Busy cooks appreciate labor-saving shortcuts for meal prep at the end of the day. With a little planning and some pantry staples, you’ll save time, money and energy by reserving part of one dinner to use as a head start on a second meal. These recipes are perfectly designed for transforming one night’s dinner into two.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
EASIEST-EVER ROASTED CHICKEN
SERVES 4
1 whole fryer/broiler chicken, about 3–5 pounds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 lemon, quartered
Handful of fresh oregano stems (or favorite herb)
Olive oil
Place a large, cast-iron skillet in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 F.
Rinse chicken, pat dry and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Insert garlic, lemon and herbs in cavity of chicken. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together, and fold wings under chicken. Rub all over with olive oil.
When oven reaches 500 F, carefully remove hot skillet, and transfer chicken to skillet. Return skillet to oven; cook 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 F, and cook an additional 40–45 minutes, or until chicken temperature reaches 165 F. If chicken is browning too fast, loosely cover with foil.
Remove skillet from oven, and transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Reserve about 1–2 cups shredded chicken for second dinner: Creamy chicken-potato-bacon casserole, below.
CREAMY CHICKEN-POTATO-BACON CASSEROLE
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 2–3
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Olive oil or butter
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced*
1–2 cups shredded chicken
2–3 slices cooked, crispy bacon, chopped
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 large green onion, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Fresh thyme for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together cream, salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Set aside.
Grease a medium-sized baking dish with oil or butter. Layer half of potatoes in dish, followed by half of chicken, bacon, cheese and onions; then pour on half of cream mixture. Repeat with second layer. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour. Remove from oven; let rest 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme.
*For a lower-carb version of this recipe, replace potatoes with sliced zucchini.
SLOW-COOKER POT ROAST WITH CHILIES
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 6
4-pound beef roast (e.g., chuck, rump, bottom, eye round)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (more if needed)
2–3 tablespoons canola oil
2 onions, thickly sliced
2 celery sticks, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup whole pepperoncini chilies (about 8)*
1½ cups beef stock
2 large bay leaves
4 fresh oregano sprigs
1 pound small red potatoes, halved or whole
Fresh oregano for garnish
Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper, and dust with flour. In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high, heat oil. Brown roast on all sides; remove from skillet, and place in slow cooker.
In the same skillet, saute onions, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste; stir to combine. Add to slow cooker on top of roast. Add pepperoncini and enough beef stock to almost cover the roast. Add bay leaves and oregano. Cover with lid, and cook on low 6–8 hours. (If you don’t have a slow cooker, cook roast in a roasting pan in a 350 F oven for 2½ hours.) During the last hour of cooking time, add potatoes. Before serving, discard bay leaves, garlic cloves and oregano sprigs.
Slice roast. Reserve 2 cups shredded pot roast for second dinner: Beef-and-onion empanadas, below. Serve remainder with peppers, potatoes and carrots. Garnish with fresh oregano.
*Pepperoncini chilies are mild, sweet chilies. If you prefer a spicier flavor, substitute the pepperoncini with 2 jalapeno peppers.
BEEF-AND-ONION EMPANADAS
Photo by Karen Hermann
MAKES 12 5-INCH EMPANADAS
2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in small cubes, chilled
½ cup ice-cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, thinly sliced
2–3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup beef stock
2 cups shredded pot roast
1 egg, whisked
In bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade, add flour and salt, and pulse a few seconds until combined. Add butter; pulse again until flour and butter form pea-like consistency. Gradually add cold water until a ball starts to form and pulls away from sides of bowl. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 30 minutes (can be made a day ahead).
In large skillet over medium-high, heat oil. Saute onion until translucent; add garlic, and cook one minute. Lower heat to medium-low; add spices, and stir. Add tomato sauce, stock and shredded pot roast; stir to combine. Let simmer until liquid evaporates, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.
Remove chilled dough from refrigerator, and divide into two balls. Keep one ball chilled while you work with the other. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a thin layer. Using a 5-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Scoop a tablespoon of meat mixture onto one side of each circle. Fold blank side over, and seal the edges. Place on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. With a pastry brush, brush tops of empanadas with whisked egg. Repeat process with the other chilled dough ball. Chill empanadas for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F; bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
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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.”