4 Meal Ideas To Help When You Don’t Know What To Cook
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Oftentimes we all find ourselves in the predicament of not knowing what to make for dinner. This can be very intimidating and frustrating because you would like to eat something tasty, but you simply cannot figure out exactly what to make. Listed below are 4 fantastic meal ideas that will help when you don’t know what to cook!
Pasta Carbonara
Pasta Carbonara is a delicious dish from Italy that is really simple to make. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling, salted water until it’s cooked. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into thin strips. Add the bacon to a large skillet over medium heat and fry it until browned but not crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet leaving any browned bits. Return pan to stovetop over medium-high heat, then add oil and garlic; cook while stirring for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Whisk in half & half, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, whisking frequently for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over pasta and toss to coat, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper, parsley, or chives until evenly combined. Transfer into a casserole dish. Bake for 10–15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately garnished with additional cheese, pepper, parsley, or chives.
Smoked Pastrami Sandwich Dip
Smoked Pastrami is great because it requires very little time or effort on your part while still producing amazing results that will get devoured almost immediately by anyone fortunate enough to get it. This full smoked pastrami recipe includes instructions for cooking pastrami in the oven, electric smoker, propane smoker, pellet grill smoker, and charcoal smoker. You can even change up the kind of pastrami you use. For example, beef pastrami tastes amazing in this recipe along with the traditional turkey pastrami that is usually used for making it.
After removing the pastrami from its packaging, rinse it with cold water and pat dry. Rub with a generous amount of salt, about 2 tablespoons. Place in a dish and refrigerate for 24–48 hours (the longer the better). Rinse with cold water to remove excess salt, pat dry, and set aside. In a stockpot over high heat, combine beef broth, garlic cloves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, and coriander seeds; bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Add pastrami and simmer until heated through (about 30 minutes depending on how thick the slices are). Using tongs carefully remove pastrami from pot and place on cutting board; allow to cool slightly before slicing as desired. Grill one side of bread slices then spread with a generous amount of Dijon mustard before stacking with pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. Spread the other side of each slice with butter, mayo, or any other condiment you prefer, and grill until golden brown to complete this smoked pastrami sandwich!
Spicy Pork Tacos
Spicy Pork Tacos is a great meal for any day of the week because it’s so easy and versatile. All you need to do is chop, mix and cook! In a bowl combine pork, onion, broth, cumin powder, chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt & black pepper. Cover tightly and marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes up to overnight (the longer it marinates the more flavorful it becomes). Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat then add pork and cook, stirring frequently until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat from the pan. Stir in tomato paste, garlic & oregano to coat all ingredients, allow the mixture to simmer for 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in the oven for 15 minutes, remove and assemble tacos using desired toppings such as lettuce, sour cream, salsa, avocado in addition to taco sauce if desired (or not).
Grilled Chicken Salad
Combine olive oil with red wine vinegar in a small bowl; whisk well then drizzle over mixed greens. Add sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, or any other vegetables that may be added. Prepare grilled chicken (grilling instructions below). Slice the chicken into strips and place on top of salad; garnish with Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven broiler or prepare the outdoor grill. Season both sides of each chicken breast with garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, and sea salt and black pepper to taste. Place seasoned chicken breast onto a baking sheet or large plate; drizzle any leftover marinade overtop then grill 3–5 minutes per side or until done and serve.
These simple meal ideas are great for when you are not sure what to have for dinner or you need some food inspiration that can be prepared easily at home. It may be hard coming up with creative meal ideas sometimes but if you follow this article’s instructions it will give you food options that are easy, budget-friendly & super delicious!
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