Weeknight Meals

[Underdog 28711]

Soup & sandwiches are always quick and easy. 

[South Austin 52519]

21 hours ago, 52-80 said:

tex-mex tacos i.e. ground beef + spice packet

For a couple years post-divorce, at least one night a week it was just ground beef with an HEB taco seasoning packet, HEB hard shell tortillas, and some chopped avocado on the side.  It fed the three of us for less than $10, and very little cleanup.  I haven't done it in a while because we were all getting tired of it.

But taco night is super easy and usually a hit with the kids.

[52-80 19162]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

For a couple years post-divorce, at least one night a week it was just ground beef with an HEB taco seasoning packet, HEB hard shell tortillas, and some chopped avocado on the side.  It fed the three of us for less than $10, and very little cleanup.  I haven't done it in a while because we were all getting tired of it.

But taco night is super easy and usually a hit with the kids.

Like 4 minutes to cook + whatever vegetables you want to chop up. I love the taste too. 

[jimmyjazz 45975]

34 minutes ago, South Austin said:

For a couple years post-divorce, at least one night a week it was just ground beef with an HEB taco seasoning packet, HEB hard shell tortillas, and some chopped avocado on the side. 

Ours is the ground beef with a homebrew taco seasoning, chopped onions, and a little water.  Top with HEB fresh pico de gallo.  Awesome.

[South Austin 52519]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

Ours is the ground beef with a homebrew taco seasoning, chopped onions, and a little water.  Top with HEB fresh pico de gallo.  Awesome.

Yeah, I'll make my own taco seasoning on occasion, usually some combination of cumin, onion powder, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  But the HEB seasoning is cheap and pretty damn good, and if I'm feeling particularly fucking lazy, I'll go with that. 

And my kids don't like pico, but the HEB pico is damn good, better than Central Market's.

[jimmyjazz 45975]

I spent a few months dialing in my own all-purpose "seasoning salt" which works on just about any protein and can be doctored up for a more specific regional spin, or just used as is.  Two parts coarse ground kosher salt, one part each of fresh ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika  One tablespoon per pound of protein.  I keep it in a jar in my pantry, it lasts a month or two..

Edited March 7, 2023 by jimmyjazz

[Macanudo 12989]

Chicken roll ups and veggie rice:

Chicken tenders with swiss cheese and ham rolled around (hold in place with toothpicks), dipped in an egg wash and then bread crumbs.   Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350.   There are normally 10-12 tenders to a package.  1-2 tenders is a serving depending on how much you want.  This can be prepped while the rice below is in the oven for the 20-30 minutes it needs before this goes in.

Sautee an onion and bell pepper (I use green but red is good too) in some butter or olive oil.  When the onion is opaque, pour that into a baking pan with a can of beef consomme (10-12 oz) and an equal amount of beef broth (you can substitute chicken broth but I don't think it comes out as well.)   Add 1.5-2 cups uncooked rice and bake for 75 minutes.  This makes a lot of rice but it's pretty tasty as a leftover.

Edit:  Forgot to add...   This whole thing takes about 25 minutes to prep.   It takes less than 5 minutes to chop the onion and bell pepper, another 5-10 for it it sautee and another 5-10 minutes to roll the chicken, swiss and ham.   

Edited March 7, 2023 by Macanudo

[dcbc 14487]

Last night was an easy one.  Was just for the wife and I.  Rinse and pierce a couple of potatoes and toss them in the oven at 400.  Set timer for 1 hour.  Salt a couple of butterfly pork chops and put in the fridge on a rack.  Toss asparagus on a sheet pan in olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

 

Go for a 3.5 mile walk.

 

Come back, shower, get dressed, take potatoes out of the oven and put pan with asparagus in the oven for 13 minutes.  Add black pepper to pork chops and toss in air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes.  Flip and give 'em another 4 minutes at 400. 

Plate.  Eat.

[Macanudo 12989]

Forgot one thing.....   1.5-2 cups rice will result in the top looking a little "overdone" but the bulk of the dish will be great.    Another thing is that this side can be easily doubled if you want/need more you just need a larger baking dish.   

[NoName 16354]

We got the Anyday starter set last year and have used the hell out of it. Anyday are basically glass cookware you use in your microwave to steam/cook and happens pretty quickly. Saw David Chang talk about them a bunch during pandemic (pretty sure he has an ownership stake? or did?) - either way they work great.
 

Spoiler

cooked a ton of salmon in the microwave that comes out perfect every time: https://cookanyday.com/products/salmon?variant=32954385006682 - shrimp is super easy in this as well

this lemon orzo with asparagus is truly fantastic: https://cookanyday.com/products/microwave-lemon-orzo-asparagus-anyday?variant=39954574311514 - double the asparagus typically because we love it.

basically order of operations is cook the lemon orzo, then salmon, then let glass cool and cook another batch of salmon. serve a bowl of orzo, add salmon, flake it and you are off to the races. then flake the other 2 salmon pieces, mix with the leftover orzo and you have leftovers for later in the week or for lunch the next day. all in <30 min from start to finish and basically none of it is time where you have to pay much attention to it.

cooked a ton of stuff in the Anyday. easy mashed potatoes. rice. shrimp. shrimp and polenta. fish over cauli rice (add valentinas to give it some more flavor because it's cauli rice) but the ability to easily knock some of dinner out in the most simple way that doesn't lead to me needing to babysit something is fantastic. 

[Gordon Shumway 452]

Easiest meal I make and healthy

Chop an onion and sauté

Brown a pound of ground beef or Turkey with onions

Rinse two cans of beans (Black/Pinto whatever you have in the cupboard)

Add beans and two cans of chopped tomatoes or Ro-Tel. Depends on how spicy you want it (the wife hate spicy so I use either two tomatoes or one of each). 

Heat through and serve. 

Top with sour cream and cheddar cheese.  Leftovers go great in tortillas. 

 

 

 

[Mittens 8286]

14 minutes ago, NoName said:

cooked a ton of salmon in the microwave that comes out perfect every time: https://cookanyday.com/products/salmon?variant=32954385006682 - shrimp is super easy in this as well

[NoName 16354]

5 minutes ago, Mittens said:

dude, i totally understand and thought it was going to be SO MUCH BULLSHIT. but it is easy, doesn't smell at all and gives me basically exactly what i want in <5 min

[conVINCEd 21469]

[NoName 16354]

another super easy one that has been posted around here is Kenji's Green Chili Chicken Verde.

https://www.seriouseats.com/pressure-cooker-fast-and-easy-chicken-chile-verde-recipe

wash veg, chop, throw in to IP, add chicken and you end up with this:

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by NoName

[4th&Five 41558]

Easy instant pot chicken tacos: chicken breasts or thighs, taco seasoning, rotel. Shred the chicken when it’s done then throw it back in the pot to soak up the juice. Throw some guac and salsa on them. 

[Underdog 28711]

Slow cook some chicken with a jar of salsa Verde makes for some good taco meals. 

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

I sous vide boneless skinless chicken breast and pork (tender)loin to the very bottom of the “done” range. During the week, I can grill or pan sear however much we want. Easy to make a pan sauce if I want. Since the stuff is already cooked, getting it ready to eat is basically a question of browning it so that it looks and tastes better, along with heating it through. Takes very little time. It’s awesome like this. Can also go on a salad. If you’re a savage, or me, it’s fine right out of the fridge  

It’s not fast, fast but it’s hands off: lightly oil and season a whole chicken (or two) inside and out. Put a quartered stalk of celery in the cavity. Roast at 425°, 375°, and 325° for 20 minutes each, depending on your oven. The high heat browns it, the lower heats cook it through, and the water from the celery keeps it moist. 

As previously mentioned, tacos/burritos are simple and always a hit as is breakfast for dinner, especially with sourdough or buttermilk pancakes or waffles. 

[UncleBuck 6454]

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

For a couple years post-divorce, at least one night a week it was just ground beef with an HEB taco seasoning packet, HEB hard shell tortillas, and some chopped avocado on the side.  It fed the three of us for less than $10, and very little cleanup.  I haven't done it in a while because we were all getting tired of it.

But taco night is super easy and usually a hit with the kids.

My kids like chalupa night. Of course, I do not, so I go off on the side and make myself double-deckers. I make the refried beans out of either beans we had left over from a weekend meal or HEB's Charro Beans. Real quick and simple with just some oil and a fork, but you can go real quick with a hand blender. Hamburger meat seasoned with s&p, a little fajita seasoning, garlic powder and chili powder at the end. Throw chalupas in oven for a few minutes, take out and then apply beans and cheese and put back in for a few minutes on a foil lines baking sheet to melt cheese. Warm up a couple of tortillas for me on the comal or whatever my wife calls it. Take out the chalupas and the kids can put their own meat and lettuce/tomato/avocado on or whatever else the wife pulls out. I just take my chalupa, flip it upside down onto my tortilla, karate chop that bitch down the middle and go with meat, onion, salsa and lettuce. Maybe some avocado if I'm feeling dirty. God's Taco. 

Edited March 7, 2023 by UncleBuck

[Don Johnson 4754]

Our standard rotation is (I try to be lower carb during the week):

Grilled boneless thighs.  Just so much easier than breasts.  Never dry.

Grilled pork tenderloin

Salmon  - occasionally grilled but usually pan seared and then finished in oven

Sides in the rotation - roasted okra, roasted brussels, steamed or roasted broccoli or broccolini, sauteed zucchini with onions and mushrooms, sauteed bell pepper

Usually cook a pasta for the kids.  All this is pretty easy and healthy.  Can mix and match different.  

Edited March 7, 2023 by Don Johnson

[Frank Drebin 5644]

The HEB wet chili mix in the jar is quick, easy and tasty.  I use venison or elk for less fat.  Kids love it.  Can add fritos, cheese and sour cream if you want more fat.

[Jerry Callo 8704]

I like the chili taco seasoning from the HEB bulk spice jars.  Quality mix of spices without much salt.  I'd rather add salt myself.

Edited March 7, 2023 by Jerry Callo
taco seasoning instead of chili seasoning

[jimmyjazz 45975]

19 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I like the chili seasoning from the HEB bulk spice jars.  Quality mix of spices without much salt.  I'd rather add salt myself.

Their "San Antonio Dark" chili powder is pretty legit.  Easy shortcut.

[Jerry Callo 8704]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Their "San Antonio Dark" chili powder is pretty legit.  Easy shortcut.

I actually meant bulk taco seasoning.  In my previous post.

I keep two or three varieties of the chili powder, including the SA Dark variety.  I get almost all of my seasonings from the bulk section.  They use Southern Style Spices and I have used SSS since the mid-90s for rubs and such.

[jimmyjazz 45975]

5 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I actually meant bulk taco seasoning.  In my previous post.

Yeah, that's not available in our bulk aisle, it's a smaller store.

[Texzilla58 4738]

Last night was an easy one.  Was just for the wife and I.  Rinse and pierce a couple of potatoes and toss them in the oven at 400.  Set timer for 1 hour.  Salt a couple of butterfly pork chops and put in the fridge on a rack.  Toss asparagus on a sheet pan in olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
 
Go for a 3.5 mile walk.
 
Come back, shower, get dressed, take potatoes out of the oven and put pan with asparagus in the oven for 13 minutes.  Add black pepper to pork chops and toss in air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes.  Flip and give 'em another 4 minutes at 400. 
Plate.  Eat.

I don’t get piercing potatoes as the steam is what bakes them fluffy. Best baked potatoes: rub with oil or spray oil. Cover in coarse salt. Then put on bed of rock salt. Bake at 450 for an hour or so. Crisp skin fluffy inside.

[Deej 76830]

Bunch of poors up in here who can't afford a personal chef. 

[Jerry Callo 8704]

35 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

I don’t get piercing potatoes as the steam is what bakes them fluffy.

They will explode and kill your whole family.  At least that's what I was led to believe.

38 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

Best baked potatoes: rub with oil or spray oil. Cover in coarse salt. Then put on bed of rock salt. Bake at 450 for an hour or so. Crisp skin fluffy inside.

This is the way.

[dcbc 14487]

42 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

I don’t get piercing potatoes as the steam is what bakes them fluffy. Best baked potatoes: rub with oil or spray oil. Cover in coarse salt. Then put on bed of rock salt. Bake at 450 for an hour or so. Crisp skin fluffy inside.

Once upon a time, I didn't pierce a potato enough.  I tossed it in the oven.  After a bit, it exploded.  The element was covered with bits of potato, which caught fire.  Apparently, this extra heat was the tipping pointjust enough to fry the no-longer-available circuit board on my former Oven/Microwave combo during a period of time when new appliances were in short supply because they were stuck on container ships.  So after 3 months of trying and failing to get a replacement oven, we finally got one with a European-style, enclosed element.

 

Now, I hesitate even less to not be shy with the potato piercing.  They are fluffy enough.  The convection setting on the new oven helps too.

Edited March 7, 2023 by dcbc

[Deej 76830]

6 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

They will explode and kill your whole family.

[Texzilla58 4738]

Once upon a time, I didn't pierce a potato enough.  I tossed it in the oven.  After a bit, it exploded.  The element was covered with bits of potato, which caught fire.  Apparently, this extra heat was the tipping pointjust enough to fry the no-longer-available circuit board on my former Oven/Microwave combo during a period of time when new appliances were in short supply because they were stuck on container ships.  So after 3 months of trying and failing to get a replacement oven, we finally got one with a European-style, enclosed element.
 
Now, I hesitate even less to not be shy with the potato piercing.  They are fluffy enough.  The convection setting on the new oven helps too.

Try the salt thing. It suck the moisture out of your taters.

Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes, a part of the Babe’s family, used to do these resin baked potatoes. Basically they were cooked in a vat of boiling pine resin, then removed where they were encased in glasslike coating. You had to break it off to get into the spud but I think they took it off due to liability. Some folks probably broke off a tooth or two. It was a killer baked potato.

[RollLeft 5045]

Sometimes i drop a frozen bag of Normandy blend veggies and two big handfuls of spinach on top of some frozen dumplings.  I then drizzle some soy, sesame oil, some water and some terriyaki.  I've never been disappointed and its easy.  

[Neonmoon 38129]

Instapot Taco Soup is one of our favorites every week. 

1 chopped onion, minced garlic, can of diced tomatoes, can of corn, can of black beans, 1 chopped jalapeño, 2 chopped bell peppers, 1 chopped link of sausage, 1 box of chicken stock, your favorite taco seasoning packet. 6 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese as desired. 
 

 

[Deej 76830]

13 hours ago, Underdog said:

Soup & sandwiches are always quick and easy. 

The South Austin's Mom of the food world.

[jimmyjazz 45975]

Where are you people buying your 'taters?  I have never pierced one and never had a taterbomb go off in my oven.

[South Austin 52519]

If you want an easy and relatively cheap soup, give this a shot.  I made it once and my kids loved it.  Credit to @ocugolf

 

 

[Steamboat1874 4069]

12 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Where are you people buying your 'taters?  I have never pierced one and never had a taterbomb go off in my oven.

This.....I too have never pierced one or had it explode.

Don't cook them in foil either.

I like to coat mine with butter on the outside and sprinkle with sea salt.

 

Bake at around 500 degrees on a sheet pan for about 45 minutes to an hour turning about halfway through.

The skin is the best part that way.

[ocugolf 1214]

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

If you want an easy and relatively cheap soup, give this a shot.  I made it once and my kids loved it.  Credit to @ocugolf

 

 

I need to make this again.  It's hard to beat for something that takes so little time and preparation.  Glad you liked it!

[dcbc 14487]

On 3/7/2023 at 11:20 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Where are you people buying your 'taters?  I have never pierced one and never had a taterbomb go off in my oven.

I'd had a couple go kablooey in the microwave long ago, but never had had one do it in the oven until 2021.  If you do it long enough, the odds may catch up with you.  That's all I can offer.  And remember, I'd given that tater a couple of pokes with a fork and it still made the earth shattering kaboom.

 

As for where I'm buying them---army surplus.  Where else would you buy potatoes? 

Edited March 9, 2023 by dcbc

[irishtexan 11521]

21 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said:

This.....I too have never pierced one or had it explode.

Don't cook them in foil either.

I like to coat mine with butter on the outside and sprinkle with sea salt.

 

Bake at around 500 degrees on a sheet pan for about 45 minutes to an hour turning about halfway through.

The skin is the best part that way.

I do pretty much the same. But I wouldn't coat it in butter and cook at 500. Butter burns at 350 degrees. I coat in olive oil and cook at 400 and they're typically done after 45 to an hour.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

The English method is the best way to cook baked potatoes

 

[Underdog 28711]

Nuke the taters now, put in pouch, microwave, presto potato! 

[jimmyjazz 45975]

4 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

The English method is the best way to cook baked potatoes

 

Details?

[thrillhammer 684]

i was recently turned on to a cheap, easy weeknight meal - one package of shrimp ramen, and 1 lb of shrimp.  it's actually pretty damn good, light, healthy, simple, quick, and affordable.   

[SydneyCarton 48110]

43 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Details?

https://thecookful.com/jacket-potatoes/

[jimmyjazz 45975]

My malware app blocks that website.  Fookin' Brits.

[SydneyCarton 48110]

6 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

My malware app blocks that website.  Fookin' Brits.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise and widthwise about 1/4 an inch down, dont put any olive oil or butter on the, stick them on the top oven rack for however long. 

[pops 7002]

On 3/7/2023 at 7:33 PM, Neonmoon said:

Instapot Taco Soup is one of our favorites every week. 

1 chopped onion, minced garlic, can of diced tomatoes, can of corn, can of black beans, 1 chopped jalapeño, 2 chopped bell peppers, 1 chopped link of sausage, 1 box of chicken stock, your favorite taco seasoning packet. 6 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese as desired. 
 

 

Sub a shredded rotisserie chicken for the sausage and add some tortillas and you have my chicken tortilla soup recipe. 

[Jerry Callo 8704]

16 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

https://thecookful.com/jacket-potatoes/

Popular British topping ideas include:

• Chili
• Baked beans
• Tuna salad
• Chicken tikka
• Coleslaw

[SydneyCarton 48110]

1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said:

Popular British topping ideas include:

• Chili
• Baked beans
• Tuna salad
• Chicken tikka
• Coleslaw

Man, it's the British. I just shared the cooking method, but we all know they'll fuck things up somehow. 

That said, obviously we'd all do Chili, and I could probably wrap my head around baked beans, even Tikka. Coleslaw is a head scratcher, and Tuna Salad in a hot baked potato sounds like a war crime or the last leg of a human centipede.