Delicious, simple and timeless—all-American diner food is the ultimate feel-good eating experience. The next time you travel by car and see that flashing neon sign, pop in for a taste of nostalgia. Or better yet, whip up one of these diner-style recipes in the comfort of your own home to enjoy “homemade” diner goodness.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 bone-in chicken breasts (or 1 cut-up chicken), rinsed and patted dry
4 bone-in chicken breasts; (or 1 cut-up chicken) rinsed and pat dry
¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1½ cups unsalted chicken stock
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl or zip-lock bag, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Toss chicken in flour mixture to coat all sides.
In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Shake excess flour from chicken and add to hot oil, skin side down. Sear until brown on all sides; remove from skillet and keep warm. Add onions to skillet and saute until soft and translucent. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Wipe out skillet and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add 2 tablespoons of leftover seasoned flour; stir constantly until a sand-like consistency and lightly brown. Gradually add chicken stock and whisk until flour and stock are completely combined and start to thicken. When starting to boil, remove from heat. Add chicken, with juices, back to the skillet and spoon onions over the top of chicken. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until internal temperature of chicken is 165 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20–25 minutes. Serve with your favorite side of mashed potatoes or rice.
___
Recipe tip
Flat whisk vs. balloon whisk. When making sauces/gravies, use a flat whisk, not a balloon whisk. A flat whisk allows you to scrape into the corners of a saucepan, thereby evenly distributing all of the flour and ingredients into the sauce. A balloon whisk is used for whipping air into a finished product, like whipped cream and meringues.
Salisbury steak
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4
Patties
1 pound ground beef
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mushroom gravy
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups unsalted beef stock
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape into four oval-shaped patties. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook patties 3–4 minutes on each side until browned; remove from skillet to a platter and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet and saute mushrooms until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Wipe out skillet and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add flour and whisk constantly until a sand-like consistency. Gradually add beef stock and whisk until flour and stock are completely combined and start to thicken. Add thyme and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low; return patties to skillet. Cover with mushrooms and simmer, covered, for 10–15 minutes or until patties are thoroughly cooked and sauce has thickened. Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes; garnish with parsley.
___
Recipe tip
Flat whisk vs. balloon whisk. When making sauces/gravies, use a flat whisk, not a balloon whisk. A flat whisk allows you to scrape into the corners of a saucepan, thereby evenly distributing all of the flour and ingredients into the sauce. A balloon whisk is used for whipping air into a finished product, like whipped cream and meringues.
Cheesy cottage fries
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4–6
3 russet potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ cup olive oil
Grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, soak potato slices in cold water for 30–60 minutes. Pat dry potatoes and place in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle one side of potatoes with mix and brush with olive oil. (You can also use olive oil spray.) Turn potatoes over and repeat. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes; flip over and bake for another 15 minutes, until browned on the outside but soft on the inside. Serve with your favorite condiment or garnish with grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese.
Cherry almond meringue pie
SERVES 8–10
Crust
1 9-inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
Filling
½ cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup syrup from cherries
2 15-ounce cans cherries, drained (save syrup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
Meringue
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup superfine sugar
Crust: Preheat oven to 375 F. Lay pie crust on a clean, dry surface dusted with flour (just enough to keep crust from sticking to the surface). In a small bowl, mix ground almonds and sugar. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the crust. Use a rolling pin to press the crumb mixture lightly into the crust. Line a 9-inch pie plate with crust and crimp/flute edges. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork; line with parchment or wax paper secured with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and remove the parchment paper and weights. Let cool to room temperature.
Filling: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch and syrup. Stir, occasionally, until mixture starts to bubble; then cook one minute longer. Add remaining sugar, cherries, butter, lemon juice and extract. Stir, remove from heat and set aside.
Meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, add egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Slowly increase mixer speed to the highest setting. Beat until frothy and soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is glossy.
Assemble and bake: Pour filling into baked pie crust. Spread meringue over top of filling, sealing all the way to the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Let cool on a rack for one hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting or serving.
___
Recipe tips
What if you can’t find superfine sugar? Make your own in the food processor. Pulse regular sugar for 5–6 seconds. Do not overmix or you will end up with powder. Make a few cups and store in an airtight container.
How to grind almonds. Use the food processor or mortar and pestle. Again, be careful not to overprocess. What you want are very small pieces of almonds, not almond powder.
How will you know when meringue is perfect? Scoop with a spatula and turn spatula upside down—if meringue sticks to the spatula, it is ready to be used.
Flat whisk vs. balloon whisk. When making sauces/gravies, use a flat whisk, not a balloon whisk. A flat whisk allows you to scrape into the corners of a saucepan, thereby evenly distributing all of the flour and ingredients into the sauce. A balloon whisk is used for whipping air into a finished product, like whipped cream and meringues.
___
Related stories
Whip up dessert—A fluffy meringue topping is the perfect way to finish a fruit pie. Chef Belinda shows you how it’s done in her latest how-to video.
___
BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”