Category: Meal planning

This One-Bowl Recipe Makes Two Family Favourites that Take You from Weekday to Weekend!

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You have to love it when the same 8 simple ingredients make two different meals that everyone in the family is likely to enjoy.  That’s definitely the case for the recipe I’m posting today, and the great news is that you are likely to have most of this on hand already:

  • Ground chicken
  • chopped onion
  • breadcrumbs
  • eggs
  • salt
  • Pepper
  • dry mustard
  • and a little tomato juice

Combine it all in a bowl and it will turn into a wonderful Chicken ‘Meat’ Loaf for a weeknight meal and some very tasty Chicken Sliders to barbeque on the weekend!  If you make a double batch, you can have the loaf for dinner and freeze the sliders for later.  One prep, one clean-up, and you get two meals!

The inspiration for this recipe is my Mom’s meatloaf.  Mom made a very tasty traditional meatloaf that I enjoyed very much.  One of the things I like to do with my cooking is to occasionally take those traditional dishes and use some different ingredients.  Ground beef was a staple in my Mom’s time and since then we’ve learned that limiting red meat in our diets is a healthy choice. So, a number of years ago, I decided to try ground chicken in Mom’s meatloaf instead of ground beef and I ended up loving it so much, that I always use ground chicken now for this loaf.  The tender consistency is very pleasing and it’s lighter tasting than the beef. The dry mustard and the tomato juice add a nice tang and additional flavour.

As with a lot of the things my Mom makes, there is not a recipe written down.  She goes a lot by look, feel and taste – and experience! So, when I first started making meatloaf I couldn’t get it to stick together, which was frustrating.  The egg and breadcrumbs act as a binder and I seemed to be using the same amounts as my Mom, but my loaf would crumble into pieces every time it was cut, rather than staying in a nice slice that you could easily plate.  It would look like ground beef crumble rather than a loaf.  I definitely didn’t have the same touch as Mom! So, the solution I came up with was to use two eggs instead of one and ever since then, I can get nice full slices from my loaf. 

Chicken meatloaf
Chicken loaf served with roasted potatoes and salad

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, put the loaf in the fridge for a few hours to get it nice and cold.  Then, slice it thinly to use in sandwiches for lunch. It tastes great and is a healthy alternative for anyone who is trying to limit the use of cold cuts.

 

Another great thing to do with this same recipe is to turn it into chicken sliders.

unnamed
Tasty chicken sliders for your next BBQ

I love the smaller size of a slider compared to a large burger because it doesn’t look so daunting to eat.  And, if you are hungry after one, you can certainly have another! They’re a great size for little kids and adults who may not have a huge appetite.  And, those who have a larger appetite can have 2 or 3! When we are cooking these for a crowd, I usually plan for 2 sliders per person and add 2 more to the total.  That should account for some people eating one, most people eating 2 and a few might have 3….or more! With this plan, everyone has enough to eat and we sometimes have leftovers also.

I found this handy slider press that gives you the option of 1, 2, or 3-ounce sliders.  It’s by a company called Outset and I bought it at Kitchen Stuff Plus.  It helps me make the patties the same size each time, which makes the cooking easier too because they’ll all be done at the same time.

This is a long weekend in Canada that is considered to be the unofficial start to summer for most of us, so there are likely to be lots of backyard BBQ’s going on if weather permits…so give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it.  This easy and tasty recipe makes a ‘meat’ loaf for 4, or 6 sliders of 3 ounces each.  Whip up a batch of sliders.  They freeze well too!  Click here for the recipe.

Happy cooking, friends!  Enjoy the long weekend, fellow Canadians!

 

 

Must-try Breakfast Casserole

Posted in Holiday Meals, Make ahead breakfast, Meal planning4 Comments

Happy last day of 2018, and happy first anniversary to this blog!  I began everydayhomegourmet in mid-December of 2017 because I have a passion for creating and sharing good food.  My goal is to make great food that is simple to prepare as well as healthy and tasty. Creating this site and it’s accompanying Instagram account has been a retirement project for me that incorporates my passion for cooking and my interest in taking photos with the need to keep challenging myself to learn new things and feed my need for creativity.  I have been cooking since my late teens and have always loved taking photos. I received my first camera on my 10th birthday. My cooking and photo skills have definitely improved over these many years and hopefully will continue to get better for years to come! I am still learning!

Although I have used technology in my work for many years, the whole blogging and social media world are quite new to me and I was keen to take a dip into that world and see where it took me.  Learning the technical side of creating this site has taken more time than I anticipated and it is definitely still a work in progress! My goal was to post once a week and as I started learning the ins and outs of creating the posts and recipes I was surprised by how much time it took.  But, as my husband says, “Anything worthwhile degenerates into hard work”. So, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the desire to create something of quality will take hard work, learning and focus! I will continue to work on that in 2019 and hope to always be able to bring quality content and a great reading experience to those of you who read and follow this blog.

As I reflect on this year I am reminded of many things.  Among them, that New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day have always been fun events in our family and we continue the gathering, hosting, and sharing of love, fun, and food.  So, here is a recipe for a great brunch dish that my Mom has been making for over 30 years. It’s easy to prepare and is always a hit. My Mom received this recipe from a friend and has been making it for Christmas morning ever since.  

IMG-3875I have made it a number of times for Christmas brunches and even cottage get-togethers with friends in the summer. It is a versatile dish and definitely open to interpretation. The nice thing about it is that you prepare it the night before and then bake it in the morning.  It also reheats well, so you could bake it a day ahead and reheat it when you want to serve it. If you’ve got overnight guests for New Year’s Eve, or you simply want to have something to throw in the oven as you enjoy your coffee the morning after a night out, give this a try!  Enjoy!

Christmas Morning Time Saver

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

This may look like more ingredients and more steps than my usual recipes, but if you remember that you are basically making a ham and cheese sandwich with an egg mixture poured over, it will seem simpler than it looks!  The picture shows white bread, but I have used whole wheat bread many times and I prefer it because it keeps you full longer! Serve with fruit.

Ingredients

  • 16 to 18 slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed
  • 8 thin slices of lean cooked ham
  • 6 to 8 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • ½ to 1 tsp dry mustard
  • ½ tsp ground pepper (black or white)
  • 1 to 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash of Tabasco sauce
  • about ¼ cup minced onion
  • about ¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
  • Cornflakes or Special K
  • ¼ pound butter

Directions

  1. Layer a 9×13 inch buttered glass baking dish with bread.  Cover dish entirely. Place ham and cheese over bread and top with another layer of bread, as if making a sandwich
  2. In a bowl, beat eggs.  Add milk and beat briefly to combine
  3. Add pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco, onion, and pepper and stir to combine
  4. Pour mixture evenly over the sandwiches.  Cover and let stand in refrigerator overnight
  5. In the morning, melt butter and pour over top.  Cover entire dish with the cornflakes
  6. Bake uncovered for 1 hour in a preheated 350-degree oven.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving
  7. Drizzle with maple syrup (optional)
  8. Serve with fruit

 

Tips:  When I’m pressed for time, or just making this for hubby and me, I do not cut the crusts off.  It doesn’t look as neat, but I find the heartiness of the crusts satisfying and more filling.

Variations:  use whole wheat or white bread; use Swiss cheese, or your favourite cheese; omit ham for a vegetarian version

 

posted by: everydayhomegourmet.blog/  

Slow Cooker to the Rescue! Pork Chops with Apple, Potato, and Kale (Gluten Free!)

Posted in Meal planning, Slow CookerLeave a comment

A slow cooker is a fantastic tool for anyone interested in creating time-saving healthy dishes.  My Mom first bought one in the late 70’s when she went back to work part-time after being home with three kids for many years.  She made a great beef pot roast with this tool and I’m sure she appreciated coming home to a fully cooked, warm, nutritious meal after a busy workday.  As an adult, I did not own a slow cooker until about 12 years ago when I inherited one. Since this appliance takes up valuable kitchen real estate, I thought I’d better figure out more recipes than Mom’s pot roast if it was going to be worth it to keep the slow cooker in my house.

I did figure out a number of recipes to make in the slow cooker and it has become an important tool in our house to help with weekday meal planning.  Many of the published slow cooker recipes call for searing the meat ahead of time and I never did that because I didn’t want to have another pan to clean…it seemed to defeat the purpose of the ease of using a slow cooker.  So, when my slow cooker broke a little more than a year ago, I investigated slow cookers with a sear option…I found this one with a stovetop-safe cooking pot that is very easy to clean…..I totally recommend this unit and would never again buy one without this option.  When I made Mom’s pot roast recipe with the new cooker, the increase in the depth and intensity of the flavour was amazing! 

So, this fall in my quest to create a new recipe for my slow cooker, I came up with this pork chop recipe that was cooked with apples, potatoes, carrots, onions, and kale.  Whenever I use the slow cooker, I always want to make sure that the dish is a balanced meal in itself so that there is nothing else you need to do for that meal. (Of course, adding a salad is always a good plan!)  We loved the flavours in this dish! It was slightly sweet because of the apples, which was a nice departure from my usual savoury cooking. There were four servings in this dish, with leftover veggies and broth. After the four servings were enjoyed, I didn’t want to throw away the remaining broth and veggies, so I pureed them with my hand blender and now had a lovely soup to enjoy for a few lunches!  You have to love it when your efforts limit waste and also provide easy extra meals!  The picture on the left is the pork chop dinner and the picture on the right is the leftover veggies, apples and broth blended into soup.  (If you are not into soup, use 6 pork chops and that would use up all the veggies).

Here’s what it looked like in progress:

Try this recipe out and let me know how you liked it!  Also, I’d love to hear about your favourite slow cooker recipes. Happy cooking friends!

Turkey Tips to Reduce Your Stress in the Kitchen

Posted in Holiday Meals, Meal planningLeave a comment

Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend and many of us have turkey at this time.  Lots of people think that cooking a turkey is complicated and stressful, and I get that.  But, if you’ve ever roasted a chicken, you can roast a turkey!  It’s just a lot bigger!!  To be honest, I get why people are stressed about it.  It takes time and there’s a lot of mess that goes along with it.  The only way to avoid the time and the mess is to find a restaurant that serves turkey dinner, or order the pre-cooked turkey and sides from your local grocery store.  Those may be perfectly good options for many families at times, so don’t hesitate to go for it if that’s what you need.  Being together is what’s important!  Chances are if you are reading a food blog, you are not going to choose those options, but you are looking for ways to make a great dinner and to simplify it where you can.  One way to do that is to opt for a potluck.  If you are hosting, perhaps you’ll do the turkey, stuffing, and gravy and ask the rest of the friends and family to bring the appetizers, side dishes, and dessert.  This is perfectly acceptable and I’ve found that friends and family are always happy to contribute in this way.

If you choose to do it all yourself, you’ll need some stress saving tips!  The biggest suggestion I have is to make your turkey a day ahead.  Yes, you read that correctly.  If you’ve read my post What does cooking ahead at Christmas look like at our house?  you’ll recognize some of the information below and you’ll know that we’ve been doing this in our family for many years. It’s been a great success and a stress reliever.  To be honest, we thought it was a terrible idea when my Mom suggested it way back then, but it works like a charm.  The turkey is tender and delicious every time.  (Keep reading to find out how we keep it from drying out).  My husband and I even do all the side dishes (except for one) and gravy the day ahead and reheat them before the dinner.  It’s not actually a time saver because it takes the same amount of time to do it ahead, but it’s definitely a stress reliever!

Here are the benefits:

  • You can prepare everything at your own pace without worrying when the guests will arrive
  • You can be free to chat with your friends and family because you don’t need to spend all afternoon in the kitchen getting things ready
  • You’ll have more energy on the day you are hosting because you haven’t been cooking since the early morning
  • The very messy parts of dealing with the carving of the turkey and cleaning all the greasy pans gets done the day before your guests arrive.  You simply warm up all the dishes in your oven and pull them out when it’s time to serve!

If you haven’t heard of making your turkey a day ahead, you should really give it a go the next time you are roasting a turkey.  Here’s how you do it:

  1. Stuff and roast the turkey as you normally would
  2. Once the turkey is fully cooked, as indicated by the meat thermometer, take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes
  3. Remove the skin from the breasts and underside of the turkey and set aside
  4. Carve the turkey into slices, remove legs and wings
  5. Place your turkey slices into an oven safe dish and cover completely with the skin of the turkey.  (The skin is what will keep the turkey moist when you reheat it).  Place the legs and wings on the sides of the dish.
  6. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight
  7. The next day, bring the dish to room temperature before placing in the oven at 275 degrees for about a half hour to 40 minutes.  Keep the dish covered.  (Time will vary depending on the amount of turkey you have as well as your oven temperature)

 

turkey a day ahead
Moist and tender turkey, roasted a day ahead!

 

Our turkey always comes out moist and tasty when we do it this way.  The biggest tip I have for making this a success is to use a meat thermometer.  It is virtually foolproof and takes the guesswork out of wondering if your roast is done.  I have used that same meat thermometer for almost 30 years now and it works like a charm on roasts of all kinds.  If you don’t have a meat thermometer, get one today!  It’s a great way to be sure your meat is done properly and an efficient way to monitor the cooking progress.

I don’t eat a lot of things with gravy anymore, but I do love gravy with my turkey!  I find it very stressful to make gravy once the roast is done and you’re trying to get everything to the table while it’s still hot.  So, one day a few years ago, I searched the internet to see if there was a way to make gravy without drippings and I found a great recipe that I have been using ever since for any kind of roast.  I follow the directions and just add my own drippings to it at the end.  It’s not quite as good as Mom’s, but it is very tasty and cuts down on the last-minute stress.  Here’s the link:

Gravy without drippings recipe

My husband and I also like to do all the side dishes ahead of time and reheat them too.  I never thought that reheated mashed potatoes would be good, but they have worked for us when we reheated them in the microwave.  I like to make sure I have vegetables of different colours. It’s nutritious, tasty, interesting and looks great on the plate.  So, we have done a combination of potatoes (mashed or roasted), squash, glazed carrots, green beans (steamed or roasted), mashed cauliflower, and brussel sprouts with prosciutto over the years.  (We do the brussel sprouts and prociutto only about an hour before serving to keep the bright green colour…I’ll post that recipe in a future blog post). 

We always choose one white, one orange and one green vegetable.  We put all of the cooked side dishes in separate oven-safe dishes and then reheat them in the oven along with the turkey, or microwave if we need more space than we have in the oven.  Of course, doing it this way means you use most of the oven-safe dishes you own!  But it’s still easier and less stressful clean up compared to doing everything from scratch on the day you are hosting.  So, give it all a try and reduce your stress…If you’ve got any questions or suggestions, drop me a note in the comment section or at everydayhomegourmet@gmail.com

Happy cooking, happy hosting, and Happy Thanksgiving!

*some of this information was previously posted by everydayhomegourmet in What does cooking ahead at Christmas look like at our house?

5 Tips for Weekday Meal Planning

Posted in Meal planning2 Comments

Happy New Year!  Yes, my calendar does say September…but since I spent 31 years as a teacher and school principal, I have always considered ‘back to school’ time the start of a new year.  It’s always been the time when I’ve made resolutions and have looked to create improved habits and routines. Even now that I am beginning my second year of retirement from this rewarding work, I still look at September as the start of renewed plans and improved organization.  If you’ve read this blog before, you know that I am a big fan of spending the time to cook ahead and meal plan on the weekends so that weekdays run more smoothly and predictably.  My summer posts have been devoted to talking about summer cook ahead options, and while I’m still on that plan because the warm weather isn’t over yet, I know that many people are into fall cooking and meal planning.  You can find tons of information on meal planning on blogs, websites, Instagram and home / lifestyle shows. Sometimes the plans are so involved and try to impress with the variety and gourmet nature of the food that it can overwhelm anyone who wants to start into meal planning. Meal planning is not rocket science, but you do have to spend some time thinking and preparing. But keeping it simple is the key to success.  So, I thought I would write a post with some tips for those who want to begin delving into planning simple, nutritious meals for the busy work week. It’s important to reiterate that I am not a chef or a home economist, or a trained food expert. Preparing food for myself, my family and friends has always been a passion for me and I have learned from many people and also by trial and error. So, please remember that what you read on this blog are things from my own experiences in cooking and eating, and not the claim of a trained expert!

If you do want to begin some weekly meal planning, pick a starting point that you think you can manage.  Don’t expect to have a detailed plan for three meals a day, five days a week when you start out. Try planning ahead for two or three dinners in the week and see how you do with that.  Like all new habits we want to create, we have to be realistic about what we can manage and maintain so that we feel successful. Make it do-able for you and you’ll be able to build on your success!

Here are 5 tips that have worked for me:

  1. Keep a running list in a prominent spot in your kitchen where you and others can add items that you use up and need to buy again.  If you do this throughout the week, it will take much less time to make up a grocery list and you won’t risk forgetting important items
  2. Take inventory of your refrigerator before you go to the grocery store.  Get rid of any spoiled or expired food, and make a list of the things you need.  Your list will help you only buy the things you need and will speed up the time it takes for you to complete the task of buying groceries. Some grocery stores also allow you to order online and have your groceries bagged and ready for you to pick up in the store.  We tried it out this summer and found the food to be excellent quality and it was definitely a time saver. Your order can also be delivered to your house if you are really short on time
  3. Keep your lists varied, but predictable.  We eat a variety of fresh foods throughout the week, and mostly buy the same twenty or thirty items each week.  This helps us to be organized in our meal planning, minimize waste and eat healthy on most days
  4. Choose a bunch of fresh foods you and your family enjoy and make sure you have them on hand each week.  If you know what you have in your fridge all the time, you will find it easier to come up with meal plans.  Of course, you can always have a unique ingredient or two if you are making a special dish, but as long as you have a large, predictable variety of fresh foods, you will make better use of your food and your time.  Decide which type of food and flavours you enjoy most and stock your fridge and pantry accordingly. My go-to meals are almost always Mediterranean based because it’s what I am used to and prefer and this type of eating offers great variety.  So my fridge and pantry items reflect that
  5. Spend a few hours on Sunday making one dinner that will generate another night of leftovers and cook another one-pot meal that you cook at the same time to eat later in the week (Stews, chili, chicken cacciatore or pasta casseroles are great choices for this).  A slow cooker is a helpful tool for this

 

Here are the things we almost always have on hand and purchase weekly:

  • Milk, bread, Greek yogurt, eggs, butter
  • Lettuce or spinach for salads and sandwiches (we vary the kind of lettuce we buy each week)
  • Grape tomatoes and one or two beefsteak tomatoes
  • Green pepper
  • Red pepper (or orange or yellow)
  • Baby carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Green beans
  • Avocados
  • Sweet onion
  • Red onion
  • Garlic bulb
  • Potatoes
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
  • Apples
  • Grapes
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries

Here are some things we buy every couple of weeks and alternate in with our regular stock:

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Corn on the cob (in season)
  • Asparagus (in season)
  • Zucchini
  • Celery
  • Green onions
  • Other in-season fruits (plums, peaches, pomegranate, etc.)
  • Various fresh herbs (mostly basil, Italian parsley, cilantro)
  • Various olives
  • Lemons / limes

These are some common items we always have in the pantry to add to our meals:

  • Brown Rice
  • Wild Rice
  • Basmati Rice
  • Couscous
  • Various types of pasta
  • High quality, low salt boxed chicken broth and beef broth (avoid the cubes or powder broth at all costs…read the ingredient list and you’ll find out why!)
  • Quality canned tomatoes without salt
  • Can tomato juice
  • Tomato paste
  • Plain breadcrumbs (I add in seasonings later)
  • Chickpeas
  • Black beans
  • Sliced sun dried tomatoes in oil
  • Artichoke quarters packed in water
  • White tuna packed in water
  • Canned salmon
  • Olive oil
  • Wine Vinegar (red and white)
  • Soy sauce
  • Worcestershire
  • Regular and Dijon mustard
  • Lemon and lime juice

As far as the freezer is concerned, we buy a variety of meat, fish, chicken when it’s on sale and package it manageable servings for later use.  Another time saver for us is to marinate some of the items before we freeze them. It’s amazing how that saves time during the week.  It’s great to take out those pieces of salmon that already have our favourite Maple BBQ marinade on them. That, along with rice or potatoes you may have made a day ahead makes for a delicious home-cooked meal in a jiffy.  We also keep frozen corn, and peas to add to our meals. I like adding the corn to my chili and the peas are great for adding to some plain cooked rice or pasta.

So, if you’d like to get started on planning weekday meals ahead, start with something you can manage…perhaps you make a plan for two dinners in the week…or perhaps you divide up fruits and vegetables in individual packages for everyone to take for lunch for a few days.  Whatever it is, be sure it’s something you can manage and build on your feelings of success to increase the plan when you can. Putting in a few hours on the weekend for food prep will make your weeks run more smoothly, you’ll be eating healthier, and you may even have gained some time on those busy nights!

Hopefully, you find these tips to be helpful…and, if you are already full on into weekday meal prep, please leave a comment to share your favourite tips!

Happy New (school) Year and Happy cooking!