In honor of Men Make Dinner Day (Nov. 2), I thought I'd hit up my favorite man who makes dinner everyday (well almost everyday) for some tips for the dads (and moms) who don't.
No, it's not my husband.
He can cook, he just chooses not to most days, unless the recipe requires a grill. Then he's all over that. Also, I have learned that if I want my husband to cook then there's an excellent chance that we will all have a healthy portion of meat to choose from at those dinners, maybe even, on the rare occasion, a potato with that meat. But vegetables? Uh, sometimes he cuts up carrot sticks.
So if I want a balanced meal, my husband is not the go-to chef in this house.
But at my sister's house ... my brother-in-law is!
Boy did my little sister hit the jackpot. She found a man who loves to cook (and grocery shop). *sigh* So when I heard it was Men Make Dinner Day this week, I went directly to the master chef in the family. And he helped with the following ...
5 tips for dads (and moms) who fear the kitchen:
1. Keep it simple
Don't go all gourmet when cooking for your family (most kids won't eat it anyway). Stick to recipes with only a few ingredients, and simple cooking directions. No elaborate braising, and sautéing and then time in the oven, etc.
2. Master one recipe at time
Find one recipe you think your kids will love and cook the heck out of it. If you have one meal you love to cook and cook it well changes are the kids will love it, too. I've heard kids say things like "Can I have some Nanny noodles?" or "Are we going to make Lily Pasta?" Kids associate good meals with the people who make them. So go out there and tackle an awesome "Mommy Meatloaf" recipe or "Daddy Chicken and Dumplings."
3. Slow cookers are AWESOME!
Become the master of the slow cookers. Seriously how easy can it get? Grab a few ingredients, throw them in the slow cooker, and then turn it on low while you head to work. When you come home ... Voila. A family meal created with love by the non-cooker in the family.
4. Don't be afraid to use a meat thermometer
Very few of us are seasoned chefs like those on television who press their finger into a steak or breast of chicken and can tell you whether it's rare, raw or medium simply by the way it feels. I still freak out as to whether or not my chicken is done inside, so I will definitely start using this tip more often. Use the meat thermometer. It tells you exactly what temperature different types of meat should be for their desired level of doneness.
5. Rotisserie chickens are great for all sorts of meals
Make a salad, shred up some chicken and throw it on top, and finish with dressing. You've got a healthy meal in minutes. Cook some rice from one of those packages that says "Throw in 2 cups water, 1 TBS of butter and the contents, turn to simmer once it boils and cook for 7 minutes" and you've got an entire meal! Or better yet, now that the temperature is dropping here in the Berkshires, put a couple of boxes of chicken stock in a pot, add shredded rotisserie chicken, carrots, onions, green beans, and a can of diced tomatoes. Then add salt and pepper to taste and a couple of teaspoons of Italian seasoning to the pot and simmer for an hour. Now you've got yourself some chicken vegetable soup. Add a cup of Minute Rice during the last 5-7 minutes, and you've got chicken and rice soup. See easy.
I also asked my brother-in-law for an easy first-timer recipe. He gave me one of his favorites Chicken Noodle Casserole, but he kind of forgot the recipe (because he's such a good cook that he just wings it most of the time), so we improvised a bit.
Chicken Noodle Casserole
• 1 can cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles cooked and drained
• Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together and pour in a casserole dish. Then top with bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Want to add a little twist? The original Campbell's Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole also adds 1 cup of mixed frozen veggies (carrots, corn, green beans, peas); and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesean cheese. Bake at same temperature and for the same amount of time and then sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese when done.
