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“So Easy It’s Stupid”: 30 Cheap But Impressive Recipes Everyone Needs To Try
Interview With Expert
I am guilty of spending hours each week researching recipes, watching countless cooking videos and contemplating what I’d like to devour in the following days. But when it comes time to actually prepare a meal after a long day in the office, anything that will take more than 30 minutes sounds torturous.
Thankfully, however, it’s not necessary to stand over a hot stove all day or spend hours chopping vegetables to whip up a delicious dinner. Redditors have been sharing their very best low effort and affordable yet crowd pleasing recipe ideas, so we’ve gathered the tastiest-sounding ones below. Keep reading to also find a conversation with Melanie Gunnell of Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and be sure to upvote the mouthwatering dishes that you can’t wait to impress your family with!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Toffee. I sell it every year around this time in a bakery sale. Regulars come just to get it.
2 cups cold, refrigerated butter
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
Optional toppings: sprinkle of sea salt, rice krispies, nuts, instant coffee powder, crushed pretzels
Put butter, sugar and salt in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 30 minutes until mixture is dark amber. Pour into a foil lined baking sheet, tilt to spread. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, spread after letting them melt for a minute. Add any optional toppings, I usually do sea salt. Let cool out of the fridge for an hour or so, then refrigerate at least one hour before breaking apart.
You don't need a candy thermometer or a double boiler or anything fancy.
I get butter and chocolate chips for about $6 each, and the sugar and salt are pretty cheap.
Notes: Do not soften your butter, it won't absorb into the mixture correctly. At all points of cooking, you'll probably think it's not working; it is.
Jane No Dough 11 months ago
Find myself upvoting all the sweets! Have to try this, sounds easy.
Nina 11 months ago
How do you measure a cup of cold butter? Was grams just too hard to tell us?
Patti 11 months ago
I’m American, I would have no idea how to tell you in grams, like you would have no idea how to tell us in cups. So yes it is to hard. You know you can easily look it up
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Jan Rosier 11 months ago
I hate these recipes with cups. Is it so hard to use actual volume units? I don't even mind translating imperial into metric !
Auntriarch 11 months ago
There are conversion charts on the internet, I printed one off and have it stuck on the pantry door. I get recipes from friends in US and Europe, so am hopping from ounces to cups to centilitres all the time. Some use weights and some use volume. And then there's sticks of butter - oh it's a regular workout for my brain!
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RELATED:
#2
Ganache. Always impresses guests at how rich and tasty it is...
It's literally cream heated then chocolate added.
Auntriarch 11 months ago
Yes, this is my impressive trick. 300g of chocolate (75% id my favourite) melt in the microwave two 1 minute zaps should do it. Heat 300ml double cream one and a half minutes. Tip the hot cream into the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk. Pour into a shallow container, I use a square silicone cake "tin". Leave to set. Cut into squares, and there you are. You can dip them in melted chocolate if you want to be fancy or if they are for presents.
Nadine Debard 11 months ago
For lactose intolerant people, works great with coconut milk (at least 63% coconut) or coconut milk + coconut cream.
Lila Allen 11 months ago
Seconded- Every time I do cake with ganache everyone is so impressed. I'm not sure heating 2 cups cream and throwing in 1 and 3/4 cups chocolate chips and whisking until glossy qualifies as impressive
#3
Cacio e pepe. It's literally pasta, cheese and pepper... But when it's done right, it's unbelievable. Good quality pasta is key, fresh pasta takes it to another level but ups the complexity quite a bit.
To find out more about easy dishes that taste amazing despite the fact that they took minimal effort, we got in touch with Melanie Gunnell of Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share some of her favorite easy yet crowd pleasing recipes.
"The best low-effort recipes in my house aren't really recipes at all. Some of our favorite meals are simmering a can of black beans with warm, pantry-friendly spices, sliced chicken sausage and onions," the expert says. "Serve over rice. AMAZING."
"Another favorite is using rotisserie chicken meat and mixing it with BBQ sauce, layering over tater tots, covering with cheese, baking in the oven and smothering with toppings like sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce for a 'loaded totchos' situation," Mel added.
#4
Carrot soup.
Rough chopped onion, fat of your choice.
Saute until slightly brown.
Bunch of rough chopped carrots.
Add to the pot, continue sautéing for a couple more minutes.
Flavorful liquid to cover (I usually use 1/2 bottle of white wine, remainder stock).
Simmer until carrots are very soft.
Blend until smooth and strain.
Season and serve.
Guests rave about it — and it really is just 15 minutes of active work with some leftover veg.
Ace 11 months ago
Works with any veg, including things like brocoli stalk, celery leaves, leftover cooked veg. Just throw anything like that in the freezer until you're ready to use it. Every soup I make is different. I don't use wine though, but a decent stock helps, plus loads of spices for me.
#5
Spaghetti carbonara. Delicious when made well and very simple. Even if you wanted to go all out and use fancy imported cheese or guanciale instead of my bacon and Parmesan version, the quantities of each aren’t huge and it’s delicious.
Someone may say it’s not a fancy dish (eg in Italy), and that may be true but it’s fancy enough in my part of the world.
Pencil 11 months ago
I make it with pancetta and peas. Or asparagus if I happen to have it. The whole thing takes 20 minutes and it's satisfying as hell.
Jane No Dough 11 months ago
I don't eat many types of animals so I make this with specific brands of turkey bacon (most brands are terrible). It's not as good without the fat from regular bacon, but it's still a good alternative to alfredo or marinara. A sliced sauteed duck breast is even better!
Bacon Tentacles 11 months ago
Did it with guanciale once - we actually cured it ourselves - we're friends with a pig farmer and got a couple of jowls. It was a fun experience, but honestly I prefer pancetta.
#6
Cottage Pie. It’s ground beef, veggies and mash all in one dish. Super easy, cheap and everyone usually loves it!
Pernille 11 months ago
And if your guests are snobs just call it Hachis Parmentier, calling things something french always sounds fanciu.
Pedantic Panda 11 months ago (edited)
That's without minced lamb I believe.
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Paige Roberts 11 months ago
Shepherds pie I believe is made with lamb, cottage pie with mince 🙂🤤
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On the other hand, we wanted to know if there were any labor-intensive recipes that Mel doesn't believe are worth it. "Yes, absolutely. Sushi, for one," she shared. "Leave it to the professionals who have better knife skills and access to super fresh ingredients. The same goes for fussy dishes like Beef Wellington. So much effort and skill go into making recipes like that, and the chance of failure are high. I don't think it's worth it!"
#7
My Grandmother's fresh tomato sauce. A couple pounds of campari tomatoes, some olive oil, basil, garlic, and white wine. You just heat the oil and add the garlic and tomatoes (washed but whole) in the pan, let em cook with a lid on until the tomatoes burst, then add your basic and wine, and season to taste. It takes like 20 minutes, mostly passive time for cooking the pasta and making a salad. Everybody raves and the most difficult part is getting out of the grocery store parking lot.
nottheactualphoto 10 months ago
A little wine for the sauce, a little wine for the cook! As Julia teaches us.
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Janissary35680 11 months ago
I use an anchovy pounded into paste for seasoning.
Load More Replies... #8
Key lime pie. 4 egg yolks, a can of sweetened condensed milk, half a cup of fresh lime juice, and you can add some grated lime peel if you want. Beat it until it’s fluffed up a bit, pour it into a graham cracker crust, bake, top with whipped cream. Fresh key lime pie is rare outside of Florida and people love it!
Jane No Dough 11 months ago
Key limes have a different taste than regular old limes and are quite expensive. I imagine most store bought pies probably use this recipe also.
SirWriteALot 11 months ago
Until I eat proper key lime pie I'll continue to love my lime pie :-D
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TTorrest Author 11 months ago
I can give you an even easier version of this one and everyone raves about mine: 2 cans condensed milk, 3/4 cup of bottled key lime juice, 1/2 cup sour cream. Mix and pour into a graham cracker crust. Bake at 325* for appx 8-10 minutes until you see a few tiny bubbles start to form on the surface. Remove from oven, let cool, refrigerate for a couple hours, serve with whipped cream. Boom.
Stephanie Trax 11 months ago
Soooooo time intensive getting fresh juice from those little key limes. I did it once and never again.
Midwest Mike 11 months ago
Don't know if its relevant to this topic. But back in the late 2000's I found myself in Cancun Mexico visiting alone (friends bailed on the trip I didn't) and I got to visit the "Ritz Carlton" in Cancun Mexico. I would NEVER have been able to afford a lunch at the NYC location. But I was able to afford one at the Cancun Mexico Location. Amazing Affordable Fancy Lunch. SO they had "Lime Pie" Listed and being from USA I asked for the "Key Lime Pie" had a great discussion why I called it "Key Lime Pie". The staff was amazing!! Just like the food and Lime Pie.
Michelle Randazzo 11 months ago
I use key lime juice,available in grocery stores. Not expensive and a chocolate crust. Yum!
Tropical Tarot 11 months ago
Try with a gingersnap crust or mix in pretzels with the graham crackers.
Load More Replies... #9
My mashed potato’s have been called the best ever had…. Just cook the taters in salted water with sliced garlic and/or minced/grated ginger. Reserve the cooking water. Put them through a ricer or food mill (for extra fluffiness). Add in plenty of butter, and enough cooking water, heavy cream, sour cream and or cream cheese to make them creamy, salt and pepper to taste, an add dried chives or any blend that includes chives and tarragon. BAM!
Katie Barnes 11 months ago
Woah, ginger in mashed potatoes? I don't know if I'm brave enough to try that. I am intrigued.
Jj321 11 months ago
I took culinary class in high school. Our first assignment was to flavor 5 different boiled potatoes with 5 different herbs and spices. It was cool to see how much actually worked.
Load More Replies... Ace 11 months ago
I hate mash like this. I don't want a butter and cream dish mildly thickened by potatoes, TYVM, I prefer my potatoes to taste like potatoes.
ADHD 11 months ago
hard pass, ginger, no just no. and you guys always add way too much butter and cream lol. good mash needs only salt, pepper, little cream or butter, notice the or. fried onions in mash is a game changer tho.
Vinny DaPooh 11 months ago
Wanna kick that up another notch? Don't boil the potatoes in water. Boil them in whole milk with some heavy cream added. Follow the rest of the recipe.
Odette Boisvert 11 months ago
I make mashed potatos with only adding cesar salad dressing instead of milk and butter!! it's delicious, the dressing does all the job!!
nottheactualphoto 10 months ago
That's homemade Caesar dressing, of course.
Load More Replies... If you're looking to upgrade your home cooking, without spending hours in the kitchen, Mel says it's really easy to elevate simple dishes at home to make them feel really special. Her first tip is using fresh herbs to amp up everyday dishes. "For instance, fresh basil added to spaghetti sauce or pasta salad makes the flavor pop!" she shared.
#10
Homemade ricotta (or “farm cheese”, but used in place of ricotta). Simplest thing in the world to do, tastes soooo much better than store bought, and people lose their minds when you tell them you made fresh cheese. I use it in lasagna and stuffed shells, and use any extra as an appetizer with some fresh herbs mixed in, served with crackers.
There’s a million variations on it! Serious Eats talks about the science behind it if you want a good read, just search “ricotta” on their site.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
This is great for me because I can make it lactose free! It's hard to get a ricotta that is lactose free without going to a specialty store and spending at least 2x the amount.
WindySwede 11 months ago
Though could not fins any recepe on how to make ricotta on that site. And are to tired to look elsewhere 😴
Load More Replies... Nadine Debard 11 months ago
The real ricotta is made from the whey that you get after making cheese. You first curdle whole milk and use the curds to make the cheese, then you cook again the whey and get ricotta (ri-cotta is cooked twice in Italian). But it works with whole milk as well, it's just a bit different. You can make mozzarella then ricotta with the same milk.
#11
Thai curry.
Throw meat, maybe some veg, good Thai curry paste and coconut milk into a slow cooker.
It's the best thing most people have ever tasted in their entire lives, apparently.
It's a standard for my big gatherings, usually alongside something that actually does take hours in the kitchen. The Thai curry goes down better, every time. It's so easily, accessibly *good*.
If I wasn't so stubborn as to see that as a challenge, I'd get depressed and not bother.
Ace 11 months ago
You don't need a slow cooker unless you're using something like stewing steak. For simpler ingredient like chicken breast or prawns, or if using pre-cooked meat, it should only take about twenty minutes start to finish.
Roxy222uk 11 months ago
Indeed. The point of the slow cooker is that you don't have to adjust the heat, check it or do anything, even when it's done, so it makes life easier. For example I put a gammon in the slow cooker tonight in a load of Coke to slow cook for ten hours, instead of boiling it for two hours on the hob, because I just get on with tomorrow without thinking about it at all.
Load More Replies... WindySwede 11 months ago
I guess you can use the oven or a ordinary pan on the stove if one doesn't have a slow cooker? (I hope I will see any reply,now thatBP have taken away the 'notifications '!)
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I have to make curry again. It's been a while but I love it. It just takes me longer because I have to make my own curry paste because I have so many allergies and intolerances.
nottheactualphoto 10 months ago
On the bright side, your curry paste is better because YOU decide what's in it: what kind and how much. And your ingredients are probably fresher and higher-quality than what's in the commercial stuff.
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Rena 11 months ago
i had mine frome the back of a curry paste package. I was prepared to spend hours in the kitchen, and then it was 20 minutes at all.
Load More Replies... #12
Pavlova. It's just meringue which is beaten egg whites with sugar and some tartar sauce. But it's formed into a shape and then baked at a real low temp until it dries out. I made these last year and filled them with cranberry/rosemary curd and topped them with whipped cream.
Recipe.
Lila Allen 11 months ago
Thank you for this... LOL. I was a bit alarmed at the tartar sauce and trying to imagine the flavor of meringue with pickles and dill
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 11 months ago
Hard to choose but most likely my favourite dessert! We have it for Christmas every year, but with berries and grated chocolate on top. My dad usually buys a pavlova shell from the shop though so all he has to do is whip cream and put the berries on top. This year the supermarket had lemon myrtle mini pavs and also Baileys ones too.
Next, Mel recommends shredding your own cheese. "Pre-shredded cheese has a powdery coating added to prevent clumping, but it also prevents cheese from melting smoothly. Shredding cheese from the block makes dishes ultra-creamy and ultra-cheesy, and it is super easy and fast to do," she told Bored Panda. And finally, the expert recommends ditching the garlic powder and using fresh garlic instead. "It's a game changer!"
And if you're looking for even more cooking tips or great recipes to follow, be sure to visit Mel's Kitchen Cafe!
#13
Risotto anything.
notrosemurray:
Risotto! My favorite is just white cheddar and fresh chives with crispy onions from the salad aisle on top, but because it takes some time to cook it feels really fancy
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I love baked risotto, so you don't have to keep stirring a pot, even if it's not traditional
Ace 11 months ago
Like the picture, what you're producing may be a really good rice dish, but however spectacular it may be, Risotto it is not.
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Winter 11 months ago
Then there's what I call "poor man's risotto" - tastes the same(ish) but doesn't take the time, expense, or hard work - tasty and easy to prepare for a not-so-well-off single mother with two hungry small children to feed (me, many, many, MANY years ago) Cook your rice in chicken stock instead of water: "X" amount of rice, + double the amount of liquid + salt, to taste. Bring to the boil with the lid on, and immediately turn heat down to lowest setting, and slightly tilt lid. Leave to "stew" like that for 15 to 20 minutes, or until "holes" appear in the rice (glass lidded saucepans are ideal for this!) Remove from heat and add a GOOD k**b of butter, "about" a handful/half a handful of grated parmesan cheese, and enough heated store-bought tomato flavoured pasta sauce to mix everything into a soft, risotto-like texture. Spoon into bowls and serve, sprinkling a bit more grated parmesan over the top for extra "authenticity".
Lee Gilliland 11 months ago
Ooh good fast and cheap, put a big slice of blue cheese in. It melts and you wouldn't believe how good it is with fruit?
#14
Okonomiyaki is one I love to make and looks like it takes a ton of time. It is literally cabbage, eggs, flour, bacon and a couple of sauces.
Nadine Debard 11 months ago
Love okonomiyaki with shiitake mushrooms, shrimps, nori, green onions, sesame seeds...yum yum!
#15
Chicken thighs, olive oil, lemon, butter, garlic in a pan. Add some pasta. Boom. You're a fancy chef. You want to go extra, spend the extra dollar on a shallot, or a splash of white wine. Now you're a super fancy chef.
It's really good with heavy cream added. But I just use whole milk. (Add the dairy products at the very end).
nottheactualphoto 10 months ago
That was the recipe, right there in the post.
Load More Replies... #16
Lemon possets! It’s a hit every time and so flipping easy.
WonderWoman 11 months ago
16 ounces heavy cream 3/4 cup sugar (5.25 ounces) 5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and zest about one large lemon Instructions Bring cream and sugar to boil over a medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium, and boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly, adjusting heat as needed to prevent mixture from boiling over. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and zest and let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Stir mixture again and divide among six ramekins or glasses. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill until set, 1 hour or overnight. Allow to set completely before garnishing Garnish with fresh berries or mint.
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Huddo's sister 11 months ago
Similarly, flummery was always a hit at birthday parties when I was a kid. It's just jelly (jello) mix made up but not refrigerated, mixed with evaporated milk and whipped, then refrigerated.
Stannous Flouride 11 months ago
Lemon Posset Prep Time 5 minutes mins Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients 16 ounces heavy cream 1/2 cup sugar 5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and zest about one large lemon Instructions Bring cream and sugar to boil over a medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium, and boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly, adjusting heat as needed to prevent mixture from boiling over. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and zest and let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Stir mixture again and divide among six ramekins or glasses. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill until set, 1 hour or overnight. Allow to set completely before garnishing Garnish with fresh berries or mint.
Queeqec 11 months ago
Can't see a recipe or a link to it, maybe a problem in the app? Came here for that one.
ShutUpMeg 11 months ago
Me too. I've never heard of those but they look super awesome. You can find a recipe on Pinterest!
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Kelly H. Wilder 11 months ago
Here's my favorite way to make this: https://whatagirleats.com/wprm_print/lemon-posset-3
#17
Sloppy Joe's. Lb of groud beef or w.e ground meat you have. Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste (if I have it), mustard powder, garlic, onion, paprika, pepper, salt to taste, and (for my personal preference) diced green bell pepper. May need some water to build the sauce and a bit of brown sugar. Taste your sauce and adjust as needed.
Trish Panda 11 months ago
You can even use ketchup, mustard and a bit if brown sugar with dices onions
TrippyBanana 11 months ago
Omg, that's my reddit handle. 😂 I'm so thrilled Bored Panda liked this one. ❤️
#18
Focaccia! I use this recipe and everyone is always obsessed!
WindySwede 11 months ago
OP: https://alexandracooks.com/2018/03/02/overnight-refrigerator-focaccia-best-focaccia/#tasty-recipes-52104
#19
Minestrone soup. You can get so many of the vegetables at the dollar store or a fair price at many grocery stores. I add chickpeas and cannellini beans. The special trick to give it that “hours in the kitchen” flavor is to use some Parmesan rind as the pasta is cooking in the soup. Serve with fresh parm and a crusty piece of bread.
SirWriteALot 11 months ago
don't throw your hard parmesan rind away, put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it for when you need to add it to your soup. remove before serving ;-)
Pencil 11 months ago
A few years ago I moved from NYC to the boondocks of NJ. There is literally no place within a 40 minute drive of my house where you can buy actual parmesan with an actual rind. I even asked the manager of the "fancy" cheese department at the "fancy" store. He had literally no idea what I was talking about. (Ditto pate. They all thought it was cat food.)
Load More Replies... #20
Stuffed pasta shells.
Boil shells. Stuff with ricotta. Add sauce and cheese, bake.
nottheactualphoto 10 months ago
Stuff with stuff, whatever the stuff might be.
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#21
Chicken breasts stuffed with spinach, mozzarella and sundried tomatoes. Usually served with asparagus. It’s always a hit!
Ace 11 months ago (edited)
Stuffed with red pepper pesto ("calabrese") cheddar and finely chopped pickled chilli, wrapped in prosciutto is how my wife used to make it, but honestly the choices are endless. Pan fry all sides to brown with a lot of olive oil then add white wine, turn the heat low and cover, put it in the oven if you prefer, for another ten minutes or so. You may need to whisk up escaped cheese with the oil and wine and juices in the pan to get a nice emulsified sauce.
#22
Chicken adobo. Literally throw everything (chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, coconut milk if you are down) into a pot and come back in an hour to have the most savory, tender, unctuous braise you've ever had.
WindySwede 11 months ago
Filipino Chicken Adobo? Google said not to confuse it with Mexican Adobe? Anyone knows this?
Katie Barnes 11 months ago
Both very different and both delicious in their own ways! You wouldn't want to mix the ingredients from both, though.
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#23
Making a fig jam balsamic reduction and putting it over pan fried chicken or pork with a dollop of goat cheese looks and tastes gourmet but it's fairly simple.
#24
I cheat like an expensive lawyer on mashed potatoes. Boxed ones taste absolutely amazing after I add an obscene amount of good butter, sour cream, roasted garlic and fresh parmesan cheese. I just refuse to go thru the peeling, cutting, boiling and ricing ritual when my time can be allocated elsewhere.
Meagan Glaser 11 months ago
Every time I've had someone tell me that the way they make instant potatoes is amazing and tastes just as good/better than real...they're someone who was doing a poor job of making real mashed potatoes. And has now turned their instant potatoes into a bowl of dairy.
Pencil 11 months ago
Yeah, I like to actually taste the potato part, too. I guess a lot of people don't.
Load More Replies... ADHD 11 months ago
NO NO NO JUST NO, ex chef here. DOWNVOTE THIS MUCK !!!! please ppl, be good to yourselves, use actual potatoes, only good thing instant mash is good for is a thickener and mockery lol. how is this post not last.
ADHD 11 months ago
downvote the post not my comment, i likes ma karmas lol
Load More Replies... Katie Barnes 11 months ago
I loved mashed potatoes skin on and don't find chopping and boiling them to be much work but to each their own. I have yet to find boxed potatoes that I enjoy but am not opposed to the idea!
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
When I was a kid I loved instant mash potatoes with cheese, garlic and oregano. I haven't had it since then though, probably should since my arms hurt so much when I mash them.
Joshua David 11 months ago (edited)
At 46 i now find myself going back to the peeled, cut and boil method because thats how my mom did it. When I was in my 20s 30s I was OBSESSED with instants. Everything has a time and place I guess. Sounds delicious btw.
#25
No knead bread. So easy it’s stupid. People will think you’re an amazing baker.
#26
I think Marcella Hazan's tomato pasta sauce recipe is the ultimate example of this. 1 can San Marzano tomatoes. 5 tbs butter. 1 onion. Simmer for about 45 min, then discard the onion. One of the best tomato sauces you'll ever have, only 3 ingredients, 45 min cooking time, and you don't even have to chop the onion (edit: it works best to slice the onion in half). (Edit 2: salt and pepper to taste! I don’t have measurements for salt or pepper for this but keep adding small pinches until it tastes good to you).
Auntriarch 11 months ago (edited)
Can't go wrong with Marcella Hazan. Though the recipe I have includes a carrot and you sieve or blend it.
Mark Alexander 10 months ago
I think you could cook an old shoe in 5 lbs of butter and San Marzano tomatoes and get a pretty good sauce.
Mark Alexander 10 months ago
Oops. Misread tbs. My statement still stands, tho.
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#27
Gnocchi in spinach and cream sauce.
I credit my mother with the original idea. I generally just Google a bunch of recipes and mishmash things together once I get the idea of what I'm doing lol. Gnocci is basically just cooked potatoes with flour, egg, salt, pepper and enough water untill it's workable. Roll that into tiny balls, press them with a fork, boil them to cook. Same way you would boil dumplings. here is a link to an actual recipe. this one says ricotta is optional? I probably wouldn't because I'm cheap.
Spinach cream sauce is just a bechamel sauce with spinach and parmesan added. So I would start with say 1/2 stick of butter and enough flour to make a roux. Then add your milk, probably half and half is best but what ever you have.. 9/10 I'm using whole milk cuz that is what I keep. Then melt your parmesan in untill it tastes right. If your using the canned/bottle stuff...go light... if your lucky enough to grate it fresh ( if you can, go to Costco and get a big wedge of it and leave it in your freezer tightly wrapped) use a lot. Once that is done and the sauce is the consistency you want, wilt fresh spinach into it, add the gnocci, and if your feeling froggy a little spicy spice. A touch of cayenne or any variety of paprika would probably be good, or instead a teeny tiny touch of nutmeg (really, be super careful with nutmeg..it can bite back lol ask me how I know) and pepper, always pepper.
Let that all simmer together for 10 min or so. Bam.
If you need a recipe for the sauce, Google "Alfredo" or "bechamel" recipes and go from there.
Happy cooking!
Mathew Hudnall 11 months ago
An even easier spinach sauce is to simply blend one package of fresh spinach with 3-5 cloves garlic (fresh, not that pre-peeled or pre-minced stuff), a few tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and enough pasta water to bring it to a saucy but not watery consistency. Absolutely delicious, and probably takes longer to remove the garlic skins then it does to make the sauce.
#29
Chocolate Mousse. The amount of praise it gets compared to how little effort it takes is astonishing.
Its 12-16oz of which ever chocolate you like.
4 eggs separated plus 2 more whites
Cup of heavy cream
Cup of sugar
1T vanilla
1 Melt the chocolate
2 ribbon the egg yolks with 1/4 c sugar, add the melted chocolate. Set aside
3 whip the 6 egg whites with 1/4 sugar until stiff peaks, set aside
4 whip the cream and vanilla with 1/2c sugar until stiff peaks set aside
Fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture until combined, and then repeat with the cream
Chill until set (4-6 hours minimum)
Annik Perrot 11 months ago
My recipe is much simpler. Melt 200g (7 ounces) of good dark chocolate. Separate the whites and yolks of 6 eggs. Beat the whites stiff with a pinch of salt. Mix the yolks into the melted but cooled down chocolate, and carefully fold the whites in. A few hours in the fridge and that's it. That's the way it has always been done in my family. Sugar? Butter? Cream? No need, the mousse is just perfect as it is.
Nadine Debard 11 months ago
Yes Annick, I first saw this recipe on a Nestlé dessert chocolate bar and it is fantastic (and my lactose-intolerant self is very happy with it)! I used to put 3 eggs and 200g whipped cream, it's a bit different, delicious too but more rich. No need to add sugar, indeed.
Load More Replies... Pernille 11 months ago
Adding brandy or Armagnac to the yolks and chocolate mix makes it even better.
Annik Perrot 11 months ago
Or à bit of instant coffee powder ( non-alcoholic version)
Load More Replies... Nadine Debard 11 months ago
You beat the yolks with sugar until it becomes pale and creamy, you can see that when you lift the whisk, it forms a ribbon.
Load More Replies... Jo Firth 11 months ago
Leave out all the sugar please!! This is a recipe from a 19702 cookbook here in Australia that I have requests for all the time (I take no credit - it's all the recipe's work). Melt 180gms dark choc. Allow to cool while separating 4 eggs. Lightly beat the yolks and add to the chocolate. Whip 300mls cream until soft peaks form and stir into chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites until just short of stiff and gently fold into chocolate. Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours. All this takes 15 minutes of 'food admin'. Serve with dollop (heavy) cream and a crushed flake bar (or two).
#30
Pistachio poppyseed cake.
1 box white cake mix
1 package instant pistachio pudding
1 small (1.25oz/35g) container of poppyseed
Follow the instructions on the cake mix, make in a Bundt pan. Top with powdered sugar when cool
Truly more than the sum of its parts, could not be easier. I'm a real "cook it from scratch" guy for 99% of things but this is one of the rare exceptions. People go nuts for it.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I've never seen pistachio pudding before, I'm disappointed, I don't think we have it here :(
Deeelite 11 months ago
My kitty used to love pistachio pudding. Never chocolate or vanilla
Load More Replies... Jane No Dough 11 months ago
The recipe doesn't sound like it would look at all like the photo. Love pistachio though.
Orange Panda 11 months ago
To be fair, a lot of cake mixes now have pudding in them, so they come out moister than homemade cakes do.
Load More Replies... Kelly H. Wilder 11 months ago
Pistachio pudding is the gift of the gods! I could easily eat my weight in that stuff. It als makes an excellent base for Waldorf Salad.
#31
Maybe not hours, but mussels. They're relatively inexpensive and take almost no time or effort to cook. Yet they come out delicious and seem a lot fancier than they are. Especially with people who don't eat them often.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I have two favourite recipes for mussels. I usually buy a bag of frozen ones. The first is lemon myrtle linguine with creamed mussels. I'm not sure how easy lemon myrtle is to source outside of Australia. The second is mussels in nasturtium broth, which is a little more expensive because it has saffron, but I grow nasturtiums in my garden so I guess it evens out.
WindySwede 11 months ago
Don't think I would fancy that. I assuming a strange sensory experience from the texture and so?
Jan Rosier 11 months ago
silky smooth texture, MUCH better than the snot they call oysters
Load More Replies... Nadine Debard 11 months ago (edited)
***cough cough**** shallots**cough...
Load More Replies... Jan Rosier 11 months ago
Big pot. 2 kg of mussels. Simmer some chopped onion, carrot, sellery, about 400 gr in total in a bit of oil, add some pepper and salt. Add 200 ml white wine. (or some stoch, or even just water !) Mussels on top, lid on the pot. After two minutes, take pot with lid and shake it. After about two minutes do the same again. then check if they've opened, if not one or two minutes extra might be necessary. Serve with a baguette or fries. And donot forget the musseldip : make a mix of mayo, extra musterd, dash of extra vinegar, pepper and salt, maybe some currypowder or a dash of ketchup, it needs some acidity. 2 kg per adult.
#32
Creamy lemon garlic pasta. I cook some pasta (whatever I have in the cabinet), save a bit of the water, and in a pan, melt butter and saute garlic for a minute. Then I add lemon zest, juice, heavy cream, and parmesan. Toss in the pasta, loosen it with the water, add salt and pepper. Super quick, super good.
Amanda Fondaumiere 11 months ago
If you have a chance try pasta al limone. Its heavenly and a nice change. I think kitchn has a recipe for it.
Load More Replies... #33
Chicken tacos. A Costco rotisserie chicken shredded and mixed with green chili salsa. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, cilantro, lime.
For bonus points make stock with the carcass.
#34
Pickle onions on things. For some reason people are always so impressed that I make my own pickled onions when it’s the easiest and cheapest thing to make.
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
Bring everything else to a boil then add the onion, take it off the heat and allow it to come to room temp. Store in fridge. I like to drain them so they don’t get mushy but you don’t have to.
cerinamroth 11 months ago
I love a slice of homemade bread with cheese, grilled and then topped with these! With some of my pineapple and chilli chutney too, plus a side salad. In fact, that’s what I‘m having for lunch tomorrow now!
#35
Mince and Tatties
This is my version, a one pot one, every household in Scotland has a different version and they are all universally loved. A good winter warmer and very much a Scottish comfort food.
* 2 lbs lean Mince (ground beef)
* 4 large potatoes peeled and large dice (1" size)
* 2 diced carrots (optional)
* 3 medium onions peeled and chopped
* Sprinkling of garlic powder
* 2 Tablespoons of HP sauce
* Couple of splashes Worcestershire sauce
* Salt and Pepper to taste
* 1.5 pints of beef stock, cubed, BtB or whichever. You may need more to cover the ingredients in the pot.
Brown the beef on high heat in a large pot, drain if necessary. Add sliced onions and keep the contents of the pot on the move until the onions become translucent. Add the Garlic powder some salt and pepper , HP sauce, Worcestershire sauce and the beef stock, the beef stock should cover everything in the pot. Bring to a boil and then add the diced potatoes and return to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the potatoes are done. If you prefer a thicker gravy you can use a cornstarch slurry to tighten it up. I prefer to cook the mince and tatties until the smaller pieces of potatoes begin to disintegrate. Using a large spoon mash these on the side of the pot and stir them into the gravy, this will thicken the gravy. Serve in a large bowl with buttered bread for dipping and for cleaning the bowl!
cerinamroth 11 months ago
It‘s a spiced brown sauce popular in the UK and the only thing that can bring me to tears when I get nostalgic about the place!
Load More Replies... #36
Shakshuka. It's the easiest thing to cook, especially for vegetarians. Fry onions and peppers. Add chopped tomatoes and water. Boil down and add eggs. It takes no effort and tastes amazing.
Shawn Brennan 11 months ago
You seem to have skipped over adding harissa or some other seasoning. Yours sounds awfully bland to me.
Auntriarch 11 months ago (edited)
Not if the onions are properly fried. But yes I would expect shakshuka to have some spicing.
Load More Replies... #37
French onion soup. Basically onions, beef broth, and wine. Takes about 1 1/2 hours to caramelize the onions with a bit of butter. Then drop everything in the pot. Top with bread and melted cheese.
laceybug03:
Put the onions in a rice cooker with a stick of butter. It’s delicious and done in. 30 minutes
Katie Barnes 11 months ago
Leeks in french onion soup are surprisingly delicious. Our fave recipe has leeks, yellow onions, white onions, and shallots. Probably unnecessary but we love it!
cerinamroth 11 months ago
French onion soup is my Proustian madeleine but in a hilarious way. A friend and I got stoned in her garden during exam summer while listening to Abba and eating French onion soup. Suddenly she looked at me and said: Don’t you do geography? I think you have an exam today… At which point panic set in, I checked (she was right) and the adrenaline kicked in. I ran to the school (a mile away), got there in the nick of time and wrote 3 pages about the Aswan Dam. I got an A*!
#38
Alton Brown's overnight cinnamon roll recipe is always a hit and they are leagues better than store bought. It's easy as long as you have a stand mixer.
#39
Karaage.
Chicken thighs, skin on, deboned 2-3 lbs
Marinade:
Shoyu 1/3 cup
Mirin 1/3 cup
Garlic 4 cloves, grated
Ginger 2 tbsp, grated
Potato starch 1 cup
Vegetable oil 2-3 cups
Truffle salt
Garam masala
Serve with spicy mayo and lemon wedges
Combine marinade ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, add to marinade.
Marinate for 15min up to 24 hours. I promise, 25 minutes actually works.
Preheat oil (I fry in a wok, it’s awesome).
Dredge chicken in potato starch. Fry immediately batches of 4-5 pieces until golden brown. Dry on a rack over tin foil or plate with paper towels. Dust with salt and masala as soon as the pieces are out of the oil.
Repeat until all chicken is done.
Serve with spicy mayo, lemon wedges, and a salad or rice.
#40
Riz Croquant Brûlée avec Sel de Mer.
Make a pale caramel. Remove from heat, add Rice Krispies and stir until coated. Return to heat and stir continuously until they lightly smoke. Remove to parchment or silpat and sprinkle with sea salt.
Also epic with Cocoa Krispies and some finely chopped bittersweet chocolate applied before the salt.
#41
I have no idea why people like it so much, but pasta, preferable angel hair, with butter and grated parmesan. Maybe a little parsley if we have any. It's even easier than boxed mac and cheese and every time I've ever made for it others, they've always loved it. There's never any leftovers.
#42
A good cut of steak like a fat rib eye, asparagus all on a cast iron and griddle.
Sear the steak, butter baste it with thyme and garlic.
Blister the asparagus on a griddle at high heat with the meaty oil
Takes about 10-15 minutes with cleanup included
same with chicken milanese served over arugula. Shallow fry cutlet, serve over arugala, shave some parm, give a little squirt of balsamic glaze. takes about 15 min also and looks pretty fancy.
#43
Beef mince and veggies cooked with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, sesame oil, and red wine vinegar. Throw in some noodles at the end and serve.
I like mine with a few pine nuts through it, but my family doesn't, so I put mine in at the end 😄.
#44
Want to impress your friends or family without spending hours in the kitchen? Here’s a **gourmet-looking dish** that comes together in just **20 minutes** and won’t break the bank. Prepare to be hailed as a kitchen wizard. 👨🍳✨
# What You’ll Need:
* 8 oz spaghetti (or any pasta you love)
* 1 lb shrimp (peeled & deveined)
* 3 tbsp butter (the secret to richness 😋)
* 4 garlic cloves (minced – garlic makes everything better)
* 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, but a little spice never hurt anyone)
* 1/4 cup chicken broth (or white wine for extra fancy vibes 🍷)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream (hello, creaminess)
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (for that perfect cheesy finish)
* Fresh parsley (for the Instagram-worthy garnish 🌿)
* Salt and pepper (to taste)
* Lemon wedges (totally optional, but highly recommended for freshness 🍋)
# Steps:
1. **Boil the Pasta:** Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Save a cup of pasta water – trust me, you’ll want it for the sauce.
2. **Sauté the Shrimp:** In a pan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat, throw in the shrimp, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side (until pink). Remove and set aside – shrimp doesn’t take long!
3. **Make the Magic Sauce:** In the same pan, melt the remaining butter, add minced garlic, and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add red pepper flakes if you want a kick. Then pour in chicken broth (or wine, if you’re feeling bougie), let it reduce a bit.
4. **Creamy Goodness:** Stir in heavy cream, let it simmer for 3 minutes until thickened. Add in that Parmesan and stir until creamy.
5. **Combine Everything:** Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce, adding some reserved pasta water if it’s too thick. Mix in the shrimp and give it a good toss to coat everything in that creamy, garlic-butter goodness.
6. **Garnish & Serve:** Sprinkle with parsley, add a squeeze of lemon, and boom – you’re done!
WindySwede 11 months ago
Had this recent, but oil jo butter. And 3 tsb of choliflakes! Jo wonder it was spicy! 😮🤯
SirWriteALot 11 months ago
Sorry, if the ingredients list contains "spaghetti" it is not "gourmet". That's home food :-)
Upstaged75 11 months ago
Read it again. It says you can use any type of pasta. It's not like they're recommending Chef Boyardee from a can.
Load More Replies...
#45
My homemade pizza, it just takes a few minutes to make the dough, have wine with the company while it rises, 20 minutes prep and about 10 minutes to cook. While the dough is rising I throw together an Italian salad.
I've done it so many times that I just throw it together and it always comes out perfect.
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 Cup warm water
2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 TBSP honey
2 tsp salt
Olive oil
Optional: sprinkle of oregano
The secret here is that moisture content of flour varies from climate to climate. I mix this in a food processor with a dough blade. I usually have to drizzle extra water to get the dough just right. I let it rise about an hour, sometimes I do it the day before and refrigerate.
This will make one large pizza. You might want to google pizza dough to get more exact measurements.
Bon Appetit
#46
Roasted chicken is my #1. I dry brine for 48 hours, then season with fresh herbs, butter. Stuff with garlic, shallot, and lemon, and roast. It is so easy, but people love it.
Ace 11 months ago
Two days? You are kidding, right? No way do you need to brine it for two whole days. In fact you don't need to brine it at all, but even if you want to it should not be for anything like that time.
hillybilly gourdess 11 months ago
It's a dry brine vs a wet brine. Seasonings probably help to pull out some moisture which results in an incredible tasty and crispy skin. You should try it before you discount it as ridiculous
Load More Replies... #47
Ratatouille. I priced it out last time I made it, was like $5.50 to serve two people.
Besides being delicious, it also has that unique property of looking better and better each time you make it, so you can really get snazzy playing it up for company because it’s so cheap to practice making!
SirWriteALot 11 months ago
I made it the way Remy does in "Ratatouille" and it was NOT low effort. but good.
Nadine Debard 11 months ago
The way Remi does is a tian, not a ratatouille. Ratatouille is a delicious mess fried in olive oil.
Load More Replies... Ace 11 months ago
One of my personal pet hates. It's a texture thing, but courgettes and aubergines both repel me when cooked in that way. (Sorry, that's zucchini and egg-plant for our American cousins).
Nadine Debard 11 months ago
They need to be fried separately, not boiled in an awful mess like 90% of people do (including me when I'm tired). So the real texture isn't like a sponge soaked in dish soap.
Load More Replies... #48
America's test kitchen low fat stove top macaroni and cheese. I mess around with different kinds of cheeses but it always turns out great.
Jane No Dough 11 months ago
If it's not baked with a crispy crust I'll pass on mac n cheese. Buttery breadcrumb topped is the best though!
Katie Barnes 11 months ago
We don't pay for many websites but the ATK subscription is worth it, IMO! A bit too much sugar in many recipes for American tastes but other than that they're super reliable.
#49
Beef tips with gravy
Not too expensive steak, grilled, sliced; then tossed with some quickly sauteed sliced bell peppers and onions. Served on a bed of rice pilaf and smothered in a decent amount of mushroom gravy.
Usually takes about 30-40 minutes to prepare, but feels like a restaurant quality meal.
#50
Mocha brownies. Make with Ghiradelli dark chocolate brownie mix but substitute water with coffee instead. Bake and pull out 5-10 minutes before recommended time for extra fudgy texture. Has to be the ghiradelli dark chocolate mix though, the others don’t taste the same.
Jane No Dough 11 months ago
I love switching my extra dark coffee for the water in any chocolate baking recipe!
#51
Sushi. You can spring for actual sashimi to make it really fancy, but it's basically rice with a sprinkling of other bits.
Krabmeat, canned tuna, shrimp, avocado, cream cheese are all pretty cheap, and that's only the stuff that I came up with in 30 seconds.
You can make it in different shapes or forms, present it all on fancy plates, and it can look like you catered.
And besides cooking the rice, it's not much harder than making s sandwich.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I love making my own because I can't eat avocado or cucumber (among other things) which is in most of the store-bought ones I like.
#52
Mushroom soup
Clean your mushrooms, add a good 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil into your Dutch oven, rough chop your mushrooms, add the mushrooms to the pot and sauce on medium heat until the mushrooms’ liquid is dispensed.
Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
Add 3-5 tablespoons of butter (your choice), add minced garlic, make a roux, add beef broth…or add a cornstarch slurry once the beef broth has heated up to thicken the soup.
The last minute is to blend the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender. I also add heavy cream and heat up the soup again but it’s not needed.
#53
Pork belly in a clay pot. It takes a while, but you don't have to stir it and the ingredients are easy.
Line the pot with green onion, throw like 4-6 slices of galangal or ginger on top, put chunks of pork belly on top. Then top it with 2 cups of Shaoxing or sherry, 1/3-1/4 cup of light soy sauce, an optional few tablespoons of dark soy sauce, and a few chunks of rock sugar or a tablespoon or two of whatever sugar. Doesn't need to be stirred. Bring to a boil and reduce to low. Cook it for an hour and a half on the stove, check how far along the pork belly is. I usually need about 30 minutes more, but it depends on the size of the pork belly and your heat.
#54
Cheater's baklava. I use puff pastry instead and it takes way less time. I still butter each sheet, layer nuts, and so on. They're also good made into pinwheels.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I think I will try this, I haven't been able to find any gluten free filo pastry.
#55
I am always surprised by how impressed people are with bread. For parties and potlucks I usually make the Dutch oven no knead bread, then hollow out part of the loaf and fill it with Alton Brown’s scratch made onion dip. (Except being a southerner I fry them onions in bacon grease!) I put the bread I hollowed out on the side, along with some chips and veg and people act like I made a miracle.
#56
The miso black cod made famous at Nobu has to be the easiest high-end restaurant dish to replicate at home.
Mix white miso, sake, mirin (and/or sugar), oil, and soy sauce. Marinate black cod fillets or Chilean sea bass in this for, oh, 30 minutes to 2 day, doesn't matter. Broil them, skin side down until the edges start to singe/burn, 5 to 10 minutes. Check for any pin bones, they'll pull right out. Serve.
It takes 2 minutes of active work.
#57
Stovetop Stuffing.
#58
Chicken Piccata with spaghetti noodles - it is amazing and seems fancy but it is super quick and easy and all it needs with it is a salad and some garlic bread!
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
The first meal I cooked on my own that I was really proud of. Great comfort food too, though I have it with mashed potatoes instead of pasta.
#59
Salsa chicken. Throw chicken breasts and salsa in a slow cooker. That's it. Fancy it up by adding some onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper. Serve over rice. If you want to seem like a real pro, garnish with cilantro, add a dollup of sour cream, and shredded cheese. Crack open canned corn/black beans.
I'm from Canada and somehow impressed people in Texas with this and now it's a staple. I'm still confused.
WindySwede 11 months ago
Feels little bit like "Stone Soup"? "All you need is,but for good taste als these things" or am i just really tired 🙃
Ace 11 months ago
I hear you. And are we to assume that "salsa" is just some generic tomato sauce out of a jar? If so then how can you claim it as a recipe? Take some chicken, add it to a pre-made sauce, throw in some extra seasonings, is no more a recipe than the cake mix one above.
Load More Replies... #60
Shrimp Ettoufee. Hardest part is making the roux, you can easily whip it up and as long as shrimp isn't too expensive where you are it's a pretty cheap meal.
#62
America's Test Kitchen's instant mashed potato gnocchi. It's so good! It takes about 20 minutes to make start to eating. Crazy easy! The texture is fantastic. It's not gummy at all. It's not only delicious, but it turns out so very pretty. With a quick marinara or pesto. People really do think you busted out the cooking skills even though you didn't. At all. I 100% recommend it.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
I love gnocchi so much I have three different recipes for it! The easiest is actually a potato free one, made with yoghurt, egg, parmesan and flour.
#63
Boeuf bourguignon with egg noodles and some nice crusty bread. For some reason everyone goes ohh French and are impressed. I’m like it’s a quick and easy beef stew.
Lee Gilliland 11 months ago
Definitely needs an overnight, I don't touch mine until the second day.
Load More Replies... Ace 11 months ago
Your quick and easy beef stew may be very nice, but proper bourguignon takes time.
Nadine Debard 11 months ago
And a good French wine from Bourgogne if you want the genuine one.
Load More Replies... #64
My families Spanish bean soup
There are no measurements the recipie is that old in our family
So you take a soup pot of whatever size you like and fill it half full of water, pop in a smoked ham hock or smoked neckbones, salt, pepper, minced onion, minced garlic (or garlic powder) and saffron
(Frugal tip here. I use the Spanish spice Sazon, the original one con saffron, just one packet does the whole soup pot)
Let that come to a simmer and get a little fragrant
Then you toss in 2 cans or 16oz of garbanzo beans, about 4 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly choppd to a little larger than bite size (too small and they'll fall apart)
Bring it back to a low boil and add in about 3/4s of a pack of pepperoni and continue to boil until the potatoes are fork tender
Best served with a loaf of Cuban bread or French bread, something crusty.
#65
Mississippi pot roast over some rice from the rice cooker. Literally the easiest meal to make, but everybody I have made it for goes crazy over it. I'm surprised that not many people I meet seem to even know about it.
Auntriarch 11 months ago
My friend gave me her recipe for this, good to be reminded, I think I'll make it on Sunday when my other friend comes for lunch (she's only an hour's drive away, the giver of the recipe is a plane journey away, when shall we three meet again...)
#66
Sour cream cheesecake. I think a springform or Bundt pan seems bougie to some people.
#67
Put a piece of steelhead trout. Cover it in butter garlic and parsley. Wrap it in foil, oven, yum.
#69
Arrabbiata sauce is so easy, cheap and impressive: My version is EVOO with red pepper flakes, garlic and onion; add a protein (chicken, ground beef/turkey), then once cooked add a can of San Marzano tomatoes and smush them up. Cook it for 30 mins, adding pasta water and red wine as you’d like as well as seasoning with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Add veggie of choice (I like broccoli rabe or kale), optional cannellini beans. Finish your very al dente paste in the sauce with a little more pasta water.
#70
My mom always called them "souperburgers" - 1 lb ground beef, 1 can of Campbell's French onion soup, couple spoons of flour, buns.
Brown the beef. Drain. Add 1 can of Campbell's French Onion Soup per pound of beef. Let simmer a few minutes. Add flour and stir a spoonful at a time until it's sloppy Joe consistency - not too thick, but just thick enough to stay on a bun.
Spoon onto bun. Eat. Go back for more.
You can add cheese or other toppings, but everyone I've ever made them for prefered them plain and loved it.
ShortAttnSpanTheatre 11 months ago
This sounds amazing! Like grown-up sloppy joes. I'm going to try them open-faced, then under the broiler with some white cheese...
#71
I usually make this in the crockpot but you could do it on the stove. Cooked shredded chicken, lg can enchilada sauce ( I always use green), 8oz block cream cheese, can of drained black beans and a can of corn. Put it all in a pan and heat till cream cheese is mixed in. You can use either corn or flour tortillas, or even with tortilla chips and some cheddar cheese.
ShortAttnSpanTheatre 11 months ago
I made this tonight with what I had in the pantry. Family loved it! Two had it on tortillas. One person sat down with a bowl of it and a dollop of sour cream. Thanks!
#72
I make a MEAN pork chop, but either feeling or sous vide it's quite simple, and sure to impress because nearly nobody eats proper pork. A nice blushing pink is what you want, or 145°. The USDA reccos changed at some point, but I feel like nobody has updated their priors and overcooks them. Many great restaurants still overcook a pork chop; I've had to just stop ordering them out.
Season liberally with salt (dry brine) 30 min - 4 hours, add pepper and a sh*tload of paprika, reverse sear or sous vide or however you best like to cook a steak to 140, let rest for 5 minutes to temp up to 145. Serve.
Edit: and buy the thickest chops you can find. 1-1.5 in thick is best.
#73
Haha all these recipes calling for mixing bowls and cutting boards and my favorite easy recipe is basically straight off the shelves.
Okay take a crockpot and fill it with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Mix together a can of whole cranberry sauce and a packet of onion soup mix. Dump over the chicken and let the crockpot do its thing.
Hours later you’ll have fall-apart thighs in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. Great over rice or mashed potatoes. Don’t even need to stir it too much bc it’s great when the thighs remain intact enough to fall apart on your plate.
Most people are surprised to learn it has cranberry after tasting it. Some versions of this recipe include adding some Catalina or Russian dressing in at the end to thicken up the sauce a bit, but I prefer to use just a little bit of cornstarch. .
#74
Chicken thighs with skin on the bone. Pre heat oven 400: Season both sides with salt/pepper, Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning, garlic powder, a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Heat Dutch oven to low medium heat with a bit of oil (I use olive oil). Cook skin down 9-10 minutes. Turn and cook 9-10 minutes. Turn skin side up and cook uncovered in oven 9-10 minutes. Temp should be >165 in the middle. Let sit lightly covered with foil x 5-7 minutes.
Serve with potato or pasta, salad, veg and you will gets lots of compliments. Make bone broth and then put any leftover starch and veg in broth, season and you have soup the next day.
#75
1 lb shrimp, 1 red bell, 1 can of Italian spiced diced tomatoes, 1 large or two small limes, shreaded parmesan or romano cheese.
dice the pepper and cook leaving a little firmness. cook the shrimp using half of the lime juice. add back in the peppers. add the tomatoes. heat until warm. serve squeezing lime onto each plate. top with cheese.
this makes enough for 2-3 people when served with garlic bread.
*edit to add: I know shrimp isn't typically concidered cheap, but if you can find it on sale... you can make this dish for under $20 and even $15.
#76
Not as cheap as pasta… but I get a lot of bang for my buck with salmon. I buy a side of salmon at Aldi for about $15-18 I cut it into smaller pieces to fit on my air fryer pan. Skin side down, drizzled with olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice S&P and garlic. 10 minutes at ~325°, flip it, remove skin and cook it another 3-5 minutes depending on thickness. I serve this on a salad made with romaine, cuke, tomato, something briny (pickled beets, pickled red onion), something sharp (blue or goat cheese), something salty/crunchy (sunflower seeds, almonds, croutons, tortilla strips) and something starchy (sweet potato, farrow, barley).
#77
NY Times Bread Pudding recipe!
Instead of milk use heavy whipping cream and add a teaspoon of almond extract to the vanilla extract.
For topping: whip cream & lightly mashed strawberries and a drizzle of honey, with a little sugar and fresh lemon juice.
#78
Preserved lemons are ridiculously easy and extremely tasty.
Wash and cut several whole lemons in quarters, dump a tablespoon of salt over each (whole) lemon. Stack in a jar and press down with a weight. Should submerge in its own juice, but if it doesn't just add lemon juice till it does.
Put in the back of the fridge and ignore. Then when you make any fish dish or other savory thing that could use lemon, take some, wash and slice in thin strips. Maybe remove the pulp, to cut back on salt.
Perfect with all kinds of dishes. One of my favourites is with charred napa cabbage. (Also very easy, cut in eight parts lengthwise, put in pan and char on all sides.)
#79
Pork Green Chili Soup. Pour 1 Large 28 oz can of Green Enchilada Sauce, a whole carton of chicken stock, a can of beans (your preference), a can of corn, 3.5 oz can of green chilis, a can of Rotel, into a Crock Pot/Slow Cooker. The only real hassle is searing off a few bone in pork chops before adding to slow cooker and dicing up 1 small onion in the pork drippings, deglaze your pan with either white wine or reserved chicken stock and then add onions along with how ever many cloves of garlic (I add in like 10 cloves, but not necessary) into slow cooker. If you want your soup more like a stew/chowder… while cooking your onions add in two tablespoons of corn flour and cook off the raw flour taste in the onions. Add a couple diced potatoes right before you set your slow cooker on low for at least 4 hrs. Serve with warm tortillas and a dollop of sour cream or Creme Mexicana (Creme Fraiche) and cilantro.
#80
Jazzed up boxed jambalaya.
- Spring for anduille sausage. It's only a little more than hilshire farms or whatever. Slice it thin.
- Slice up some chicken thinly, I also like to slice up a pork chop if I have one in the freezer.
- Dice up onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, maybe some serrano and lots of garlic for a "trinity"
- Slice up a few mushrooms if you have them on hand
- Brown the ingredients in the pan. Sausage first then remove to plate. Chicken and pork, remove to plate. Then trinity, also remove to plate. Finally get the mushrooms nice and golden. If there's not enough fat in the pan to saute them nicely, add a bit of lard.
- Once all the ingredients are browned and remove to a plate, take the rice mix from the box and toast it in the fats and oil in the pan. Let it get a bit toasty. Turn on the fan. It will aerosolize and napalm your kitchen a little.
- Now add all your ingredients back to the pan.
- Use chicken stock instead of water, and use slightly less (like 1/4 cup less) than the amount suggested on the box's directions
- Spice it up. I like to add additional paprika, thyme, cajun seasoning, cayenne and a couple splashes of hot sauce.
- Bring to boil. Cover. Reduce to low simmer (2nd setting on my stovetop) and leave it alone for 25 minutes.
Way more delicious than typical, no one will ever guess it came from a box because of the fresh ingredients, but it's so easy to get it perfect every time and none of the ingredients are too costly. One box plus a package of anduille and chicken should easily feed 4. Two boxes plus two packages of anduille will feed a small army.
#82
Roasted red pepper Caesar salad
Ultimately grill and roast a red pepper
Steam in a bag for 15 by wrapping it in a bag
Puree ib kayo, garlic and parm.
#83
Sour cream coconut cake
It’s yellow or white cake with a frosting made from sour cream, granulated sugar, and coconut (frozen grated if possible or unsweetened dried coconut works fine too). You can make the cake from a mix or from scratch.
2 cups sour cream
2 cups granulated sugar (I’ve also used artificial granulated sweetener)
12-14 oz frozen grated coconut or 2 cups of dried coconut
A couple pinches of salt to taste
If you have it, a teaspoon of coconut extract is good too
If you want an impressive cake make a 2 layer cake and slice the layers in half horizontally when cool. Put the frosting between the layers and on top. Refrigerate the cake for a couple days. It’s better if you let the frosting soak into the cake, but it’s amazing served the same day. I’ve done both. Or you can put this frosting on a rectangular cake.
Mix up the frosting first and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. The granulated sugar will start dissolving quickly if you stir it a bit, so if you’re using it the same day, give the sugar and sour cream a good mixing then fold in the coconut.
When my mom made this for Christmas, she would put the cake in a sealed Tupperware cake carrier and keep it on the back porch when the weather was under 40F. Right before serving she’d decorate the top with drained and dried off maraschino cherries. She made it every year because we and the extended family would go feral if she didn’t.
People won’t believe how easy this cake is.
I even make a single serving by mixing a little cake mix with water until it looks like cake batter and then cooking it in the microwave. I add equal parts sour cream and sugar (or a little less) and a dash of salt to a small bowl then add some dried coconut and a tiny bit of coconut extract. I’m craving it right now. I have used Xylitol and Swerve instead of sugar, and I couldn’t tell a difference. I’m going to make this for Christmas this year with the sugar free frosting because most of us are watching our sugar intake.
Powdered sugar will clump up in this unless you sift the sugar through a fine mesh strainer or flour sifter and will taste different because of the corn starch. I’m not sure how it would work and what consistency it would wind up being.
I’ve never used a chocolate cake, but it would be really delicious. Pan roast some almonds in a little coconut oil (that’s what Hershey’s does) to make an Almond Joy cake. I love chocolate, but this cake was such a big part of my childhood that I only make it with yellow/white cake because it’s edible nostalgia.
The white cake is really beautiful with the white frosting, but they also leave you with leftover egg yolks to use up. Yolks make white cake look yellow, so they only call for whites.
This recipe would also be really good as cake pops or little bon bons.
Tip for making cake mix taste like homemade: use melted butter instead of oil. Milk instead of water gives the cake a tender crumb as well, but I do not do that when I need to cut a cake mix cake into horizontal layers. Cake mixes are designed to be pretty error proof, so they are nice and moist.
Do be careful not to mix in the eggs with hot/warm butter because they will start to cook. I have mixed the butter into the mix then added the eggs because the mix cools the butter off. Or you can put the container you used to melt the butter into a bowl of cool water. Butter often pops in the microwave so you might want to cover the container. I usually use a Pyrex measuring cup which I then use to measure the water or milk.
#84
Baby shower meatballs, it’s frozen beef meatballs, grape jelly and bbq sauce. I sauté a little chopped onion with the meatballs before adding the sauces. Cooks in 20 mins. It’s always the first pan empty at parties lol.
WindySwede 11 months ago
Only served when someone got "pergnant"? 🙃🤷♂️ (even thou I will not be able to see any responses to this, both because of this will be behind premium wall, as well as BP have taken away the notifications..? 🤔🤦♂️
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#85
Drunk Chicken.
Brown chicken thighs in a skillet until mostly done. Meanwhile, make a batch of rice. Make a layer of the rice in a casserole dish, layer the thighs on top of the rice. Mix one can each of cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, and cream of celery condensed soups with one of those cans full of wine, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rice. Bake for about 10 minutes, until heated through, and serve.
ShortAttnSpanTheatre 11 months ago
why not? looks like my mom's chicken in wine sauce, a family fave!
Load More Replies... #86
Not a recipe, but there's almost nothing that Tony Chacheries spice mix doesn't improve greatly. If any recipe is missing "something", throw some in, bam, it's good now.
Seriously.
What do you think ?
Pencil 11 months ago
Easy for kids to make and everyone loves to eat: individual cookie cakes: Store bought soft chocolate cookies. Frost the top of one with fresh whipped cream. Add a layer of raspberry preserves on top. Take another cookie and frost the top and bottom. More raspberry on top. Stack it on top of the first cookie. Third cookie gets frosted but no raspberry then stacked. Frost the whole thing in a thick layer of whipped cream. Turn a bowl over the finished cake to cover it and stick it in the fridge for at least three hours. If you use crispy cookies, let the cakes refrigerate overnight to soften them to cake texture completely. Of course you can sub out different kinds of cookies and fillings and top the berries or decorate as you please.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
Given it's just past Christmas, a time when I have to make even more adjustments to recipes for my allergies and intollerances, a favourite easy cheap recipe I love is Low FODMAP stuffing. Although I don't know if I should be called stuffing when the original recipe is baked separate to the meat. 472582815_...27b1c8.jpg 
Otto Katz 11 months ago
Thank you! I'm going to try this, going to use chicken stock instead of the water, I found one that has no onion. I'll chop up some celery too. and maybe add an apple. I love stuffing.
Load More Replies...
Koalalover 11 months ago
I know that cheese is great (grate?!) But as someone with an intolerance to everything dairy and milk protein I am disappointed by the dairy/cheese majority not recipes here 😒
Pharmtechgurl 11 months ago
I think I'm sad because the link for the other 56 recipes doesn't work
Pencil 11 months ago (edited)
A *very* easy variation of carbonara: Saute some diced pancetta. Remove it from the pan. Add frozen peas to the pancetta fat in the pan and heat through. (Add a little butter or olive oil if needed.) Add heavy cream and season with white pepper (or black) and simmer for a bit. Add the cooked pasta (usually penne or rigatoni) and return the pancetta. Remove from heat. Stir in a bit of parmesan. I don't season with any salt because the pancetta and parmesan have enough of their own. But that's it. As hearty and satisfying as traditional carbonara but much easier to make.
Bartlet for world domination 11 months ago
I cook the pasta in the sauce for the last 2 minutes of its cooking time, so it gets absorbed a bit more. Delicious!
Load More Replies...
Ivan Jason 4 months ago
Goat Milk Glazed Donut Yumz Yellow Zkittles ELITES SWITCH - 1G DISTILLATE DUAL CHAMBER DISPOSABLE VAPES DOPE 1g VAPES EXPENSIVE S**T 1g VAPES CALI COMPANY 1g VAPES GASSED UP 2g VAPES 1000MG puff bars <ahref="https://flowerloungeuk.com/product/ge
Kin Jake 4 months ago
Magic Beanz MDMA pills NL pills white MDMA Mitsubaihi Pink/Yellow Barcelona Netflix 230mg LIDL XTC tabs (200 - 220mg) OxyContin 80mg Angry Birds 160mg F**K YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY Tramadol 200mg Pregabalin Dr. Reddys 300mg Hard Capsules <ahref="https://pharmacy4us.com/product/mirtazapine-45mg/
sweet emotion 10 months ago
My easiest comfort meal - roasted chicken from the deli, shredded. One jar (NOT a can) of chicken gravy. One package of bake'n'serve rolls or biscuits. Heat the gravy, add the chicken and maybe a little milk/salt/sage, serve over warm biscuits.
Pencil 11 months ago
Easy for kids to make and everyone loves to eat: individual cookie cakes: Store bought soft chocolate cookies. Frost the top of one with fresh whipped cream. Add a layer of raspberry preserves on top. Take another cookie and frost the top and bottom. More raspberry on top. Stack it on top of the first cookie. Third cookie gets frosted but no raspberry then stacked. Frost the whole thing in a thick layer of whipped cream. Turn a bowl over the finished cake to cover it and stick it in the fridge for at least three hours. If you use crispy cookies, let the cakes refrigerate overnight to soften them to cake texture completely. Of course you can sub out different kinds of cookies and fillings and top the berries or decorate as you please.
Huddo's sister 11 months ago
Given it's just past Christmas, a time when I have to make even more adjustments to recipes for my allergies and intollerances, a favourite easy cheap recipe I love is Low FODMAP stuffing. Although I don't know if I should be called stuffing when the original recipe is baked separate to the meat. 472582815_...27b1c8.jpg
Otto Katz 11 months ago
Thank you! I'm going to try this, going to use chicken stock instead of the water, I found one that has no onion. I'll chop up some celery too. and maybe add an apple. I love stuffing.
Load More Replies... Koalalover 11 months ago
I know that cheese is great (grate?!) But as someone with an intolerance to everything dairy and milk protein I am disappointed by the dairy/cheese majority not recipes here 😒
Pharmtechgurl 11 months ago
I think I'm sad because the link for the other 56 recipes doesn't work
Pencil 11 months ago (edited)
A *very* easy variation of carbonara: Saute some diced pancetta. Remove it from the pan. Add frozen peas to the pancetta fat in the pan and heat through. (Add a little butter or olive oil if needed.) Add heavy cream and season with white pepper (or black) and simmer for a bit. Add the cooked pasta (usually penne or rigatoni) and return the pancetta. Remove from heat. Stir in a bit of parmesan. I don't season with any salt because the pancetta and parmesan have enough of their own. But that's it. As hearty and satisfying as traditional carbonara but much easier to make.
Bartlet for world domination 11 months ago
I cook the pasta in the sauce for the last 2 minutes of its cooking time, so it gets absorbed a bit more. Delicious!
Load More Replies... Ivan Jason 4 months ago
Goat Milk Glazed Donut Yumz Yellow Zkittles ELITES SWITCH - 1G DISTILLATE DUAL CHAMBER DISPOSABLE VAPES DOPE 1g VAPES EXPENSIVE S**T 1g VAPES CALI COMPANY 1g VAPES GASSED UP 2g VAPES 1000MG puff bars <ahref="https://flowerloungeuk.com/product/ge
Kin Jake 4 months ago
Magic Beanz MDMA pills NL pills white MDMA Mitsubaihi Pink/Yellow Barcelona Netflix 230mg LIDL XTC tabs (200 - 220mg) OxyContin 80mg Angry Birds 160mg F**K YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY Tramadol 200mg Pregabalin Dr. Reddys 300mg Hard Capsules <ahref="https://pharmacy4us.com/product/mirtazapine-45mg/
sweet emotion 10 months ago
My easiest comfort meal - roasted chicken from the deli, shredded. One jar (NOT a can) of chicken gravy. One package of bake'n'serve rolls or biscuits. Heat the gravy, add the chicken and maybe a little milk/salt/sage, serve over warm biscuits.
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