I want to show you when you get home at night you can do more than speed dial an Italian or Chinese restaurant that delivers. It's also pretty cool to casually drop, "Hey, why not come over for dinner tonight? I'm cooking," on your girlfriend. That gets you major points!
Or whip up something better than a 12-pack from Taco Bell when the guys hang out for the game on Sunday. Oh sure, they'll kid you at first, but screw 'em, they won't for long...
My son and daughter have these recipes at college, too, and prepare them regularly.
I'm here to share basically foolproof one dish meals. One a month. That's not to say some fool out there who's more clever than me won't mess up, but here's hoping.
(Caveat: These are not my recipes, they're ones I've amassed over time. As far as I know they're not copyright'able. If I know where they came from I'll always try to give a nod to the person or company. If it's a pretty specific recipe, and you're sure it came from your kitchen and yours alone, drop me a line and I'll give you a shout out).
And if any of you would like to contribute your own one-dish recipe I'll be glad to post it in your name. The object is not to hog the site, but to contribute to mankind's (okay, womankind's, too!) dominion over the kitchen.
First, a few basics. You should have these in your cupboards, if for nothing more than to look cool when your mom comes over. You can casually drop, "A glass? Why yes, it's right next to the crock pot."
Small crock pot
8X8 glass baking dish
9X13 glass baking dish
Small & medium-sized pots with lids
Medium and large pans, preferably with straight sides
Decent-sized mixing bowl (I prefer a 6/8 cup size with handle)
3-4 cup measuring glass
Plastic spatula & large serving spoon
Measuring spoons
It's also good to have a variety of Glad reusable plastic containers on hand, as well as various sized ZipLoc baggies, for leftovers and odds & ends.
You can get these things at the 99¢ Store, Target or Walmart, so don't kill yourself (and your wallet) in Bed, Bath & Beyond or Williams-Sonoma. At least not till you feel more comfortable in the kitchen.
That's it, beside the usually cutlery and dishes, which I'm too embarrassed to inform you you should already have, no matter how big a slob you are. But I'll let you in on a little secret, unless your girlfriend's coming over, get yourself a big (100ea!) pack of 8-1/2" heavy-duty paper plates at Costco and eat off those. They last forever and cleanup is quick and simple after dinner. I have friends who use nothing but their heavy-duty plastic utensils, too, but I can't bring myself to go that far.
Next, a list of basic food items you should always have on hand:
Chicken (I prefer thighs -- the meat's more tender and juicy)
Costco sells them a perforated 6-pack, about 5 thighs per pack, for easy freezing
Pork chops
You'll need to separate these yourself into baggies and freeze
Hamburger
Comes in 6-pound chunks; divide and freeze @ about 1lb+ each
Mexican-style grated cheese
Mushroom soup (5-6 cans in the cupboard at all times won't hurt)
Butter
Cooking oil (I prefer corn or canola)
I buy all of the above at Costco, but you can get similar at Walmart or Super Target.
There will also be other ingredients, and some spices, on a per recipe basis, but not a lot. I know shopping is a pain in the a**, but you can do it in about a half day and it'll last you weeks, so suck it up. Here's what you do: Make your list, start at the 99¢ Store or Dollar Tree and pick up most everything you need in cans and boxes; move on to your local grocery store for specialty items the 99¢ Store doesn't carry; finally, Costco, Super Target or Walmart for the bigger items. That's how you save money and keep organized.
Whatever possible, buy generic. This isn't Top Chef -- it's I'm Sick Of Delivery! I defy anyone but Tom Collichio to tell the difference between homemade mushroom soup and what's at the 99¢ Store.
Okay, ready for your first recipe? Here goes:
BACHELOR (and Bachelorette) CHICKEN
(compliments of my mom and Campbell's Soup)
Ingredients:
1 pack chicken thighs (4 - 5 pieces, washed)
1 box Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice
Butter
1 can mushroom soup
Aluminum foil (I like the heavy duty kind)
Cooking Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°
Pour rice into 8X8 baking dish; set flavor packet aside
Melt appx 2 tbsp butter and moisten rice (I use a fork to stir it around, then level out)
Empty flavor packet into mixing bowl; add 1 can mushroom soup and 1 soup can of
water; blend
Space chicken evenly on the rice, pour mushroom soup/flavor mix all over it
Seal dish with aluminum foil and bake for one hour
That's it! I love this recipe as it gives you a protein (chicken) and carb (rice) all in one meal. I also usually keep a large bag of frozen corn or green beans on hand and nuke a little for a vegetable. My go-to accessory is garlic bread. Costco, Walmart or Target have pretty good stuff, but you'll need to add a cookie sheet to the list.
Try it and let me know. If a lot of people are coming over double the ingredients and use the 9X13 baking dish.
More next month!
I go one step further and toss in chopped frozen broccoli or green beans or a can of the French style green beans. Then you're even getting your veggies in one dish.
ReplyDeleteCasseroles. Yuk. My wife made those at the beginning of our marriage. then I took over cooking. 26 years later...casseroles once a month - maybe!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, tho.
And...forget the small crock pot. Get a decent sized one.
You forgot to mention the George Foreman Grill.
I'm going to send you a recipe that I haven't used for years and isn't written down so you can try it. If I remember it right and you don't die, you can share it with others! If you do die, let me know and I'll only share it with select others.
ReplyDelete