I’m not a master chef. You could ask anyone in my family and they would agree. See, I’m more a “One-Dish-Wonder” type cook. If I can make a meal and have it on the table in 30 minutes while dirtying a minimal amount of dishes, I will add that recipe to my file.
However, I have found that the hardest part about preparing a meal is usually not the cooking itself, but rather figuring out what to cook! A common question I ask my children and husband is, “What sounds good for supper?” And I almost always get the same answer. “I don’t care.” (Except Matt, he usually says steak.)
So therein lies my problem: WHAT TO MAKE FOR SUPPER?
As a solution to the problem, I’ve decided I will try to come up with 5 menu ideas for the week. These will be more meal suggestions than full blown recipes, but with Google a click away, you can find a recipe that fits your style and list of ingredients in your panty.
So here it goes!
Beef Fajitas. Yum! Sliced beef, peppers, and onions. Sour cream, grated cheese, tomatoes, lettuce wrapped in a warm tortilla shell. What more could you ask for?!
Beef Meatballs. My sister made up this recipe years ago and I use it for all my meatballs. It’s 1 ½ pounds hamburger, 1 egg, and 1 cup oatmeal (I use old-fashioned oats but you can use quick oats, too), salt, and pepper. Mix that up, form it into balls, and place them in a 9×13 (or a little smaller) baking dish. I line my dish with parchment paper which makes clean up a breeze.
Then for the sauce, mix 1 cup ketchup, ½ cup water, and ¾ cup brown sugar. Whisk that together and pour on top of your meatballs.
Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.
I usually serve this with a baked potato and green beans. But you could put it on top of pasta if that’s more to your liking.
Enjoy!
Philly Cheesesteak. This is one of my go-to meals if we get home late and everyone’s hungry and I have about 15 minutes to get something on the table. Now, you can go online and find a more sophisticated recipe, but if you’re in a time crunch, you can try this.
Take a pound of deli-sliced thick-cut roast beef, cut it into strips, and put it in the skillet with a tablespoon or so of butter. Add a couple shots of Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Then slice an onion and a bell pepper or two and put them in another skillet with some butter. (You could do this all in the same skillet, but my kids prefer the meat and veggies separate.)
Cook until done, place on a toasted roll, cover with cheese (I’ve used multiple cheeses and you can’t go wrong. Grate some cheddar or Colby jack; melt some white or yellow Velveeta and pour that on top…whatever is handy!) and voila! Supper is served. I usually have chips, cottage cheese and pineapple with this.
Steak Bites. Okay, this is a favorite for my family. I got the original recipe from Pioneer Woman (she’s amazing!), so you can go to her website for the original version. But you know me, I have to make everything simple and quick, so here’s what I do.
Cut up a few steaks (it can be any kind; sirloin, ribeye, T-Bone, etc.) into bite-sized pieces. I admit, this is time consuming, but it is worth it! And I’ve found if you use a very sharp knife, that helps. Who knew?!
Put a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet and get it pretty hot. Add the steak, salt, and pepper as desired. You can also add any sauce you would like such as Worcestershire, A.1, or a shot or two of tabasco. Whatever trips your fancy! Then cook to your desired doneness. It doesn’t take long!
These are amazing! Even company worthy. I usually serve them with fried potatoes and corn. Though I really like them with Brussel sprouts…I just can’t get anyone else in my family to eat those. Or, you can turn it into a steak salad. So many delicious ways you can go with these!
Chicken and Broccoli on Rice. Okay, don’t tell Dad, but we don’t eat beef for every meal. Once in a while I’ll throw in a chicken or pork meal just for fun.
And this is one of my “One-Dish-Wonders.” It doesn’t get much easier than diced chicken breast and a package of frozen broccoli stir-fried in a skillet with a side of white rice. You could add any sauces you would like, but I just go with soy sauce. You could also serve this over rice noodles which I do fairly often. I’ve noticed that the noodles are not as messy as the rice as far as clean up goes.
Boy, now I’m getting hungry. But at least I have some supper ideas! And I just realized not everyone calls the evening meal supper. I believe non-rural people call it dinner? But no matter what you call it, I hope you enjoy these meal ideas.
Happy cooking!