It's been the busiest time of the year around here. As the school year nears the end, my work schedule amps up. With prom, end of the year testing, and school parties all happening at the same time, I get overwhelmed…really overwhelmed. My cooking suffers from lack of creativity but not lack of nutrition. I put the skillet into overdrive and hang on.
This week's meals are just for those kind of weeks that leave you breathless. These meals make use of pantry goods and your skillet. I'm also including two recipes for those parties and teacher gifts. The first is a chocolate chip cookie cake that would make a wonderful birthday cake and the second is for dark chocolate and orange truffles. Yes, you read that correctly. They are as fabulous as you imagine them to be.
Meal 1 - Black and Blue Burgers with Onions and Fries
I love a good burger and nothing is quicker than throwing one in a skillet. This has oven fries with it. You put the fries in the oven first, then make your onions and burgers.
4 large potatoes, washed and cut into 8 pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper
old bay seasoning
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Toss potatoes with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and old bay seasoning. Bake for 15-30 minutes turning occasionally, until they are crispy and golden.
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb. ground meat
1/4 onion, grated into meat
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 tablespoon montreal seasoning
old bay seasoning
blue cheese
In a large skillet, heated to medium high heat. Add butter and onions and cook for 20-25 minutes until browned and sweet. Remove to bowl. Mix meat, onion, salt, and pepper. Make 4-6 patties then sprinkle with old bay on both sides. Cook in same skillet as the onions until done to your liking. Top with onions and blue cheese and serve with fries.
Meal 2 - Sage Butternut Squash Pasta
In the fall, I had baked several butternut squash and cut it up to freeze it. The sage has really grown and thought I should go ahead use some. This is just stuff I pulled out of my freezer and pantry. You can buy butternut squash in your freezer section.
1 lb. butternut squash, thawed
2 stick of butter
8 sage leaves
1 cup parmesan cheese
Boil water and salt. Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and cook until lightly golden brown. Add sage and cook until fragrant. Add butternut squash to cook through. Salt and pepper squash. Drain pasta and save one cup of cooking water. Add pasta and water to butter. Stir well and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with salt, pepper and more cheese.
Meal 3 - Fried Egg Sandwiches a.k.a. "Friday" Sandwiches
This meal got its name when I was in college. I often played host to whoever stayed the night at my apartment. Apparently my southern accent only showed up occasionally and when I offered to make fried egg sandwiches, they were misheard as "Friday" sandwiches. We all had a good laugh and to this day we still call them that, no matter what day or night you make them.
12 slices of bacon, baked (see my previous posts about bacon)
4 slices of cheese
4 eggs
mayo, if you like
Ok, so I toast all the bread and bake the bacon. I cook the eggs, over easy in a skillet over medium heat. Don't rush this. Let them take their time so that the inside is runny but the outside is totally cooked. Salt and pepper the eggs once you get them in the pan. Put mayo on the toast, top with cheese and bacon. I ate some strawberries on the side just to make me feel healthier.
Meal 4 - Huevos Diablo
So this is a skillet meal that really is a go-to, especially since we have on abundance of eggs right now due to chicken sitting for the neighbors. It's so easy and only dirties one pot.
4-6 eggs
1 jar marinara sauce
parmesan cheese
4-6 slices of toast
Simmer 2 cups marinara sauce in skillet. Crack in 4-6 eggs and cover with lid. Cook until the whites are set and top with pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Top toast with egg in sauce. Amazing!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake -
I make this in my sheet pan. It's a super big cookie sheet pan I bought from the cafeteria. I made buttercream frosting to write "You guys rock!" on the cake for my class. You can halve the recipe and use a rimmed pizza pan. This recipe serves 24-26.
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cup organic dark brown sugar, packed (My favorite brand is Wholesome Sweeteners. It really does taste better and is quite moist.)
2/3 cup sugar
4 extra large or large eggs, room temperature
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 10oz. bag dark chocolate chips, 60% cocoa or higher
2 cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in a stand mixer. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix flour into butter mixture. Stir in chips and nuts. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes and check to see if done. If not, add 5 more minutes.
Dark Chocolate and Orange Truffles -
These are fantastic. They have three ingredients. They are amazing!!! These are gift worthy and perfect for a special someone.
1 8oz. block of cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons orange liquor
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chocolate bar plus more for dipping
Mix cream cheese with orange liquor. Heat 1/3 cup of chocolate in microwave until melted. Pour into cream cheese and mix well. Using a small scoop, make balls of cream cheese and place on wax or parchment paper on a plate. Refrigerate for an hour. In the same bowl you heated chocolate, heat 1/3 cup more chocolate until melted. Dip each ball in chocolate and place back on plate. Refrigerate when done in an air tight container. Place in colorful tissue paper and pretty box to gift.
I hope you're in the mood to try things that are cheap and easy this week. As always, I love you're feedback and how things work for your family.
With no time and hungry mouths to feed,
Brooke
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