When you are a relatively new cook, you don’t like to mess up. Some good simple one pot dinner recipes make it easy to build confidence and eat well.
Enchilada Skillet
Mexican inspired meals are great especially when you can cook it all in one pot.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 tab tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
1 red pepper cored and diced
1 poblano or green bell pepper cored and diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
20 ounces red enchilada sauce
1 15 ounce cans of black beans or pinto beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of room temperature plain Greek yogurt (not fat free as it may curdle)
6 corn tortillas torn into quarters or smaller
1 cup of shredded cheese your choice
For serving choose any toppings you like
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, bell pepper, poblano pepper, garlic powder, cumin, salt and black pepper. Saute the vegetables until they are browning and becoming tender, about 6 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the ground beef. Stir the mixture while breaking the meat into smaller bits, until browned and fully cooked.
Turn the oven on to 425 to preheat. Be sure you have a rack in the middle of the oven.
Remove from the heat and drain carefully if you have too much grease in the pan. Now add the enchilada sauce, beans, Greek yogurt, tortilla pieces and 1/4 cup of cheese, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the cheese is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes. You can switch to broil now to brown the cheese if you want. This will only take 1.5 to 2 minutes so don’t leave it alone or it can burn. Remove from the oven and let it rest for a couple of minutes then you are ready to serve.
French Onion Chicken
French Onion Soup is good on cool days. This recipe takes advantage of and borrows the flavors to make a great oven baked dish.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion thinly sliced (about 3.5 cups)
8 ounces of quality sourdough bread whole grain preferred, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
8 whole cloves of garlic peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2.25 pounds of bone in, skin on chicken breasts cut in half from side to side through the bone (about 3 breasts)
1.5 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to400 degrees F.
Place the onions, bread cubes, and garlic cloves in a large bowl. In a liquid measuring cup melt the butter. Whisk the olive oil, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in with the butter, then pour over the onion, bread and garlic. Toss to coat as evenly as possible.
Put the mixture onto a large, rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Place the chicken onto the mixture. It is okay to be on the onions just not on the bread. Sprinkle the remaining salt and the pepper on the chicken.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully turn the bread cubes over. Return the pan to the oven. Bake until the bread is nicely browned and the chicken shows 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part. This takes from 15 more minutes for smaller pieces and 20 to25 minutes for larger pieces. If some chicken gets done before the rest just remove it to a plate and finish cooking the rest of the chicken.
If you removed any chicken replace it on the pan and sprinkle everything with the fresh thyme. Everything is ready to eat, enjoy.
Simple Chicken and Tomatoes Skillet
This great recipe for chicken and tomatoes is really simple and very easy.
Ingredients
1.25 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 of a medium red onion diced
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
4 cups of grape tomatoes or what ever your choice of tomatoes is, sliced as large chunks
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
Instructions
Pound the chicken breasts into an even thickness. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts top down and let cook for 4 minutes until lightly brown. Turn and cook 4 minutes. Turn again and continue cooking 3 to 5 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Total time cooking will vary according to the thickness of the chicken. Move the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Without wiping the pan turn the heat to medium. Add the other tablespoon of olive oil, then add the red onion and let it cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and let it cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar, honey and the remaining 1/4 tablespoon of salt and 1/4 tablespoon of black pepper.
Let cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Put the chicken back in the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.
Chicken and Vegetables Mix
Chicken with a rainbow of colors from your refrigerator will make a colorful and delicious meal.
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato washed and diced into 1/2 to3/4 pieces
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1.25 teaspoons of salt
3/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1.25 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4 to1 in. pieces (about 2 medium breasts)
1 small head of broccoli cut into florets
1 red bell pepper with the stem removed and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 pieces
1 zucchini cut in half length ways, then cut into 1/2 in.half moons
1 yellow squash cut in half length ways, then cut into 1/2 in. half moons
Zest and juice of a medium lemon
2.5 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 cup of grated cheese
Instructions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the sweet potatoes in a microwave safe dish and heat for 5 minutes. To soften slightly. Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Toss to coat fully, then spread into a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Now in the same bowl place the chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. Drizzle the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the ingredients. Add the lemon zest and juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Toss to coat. Put the chicken and vegetable mixture on the sheet with the sweet potatoes, it is OK if they are a little crowded.
Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir once at 8 to10 minutes to keep from sticking. When the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle and the vegetables are tender but not mushy it is done.
Remove from the heat sprinkle with the cheese and serve.
These recipes will give a new cook confidence
Recipes with easy to use ingredients will help you increase your ability to enter the kitchen and just get started cooking. These simple one pot dinner recipes will build your confidence and taste good too.