Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Corned Beef Hash
This is a simple recipe that uses Argentina brand corned beef, which is shredded, not mushy. Easy to prepare and tastes great.
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, skin on or off, your preference, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can corned beef, Argentina brand, (260 g)
- cooking oil, as needed
- pepper, as desired, to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the diced onion and potatoes, stir together. Cook, turning and stirring often, until the potatoes are lightly browned and tended. Season with pepper as desired during cooking.
- Added the can of corned beef to the potatoes.
- Mix together and cook until the beef is heated through.
- Serve with a side of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on the cost of the corned beef.
Hot Dog Stroganoff
This is easy to prepare and the taste is quite good, family loved this dish.
Ingredients
- 500 grams bowtie pasta, (1 lb)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 hot dogs, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1½ cups beef stock
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta, cook until tender, drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a non stick pan, when hot, add the diced onion and sliced hot dogs, sauté for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Let broth reduce for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream, taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the sauce to the drained pasta, mix together.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
3 Ingredient Apricot Chicken
This recipe comes from a YouTube video and is 3 ingredients plus the chicken. I made this on 8 Mar 2025 and it turned out exceptionally good! Very easy to put together, excellent flavor, my family really enjoyed this.
Equipment
- 1 Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs, skin on bone in, or legs, or both
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
- 8 ounces Russian dressing, or Thousand Island dressing, (250 ml)
- 6 ounces apricot preserves/jam, (170 g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F).
- Place the chicken skin side up in a single layer to cover the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish. I used 5 thighs and 5 legs.
- In a mixing bowl, add the soup mix, dressing, and preserves/jam. Stir together.
- Pour mixture over the chicken.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until internal temp is 74° C (165° F).
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy. Spoon the sauce over potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
Fair cost per serving based on sourcing the soup mix, dressing, and jam.
Pineapple Pudding Salad
This recipe comes from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club, common ingredients, easy to assemble with just 3 ingredients, and it is tasty!The ingredients are listed in two parts, first part is for the US and the second part is for those in Thailand. The preparation remains the same for either on you use.
Equipment
- Casserole (2 quart) with lid
Ingredients
For those in the US
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix, (5.1 oz)
- 1 can crushed or tidbits pineapple, undrained, (15 oz)
- 16 ounces sour cream
For those in Thailand
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix, (3.4 oz / 96 g)
- 2 pouches pineapple tidbits, undrained, (115 g net weight)
- 225 grams sour cream
Instructions
- Add the undrained pineapple to the casserole dish, then add the dry instant pudding mix. Stir together.
- Add the sour cream and stir to mix well. Cover and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
- Serve as a side dish. enjoy.
Notes
This recipe was awarded a Blue Ribbon on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
Tuna Noodle Casserole II
This recipe comes from the Just a Pinch Recipe Club, common ingredients, easy to assemble, and is delicious!
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 450 grams dry elbow macaroni, (1 lb)
- 4 cans tuna in water or brine, drained, (5 oz / 140 g drained weight each)
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, (10½ oz / 298 g each)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 can peas, drained, (15 oz / 425 g)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- sliced Cheddar cheese, enough to cover the top of the casserole
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, then add the macaroni and cook until just slightly before tender.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and get out a 9x13 baking dish.
- Drain the macaroni and add to a large mixing bowl or pot.
- Add the drained tuna, soup, milk, black pepper, and peas to the macaroni.
- Mix together.
- Pour into the 9x13 backing dish and spread out evenly. (I forgot the peas when I first mixed this but added them just before I put the mixture into the baking dish.)
- Place the sliced cheese in a single layer to cover the casserole, about 10 slices. I used Swiss instead of Cheddar.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes to heat through and to lightly brown the cheese.
- Serve with a vegetable side dish as you desire, enjoy.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
This recipe was awarded a Blue Ribbon on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club.
Gin Cosmo
This is a Cosmopolitan cocktail based on Gin instead of Vodka.
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Bar Jigger
Ingredients
- 1½ oz dry gin
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 2 oz cranberry juice
- ½ oz lime juice
- ice as needed
- 1 lime slice, for garnish
- 1 cocktail glass, or coup, chilled
Instructions
- Add handful of ice to a cocktail shaker, add the gin, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime juice to the shaker, cap and shake until well chilled.
- Pour into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with the lime slice, serve, and enjoy.
Basic Chili III
Another name could be Skillet Chili since I made this in a wok pan. I made this on 15 Oct 2024 with ingredients I normally keep on hand. Easy and tasty chili.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons chili seasoning mix, (or one 1 or 1¼ oz / 28 or 35 g packet)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained, (565 g / 20 oz)
- 2 cans red Kidney beans, undrained, (400 g / 14 oz each)
Instructions
- Heat a non stick wok pan or pot, add the ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef with a spatula, cook until no pink is visible, drain off most of the excess fat.
- Add the chili seasoning mix.
- Stir the mix into the beef.
- Pour in the tomatoes and beans, mix together. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy. Top with oyster crackers, shredded cheese, or sour cream, as desired.
Notes
Fair cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Add a diced green bell pepper when cooking the beef. 2. Use ground pork in place of beef. 3. Use canned pinto beans in place of red kidney beans.
Chili Bean Chili
I came up with this on a whim. I like chili beans and I like chili with ground beef, so I made this, and it is very good and easy, and only 5 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cans chili beans, (439 g / 16 oz each)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, (565 g / 20 oz)
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Heat a non stick pan on medium heat, add the onion and ground beef, season with black pepper as desired. Cook, breaking up the beef and mixing with the onion.
- While the beef is cooking, open the chili beans and diced tomatoes, and pour into a pot.
- Cook the beef until no pink remains, drain out most of the fat.
- Add the beef to the pot with the tomatoes and beans.
- Stir together and place on low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Serve and enjoy.
Frito Casserole
I found this recipe while looking for dishes to make with canned chili, and this is perfect! This is also known as Frito Pie and Frito Pie Casserole. Three ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time and you can have a great dish.
Equipment
- Casserole (2 quart)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cans chili with beans, (15oz / 425g)
- 4 cups Fritos chips, divided
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- sour cream, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), lightly butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Add 2 cups of the Frito chips to the bottom of the casserole.
- Pour the chili over the chips and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the rest of the chips over the chili.
- Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chili is bubbly on the sides of the casserole. Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes.
- Serve, and optionally top servings with a big dollop of sour cream, enjoy.
Notes
The most expensive item in this casserole is the Frito chips, so this is a high cost meal but an excellent one in a while meal.
Dirty Martini
Just a twist on the standard martini, however this drink is shaken, not stirred, to infuse the olive brine into the gin and vermouth.
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Bar Jigger
Ingredients
- 2½ oz dry gin, chilled
- ½ oz dry vermouth, chilled, goes without saying
- ½ oz olive brine
- ice as needed
- cocktail spear, or toothpick
- 3 green olives with pimento
- 1 cocktail glass, chilled
Instructions
- Spear the olives and place in the chilled cocktail glass.
- Add handful of ice to a cocktail shaker, add the gin, vermouth, and olive brine to the shaker, cap and shake until well chilled.
- Strain into the glass, serve and enjoy.
