Leave it to Nichole over at AllRecipes to come up with The Best collection of Easy Dinners. She provides the tips and tricks you need to learn the basic tools to cook without a recipe.
Don’t panic! It is easier than you think. Check it out:
Once you are comfortable with these easy dinners you can create all kinds of meals.
Which are your favorites?
Frankly, I don’t know of anyone who does not love bacon. Good bacon, that is. The one that is Just Right.
AllRecipes.com have done some research on the topic and while I generally subscribe to their suggestions, I use my broiler pan rather than a baking sheet. I spray both pieces with cooking spray to make clean up easier and then put the bacon on the rack, tuck it into the oven and impatiently wait. 😀 You could line the bottom pan with foil for easy clean up but if you are keeping the bacon fat in the fridge, foregoing the foil just makes it a bit easier.
Note: Some brands of bacon have a LOT of fat while others have very little.
Keep in mind that you could tuck in some tater tots or hash browns while the bacon cooks.
I have not gotten to the place where I freeze left over bacon because, well, there usually isn’t any. I might let it cool, blot it a bit and they layer between sheets of parchment paper cut to size for a gallon sized zip lock freezer bag. Freeze it flat and then, once frozen, I could stand it up beside my rack of veg to save space.
All in all, bacon cooking in the oven is a simple process. If you have not already done so, give it a try.
There are some convenience foods that I don’t use as much as I might because, honestly, I make a better product from scratch. I’m referring to using the product for what it was designed: biscuits, cake mixes, cookie mixes, and similar.
That being said, because of the way boxed mixes are constructed, they can be used instead of having a long list of ingredients always on hand all the time.
I am a HUGE fan of Bisquick because it makes a lot of different things quick and easy. Owning 8+ cookbooks dedicated to the product gives me a lot more versatility than just biscuits, pancakes, waffles and such.
Cake mixes, refrigerated biscuits and crescent rolls, pie crusts, and such are a great beginning for both new and experienced cooks. The newbies are pretty much guaranteed to get a good result while the more experienced cooks will see potential in trying something a little out of the ordinary – which is pretty much where all those recipes in the cookbooks came from. 😀
I am enjoying Nichole over at AllRecipes.com on YouTube stretch the envelope using these convenience items. Check out the YouTube channel by clicking HERE.
She has come up with a variety of uses for mixes in addition to creating new dips and appetizers along with some rather amazing holiday menus.
The videos are not only entertaining but thought provoking, too. And if you want the recipe, the link is in the description box below the video.
She recently tackled cake mixes and my mind was blown. I don’t know about your area but in my local stores the mixes usually start at $1.50 and go up. Since you don’t need an expensive mix to create these delights, they are a budget friendly way to play with your food. (And we like that around here!)
Now, for the slightly other side of the convenience coin. Mixes have their place and some are quite good while others…need help. America’s Test Kitchen has done some rather interesting, not to mention extensive, testing on a variety of convenience foods, including cake mixes. Click on the link to their YouTube Channel HERE. The results are interesting and a bit thought provoking.
Remember when I said that I could make some things better than a mix? To me a scratch cake is a true delight and not difficult. I’ve been making them for decades. If you follow the guidelines (room temp ingredients, preheated oven, pretreated pan…) you should get good results, too.
The difference could be that the items on the grocer’s shelves are new/fresher than what might be in your pantry. Baking powder and baking soda not working? How old are the containers? Spices not tasting quite right? Again, how old are those containers?
At the end of the day, the quality of anything coming out of your kitchen is based on the quality of the ingredients you use.
Check out the links, prepare to get your mind blown a bit, too. Then, grab those recipes and see what magic comes out of your kitchen!
Happy baking!
After far too many checks of the pantry and freezer, perusals of meal plans and browsing for ideas for the Holiday Meal(s), I decided I really did not want to cook.
When the pork roast you love isn’t enticing. The ham or turkey just isn’t inspiring. The favorite casserole just isn’t interesting. Time for a shift. Time for a Nosher’s Run!
I’m not exactly sure where the name came from but what we have in our home has been referred to as a nosher’s run for decades. It could be an odd version of a tailgate party or a picnic. Basically, a nosher’s run is a collection of mostly finger foods that you nosh on over time. Think an old fashioned hors d’oeuvres party.
The menu is wide open. You can collect the things you are interested in. They might be home made or from the local deli or specialty counter not to mention the freezer section of your favorite store. It is up to you.
I started gathering things a while back with some vague idea of what I had in mind. Here are some of the things I’m considering.
The sky might be the limit. Or, more likely, what you are inclined to make yourself along with finding in your local shops.
The best thing about a menu like this is that it changes, in some way or other, every time you do it.
So if you really are not in the mood for a huge holiday meal, why not try a nosher’s run instead?
Wartime rationing required a lot of ingenuity to create meals on limited pantry items. Housewives of the time developed meals that might not be ‘gourmet’ but were tasty and filling and fit within the rationing.
Real Vintage Dolls House posted a 1940s Christmas Dinner video several months ago that turned out better than Hannah or many of her viewers thought it would.
I have to say I am curious. As one who is not a huge turkey eater, not to mention I love stuffing, this alternative has all the ingredients to make a nice change of pace. And did we mention how budget friendly it is?
If you are looking for a recipe, I found THIS one over on Celebrations In Wartime. It sounds like the one Hannah made.
As for the carrot fudge… I’ll pass. But those roasted spuds I will have to try.
What do you think? Are you curious enough to give it a try?
If there is one food in particular that most folks seem to love, it is pizza. In pretty much every shape and style, with a variety of toppings added or left off, pizza brings out the enthusiastic youngster in all of its fans.
Some folks find their favorite and stick with it. Others find one or two varieties for those times when a little change feels just right. There are those who love to make theirs from scratch and those who cringe at the very thought of attempting it.
Me? I’ve found a few frozen varieties I enjoy. There are a couple of local pizza houses in the area that make the most amazing pies ever. And I’ve been known to make my own crust, collect my favorite bits and bobs to put on top and enjoy.
AllRecipes.com recently posted how 4 chefs handled frozen pizza pies. I have to admit I am curious. Check it out by clicking HERE.
When I bought my stove about 10 years ago there was more than a few chuckles at the little ‘extras’. In addition to a special button for chicken nuggets, there was 2 – yes 2 – settings for pizza. One for frozen and the other for fresh. They all worked but it still felt a bit silly. <shrug>
If you love a good pizza, this article might improve your at home experience.
Enjoy!
Over the years I have made Hobo Stew a variety of ways. The recipe initially came via the local newspaper and was made with ground beef, dried onion soup mix, a can of kidney beans that were drained and a few potatoes that might, or might not have been peeled. It was tucked into the oven to cook for about an hour but I managed to tuck mine into the slow cooker. Same basic result, BTW.
The other day I was rootling around my pantry and found a can of French Onion soup and a can of cream of soup. I had a bag of meatballs in the freezer that came with the <cough> intention of some other recipe.
As I pulled all these out of the pantry and grabbed my slow cooker, I realized that, if this worked, it would be the fastest version of Hobo Stew I had ever made.
Did it work?
Yep!
You can ad veg to yours as well. I’m thinking corn and maybe some green beans (frozen not canned).
This is a no brainer of a recipe and totally customizable. Glen does it again!
I love his What’s On Sale At The Market videos!
For those who don’t know, this is where you create something based on what is on sale at the market. In this case Glen has created a soup recipe based on what was on sale and what was in his pantry.
It is totally customizable.
I know, this can be scary for some folks but the truth is, you just pull together your favorite flavors and foods. You’d do that anyway, right? This time you build something out of your Favorites List.
So, get out there and play with your food!
I won’t lie, once the weather cooled off and Fall was in the air, I started thinking about soup. I even indulged in some rather pricey for what I got supermarket versions…
Then I happened across THIS article in a recent Taste of Home entry. Now it seems I have an excess of choices!
What would you choose?
Recently Stacey’s Simple Meals did a video on cooking breakfast in the rice cooker. Check it out:
Now, I’ve been experimenting a bit with mine but hadn’t moved into this territory. The hard boiled eggs could be a game changer but so, too, are the rest of the recipes.
And, my rice cooker is a smaller version of a slow cooker, so I can take advantage of Stacey’s smaller slow cooker recipes.
Oh, boy!
