To think pasta (quick meal) should be ready in 20 mins max.

[intelligentPutty]

I'm feeling like such a fking bitch moaning about the incredible amount of time it is taking my dh to cook dinner.
At 6 he offered to cook the pasta. Which is my quick meal option for dd (put kettle on. Chop mushrooms. Cook pasta and fry mushrooms. Throw in some ham and Philadelphia. ) done in maximum 20 minutes.
Now 1hr and 15 minutes since offering it is almost done.
I wouldn't care but dd has to do to bed by 7:45. I've just given her desert first so that she has something. And avoids the puffing ice cream so close to bed

But seriously. This is really loading me off. Everything takes ages to cook. He buggers around. Sausages must be cooked slow and low (they take about 1.5 to 2 hours).
Shepherds pie needs another 1,5 hours in oven. Once it's all assembled.
Meal that should tak 30 mins take 2 hours.
I'm breastfeeding so letting him help out and it's unreasonable to moan as he has cooked dinner. He's amazing in that respect. But it takes soooo long.
There is no solution. I need to get back to cooking and then I won't be pissed about it! Just need to complain to someone / somewhere for sake of our marriage!!

Cooking things slower like that does taste better though. A slow cooked sausage is nicer. So he just needs to learn that not every meal can be fantastic when there is a hungry kid waiting. Lots of harsh responses on here.

My 16 yr old DS cooked Spaghetti Bolognese tonight in 20 minutes. Ive taught him over the years how to think a plan through first (only has to do this the first few times). Boil the kettle, veg chopped while mince is Browning etc.. his dad will take over an hour to do the same meal. It's like he can't grate the cheese or get the plates out as he thinks the sause needs constant stirring.

My ex used to stand watching things cooking in the oven. Even a pizza. He rarely made anything but if he put something in for the kids he'd watch it. Weirdo

My husband cooks bacon on a medium grill in the middle of the grill.

It takes 4 times longer to cook it then when I do it.

I put it at the top of the grill and high. It doesn't burn, it just gets cooked quickly.

Why drag it out?!

He used to insist on warming the oven until the light went out as well.
That took 45 minutes before the food has even gone in.
Thankfully now he just puts it straight in.

With chips/chicken nuggets etc he reads the instructions and puts things in at the right temperature for the right amount of time.

Just whack it all in at once, 220 chips top, nuggets bottom, 18 minutes later it's all cooked. No fucking around.

Don't even get me started on what he did with the corn on the cob the other day.
They were fucked...

Get him a sous vide machine and let him start it as early as he likes, so he can "low and slow" everything, then give it a quick sear in the end. A good Christmas gift idea, prices are going down all the time.

Get him a sous vide machine and let him start it as early as he likes, so he can "low and slow" everything, then give it a quick sear in the end. A good Christmas gift idea, prices are going down all the time

Wonder if the prep would still take 2 hours?

I always take a long time to cook. Partly because I'm no good at it, but also because I need the food to be soft. Can't be doing with al dente or undercooked veg, for example.

I’ve had cause many a time in 10 years of marriage to walk into the kitchen and let DH know that in 10 minutes I’ll be foregoing his s-l-o-w meal and boiling myself an egg. I just lose all my appetite when meal-times come and go with nothing served. I also hate his inefficiency, and his crazy optimistic food prep system. No multitasking, no thinking ahead. No quick-thinking substitutions.

I’ve been sitting starving, trying hard to stay nice, and heard him dashing off to the shops THREE TIMES during one simple meal prep.

Drives me insane.

"My 16 yr old DS cooked Spaghetti Bolognese tonight in 20 minutes."

Surely the veg won't be cooked properly then? I take more than an hour for mine. The sauce is like a stew and the veg should be soft.

TBH, I prefer to cook. I enjoy it, we eat what I want every night, and it's done well. I am quite happy to keep DH out of the kitchen.

I’m not sure making Spag Bol in 20 mins is something you should be boasting about. It’s supposed to take a long time.

Hmmm. No he's not doing it on purpose he just wants to make a lovely meal. And he hasn't learned quick ways of cooking.
I say amazing as he is being great with our new baby and helping around the house. Without being asked or prompted. Tonight he offered to cook the dinner so I (crazily) accepted the offer. And he usually does happily and without prompting so half the work / cleaning / cooking.

We finally got to eat at 7:30 tonight and now he's up doing bedtime. (Whilst I once again feed dd)2).
I've certainly had it out with him on this subject before. It feels like I really am smashing my head against a wall though.
It doesn't seem to go in.
Someone said about him not understanding the difference between a romantic evening meal and dinner for the kids before bedtime.
That's exactly it.
He reckons he'll cook the sausages tomorrow night. I might just do it before he gets home!

If he wants to take two hours to make dinner then he needs to start at 4pm. I assume he is t home from work by then? If so he needs to buy a slow cooker and also batch cook on a weekend.

Why are you so grateful that he's doing a substandard job? Not being able to dish up in a reasonable amount of time is pretty poor. Go tell him to get a move on.

Nope tastes the same. I used to cook mine on a very low heat for hours. It tastes exactly the same.

The veg is grated in.

I think this is why I do the cooking in our house. Massive stress for me otherwise.

I'm not sure sausages are supposed to be cooked slowly? Sounds a bit odd. However it took me over 3 hours to make spaghetti bolognese tonight. It was bloody awesome though. And I started it at 3pm so it's acceptable .

It was bloody awesome though. And I started it at 3pm so it's acceptable

I think you can take as long as you like provided you allow time for it.

However it's always such a huge coincidence that all these "amazing dads/husbands" who take so long to cook also don't start cooking til way past tea time anyway...

I am yet to think of a reason why you would start something you know will take you hours, at the time you want to be eating.

I say amazing as he is being great with our new baby and helping around the house. Without being asked or prompted.

That is a pretty low bar.

Agree, stop being grateful that he is feeding and looking after his own children and home. That’s the bare minimum parents should do.

Sausages must be cooked slow and low (they take about 1.5 to 2 hour

^

Wtaf

I think you can take as long as you like provided you allow time for it

Sure, I've just gone off on a spaghetti bolognese tangent . As you were...

Haha OP I totally get it. My dh is amazing and does ALL the cooking but every night is like this. He will stand in the kitchen wat hing it cook. NOTHING else gets done in the meantime - meanwhile I'm running around doing everything else.

It's a parenting basic to feed your child at the appropriate time. He doesn't sound 'amazing' - he sounds like a dickhead. If you can manage to get your child fed, then so can he!

DH takes such a long time precisely because he is multitasking. He cannot just go in the kitchen and have a meal ready in 15 mins because he gets distracted doing other things. Drives me mad. But he does 90% of the cooking so we have learned to say we are hungry in plenty of time