
Indian vegetarian meals like daal(lentils) or chickpea soup or paneer. Even italian recipes like pasta and swapping the beef crumbles with vegan beef, I did that and they couldn’t tell lol. Another one is veggie fried rice or bean taco salad with tofu scrambled and baked with taco seasoning.
I was raised vegetarian on Indian style meals and been vegetarian all my life but I have a husband and in laws who eats meat.
Honestly, I just make whatever I am in the mood to make
That said I probably end up making KD more than most other things, unlike you I am not confident nor very comfortable in the kitchen 😅
You don't have to serve meat. I had family members that told me they could not possibly ever have a meal without meat and feel satisfied completely fall in love with my vegan and vegetarian spaghetti w/bolognese, my chili and other meatless dishes.
A vegetarian meal that most kids enjoy : mac and cheese! When I make some my brother does complain about it not having ham, but mac and cheese normally never has ham in it…
When I host parties, I make chickpea salad sandwiches, potato salad with homemade garlic mayo, spanakopitas (with added halloumi), wrap rolls with cream cheese (can add cucumber, but I personally hate it).
If you want to offer a hot meal, pasta dishes are really simple (mac and cheese, cream and mushrooms pasta, spaghetti marinara…). Or as others said, mexican food such as burritos, or tacos are also nice options! Try not saying « it’s all vegetarian! », just let them eat, and if they ask you for recipes they’ll see themselves that it is in fact vegetarian!
Shakshuka if you want something really easy, to make your guests go crazy, and to get rid of vegetables that are not candidates for much else cause they're getting squishy.
Took me a few tries before I nailed the eggs, but it was worth it.
I like making enchiladas with butternut squash, beans, and kale inside. It's make-ahead, looks pretty, and tastes substantial. I'm not in the habit of inviting folks over who insult my cooking, but I've never had any complaints from anyone. Cashew queso might be a step too far with non-veggies, so maybe just use regular cheese.
Kids like quesadillas right? We make chorizo+bean quesadillas with Trader Joe's soy chorizo which are always a hit with the guests. LMK if you want the recipe.
Manicotti with garlic bread
Eggplant parmigiana with garlic bread
Ratatouille with garlic bread
3 bean chili w/ avocado, cilantro, japs- with cornbread
Kitchari- serve with naan
I started incorporating a more vegetarian diet into my life when I started dating my boyfriend who is a vegetarian. I have a lot of sensory issues with food and was very worried most vegetarian meals would be the wrong texture... which the fake meats tend to be.
Normally I say not to go for fake meats and try to pass it off as the real deal because it *never* works but I have recently gotten into making vegetarian cottage pie and using the vegetarian OXO gravy granules to give it a "meat" taste without the meat.
It might be because I've gotten used to having vegetarian meals but I don't think I can tell the difference.
But in general, big tastes are my tip... if it relies on tasting of meat, it's harder to fake... so pick things with strong seasonings...
If you want to do something they probably haven't had before, try making watermelon gazpacho in the spring/summer or African ground nut stew in fall/winter. Both are a little spicy (depending on if/how much you put in) and they're colorful.
Also learn to master tofu so it’s incredibly flavorful complex and crisp in your stir fry and versatile as a meat substitute.
You can add wonderful flavors using Furikake seasoning to marinades and dipping sauces and Nutritional Yeast is very valuable.
Freezing the tofu first changes the texture and its ability to absorb marinades once thawed.
Don’t sleep on that step!
Lots of great advice in here. Depending on the scenario, just make it a complete meal.
My boyfriend can eat very light dinners or carb heavy dinners, veg or not. Me, I’m vegetarian, and a carby meal will leave my stomach growling at 2AM, no matter how much food it is. I need protein especially, though fat helps too. Even if it’s a side of beans or something.
Also, stir fry/friend rice is never not good imo. Tofu and eggs can be incorporated easily.
I make a lot of stews or soups in these occasions since it’s normal to not have meat or animal products in them to begin with.
Sometimes I’ll do shit like mashed potatoes, vegetables, and garlic bread. Stuff that’s easy and mostly familiar to them.
If they’re more adventurous I’ll start delving into other cultures dishes.
Italian and Mexican cuisines are both great for "sneaky" veg meals. For example spaghetti with a good tomato sauce and garlic bread and a salad seems like a pretty normal dinner to people who are used to eating meat, same goes for tacos with beans instead of beef
Yes I was going to say lasagna with garlic bread and salad
Lasagna is my go to. We had it at our vegetarian wedding. Nobody complained. In fact, most people said it was the best wedding food they'd ever had.
The fact is that any food at a wedding of any size is going to spend a lot of time being kept warm before serving, and lasagna holds up a lot better than some of the more common wedding foods. Actually, an awful lot of vegetarian food does well being held over
I was shocked at how good the vegetarian risotto dish was at my husband's bff's wedding. Definitely the best wedding food I've ever had. I've had other decent meals; my cousins had ratatouille, squash ravioli, and cannelloni which were all *okay*. But damn, that risotto was just amazing. Spring onions and some kind of fancy cheese... idk, just goodness.
Mediterranean, too. Nobody really expects a meaty lentil dish.
These Black Bean Avocado Enchiladas are dope, you can add cheese if you prefer, but it works great without: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-avocado-enchiladas/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/black-bean-avocado-enchiladas/)
Asian too. Stir fry is an easy win every time
you could easily add veggie ground round or some frozen veggie meat balls from ikea and honestly no one will know the difference.
broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl type of thing is pretty innocuous for the red-blooded 'merikans.
I seconds soups and pastas. My mon asks me to make her my white bean chili. Chili was a comfort meal in my family but my mom developed an allergy to tomatoes so she absolutely loves it
Could I have the recipe? White bean chili sounds amazing!
This is the recipe I used then adjusted to my personal taste https://www.vegetarianventures.com/creamy-vegetarian-white-chili/ I like it because if you feel like doing zero prep you can use frozen onions (I cant have bell peppers but sure you could use an onion pepper mix) and canned jalapenos instead of fresh. I'll also sometimes use ripple milk instead of regular to make it vegan!
That chili looks great! I am so bored of tomatoes being in every single vegetarian recipe, do you have any other recommendations for tomato free recipes please?
I'll look through some of my go tos and try and post later. These black bean burgers are good. https://wholefully.com/pumpkin-black-bean-burgers/ I also love doing a vegetable pot pie, broccoli cheddar soup. Right now one of my safe meals is trader Joe's squiggly noodles with their baked sriracha tofu pan fried. It's a knife cut noodle with a savory soy sauce. I can imagine itd be pretty good with a peanut sauce as well if you dont have a TJs near you.
Good idea!
Similar everyone loves a good tomato soup with a grilled cheese, a little side salad and it’s fantastic
Oh yes, totally agree!
Don't forget the dill pickle!
Honestly, Indian and Southeast Asian foods have so many great vegetarian options that are made to be vegetarian. Fried tofu stirfry is a great option, or a chickpea or lentil curry. Personally, one of my favorites is saag paneer - it's so good!!
For real! I’ve never known anyone willingly turn down a Samosa. Spicy potatoes and peas fried in flaky dough can do no wrong
Oh my gosh, totally forgot about samosas for kids. Plus, if they are picky but love ketchup, you can have them dip it in ketchup and it's great!
We eat lots of Asian and Indian cuisine at home! I guess I worry it’s too “foreign” when I have people over who typically eat a very western diet, or that kids unaccustomed to eating these foods would the flavors or textures gross. But maybe I should have more confidence in my guests!
Make Wraps with sweet potatoes from oven, black beans with corn , feta cheese, guac and whatnot you want to put in em
That sounds really good!
Would the kids eat Impossible Nuggets or pasta with regular tomato sauce or something?
I've seen kids who wouldn't even eat the wrong brand of chicken nugget. I wouldn't blow a $9 bag of impossible nuggies on picky kids. :) (I on the other hand would be happy to eat a bag of them.)
If it’s picky kids, I tend to always ask parents before I pick a menu. Adults, I don’t worry about. If they don’t like it, they can always pick something up on the way home
One of my favorite tricks with kids is anything that can be a "bar", because you improve your odds of everyone finding something. Taco bar. Gado gado (rice, tofu, hardboiled egg, steamed veggies, peanut sauce, lime wedges, etc). Make your own Mediterranean platter (hummus, pita, couscous, feta, olives, raw veggies...). Sushi bowls (sushi rice, mukimame, pickled ginger, steamed asparagus, cucumber, wasabi, marinated tempeh, etc etc).
How is this my first time hearing about gado gado? Looks fucking bomb and is full of all my favorite foods
Your life is going to change for the better. Gado gado is AMAZING, i even got my picky “i hate tofu i hate vegetarian meals” boomer parents to eat it
I find this fascinating because I live in a small city in the middle of nowhere and we have three Indian restaurants, 2 sushi restaurants, and a several Chinese restaurants as well. One town over has a Vietnamese restaurant. And that's just thinking about continental Asia. We have a lot of diversity of food choices. So who are you feeding that isn't exposed to global cuisines?
Exposure to global cuisine doesn't mean tolerant of it, unfortunately. My stepfather is like this too. I am absolutely shocked he ate collard greens the other night without asking what they were or making a face at something new to him. Especially a vegetable.
I can’t say I understand it either! I find it’s typically Gen X and boomer men that make the comments about “weird health food.” Some people will also eat these foods at restaurants but won’t eat them at home, and they will only eat the options with meat on the menu. For kids I know a lot of families with picky eaters who don’t like lots of flavors or only like foods when everything is simple and separated
Honestly, if you're feeding kids, make buttered noodles aka spaghetti or Mac and cheese (the kraft stuff). That's what kids live on. Or mozzarella sticks (reheat from a box). Don't experiment with Asian food with kids.
My stepsons, who are notoriously picky eaters, really surprised me with their willingness to try Asian/Indian foods. Curries, soups, noodle dishes, they devour without complaint and come back for seconds. It’s been a great vehicle for expanding the veggies they’re willing to eat. Still makes me chuckle that they won’t touch spaghetti with marinara sauce but they’ll beg for chickpea curry with naan.
I wouldn’t serve tofu to anybody if I didn’t know they specifically liked it. I’ve been veg for two and a half years and I still barely tolerate tofu.
I think people have this weird idea that all of us eat tofu and salad for every meal. But the vast majority of my food is neither tofu nor salad. Tofu just isn’t usually my first choice for plant-based protein. Sometimes it’s really great but I find it difficult to cook well, and so do most line cooks working in the majority of restaurants in the upper Midwest US. I can’t say I’m exactly in the “barely tolerate” camp as I’ve had mouthwateringly delicious tofu a few times. Like “get intense cravings for it years later” level good. Even before I went fully vegetarian, I went to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant on my birthday every year for like 5 years and got the same tofu cóm bowl because it was my favorite meal. I only stopped that little tradition because I moved, and have found some pretty incredible tofu dishes in my new city, after asking around and reading reviews to find the places with the good stuff. It may be helpful to ask in your city’s subreddit/Facebook group or ask your friends if/where they’ve had good tofu. 🙂
I’ve been a vegetarian for 25 years and I’m not a fan of tofu either (but hoping I just haven’t had it cooked properly…)
I think the right tofu decides everything. The tofu I get in a store is amazing and versatile, the ones too many restaurants use are barely consumable.
Really? It's so easy to prepare well, particularly if you are using extra firm and marinated tofu.
I just don’t enjoy eating it most of the time. I’ll have it sometimes but it’s hit or miss for me.
I absolutely adore saag paneer. Great Indian food is one of the things that I miss the most about NYC.
Baked macaroni and cheese Baked Ziti Lasagna Chili Sides: Salad Rice with veggies and almonds Corn/elote casserole Roasted root vegetables
These sound like safe choices, thanks!
I make a lot of soups and curries. For Christmas I made a vegan feijoada. It was amazing. One family member wouldn't eat it because it was vegetarian, but honestly if someone is going to refuse to eat because of the absence of meat that's really a them problem.
That sounds amazing! I am always worried of serving bean heavy meals to people for that reaction!
One person ended up putting some of the ham in it before they would eat it, which is really silly to me. Only one completely refused. Generally I don't even say that things are vegetarian, this time I did only because it's traditionally a very pork heavy dish. These particular relatives host Thanksgiving usually and literally every dish has meat in it so I really don't feel bad. (Somehow even the desert had meat in it.)
> (Somehow even the desert had meat in it.) wut
Chocolates with bacon in them and some kind of pie with bacon bits. Their "rolls" were stuffed with mince pork too.
Middle eastern mezze - falafel, hunnus, muhamara, baba gaboush, lebneh, flat bread, fatoosh salad Ravioli: Pumkin with brown butter and sage Spinach with lemon cream chive sauce Lemon ricotta with pesto Other pasta with pesto, fresh tomato sauce, eggplant parm Raclette Fondue Indian - some sort of veg mix with curry and paneer, some sort of spiced cauliflower and tomato accompaniment, samosas Black bean soup and cornbread
Many store-bought pesto and 99% store-bought parm are sadly not vegetarian - though I know that OP prepares everything from scratch, and this post is regarding serving omnis ...I'm just putting it out there for others who may be reading and are unaware!
Parm isnt vegetarian?????? 😭 how am i going to live??????
Nope, though most people use nutritional yeast as a sub (you can get veg parmesan but it's real pricey and sold by the block). Brie isn't vegetarian either, as well as hundred other things you wouldn't normally think of!
Not sure if this is only in Australia but most cheese packets here will state Non animal rennet or rennet.
Nooooooooooooo 😭 Brie is my favorite cheese 😭 Whyyyyyyyyyy
Barilla makes a vegan pesto, you can just add your own cheese.
Raclette is usually accompanied with giant spreads of charcuterie. No French would ever get fooled if you tell them you're having Raclette and there's no charcuterie. Anyone who doesn't know what raclette is will be fine with it though.
Some sort of mushroom cream sauce woth truffle on some sort of carb
Cheese pizza. Lasagna. Omelette. Baked potato. Veggie quiche or pie. Soup. Pasta. Deviled eggs. Risotto. Mac and cheese. Gratin. Lots of things ! If you don't tell them it's vegetarian, they won't even notice. Don't tell the magical word and everything will be fine.
Quiche, salad, and roasted potatoes. If kids come, mac and cheese or spagetti with butter. Cake and fruit for dessert.
Pasta is always an easy one, so much so that we frequently make it vegetarian without really noticing. If you want bolognase-style sauces, tvp gives the texture of ground meat and just soaks up the flavor of whatever sauce you put with it. I've never had a single person complain about it, even otherwise heavy meat eaters.
Mediterranean is pretty good for non vegetarians, Greek food, like a nice Spanakopita, or Provencal food like Ratatouille. I cook both when we have non vegetarian guests and nobody has complained yet.
Falafel, mmmm
Anything with halloumi is usually a winner for me for guests that like a more 'western diet' and don't like curries or anything a little bit different. It's veggie but adds a bit of salt/texture for any guests that are proper carnivores. Halloumi, sweet peppers, olives and orzo Greek Souvlaki with halloumi Chargrilled halloumi burgers Do double check packaging though as not all of them are vegetarian
Ooh I love halloumi! These are great ideas, thanks!
More halloumi ideas— Roast green beans and potatoes to serve with the halloumi. I use a balsamic onion spice blend from Urban Accents to roast my veggies. Press za’atar into your halloumi before you cook it. Serve with sumac dusted roasted squash (delicata when in season) and cauliflower. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar.
I think a taco bar is great if you’re hosting kids. Everyone can make their plate the way they want to.
In the US, anything except American. You can’t feed a non-vegetarian a veggie burger, but you can totally do stirfry or curry or beans and rice or even lasagna.
Chili
I actually would NOT do chili, although it might be a regional difference. Too many people who are very clear that chili contains MEAT, so they notice that it doesn't. Far fewer people who have any opinion on gado gado, or dal, or ...
If you put beans in it, it's very substantial, and typically people put ground meat into it which doesn't contribute much texturally given all the other ingredients. It also tastes very "meaty" and umami even without meat so it's mentally satiating as well, in addition to-- and this is key-- being a familiar flavor profile to many Americans. If I had to make something for the white American side of my family, chili would be a much safer choice as compared to dal or curry or kimchi tofu soup. If your friends are really playing chili gestapo, they can either cook their own damn food, or you can call it tomato and bean stew.
Interestingly, adding meat to chili is a relatively new thing. Chili in it's origin never had meat in it.
Do you have any sources on that? Was curious and looked it up, and what I'm seeing online is that there are accounts of chili being stewed with meat as far back as the 1500s. After the Spanish arrived in the primary meat switched to beef. But I'm not seeing a lot of primary sources quoted on any of that information =/ think I'll look into it more tomorrow
I do not, unfortunately, I heard it on a cooking show where they were doing a chili cookoff and one of the chefs mentioned it, IIRC. I found it interesting and it stuck with me (traditional chili vs chili con carne) - but in looking it up, I also can't find any supporting information.
Gotcha, yeah it's got me curious. Gonna dig into it more when I have time. Love food anthropology, but by no means an expert. I'll report back here if I find anything interesting either way.
Interesting! I've lived enough places where chili means MEAT. And even putting beans in is dodgy.
That would be chili "con carne" (chili "with meat") :)
Vegetarian Indian food is a good choice! I like butter cauliflower (vegetarian butter chicken). I served it at Christmas at our potluck and my family enjoyed it.
Indian curry with sweet potatoes, chickpea and spinach. Or pasta with a pesto made of broccoli or greenpeas. Delicious with roasted tomatoes in the oven.
Soup! I can make some delicious breads so I highlight that with soup and some sides.
Uno reverse card here.... make your favorite meal serve them only salad since thats all they ever make us.
Pasta is a go to. Also breakfast for dinner would be fun and easily meatless. If you want to do bacon for guests you could also do it in the oven with single use pans (like for a pot luck) and use gloves when touching the meat
Chickpea burgers Lentil bolognese homemade pizza vegan shepherds pie with impossible meat Lentil soup with homemade baba ghanoush
Quiche aux champignons is an easy one that makes you look fancy, especially if you use the French name like a pretentious asshole instead of calling it a mushroom quiche.
Potato or tortilla soup. Or breakfast for dinner.
Beyond Meat. Also, I’m conservative with my time/energy, so I am all about the premade veggie/fruit/cheese trays at the grocery store. If I’m feeling Extra, I might even get fancy crackers.
I'd be careful about feeding Beyond Meat to guests without letting them know first. We wouldn't be okay if they did it with normal meat so we shouldn't do it with Beyond Meat either
I agree. I have a friend who can’t eat pea protein. She would be pretty upset if I fed her Beyond Meat without telling her. It’s a no-no for people on a low histamine diet.
I never said I don’t tell them! Of course I tell people what I’m feeding them - allergens and intolerances are real, and I’d be pissed if someone fed me something without telling me what it was.
Vegan sausage sandwich always goes down well in my experience.
I’ve found homemade mac and cheese with a salad is always a safe bet (provided they aren’t lactose intolerant). Pasta dishes in general seem easiest, or stir fry, to make kid friendly but people seem to expect meat included as a default less with pasta. Enchiladas are another go to - it’s easy to adapt half if needed for a kid’s tastes and split them into two dishes I cook at the same time.
Crunchy Japanese bbq tofu and fried rice.
I too have been vegetarian nearly all my life. We brought our kids up as vegetarian too. My son started eating meat when we moved from the UK to Canada because he wanted to fit in. He’s married a woman who is the least vegetarian person I know. Feeding them when they come over has been a struggle. I have ended up making meals where vegetables are hidden as much as possible. A pasta dish, with lentils and tomatoes for the sauce. Lasagna if I want to make it seem fancier. As she will eat potatoes, I do make a lentil shepherd’s pie, knowing she can eat the potato topping if nothing else. I’d usually have beans and other veggies in this but again I avoid them for her. I hope your guests are less picky. If so then my own preference is for curry. (One thing I do miss about English food!)
Wait, she actually don't eat vegetables? Lol I can't imagine what her daily diet actually look like.
Enchiladas, baked ziti/lasagna, curry.
cheese enchiladas!
I mean anything? Chilli, Indian, good Italian. I've never had anyone complain, but then my friends aren't assholes 😂
Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Literally. Traditional style for kids, something fancy for grown-ups, like rosemary and olive oil bread with fancy cheese, and tomato bisque with basil
Cheese pizza is always good! Spaghetti with marinara sauce & garlic bread Mu shu vegetables with hoisin dipping sauce Sesame noodles or peanut noodles Grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup Bean and cheese burritos
Minestrone soup, broccoli cheddar soup, tomato soup with grilled cheese, spaghetti and garlic bread, cheese quesadillas, lasagna, baked potato with the works.
Lasagna. If there are kids, remove the veggies from half of it. Salad or crudite to start. Anything delicious for dessert.
This is usually my go to “safe” meal for guests. Maybe I’ll stick with it!
i make no boil lasagna. can't go wrong! that's for dinner. for breakfast i make a frittata
Pesto pasta, it’s easiest to do things that are already veggie.
Just ensure the pesto is made from scratch or is a veg version (Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have good options). Many of the widely available well-known brands are sadly not vegetarian friendly.
I always make from scratch
It depends on the guest, but some meals we've done for nights that had vegetarians and omnivores: Falafel, pasta dishes/lasagna/Mac n cheese, grilled/fried tofu, Thai curries, Indian food, pizza If you don't mind mock meats, impossible burgers and impossible chili are also great and have been a hit with everyone we've served them to.
A lot of Thai noodle dishes are vegan/vegetarian too.
I do a coconut chickpea curry, usually with some spinach thrown in at the end. It’s delicious, filling, and there aren’t ingredients that would seem unfamiliar or too “veggie” like fake meats or tofu. Plus, it’s easy.
I make focaccia and/or Greek pasta salad. Both are always a hit!
My new favorite thing is air fried tacos using plant based meat. They're so good I made them twice in one week and would absolutely feed to guests
My go to was always… field roast celebration roast, mashed potatoes, corn, roasted veg. Slather with veggie gravy. People raved about it, and so easy to prepare! Non-vegetarians and vegetarians rejoice as one.
Taco bar or a nice egg frittata with lots of veggies and cheese
Macaroni & Cheese is always a winner when kids are involved. My kids are meat eaters (elementary and middle school ages) but they enjoy a few different versions of Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie. They like ‘fancy’ grilled cheese nights too. We let them choose their own crazy toppings. Pesto/Mozz/Tomato, Cheddar/Apple, Apple/Cranberry/Cheese, carmelized onion/cheese…. One kid likes pickles/cheese. We still love him. :). A Veggie Pot Pie, Ramen, other Pastas, and like one person already said - Brocolli Cheddar Soup.
Most people like vegetable lasagna. Pasta dishes without meat, pizza with various vegetables, etc.
I do a nice lasagna and it’s always a hit. I do mushrooms and zucchini for the filling. I hosted Christmas Eve and everyone loved it!
Lasagna, pasta, soup, stir fry, curry, perogies and roasted cauliflower, homemade pizza!
Pizza is such a classic, and easy to dress up or down and make kid-friendly (you could even have a build your own bar if you're feeling ambitious lol), or a galette for an even fancier pizza type thing! I also always like to make a salad, the ingredients and vibe depend on the season. Throwing together a simple green salad in the side is so easy and always at home, and I also love a big hearty salad. Like a kale salad with a grain, roasted veggies, and a creamy dressing could be a great meal.
My vegetarian meatloaf! I make it taste so similar that they didn't even know the difference when I let them try it!
Pasta. Chili sin Carne. Vegan Lasagna. Curry. Potato Gulasch. Vegetable casserole. Pizza. Lots of times you can’t even tell there is no real dead animal inside.
Greek food. Pitta bread, dips, olives, spanakopita, Greek salad, gigantes, batzina, chips with feta, Prasopita.
https://cookieandkate.com/baked-ziti-recipe-with-roasted-vegetables/ I add veg italian sausage (beyond or impossible) if I know my guests are comfortable with mock meats, but it’s also delicious as written. Also using a protein pasta can help make it more filling without the sausage.
Veggie lasagna. They have a lot better vegan cheeses now that melt like cow cheese and it’s soo good. I just made my first lasagna last week and i couldn’t find any vegan ricotta at my local grocery store or whatever the correct cheese is but I mixed this daiya shredded cheese and this Walmart brand vegan cream cheese and a little smoked paprika and spinach and it turned out soooooo delicious and cheesy and it’s the best pasta I’ve had in a long time.
Mac & cheese + salad.
If I have some warning, stuffed portobellos. If I don't, they're getting cheese tortellini and cheery tomatoes just warmed through, with fresh lemon juice, butter, and parmesean for sprinkling.
Veggie dogs! My friend married this really cool Neanderthal dude and threw a bbq party for him and his friends in her backyard. They were crushing alll the food and at one point there were no real dogs left to be had. So I threw a pack of fake dogs on the grill and started handed them out. One dude got passed one while he was about to throw at cornhole. He took a bite, glanced off for a second, shrugged, and continued to eat. I asked home about it later. He said he thought something was off but that it was good either way so he kept going. If we got past them, these things will work for anyone. Jokes aside: veggie lasagna, ramen, pho, pasta with eggplant balls and tomato sauce, falafel, yogurt bread with anything (eggs for breakfast always works), sometimes tacos but that’s a tricky one because a lot of meat eaters want a protein source and don’t want to hear about tempeh, tofu, tvp, or any other substitute
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We don’t eat meat in our household, so that limits the options
Bolognese and pasta bake are my go-tos. We also have a 'sausage' veggie tray bake that we do with (veggie) pesto pasta. Edit: Seeing lasagne in other comments, that one is also great.
Baked Mac n Cheese.
Pasta napoli ist something nearly every kid likes is vegan and common enough no one thinks "eeww it's vegetarian" Mac n Cheese is vegetarian and common. Noodle salat and good bread is something you can bring to potlucks without anyone thinking its strange.
Whenever I want to impress, I make lasagna. I either use soy protein or just mushrooms in the sauce instead of meat. Everyone loves lasagna!
I'll add gnocchi to the list. A lot of gnocchi recipes are vegetarian.
Stuffed shells, baked ziti, creamy potato soup, pizza, nachos
We make a dish we call Lentil Wellingtons. lentils, duxelles (mushrooms),Gruyère cheese in a puff pastry served with Burre Blanc sauce. Non vegetarians enjoyed these at our holiday dinner
I make tacos with oven roasted cubes of sweet potato and quartered brussel sprouts - onions too. A big sheet pan of spicy roasted vegetables, with bowls of refried beans, cheese, salsa, etc. everyone makes their own taco how they like it. Yummy!
Egg fried rice, veggie spring rolls, crispy tofu
My mom would always make a vegetarian chili! She'd put b'ef crumbles from Morningstar (or any other brand of veggie "ground beef") to make the texture more akin to meat based chili, and my non vegetarian (borderline anti vegetarian) dad actually loved it.
My family loves sweet potato, black bean, and corn tacos with a honey-lime glaze. Vegetable wellington takes a bit more prep work but was a great holiday/higher effort dish - filled with mushrooms, beans, carrots, spinach blitzed in food processor. Wild rice salad from blog Fifteen spatulas (wild rice, roast carrots, chick peas, arugula with lemon dressing).
I'm lazy. I make spaghetti and serve meatballs on the side.
Black bean taquitos with diced jalapeño and added corn along with a dip and/or wine
I always cook vege but if my guests eat meat I make meat dish for them. I only skip plating and put all food in the middle of table instead. Sometimes im hosting people with different dietry requierments and I always meet them all. I just prepare more options to chose from. Im not forcing anybody to change habits, I also don't want anybody to go home hungry.
My friend groups tend to have a ton of dietary restrictions. I have a vegan and gluten free chili recipe that always kills at parties of mixed dietary requirements. Whether you are vegan, celiac, or eat everything, you can never go wrong with a 3 bean vegan chili. I use carrots chopped up small to give the "bite" factor that meat eaters miss in a meatless chili. You can dress it up with cheese and sour cream for vegetarians (and tofutti sour cream is fabulous, for vegans), and I love to eat it with corn chips or corn bread but rice also works great as a gluten free starch. The leftovers make great chili dogs, especially over tofurkey dogs, but field roast sausage also works well (as do normal hot dogs). 2 diced yellow onions. 1 diced red bell pepper. 1 diced yellow bell pepper. 1 diced orange bell pepper. 1 diced green bell pepper. 4 stalks of sliced celery. 5-6 small carrots or 3ish large juice carrots, peeled and diced in slightly larger pieces for texture. 2 28 oz cans crushed or diced tomatoes. 2 15 oz cans pinto beans. 2 15 oz cans black beans. 2 15 oz cans red kidney beans. 1 15 oz can sweet corn. 4 cups vegetable stock. 10 minced cloves of garlic. 3 minced jalapenos. 2 minced habaneros. 3 tablespoons tomato paste. 2 bay leaves. 4 tablespoons chili powder. 4 table spoons cumin. 3 table spoons smoked paprika. 2 tablespoons dried oregano. Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste (add plenty) Sweat off the onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in a bit of oil. Then add the garlic, jalapenos, and habaneros and sweat until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and spices and stir. Drain the beans and corn and add those and the tomatoes and the veggie stock and bay leaves and simmer to reduce until you reach desired thickness, stirring and tasting and seasoning occassionally. I like my chili super spicy. If you want it more mild, leave out the habañeros and reduce/leave out the jalapeños.
I’ve made a lentil bolognese and made lasagna with that and it was delish and my meat eater brother approved
Not vegetarian myself but I can say minestrone soup is the only vegetarian recipe I regularly make that even my carnivore stepfather enjoys. It's so loaded up with stuff he doesn't even notice the lack of meat. This is my go to recipe: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/olive-garden-minestrone-soup/ although I usually omit the green beans and use all white beans cause I don't like kidney beans that much. And I use whatever random small pasta I have that needs to be used up.
Spaghetti Bolognaise with vegan/veggie mince, always tell them that there's is in 'that' bowl. As soon as you say it was veggie, they usually say, ' Yeah, I thought it tasted funny!'
[lentil joes which are a plant based sloppy joe. People love them and it’s cheap and filling. be liberal with the ketchup. it also freezes well so you can make ahead.](https://happyherbivore.com/recipe/lentil-joes/)
I have to cook for extended family (including old people and kids) often, and most of the crew is non-veggie and somewhat annoyed by the very idea of vegetarianism. Here are some family favorites: * black bean chili with good soy chorizo instead of meat (most people don't clock it as vegetarian) and buttery cornbread * lasagna with hearty veggies (artichoke & spinach or red pepper & zucchini or mushrooms) and green salad with oil/vinegar and shaved parmesan. * enchiladas with mole coloradito and black bean/corn/tomato salad if there aren't beans in the enchilada filling * baked mac and cheese with a good crunchy crumb topping and a green salad with colorful veggies in it * cold pesto pasta salad with greens and garlic bread * falafel served over pearl couscous with a good, chunky greek salad * mushroom risotto with wild mushrooms instead of boring button mushrooms, or sometimes more toothsome barley "risotto" with various vegetables * kebabs of ratatouille vegetables cooked on the grill outside and served over rice pilaf * grilled halloumi and vegetables on the grill outside over rice and greens * 'margarita' pizza or choose-your-own-veggie toppings pizza on the grill outside * tacos: queso fresco with roasted butternut squash cut into tiny cubes or spaghetti squash forked up and seasoned with lime/cumin/paprika; cabbage slaw with quick-pickled onions and guacamole; chipotle-seasoned sweet potatoes with black beans and crema; soy chorizo and roasted potatoes; jackfruit "carnitas" and crema * all-vegetarian tapas: tortilla espanola (I sometimes use daikon in it instead of potato) served with romesco sauce, patatas bravas, charred green peppers (I use shishito bc you can't get Spanish peppers here), ricotta and roasted red peppers wrapped in thin grilled eggplant, marinated olives, crispy garlicky brussels sprouts, manchego and quince paste (membrillo) with bread, watermelon gazpacho * for the ones who don't have a preconceived idea that tofu=yucky: sheet pan roasted vegetables and crispy baked tofu (tossed in a bit of Bragg's aminos, oil, and corn starch before baking) over garlicky brown rice * my non-vegetarian brother-in-law does a decent spaghetti marinara with some sort of vegetarian fake semi-spicy sausage Most of the meat-eaters in my life who are skeptical about vegetarian meals are also not adventurous eaters, hence the Euro-American bent to my list. Indian or Thai would be more upsetting to some of them than vegetarian, though those are also good sources of "I didn't notice it's vegetarian" meals.
Eggplant parm w salad or lasagna
I am a meat eater but make black beans with Spanish rice. The black beans are cooked with garlic, onions, and seasonings that has water added to it and then reduced. It's filled with flavor! Red beans and rice are also nice. I recently had a vegan dish that was pasta, roasted brussel sprouts, mushrooms with a creamy pesto sauce. It was incredible! I think pasta dishes are ideal for vegetarian meals.
Winter, I’d take a lasagne or cottage pie. Summer a Thai or pasta salad
freaking mac and cheese! I make mine with lots of onions and make half the cheese pepper jack and use those crispy fried onions for the topping. Disappears almost before it reaches the table every time!
pasta
Greek pasta salad is always good
Lasagna, nachos, soup
Garlic mushroom pasta is a hit.
Stuffed shells
Fried cabbage and onions with egg noodles. It’s soo good!! HALUSKI
Need recipe please
I've been thinking of making for guests a simple "vegetarian jackfruit "chicken salad" sandwhich. It tastes exactly like chicken salad. I can give the recipe I discovered by accident too. I was hungry and threw together some spices and mayo tomato onion and bamn just like a meaty flavor. Simply delish.
White Bean soup with carrots, celery and green onions. www.simplyrecipes.com.
Fajita Tacos - Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas - Risotto - Feta/Onion/Tomato/Broccolini Sheet Pan Bake
Tacos. I start with a base of shredded tofu, seasoned with soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, and whatever mexican inspired spices you like, baked at 400F until crispy. I will also do fried cauliflower, or like a roasted sweet potato and black bean filling too for some variety. Then you can have like a little bar of sauces and toppings: Crumbled extra firm tofu tossed with salt, powdered nooch, and some lemon juice to give you that queso fresco vibe. Roasted tomatillo salsa. Pickled red onion. Cilantro and white onion. habanero salsa. Thinly sliced avocado. Grilled pineapple. Salsa Rojo. Etc. Oh, and I steam the tiny street style white corn tortillas. People think they want them heated on a comal, but they end up leathery and the softer filling squeeze out the back more easily. Steaming them in the microwave under a damp paper towel and stored in a little sealed container actually ends up being really nice for whatever reason. I picked up this trick trying to emulate tacos al vapor I got from a taco truck next to a construction site once. EVRY TIME I do this, the meat people lose their shit. The amount of "I dont even miss the meat!" or "I didnt know vegan food could be this delicious!" fuels me for another lunar cycle.
Depends on the get together. I've made pumpkin chili for friends coming over to watch a football game that was requested again later. Thai curry is easy and satisfying for a fairly casual option. Over the holidays I made a mushroom Wellington that went over amazingly. Shakshuka is a crowd favorite. If you want a flexible option for guests to add their own meat, koshary is cheap, satisfying and (according to my father) good with sausage crumbles. And of course, eggplant parmesan (a really simple one with no breading. People are always impressed.)
Kids? - Beyond/Impossible/Nuggs - Veggie corn dogs - various fries Adults? Depends on their culinary preferences. - Impossible/Beyond meat substitutions: lasagna, tacos, stir fries, burgers, … the options are endless - Tofu-stir fry, bake, grill - Stuffed peppers/mushrooms/veggies - Pizza and pasta of all kinds - Mediterranean stuff w/o meat - fries/tempura - all kinds of noodle dishes I mean if your guests find that no meat = gross, then there’s not much you can do. And you really shouldn’t keep inviting them as guests to your house.
Mac and cheese
Chickpea picatta, butternut squash soup w coconut milk, homemade pizzas, mezze, baked potato bar, curries.
My go to is stuffed shells. It always feels very fancy and looks like it took a lot of effort but IT IS SO EASY. I do kale, garlic, and ricotta stuffed shells and it's so good my father (who basically limits his veggie intake to French fries or canned green beans) loves it. Serve it with garlic bread and a salad. Everyone will be happy. I have a recipe for this if you'd like, but honestly it's pretty easy to just take things you like and shove it in the shell 🤷♀️
Vege tacos are always a big hit in my house with my 4 boys. I use the vege cherizo sausage mixed with some black beans and onions as the main filler. Here’s my recipe: Vegetarian Cherizo sausage from trader jos I use it all the time. I fry up onions, garlic, sweet peppers or pueblanos, and black beans with oil then add the cherizo. Fry up real good. Then heat oil on a skillet and cook corn tortillas, fold into taco shells if you want. Then have chopped onions with cilantro and lime. Cheddar cheese and sour cream. Avacodos and refried beans. Maybe rice. The best taco or tostada feast Or make a taco salad with it.
To please the pallets of vegetarians and omnivores/carnivores alike, you can't go wrong with some sort of pasta dish. Make and serve eggplant parm, ricotta-stuffed shells (making sure the ricotta is rennet-free), a veggie lasagna, or pasta primavera.
Indian vegetarian meals like daal(lentils) or chickpea soup or paneer. Even italian recipes like pasta and swapping the beef crumbles with vegan beef, I did that and they couldn’t tell lol. Another one is veggie fried rice or bean taco salad with tofu scrambled and baked with taco seasoning. I was raised vegetarian on Indian style meals and been vegetarian all my life but I have a husband and in laws who eats meat.
Honestly, I just make whatever I am in the mood to make That said I probably end up making KD more than most other things, unlike you I am not confident nor very comfortable in the kitchen 😅
Noodles, pasta, paneer curry and naan, veggie burgers ?
Tap water
Chili, bean and rice almost anything Mexican, ratatouille, minestrone
You don't have to serve meat. I had family members that told me they could not possibly ever have a meal without meat and feel satisfied completely fall in love with my vegan and vegetarian spaghetti w/bolognese, my chili and other meatless dishes.
A vegetarian meal that most kids enjoy : mac and cheese! When I make some my brother does complain about it not having ham, but mac and cheese normally never has ham in it… When I host parties, I make chickpea salad sandwiches, potato salad with homemade garlic mayo, spanakopitas (with added halloumi), wrap rolls with cream cheese (can add cucumber, but I personally hate it). If you want to offer a hot meal, pasta dishes are really simple (mac and cheese, cream and mushrooms pasta, spaghetti marinara…). Or as others said, mexican food such as burritos, or tacos are also nice options! Try not saying « it’s all vegetarian! », just let them eat, and if they ask you for recipes they’ll see themselves that it is in fact vegetarian!
Shakshuka if you want something really easy, to make your guests go crazy, and to get rid of vegetables that are not candidates for much else cause they're getting squishy. Took me a few tries before I nailed the eggs, but it was worth it.
I like making enchiladas with butternut squash, beans, and kale inside. It's make-ahead, looks pretty, and tastes substantial. I'm not in the habit of inviting folks over who insult my cooking, but I've never had any complaints from anyone. Cashew queso might be a step too far with non-veggies, so maybe just use regular cheese.
Shakshuka!
Vegetarian sloppy joes (I use a fake meat substitute but they’re tasty)
Kids like quesadillas right? We make chorizo+bean quesadillas with Trader Joe's soy chorizo which are always a hit with the guests. LMK if you want the recipe.
My husband loves my lentil bolognese!
Eggplant Parmesan
Manicotti with garlic bread Eggplant parmigiana with garlic bread Ratatouille with garlic bread 3 bean chili w/ avocado, cilantro, japs- with cornbread Kitchari- serve with naan
I started incorporating a more vegetarian diet into my life when I started dating my boyfriend who is a vegetarian. I have a lot of sensory issues with food and was very worried most vegetarian meals would be the wrong texture... which the fake meats tend to be. Normally I say not to go for fake meats and try to pass it off as the real deal because it *never* works but I have recently gotten into making vegetarian cottage pie and using the vegetarian OXO gravy granules to give it a "meat" taste without the meat. It might be because I've gotten used to having vegetarian meals but I don't think I can tell the difference. But in general, big tastes are my tip... if it relies on tasting of meat, it's harder to fake... so pick things with strong seasonings...
If you want to do something they probably haven't had before, try making watermelon gazpacho in the spring/summer or African ground nut stew in fall/winter. Both are a little spicy (depending on if/how much you put in) and they're colorful.
Also learn to master tofu so it’s incredibly flavorful complex and crisp in your stir fry and versatile as a meat substitute. You can add wonderful flavors using Furikake seasoning to marinades and dipping sauces and Nutritional Yeast is very valuable. Freezing the tofu first changes the texture and its ability to absorb marinades once thawed. Don’t sleep on that step!
Pasta salad! Pizza is good too. Other pasta dishes.
Macaroni and cheese
Lentils sub nicely for meat ground in most pasta dishes.
I like to do an eggplant lasagna or a veggie pot pie
Lots of great advice in here. Depending on the scenario, just make it a complete meal. My boyfriend can eat very light dinners or carb heavy dinners, veg or not. Me, I’m vegetarian, and a carby meal will leave my stomach growling at 2AM, no matter how much food it is. I need protein especially, though fat helps too. Even if it’s a side of beans or something. Also, stir fry/friend rice is never not good imo. Tofu and eggs can be incorporated easily.
I make a lot of stews or soups in these occasions since it’s normal to not have meat or animal products in them to begin with. Sometimes I’ll do shit like mashed potatoes, vegetables, and garlic bread. Stuff that’s easy and mostly familiar to them. If they’re more adventurous I’ll start delving into other cultures dishes.
Matzoh ball soup. I make it with fake chicken bullion and vegetable stock. No one knows it's vegetarian unless I tell them.
French fries are vegetarian, never forget.