Father’s Day Meal Plan: A Roundup for Your Favorite Dad

Fathers are an important part of one’s life. A good father’s a blessing. Bad fathers? Well, they teach us lessons. This guy is the former. I couldn’t have made a better father for my twins than the one God gave them in Hector.

So! Today, I’m going to pass along this great roundup of recipes for your Father’s Day celebration. Even if the guy who helped to create you isn’t all that worthy, choose someone who is, and create a special day full of love and food for him.

Bananas Foster French Toast Casserole

Every father wants to sleep in on Father’s Day. Hector’s always telling the kids, “I want to sleep late, and I want breakfast in bed,” when they ask him what he wants for his special day. This casserole is the perfect breakfast for you to make for him. Prepping it the evening before Father’s Day will leave you with little else to do the morning of. If your Dad is anything like Hector, a side of bacon is a must. I top his with freshly whipped cream and garnish it with sliced strawberries or even more sliced bananas.

Fill this mug with freshly brewed coffee, and his Father’s Day is off to a hilarious start.

Look at these blessings Hector has given me. I’m not ashamed to admit that I live vicariously through my children’s relationship with their father. The relationship I have with my father has never been what they have with theirs, so I’m grateful they share such a strong bond with their dad. Hector has always been an active parent. He changed diapers, got up (sometimes after a literal kick in the butt) to feed them, and helped me figure out how to be a mom to twins. Too often, our late night feedings resulted in later morning wake-ups.

Avocado Egg Baguettes

Brunch is clutch, y’all! If your Father’s Day is the first of its kind celebrated in your home, skip the early morning french toast casserole. Save that for when the kids are five, or six. Celebrate a new dad with brunch, instead. You’ll thank me for this simplistic meal-in-a-bread bowl. Throw this together while Dad is changing the morning diaper in his new apron and you’ll be the MVP of Father’s Day.

My husband has always made it a point to create great memories with our Twinks- even during the hardest times of our lives. When we had to travel to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona to figure out whether, or not, I had Multiple Sclerosis; Dad made sure the babies weren’t carrying the emotional burden or tension that surrounded us during the trip.

Of course, every good dad must impart good taste in baseball teams as well- GO YANKS!!

Chèvre & Prosciutto Flatbread topped with Figs and Arugula

Let’s face it- you’re going to have a lot to do come Father’s Day (even if you are the honoree)! A quick lunch is the saving grace of a holiday because you’re, more likely than not, going to celebrate with a big dinner. This flatbread midday meal is so easy to toss together. Grill or bake it, depending on what you have going on. The sweet and salty mix of the figs and prosciutto has always been a hit with my big, burly guy. Smaller naan is great because it creates a personal-size meal for the family. If you have a father in your life who is a gourmand (Hector thinks he is, but he still likes Spam, so I have to call BS), gift him this Ham Stand from Spain. He can show off his carving skills while you assemble the rest of the flatbread.

You gotta love a Dad who values faith. Even better is a man who instills faith in his children by walking it out- the good, bad, and the ugly- for his children to see and learn. Hector has baptized both of our children. Symbolically, it’s a testament to his being their brother-in-Christ. Physically, it’s an act of service and care from a father to his children. As a mother, it warms my heart to know that, even though he fails to walk the road of faith perfectly (as we all do), he’s doing his best to model a God-loving life for our babies.

Grilled Pork Chops w-Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce

You’re not going to get more Dad-friendly than this dish on Father’s Day. Well, unless your Dad is a Muslim or an Orthodox Jew. If he is, then this chicken dish is a better option. These pork chops are manly in every way. They’re thick cut, slathered in a piquant BBQ sauce, and grilled over fire! Chock full o’testosterone right there! Most men are beckoned to the grill once they smell that charcoal, so gifting him this set for Father’s Day may even get you out of making the main course!

I can’t imagine the internal struggle my husband deals with as an active duty Soldier/Father. He’s had to walk down that airplane jet-bridge more times than any of us care to remember. The feeling of knowing he’s helpless if anything happens to us while he’s away must be tough to reconcile. Hector was made to be a Soldier, just like he was made to be a Dad, though. He takes both of those roles very seriously, and does them fantastically; but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been hard for him to leave his children behind. He’s always come back, though. That’s what I’ve always said to keep the kids encouraged. He will always come back.

Crispy Baby Potatoes

These baby potatoes are a herbaceous way to celebrate your baby’s daddy. Serving these crisply-fried nuggets alongside those meaty pork chops is a win-win. The grill has the pork chops taken care of, so a quick fry of these par-boiled spuds means dinner is done quickly and with minimal effort. Serve a garden salad on the side to round out this Father’s Day meal.

Hector’s not a nice, sensitive, sentimental guy. He’s not…or so he wants the world to believe.

This man is the most kind, caring, generous soul that ever walked the face of the earth. Don’t get me wrong- he gets on my last, damn nerve sometimes; but in spite of his short-comings, he truly is my soulmate. I knew that the first time I watched him brush my mother’s teeth, right after he helped the twins brush theirs. There’s something to be said about a big guy who doesn’t count it beneath him to care for the weak and the small. He’s a freaking gem. (that’s about as mushy as I can get without boo-hoo’ing like a pansy)

Blackberry Cobbler

Celebrate your father’s sweetness with this summertime classic. Grab a quart of vanilla ice cream on the way home tomorrow so you have it ready to scoop, then finish the dessert in style. Nothing is more comforting than a warm cobbler, and nothing says, “Thanks for being our Dad,” than baking it from scratch. As easy as this recipe is, you can prep and begin baking it as you’re starting dinner. It’ll come out of the oven by the time dinner is being cleared away from the table.

Paloma a Fuego (Spicy Grapefruit & Tequila Cocktail)

All that’s left to do is let Dad open this cocktail set you’ve gifted him. He can prepare, then pour a glass full of this refreshing libation to close out Father’s Day 2018! Give your favorite Dad a hug and a kiss, and tell him I said, “Happy Father’s Day,” from my family to yours!

Happy Father’s Day to YOU, Hector.

-Marta

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