We can’t help with the stress of suddenly being overscheduled in a new school year. But we can help home cooks get a decent, economical dinner on the table in short fashion on a busy school night when there’s so much more to do than prepare dinner.
These four dinners can be assembled in a half-hour or less (one cooks all day long in a slow cooker) and use everyday ingredients. They include a meaty skillet lasagna that doesn’t require boiling noodles in water; homemade fish sticks coated in a crunchy mix of panko and Parmesan; a four-ingredient fettuccine dish that makes the most of frozen baby peas; and a slow-cooker chicken tortilla soup that marries boneless chicken breasts with fire-roasted tomatoes and the gentle heat of chipotle peppers in adobo.
Knowing no one likes to cook every night of the week, we saved Friday night for takeout!
Noodles and Peas
Preparing a big bowl of pasta is always a great way to get dinner on the table in a hurry. This recipe from French chef Jacques Pepin’s upcoming book, “The Art of Jacques Pepin: The Cookbook” (Harvest, $35) is an easy, satisfying and comforting dish that everyone in the family will enjoy.
It may be the easiest pasta dish imaginable: The sauce has just four main ingredients — grated Parmesan, olive oil, peas and some of the cooking water from the pasta.
I also tried this recipe using heavy cream instead of olive oil, with an additional tablespoon of grated Parmesan. If you love your pasta creamy, that’s the way to go.
12 ounces fettuccine
1 cup frozen petite peas
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot, and add pasta.
Mix well, bring the water back to boil and cook, uncovered, 10-12 minutes, depending on your preference.
Meanwhile, place frozen peas in a strainer, then run them under hot tap water until the ice particles have melted and they are thawed.
Place peas in a large serving bowl with the cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.
When the pasta is cooked, remove 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the bowl with the peas. Drain the pasta, and add it to the bowl.
Toss well, and serve immediately, with more cheese if desired.
Serves 4.
— “The Art of Jacques Pepin: The Cookbook”
Meaty Skillet Lasagna
This quick version of an old-time favorite goes from cupboard to table in less than a half-hour. Yet it doesn’t sacrifice on taste.
The ingredient list looks long, but that’s only because there are three cheeses. Most everything else is a pantry item.
3 (14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
Generous pinch (or two) red pepper flakes
1 pound meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork and veal) or 1/2 pound each of ground pork and ground beef
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (do not substitute no-boil noodles)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ground black pepper
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Pulse tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain.
Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add meat, and cook, breaking apart, until lightly browned and no longer pink, 3-5 minutes.
Scatter pasta over meat, then pour processed tomatoes over pasta. Cover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until pasta is tender, about 29 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and let stand off heat until cheese melts, 2-4 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, and serve.
Serves 4.
— Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
One of my daughters’ favorite dishes is homemade tortilla soup. Usually I make it with a sweet and smoky ancho chili and roasted tomato puree. But in this recipe, all ingredients go into a slow cooker at the same time to simmer all day.
I like to add thinly sliced corn tortillas to the soup to thicken it, and also fry some in hot oil for a crunchy, low-cost topping. But the soup also can be served with bagged tortilla chips.
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
3 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, such as Rotel
32 ounces chicken broth or stock
4 ounces tomato paste
1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo, smashed
1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
10 white or yellow corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 -inch strips
Juice 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
Sliced avocado, cilantro leaves and/or grated cheddar cheese, for serving
Fried corn tortilla strips, for serving
Place chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle spices on top, and mix to combine.
Add chopped onion and bell pepper, tomatoes, tomatoes and green chilies, chicken broth, tomato paste and chipotle pepper in adobo.
Mix well to combine, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set heat on low for 8 hours.
Remove cooked chicken from the cooker, and allow to cool. Then, use two forks or your fingers to shred it into bite-size pieces.
Add chicken back to pot, along with sliced corn tortillas. Cook another 10 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat, and fry tortilla strips until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
When soup is ready to serve, stir in lime juice. Season to taste with additional salt or pepper, if needed.
Ladle into bowls, and top with a handful of tortilla strips. Each person can add avocados, a squeeze of lime juice, cheese and cilantro according to taste.
Serves 8.
— Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Homemade Baked Fish Sticks
Kids might say they hate fish, but slice a fresh fillet into planks, add a crunchy coating and suddenly it’s delicious. I used cod for these homemade fish sticks, but any firm and meaty white fish will work. You could use salmon for a stronger “fish” taste.
An added plus: Homemade fish sticks can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months and reheated in the oven or air fryer, so they’re perfect for batch cooking.
Ketchup is the standard dipping sauce for kids, but homemade tartar sauce (I make it with mayonnaise, pickle relish, lemon juice and yellow mustard) works, too.
I used panko bread crumbs for extra crunch. A squeeze of lemon will brighten the fish sticks’ flavor.
1 1/2 pounds cod or other firm fish fillet
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
Vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil, for pan
Lemon wedges, for serving
Ketchup and/or tartar sauce, for serving
Heat oven to 450 degrees, and lightly coat a baking sheet with oil.
Pat fish fillets dry with a paper towel, and generously season both sides with kosher salt. Cut fillets into long, fat sticks (1- to 1 1/2 -inch thick and about 3 inches long).
In a small bowl, combine black pepper, dried oregano and paprika. Season fish sticks on both sides with spice mixture.
Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat egg wash in a deeper dish or bowl. Combine bread crumbs, grated Parmesan and lemon zest in a third bowl placed next to the dish with egg wash.
Dip a fish stick in flour to coat both sides, then shake off excess flour. Dip it in egg wash, followed by the bread crumb and Parmesan mixture. Gently pat the fish with your fingers to help the coating stick. Repeat until all fish sticks have been coated.
Arrange coated fish sticks on a prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the tops with a little oil.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the heated oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown.
To serve, give fish sticks a quick squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with ketchup and/or tartar sauce for dipping and additional lemon wedges.
Serves 6.
— Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
