Maybe a hearty bean chili, or veggie lasagna? (Or, if he doesn't wanna eat what you're making, he can always make his own dinner.) I'm veg myself, and it seems like veg dishes that are great on their own merits go over much better with the meat eating crowd than meat-dishes that have been modified.

I have the same problem in my house, I want to cut back and my husband thinks he can't get full if there isn't meat. Luckily, we are both huge fans of beans! One of my go-to cookbooks is Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwoman (I know it's a weird name, right?). One of my biggest successes recently was this recipe: http://www.preventionrd.com/2012/03/meatless-monday-money-matters-lentil-tacos-weekly-menu/ My husband actually declared them better than beef. Good luck!

Vegetarian shepherd's (gardner's?) pie! For the base, use lentils, celery, carrots, and canned tomatoes. Top with mashed potatoes (and/or sweet potatoes), grated cheese, and green onions. you could also put a layer of corn and peas in if you wanted, just make sure its heavy on the lentils as that's what will make it filling. This freezes pretty well too, so its ok to make a whole casserole even if its just the two of you!

Or Mexican lasagne, vegetarian style. Use black beans in the place of beef, and add avocado to make it more filling - maybe even some quinoa.

are you cutting on fish too? usually if you have some nice fish the meat eaters count it as meat :)

I love making these mini quinoa patties for meat-loving friends! http://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com/healthy/mini-quinoa-patties

I'll give another thumbs up to Crescent Dragonwagon, especially her Passionate Vegetarian cookbook. Give the mushroom fajitas a try-they are fabulous.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Vegetarian-Meat-Potatoes-Cookbook/dp/1558322051 I have had good luck with feeding folks from this cookbook. Good luck!

I'm a die hard meat eater AND paleo. So I won't eat ANY grains. No wheat, soy, corn, barley, etc etc.

Maybe eggs and potatoes?

Assuming the original poster isn't the paleo commenter - how about hearty stuff that happens to be vegetarian, like macaroni & cheese with a big bowl of greens on the side? Or a big vegetable tart with a funky cheese (there are several on smittenkitchen.com with mushroom, squash, and cabbage fillings)? Or a chunky root vegetable stew with cheesy dumplings baked on top? Some hearty soups seem to appeal to meat eaters too, so it might be worth it to try Molly Katzen's pumpkin rarebit soup, or a chunky minestrone with veggies, pasta, and beans, along with some fresh bread.

For vegetarian and paleo...honestly, I'm not sure what to say, given that that cuts out grains, dairy, meat, and if I'm not mistaken, beans. Chicken eggs and potatoes are both from domesticated species, too, so they should be out (as should chicken, beef, and pork). Fruit and nuts, I guess?

I have a million recipes! I'm a vegetarian, but I love the flavors of some meats (it's the seasonings, usually!) And I love comforting and substantial meals! I have a very tall husband with a big appetite, and he never goes hungry around here. I always try to use nuts and beans and other tasty protein-rich ingredients, but it's never dull or stodgy! I apologize in advance for posting so many links.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm a huge fan of savory pastries. Delicious, satisfying, versatile. You can feel them withe healthy things like beans and veg, but they're comforting as well. I make something like this at least once a week, and then we'll have leftovers with simpler meals like soup or a big salad.

I'll just pick a few to share with the class!

Here's a pretty chard, roasted pepper and olive tart...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/12/15/festive-chard-roasted-pepper-and-olive-tart/

In winter I like something double-crusted...
Here's one with fennel, pecans and black beans...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/11/22/say-happy-thanksgiving-with-a-double-crusted-fennel-pecan-and-black-bean-pie/

White bean, spinach and roasted mushroom pie with a sage-pecan crust
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/12/13/white-bean-spinach-and-roasted-mushroom-pie-with-pecan-sage-crust/

Deep mushroom pie is one of my favorites...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2011/11/02/deep-mushroom-pie/

And we have a chickpea pot pie...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/11/20/chickpea-pot-pie-sweet-potato-hashbrowns/

I also think it's fun to try to make my own versions of "fake meats" all of the flavor with none of the preservatives and additives!

I have a lot of veggie burger recipes - most of them grillable. We've got roasted mushroom white, white bean and pecan; cuban beans & rice burgers; eggplant french lentil burgers; your classic black bean burger; Beet and red bean burgers...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/?s=burger&submit=Search

And I've made hot dogs out of beets (so delicious! You boil them, and then cook them in butter or olive oil)
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/07/14/beet-dogs/

Veggie bangers and mash - the sausages are made with roasted red peppers, red beans, pecans, sage, fennel, smoked paprika, bit of nutmeg and allspice
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/04/24/vegetarian-sausage-with-red-beans-pecans-and-roasted-reds/

Here are some chick(pea) patties...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/05/02/chickpea-patties-and-guacamole/

I know I should stop now, so I will!

We ate entirely vegetarian for a year and since that time have generally limited meat to a couple of times a week. I have a number of really good vegetarian recipes on my blog:
http://deeskitchen.blogspot.com/

Last night I made a lentil rice casserole which we then use as taco filling in fried corn tortillas. My husband says he likes that just as much as when I make them with beef. I also adapted a family favorite, green chili sour cream enchiladas, which is now made without chicken and no cream soup - we all like it better than the original. As far as the recipes on my blog, check out "Black Bean Enchiladas", "Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish...", and "Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Dumplings" for a start.

Stir fry. He can cook his own meat on a separate skillet and toss it into his serving.

Cook the vegetarian meals you want and have some chicken thighs or whatever meat he likes to eat and he can add it to his plate. You (or preferably he) can cook the meat ahead so it only requires reheating at dinner time.

I'm a vegetarian with a meat-loving boyfriend. He really appreciates eggs and potatos as well as a good curry. Usually I do all the cooking but sometimes he supplements the dinner I make with some meat for himself.

Tell your boyfriend what I told my live-in boyfriend when I went vegetarian: eat all the meat you want, but you buy it, cook it, and clean up after it. (He stopped eating meat at home. :P) You no longer have to cook 2 meals and your boyfriend still gets all the meat he wants.

One thing I did to make things easier on him once I'd gotten past the breaking in period was to make "meat and potatoes" meals where he could fry up some meat if he wanted or he could have a "fake-meat" with me or, what happened most often, we could both skip the meat, fake or otherwise altogether. You can also do something similar with Tacos/burritos or Baked potatos or sandwiches, etc. ...anything a person gets to build themselves.

And vegetarians wonder why so many people don't like them? It's that 'my way or the highway' attitude that turn so many people off.

I'm also a meat eater who doesn't eat meat very often (for a combination of budget, time and health reasons, and also because i just really like most vegetables). I agree w/ cthom19. Veggie dishes that aren't trying to imitate or replace meat will be a lot more satisfying. Search for recipes that look delicious and happen to be vegetarian, rather than recipes that are specifically created as a vegetarian dish.

I'm surprised none of the comments so far have mentioned eggs. Eggs are perfect for this kind of cooking. You can put a poached or friend egg on top of almost anything and it starts to feel more like a meal. Try roasted sweet potatoes/ parsnips/ carrots/ beets on top of sauteed greens with an egg or two on top. Quiches and frittatas also make a satisfying meal, especially with some cheese mixed in and a side salad.

Indian food tends to have a lot of delicious and very satisfying meals that also happen to be vegetarian like aloo gobi, saag paneer and chana masala.

Since you both eat meat, you could also try using meat as a condiment rather than the primary dish to reduce your intake but still satisfy your boyfriend. Things like a quiche with a little ham or sausage thrown in or a pasta salad with some chopped bacon might work for both of you.

If all else fails, make a vegetarian dish for both of you, but fry up a sausage or heat up some frozen meatballs to go on top of your boyfriend's portion.

Here are some recipes that I particularly like:

http://www.themeaningofpie.com/2012/03/roasted-cauliflower-with-herb-sauce/

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/11/swiss-chard-and-sweet-potato-gratin/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/health/nutrition/30recipehealth.html?_r=0

I also make a lot of vegetarian pizza, using pre-made dough from the store, caramelized onions and whatever veggies i have on hand (often zucchini and mushrooms). I like to pile as many veggies as possible onto the pizza. Another favorite (and very transportable) meal is homemade vegetarian freezer burritos: 10 inch flour tortillas, rice, black beans, roasted veggies (sweet potatoes and onions are delicious), salsa and shredded cheese, wrap it all up in tin foil and stick it in the freezer.

I say go for comfort foods to start--mac and cheese, lasagna, pot pies, potatoes--where he may not notice the meat missing. Then start adding veggies and such to those recipes. Beans are also a good addition to foods, like chili. My now-husband was the same way. He didn't eat vegetables at all when we first started dating, and nine years later, he's a vegetarian too.

And @ccp mbd, i wouldn't say vegetarians have a "may way or the highway attitude"--if we don't believe in eating something, why should we cook it or provide it, especially if we're the primary cookers in the house? If someone asked you to cook something you didn't believe in eating, like horse, dog, cat, etc, you wouldn't want to do it either.

Actually, my advice would be the opposite of that given in the original post, which was veggie burgers & meatballs. My omnivorous husband likes faux meat less than other vegetarian dishes because they don't taste like the real thing. (The one super-processed exception to that: Morningstar "sausage" patties.") He will, however, happily eat almost any other well-prepared veg meal and I think the specific suggestions given here are great.

I will also mention that it can be helpful to develop a repertoire of dishes that work both ways. Say, enchiladas. It's not too hard to cook (or have him cook) a seasoned ground meat component that can go in half the enchiladas. There are a lot of dishes that can be adapted like that.

Totally off topic, but here's my feminist grouse of the day: How come it's always women (me included) fretting over how to feed their male SO's? My husband will happily take turns making dinner, but he does not worry about making something that I adore.

French onion soup isn't technically vegetarian with beef stock, but I made it for dinner last night and my boyfriend (also a big meat eater) found it very satisfying with the gratinee on top even though he was wary of my plan to just have soup for dinner.

Oh, and @ccp mbd, some vegetarians have that attitude, yes. So do some meat eaters. Some people have that attitude about things entirely unrelated to food. But I don't think it's fair to accuse the person who originally submitted the question of that attitude. First, she's not vegetarian, and second, she is actively trying to balance her and her partner's eating preferences. Sounds to me like she's being pretty reasonable and tolerant.

I have been meaning to try the Northstar veggie burgers for a while. Thanks for reposting. Meanwhile, my contribution, a fake meat chili made with Textured Vegetable or Soy Protein (TSP or TVP). Many people said they couldn't tell the difference from ground meat, which basically just says a lot about the ground meat we get. But this chili is great: http://alandivack.blogspot.com/2009/12/fake-meat-recipe-for-vegetarian-chili.html

I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat meat only a couple times a month. My boyfriend wasn't down at first, but since he's working full-time and in grad school, he didn't really have time to do anything about it. He is very opposed to eating meat replacements, so we eat a lot of beans and lentils (and vegetables, of course). Basically, I found ways to make his favorites meat-free and then progressed from there (lentils as an everyday thing didn't occur until very recently), slowly decreasing the amount of meat I was cooking. He loves pizza, so we have a different type of veggie pizza almost every week; peanut sauce is a good choice because the protein makes it more filling. Some of his other favorites are Gwyneth Paltrow's bean burgers, Dal Palak , falafel, veggie chili, any kind of veg soup, risotto, and bean burritos.

I'm sorry to be unoriginal but the picture says it all. Fake meat is the best way to go. Sadly most of them have wheat so I had to stop the diet when I discovered an allergy; but some are gluten free now. Try different brands, load them up with cheese and mustard. You'll hardly notice the difference.

Spices everywhere. Spécially paprika. The smoky taste makes the trick. I assume you cook for your boyfriend because you love it - and him, and i find it nice and sweet.

I stay away from fake meat. As an enthusiastic meat eater I know what fake meat tastes like and I just can't do it. That said, you can easily make vegetarian meals that have meat as an option. I make vegetarian cassoulet and for the meat eaters, I fry up some sausages and set it off to the side. Meat eaters can include it and vegetarians don't have to. If you are making a vegetable pot pie, as long as it's hearty and delicious, I'm sure the chicken won't be missed. Potato soups are great. Toss some scallions on top!

Try a great lentil loaf....this one is my favourite and I love her blog as well...

http://ohsheglows.com/2012/10/05/glazed-lentil-walnut-apple-loaf-revisited/

@ccp mbd She is cooking for him. If that is not a case for 'my way or the highway' then I don't know what is.

Pizza pizza pizza. I make a fabulous one with provolone, thinly sliced bosc pears, walnuts, & gorgonzola. Bake, & then you top it with spring greens with a light dressing made from Greek yogurt, garlic, & gorgonzola. Or stuffed mushrooms. Get some nice sized bellas, take out the stems & dice. Sautee with onions, garlic, sherry, whatever other seasonings you like. Mince up fine, mix with breadcrumbs, stuff back into the shrooms, top with parmesan & bake. Serve it over pasta with some alfredo sauce. Soo tasty. Also broccoli cheddar soup. There are a lot of Panera copycat recipes out there.

Incorporating mushrooms and nuts really "beef" up our savoury dishes; it has helped us transition to full-time plant eaters.

My 7-year-old daughter would still happily eat meat and cheese everyday (until she realizes how painfully constipated it makes her), so we've started occasionally using Gardein beefless ground in pasta sauce. The quality is superior to Yves and is basically undetectable as fake. Great with spaghetti and in her end of the lasagna. But it is a processed food so we use it sparingly.

After that, vegetarian chili with biscuits, veggie pot pies, mushroom stew with dumplings, hearty soups, curries with cauliflower/chickpeas and stir fries with veg/cashews or almonds.

I like to do a spaghetti sauce with chopped walnuts, lentils, dehydrated onions, nutritional yeast, and plenty of spices. The walnuts, lentils and onions give it a meaty texture, and the nutritional yeast makes it creamy and gives it a savory flavor.

Exactly. It's that "Yay, I got my way!" tone. I don't understand why so many people find it so difficult to not behave like judgmental jerks.

@button_whims - chicken, beef, pork, eggs, and potatoes are all paleo foods. Don't take it so literally

I can sympathize with you- my husband is also a committed carnivore. I've found that I can't just try to make a regular dish vegetarian- it just isn't satisfying enough. But I can try to find dishes that never had meat in the first place. My husband LOVES chiles rellenos:
http://hotspicyandskinny.com/2012/09/03/chiles-rellenos-with-cheese-and-mushrooms/

Or try chile verde burritos: http://hotspicyandskinny.com/2012/12/03/chile-verde-enchiladas-and-burritos/

The Kitchn just had a great post about homemade beans, check it out: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-beans-on-the-stove-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-182717

I can kinda' see the "my way..." attitude in the LW's comment about winning over her boyfriend which isn't an attitude that I've ever had. I say that because that comment was made directly after my comment so I wasn't sure if mine was included.

It's all about choice. My boyfriend had many choices. He could have cooked his own meals. He could have cooked meat and let me cook the rest of his meal. He could have gone out to eat. He could have dropped me like a hot rock. He chose to stay with me and eat the meals I cooked and to eat meat when he/we went out to eat. From the rest of the LW's letter, I'm getting she's in a similar situation.

But for sure I've gotten plenty of comments about being a dictatorial/judgmental vegetarian for not cooking meat for my husband or for people who accepted invitations to dinner *knowing* that I'm vegetarian. I'm not sure if that's "my way or the highway" thinking or if it's simply sexist. Maybe a bit of both.

I'd like to suggest Indian and Italian cuisine. I am a hard core meat eater but when I eat foods from those two cuisines I don't miss meat because of how heavy they tend to be. Also, eggplants, mushrooms, veggie pizzas...those would be great subsitutes for meat dishes. I just started cooking with paneer and I love it!

I do come across a lot of snobby vegetarians who think they are puritans for refusing to eat meat though. Good for them. I feel bad for them because they don't know what they're missing and that elitist attitude is annoying. That being said, the writer sounds very accomodating and thoughtful to want to cook for her bf :)

LW here! Thanks to everyone for the awesome suggestions, I'm looking forward to running some of them past the boyfriend in question to see what he'll be interested in trying out together.

One thing that didn't make it into the edited-for-site letter that seems to be an issue was that this is a fairly recent issue that's arisen! When my boyfriend and I were only seeing each other a few times a week I was able to adapt and skip the meat or make those some of my meat-eating occasions. I don't want to impose my eating standards over his, but since we're spending more time together and becoming part of each other's routines I do want to find workable solutions for things we can eat together that he will enjoy and will also allow me to abide by my personal food choices. Whether that's by adding meat to his portions or finding vegetarian recipes that he likes or any other means doesn't make a difference to me. As a few people have noted, I'm not really a vegetarian!

I think food is personal, which is why it's a loving act to cook something someone likes for them, so I want just as much to make things my boyfriend will really like as I want to share the things that I enjoy with him.

And, if it will help others with suggestions, I make exceptions for fish and will eat some maybe once a week in addition to other kinds of meat. As far as I can tell, Boyfriend is on board with fish, so that is one way we'll be able to work around. The only caveat is that we are both early-career professionals and quality fish can be expensive!

Depending on why a person is a vegetarian, preparing and cooking meat can be quite disgusting. I'm not really a vegetarian anymore, but I eat most of my meat meals in restaurants because a lot of meat looks like body parts. Or have names like "loin" or "shoulder" or "leg" and I can't deal with it in its raw form.

Before you declare I'm a wimp about blood, I need to tell you I'm a nurse and blood doesn't bother me at all. Just don't want it in my kitchen.

Anna K says:

"Totally off topic, but here's my feminist grouse of the day: How come it's always women (me included) fretting over how to feed their male SO's? My husband will happily take turns making dinner, but he does not worry about making something that I adore."

I would guess that there are significantly more female readers on this site than male readers. So, that would lead to significantly more female readers wanting to learn how to keep the male SO happy while also keeping themselves happy.

I am male and do 95% of the cooking for our family. I am not exaggerating. My wife has expressed interest in having more vegetarian meals, so I am learning to accommodate by paying special attention to veg-friendly recipes and ingredients in the store that I wouldn't have looked at earlier. (I never knew quinoa was so tasty. Heck, I never knew how to pronounce it! Now, I have to figure out a tasty meal to make with lentils...)

My point is, a lot of it could be demographics for this site. A quick scroll from your comment down shows a 6:1 ratio of females to males if one assumes names are attached to the "typical" gender of that name.

From personal experience, I can assure you there are guys out there that accommodate to what what girls want in their meals.

Cupofnimbus - I think you've hit on the important thing! Cooking is an act of love, and sharing something you've cooked with someone you love is one of life's greatest pleasures. I'm sure you'll work out a balance! It's not a feminist vegetarian issue - plenty of meat-eating men cook for vegetarian girlfriends, or meat eating women cook for vegetarian boyfriends, of any combination that you can come up with! You posed a very thoughtful and generous question, and I hope you come up with some good recipes along the way.

Eggs are always a good option, this smoky cauliflower frittata is hearty and filling, anf the smoky flavor gives that hint of meat flavors.

Oh and try these lentil garam masala burritos, very satisfying!

I've had a couple hits with meat eaters. I agree that trying to replace meat is usually a fail. A hearty veg dish stands on it's own. This one with egg can be made two ways http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2012/10/rice-with-delicata-squash-and-kale.html?m=0
The other one is bean based
http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2012/05/white-bean-cakes-topped-with-kale-and.html?m=0

I love making regular Non vegetarian dishes into ones without, that have found favor with the meat eaters. Here are some of them:

Vegan Sloppy Joes
Chinese Dan Dan Mian (spicy sichuan noodles)
"Chicken" drumsticks
Portuguese Caldo Verde Soup
Shepherd's Pie
"Meat"loaf
Tofu Turkey
Pot Pies

I make black bean enchiladas a lot when I want a meatless meal--although sometimes there are no beans in them. In the summer, I use grated zucchini, in the winter, sweet potato. Corn, tomatoes, shredded carrots, diced sweet peppers, diced onions. I never measure anymore--just fill my giant skillet. Spices: Paprika, cayenne, cumin. Sauce for on top: tomato sauce (I prefer stewed tomatoes) + cumin + cayenne + tomato paste. Cover with pepper jack or monterey jack.

I'm a vegan and my husband is omni, and one thing that works for us is adding good flavor. Capers, olives, liquid smoke, toasted sesame oil, and other strong flavor notes make a meal more satisfying. Also try heavier textures like potatoes, mushrooms, and squash.

Zaba, you're probably right about the demographics and thanks for pointing that out. Good on you for being so accommodating of your wife's preferences!

Not that you asked, but I recommend finding a lentil soup recipe that you love. It's versatile, tasty, healthy and super cheap (if you care about that sort of thing).

SEITAN!!!! I would eat seitan every god darn day if I could. It's super easy to make yourself too, the "Veggie Burgers Every Which Way" cookbook has a great recipe (and all the burgers in it are awesome too!).
Maybe tofu could be an option...as with most things it all depends on how you prepare it. If it's a texture problem for him, you can try double-freezing the 'fu to give it a "meatier" texture. Just pop the whole container in the freezer, let thaw in fridge then put back in freezer until you are going to thaw for use. You still have to squeeeeze it like mad but it helps. Also, coating the tofu in cornstarch and salt(or flour+cornflour) and frying it in a little oil is a great way to make tofu appealing to the masses.