Lately my cooking has been boring. We have standard “staple” meals in our house that I can cook at anytime (a lot of them have common ingredients), but after so many years of enchiladas, grilled chicken, pasta, BBQ pizza, stir fry and chili, we are getting super tired of dinner.
I attempt a new recipe at least once a month, but have also been trying to incorporate some creativity into a normal, everyday meals. I am also trying to cut corners where I can since our time is so limited with a crawling little one. I wanted to find some quick recipes that were delicious, somewhat healthy and not boring.
I subscribe to Rachael Ray’s food magazine and she did a feature in the spring on a grilled cheese potluck party. She gave a few good recipes (and some weird ones too) for different kinds of grilled cheese, along with some easy, healthy sides, so I decided to try some out. So far we have made the following grilled cheese varieties:
Sharp cheddar, pepper jack and bacon on French loaf
Brie, granny smith apple and roasted turkey on sourdough
Mozzarella, sun dried tomato, basil on rosemary foccicia
Jalapeno, Monterrey jack and sweet corn on Italian loaf
Brie, granny smith apple and roasted turkey on sourdough
Mozzarella, sun dried tomato, basil on rosemary foccicia
Jalapeno, Monterrey jack and sweet corn on Italian loaf
Any cheap/fun dinners you have tried and loved this summer?
Those sound amazing! I totally feel you on getting stuck in the "old" dinner routine and staple meals. I tried to "class" up our regular quesadilla meal with mushroom, onion and brie quesdillas last week.
ReplyDeleteCan I suggest adding pesto? We made a pesto grilled cheese last night with tomato slices and some onion on foccacia and it was TO DIE FOR.
ReplyDeleteWe've been doing a BLAT - inspired by a brewery sandwich. Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato and Cheese on sourdough. We used Havarti and Muenster - it would be great with either.
ReplyDeleteWe also like to due BLTs with the addition of Mozarella. Yum.
My favorite 30mn meal right now:
ReplyDeleteBuy 2 cheap fish fillets (catfish or swai, or anything on sale), dip them in egg then a mix of breadcrumbs, spices, salt&pepper, and stick them in the oven on a baking sheet with parchment paper for 15-20min.
Serve with fresh lemon or lime, and my favorite side: mash boiled potatoes+sweet potatoes together, with a dollop of butter and thyme.
Voilà!
Bacon wrapped chicken, just wrap a chicken breast in a slice or two of bacon and bake in the oven. Sometimes I flatten the chicken out and the add a few pepper strips and either honey mustard or ranch dressing in the middle and then wrap them in bacon.
ReplyDeleteChicken taco rice- brown some chicken, add some cut up peppers, onions, any other veggies that you, add a cup of salsa, a cup of chicken broth, and a cup of rice and simmer till rice is cooked. I also make it with ground beef, but add a jar of salsa instead of the broth and sprinkle with lettuce, shredded cheese and nacho chips.
my new favorite grilled cheese is from the smitten kitchen cookbook--toasted swiss on rye with these incredible sweet and sour red onions that you cook down into nothing with brown sugar and balsamic. i don't even like swiss cheese, but this sandwich is outrageous. overall i find her recipes way too fussy to make regularly, but it's worth checking it out at the library or the bookstore just for that one!
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