keep it simple

[dec]

Ok being I was setting here reading these posts , I was thinking of the simple things I fixed for meals when I was young.

I thought it would be a good idea to post some simple things all of us have come up with over the years to help out some of the young guys living on their own and not being that experiance in the kitchen yet , to know something simple to throw together and not to be opening a can of tunna and eating it out of the can. :D


Coming home from work and not wanting to pick up a burger or not even thinking about dinner until I was home and not wanting to make a major production, something fast and filling.

Now for me Im alergic to monosodium gludimate commonly in a lot of boxed food so it not like I I can just buy a box of hamburger helper so I came up with something I could throw together that I thought was as good.


take a large fry pan, brown 1 lbs hamburger ( high side frying pan is better tp keep from spattering)

Leave the heat on

take 1 box of cheap macaroni and cheese and dump in in. ( the cheap stuff is better in this)

dump the packet of the cheese mix from the box of macaroni and cheese in.

pour 1 1/2 cups of skim milk in. ( I used skim milk being it last longer in my frig and I think it makes it taste better being it seems to not make it as heavey) I also used a lot od powdered milk being that way I always had milk at home that way ......... not like you know the differance when you using it in cooking. Being a bachalor I didnt want things arount that would go bad or rot before I got to it.

Dump 1 can of stewed tomatoes in (plain , italian, spanish, whatever)

Now keep stiring to keep from scorching the stuff on the bottom of the pan ( using a spatula instead of a spoon)

Now cook the macaroni until it is cooked but not mushy ( a little firm is better) Dont cook the macoroni first ,that way it will end up being mushy , its better doing all of it at the same time.

If you need to add more skim milk as the macaroni is cooking .....thats fine , just dont add too much at once , that way it will end up mush before it cooks down.

Salt and pepper to liking.

Now Im not saying it the healthiest thing to eat and honestly now that Im older I avoid as much pasta and bread as I can.

For the young guys out there ........ Its just an easy, quick meal , to throw together .

I have a lot more that I did when I was young and not all that worried about eating all that healthy :D

OK lets hear what some of the other guys were fixing in their early bachalor years .......

still a bachalor but a way better cook than at that part of my life :D :D :D

[key]

Hamburg and Barley Stoup...

Fry burg onion.

add stewed tomatoes and handfull of Barley, if more liquid is needed add tomatoe juice or anything.

pepper salt and stuff like garlic

serve with goooood bread

[jpb2]

Ramen noodles with pork sausage. Now I'm wondering how i lived this long:eek:

[rtu]

Don't know what ya call this but I survived on it for a while...

1 box of macaroni & cheese
1 can of tuna (in water)

Make the mac & cheese, drain the tuna and add it in
salt & pepper to taste

[Green Mountain]

Mother always drilled into our heads that supper consists of "meat, potato and vegetable."

It still pops into my head when planing a meal. For single people it hard not to over cook. Here is some simple ideas in each catagory that is easy to cook.

Meat= tuna fish, can spam, hot dogs, Hamburgers, pork chops, small steak, eggs, ham steak, fresh fish, shrimp, cheese.

Potato= canned potatoes, frozen french fries, rice-a-roni, pastas (inc.roman noodles + mac& cheese), bread and rolls.

Vegetables= salad in a bag, can vegetables, frozen vegetables and fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic.

You can make a bunch of different meal combinations with the ingridents in the few things I listed above.

All you have to do is take one item form each catagory and put them together and you have a meal. At the end of the week you go through your leftovers. Take everything in the meat catagory chop it up and mix it together. Add an egg,diced onion and a little crushed cereal and make a meat loaf. Great for sandwiches while watching football. :D

[renaissanse man]

Vegetable beef soup
Brown 1 lb ground beef over high heat, stirring often, the darker brown w/o burning, the better
drain off fat
chop 1 medium onion, throw in w/beef, cook until onion is a little softer (translucent)
Add 32 oz frozen veggies, (taters, carrots, celery, okra, corn, or whatever)
Add 24 oz beef broth
Add 16 oz diced canned tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Add crusshed red pepper to taste, if you like,or thyme or a lttle rosemary
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour
This will make a good sized pot of soup that you can freeze individual servings of in the cheap, plastic microwave bowls, or in ziplock bags that you can thaw and reheat by boiling them in a pot of water stovetop. Bon apetite!

[key]

Beer:

A Quik one step liquid meal. Full of:

Protein

Carbs &

Vitamin something.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/508/canadianbeer20kopie150xpn4.jpg

[jpb2]

Beer:

A Quik one step liquid meal. Full of:

Protein

Carbs &

Vitamin something.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/508/canadianbeer20kopie150xpn4.jpg

lol guess I'll have my morning "meal " now

[aircooled53]

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE EGGS AND SAUSAGE

6-8 slices (thick) French or sour dough bread (break in pieces) 1 1/2-2 lb. bulk sausage (hot or mild) brown sausage & drain 1 1/2 c. grated cheese 4-8eggs, beaten well & then add 2 c. milk (mix)
Crust may or may not be removed. I leave the crust on mine.

In a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan, put bread in bottom, then the sausage followed by a layer of the grated cheese. Pour egg mixture over these. (Add onion and green pepper if desire.) Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours until bubbly. Serve hot

[jpb2]

Sounds good air cooled

[chinahvacboy]

keep it simple

[swellmel]

Three "Fluffer Nutters" and a tall glass of milk(whole).
And you're good to go!

[scrogdog]

Mac and cheese makes a very good basis for a lot of dishes! :)

1 lb hamgurger
1 medium onion
2 box kraft mac and cheese
1 can Campbells Chedder Cheese Soup
1 medium tomato
1 tablespoon mustard
Plain or spicy bread crumbs

Cook up the mac and cheese as per the directions while at the same time browning the hamburg. Add the onion to the hamburg and cook until soft. Add the soup, hamburger and onion, and mustard to the finished mac and cheese. Mix it up and then put the whole mess in to a casserole dish and spread bread crumbs across the top. Slice the tomato and lay on top. Cook uncovered at 350 until the top is a bit browned.

---------------

Too hard? Ok, this next one is for you.

1 Hormel "roast in a bag". Pot roast is best for this.
1 tub of Country Crock Garlic mashed potato
1 can of green beans.

Easiest dish you'll ever make. Throw the bagged meat in to boiling water per the directions. It will take about 45 minutes. Prepare the mashed potatos in the microwave. Put the can of beans in a pot on medium heat.

Create a bed for the meat with the potatos on two plates. Cut up the roast and lay on top of potatoes. Pour the gravy on top. Serve the beans.

Put one plate in the fridge (covered) and eat the other.

[hvacker]

Beer:

A Quik one step liquid meal. Full of:

Protein

Carbs &

Vitamin something.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/508/canadianbeer20kopie150xpn4.jpg

There's a pork chop in every bottle..

[razorback]

Texas Hash

Brown 1lb ground beef with chopped onion and bell pepper,salt and pepper, drain. Add 1 can tomato sauce and 1 can of water, chili powder and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of minute rice and cook till done. Remove from heat and cover with cheese( I usually just use american cheese). Let sit till melted and dig in.
This is easy to adjust to what you like; add garlic, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, different cheese. Instead of chili powder use italian seasoning and top with mozzarella.
Or my daughter just likes to have the ground beef and onions and make sandwiches.

[DuJane]

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE EGGS AND SAUSAGE

6-8 slices (thick) French or sour dough bread (break in pieces) 1 1/2-2 lb. bulk sausage (hot or mild) brown sausage & drain 1 1/2 c. grated cheese 4-8eggs, beaten well & then add 2 c. milk (mix)
Crust may or may not be removed. I leave the crust on mine.

In a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan, put bread in bottom, then the sausage followed by a layer of the grated cheese. Pour egg mixture over these. (Add onion and green pepper if desire.) Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours until bubbly. Serve hot

I make something almost exactly like this. Instead of the bread, I use frozen hash browns. Simple and delicious.

[razorback]

This is about as simple as it gets. Had it last night.

4-6 potatoes halved and quartered- depending on size
2 cans whole green beans
1 package smoked sausage sliced into bite size pieces.
salt and pepper

Put everything in a pot, add just enough water to cover and cook until potatoes are done.

[OOC]

Buy the chilled pie crusts that come in a plastic bag, not the pie tins (not frozen - although it might work)

a can or 2 of cream of chicken soup

a couple peices of cooked boneless chicken breats if you want, chopped

a can of cream of mushroom (spinach, or celery, or whatever "cream of ___ " you want

a bag of frozen peas and diced carrots

mix the soup, chicken, and frozen veggies in a bowl. add the first pie crust to a baking pan (glass one is nice), pour in the soup/veggie mix, add the top crust and bake - I don't know what temp or how long, but prob something like 325 for 45 minutes. keep you eye on the crust, you don't want it to brown too fast. this usually lasts me a couple meals.

[pulse21]

Poor Dudes Seafood Delight

Just came up with the name kind of cheesy but what the hell.

Get a pack of imitation crab meat like 3 bucks. A bag of frozen stir fry veggies throw it all in a big skillet with 1/4 stick or more of butter and stir it till the veggies are done. Not real healthy with all the butter but not the same without it.


Another one I like is take some polish sausage and cut in chunks throw it in a skillet with some chunks of potatos and some sliced onions good stuff.

My wife makes chicken and biscuit something or other takes a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of chicken breast (right beside the can tuna) and cooks it in a skillet then dumps it over canned biscuits quick and easy.