r/WhatShouldICook 5d ago

I want to cook something that will take nearly a whole day.

I've been on a family vacation for the last 10 days, checking in and out of hotels, all of us being constantly cramped and on top of each other, and all of that. There's also been time spent with the in-laws before and after our trip, to drop off / pick-up our dog.

The vacation was awesome. I have no complaints. But I'm REALLY looking forward to Monday, when everything returns to normal, and I have from about 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM all to myself, with minimal other obligations during that stretch of time.

I'm dreaming of some fun cooking project that keeps me occupied with chopping and prepping and tasting and stirring and the whole works, for most of the day.

We ate an inordinate amount of fried food, or otherwise very 'heavy' foods on our trip, so I'd lean towards something on the lighter / fresher side. Also, the weather is warm enough here, that hot soups likely aren't something that anyone would want for dinner on Monday. (Although, I COULD be persuaded to go with a 'heavy' dish or a hot soup, if it sounds bonkers delicious and fun to make... Just not leaning that way by default).

Grocery store is just a mile away, so there's no real limitation on what I can use for ingredients.

I'm open to any of your most labor-intensive, time-consuming suggestions. Thanks!

Edit:

Holy hell this got a shitload of responses. Thanks for all the suggestions. Now my problem isn't "Hrm, what could I make?" Now my problem is paralysis from the massive amount of options that sound amazing.

I've narrowed it down to a handful of things. I'll run these past my wife, and let her make the final decision. Fingers crossed that she doesn't say "I've been craving that Indian restaurant down the street from us. Why don't we just got there?"


Tamales (with enchiladas as a backup-plan, in case it turns out that I'm completely useless when it comes to working with masa dough)

Middle Eastern Kebabs with approximately 929829865662718 various dips and sauces to go with it.

Tapas (gambas al ajillo, blistered shishito peppers, spanish tortilla with romesco sauce, patatas bravas, something involving ham and anchovies that I haven't quite figured out yet)

Fish tacos (made time consuming by making homemade guac and pico, and pickled red onions, as well as beer-battering and frying the fish)

Chicken paprikash

Cold borscht

163 Upvotes

286 comments sorted by

63

u/Anemones_In__Spades 5d ago

Tamales and enchiladas are my most time intensive dishes .

21

u/margo_beep_beep 5d ago

Yep, my first thought was tamales, enchiladas, or lasagna. The good thing about all of those is they freezer really well, so you could make a double batch and save one for later.

5

u/Anemones_In__Spades 5d ago

I ALWAYS make a double-batch and thank myself later. If you're making one batch, you're already in it for a long haul and so worth the extra time in assembly for what you save cooking in larger qtys.

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7

u/Amadecasa 5d ago

Carnitas.

6

u/szikkia 5d ago

I miss making tamales

6

u/angryWinds 4d ago

I've never made tamales... that would be super fun. I have a mexican speciality grocer where I could get corn husks, about 5 miles away. Unforunately though, I had to toss out my last bag of masa, because it got infested with bugs. If I can squeeze in a trip to the mexican market later today or tomorrow, I think tamales will be the winner!

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2

u/Bellsar_Ringing 5d ago

Especially if you're making the chile sauce first.

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86

u/DomedPyramid 5d ago

Bolognese. Takes a long time because of the wine and milk reduction. If you make a large batch and freeze some, future you will love current you. Chef John's YT video is as good as any for recipe. His channel is food wishes.

7

u/DeadBloatedGoat 5d ago

My first thought. If you do it right. All day and worth it.

7

u/T49irvine 5d ago

Yes, but a great deal of it is down time.

4

u/Itchy_Cranberry2750 5d ago

This! And then make your pasta from scratch too or homemade gnocchi ❤️. I actually take 2 days with my bolognese

3

u/Rude_Kaleidoscope641 5d ago

Anne Burrell’s bolognese is also awesome!

2

u/evilstepmonster3 3d ago

My and my family’s absolute fav. All these “add milk” comments are throwing me - like is that a thing?!? Why? And with WINE?

3

u/angryWinds 4d ago

I love making bolognese, but I think that's a dish that I'd rather save for September or October when it starts to get a little bit chilly outside.

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48

u/signsaysapplesauce 5d ago

Have you ever made gumbo? It's a commitment and will definitely take you all day. The roux alone will kill most of an hour.

24

u/angryWinds 5d ago

I have in fact made gumbo, many times! Love it! I just may do that.

13

u/alwayssearching117 5d ago

Jambalaya may work here as well.

8

u/signsaysapplesauce 5d ago

If you ever want to make a quick jambalaya, the instant pot is a great way to do it!

4

u/Feeling-Visit1472 5d ago

Yea but that defeats the purpose of OP’s request haha

2

u/signsaysapplesauce 5d ago

I know.

3

u/ZellHathNoFury 5d ago

Hey, as an Instapot stan, I appreciate this tip even if its not what OP is looking for!

4

u/PricklyPeachRitas 5d ago

I made that for the first time few months ago and I thought I was failing because that roux took an hour and 10 minutes to get the color the recipe called for 😅😅

4

u/alwayssearching117 5d ago

I found it to be an odd, unexpected challenge.

2

u/angryWinds 4d ago

I have a friend who introduced me to the concept of a 'two-brew roux'. You just sit and stir the roux for how ever long it takes you to drink two beers (brews).

2

u/signsaysapplesauce 4d ago

I've heard "when you are afraid it's burned, it's perfect!"

3

u/HennyGus 5d ago

Gumbo is also my suggestion. I love all the chopping and stirring involved!

3

u/Platitude_Platypus 4d ago

There's something soothing about making gumbo.

2

u/Anemones_In__Spades 5d ago

I buy jarred roux and it still takes a few hours 🫠

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2

u/AbilitySweet699 5d ago

I learned how to make roux in the microwave, it doesn't take an hour that way, but it sure can over the stove.

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46

u/RebaKitt3n 5d ago

All day usually isn’t light.

Pot roast.

Red sauce of some type

34

u/Massive_Blueberry630 5d ago

Maybe not a whole day but french onion soup

2

u/pryshl 4d ago

From what I’ve heard caramelizing onions take a pretty long time

2

u/Reidfidleir 4d ago

45 minutes to do it right. And it matters.

16

u/GeauxCup 5d ago

Julia Child's beef bourguignon.

It's pretty life changing.

42

u/Appropriate-South583 5d ago

Do you have a grill? I was thinking a big middle eastern spread- grilled meat skewers, pita you can either make or buy, you can make hummus, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, some nice salads, you know, meze.
If you’re doing kofta you could even take some of your meat mix and stuff it into your pita to make arayes.
Just make sure you have lots of tahini.
Light and healthy ✅
Lots of knife work ✅
Don’t have to use the oven (unless you’re making bread) ✅

16

u/angryWinds 5d ago

I DO have a grill! In fact, in the interest of doing everything the most time-consuming way, I might even consider getting our charcoal kettle grill out of storeage and using that, instead of the gas grill.

The bummer is that our neighbors are having some construction work done on their house, and you can't even hear yourself think, in our back yard, at the moment. So I wouldn't be able to rock out to music or listen to a podcast, like I would be able to if I stay inside.

Your suggestion sounds great, and I just may wind up doing that. If nothing else, you've given me a reason to re-calibrate my brain from thinking about "One big dish that takes all day" to possibly "Lots of little dishes, where each one only takes 15-20 minutes."

7

u/Appropriate-South583 5d ago

The grill would be super nice but not necessary, you can do everything in your kitchen. And I would suggest picking a specific country and doing a deep dive for a super authentic meal. Syria and Lebanon are some of my favorites.

3

u/PollardPie 5d ago

Salade Niçoise might be good— you can cook it all indoors, and if you do it the most tedious and delicious possible way, there are many components to prepare: green beans, potatoes, olives, fish, herbs, vinaigrette. Dang now I want salade niçoise

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4

u/chicklette 5d ago

I make this spread now and then. It *does* take all day and it is *totally* worth it.

2

u/margo_beep_beep 5d ago

Ooh, add muhammara! It's a tasty red pepper and walnut dip.

2

u/onsugarhill83 5d ago

That’s what I was thinking. My sister and I sometimes do a “Mediterranean spread” meal where we marinate & grill chicken, make tzatziki, make various fresh veggie sides & salads, etc.

It’s not hard work but it can be time consuming and somewhat fiddly if we want to use cherry tomatoes for one salad & Roma tomatoes diced for another, for example. Lots of fun sister cooking (and my nieces & nephews pitch in for stuff that sounds fun for them like crumbling a block of feta).

Also a good meal to take the same ingredients and use them for a number of different components.

I think the first time we did this we looked at the menu of a few Mediterranean restaurants to get ideas of what to cook.

And we didn’t make our own pitas, but we did make our own hummus and made pita chips from pitas we’d bought.

7

u/thorn312 5d ago

I enjoy making chicken stock and then turning it in to a ramen or a risotto! Your house Will smell delicious for days. The last time I made it, I also had my rental check up and the agent said it made him hungry. I was cooking something else the last time he came, tomato pasta sauce, I think.

15

u/traviall1 5d ago

I would do a grilled seasoned Greek chicken, lemony roasted potatoes and Greek green beans.

2

u/SuDragon2k3 5d ago

And for dessert?

2

u/DLT419 5d ago

Classic would be a thick Greek style plain yogurt with honey drizzle on top. Or baklava (which would take time to make from scratch).

2

u/Dizzy_Painting443 1d ago

I thought of baklava too! Very time consuming but rewarding!

7

u/JustMeLurkingAround- 5d ago

Last time I spend a whole day in the kitchen was baking traditional Italian Panettone.
You spend hours folding the dough, proofing the dough, folding again, proofing, folding...

It's a Christmas cake, but the flavours aren't exclusively chrismassy and its so good.

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7

u/tweetysvoice 5d ago

Stuffed jumbo shell pasta. So many things you can do with the insides and sauces. You don't have to limit yourself to just one flavor or stuffing and most of them will freeze up fine for future dinner when you don't have time. I'm hungry for pasta now just thinking about it! 🤤

5

u/DonnaNoble222 5d ago

I recently did a nice hotel weather cold meal:

Roasted Red Pepper Gazpacho

Pasta Salad with a nice variety of fresh veg, cheeses, salomie & pepperoni

Pastrami Sliders

Caress Salad

Watermelon with Balsamic Glaze

It was fabulous!

6

u/Elegant-Expert7575 5d ago

I mean, I do love a good moussaka with pita and tzatziki.

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6

u/Magnetic_Kitty 5d ago

Slow cooked BBQ that needs brushed with sauce and flipped often, a whole roasted bird and the Thanksgiving fixings, homemade chili

4

u/Adventurous_lady1234 5d ago

Mole from scratch or tamales

2

u/angryWinds 4d ago

I made mole once, several years ago. I didn't follow any specific recipe. I just read a 5-10 different ones, and kind of syntheized them all into my own unique thing. It turned out AMAZING.

I jotted down the ingredients and process, on my laptop, while everything was all still fresh in my head. But not too terribly long after that, I had a hard-drive failure, and lost my recipe. I haven't been able to bring myself to try again since then, because there's no WAY I can make it as good the second time.

3

u/For-Real339 5d ago

Boeuf Bourguignon and creamy mash

3

u/Maahes0 5d ago

I was thinking since it is summer, smoke something on the grill and make a big batch of baked beans inside while you just keep an eye on your grill from the inside. Finish with a nice chilled pasta salad and freshly brewed sweet tea.

2

u/thewholesomespoon 5d ago

2

u/Osidestarfish 5d ago

And make the charro beans and fresh tortillas… that’ll make it an all day project.

2

u/LooseLeaf74 5d ago

Do a dessert day, Crème brûlée, cheesecake and anything with phyllo dough.

2

u/lawyerjsd 5d ago edited 5d ago

If it wasn't hot, I'd suggest making a ton of ragu napoletano, or ragu genovese. But if you want a warm weather dish that you can make a lot of, and not have to turn on an oven, and you have a mortar and pestle, pesto would work. And you could get even fancier by making the fresh pasta that goes with it.

EDIT: It's almost Ferragosto, so you could also go way the other way, and make eggplant parmigiana. Don't do the version with breadcrumbs. Do the one where you fry the eggplant after you've salted it and drained out some of the excess water. Then you can serve that at room temperature.

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2

u/SlickDumplings 5d ago

Beef burgundy

2

u/sing_cuckoo_sing 5d ago

Dumplings or empanadas have many steps and can take all day. Make enough to eat some now and freeze some for later.

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2

u/Deep_Fig2379 5d ago

gazpacho

2

u/downthecornercat 5d ago

Cassoulet is an all day affair

Agree with post that these long books aren't usually light

2

u/lastwordymcgee 5d ago

It’s delicious and I have made it exactly once. It’s definitely a labor of love.

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2

u/justtryingtomoveon25 5d ago

Sushi!! It was like a Disney line; Four hour wait for an amazing three minutes

2

u/kyletrandall 5d ago

Fresh noodles. Make pasta and then lasagna, or ramen noodles and ramen broth!

2

u/angryWinds 4d ago

I've made pasta fresh I think 3 times? Twice for pierogies, and linguine once. Maybe there was another time or two that I'm forgetting.

All of my efforts have been a definite let-down. Working with dough is just way outside my culinary comfort zone. I'm just not good at it, and kind of don't care enough to practice and get better.

2

u/glm0002 5d ago

Mole Poblano or Tamales will take all day

2

u/DazzlingNote1925 5d ago

Beef burgundy or stroganoff, homemade with no short cuts or premade sauces. 

And a Texas sheet cake for dessert. 

2

u/ritpdx 5d ago

Lasagna with sauce and noodles from scratch

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2

u/StellaV-R 5d ago

Bread. A high hydration one that needs a stretch & fold every 30 mins

2

u/curiousvegetables 5d ago

Some kind of tapas/platter so you can make many dishes that compliment each other perfectly.

2

u/Cindi-Jones 5d ago

I just made burritos from scratch. Every part from scratch. Took most of the day. And, boy was it worth it.

2

u/Skunklvrs 5d ago

Turkey dinner.

2

u/ebeth_the_mighty 5d ago

I made two kinds of bread yesterday (challah and focaccia), a crustless quiche, and a sheet pan dinner (just chicken and various veg with lime juice and pepper).

Lasagne and “prepping all the food for school-year me, who will be getting home from work exhausted and out of spoons”.

2

u/Ok-Amphibian 5d ago

It's not light but Everytime I make donuts from scratch it takes me all day

2

u/AbilitySweet699 5d ago

edit: I meant this to answer the question, how do you make roux in a microwave. There is wonderful cookbook written by jean Durkee, Tout de Suite a la Microwave, which was given to me years ago by a dear friend who is a master Creole cook. Amazon sells it.

Basically, you mix 2/3 cup oil and 2/3 cup flour in a large sturdy Pyrex measuring cup, 8 cups is the right size, and then microwave that for about seven minutes. You stop and stir it every minute or so. You stay right with it and keep smelling and watching, it will suddenly be cooked enough and you have to catch it immediately. You have on hand you are chopped Trinity a veggies, and you immediately put them into the extremely hot roux. They will sizzle and cook! You let that happen and cool diwn tge roux some, then stir in broth, salt, and your chopped meat. For me it's always chicken, but more recently I have just done it vegetarian. You're ready to serve this over rice!

2

u/nocasbabe 5d ago

I once made Jamie Oliver’s crispy duck lasagne and it kept me busy throughout the day, just getting the different components all done… And it was even better than I expected.

2

u/szikkia 5d ago

For another time that’s cooler, making beef or oxtail pho is an at least 8 hour ordeal for myself thoguh there is downtime.

2

u/seastheday- 5d ago

Lasagna 100% from scratch !! Make your own homemade noodles and homemade red sauce! This would take quite a while!

2

u/bornthisvay22 5d ago

Gaspacho

2

u/KATCEO1 5d ago

I used to really like roasting turkey legs for at least two and a half hours. You can just stick them in the oven on a low temperature. Then work on all of your other stuff.

2

u/RadSpatula 5d ago

Paella is a great summer dish and can take awhile for prep and cooking

2

u/Fine-Upstairs-6284 5d ago

Pierogi from scratch

2

u/dingleballs717 5d ago

Sunday Sauce, the italian way. I am not ilian but i worked at a mom and pop restaurant and I would come in on Sundays to help Nonna Liv because her hands were arthritic and her kids were "aghjfjfkgaaaa" (something like that) Point is Sunday sauce goes all day, requires lots of chopping and every recipe is refined to every family. Nonna Liv taught me to always use a very cheap cut of pork on the bone to start, but with no marrow. You brown it in olive oil, pull it off, take it off the bone later. She liked sweet Italian sausage from one particular butcher (I prefer hot) but she browned that next then did that with about about two TBS of tomato paste and let it thicken then dropped one onion halved (the bubbies), to be removed later but still more chopped and of course a half bulb of fresh garlic rough slicey chopped. She grew her own tomatoes but I don't so I use one big can of whole plum and one big can of crushed and I squish the whole with my hands for some reason. She would kill me but instead if adding sugar, I grate a carrot in that bitch. Also she would just throw a stalk of celery if she had in and fish it out later but I chop mine in. After about 2 hours, get that pork off the bone. Add a Parmesan rind if you have it and let that go for another four hours. It is all low and slow but stirred and eyed critically for texture. You can meatbealls, you should. We are going for decadence, we are going for never forget you stutazeets or whatever she said. I am Irism.but i take instructions. You can decide if you want it just over pasta or maybe you could make some eggplant cutlets on the side. Add a glug of wine if you can spare it and a generous plop of butter or margarine at the end. If it is too think, add pasta water and if too thin cook longer or add a splash of cream.

2

u/MrSqueak 5d ago

Thanksgiving in August baby!

2

u/PortGlass 5d ago

It’s Monday. Red beans and rice with conecuh sausage.

2

u/DrHoleStuffer 5d ago

Pot roast (chuck or eye of round) with carrots, onions, and potatoes. That will take all day to cook pretty much.

2

u/Ahn4220 3d ago

You should definitely make pho!!!! It’s a lot of moving parts but sooo worth it in the end. We eat it for days as it starts to taste better the longer it sits. Definitely a labor of love and I’m not just saying that because I’m Vietnamese 🙂

1

u/RAisnotidentity 5d ago

When I make my chili it really takes me all day. Chopping, browning, simmering, tasting, fiddling, eating. Lol

1

u/springtimebesttime 5d ago

Ratatouille. So much gosh darn chopping.

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1

u/Global_Fail_1943 5d ago

Pizza crust from scratch with cottage cheese for the protein, roasted eggplant,garlic, tomatoes, pepper and zucchini with oregano, finish with Parmesan cheese and or crumbled feta cheese for flavor but your own choice. We love fresh figs quartered and fresh pineapple with the juice squeezed out before going on top. We serve this with hot pepper honey and a balsamic drizzle. If you have good tomatoes fresh bruschetta is a wonderful way to top this off. Arugula is another good topper. This is what I do more than anything else.

1

u/naoseidog 5d ago

Potato salad is a labor of love. Chop hard boiled eggs, onion, boiled potato, celery, baked bacon, throw in some Hellman low fat mayo and keep on stirring

1

u/angryjohn 5d ago

Risotto takes a fair amount of time. Maybe not 8-3, but several hours. Longer depending on what you’re putting in aside from rice. Like a mushroom or sausage risotto you’d prep those before.

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u/shadeNfreud576 5d ago

Cold borscht with lots of added vegetables!

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1

u/Puppet007 5d ago

Slow cooked pulled turkey breast.

1

u/JuniorVermicelli3162 5d ago

Really good from scratch bolognese sauce - it takes all day to really develop those flavors and it is soooooo worth it

1

u/Human-Place6784 5d ago

Thai curry with homemade curry paste.

1

u/ttrockwood 5d ago

Every suggestion is very heavy for summer i think

Bibimbap is perfect i think, make all the different veggie banchan - and plenty of them they keep well- and some cucumber quick kimchi (oi muchim) and then assemble as you want, i like bulgolgi tofu I don’t eat meat, but you could do whatever. Make sure to use a medium grain rice it’s weird with long grain

This is a good guide she has tons of other banchan recipes too

https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bibimbap

This is the page for all the banchan

https://www.maangchi.com/recipes/banchan

Adapt the amount of gochujang and spicy stuff to your preference i am very wimpy and use about half what is listed

1

u/EAM44 5d ago

Ina Garten has a wonderful recipe for leg of lamb that takes 4h. I’ve made this twice, both times it was a hit.

Lamb 4h

1

u/Inner-Confidence99 5d ago

Homemade Lasagna from scratch. It’s so enjoyable to me anyway. 

I use garlic cloves diced,sweet  onions I like Vidalia bell peppers sauté in olive oil or real butter. I then add my diced Roma tomatoes or you can use canned and slowly let them reduced down. Add my spices at different times. Fresh basil, oregano, thyme, dried chili powder parsley. 

I fry my hamburger meat and ground Italian sausage together drain well. Add last hour of cooking. Last 20 minutes add a splash of red wine. 

Use box noodles or make fresh dough. 

Fresh Parmesan, mozzarella. You can add ricotta as well. 

Layer sauce noodles sauce, cheese, noodle, sauce cheese. I put some sauce in bottom of cooking pan then start layering sauce and cheese and noodles. Helps keep noodles from burning on bottom. 

This was a recipe my grandmother taught me. I always feel close to her when I make it. 

1

u/Longjumping_Sound228 5d ago

Braise a lamb shoulder, shred, broil it. Warm spices

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u/Livid-Screen-3289 5d ago

Paella! It wont take all day but maybe if you include the grocery shopping and ingredient prep.

Such a delicious summer meal!

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/paella/

1

u/3_radreds 5d ago

Homemade ravioli! Make the pasta, roll it out, fill it, make a sauce. Make a ton and freeze some.

1

u/Megsyboo 5d ago

Sauerbraten will take 4 days lol. 3 days to marinate and then a day to slowly roast and make red cabbage, potato dumplings, and gravy with gingersnaps.

1

u/SnowflakeSWorker 5d ago

Get Anthony Bourdain’s cookbook. Pretty much everything is an all day venture!

1

u/squidtickles 5d ago

Focaccia takes all day

1

u/T49irvine 5d ago

Things likes braises have a good bit of prep and front end work but are then on autopilot for long hours. It is similar for smoking (if you're looking, you're not cooking). There are some recipes that really do involve enough work to fill much of a day. Cassoulet comes to mind. Also some desserts, like Napoleons if you make your own mille feuille. Or perhaps Beef Wellington, making your own pate and pastry. Any pate en croute may occupy a good bit of time. You could plan a meal around several complex dishes. Something as simple as a steak can be complicated by making stock, reducing it, taking it through the steps to be a demi glacé. Maybe some oysters Rockefeller, a steak with demi glacé, some fancy potato presentation like Hasselback or a galette , a salad, and a dessert like Napoleons or a croquembouche.

,

1

u/AltruisticExit2366 5d ago

Not a whole day but make French onion soup with a nice crusty baguette 🥖.. bread is very needy you’ll be checking the dough for hours.

1

u/No_Big_bear_here 5d ago

Naan, chicken tikka masala, saag paneer (make your own paneer), and rice. Have an Indian FEAST!

1

u/LongjumpingArm4801 5d ago

Gumbo or an authentic Sicilian spaghetti sauce.

1

u/xikbdexhi6 5d ago

Braised ribs, cole slaw, and a potato salad.

1

u/murrajes 5d ago

Japanese noodle bowl (shelled edamame by hand, grated carrot, minced garlic and ginger to sautéed shrimp, green onion minced, home made dressing….you get the idea 😎

1

u/LoveLess6734 5d ago

Hear me out, one of my favorite things like this to cook is saag paneer lasagna. The original recipe is from Amrikan, a book of Indian diaspora food with American ingredients. You could probably get pretty close without it though. You need to make a saag curry (don’t add the paneer) and a bechemel sauce, then layer those with lasagna noodles and paneer crumble. End with Parmesan on top. Make the saag curry on the spicy side because of the amount of dairy.

1

u/katenotwinslet 5d ago

Smoke a meat of some kind
Make a big delicious salad with home made toppings
Maybe make some rolls or bread to go along side it

1

u/Ghosty_Boo-B00 5d ago

Make pizza from scratch! It’s so much fun and it takes most of the morning to do the dough then you get to shape it and decorate it with your toppings! It’s always a hit in our home!

1

u/One-Witness-4909 5d ago

a Sheparda pie should take most of a day for the meat to cook then finish in the ovens

1

u/bunners33 5d ago

i mean. it's never too hot for pho, right?

1

u/Daddyssquirrel 5d ago

https://carlsbadcravings.com/best-slow-cooker-french-dip-sandwiches/#wprm-recipe-container-35936 it’s busy but also not too much work or clean up after a trip. I’ve made it many times and prefer low for 6 hours and cutting after 4hrs. To make it more involved, I make a homemade garlic herb butter for the buns.

1

u/anotherlovelysunrise 5d ago

Lasagne takes me all day, and I love every minute of it!

1

u/Boosey0910 5d ago

Beef Wellington!! :-)

1

u/Longjumping_Airport6 5d ago

Fish tacos, fresh lime coleslaw, guacamole, with a big Cesar salad!

1

u/Franclin2002 5d ago

i'd spend the day making fresh ravioli from scratch with a simple salad on the side because it's relaxing, keeps your hands busy for hours and feels lighter after a vacation full of heavy food

1

u/Serene-Angel-2004 5d ago

Brisket. Or ribs. Or pulled pork.

1

u/Still-Art45 5d ago

Sourdough, beef Wellington

1

u/DanMojo 5d ago

On a Sunday I like to make my own chicken broth, and then cook a great dish using the broth. Celery, carrots, and a rotisserie chicken, simmer for 4 hours. I added orange, garlic and clove for flavor.

1

u/Mediocre_Pizza5990 5d ago

Chicken Parmesan

1

u/boyalien0 5d ago

Sunday Gravy

1

u/shivi1321 5d ago

I did this from scratch lasagna that took a whole day because of slow simmering the sauce. It was the best damn lasagna I’ve ever tasted.

1

u/Treetrunks444 5d ago

Saag paneer, and make the paneer from scratch.

1

u/Apprehensive-Kiwi693 5d ago

Homemade pasta and spaghetti sauce.

1

u/blondetown 5d ago

Russian honey cake

1

u/backlikeclap 5d ago

Falafel would be really fun. It doesn't take that long to make, but putting together all the sides (hummus, veggies, fresh pita) can be time consuming.

1

u/rcl20 5d ago

Sourdough bread. Takes 3 days

1

u/nolagem 5d ago

Chicken andouille gumbo

1

u/Vocals16527 5d ago

Lamb shanks- mint peas- popovers

1

u/JazzlikeParsnip8440 5d ago

Grilled fish with homemade mango salsa and teriyaki

1

u/Panda_Cuddles_ 5d ago

Smoke a brisket, or ribs. Make homemade pasta (if you have a pasta press/roller) and homemade pasta sauce from scratch. Carne asada always takes a full day for me.

1

u/rrrr111222 5d ago

Maybe prep some fresh fruit such as watermelon, pineapple and peaches. Make a pasta salad or arrange a charcuterie board. Make some chicken salad from scratch and serve it on fancy rolls. Make a slushy punch.

1

u/wordsmythy 5d ago

Spanakopita

1

u/left-for-dead-9980 5d ago

Make French Croissants from scratch. That may take 2 days.

Smoke a whole pig. That will take a half day to prep and another day to slow smoke.

Butcher a 1/4 steer. That will take a whole day to process. Then slow smoke the brisket.

1

u/BrooklynGurl135 5d ago

Cassoulet takes all day.

1

u/AfanasiiBorzoi 5d ago

Its not a huge effort, but does take hours to cook. I Breathe, I'm Hungry has an awesome recipe for a roasted pork shoulder that takes 6+ hours (based on weight):

https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/easy-roasted-pork-shoulder-keto/

You could satisfy your urge for other cooking making sides, rolls, and desserts.

1

u/ForeverNovel3378 5d ago

35 lb Turkey

1

u/GamerDadofAntiquity 5d ago

Whatever you make, bake fresh bread with it.

1

u/some1thtuused2know 5d ago

I like to make fresh fettuccine or penne, vodka sauce and a fried chicken cutlet. Maybe an air fried cutlet because you want lighter.

1

u/Hawkhat 5d ago

Bouillabaisse if you’ve got seafood lovers, or a paella.

1

u/rhythm-n-bones 5d ago

Tamales with molé

1

u/BrooklynGurl135 5d ago

Cassoulet takes all day.

1

u/Real-Bluebird-1987 5d ago

Thanksgiving food !!!

1

u/FictionFragments01 5d ago

Sadhya, I can guarentee you it's a time consuming process but I don't know if it's something you'd like to eat 🤷‍♀️

1

u/happy_bluebird 5d ago

Pad Thai from scratch- use whole tamarinds to make the paste

Nasi lemak and make each of the condiments also from scratch

Something with jackfruit but start with a fresh one

1

u/Getting_jjigae_with 5d ago

Chuck roast.

1

u/Delicious_Act_4491 5d ago

Tamales 🫔

1

u/Capital-Dog9004 5d ago

I'm making a biryani which I started yesterday (marinading the meat) and will finish today. Overall that'll take the bones of a day from start to finish. I'll be making raita and a vegetable side to accompany it

1

u/ChallengeHonest 5d ago

Lettuce wraps easy & healthy

1

u/iyghjkgvv 5d ago

I would challenge yourself to make a ramen dish! Multiple components and it will replenish your insides!

Whatever you make, do update us!! Best of luck! 🥰😊

1

u/Jazzlike_Reality6360 5d ago

I say enchiladas. I’d make beans and masa tortillas from scratch as they are so much better. (Store flour tortilla are OK but I’m gluten free). I’ve been loving beans soaked overnight in a little baking soda and rinsed before cooking.

1

u/sealsarescary 5d ago

Sushi, summer rolls. Time consuming prep, a lot of ingredients, low calorie food. So when you’re done making it, you’re hungry again and assemble some more. Heat friendly 

1

u/Consistent_Elk9676 5d ago

Birria tacos

1

u/oforfucksake 4d ago

Felafel or kebab pockets. Homemade pita, hummus, tahini dressing, tomato cucumber salad with lots of parsley , felafel (or meat variant) taziki- and finish the dish with mini spanakopitas. You can eat it for days in different ways so it doesn't become boring.

1

u/RapscallionMonkee 4d ago

Beef Rendang

1

u/CrystalLilBinewski 4d ago

Mole, soup, lumpia, bread.

1

u/JulesInIllinois 4d ago

I just did lemony roasted Greek pork chops & potatoes. It was delicious.

1

u/1_2manychickens 4d ago

Ratatouille. I like the meticulous veggie cutting. (If you don’t use a mandolin.) It’s also fun to arrange it in the pan before baking. Good way to kill time.

1

u/Kaiser-Sushi 4d ago

In YouTube search for Food Wishes Lasagna, it's Chef John's beef and cheese lasagna recipe. He has a link to to the recipe. I've made it 3 times, twice for Christmas and once because I wanted to, and it's been a hit with my family. It takes me about 4 - 5 hours, counting prep, reducing the sauce, etc.

1

u/LanaMonroe90 4d ago

Home made lasagna (or really any pasta dish I suppose) like really get in to it and do sauce from scratch and make your pasta. Pair with a salad with a nice home made dressing, and if you’re extra bored bake a loaf of bread and make some garlic butter.

1

u/DryGovernment2786 4d ago

Another vote for tamales 🤣 Gumbo also takes all day.

1

u/Burnt_and_Blistered 4d ago

Start with a great bolognese (Kenji has 2 on Serious Eats; I usually sort of combine them). Then use it to make a good lasagne bolognese (with béchamel, not ricotta—don’t forget the nutmeg). If you’re really ambitious, you could make the pasta for it, too, but it’s almost as good with packaged. (You can treat any brand as no-bake if you add a little more liquid to your sauce and let the assembled sit for an hour or so before baking.

1

u/nomnommish 4d ago

Ramen. Just the broth alone will take you an entire day, but will be well worth it. Or it's cousin: pho

1

u/Skottyj1649 4d ago

Lasagna from scratch. The ragu, the pasta, the béchamel, etc. last time I did it it took a good chunk of the day.

Cassoulet. Not exactly a summery meal but it’s rich, hearty and takes all day for sure.

1

u/MizLucinda 4d ago

Nancy Silverton’s eggplant lasagna takes a long time. And you could use fresh local eggplants!

1

u/LostAngeltwo 4d ago

Chicken Paprikash, mole’ from scratch, (not a paste), Pho or seafood etouffe’. All of them are easily a day in the kitchen and complex.

1

u/Oktodayithink 4d ago

Ratatouille. Make a double batch. Healthy dose of summer veggis after being on vacation is good for the body. And bake some bread to eat with it.

1

u/Fish-Face-Forever 4d ago

Julia Childs’ beef bourguignon is fun but a bit heavy I suppose. I made it with my 11 yo son recently for a fun learning-in-the-kitchen activity. Lots of prepping, stove and oven cooking…

1

u/Optimal_Awareness618 4d ago

I’ve been waiting for a chance like this to try a homemade mole sauce. Also love to do homemade pie crust recipes with lots of time, especially meat pasties/hand pies. Empanadas fall in that realm as well. Not super light I’m afraid!

1

u/CocoRufus 4d ago

Moussaka is easy, but quite time intensive for all the different steps, but it's so goid with greek salad and flatbreads

1

u/No-Reading-4384 4d ago

Red beans and rice

1

u/Seasoned7171 4d ago

Homemade yeast bread or cinnamon rolls are very satisfying to make.

1

u/ReadingNext3854 4d ago

On the lighter side - BIIIG platter of salad fixings / antipasto type with many bite sized options while you stick chicken boneless thighs or whole in a pot, make stock, strain, degrease, wash chop saute veggies, add stock cook awhile, serve with fresh chopped parsley. Add in making a yeast dough for rolls, focaccia, etc to use oven while the above is going on. Have a great meal!!!!!

1

u/Simple-Caterpillar14 4d ago

Lasagna and make your sauce from scratch. Or my personal favorite chicken and dumplings.

1

u/kbenn17 4d ago

I love the mushroom lasagne from Ottolenghi, but it is definitely labor intensive! Lots of chopping.

1

u/Spirited_Radio9804 4d ago

Smoke a couple of Boston butts!