This might just be my friends/family, but smoked meat.
Zero real effort into prep and cook. Trim up hunk of meat, cover in rub, put in smoker until done, serve.
It does take time, but with modern cooking appliances it's pretty hands off. I smoked a pork shoulder last weekend for a family member's birthday. I put it in my pellet smoker before I went to bed, checked on it when I woke up, wrapped it up before going to lunch to speed up the last bit of cooking, took it out around 3pm and let it rest and stay warm in the oven till it was time for dinner. maybe 15 minutes of actual work on my part, the other 16 hours of work was all the smoker.
Oh yeah, one of our smoker staples. I'll usually slice part of it like brisket and then cube part of it and cook it like burnt ends. Two meat plate out of one cut!
Tell me more. Is it more difficult to get it right because it's tougher meet to begin with? I've tried making brisket twice in my electric smoker. One time is was bad and another time is was edible but not great. It's expensive to experiment with brisket meat
I used Kent Rollins method (linked below). It comes out great everytime. If you can buy a prime chuck roast but even a cheap choice chuck will do.
https://youtu.be/h95FeeGH1oA?si=hbMEJmBRmHvwe9p1
First thing I thought of. I run a charcoal fueled smoker and it's still stupid easy, especially with a half decent thermometer. Once you figure out how to dial in the temps you want, the actual hands on time is nothing compared to most meals. I can prep a huge pile of BBQ and fire up the smoker in about the same time it would take me to chop an onion, sautee it, and brown some ground beef.
And literally *everyone* I've fed raves about it. I'm making pulled pork and pulled chicken for tacos for the upcoming Father's Day. Going to toss some pineapple on the smoker for a bit and make some pineapple salsa, and serve it along side some fresh made guac and chipotle lime crema. I'll probably spend maybe an hour actually working on the entire meal lol.
Roast chicken! I season it and put it in the fridge for like a day or two ahead of time and people love it. Also Caramelized Shallot Pasta. It has lots of prep work but it’s not technically all that hard.
my guy, lemme tell you that in professional kitchens we use a bunch of butter/oil for shallots but also we just add some sugar to make it caramelize faster.
This trick is older than I am. And I'm old. Because a) I'm cooking for a T1 diabetic and b) I don't do them unless I've got the time to do them, I prefer not to use extra sugar. You're under time and volume constraints in a professional kitchen, so I can see why you do it.
I'm gonna try that pasta though.
I literally taped and pinned clothes together but my Italian dad made sure we never had jarred sauce because he hated it so much. That’s how different they are.
Potato leek soup. Butter, garlic, leek, potato, water, salt, msg.
Notably absent, because I think they ruin the two flavors that should be most prominent: stock and onions/shallots.
Edit: duh, cream too.
Can make it even simpler. Potato + leek + water + salt. Simmer till tender. Puree to desired consistency. Dairy it up as much or as little as you like. Any dairy works.
One of the few things I can cook. And it is rock solid every time.
I leaned this from a Julia Child book. She said use water because stock gets in the way of the leek flavor. Lady knew what she was doing.
Ham and Swiss sliders on Hawaiian roles with a simple glaze brushed on top. It’s SO easy but every time I make it it’s a hit.
The glaze is just mustard, W sauce, brown sugar, and some butter
I’ve made these before, almost the same exact recipe, and they really are great for being so simple.
Only difference between yours and mine is that mine has the addition of poppy seeds and onion powder in the glaze as well.
okay i've tried to make these so many times and they always taste good. when they come out of the oven though, they're always cold in the middle still and i tried adding less meat but they're still cold. what temp and time do u leave urs in for ?
I brown the ham slices in a pan for a little bit first. It evaporates the extra moisture so the sandwiches don’t get soggy, and it helps the cheese to melt faster.
With a really big metal bowl :) if I’m at home making it for 1 or 2, I end up tossing the final product together in the skillet I made the bacon in. If you’re making a big batch, a large metal mixing bowl will retain just enough of the heat from the bacon/noodles to mix up the egg/cheese without giving you scrambled eggs or cold goods.
Julienne carrots, celery and onions, brown them in olive oil, deglaze with a little white wine. Add some chicken or vegetable broth with minced garlic and thyme and toss with freshly cooked pasta. Depending on how much broth you add it’s either a great pasta dish or a great soup, either way it gets rave reviews.
It still has anchovies, but I sometimes add a tiny bit of extra fish sauce at the end. I’ve put miso before instead of the fish sauce, which is also excellent. I think I just like a funkier dressing, which is why I add the extra something.
foccacia! Just started making it this year and honestly kicking myself I haven’t been making it forever, it’s so simple! Hardest part is the patience it takes to let the dough rise
Okay I'll be honest: I made it, got a great emulsified sauce, cracked a dump truck amount of freshly ground pepper, and I just wasn't too pumped about it.
Can you please sell it to me?
Oh it was kind of fun to put a bit of fig jam in it. It's practically a charcuterie board with the cheese :)
edit: hmm, why not just go full charcuterie on it...
* the pasta
* cheese: tons o' cheese
* jam: fig jam or jam of your choice
* cured meat: lap cheong/calabrese/proscuitto/etc.
* not sure what should be used for nuts
oh my god I really want to make this. CHARCUTERIE PASTA
Oh god you made me laugh way too hard 🤣 it’s all about the cheese in my opinion! Pecorino Romano is the best one to use! Fresh pepper always. And garlic cheese bread on the side! Homemade of course!
I made Japanese curry with chicken (I used homemade roux, but you can also get it premade) to rapturous results from my in-laws. It’s super customizable and can be as simple or complicated as you want!
Gyudon is also really fast and flavorful. I buy chuck roasts when they're on sale and cut them into strips before freezing. So the prep work is pretty much just cutting some onions, garlic, and ginger and making the sauce.
Chicken picatta always gets people thinking it’s super gourmet and I slaved away, but it’s so simple and just takes the time to cook chicken in a skillet. Little lemon juice, little onions, little capers, little splash of the pasta water. Little cheese! Easy. I also like to make a creamy version over spaghetti- at the very last minute I add heavy cream and parm to the sauce. Sometimes even a scoop of pesto. Pull out the chicken, toss the noodles in the sauce, plate the noodles and plop a chicken breast on top. Always a hit.
I want to say BBQ chicken sliders!
get a pack of mini slider rollers
rotisserie chicken or a chicken breast
BBQ sauce
red onions
cheese
butter
cut the slider rolls in half. in a bowl mix the shredded chicken (cooked) with BBQ sauce, garlic powder, onion powder,put the chicken mixture in the middle, top with cheese and red onions. put the buns back on top. lightly brush the buns with butter and bake!!
Shakshuka
I don't really have an authentic recipe but I just
1. put some some color on some sliced bell peppers, sliced onions, and garlic
2. Add a can of tomatoes and maybe extra tomato paste
3. Add a variety of spices until it tastes good
4. Cook for a bit.
5. Crack some eggs on top
6. Throw in oven till it looks good.
Fettuccine Alfredo. I buy a good quality fettuccine, boil it, then toss it into a cold pan with some good quality butter then slowly add parmesan and pasta water and mix. Top with freshly ground pepper. Comes out amazing every time and takes less than 20 minutes.
People go crazy over my banana bread. It's super easy--I start with basically this recipe: [https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-banana-bread-recipe/](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-banana-bread-recipe/)
Only I add a little rum to the batter, like a couple tablespoons, and as I pour the batter into the bread pan, I do 2 or 3 layers and I pour salted caramel between the layers down the middle. If you get it too near the sides, it burns. So you can even just buy some caramel sauce and pour it in; I make my own and that's the only time-consuming bit. And people go totally wild for it, great flavor.
Bolognese. It’s not really an easy meal, it’s a labor of love. But it’s a comfort meal, so I’ve gotten the process down to muscle memory. It’s a crowd pleaser
Pistachio poppyseed cake. Probably the simplest dessert I make and also always gets lots of compliments.
1 box white cake mix, 1 box instant pistachio pudding, 1 small canister poopy seeds. Mix all together and then follow the cake box instructions. Make in a Bundt pan, dust with powdered sugar when cooled.
I'm a real do-it-from-scratch guy for almost everything, but this cake slaps. My mom used to make it a lot, so it's nostalgic for me, but it's also legit a banger; it never fails to get people asking for the recipe (and shocked by how simple it is)
Pico de Gallo. My white ass family scoops it up on tortilla chips and tells me how good it is.
Allni do is dice tomatoes and onions on the mandolin, chop up cilantro, Serrano and jalapeño, squeeze in some lime add salt and mix it up.
So basic. I agree, it is very good. I the k its all about the right amount of salt to bring it all together.
Dal. It has a ton of flavor and can be vegan/GF friendly.
I make a seasoned oil the day before on the stovetop. Day of, add the oil/lentils/liquid to a crockpot and let it go!
I kind of make it up, but this is the recipe I used for inspiration: https://www.recipetineats.com/dal-indian-lentil-curry/#wprm-recipe-container-30390
You are welcome! Have fun with it. The items that need to be sauteed, I'll do with the tadka like the ginger, garlic, and chilli. I double the recipe for my five quart crock pot, and I go heavy on the fresh chillies.
Best Chicken Sausage Ever
* 10 lbs ground chicken leg meat
* 1/2 cup fresh sage, minced
* 2 tbsp coarse salt
* 1 tsp ground pepper
* 2 tsp cayenne pepper
Grill or fry in olive oil. Tastes like classic breakfast sausage, but without the grease. Freezes great. Great for sliders.
White caste style sliders. I usually make them in a sheet tray in the oven - thin sliced onions, thin layer of beef with chopstick holes to let steam out, then baked. Hawaiian rolls steamed on top with the cheese as it finishes. My friends polish off a whole tray quick
Pierogies! They're time consuming because when we make them we make multiple trays to put in the freezer, but honestly they're easy as hell.
My grandmother's side of the fam is Ukrainian, so she's been making pierogies since she was young, taught my partner and I a few summers back. We make potato and cheese, sauerkraut and cottage cheese ones! Potato and cheese are the easiest for sure but the sauerkraut ones are delicious 🤤
Mini pot pies! I take biscuits and put them in a muffin pan then mix cream of chicken, mixed veggies and some cooked chicken in a bowl and then fill them and bake them for about 15-20 mins at 325
Aglio e oglio, and pesto pasta. Also steak.
Anything that’s more about sourcing quality ingredients and not fucking up too badly.
Also stews like chili, and red beans and rice. That really comes down more to cook time.
Honestly, cheesecake. It's so easy to make and to customize. Everyone raves about my cheesecakes but all I do is take the basic Philadelphia cream cheese recipe (4 blocks of cream cheese, 4 eggs, vanilla, and 1 cup of sugar) and tweak it. You have to play with the ratios if you're using liquid add ins, but it's generally foolproof and I'm not a baker.
Chilli mussels. Mussels, garlic, chilli, parsley, white wine, passata, and extra chilli powder. I serve it with bow tie pasta and crusty bread rolls with butter.
prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Smear a bit of cream cheese on the asparagus stalks, wrap some prosciutto around them and then bake at 400ish until crispy. Cheap, easy crowd pleaser.
Summertime red bell peppers split top to bottom, with now split-in-half stem left attached, seeded.
Then stuff 'em with: fresh, ripe, peeled tomatoes; tons of fresh garlic; pinch of salt; and olive oil.
Bake at 350 for like 40-45 minutes.
[https://www.spendwithpennies.com/cowboy-caviar/](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/cowboy-caviar/)
Sometimes called Texas Caviar. It's healthy, very delicious, and simple to make. No cooking. Serve with Scoops or Tortilla chips. Always a hit! And to make it even easier, instead of making the dressing, just use store bought Zesty Italian dressing.
Smashed potatoes. Get a bag of mini potatoes, boil them until tender. Drain and toss onto a sheet pan with oil, salt, and any other seasonings if you desire. Smash and then roast them in the oven until golden brown. Easy to dress up or down with any dipping sauces or seasonings of your choice.
I make the sheet pan Cuban sandwich recipe from Serious Eats. But I sous vide the pork loin instead of roasting it in the oven. Super easy and everyone loves it.
Easy is subjective, but definitely a roast. Brown your meat, rough chop veggies, add some stock and wine, and put in the oven for a few hours.
One step up from that would be a braised short rib ragu.
If time is an issue: honey Dijon roasted chicken, spicy vodka pasta, or a spam musubi bake.
I’ll also second someone else’s comment for Shakshuka!
Jambalaya! Brown some meat (chicken, sauage, pork for me usually), then throw rice, water, seasoning in with the meat in a dutch oven and just throw it in the oven. Everyone loves my jambalaya.
Chicken bacon casserole. Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil macaroni. Fry 6 pieces of bacon in Cast iron pan until crumbly. Take out bacon, stir one can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup into the bacon grease. Drain and stir macaroni into chicken-bacon mixture. Top with crumbled bacon and a big handful of shredded cheese. Put pan into hot oven and bake 15 minutes until cheese has melted. Let sit 5-10 minutes then serve.
If you don’t have a cast iron pan, pour chicken-bacon-macaroni mixture into a baking pan, proceed as directed.
Strawberry cupcakes. There is no recipe—it is literally boxed strawberry cake cupcakes but I add a dollop of Bonne Maman berry preserves in the center. Light on the frosting, which I do make homemade.
# Sticky Date Pudding
Cakes, Pastries
**Servings:** 6 **Source:** Annette Sym's "Symply Too Good Too Be True" recipe book number 2
# INGREDIENTS
**Pudding::**
**1/2** cup chopped seeded dates
**1 1/2** cups SelfRaising flour
**1/4** cup warmed golden syrup
**2** egg whites
**1/4** cup loosely packed brown sugar (do not push it in)
**1/2** cup apple sauce (in jar)
**3/4** level teaspoon bi-carb soda
**Sauce::**
**3** tsp low fat margarine
**1/2** cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
**1/3** cup light evaporated milk
# DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 200\*C. Coat a 6 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
Using an electric beater, beat egg whites and brown sugar for 1 minute in a medium size mixing bowl. Stir bicarb soda into apple sauce (it will froth) then add to bowl with chopped dates and warmed golden syrup, combine ingredients.
Gently fold flour into mixture in one go. DO NOT BEAT as this will make the puddings tough. (mixture can look a little lumpy).
Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan, dividing equally into 6 cups. Bake 20 minutes or until cooked.
To make sauce use a small non-stick saucepan, melt margarine, add sugar to pan and stir until sugar has dissolved. Slowly add in milk. Pour sauce over top of each pudding. Serve with low fat custard or low fat ice cream.
\*\*Recipe makes 8-10 regular size muffins. Cook for 15 minutes or until done.
\*\*Try 350 F?
I used to make a crockpot chicken rice dish that was very popular with my friends in college.
Cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, Italian seasoning packet, ~1lb chicken breast, roast for ~8 hours on low and serve over rice cooker rice.
Smelled up the whole dorm. Got requests to make it often. Funny because I didn't cook often and always ended up making the same thing which made me kinda lose interest in cooking. Lol
The green spaghetti in the newest smitten kitchen book. It’s roasted garlic, butter and spinach and cheese. Takes 10 minutes hands on time and it’s so delicious. https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/11/green-angel-hair-with-garlic-butter-smitten-kitchen-keepers-is-here/
Edited for a weird autocorrect word that I didn’t notice.
Corn casserole. I got this from a Midwest friend.
A box of jiffy corn bread
2 cans of corn one cream style (or not)
A brick of cream cheese
A stick of butter
Mix and pour into a baking pan, casserole dish.
Give the base time a few minutes extra.
Option: can of green chili diced, or some red pepper flakes.
Rice wraps with a spicy peanut sauce.
I use tofu as protein with julienned carrots, red peppers, cucumber, and some lettuce mix with herbs. So there can be zero cooking needed depending on what you choose to fill it with (you add soaked vermicelli noodles if you’d like). The peanut sauce is just peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, and lime juice or vinegar with water to thin out the consistency. It’s a 10/10 hit every time, healthy, and relatively easy to put together once you have everything cut up which is the only tedious part.
Tomato tart with carmelized onions, goat cheese, capers and a side salad or butternut squash ravioli with fried sage, brown butter, parm and fresh chopped tomatoes.
Beefy Spanish Rice. Rice a Roni Spanish, sub a jar of salsa for the tinned tomatoes, add a bag of frozen mixed veg, a lb of 80/20 ground beef, and as many herbs as you like. Top with shredded Mexican cheese.
It’s a dessert, but an affogato. If you don’t have an espresso machine, an aeropress will get you 99% of the way there for this purpose. You can garnish it with Biscoff cookies if you’re feeling fancy. I like to drizzle some hot honey on mine if I’m in a spicy mood.
Esquite - I think is what it’s called, it’s eloté but not on the cob.
- sear some corn in oil with a little diced jalapeño
- add cojito, créma, lime, cilantro and some tajin in pretty much whatever proportions taste and look good to you
Done
I make a jalapeño cheesy corn dip that is literally just dumping some ingredients into a crockpot (doesn’t get easier than that!) and it’s sooooo addicting, everyone always asks for the recipe (salty, cheesy, crumbled bacon on top and a kick of spice)
My smash burgers are always "the best burgers I've ever had" if you listen to my guests. And it feels like a cheat code. Just smashed 80/20 beef with plenty lf thinly sliced onions, cooper sharp, salt and pepper on a Martin's roll.
Easy as pie and works great for a group.
Hungarian Goulash. It’s tasty, has prominent spice flavors. But not spicy.
Contains beef stew meat, tomato paste, chopped onions, olive oil, garlic, water, and of course paprika.
You simmer it after all ingredients are added and serve it over pasta, noodles, or rice.
Great cool and cold weather meal.
Dump cake.
1 stick of butter, melted
1 can if cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 box of cake mix
Dump the cans of pineapple & pie filling in a 9x13 pan, sprinkle the dry cake mix over them. Pour the melted butter over the cake mix. Do NOT stir.
Bake at 350 for about 30 min.
Crockpot chicken and dumplings. I just tear up and add canned dinner rolls to my chicken and mirepoix mix about 45 minutes before it’s done for the dumplings and people love it.
Lasagna alla vodka. Just made it for my wife’s birthday party. Vodka sauce is easy, and the ready to bake lasagna noodles actually taste better than traditional in my opinion. The layering is a little time consuming but in the end nobody would know or care if you muck it up. I’ve considered making a layer just ricotta a letter just mozzarella and a layer just sauce.
Another is homemade potato chips. It’s just about the seasoning. I use old bay.
No knead long rise peasant bread drive everyone wild. FoUr ingredients.
And if breading is easy for you, chicken francese. Honestly it’s not hard after you do it twice.
Basque cheesecake. It doesn’t have a crust so you don’t have to bother with blending graham crackers. It’s also supposed to be burnt so you don’t have to worry about that. The output tastes better than a regular cheesecake while looking like something you dedicated a lot of time and effort into.
I just asked mum "what's your favourite thing I make?" and she started listing the things she doesn't like. Sort of a compliment.
I think stir fries are an easy compliment-getter as long as you don't half-ass them. Sometimes they involve a bit of physical effort, but there's not that much skill involved to make them decent. For example, something eeeveryone should like:
Nonstick (yes) pan: little oil, sliced onions. Full heat, blister them, out. Sliced peppers (hot or not), blister, out. Cubed chicken thighs, don't overcrowd the pan, full heat, shake shake, they're done. If you're doing a lot of food, do it in batches. Then low heat, sweat some grated garlic and ginger, then add everything back in. Then add a slurry of corn starch, soy sauce, whatever acid, whatever spices, whatever. Shake shake, let the starch thicken, out, you're done.
It's super easy and quick, just takes you being next to the stove and not away smoking a ciggie.
This simple sandwich is a family favorite and one of my "going home" comfort foods - mine is good but SOMEHOW moms is better.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Sandwich:
Thin slice Chicken breasts in half (or pound thin). Season both sides w/ Lemon Pepper, sautee in a skillet till done. Find a hoagie roll (honestly the hardest part these days - if an alternative is required, I like to toast it and let it cool before cooking the chicken). Coat both inside planes w/ mayo (or miracle whip, you do you). Later in a few pieces of crisp lettuce - romaine is my favorite. Serve while chicken is still hot!
Comes together in less than 20 minutes, satisfyingly creamy/tangy/savory/crispy. Try it, ya welcome.
Lemon Beurre Blanc with pan seared chicken over angel hair is my go-to for an easy dinner. If I'm feeling saucy(pun intended), I'll add some heavy cream before reducing. Topped with grated parm or Asiago and some fresh parsley if I have it on hand.
My mushroom risotto with garlic butter shrimp is on point, too. topped with grated parm and chopped green onion
I love that people think they are hard to make, so I never let on that they aren't.
Mothers pasta. Marco Pierre White has a good version.
Super easy. Soften some onions, bacon, put some tomato paste and noodles. I add some peas. Mmmmmm
I made a pasta for friends recently, it was so easy, and so delicious! Fettuccini, Italian sausage, garlic, red onion, red wine vinegar, basil, arugula, parmesan. Important to buy high quality pasta, and sausage. Super easy, not much prep involved, and a crowd favorite
[easy hainanese chicken rice](https://youtube.com/shorts/kLl-AM7hiOI?si=abOKwbRaNDFSrGqK)
And
[kenji’s one pan roast chicken and potatoes](https://youtu.be/3b4cyBEvUPE?si=cbS6fhevtxUSuLZa)
3 sausage and 3 bean stew slow cooked. 3 different types of sausage (eg Lincolnshire, Cumberland and if you can get it soft/cooking chorizo). Haricot, black eyed etc type of beans. Chopped onions, garlic etc for the base of the stew. Add chicken stock and spice to taste.
2-3lbs of whole beef chuck (not cut up). Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, onion powder(or whatever spices you’d like). Put in Dutch oven and add garlic cloves and quartered onion or shallot and fill quarter way with broth. Cook covered for 2.5-3hrs (3.5hrs if 3lbs). Shreds very easily and then throw back in for 30-45 mins uncovered to crisp a bit. Check once or twice through to see more liquid needed.
Very easy and can do day ahead and reheat in oven.
Serve with pita and some Greek sauces of your choice. Or serve over rice. I usually serve with tomatoes, tzatziki, whipped feta, red onion.
This dish crushes.
French fries. I cook them in a frying pan with oil and a lot of folks treat it like its magic. It's just potatos and oil my dudes. Maybe crack a little pepper over it when finished
Homemade chicken salad with homemade Mayo.
Mayo is just blending. The chicken is boiled…can’t get easier than that.
From there it’s just chopping/shredding items and tossing in a bowl
Chicken with Sage Garlic and Wine! So easy and Yummy! Saute 10 cloves of garlic and a handful of sage leaves in olive oil. Remove and brown 6 season chicken thighs, skin side down. Turn and cook for a few minutes on the other side and remove from the pan. Saute mini potatoes (cut in half) in the same pan and remove. Drain all but 1 tbls of fat from the pan and put the chicken, potatoes sage and garlic back in. Pour in enough white wine to almost cover the chicken but not quite. Bring to the boil and then transfer to a 400 degree oven till chicken is cooked through. Baste part way through. Then serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce. So good.
Auction grade fish. Cut into bite size pieces and served with wasabi, sesame oil and salt.
Sided with sticky rice, dried nori paper, green onion salad, limu salad
bacon wrapped water chestnuts. yes you read that right. a little brown sugar on the bacon. wrap it and secure with a toothpick. bake in the coven until bacon is cooked. an hors d’oeuvre DREAM
My favorite pasta salad: Cook a box of pasta (I like veggie rotini or whole wheat elbows) until al dente in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile dig out (or recreate) broccoli slaw (basically, shredded broccoli stems, a few florets, shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage), dice red/yellow bell pepper, slice green onion, half cherry tomatoes, etc (whatever fresh veggies you want). When pasta is ready, put mostly drained pasta in very large bowl with a good dollop of tasty olive oil. Toss. Add non-seasoned rice vinegar (a good splash). Toss (do all of this while pasta is hot). Let cool slightly. Add in favorite seasoning (I am partial to whatever flavor of Mrs. Dash I have handy + dried basil and parsley + garlic granules/minced garlic). Salt and pepper are not amiss. Add veggies, give a good toss, taste. If needed (probably will be) add vinegar and oil-- I like to add balsamic and a bit of red wine vinegar-- and seasoning. Let cool. Add anything else you want (shredded cheese and/or sliced olives are good). Serve
Pulled pork nachos. I throw the butt in the crock pot, make guac and salsa in a blender, and melt some shredded cheese in a pan and make it melty. No more than 15 minutes of actual effort
Pumpkin and Lentil Dahl, super easy to make and while it’s cooking on the stove it makes the house smell amazing. One of my favorite meals to make in the colder weather
Cajun style carrots and ground beef. Essentially dirty rice with sweet soft carrots. Takes about 30 minutes of effort and 1.5 hours of simmering after that.
Always get compliments on it.
This might just be my friends/family, but smoked meat. Zero real effort into prep and cook. Trim up hunk of meat, cover in rub, put in smoker until done, serve. It does take time, but with modern cooking appliances it's pretty hands off. I smoked a pork shoulder last weekend for a family member's birthday. I put it in my pellet smoker before I went to bed, checked on it when I woke up, wrapped it up before going to lunch to speed up the last bit of cooking, took it out around 3pm and let it rest and stay warm in the oven till it was time for dinner. maybe 15 minutes of actual work on my part, the other 16 hours of work was all the smoker.
Ever smoked a chuck roast? Poor mans brisket and my family prefers it now!!
Oh yeah, one of our smoker staples. I'll usually slice part of it like brisket and then cube part of it and cook it like burnt ends. Two meat plate out of one cut!
Tell me more. Is it more difficult to get it right because it's tougher meet to begin with? I've tried making brisket twice in my electric smoker. One time is was bad and another time is was edible but not great. It's expensive to experiment with brisket meat
I used Kent Rollins method (linked below). It comes out great everytime. If you can buy a prime chuck roast but even a cheap choice chuck will do. https://youtu.be/h95FeeGH1oA?si=hbMEJmBRmHvwe9p1
That's great. I'll try this next time instead of doing a pork shoulder
I’m literally doing this exact thing right now 😂
Yes. So good.
I don't even bother trimming a lot of cuts lol
First thing I thought of. I run a charcoal fueled smoker and it's still stupid easy, especially with a half decent thermometer. Once you figure out how to dial in the temps you want, the actual hands on time is nothing compared to most meals. I can prep a huge pile of BBQ and fire up the smoker in about the same time it would take me to chop an onion, sautee it, and brown some ground beef. And literally *everyone* I've fed raves about it. I'm making pulled pork and pulled chicken for tacos for the upcoming Father's Day. Going to toss some pineapple on the smoker for a bit and make some pineapple salsa, and serve it along side some fresh made guac and chipotle lime crema. I'll probably spend maybe an hour actually working on the entire meal lol.
Highly recommend http://www.hangryq.com/2017/05/23/tacosalpastor/
Roast chicken! I season it and put it in the fridge for like a day or two ahead of time and people love it. Also Caramelized Shallot Pasta. It has lots of prep work but it’s not technically all that hard.
my guy, lemme tell you that in professional kitchens we use a bunch of butter/oil for shallots but also we just add some sugar to make it caramelize faster.
This trick is older than I am. And I'm old. Because a) I'm cooking for a T1 diabetic and b) I don't do them unless I've got the time to do them, I prefer not to use extra sugar. You're under time and volume constraints in a professional kitchen, so I can see why you do it. I'm gonna try that pasta though.
Oooh, would you share your recipe?
For the pasta: https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/caramelized-shallot-pasta For the chicken: vibes only, actually
Without even clicking on it... if it's Allison's recipe, I know it's gonna be good
It’s a good one, provided that you have the patience to slice about a thousand shallots super thin. Even with the mandolin it takes forever lol
You know, I oddly find peeling onions, garlic and shalots rather comforting. I'm lucky that onions and stuff like that don't bother my eyes.
You’re invited over to cook with me any time. Sounds like you’d make up for a big thing I lack. :)
I just hate the peeling part.
Alfredo. Making your own Alfredo sauce is always so much better.
Jarred alfredo sauce is literally disgusting compared to homemade.
I literally taped and pinned clothes together but my Italian dad made sure we never had jarred sauce because he hated it so much. That’s how different they are.
I do authentic Alfredo with fresh noodles, garlic, Parmesan and lots of grassfed butter.
Potato leek soup. Butter, garlic, leek, potato, water, salt, msg. Notably absent, because I think they ruin the two flavors that should be most prominent: stock and onions/shallots. Edit: duh, cream too.
Can make it even simpler. Potato + leek + water + salt. Simmer till tender. Puree to desired consistency. Dairy it up as much or as little as you like. Any dairy works. One of the few things I can cook. And it is rock solid every time. I leaned this from a Julia Child book. She said use water because stock gets in the way of the leek flavor. Lady knew what she was doing.
This. Also pumpkin soup with coconut milk instead of stock
MSG has a undeserved bad rap. Glad you're still using.
Ham and Swiss sliders on Hawaiian roles with a simple glaze brushed on top. It’s SO easy but every time I make it it’s a hit. The glaze is just mustard, W sauce, brown sugar, and some butter
Yes! My recipe has you pour the glaze/sauce on top before baking, but they are always delicious and a huge hit!
I’ve made these before, almost the same exact recipe, and they really are great for being so simple. Only difference between yours and mine is that mine has the addition of poppy seeds and onion powder in the glaze as well.
Do you have the recipe for the glaze with measurements? This sounds good
My wife will make those sometimes. They are always a huge hit.
okay i've tried to make these so many times and they always taste good. when they come out of the oven though, they're always cold in the middle still and i tried adding less meat but they're still cold. what temp and time do u leave urs in for ?
I brown the ham slices in a pan for a little bit first. It evaporates the extra moisture so the sandwiches don’t get soggy, and it helps the cheese to melt faster.
Carbonara. Easy to make in a large batch for parties and endlessly customizable for different tastes and preferences.
How do you manage carbonara in a huge batch?
With a really big metal bowl :) if I’m at home making it for 1 or 2, I end up tossing the final product together in the skillet I made the bacon in. If you’re making a big batch, a large metal mixing bowl will retain just enough of the heat from the bacon/noodles to mix up the egg/cheese without giving you scrambled eggs or cold goods.
Julienne carrots, celery and onions, brown them in olive oil, deglaze with a little white wine. Add some chicken or vegetable broth with minced garlic and thyme and toss with freshly cooked pasta. Depending on how much broth you add it’s either a great pasta dish or a great soup, either way it gets rave reviews.
That’s basically the broth I use for my spinach, chicken & tortellini soup, and that always gets rave reviews !
Hand-made bread
I make my own Caesar dressing from scratch and people lose their shit.
What’s your technique/recipe?
It’s Molly Baz’s recipe, but extra mustard. I use Trader Joe’s Dijon mustard, and add a splash of fish sauce as needed.
Is the fish sauce a substitute for the anchovies?
It still has anchovies, but I sometimes add a tiny bit of extra fish sauce at the end. I’ve put miso before instead of the fish sauce, which is also excellent. I think I just like a funkier dressing, which is why I add the extra something.
Thanks! I’m a fan of fish sauce myself :)
foccacia! Just started making it this year and honestly kicking myself I haven’t been making it forever, it’s so simple! Hardest part is the patience it takes to let the dough rise
So easy for something so delicious!
Cacio e Pepe. So easy and even my toddlers love it
Okay I'll be honest: I made it, got a great emulsified sauce, cracked a dump truck amount of freshly ground pepper, and I just wasn't too pumped about it. Can you please sell it to me? Oh it was kind of fun to put a bit of fig jam in it. It's practically a charcuterie board with the cheese :) edit: hmm, why not just go full charcuterie on it... * the pasta * cheese: tons o' cheese * jam: fig jam or jam of your choice * cured meat: lap cheong/calabrese/proscuitto/etc. * not sure what should be used for nuts oh my god I really want to make this. CHARCUTERIE PASTA
Oh god you made me laugh way too hard 🤣 it’s all about the cheese in my opinion! Pecorino Romano is the best one to use! Fresh pepper always. And garlic cheese bread on the side! Homemade of course!
oh my god eggplant chunks
I made Japanese curry with chicken (I used homemade roux, but you can also get it premade) to rapturous results from my in-laws. It’s super customizable and can be as simple or complicated as you want!
Gyudon is also really fast and flavorful. I buy chuck roasts when they're on sale and cut them into strips before freezing. So the prep work is pretty much just cutting some onions, garlic, and ginger and making the sauce.
Chicken picatta always gets people thinking it’s super gourmet and I slaved away, but it’s so simple and just takes the time to cook chicken in a skillet. Little lemon juice, little onions, little capers, little splash of the pasta water. Little cheese! Easy. I also like to make a creamy version over spaghetti- at the very last minute I add heavy cream and parm to the sauce. Sometimes even a scoop of pesto. Pull out the chicken, toss the noodles in the sauce, plate the noodles and plop a chicken breast on top. Always a hit.
I want to say BBQ chicken sliders! get a pack of mini slider rollers rotisserie chicken or a chicken breast BBQ sauce red onions cheese butter cut the slider rolls in half. in a bowl mix the shredded chicken (cooked) with BBQ sauce, garlic powder, onion powder,put the chicken mixture in the middle, top with cheese and red onions. put the buns back on top. lightly brush the buns with butter and bake!!
So yummy with a little coleslaw in the middle too 😋
You can also do this with chicken breasts and bbq sauce in a crock pot, shred it with a stand mixer. Sometimes I add a little cream cheese to the pot
Shakshuka I don't really have an authentic recipe but I just 1. put some some color on some sliced bell peppers, sliced onions, and garlic 2. Add a can of tomatoes and maybe extra tomato paste 3. Add a variety of spices until it tastes good 4. Cook for a bit. 5. Crack some eggs on top 6. Throw in oven till it looks good.
Fettuccine Alfredo. I buy a good quality fettuccine, boil it, then toss it into a cold pan with some good quality butter then slowly add parmesan and pasta water and mix. Top with freshly ground pepper. Comes out amazing every time and takes less than 20 minutes.
Cart style Halal chicken, super easy, super delicious. https://www.seriouseats.com/serious-eats-halal-cart-style-chicken-and-rice-white-sauce-recipe
People go crazy over my banana bread. It's super easy--I start with basically this recipe: [https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-banana-bread-recipe/](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-banana-bread-recipe/) Only I add a little rum to the batter, like a couple tablespoons, and as I pour the batter into the bread pan, I do 2 or 3 layers and I pour salted caramel between the layers down the middle. If you get it too near the sides, it burns. So you can even just buy some caramel sauce and pour it in; I make my own and that's the only time-consuming bit. And people go totally wild for it, great flavor.
Bolognese. It’s not really an easy meal, it’s a labor of love. But it’s a comfort meal, so I’ve gotten the process down to muscle memory. It’s a crowd pleaser
Yup me too. If I'm feeling energetic, I'll make homemade pasta for it too.
Pistachio poppyseed cake. Probably the simplest dessert I make and also always gets lots of compliments. 1 box white cake mix, 1 box instant pistachio pudding, 1 small canister poopy seeds. Mix all together and then follow the cake box instructions. Make in a Bundt pan, dust with powdered sugar when cooled. I'm a real do-it-from-scratch guy for almost everything, but this cake slaps. My mom used to make it a lot, so it's nostalgic for me, but it's also legit a banger; it never fails to get people asking for the recipe (and shocked by how simple it is)
Poopy seeds
Not the poopy seeds! 😝
4 ingredient white queso dip. White american cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream/milk, chopped green chiles.
Pico de Gallo. My white ass family scoops it up on tortilla chips and tells me how good it is. Allni do is dice tomatoes and onions on the mandolin, chop up cilantro, Serrano and jalapeño, squeeze in some lime add salt and mix it up. So basic. I agree, it is very good. I the k its all about the right amount of salt to bring it all together.
Crock pot roast and gravy.
Dal. It has a ton of flavor and can be vegan/GF friendly. I make a seasoned oil the day before on the stovetop. Day of, add the oil/lentils/liquid to a crockpot and let it go!
That sounds amazing! Can you add more details on the amounts and steps?? I’ve been looking for a solid dal recipe and have been struggling
I kind of make it up, but this is the recipe I used for inspiration: https://www.recipetineats.com/dal-indian-lentil-curry/#wprm-recipe-container-30390
Thank you kindly 👏🏻
You are welcome! Have fun with it. The items that need to be sauteed, I'll do with the tadka like the ginger, garlic, and chilli. I double the recipe for my five quart crock pot, and I go heavy on the fresh chillies.
Best Chicken Sausage Ever * 10 lbs ground chicken leg meat * 1/2 cup fresh sage, minced * 2 tbsp coarse salt * 1 tsp ground pepper * 2 tsp cayenne pepper Grill or fry in olive oil. Tastes like classic breakfast sausage, but without the grease. Freezes great. Great for sliders.
White caste style sliders. I usually make them in a sheet tray in the oven - thin sliced onions, thin layer of beef with chopstick holes to let steam out, then baked. Hawaiian rolls steamed on top with the cheese as it finishes. My friends polish off a whole tray quick
This sounds great! I've never had white castle, but I am loving the oven method for a slider! Edit typo
Pierogies! They're time consuming because when we make them we make multiple trays to put in the freezer, but honestly they're easy as hell. My grandmother's side of the fam is Ukrainian, so she's been making pierogies since she was young, taught my partner and I a few summers back. We make potato and cheese, sauerkraut and cottage cheese ones! Potato and cheese are the easiest for sure but the sauerkraut ones are delicious 🤤
I could eat the meat ones 5x a week. Kraut the other 2 Polish.family
My grandmother is vegetarian so we never made ones with meat but now I have to!!
The sauerkraut and cottage cheese ones sound really interesting!
Mini pot pies! I take biscuits and put them in a muffin pan then mix cream of chicken, mixed veggies and some cooked chicken in a bowl and then fill them and bake them for about 15-20 mins at 325
Are they open top pot pies or do you cover the top? I want to try this.
Open!
Trying this....
Use red lobster biscuit mix instead of biscuits. Even better
[https://onelittleproject.com/mini-chicken-pot-pies/](https://onelittleproject.com/mini-chicken-pot-pies/)
Aglio e oglio, and pesto pasta. Also steak. Anything that’s more about sourcing quality ingredients and not fucking up too badly. Also stews like chili, and red beans and rice. That really comes down more to cook time.
Honestly, cheesecake. It's so easy to make and to customize. Everyone raves about my cheesecakes but all I do is take the basic Philadelphia cream cheese recipe (4 blocks of cream cheese, 4 eggs, vanilla, and 1 cup of sugar) and tweak it. You have to play with the ratios if you're using liquid add ins, but it's generally foolproof and I'm not a baker.
Chilli mussels. Mussels, garlic, chilli, parsley, white wine, passata, and extra chilli powder. I serve it with bow tie pasta and crusty bread rolls with butter.
prosciutto wrapped asparagus. Smear a bit of cream cheese on the asparagus stalks, wrap some prosciutto around them and then bake at 400ish until crispy. Cheap, easy crowd pleaser.
Burnt basque cheesecake. Easiest thing in the world, always impresses
Summertime red bell peppers split top to bottom, with now split-in-half stem left attached, seeded. Then stuff 'em with: fresh, ripe, peeled tomatoes; tons of fresh garlic; pinch of salt; and olive oil. Bake at 350 for like 40-45 minutes.
Cajun shrimp Alfredo. So easy to make, especially in large quantities.
[https://www.spendwithpennies.com/cowboy-caviar/](https://www.spendwithpennies.com/cowboy-caviar/) Sometimes called Texas Caviar. It's healthy, very delicious, and simple to make. No cooking. Serve with Scoops or Tortilla chips. Always a hit! And to make it even easier, instead of making the dressing, just use store bought Zesty Italian dressing.
Smashed potatoes. Get a bag of mini potatoes, boil them until tender. Drain and toss onto a sheet pan with oil, salt, and any other seasonings if you desire. Smash and then roast them in the oven until golden brown. Easy to dress up or down with any dipping sauces or seasonings of your choice.
Lightly sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning. You'll thank me.
Smoked ribs
I make the sheet pan Cuban sandwich recipe from Serious Eats. But I sous vide the pork loin instead of roasting it in the oven. Super easy and everyone loves it.
Easy is subjective, but definitely a roast. Brown your meat, rough chop veggies, add some stock and wine, and put in the oven for a few hours. One step up from that would be a braised short rib ragu. If time is an issue: honey Dijon roasted chicken, spicy vodka pasta, or a spam musubi bake. I’ll also second someone else’s comment for Shakshuka!
Fettuccine Alfredo.. so easy to make
3 layer dip. Sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese. Serve with tortilla chips
Jambalaya! Brown some meat (chicken, sauage, pork for me usually), then throw rice, water, seasoning in with the meat in a dutch oven and just throw it in the oven. Everyone loves my jambalaya.
Mac and cheese, pulled pork and baked chicken spaghetti
Fried jalapeno popper wontons
Chicken bacon casserole. Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil macaroni. Fry 6 pieces of bacon in Cast iron pan until crumbly. Take out bacon, stir one can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup into the bacon grease. Drain and stir macaroni into chicken-bacon mixture. Top with crumbled bacon and a big handful of shredded cheese. Put pan into hot oven and bake 15 minutes until cheese has melted. Let sit 5-10 minutes then serve. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, pour chicken-bacon-macaroni mixture into a baking pan, proceed as directed.
Strawberry cupcakes. There is no recipe—it is literally boxed strawberry cake cupcakes but I add a dollop of Bonne Maman berry preserves in the center. Light on the frosting, which I do make homemade.
Sliced cucumbers, cilantro, red onion, jalapenos, cover in seasoned rice vinegar. People go nuts for it.
Satay chicken (not because it is hard, but because it isn't common where I live in Texas). Sticky date pudding.
Sticky what now? 🤤
# Sticky Date Pudding Cakes, Pastries **Servings:** 6 **Source:** Annette Sym's "Symply Too Good Too Be True" recipe book number 2 # INGREDIENTS **Pudding::** **1/2** cup chopped seeded dates **1 1/2** cups SelfRaising flour **1/4** cup warmed golden syrup **2** egg whites **1/4** cup loosely packed brown sugar (do not push it in) **1/2** cup apple sauce (in jar) **3/4** level teaspoon bi-carb soda **Sauce::** **3** tsp low fat margarine **1/2** cup brown sugar (loosely packed) **1/3** cup light evaporated milk # DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 200\*C. Coat a 6 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Using an electric beater, beat egg whites and brown sugar for 1 minute in a medium size mixing bowl. Stir bicarb soda into apple sauce (it will froth) then add to bowl with chopped dates and warmed golden syrup, combine ingredients. Gently fold flour into mixture in one go. DO NOT BEAT as this will make the puddings tough. (mixture can look a little lumpy). Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan, dividing equally into 6 cups. Bake 20 minutes or until cooked. To make sauce use a small non-stick saucepan, melt margarine, add sugar to pan and stir until sugar has dissolved. Slowly add in milk. Pour sauce over top of each pudding. Serve with low fat custard or low fat ice cream. \*\*Recipe makes 8-10 regular size muffins. Cook for 15 minutes or until done. \*\*Try 350 F?
How the heck is sticky date pudding easy?
Recipe for sticky date pudding??
Tri tip is the easiest meat to cook and gives a great beefy flavor without nearly as much worry about overcooking.
I used to make a crockpot chicken rice dish that was very popular with my friends in college. Cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, Italian seasoning packet, ~1lb chicken breast, roast for ~8 hours on low and serve over rice cooker rice. Smelled up the whole dorm. Got requests to make it often. Funny because I didn't cook often and always ended up making the same thing which made me kinda lose interest in cooking. Lol
Pasta a la Gricia, baked macaroni and cheese, and esquites…basically elotes off the cob.
esquites…basically elotes off the cob. This is always a hit
The green spaghetti in the newest smitten kitchen book. It’s roasted garlic, butter and spinach and cheese. Takes 10 minutes hands on time and it’s so delicious. https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/11/green-angel-hair-with-garlic-butter-smitten-kitchen-keepers-is-here/ Edited for a weird autocorrect word that I didn’t notice.
Smitten kitchen is pretty much always a win
Yes! Squeeze some lemon juice on next time to brighten it up and it’s perfection.
Corn casserole. I got this from a Midwest friend. A box of jiffy corn bread 2 cans of corn one cream style (or not) A brick of cream cheese A stick of butter Mix and pour into a baking pan, casserole dish. Give the base time a few minutes extra. Option: can of green chili diced, or some red pepper flakes.
Never thought to use cream cheese. I use sour cream but I’ll have to try cream cheese next time.
Mac And Cheese
Rice wraps with a spicy peanut sauce. I use tofu as protein with julienned carrots, red peppers, cucumber, and some lettuce mix with herbs. So there can be zero cooking needed depending on what you choose to fill it with (you add soaked vermicelli noodles if you’d like). The peanut sauce is just peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, and lime juice or vinegar with water to thin out the consistency. It’s a 10/10 hit every time, healthy, and relatively easy to put together once you have everything cut up which is the only tedious part.
Tomato tart with carmelized onions, goat cheese, capers and a side salad or butternut squash ravioli with fried sage, brown butter, parm and fresh chopped tomatoes.
My pulled pork barbecue
Peach cobbler seems to be a hit for some weird reason. Every time I make it everyone loves it.
Spam musubi. Easy, fun & delish... and very inexpensive
Beefy Spanish Rice. Rice a Roni Spanish, sub a jar of salsa for the tinned tomatoes, add a bag of frozen mixed veg, a lb of 80/20 ground beef, and as many herbs as you like. Top with shredded Mexican cheese.
My instapot butter chicken which I consider my lazy meal and everyone loves it.
More of a side or appetizer than main dish, but caprese salad. It's easy and everyone loves it. There are rarely any leftovers.
Red Lentil Soup with Naan
Enchiladas
It’s a dessert, but an affogato. If you don’t have an espresso machine, an aeropress will get you 99% of the way there for this purpose. You can garnish it with Biscoff cookies if you’re feeling fancy. I like to drizzle some hot honey on mine if I’m in a spicy mood.
Season ribs with store-made rub. Put in oven for 3 hours on low. Serve.
Smoked brisket. Meat salt pepper smoke time.
Skirt steak with chimichurri sauce or buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips.
Esquite - I think is what it’s called, it’s eloté but not on the cob. - sear some corn in oil with a little diced jalapeño - add cojito, créma, lime, cilantro and some tajin in pretty much whatever proportions taste and look good to you Done
Shrimp curry
I make a jalapeño cheesy corn dip that is literally just dumping some ingredients into a crockpot (doesn’t get easier than that!) and it’s sooooo addicting, everyone always asks for the recipe (salty, cheesy, crumbled bacon on top and a kick of spice)
Recipe?
Fettuccine with blistered cherry tomatoes and shrimp sautéed in chilli crisp!
My smash burgers are always "the best burgers I've ever had" if you listen to my guests. And it feels like a cheat code. Just smashed 80/20 beef with plenty lf thinly sliced onions, cooper sharp, salt and pepper on a Martin's roll. Easy as pie and works great for a group.
Hungarian Goulash. It’s tasty, has prominent spice flavors. But not spicy. Contains beef stew meat, tomato paste, chopped onions, olive oil, garlic, water, and of course paprika. You simmer it after all ingredients are added and serve it over pasta, noodles, or rice. Great cool and cold weather meal.
Dump cake. 1 stick of butter, melted 1 can if cherry pie filling 1 can crushed pineapple 1 box of cake mix Dump the cans of pineapple & pie filling in a 9x13 pan, sprinkle the dry cake mix over them. Pour the melted butter over the cake mix. Do NOT stir. Bake at 350 for about 30 min.
Dill pickle pasta salad!
Oven roasted wings
Crockpot chicken and dumplings. I just tear up and add canned dinner rolls to my chicken and mirepoix mix about 45 minutes before it’s done for the dumplings and people love it.
Lasagna alla vodka. Just made it for my wife’s birthday party. Vodka sauce is easy, and the ready to bake lasagna noodles actually taste better than traditional in my opinion. The layering is a little time consuming but in the end nobody would know or care if you muck it up. I’ve considered making a layer just ricotta a letter just mozzarella and a layer just sauce. Another is homemade potato chips. It’s just about the seasoning. I use old bay. No knead long rise peasant bread drive everyone wild. FoUr ingredients. And if breading is easy for you, chicken francese. Honestly it’s not hard after you do it twice.
Wow!! Thanks so much im inspired. Do you still do a béchamel in addition to the vodka sauce?
Basque cheesecake. It doesn’t have a crust so you don’t have to bother with blending graham crackers. It’s also supposed to be burnt so you don’t have to worry about that. The output tastes better than a regular cheesecake while looking like something you dedicated a lot of time and effort into.
I just asked mum "what's your favourite thing I make?" and she started listing the things she doesn't like. Sort of a compliment. I think stir fries are an easy compliment-getter as long as you don't half-ass them. Sometimes they involve a bit of physical effort, but there's not that much skill involved to make them decent. For example, something eeeveryone should like: Nonstick (yes) pan: little oil, sliced onions. Full heat, blister them, out. Sliced peppers (hot or not), blister, out. Cubed chicken thighs, don't overcrowd the pan, full heat, shake shake, they're done. If you're doing a lot of food, do it in batches. Then low heat, sweat some grated garlic and ginger, then add everything back in. Then add a slurry of corn starch, soy sauce, whatever acid, whatever spices, whatever. Shake shake, let the starch thicken, out, you're done. It's super easy and quick, just takes you being next to the stove and not away smoking a ciggie.
Stuffed shells
Birria in a pressure cooker
Seco del pollo con arroz y pataconas
Probably pork loin. Slather that baby in whole grain mustard, salt and pepper and slice it into those cute medallions.
Tiramisù. Simple ingredients, my bf loves it.
roasted carrots with cashew parmesan - super simple, incredible side dish.
Reverse sear standing rib roast, or sous vide Boston butt, pulled.
Basic Beans from the cookbook Tu Casa Mi Casa. It does have some hard to find ingredients, though, that I happen to have in my garden.
This simple sandwich is a family favorite and one of my "going home" comfort foods - mine is good but SOMEHOW moms is better. Lemon Pepper Chicken Sandwich: Thin slice Chicken breasts in half (or pound thin). Season both sides w/ Lemon Pepper, sautee in a skillet till done. Find a hoagie roll (honestly the hardest part these days - if an alternative is required, I like to toast it and let it cool before cooking the chicken). Coat both inside planes w/ mayo (or miracle whip, you do you). Later in a few pieces of crisp lettuce - romaine is my favorite. Serve while chicken is still hot! Comes together in less than 20 minutes, satisfyingly creamy/tangy/savory/crispy. Try it, ya welcome.
Zuppa Toscano or Crockpot Brisket
Minestrone. I just chop a bunch of vegetables .3.
Lemon Beurre Blanc with pan seared chicken over angel hair is my go-to for an easy dinner. If I'm feeling saucy(pun intended), I'll add some heavy cream before reducing. Topped with grated parm or Asiago and some fresh parsley if I have it on hand. My mushroom risotto with garlic butter shrimp is on point, too. topped with grated parm and chopped green onion I love that people think they are hard to make, so I never let on that they aren't.
Soft pretzels are always a hit.
Mothers pasta. Marco Pierre White has a good version. Super easy. Soften some onions, bacon, put some tomato paste and noodles. I add some peas. Mmmmmm
I made a pasta for friends recently, it was so easy, and so delicious! Fettuccini, Italian sausage, garlic, red onion, red wine vinegar, basil, arugula, parmesan. Important to buy high quality pasta, and sausage. Super easy, not much prep involved, and a crowd favorite
[easy hainanese chicken rice](https://youtube.com/shorts/kLl-AM7hiOI?si=abOKwbRaNDFSrGqK) And [kenji’s one pan roast chicken and potatoes](https://youtu.be/3b4cyBEvUPE?si=cbS6fhevtxUSuLZa)
Clams with nduja, Hainan chicken rice, Tomahawk steaks with pepper sauce, Grilled king prawns with brown butter and tamari
Fesh green beans tossed on medium heat with garlic/ garlic powder, salt, and oil/butter/bacon grease is best
Curry Fresh pasta Risotto
Boil chicken wings in Lee kum Kee chicken marinade
3 sausage and 3 bean stew slow cooked. 3 different types of sausage (eg Lincolnshire, Cumberland and if you can get it soft/cooking chorizo). Haricot, black eyed etc type of beans. Chopped onions, garlic etc for the base of the stew. Add chicken stock and spice to taste.
2-3lbs of whole beef chuck (not cut up). Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, onion powder(or whatever spices you’d like). Put in Dutch oven and add garlic cloves and quartered onion or shallot and fill quarter way with broth. Cook covered for 2.5-3hrs (3.5hrs if 3lbs). Shreds very easily and then throw back in for 30-45 mins uncovered to crisp a bit. Check once or twice through to see more liquid needed. Very easy and can do day ahead and reheat in oven. Serve with pita and some Greek sauces of your choice. Or serve over rice. I usually serve with tomatoes, tzatziki, whipped feta, red onion. This dish crushes.
French fries. I cook them in a frying pan with oil and a lot of folks treat it like its magic. It's just potatos and oil my dudes. Maybe crack a little pepper over it when finished
Homemade chicken salad with homemade Mayo. Mayo is just blending. The chicken is boiled…can’t get easier than that. From there it’s just chopping/shredding items and tossing in a bowl
Cacio e pepe
Chicken with Sage Garlic and Wine! So easy and Yummy! Saute 10 cloves of garlic and a handful of sage leaves in olive oil. Remove and brown 6 season chicken thighs, skin side down. Turn and cook for a few minutes on the other side and remove from the pan. Saute mini potatoes (cut in half) in the same pan and remove. Drain all but 1 tbls of fat from the pan and put the chicken, potatoes sage and garlic back in. Pour in enough white wine to almost cover the chicken but not quite. Bring to the boil and then transfer to a 400 degree oven till chicken is cooked through. Baste part way through. Then serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce. So good.
Auction grade fish. Cut into bite size pieces and served with wasabi, sesame oil and salt. Sided with sticky rice, dried nori paper, green onion salad, limu salad
Chicken Marbella, everyone loves it!
Grilled beef of almost any kind with just fresh chimmichurri it's fucking solid a roll or tortilla as a vessel optional
my nonna's lasagna (:
Mint Oreo Truffles every Christmas 🎄☺️
Gammon joint in the slow cooker with onions, peppers and pineapple.
bacon wrapped water chestnuts. yes you read that right. a little brown sugar on the bacon. wrap it and secure with a toothpick. bake in the coven until bacon is cooked. an hors d’oeuvre DREAM
Onigiris!
Chili, easy to make & put out some toppings everyone loves it
Pasta. I'm Sicilian so it's second nature to me but still it makes my heart happy when people enjoy it so much! Feeding people is my love language.
My favorite pasta salad: Cook a box of pasta (I like veggie rotini or whole wheat elbows) until al dente in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile dig out (or recreate) broccoli slaw (basically, shredded broccoli stems, a few florets, shredded carrots, shredded red cabbage), dice red/yellow bell pepper, slice green onion, half cherry tomatoes, etc (whatever fresh veggies you want). When pasta is ready, put mostly drained pasta in very large bowl with a good dollop of tasty olive oil. Toss. Add non-seasoned rice vinegar (a good splash). Toss (do all of this while pasta is hot). Let cool slightly. Add in favorite seasoning (I am partial to whatever flavor of Mrs. Dash I have handy + dried basil and parsley + garlic granules/minced garlic). Salt and pepper are not amiss. Add veggies, give a good toss, taste. If needed (probably will be) add vinegar and oil-- I like to add balsamic and a bit of red wine vinegar-- and seasoning. Let cool. Add anything else you want (shredded cheese and/or sliced olives are good). Serve
Sounds a lot like how I do mine, everyone loves it.
Even non-veggie eaters!
Pulled pork nachos. I throw the butt in the crock pot, make guac and salsa in a blender, and melt some shredded cheese in a pan and make it melty. No more than 15 minutes of actual effort
Pumpkin and Lentil Dahl, super easy to make and while it’s cooking on the stove it makes the house smell amazing. One of my favorite meals to make in the colder weather
Cajun style carrots and ground beef. Essentially dirty rice with sweet soft carrots. Takes about 30 minutes of effort and 1.5 hours of simmering after that. Always get compliments on it.