Tag: Easy Dinner

Quick Potatoes and Kielbasa

This comes from Grandma Marilyn Mitchell, and Jeff says they had this quite a bit growing up. They mostly just had potatoes with kielbasa, but the recipe says you can add vegetables as desired, so I added green beans for more fiber. FYI, the recipe calls for 1 lb. of kielbasa, but the package I bought was only 12 oz., and it definitely could’ve used more. So next time, I’ll just buy two packages and use it all so it’s extra meaty.

And this one is naturally gluten free as long as your kielbasa is gluten free, which most are. 

Quick Potatoes and Kielbasa

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Easy and great with ketchup.

Ingredients

  • A few tablespoons Olive Oil

  • 1 (32 oz.) bag Frozen Diced Potatoes

  • 1/2 tsp. Salt

  • 1/2 tsp. Pepper

  • 1 lb. fully cooked Kielbasa, sliced

  • (Optional: Bag of frozen vegetables)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet, add potatoes, and brown slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and add kielbasa (and vegetables as desired), stirring well. Top with sour cream, salsa, or ketchup.

 


 

Hamburger Gravy

Jeff LOVES this meal and says he could eat it every fast Sunday after 24 hours of eating nothing. Jeff’s family used to have hamburger gravy pretty often when they were growing up. And they usually used 1 lb. of beef for their 8+ member family. But we like it very beefy and Jeff loves the leftovers, so we usually do 2 lbs. of beef and use a 5 lb. bag of potatoes to make mashed potatoes. It’s also very easy if you have pot roast gravy in your freezer, which we usually do. I just microwave it for several minutes to thaw before adding it to the beef.

If you’re making it gluten free, just make sure that your gravy is gluten free. I usually make gravy from pot roast broth or beef broth and thicken it with cornstarch.

Make it a meal with:

Hamburger Gravy

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy
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Easy and hearty–serve with mashed potatoes and corn.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. Ground Beef
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1-2 jars Beef Gravy (like this) or 1 container thawed homemade pot roast gravy from freezer (size can vary based on how much liquid you want–we often freeze a Cool Whip container full)
  • (Serve with mashed potatoes and corn)

Directions

In a large deep skillet, brown the beef and add salt and pepper to taste. Add gravy and warm through. Serve with mashed potatoes and corn.


Easy Chicken Parmesan

This comes from a recipe book that Jeff’s Mom put together, so I like to think of it as Grandma Marilyn Mitchell’s recipe–except I may have added a little more parmesan cheese. I love it so much. It’s easy, we basically always have the ingredients, it’s delicious, and it’s healthier than breaded chicken parmesan. In fact, I even prefer the flavor to breaded chicken parmesan. Also, this calls for parmesan cheese–don’t bother with the fancy shredded kind. The regular powdered Kraft kind works great.

Depending how thick the chicken is, if it’s still slightly frozen when you put it in the oven, or if you have lots of chicken in the pan, it generally takes 40-55 minutes. So of course check for doneness by checking for an internal temperature of 165°.

And luckily this one is naturally gluten free. I’ve also made it with dairy-free cheese instead of mozzarella on top, and it’s still delicious.

Make it a meal with:

  • Pasta
  • Corn or Green Beans
  • Garlic Bread

Easy Chicken Parmesan

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Great for weeknight meals or special occasions.

Ingredients

  • 1 jar Pasta Sauce
  • 1/2 c. + Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 3 Chicken Breasts, cut in half to make 6 (about 1 1/2 lb.)
  • 1 1/2. c. Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

Pour sauce into a greased 9×13″ pan. Stir in 6 Tbsp. parmesan cheese. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Add the chicken to the sauce and turn over to coat both sides. Top with mozzarella and remaining parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 40-55 minutes or until the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165° and the cheese is melted and slightly brown. Serve over pasta.


Steaks

Of course the real answer when cooking steaks is to cook them until their internal temperature reaches your target temperature (like 135 for medium rare because the temperature will raise another 5-10 degrees as it sits). We’ve tried marinating steaks, but really when you have good beef, you don’t want the amazing beef flavor being overwhelmed by marinade. Save the marinade for a cheap cut of beef, and just stick with Canadian steak seasoning.

And of course these are naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Steaks

  • Servings: varies
  • Difficulty: easy
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Nice and simple.

Ingredients

  • Beef or pork steaks (almost any variety)
  • Canadian steak seasoning

Directions

Preheat the grill on medium high. For diamond pattern, grill 2 minutes, then turn 45 degrees. Then grill 2 more minutes and flip over. Do the same thing on the other side–grill 2 minutes, then turn 45 degrees and grill 2 more minutes. The target temperature for medium rare for beef is 135, and pork should reach 145. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.


Sandwiches

Haha, you’re probably thinking, “Uh, a recipe for sandwiches? Those are like the easiest thing in the world to make. Why on earth would you need a recipe?” Haha. They’re definitely easy, and you’ll notice these don’t have any measurements–this is mostly for meal planning purposes. If I’m going to head out grocery shopping, I love to look at recipes to see what ingredients I need before shopping.

If you’re making these gluten free, of course make sure to use gluten free bread. You’ll probably want to warm up the bread or toast it because room temperature gluten free bread is rather like eating a dry kitchen sponge. Haha. And of course be sure to use a new container of mayo or one dedicated to be gluten free, so you don’t end up with bread crumbs from previous sandwiches. Of course you can use au jus instead of beef broth for the French dip, but most au jus has wheat in it–so stick to beef broth if you want it gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

  • Chips
  • Grapes
  • Baby Carrots

Sandwiches

  • Servings: varies
  • Difficulty: easy
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This is just a quick reference, without very specific measurements.

Ingredients

Egg Salad Sandwiches

  • Mayo (dedicated gluten free), Hard-Boiled Eggs, Salt, Pepper

Tuna Sandwiches

  • Mayo (dedicated gluten free), Tuna, Sweet Relish (be careful it hasn’t been contaminated with gluten)

For toasted tuna, heat skillet and brush surface with butter right before placing sandwich in spot.

French Dip Sandwiches

  • 2 lbs. thinly sliced Roast Beef
  • ½ lb. sliced Mozzarella
  • 6-8 square Ciabatta Rolls or high quality sliced bread (or gluten free bread)
  • 32 oz. box Beef Broth

Directions

For French dip, heat broth, then add beef. Place cheese on each half of bread and place under broiler to melt. Serve with bowl of broth as au jus.


Scrambled Pancakes

I suppose this is a lot like German Pancakes or something similar, but we always called them scrambled pancakes. Maybe because they’re made in a skillet like scrambled eggs or something. They’re more dense than fluffy pancakes, but they’re still delicious. I remember my dad always ate these with Worcestershire sauce for some reason, but everyone else ate scrambled pancakes with syrup.

If you’re making these gluten free, just switch out cup for cup flour for the regular. It turns out amazing! The picture for the recipe was made gluten free. Remember, when measuring gluten free flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level off with a knife. FYI, I only used 5 eggs the last time I made scrambled pancakes because it looked the right consistency–and it was wonderful.

Make it a meal with:

  • Sausage or Bacon
  • Berries
  • Juice

Scrambled Pancakes

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
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A great breakfast, if you’re looking for a departure from regular pancakes.

Ingredients

  • 6 Eggs (or 5 if making gluten free)
  • 1 ½ c. Flour (or gluten free flour with xanthan gum)
  • 1 ½ c. Milk
  • 2 Tbsp. Sugar (heaping)
  • 1 tsp. Salt (heaping)
  • 1/4 c. Butter

Directions

Whisk together eggs, flour, milk, sugar, and salt (can be lumpy). Melt butter in electric skillet heated to 350° (or heat a large, deep frying pan on medium-high heat if you want thicker pancakes). Then pour in batter. When the batter is getting more solid around the edges and slightly brown on the bottom, they’re ready to flip (this can be a little messy sometimes). Cut pancakes in 4 with spatula before flipping. Cook until golden brown.


Salmon (pan seared)

Pan-seared salmon is great if you’d like a little bit of crust on your salmon or if you’re trying to make it really fast. The baked one goes pretty fast too, but we generally opt for the pan-seared one lately. Just make sure to press out extra water from the salmon so it sears better.

And of course this one is naturally gluten free. Just make sure that your garlic butter hasn’t been contaminated with bread crumbs from previous uses.

Make it a meal with:

Salmon (pan seared)

  • Servings: varies
  • Difficulty: easy
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Like most seafood recipes, try not to make leftovers with this one–it’s better fresh.

Ingredients

  • Salmon Filets
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Olive Oil
  • Garlic Butter (for gluten free, make sure it’s a new tub or not contaminated with old bread crumbs)
  • Lemon Juice (optional)

Directions

Place paper towels under and on top of filets, then press out extra water. Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy pan on medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon filets. Brown the salmon for 2-3 minutes (even with a crust if desired), then flip the salmon. Place a dollop of garlic butter on each salmon filet and let it melt. Squeeze in a little lemon juice over the fish, and spoon the melted butter and lemon juice over each filet before serving.


Salmon (baked)

I thought about combining the two easy salmon recipes that we use and just calling it “Salmon Two Ways”–But then I thought I should just separate it. We used to make this one all the time in my teenage years and 20s. It’s nice and easy. Baked salmon is good if you’ve got a lot of people to feed, but the pan seared one is faster by a few minutes. Lemon pepper and dill are both great with seafood, and we generally use both. But if you’re not a fan of dill, it’s great with just lemon pepper. I’ve also made it with just salt, pepper, and garlic butter (like in the photo).

And of course this one is naturally gluten free.

Make it a meal with:

Salmon (baked)

  • Servings: varies
  • Difficulty: easy
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Like basically all seafood recipes, try not to make leftovers with this one–it’s better fresh.

Ingredients

  • Salmon Filets
  • 1 Tbsp. melted Butter per filet
  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • Dill Weed (optional)

Directions

If filets are frozen, place individual packaged filets in cold water to thaw for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Cover a cookie sheet in foil and spray with nonstick spray. Place paper towels under and on top of filets, then press out extra water. Then place filets on the cookie sheet and cover with melted butter. Sprinkle each filet generously with lemon pepper seasoning. Lightly sprinkle each with dill weed. Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of filet).


Pancakes

Delicious and very satisfying, for breakfast or as breakfast-for-dinner. You can even add vanilla for extra flavor. Also, what kid doesn’t burst with excitement to get a Mickey-shaped pancake?

I remember one time on my mission, it was the end of the month and we didn’t have much money left for food. We felt constantly hungry. So I whipped out this recipe, grabbed the small bit of flour and eggs we had, and we made a giant stack of pancakes–and felt incredibly full and satisfied after. Haha.

If you’re making it gluten free, it turns out wonderfully (the picture for the recipe is the gluten free version)–of course just substitute gluten free flour for regular. Also, you may have to add an extra tablespoon or so because it can be runny otherwise. Often with gluten free, you have to add a little extra. Don’t forget when you’re measuring gluten free flour to spoon it into the measuring cup and level off the top with a knife.

Make it a meal with:

  • Bacon or Sausage
  • Scrambled Eggs
  • Fresh Fruit
  • Juice

Pancakes

  • Servings: 10?
  • Difficulty: easy
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Add chocolate chips and/or blueberries just for fun.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. Flour (or gluten free flour with xanthan gum + 1 Tbsp. extra if needed)
  • 1 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 2 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 c. Milk
  • 2 Tbsp. Oil
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla (optional)
  • Semisweet Chocolate Chips or Blueberries (optional)

Directions

Mix all ingredients and spoon onto heated skillet (350°). Add chocolate chips once batter is on skillet. Flip when golden brown. Makes 10-11 pancakes.


Hamburger Soup

On a crisp Fall evening, nothing beats the smell of simmering hamburger soup and freshly baked blueberry muffins. Hamburger soup is comforting and tastes even better the next day.

If you’re making this gluten free, make sure to use the substitute for condensed tomato soup since there’s wheat in tomato soup. You can also use Pacific Foods Tomato Soup and an extra container filled with water.

Make it a meal with:

  • Muffins or French Bread
  • Fresh Fruit

Hamburger Soup

  • Servings: 6?
  • Difficulty: easy-medium
  • Print


A comforting soup, even better the next day.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. Hamburger
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 3 to 5 Potatoes, chopped
  • 2-3 large Carrots (about), chopped
  • 2 small cans Tomato Soup
    • For gluten free, use:
    • 16 oz. Tomato Sauce
    • 1 Tbsp. Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
    • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 4 cans Water (about 44 oz. or 5 1/2 c. water)
  • 1 tsp. Salt (about)
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. Brown Sugar
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 c. Frozen Corn (optional)

Directions

Brown hamburger, then add onion to cook. Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil. Cook till carrots are done (about 30-45 minutes simmering). Add corn at end to warm through. Before serving, remove cloves and bay leaf if you can find them. Haha, or warn people to keep an eye out for them.