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69 People Share The Stories Of The Horrible Foods Their Parents Used To Make

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If you’ve opened this article with a rumbly stomach, you’re in luck - these hors d'oeuvres that you’re about to read about might find you losing your appetite completely and saving your lunch money for something else. Yup, it’s that bad!

But let’s start from the beginning. There’s this awesome little Reddit thread calling for people to list the most horrible foods their parents used to prepare for them. Our working title for it is Food of Parents, but you can figure out your own version, too. And you just wouldn’t believe how tragic preparing a meal can get! Even though terrible recipes are often to blame for the kitchen disasters these people had to eat as kids, it’s also the preparation. Foods served raw when they should've been cooked - check. Foods overcooked to the point of cremation - absolutely. Nasty food combos - yessiree bob. And that’s just the surface of this ocean of tasteless foods, kitchen nightmares, and torturous tarts. We sure are glad we’ve never had to taste any of these edible curiosities, and hopefully, we will never be in a position to try them starting from now on.

You’ll probably never be ready for these horrible foods no matter how long you wait, so let’s just rip the bandaid off and start reading, shall we? The submissions are just a pinch down below, and you should absolutely check them out (at your own risk, that is). We promise you, these bland foods are the absolute worst creations to have even touched anyone’s palate. However, some of them are nastier than others, and when you encounter such a specimen, give it a vote so it’ll find its way to the top of this list. And if you’d like to, share this horror show with your foodie friends, too.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

"Boiled ribs and potatoes. That’s it. No seasoning. Just boiled. Ribs. And. Potatoes."

purplesunshine7 Report

25points

Hippopotamuses 1 year ago

If it was food of necessity, fair enough. If it was food of choice, that’s just gross.

7points

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#2

"My older siblings still tell the story of when my mother was at the hospital for a few weeks and my dad had to cook for them. My dad was a truck driver, and could build anything from a car engine to a house, but couldn't cook to save his life. He decided to make chili and just kept adding cans of food. Corn. Mixed veggies. Yams. He added so much to the chili that he had to keep going up to a bigger pot until he ended up with a cauldron of nearly every canned food and meat they had in the fridge. My siblings wrote my mom a letter saying that she had to come home soon because dad was trying to kill them, and she started crying because she was so emotional. The nurse rushed over because they thought that the kids had written her a nasty letter. Needless to say, my dad hasn't cooked a meal in over 30 years."

The_Bovine_Joni Report

24points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Had he never had, or even seen, chili?

13points

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#3

"I grew up during the '80's self-improvement craze when fat-free was blasted on everything. This was when they invented fat-free "cheese", a substance that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike cheese. Imagine melting yellow fisher price plastic over your steamed broccoli and you get the idea."

TwitchyPantsMcGee Report

23points

Mama Panda 1 year ago

Yep I couldn't understand why the cheese would not melt, then I checked the package. NON DAIRY CHEESE!?

6points

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#4

"My grandma made this dish called easter egg casserole, which was basically rainbow-colored leftover hard-boiled eggs, mayo, egg noodles, and a little sugar. the foulest thing I have ever had the misfortune of tasting. the devil definitely won that easter."

WideLadder Report

23points

nooneimportant 1 year ago

that last line

8points

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#5

"When I was a kid I never understood why people loved steak so much because my mom always cooked it well done and I could only get well done if we went to a restaurant.

When I had my first bite of medium rare, it was magical. It was then I understood why people love steak."

masteroftasks Report

19points

Benita Valdez 1 year ago

I don't recall writing this. My best friend introduced me to rare and I am eternally grateful to her. My mom's cooking was just awful; everything overcooked

4points

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#6

"I'm a 35 yo American married to a 32 yo Brit, and we live in England. My mother was and is a bad cook, but nothing compares to my wife's mother. She has a glass cutting board. She refuses to sauté anything. She has this enormous WW2-era oven (cooker) that she uses for EVERY meal. Making a roast with broccoli and potatoes? Cook them in water for the same amount of time in the oven until ready to serve. Salt? HA! Garlic? Phhhh!

She poaches fish in skim milk. She serves an over-beaten flour and margarine (yes, not butter) mixture ("roux") and calls it cheese and onion pie (it was edible glue). Her idea of spice is ground pepper. I lived in this woman's house for 4 months of lockdown (I love to cook and do a damn good job, but she is overprotective of her dull knives and 3-year-old spices). I choked it all down for my wife, but I'm aching to tell her how much she s****. ACHING."

WoolyBouley , Boasters Report

17points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

True love.

4points

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#7

Uknown said:
"My father tried to make sticky rice by replacing the water with Allen's Apple juice. That was..."

TheFireflies replied:
"I love his logic though. Like, 'Hm, really needs something to help clump it up? The kids are always talking about mango sticky rice... eh, apples will probably work.'"

unknown , TheFireflies Report

16points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

If approached with the right frame of mind, might be good. After all, rice pudding.

8points

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#8

androidbear04 said:
"Let's see, take your pick...
Buying the leanest cut of ground beef to make hamburger patties and broiling them until they were about 50 moos past well done. Even she called them hockey pucks. I don't really care for hamburgers to this day. Pressure-cooking unseasoned chicken 3 times as long as it's supposed to be cooked, which leaches the bulk of the flavor into the broth. The broth must have been saved for posterity because we never saw it again; just the skinless, tasteless chicken. Having an unseasoned whole steamed zucchini plopped on your dinner plate 365 days a year. Nothing could fix it. Those are the main offenders."

SpiderNoises replied:
"Having an unseasoned whole steamed zucchini plopped on your dinner plate 365 days a year."

androidbear04 , SpiderNoises Report

16points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

😫

4points

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#9

"My mom used to boil asparagus. It would be so tough and chewy you couldn’t swallow it. I taught her how to roast it in the oven a few years ago. She hasn’t gone back."

TemperatureDizzy3257 Report

16points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Roasting vegetables for the win. I've even roasted tomatillos and green tomatoes with great results.

6points

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#10

"Take a banana, slice it vertically so 2 banana halves, and slather on mayonnaise. Call it a salad. A banana and mayo salad."

sfshecat Report

16points

TheNightOwl 1 year ago

Banannaise

13points

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#11

"My ma is from Dublin. Her Irish cuisine isn't bad... that is, she steams/boils everything with MINIMAL seasoning. Wasn't until I dated a Venezuelan girl in college that I learned you could sautee asparagus."

schlongjohnson69 Report

16points

#12

"My mom left my stepdad instructions to finish her vegetarian chili. It was supposed to get two cups of bulgar wheat, which cooks up nicely like a ground beef substitute. My stepdad was not a cook. He grabbed what he thought was the wheat and instead it was a container of brewer's yeast. Yes, he added two cups of it instead of the bulgar wheat. It was so disgusting and he made my sister and I eat our whole bowl for dinner.
The next day wasn't fun."

16points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

That's child abuse, even if accidentally.

6points

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#13

writinginwater said:
"Because of the Great Trichinosis Scare of the 70s, you could hammer a nail into oak with her pork chops. Just the blandness and repetition of meals was disheartening."

uncanneyvalley replied:
"If we're ever able to eat in restaurants again, find somewhere known for meat that does a thick bone-in pork chop and get it medium rare. It's a fucking revelation to those of us who grew up with well-trimmed tiny hockey pucks glopped with low-fat condensed soup and sprinkled with skim milk cheese."

writinginwater , uncanneyvalley Report

15points

#14

"Let's just say my grandmother makes a “chicken pot pie” that includes spaghetti and water chestnuts."

brianofbrianland Report

15points

Mama Panda 1 year ago

Wait what, whoa

6points

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#15

"Sometimes mom would start our meals off with fruit cocktail in a lettuce leaf, with a giant scoop of mayonnaise on top."

Maldibus Report

15points

Yeah, okay. 1 year ago

That's a 50s thing That Era came up with a LOT of bad food. Just... jello everything. My MIL still serves this weird green lime jello with cottage cheese, celery and peas. I've eaten it out of politeness but wow, it's not great.

8points

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#16

"Haha my great-grandmother was a terrible cook, so my grandma grew up thinking that burgers were supposed to be black crisps. She liked it that way, so my poor mother grew up being forced to eat charcoal briquettes. No one dared tell my grandma that they were burned until she found my mom's stash of old burgers stowed in the closet, covered in ants."

Kyrazane Report

14points

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#17

"My dad thinks all spices are interchangeable. I was teaching him a rice dish I had learned with Mediterranean-inspired flavors. Parmesan cheese, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, and maybe throw in some basil. Very simple, and easy to do in a rice cooker without even getting another pot dirty. He said he was going to try to make it right away. Call back a week later, and ask him if he tried it and how it went. He says he did and that it--and he said this with obvious reservations--"okay." I asked him what he had swapped in. He swapped the rosemary for cumin."

RememberTunnel17 , soaringcomet11 Report

14points

#18

"Italian Pancake.

My Dad is a novice cook but has a good palate. But his most interesting quirk was that he continually tried to create his own fusion.

I love some fusion, be he would just mash two things up randomly and see what it did. And no matter how it tasted, his reaction was always Mmmmmmmm so good! Anyway, Italian Pancake. Buttermilk pancakes Marinara Provolone... Maple syrup is all over the top. Sometimes he'd also add parmesan cheese. Sometimes ham.

Taste pretty much how you think it does. Without the syrup, it was kind of okay. A weird, bit but kinda good if you don't think about it. But the syrup?

As my father would say, 'MMMMMmmmmm!'"

14points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

I'm sorry, but if he could MMMMmmmm that, he does NOT have a good palate.

6points

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#19

"Mom's meatballs were just ground turkey rolled into balls and cooked in a pan.

My SO cooked meatballs one day and I let it slip that I hated meatballs. Except she made them with bread crumbs and spices and I loved them."

wallaby13 Report

14points

Huddo's sister 1 year ago

That's the way my dad makes burgers/rissoles. First thing I learned to make in food tech was burgers, so mum would insist I make them all the time. Couldn't use the same recipe when I was staying with dad, had to cut out onion and sauce, but at least he was okay about having breadcrumbs and egg in them.

2points

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#20

"They don't believe in expiration dates and my mom grew up in the snowy north. So she bulk buys canned goods and then stores them in the garage for YEARS and never throws any of them away. She goes through the back of the shelves and just cooks with the oldest thing no matter how it looks or smells. I was always sick as a kid and now that I only visit, she's given me food poisoning 4 times in the last 5 years by cooking with expired food. I don't eat there anymore."

reddit.com Report

14points

Ace 1 year ago

Canned food doesn't "expire". Properly stored it will last for decades. Only if cans are 'blown' will the contents be bad, i.e. give you food poisoning. So if you were poisoned she's clearly doing something else.

3points

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#21

"My dad did something with salmon and vodka sauce and I haven't touched either in fifteen years."

reddit.com Report

14points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago (edited)

If you ever get the urge to give salmon another chance, mix some pesto with panko breadcrumbs and, if needed, a bit of extra olive oil. Spread liberally over salmon, bake until done.

5points

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#22

"Veggies were boiled to mush or 'roasted' to black. Not the nice charred-black, but actually burnt-black. No seasoning other than water or oil. If they were making a recipe that needed seasoning (herbs/spices/good stuff), they'd half it. Being teased with hints of flavor was worse than eating bland food. Eggs weren't allowed to be runny, so I experienced a runny egg for the first time at 17. It was glorious and I've not looked back since. And finally, my grandma discovered that my favorite meal was Bolognese sauce and pasta. She served tinned Bolognese sauce with boiled cabbage because she thinks pasta is too exotic"

deekochana Report

13points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Maybe OP was adopted?

4points

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#23

"My mother-in-law had to be recently disabused of the notion of microwaving scallops."

Avant-Gardien Report

13points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Seafood super balls.

6points

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#24

"My parents used to buy London Broils and cook them to death. Took until I was an adult to realize that steak shouldn’t take 30 minutes to chew. I still have an aversion to pork chops because they always cooked them to death. Boiled hot dogs with canned sauerkraut. I still refuse sauerkraut to this day. Their tuna casserole was a whole other level of disgusting."

Walkn2thejawsofhell Report

13points

nooneimportant 1 year ago

boiled hot dogs and canned sauerkraut is a good poverty meal

2points

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#25

"Washed chicken with soap... I win."

wookiehealer Report

13points

Nicole Weymann 1 year ago

Years ago at my aunt's my father, actually a cook/chef himself, was asked to brush the chicken that was roasting in the oven. He took the brush from the counter and did as he was told. Only it was the wrong brush. Turns out my cousin had been interrupted varnishing a shelf. The result didn't do much for the shelf, the chicken or the atmosphere in the kitchen, but did improve morals all round.

2points

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#26

"My father is the worst from the top of my head:
-He would always take my hot oven fresh bread into the freezer.
-He would freeze cooked rice and open canned mushroom.
-He would freeze freshly prepped meals.
-He would refuse to put any cheese on the pizza, also no spice just tomato paste and green bell pepper.
-He would make canned tuna tomato stew. This is what I remember because I'm still traumatized and to this day have problems eating anything coming out of the freezer."

13points

Huddo's sister 1 year ago

Now I don't have a problem with frozen bread, but when I was a kid mum would make a bulk lot of sandwiches each fortnight for our school lunches and freeze them. I got so sick of the taste I began making my own lunch every day, which of course mum was fine with.

2points

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#27

"Well, my dad thinks green bell peppers are "too spicy", no seasoning on anything."

InconceivableWords Report

13points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

He needs a tastebuds transplant.

7points

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#28

"Oh, my time to shine. My mom made "tomato soup" by adding boiling water to ketchup, and her "mac and cheese" was mushy elbow macaroni with two Kraft singles. The thing is, she's actually an amazing cook; she just had no idea how to make American food and took the names literally."

Atomic_Crumpet Report

13points

Kat 1 year ago

oof- I only like ketchup in certain circumstances, like in hamburgers, so the "tomato soup" would horrify me if I was served it

0points

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#29

"My mom used to make something that was alleged 'Chicken A La King' which tasted like regurgitated chicken boiled in cream of celery soup. I legit remember as a kid asking "why would a king even want this?" at the dinner table."

AcidaliaPlanitia Report

13points

Yeah, okay. 1 year ago

Chicken A La King is supposed to be chicken diced and sauted then given a cream sauce and served on pastry, except sometime in the 60s Campbell soup came up with the "quick" version that used the soup instead of the bearnaise sauce and white bread instead of the pastry puffs. It's not a good substitution.

7points

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#30

"One time I “helped“ my mom cook lamb chops. By “helped” I mean that I seasoned and grilled all of them to a nice medium. My mom then “finished” the lamb chops. By “finished” I mean my mom dumped a bunch of Chardonnay on them and put them in a 400° oven for exactly as long as it takes to ensure lamb chops are well-done but also that no alcohol cooks out of the wine."

spade_andarcher Report

12points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Yours sounded so good.

2points

#31

"My mom went through a "raw food diet" craze for most of my childhood. We'd constantly be eating uncooked veggies, dehydrated "crackers", tough nails wild rice, mushy vegan "pizza", etc. It turned me off of veggies altogether for a long time until I realized that roasted veggies with oil+spices actually taste great."

ShapShip Report

12points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Is it safe to eat raw rice, wild or regular?

2points

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#32

"Making scrambled eggs in the microwave. Cooked them in a cereal bowl and when you turned the bowl over they would remain in the shape of the bowl, almost like jello... egg jello."

dontcallmecarrots Report

12points

Huddo's sister 1 year ago

I never had a problem with scrambled eggs done in the microwave, maybe they were just left in too long.

1point

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#33

"My mother makes "bbq chicken wraps". Step one: buy those premade, preseasoned fajita grilled chicken strips Step two: pour sweet baby ray and brown sugar into a bowl with the chicken and mix it up until simultaneously crusty and goopy Step three mix in shredded cheddar cheese Step four: fill a tortilla with this and add more sweet baby ray's Step five: pan fry the tortilla on one side so one side is burnt and the other side is still cold and serve."

SabbaticalSimmer Report

12points

Allison B 1 year ago

The ingredients together could be pretty good but the way she put them together sounds horrible!

2points

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#34

"They never heated jarred pasta sauce. They’d put it cold out of the fridge on the table and serve up a bowl of dry noodles for everyone. Self-serve ice-cold red sauce on top of your lukewarm and completely bone-dry noodles.Top with grated and bagged Mexican blend cheddar cheese."

waffleironone Report

11points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

I have to confess I have used jarred sauce without heating it. I'm a heathen.

2points

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#35

"I’m Vietnamese. I’m extremely westernized, he came here in his 40s and doesn’t speak much English. When I was a wee kid, I remember I asked him to make me a bagel with cream cheese. He brought me a whole bagel with cream cheese smothered on the outside of it. For some reason, I was so appalled and kind of mad lol. But it’s understandable to me now, he doesn’t eat that kind of stuff, just buys it for me."

H_Arthur Report

11points

#36

"My mom never used salt, so I didn't find out about properly seasoning food until my first kitchen job. Speaking of burgers, my parents never cleaned the grill, so anything cooked on the grill was going to have a bunch of really crunchy bits all over it. One time my mom made enchiladas, but she didn't have all the ingredients, so she baked rolled-up tortillas with onions and black olives inside, and a can of salsa poured on top. That was pretty horrific."

no_one_likes_u Report

11points

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#37

"My father's wife would microwave a box of frozen brussels sprouts until mushy, then cover this atrocity in a large helping of plain white vinegar (and nothing else.) And nuke it again. The stench was unbearable and stuck to the house for days, permeating all."

Platinumkate Report

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Nay Wilson 1 year ago

Gah! Brussels sprouts!! No! Stay away, monster!

0points

#38

"Not my parents... my grandmother. My mom and I would go visit her parents for the weekend. And no one was allowed to cook in her kitchen but her. Not even to make toast.

She was a horrible cook. She boiled meat and potatoes for every meal. I wouldn’t eat it, because... eww gross.

So she made me spaghetti. Saturday for lunch she would take a big pot and empty a whole package of spaghetti in. Once cooked, she would put the pot on the table and you could serve yourself. She didn’t drain it. She would then take the pot off the table, put the lid on, and put it in the fridge. For supper, she would take the pot out and put it on the stove to heat it (but she never left it on long). So for supper, I would have overcooked, starchy, half-warm spaghetti. This would continue until it was all gone. It was like someone poured white glue on top of the water and it didn’t set all the way. Yuck!"

10points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

That description deserves a Pulitzer prize.

4points

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#39

"Gilled “barbecue” chicken on the bone. Burned black on the outside blood raw on the inside. Every single time my dad made it."

boastshot Report

10points

#40

"My dad cooked flounder filets in brown beef gravy that was from an envelope."

theottoman_2012 Report

10points

Amy Taylor 1 year ago

My friend's single dad made Lipton Onion Soup everything, lol. That was the only seasoning he'd use.

1point

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#41

"My mother did not salt ANYTHING. She did use a little black pepper. She boiled every vegetable down to mush. My siblings and I called her fried pork chops 'pork jerky'. Her chili and spaghetti sauce were interchangeable. We called both hamburger soups. She did however make delicious fried chicken. Just flour and pepper in a brown paper bag. Fried in lard until brown then roasted on a rack in the oven. That was when you could get little fryers, not these big honking genetically modified monster chickens."

Eavie9999 Report

10points

AliJanx 1 year ago

Pretty much my mother's approach to cooking and that sounds like how she fried chicken. She would use a spatula to mash the chicken into the pan so it would get slightly burned. So, so good in that way that only a family could love.

1point

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#42

"After years of dry burgers, hockey-puck "steaks" and burned-but-still-cold brats, my parents splurged on some fancy bbq for one family gathering. We live in bbq country so restaurants are everywhere, but they went for the nicest place in town. They come home with big catering trays and paper bags full of ribs, burnt ends, brisket, all the sides, sauces upon sauces, the whole house fills up with amazing smells I had never known before.

"[Sister] isn't home yet so we're going to just put this in the kitchen for now." Easily over $100 of the nicest bbq I had ever smelled, straight into the refrigerator. Sister comes home 2 hours later. Bbq goes into the microwave. I weep."

cheesymouth Report

10points

Allison B 1 year ago

Maybe I'm dumb but what would be the best way to reheat it then? I usually use the microwave on very low power and stir a lot

1point

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#43

"When my mom was pregnant and on bed rest my dad would serve us steamed rice with a cup of cold water poured over it, and overdone scrambled eggs. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The longest months of my life."

mariners2o6 Report

10points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

I was almost seven while my mom was on bed rest for my soon-to-arrive sister. I still remember wrestling the cast iron frying pan into the bedroom to have mom check dinner's progress.

1point

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#44

"My stepdad once made a pizza using powdered sugar instead of flour. Don't ask how it happened."

Polis_Ohio Report

10points

Katrina M. Alecson 1 year ago

What happened?

3points

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#45

"My mom cooked everything to DEATH. I was accused of being the pickiest eater in the world until I grew up and ate properly cooked food. She only ever steamed vegetables (for much too long), except carrots, which she roasted until they somehow both shriveled and slimy. Pork chops, chicken, "steak", and burgers, all cooked exactly the same: baked at 350 for 30-45 minutes. I thought I hated SO MANY THINGS! But no, my mom just didn't know what she was doing. Which is weird, because my grandmother was a cook in a very high-end restaurant."

edwardcantordean Report

9points

Nay Wilson 1 year ago

My mother used to swear by her slow cooker. Except she didn’t know how to use it properly so everything was cooked down to mush. I still have an aversion to food cooked in a slow cooker to this day

0points

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#46

"'Grilled cheese' twice pieces of white bread with a piece of American cheese in the microwave."

nickygirl19 Report

9points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

**Sob**

3points

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#47

"Mom would sometimes pour too much milk while making Kraft Dinner, and so it ended up being like a cheesy, watery macaroni soup."

chrisolucky Report

9points

Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago

I had a babysitter make my son Kraft Mac and Cheese once. She cooked the noodles, drained the noodles. Floated the noodles in a ton of milk. Boiled the noodles some more in the milk. Added cheese powder and margarine. It was white mush. I dont even know how you mess up Kraft so bad!

1point

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#48

"My mom got a Campbell’s Soup cookbook from back when the canned soup was the height of convenience foods. It had recipes for all sorts of ways you could incorporate soup into your recipes. This didn’t mean she just used tomato soup for every single recipe that could possibly use red sauce... she found a recipe that added tomato soup to cake to make it moist. That was my first birthday cake."

amygunkler Report

9points

Powerful Katrinka 1 year ago

Tomato soup cake can actually be very tasty.

1point

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#49

"Overcook every single meat. 165 degree? No AT LEAST 180. Never added salt. To anything. Not even vegetable recipes."

not_cinderella Report

9points

SlothyK8 1 year ago

My mother wouldn't eat meat that was even slightly pink. AT ALL. I grew up hating beef because it was flavorless, and steaks were hard to chew. Tougher than jerky...you couldn't even cut it with a knife. We ate it with fingers, just like you would eat a piece of jerky. It wasn't until I was in college on a cross-country trip and ended up in a steakhouse in Nebraska that I learned what beef SHOULD taste like. I kid you not, her roast beef was a uniform mud brown and the steaks were BLACK.

1point

#50

Kelldandy said:
"Boiled Brussels sprouts."

robcam72 replied:
"Boiled any vegetables. The only thing my dad steamed was asparagus, at least he got that right. Never knew I liked brussels sprouts until I had them roasted. Same with spinach, we always boiled it and ate it with salt and vinegar. Hated the stuff. Now I eat it raw and prefer it for a salad over an iceberg. Also, I’ve seen it said on here a bunch already the way overdone pork chops."

Kelldandy , robcam72 Report

9points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Canned spinach drizzled with vinegar.

0points

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#51

"My dad has a few food crimes which are made even worse by the fact he worked in kitchens for 30 years and is actually a pretty good cook otherwise. Making lasagna and ran out of mozza? Cheez whiz is a decent substitute. He once put bananas in a stir fry. Once made meatloaf and didn't chop the onions small enough so they were like finger-sized chunks and the whole thing tasted like biting into a raw onion mixed with BBQ sauce. I love onion esp raw white onion but it was bad."

Catezero Report

9points

Be_ Heard 5 months ago

Hmmm I could see plantains in a stir fry... I guess... but not bananas. You can put pineapple in stir fry but that doesn't mean all fruit is good in it haha

0points

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#52

"My mom would slice up spam, and cook it on a griddle pan covered in brown sugar. Sugary meat was almost impossible to eat."

morningzombie777 Report

9points

C C 1 year ago

fried spam. mom’s potato salad. yuuumm

2points

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#53

"I have had a hard time with pork chops for many, many years because my mother did, and still does, pan fries them in vegetable oil, within an inch of their lives. She apparently finds shoe leather as a tasty main dish."

maebe_featherbottom Report

9points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

Was she ever stranded on a desert island?

1point

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#54

"Every time my dad grills hamburgers, he doesn’t season the patties at all, squeezes all the juice out of them, and then way overcooks them. The end result is a weird, dry, falling apart, dark gray hockey puck. I love him but his burgers are something else!"

u/KnowNothingOfJavert Report

8points

Astarael 1 year ago

We started air frying them with some beef rub my dad had. They're pretty good airfried

0points

#55

"Oh boy let’s see. My family has eaten the same 10 or so meals switched in order 5 days a week for over 20 years. There’s no variation. Ever. The recipes are usually casseroles in which my dad will burn unseasoned hamburger meat/unseasoned any kind of meat and throw it together with undercooked pasta, put some cheese on top and throw it in the oven until burnt. Repeat ad nauseum forever."

onceuponadakotah Report

8points

Jesselin Laster 1 year ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

#56

JohnnyC908 said:
"My grandma was, bar none, the worst cook ever. We would try to sneak the food to the dogs and they wouldn't eat it. Have you ever had peas, jello, mayo, spaghetti... salad? Casserole? Well, I have. And it was hell. My grandpa made one hell of a donut and his beef pasties were awesome though."

LukewarmTamales replied:
"Same. My grandma wasn't ever much of a cook. I thought I hated sauerkraut, but it turns out that pouring it out of the can into a bowl, covering it with yellow mustard, and sticking it in the microwave isn't exactly how you're supposed to eat it."

JohnnyC908 , LukewarmTamales Report

8points

JoJo Anisko 1 year ago

I like caraway seeds sprinkled in my sauerkraut.

5points

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#57

"Boil the canned vegetables in the water they were canned in. Chicken on the stove with the lightest touch of oil, no salt, no seasoning, cooked to rubber. I don't know what she did to burgers, but they were semi-flattened charcoal golf balls."

NotMyHersheyBar Report

8points

Be_ Heard 5 months ago (edited)

I used to destroy chicken breast. It was truly awful and inedible. For yrs I did this and could not figure out why I couldn't pan fry them right. Now I bake them in the oven and they come out juicy and perfect everytime. Sometimes ppl need to understand that not everything needs to be done on stove top. Also, no babysitting your food which is the best part imo lol

0points

#58

LallybrochSassenach said:
"My mother just adores adding wine to whatever application she can. She doesn’t drink it, it gives her migraines. But if there’s even a hint of a reason to maybe add it."

TheJennica replied:
"MY DAD RUINED MY SEAFOOD BISQUE THAT WAY. Ok, it was my grandpa’s recipe and I wanted to feel close to him, but dad had to pour in some fruity-ass Chardonnay and I’m still mad about it 8 years later."

LallybrochSassenach , TheJennica Report

8points

#59

"My mother would make these awful fruit smoothies with random stuff she had lying around. Raisins, carrots, sweet potatoes, and one time some lemons that were about to go bad. Skin and all."

lizzyborden666 Report

8points

C C 1 year ago

i feel bad for u just reading this

1point

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#60

"Frozen chicken pot pies - 3 for 6 kids. My mother would burn the top crust and middle bottom still cold and uncooked. One kid would get only the top crust and the other the middle/bottom. Always wanted to be the top kid!"

Dorcusdoesreddit Report

8points

C C 1 year ago

hated these growing up

1point

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#61

"My mom cooks eggplants until they're completely grey all around. Both the inside fruit and outside, are just a uniform pale grey color with a weird texture. She also overcooks boiled eggs to the point the yolk is grey and chalky in texture."

sweetdongo Report

8points

Benita Valdez 1 year ago

I'm 39 and it took until about 5 years ago for me to be ok with eggplant. I'm still not a fan but I give it a try. When someone makes it. I love food and there are very few things I will not eat and not much that I dislike especially with vegetables; I love vegetables. But man have I been traumatized by eggplant and have a really hard time liking it.

1point

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#62

"Usually, it was always overcooked everything. Pasta, rice, veggies, red meat, and chicken. My mom’s spice cabinet contains salt, pepper, paprika, and an all-seasoning called Vegeta, popular in the Balkans. That’s it! No garlic powder, no cumin, no cayenne, nothing!"

FinalBlackberry Report

8points

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#63

"My mom:
Putting coconut, mint extract, and blue food dye in cook-n-serve pudding, then burning it. Ranch dressing on hot dogs. Boiled chicken gizzards with canned mushroom soup and seashell pasta. And many more that I can't recall (thank goodness).

My dad:
Pan frying perfectly good steaks/pork chops on low heat, covered, until grey, tough, and chewy throughout. Then cut the meat parallel to the grain and wonder why it tastes like shoe leather.

Both:
Overcooked and/or canned veggies. A lot of pre-made/frozen meals to compensate for lack of cooking skills (most of which I've lost the taste for)"

Civil-Chef Report

8points

Be_ Heard 5 months ago

Ranch on hot dogs.... sounds as good as ranch on pizza... which everyone loves for some unhinged reason

0points

#64

"My mom used to open a can of asparagus and eat them one by one after dredging them through mayonnaise. It took me YEARS to look at asparagus without gagging."

8points

Ann T 1 year ago

I actually love this.

0points

#65

"My mother's "famous goulash". Brown ground beef and onions till well done. Boil one box of macaroni, and drain. Mix ground beef and onions with noodles and one whole bottle of ketchup. Serve."

Tired_But_Scrappy Report

8points

Yeah, okay. 1 year ago

This, except no ketchup but a can of mushroom soup. Simmer until the macaroni is done. I'm actually fond of that one.

3points

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#66

"My mother is generally an excellent cook, but she cooks her vegetables to death until they have like no flavor or texture. She also doesn’t like garlic, basil, etc. so I didn’t discover really flavorful food until I lived on my own."

ChewieBearStare Report

8points

#67

"My dad would grill any protein to the point that it was dry and black on the outside then justify it by saying that "he's making sure we don't get sick and charcoal is good for digestion ". I didn't know what a medium rare steak tasted like until I went to culinary school. LOL"

guamianzero Report

8points

Astarael 1 year ago

Charcoal is good for making you sick, not for digestion

0points

#68

"My mom never drained the fat from any ground meats. I remember a leftover hamburger helper in the fridge that was completely solidified because of the fat. I already have issues digesting beef so for years until I was in the 3rd or 4th grade and started doing the majority of the cooking, I thought it was normal to regularly vomit/have diarrhea after eating."

drunky_crowette Report

7points

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#69

"My mom would make "roast" which was an already-tough chuck roast with potatoes and carrots that got to dry out in a low oven while we were at church every Sunday. It was like jerky but without any seasoning, so we would drown it in Worcestershire sauce to add moisture and flavor. Lots of meals were just some type of carbohydrate, shredded cheese, and melted margarine with no seasoning or spices."

sendmoresalt Report

6points

Larysa Perih

I’m a visual editor at Bored Panda. My work is to find or create visuals for articles about home and design. I enjoy making small illustrations and improving my skills in Adobe Illustrator. After work, I try to do something active like running, yoga, cycling, or skateboarding, mostly because it allows me to spend more time outdoors and not sitting behind my desk.

I’m a visual editor at Bored Panda. My work is to find or create visuals for articles about home and design. I enjoy making small illustrations and improving my skills in Adobe Illustrator. After work, I try to do something active like running, yoga, cycling, or skateboarding, mostly because it allows me to spend more time outdoors and not sitting behind my desk.

Justė Kairytė - Barkauskienė

Justė is a copywriter here at Bored Panda, and though her studies at the Veterinary Academy seemingly have nothing to do with writing, the passion for animals and nature helps in creating the most interesting and engaging posts. She also works with Search Engine Optimization, so you could find Bored Panda's articles easier. Justė's not only an avid equestrian, but she's also a walking encyclopedia. Ask her anything!

Justė is a copywriter here at Bored Panda, and though her studies at the Veterinary Academy seemingly have nothing to do with writing, the passion for animals and nature helps in creating the most interesting and engaging posts. She also works with Search Engine Optimization, so you could find Bored Panda's articles easier. Justė's not only an avid equestrian, but she's also a walking encyclopedia. Ask her anything!

What do you think ?

Remi (He/Him) 1 year ago

It wasn't a bad meal per say, but somehow I still remember the time we had a 400g liver casserole (it's a Finnish thing, don't judge) divided three ways and some oatmeal porridge as a dessert for dinner. This was at a time when the interest rates soared to near 20% and my parents had taken a big loan to buy and renovate the house just a few years ago. I knew they were debating which bills they could postpone, but that dinner was what made me realize that we were in financial trouble big time

2points

FrostMoon Willow 1 year ago

69. nice

0points

Fxnglhl 1 year ago

when i was younger i hated spicy food. when i turned 11 i actually started to appreciate spicy food. as of now i haven't been able to handle anything hotter than chilli flakes but a bit of spice is always great.

0points

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Remi (He/Him) 1 year ago

It wasn't a bad meal per say, but somehow I still remember the time we had a 400g liver casserole (it's a Finnish thing, don't judge) divided three ways and some oatmeal porridge as a dessert for dinner. This was at a time when the interest rates soared to near 20% and my parents had taken a big loan to buy and renovate the house just a few years ago. I knew they were debating which bills they could postpone, but that dinner was what made me realize that we were in financial trouble big time

2points

FrostMoon Willow 1 year ago

69. nice

0points

Fxnglhl 1 year ago

when i was younger i hated spicy food. when i turned 11 i actually started to appreciate spicy food. as of now i haven't been able to handle anything hotter than chilli flakes but a bit of spice is always great.

0points

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