Recipes | One Dish Dinners

The ODD Cookbook Is On Shelves Today! {Plus Easy ODD Back to School Dinners}

Erin — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Well. It’s happened. It’s now on bookshelves nationwide!

The One Dish Dinners cookbook is for every busy home chef, moms and dads alike, who are struggling to come up with creative dinner ideas that won’t cost an arm and a leg, AND that won’t leave a ginormous mess in the sink!

With this cookbook, you’ll have more variety on the dinner table, meals that please your family, more money in your pocketbook, less time in the kitchen and way less mess to deal with at the end of the day!

The book is filled with over 150 delicious meal ideas, all of which are cooked in one dish (yep, it’s true.) Everything fro…

slow cooker meals,
casseroles,
complete dinners on the grill.
plus 10 mouth-watering “one-bowl” desserts…including the best from-scratch brownies you’ll ever taste, and some amazing fruit crisps and crumbles.

I am a busy, busy, busy parent, just like you. And I work hard to make the most use of my time, and spend as little of our family’s hard earned dollars at the grocery store, and ultimately on dinner. I’ve been making $5 Dinners for our family for over 4 years now, and I’ve shared all my juicy tips and tricks in my first 2 cookbooks, and this cookbook just brings it all together to help stretch your limited time, money and elbow grease to the max.

Before you get yourself a copy of the cookbook, I wanted to share 5 of our family’s favorite One Dish Dinners recipes. Perfect for busy school weeknights, perfect for keeping your kitchen cleaner than usual, perfect for helping you maintain a few shreds of sanity

Now…if you haven’t purchased the book yet. Please do. For your own sake. I wrote it to help save you 3 very important things…money, time and sanity. So if you want to salvage what’s left of those things in your life, you need this book. Yes, need.

You can find it on bookshelves of all major book retailers, and you can click here to get it online at Amazon too.

And if you pre-ordered the cookbook from an online retailer, then it should be on it’s way to your doorstep, if not already there! (When you get it, come tell me on the $5 Dinners Facebook page! I’d love to know what you think!)

Happy One Dish Dinner-ing

Erin

{CLOSED} One Dish Dinners Cookbook – Giveaway

Erin — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 23:08:52 +0000

Update: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for all the entries! Winners will be announced shortly!

And, the winners are:

bethk42@
gert003@
dawn.lenzie@
mandied79@
p_j4ever2000@
Decadentdesserts4u@
shelgem@
mandyrice@
janschop@
karen_310@

All winners have been notified via email with further instructions.

This week, we are celebrating the 4th birthday of $5 Dinners, and my One Dish Dinners Cookbook release (September 4th, pre-order now!). In addition to the multiple giveaways (starting Monday mid-morning) happening over there, I’ll also be giving away 10 of my new cookbooks this week here on One Dish Dinners!

Giveaway Details

1. Contest ends Sunday, August 26th at 5 pm CST.

2. Winners will be chosen at random and emailed.

3. Entries (leave separate comments for multiple entries)

#1- Like One Dish Dinners on Facebook
#2- Pin a recipe from OneDishDinners.com and follow Erin on Pinterest
#3 – Share the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or other social network (buttons above!)

Thanks bunches friends and good luck!

Cheeseburger ‘n Fries Kebabs

Erin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Burgers just got a little more exciting. And tastier…the smoky flavor infused into the pickles and onions is fabulous. Perfect, perfect, perfect!

Serve these as is, or serve each little burger ball on a small dinner roll. We enjoyed these like this with some baby carrots and pineapple.

Prep the burger balls, defrost/thaw the potato wedges, cut the onions and pickles, and “quarter” the cheese slices.

String it all up. Kebab them up. (Can kebab be used as a verb? Hmm.)

Grill em.

Roll em, and grill all sides.

Once the meat has cooked through, move the kebabs off of the direct heat and let the cheese slices melt on the burger balls.

Boom, eat them up!!!

For the rest of the potato wedges, place as many as you can fit onto skewers and grill them for a few minutes on each side, until cooked/warmed through. Serve a skewer or two of grilled fries with your burger kebabs!

A delightful summer meal!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Cheeseburger ‘n Fries Kebabs

Yield – 4 servings
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 10-15 minutes on the grill

Ingredients

2 lb. bag of frozen potato wedges
1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 dill pickle wedges, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
3-4 slices of cheese, cut into 4 small pieces
Condiments – ketchup, mustard, spicy mustard, mayo, or other favorite
Optional – small dinner rolls for serving

Side dish – fresh fruit or baby carrots or small side salad

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Directions

Defrost or thaw the potato wedges completely.

In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Toss in a little salt and pepper too. Make 12-16 small burger balls that you can skewer. Pack tightly, as they will loosen slightly as you grill them.

Cut the pickles, onions and break the cheese slices into 4 small pieces.

Skewer the burger balls, pickles, onions, and potato wedges. Grill for a few minutes on each side, until meatballs have cooked through. Then move to indirect heat or top rack on the grill and place the cheese slice on top. Close the lid and let cheese melt, 2-3 minutes.

Serve Cheeseburger ‘n Fries Kebabs immediately with side dish.

Stovetop Italian Chicken with Potatoes

Erin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Hiding under all these perfectly tender red potatoes and carrots are a couple of chicken thighs. I promise.

This recipe is a happy accident.

I meant to make this in the slow cooker. Except I didn’t get it started in time. I hadn’t written it onto my daily planner. And I forgot to set the slow cooker on the counter the night before. And it wasn’t until 2:30 pm that I figured out my error.

But thankfully there was still plenty of time to get it made…just not in the slow cooker. The Dutch oven was the only option.

Braise the chicken thighs, while cutting up the potatoes and carrots…then let it slow cook on the stovetop.

(This would work well with boneless chicken thighs. If you prefer to use chicken breast, you might want to add a little more water, as the chicken breasts won’t release as many juices as they cook.)

Same delicious result, with minimal fuss and minimal dishes!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Stovetop Italian Chicken with Potatoes

Yield – 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 1 to 2 hours

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 bone-in chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
About 2 lbs red potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into circles
1 small onion, diced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Drizzles of olive oil

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Directions

Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to a large Dutch oven. Turn on the heat and then brown the chicken on both sides. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Add the potatoes, carrots, onion and diced tomatoes over top of the chicken thighs. Pour about 1 cup of water over top. Then sprinkle the Italian seasoning plus a little more salt and pepper over the top.

Add a few drizzles of olive oil over the top. Bring the liquid to bubbling, then reduce heat to medium low and cover tightly.

Let cook for 1 hour to 2 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Serve Italian Chicken with Potatoes out of the stovetop, as is. No side dish necessary!

Ham and Potatoes Saute with Baked Eggs

Erin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

This is easy enough that it could be a weekday morning breakfast. It does take a few minutes to get things sauteed, but only needs a few minutes to bake. So…it would be easy to fit into the morning kitchen plan…

Turn on oven.
Dump potatoes and ham into skillet.
Make lunches.
Toss the potatoes and ham.
Holler at kids to get shoes on. And to pack their backpacks.
Put the whole skillet into the oven.
Make sure everyone is presentable and that shoes are on the right feet. Cut up fresh fruit. Put final touches on lunches.
Serve warm, filling, hearty and wholesome breakfast.
Give hugs and kisses and send everyone off to work and school.

Or, you could just try this on a leisurely weekend morning…or a weeknight “brinner.”

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Ham and Potatoes Saute with Baked Eggs

Yield – 4 servings
Prep Time – 10 minutes
Cook Time – 5 to 7 minutes

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 bag (28 oz.) frozen diced Potatoes O’Brien
2 cups ham, diced
3-4 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste,
Dash of Italian seasoning for serving

Side of fresh fruit

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Directions

Preheat to 350.

Add the oil, potatoes and ham to the skillet and saute for 7 to 9 minutes. Then make a few wells for the eggs.

Crack the eggs into each well. Then put the skillet right into the oven.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or longer if you want the egg completely baked.

Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and some Italian seasonings onto each egg.

Serve Ham and Potatoes Saute with Baked Eggs and a side of fresh fruit.

One Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Erin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Oh help me now.

It’s really not good how easy this is. And it’s really not good how simple the cleaniup is. This is really just not good.

In fact, it’s so not good…that I couldn’t not keep it from you.

Alright. Enough with the negatives. This is me being facetious.

But seriously…help.

It really is not good that I now know how to make a chocolate chip cookie in just a skillet. No messing with bowls, cleaning up cookie sheets. Just bake, eat and wash out the skillet. It’s too simple. And way too easy!

Inspired by this one pan skillet cookie from Sophistimom.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
One Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yield – 16 cookies
Prep Time – 10 minutes
Cook Time – 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, chopped (or 1 cup chocolate chips)

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Add the sticks of butter to an 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the sugars and vanilla. Remove from heat.

Whisk in the egg and milk, then stir in the flour, soda and salt.

Fold in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if needed to cook through.

Serve warm from the skillet

(Remember to use caution with the skillet after removing it from the oven. Leave an oven mitt around the handle so you don’t forget you just took it out of the oven and that it’s piping hot!)

Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

Erin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I’ve been itching to make a stir-fry for weeks.

I love them because they are so flavorful. And easy. And quick. And make your house smell like your favorite Chinese dive.

(As long as you get the rice cooking in time. Or you make with noodles that cook in just a few minutes.)

This was a “one-dish dinner” for us because I used leftover rice. Last week I made a double batch of “red rice” (cooks just like brown rice) that I found in the pantry and wanted to use it. What I had left was too much for one meal, so I just cooked it all and saved the rest for the next night’s stir-fry.

Either way…quick and easy. And tasty too!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-fry

Yield – 4 servings
Prep Time – 10 mintues
Cook Time – 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 10 oz. bag frozen stir-fry veggie mix

Rice – brown, red, white, basmati or noodles

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Directions

Add the chicken pieces into a shallow dish or plastic baggie with the orange juice, zest, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil. Toss in the marinated chicken pieces and the frozen veggie mix into the skillet and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing often. Cook until chicken pieces are cooked through…cooking time may vary depending on thickness of the chicken.

Add crushed red pepper to individual servings if you’d like a little heat.

Serve Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-fry over cooked rice or noodles.

Coconut Chicken and Rice with Carrots

Erin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I trust you all have had a wonderful holiday and new year celebration! Other than a trip to Chicago to spend time with family for Christmas, our family did a whole lotta n.o.t.h.i.n.g. these past 2 weeks. Seriously, we did nothing. The big outing of the week between Christmas and New Years was to the grocery store. And a quick trip to grandma’s house!

We played games, we watched movies, we made puzzles…the entertainment was endless with all the new toys from Christmas.

And when it came time to cook dinner, I needed easy. I needed something I could drop into a dutch oven or the slow cooker, and plop myself back down on the couch with my book. Or laptop.

This meal was one of those meals…what can I dig out and throw together. Chicken from the freezer, coconut milk from the pantry, carrots from the fridge…and yum!

Simple ingredients. Simple cooking methods. Just what I needed while enjoying our Christmas break!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Coconut Chicken and Rice with Carrots

Yield – 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 50 minutes to 1 hour, or 30 minutes if you use white rice

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 15 oz. can light coconut milk (not coconut water)
1 1/2 cups brown rice (or white rice)
2 cups carrots, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, then saute the chicken pieces with the minced onion and minced garlic until they are brown on all sides.

Pour in the coconut milk with 2 cups HOT water. Bring to bubbling and then add the rice, carrots and curry powder.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until the brown rice is fork tender. (Cook for 18 to 20 minutes if using white rice.)

Remove from the heat to prevent overcooking the rice. Let cool slightly before serving.

Serve Coconut Chicken and Rice with Carrots, as is or with simple side dish.

Winter Vegetable Chili

Erin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +0000

We hear it all the time when talking about cooking, shopping and frugality: eat seasonally.

But what if you don’t know how to cook seasonally. You can’t eat seasonally if you don’t know how to cook seasonal vegetables.

Winter vegetables: sweet potatoes, potatoes, broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, turnips and winter squash like acorn, butternut and spaghetti

Here’s a simple chili recipe with some winter vegetables cooked right in. Your heart and tummy will be warmed by this delicious winter chili.

Other helpful resources -

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Winter Vegetable Chili

Yield – 6 servings
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 20 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrot sticks, peeled and sliced
2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic. Drain and return to the pan.

Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth PLUS 2-3 CUPS HOT WATER (or use 4-5 cups hot water). Bring to a boil and add the sweet potato chunks, carrot and parsnip cookies.

Add the chili powder and cinnamon. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat to medium. Then cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots are fork tender.

Serve as is, or with a side of fresh bread. Enjoy!

Lentil Minestrone Soup

Erin — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I’ve shared this week’s recipe for Lentil Minestrone Soup over at Life as Mom.

I’ve also added it to the “Rice and Beans Budget” recipe list over on $5 Dinners.

Enjoy!