Food is the key to happiness, at least it is for me. Sure, that may not be a healthy way to live...but give me an ice cream sandwich and ask me if I care.
The Duggars are a family that constantly look happy, and I would have assumed it's because they eat amazing food all the time. With 21 sets of hands around the house, you'd think their meals are incredible.
Now, I don't like to judge (who am I kidding, yes I do) but after seeing some of the Duggar family's favorite recipes, I'm racking my brain as to how they can find them appetizing. To each their own, I guess.
Let's take a look at some of the Duggar go-tos, and we'll rate each one.
1. Tater Tot Casserole
Alright, so delicious in theory but upon closer inspection it leaves a lot to be desired. Ground turkey, tater tots, cream of mushroom soup, evaporated milk, and cream of chicken soup make for a mushy tater tot mess.
Not even any cheese?
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 "J" names
2. Chili Fritos Pie
Chili Fritos Pie actually sounds delicious, as long as you're willing to throw caution to the wind. You'll need 12 (yes, 12) cans of chili beans, two bags of Fritos, and as much cheddar cheese and sour cream as you can get your hands on.
Of course, if you're not feeding 20+ people, you can scale it back a bit.
RATING: 3.5 out of 5 "J" names
3. Poor Man's Pizza
This is something I've actually made before, as has any broke university student at some point. The thing is, I wasn't proud to make it. It was a necessity rather than a desire.
Take a piece of white bread, cover it in pizza sauce, and then melt some cheese on it. It technically fits the definition of a pizza, but I wish it didn't.
RATING: 2 out of 5 "J" names
4. Literally Just Canned Tomatoes
If you're trying to lose weight, like Jim-Bob was at one point, but you still find yourself craving pizza, then do I have news for you: canned tomatoes will satisfy your taste buds!
At least that's what Jim-Bob told Michelle, presumably because he already knew he was going to sneak out and grab a real slice when she wasn't looking.
The father of 19 cracked open a can of stewed tomatoes and ate them right from the tin whenever he had a hankering for pizza.
You do you, dude.
RATING: 0 out of 5 "J" names
5. Baked Potato With Mustard
It's pretty hard to mess up a baked potato, and yet here we are. Jill Duggar "enjoyed" a baked potato covered in mustard and hot sauce many times during her second pregnancy.
I would give it a pass and chalk it all up to a pregnancy craving, but then Derick Dillard and James Duggar also ate one so...it's weird.
RATING: 1 out of 5 "J" names
6. Soy Burger
Unlike Jim-Bob, Michelle prefers diet food that isn't soaked in liquid and poured onto a paper plate. Instead, she opted for a soy burger that was microwaved (!!!!) and slapped between an English muffin.
The burger is gray. Gray.
RATING: 0 out of 5 "J" names
7. Giant Slab Salads
Michelle Duggar wants everyone to know that the family does consume vegetables.
"We eat a lot of green salads and veggie trays," Michelle once wrote on her blog. "Of course, ours are giant trays! A lot of times we'll slice up a big tray of tomatoes, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and top with a spritz of vinegar. That's a favorite snack around here."
There's really nothing wrong with this. It's just boring.
RATING: 4 out of 5 "J" names
8. "Beef" and Potato Hash
Jessa tried, she really did. And she also acknowledged that cooking is not her strong suit. But I cannot in good conscience condone this beef and potato hash, which looks like a burned-out fire pit.
The meal includes onions, potatoes, onions, and something orange (sweet potatoes?) topped with...five balls of beef? I don't really know what's happening here, but at least it doesn't have an overwhelming amount of dairy in it.
RATING: 2 out of 5 "J" names
9. BBQ Tuna
Jim-Bob's "specialty," if you can call it that, is barbecue tuna. I'm not sure that you can really qualify it as cooking, considering it's just tuna mixed with six jars of BBQ sauce, but the family seems to love it.
Throw it between two slice of white bread and you've got yourself a meal!
RATING: 2 out of 5 "J" names
10. Walker Burritos
Jill is really trying to embrace her housewife title, but this dish that Derick shared is not a great look. These "deconstructed burritos" are a sloppy mess that honestly just looks like tortillas layered with cheese and sour cream.
Derick called it "very nutritious" which leads me to believe he doesn't know what nutrition is.
RATING: 3 out of 5 "J" names
11. Chickenetti
What do you get when you cross spaghetti, chicken, broth, tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, and Velveeta cheese? Josh Duggar's favorite meal, apparently.
His wife Anna whipped up this concoction for the family and either they're carbo-loading for a marathon, or Josh is lying when he says he likes it.
RATING: 2 out of 5 "J" names
12. Pickle Pizza
This is the piece de resistance. The Duggars love a good pizza, and who doesn't! But if you ever invite me to a pizza party where the main dish is pickle pizza, I will take it as a personal attack.
For one pizza party, the Duggars go through 8lbs of sauce, 7lbs of cheese, and countless pickles.
"That's a Duggar thing, we just all love pickles," son James Duggar said.
More power to you, but I'll stick to cheese thanks.
RATING: 1 out of 5 "J" names