Can a baked potato be dinner?

OP, what I’d probably do is meal plan at the beginning of the week with the things you’d like to eat and generally believe your guest would like, share it with them, and tell if there were any meals they’d prefer not to have, that you’d have things on hand that they could feel free to help themselves to and fend for themselves (sandwich ingredients, frozen vegetables, salad stuff, etc.) I think most people would also pipe in at this and ask when they could shop/cook for you.
 
We had a family of 4 living with us in our finished basement for 6 weeks once. I didn't cook meals for them except for a handful of times where we planned a big meal together, like fajitas or enchiladas or lasagna...stuff that is easy to make a lot of. They had a small refrigerator and I offered them full use of the kitchen plus some freezer space. They cooked largely for themselves or went out to eat. Otherwise, I continued to cook meals for just my nuclear family.

It's a pretty big burden to have to cook for a family that is already taking up a lot of space in your home. They shouldn't be expecting anything as far as meals goes. They should be cooking for themselves, IMO. They are grown, capable adults, no?
 
I often serve a baked potato as the main part of the meal, with sides, like maybe some steamed green beans and sliced tomatoes.

It would only be an entree to me if it was topped/loaded with protein toppings, as other people have mentioned. I don't eat green beans, so that only leaves the potato & tomatoes which are a starchy carb and another carb. Eating just carbs spikes blood sugar tremendously.

As another person posted, all these toppings, except the coleslaw, are proteins:

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Baked potato is a great thing to serve, do not need a meat topping.

But sometimes you can get two baked potatoes, like in this scene:

 
Thanks to this thread and in part to the Ruth's Chris one too, we had steak and baked potatoes tonight for supper. Absolutely delish!! :lovestruc
 


I echo what most people have already said.

Put out a "baked potato bar" for them that includes a wide assortment of toppings so they can put whatever they want on it. And then have a larger-than-normal amount of sides, so they will still be filled up even given the the lack of a "traditional entree."
 
I disagree with all the people who seem to me to be acting like she has to put out something that is "company friendly." If I were serving company, I'd put out a bar of toppings. However, for my own family casual dinner I would just put out what I know they like, no matter how simple that is. I might comment that we're keeping it simple tonight, but here is no need to treat a close friend who is living with you like company. Doesn't everyone have the equivalent of a "buttered noodles" dish that they eat when they're keeping it simple?
 
I had it just for lunch a bunch of times. But I will never have it for the main food at supper. It’s your house, you cook what you want and enjoy. Don’t worry what your guests thinks.
 
I wouldn't up my dinner game.
If I had guests staying a month or more in my home then I would think they would have no problem using my kitchen to prepare some dinners during their stay. If they felt their dinners needed to be elevated from what I normally serve- they would be free to take over dinner duties from time to time.
 
OP - I think that you need to set up some ground rules expectations up front about meals and food. For an extended stay of a month or more, I think you cooking and worrying about what to serve people is going to get really old, very quickly.

I am not on a diet to lost weight, however, we eat to fit out life style. Lots of lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbs and my husband has been recently diagnosed as having a gluten allergy (not Celiac Disease, but an allergy that went undiagnosed for years). We eat hamburgers without buns. Heck, I do not even have ketchup in the house.

I would not alter the way I eat at home because of guests for a month.

Our food bill is relatively high so adding several more people for over a month would be quite a $$$ commitment as well.

I am sure this comes across as me being cheap or inflexible. Really, I am neither. Guests in your home for a month or more is a VERY long time, so I would just be careful to not start out with expectations that are going to be hard to continue with for the duration of their stay.
 
For the way we eat, a plain baked potato, green beans and tomatoes wouldn't count as dinner. A potato with some protein on top, yes.

A few had said If the others don't like it, they can cook something themselves, I think that would end up as a mess and perhaps the items you meant for dinner the next day, eaten that night. I would said this is dinner, but there is cereal (or they can go out). I would make it known tonight we are having X. I would make me mad if I made enough for 6 people and then have them say, I don't like that, so we'll go just out.

I would also think if they are staying with you, that means they aren't paying housing, electrical, whatever for a month, so I would hope they would be adding in someway to the household funds. Perhaps they can buy and/or cook three days a week.

By the way, you're an angel having them stay with you and being worried about if your meals are good enough. You are helping them out, this isn't a vacation for them. They should be trying to be as least trouble as possible.
 
I say do what you normally do.

While I love a good baked potato, if it's going to be the main part of a meal I'd make sure that it has more than just butter or sour cream on it. Add some protein. Bacon or pulled pork; what ever your preference is. Perhaps some green onions, cheese, make it loaded. Then have the veggies as a side and it'll be a fuller meal.
 
If you have extended company--for example if a family member or very close friend is going to be staying with you for a few weeks to a month, while their house is finished being built, for example--do you "up" the quality of the meals you serve or do you just feed them the way you typically feed your family?

I often serve a baked potato as the main part of the meal, with sides, like maybe some steamed green beans and sliced tomatoes. Or sometimes just scrambled eggs and maybe a spinach salad. Or baked beans and cheese toast with a veg.

Would you consider these meals up to par for "company" that's probably not really expecting "company" treatment?

My family never complains, but maybe I'm just being lazy.
....just. add. BACON.
 
We often have just a baked potato for dinner. Top it with butter, sour cream, green onions, bacon bits and cheese. Yummy!
 
If you have extended company--for example if a family member or very close friend is going to be staying with you for a few weeks to a month, while their house is finished being built, for example--do you "up" the quality of the meals you serve or do you just feed them the way you typically feed your family?

I often serve a baked potato as the main part of the meal, with sides, like maybe some steamed green beans and sliced tomatoes. Or sometimes just scrambled eggs and maybe a spinach salad. Or baked beans and cheese toast with a veg.

Would you consider these meals up to par for "company" that's probably not really expecting "company" treatment?

My family never complains, but maybe I'm just being lazy.

We are having baked potatoes with “toppings” for dinner tonight! I’d feed it to company as well.
 

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