What do you make over and over again, for dinner?

E

evan

Well-known member
I read in a magazine that most families makes nine different dinners (!) over, and over again.

I'm not good at repeating my cooking. I like to try something new but there are a few I regularly come back to.

Mine are:

Home made lasagna

Home made tacos

Cauliflower soup

Sesame noodles with vegetables

Fried rice (Pulling paperbag over head now)

Paella

What's yours?

 
I've read that also. Sure doesn't happen around here. I'm always making a new recipe and wouldn't

repeat a favorite that often, not a main dish, anyway. The one thing that has stayed constant in this house is steaks on the grill, usually with a twice-baked potato of some kind, sauteed mushrooms and a green salad. The only thing that varies is the potato preparation.

This started early on in our marriage and has gone on for close to 45 years. DH loves steak. It used to be once a week, but not quite so often now. So that's my biggest rut but such an easy meal and usually on the weekend. Also love grilled hamburgers, but we don't eat them but every couple of months or so.

Favorites come and go, but there are a few things I've made for years and still make, but not even once a month, let alone every 9 days. Some that come to mind are Spinach souffle, found a good recipe and always use it.

A chicken, green pepper, mushroom and cashew stirfry from an old Betty Crocker international cookbook that certainly isn't authentic, but oh so tasty and also a flank steak and pepper stirfry from the old Time-Life books.

We used to have spaghetti and meatballs often and I've not made that in more than a year. Oh dear, now I'll be fixated on it.

For years, if I started thinking outloud about what to have for dinner, dh and dd would shout out "steak, spaghetti, pork chops, hamburgers". Wishful thinking, I guess.

We also have tacos, with various fillings ever so often and enchiladas, but lots of different recipes.

And I almost forgot my answer to fast food...frozen cheese raviolis layered with good bottled marinara sauce and baked, served with a salad, green olives and garlic bread. It used to be almost a weekly thing for when I had really worked hard and was tired. Guess I don't work that hard anymore, we don't have it often.

That's a good question and I bet most people here don't repeat things that often.

Tonight, we're having tamales from the refrigerated case at Costco, Mexican rice, pinto beans, salsa, and guac. I hope those tamales are good. I've never made them from scratch.

 
Pat's Tuscan Steak with Arugula. It's the one thing that H wants over and over.

More often in summer since my arugula is so bountiful. Curious, I'm wondering if you do this as well, since you're big on steak.

And lately, fish soup, using my frozen cod, with lots of rouille with extra garlic and extra saffron.

 
With two boys in explosive teen growth phases, I try to work on a budget and...

...often that means:

Bean and cheese burritos w/ mexican rice

Pasta with "doctored" canned sauce

Cheese quesadillas w/ leftover shredded meat

Congee from leftover whole chicken (rotisserie, grilled or baked chicken)

Baked pork chops I cut from the whole loin (very cheap in stores here. Buy them cryopacked and cut myself. Very little waste.)

Cheese omelets with (lightly) fried potatoes

Grilled, marinated pork steaks (when on sale)

And last night's dinner is common as well:

PF Chang's Lettuce wraps
Stir Fried Pork with Red Pepper, Snap Peas and Cashew.

Those are two of our favorite stir-frys.

Michael

 
I find something I/We like and do it over and over...

This fall it was...
Sausage cannaloni, escarole stew
Lentils every way imaginable
Lamb marguez patties
Sausage w/broccoli rabe

Now it's...
Pork Chops with Cherry peppers & roasted red peppers, tdf
Thai curry chicken
Chicken under a brick
Burrata w/roasted peppers
still making sausage w/broccoli rabe (we never tire of it!)

Soon I'll be full swing into my summer grilling..

 
I used to make new dishes almost nightly, but after I had kids, the experimentation

time was severely restricted, and I don't cook a lot from recipes any more.

We still don't eat a lot of repeats; but spaghetti and meatballs, and shrimp with a fresh tomato sauce, and grilled pork tenderloin are regulars.

We have common themes:

Roasted chicken
Chicken Noodle soup/pot pie (leftovers from roasted chicken)
Sauteed chicken breast with some kind of sauce
Grilled steaks/potatoes
Grilled burgers

Garlic butter noodles

 
I love steak and popovers are my comfort food right now. I've also got a thing

for pasta carbonara and just love it for breakfast too.

a quick fix when I have nothing else in mind is pasta with winter pesto, just garlic, nuts and oil topped with cheese.

I don't remember who posted the corned beef recipe for baking it in beer but that is sooo good and I've doing one a month.

I think I need to be more creative in my consumption.

 
I just recently had a pasta carbonara for the first time (or a local variation of it smileys/smile.gif

We have a local food festival every year - it's the Spam Jam, where everything is made with Spam (I love Spam!) Proceeds benefit the local food bank, who gladly take donations of Spam.

One of the newer restaurants made a Spam carbonara, and it was soooo yummy! It's a street festival, so they're cooking the foods in tents. After we ate our portion, we walked to the back of the tent, where the chef was making a new batch. Asked him if he would mind if we watch. He didn't, so I got the "recipe".

I think it was pretty traditional, except he used spam instead of bacon, and he kinda scrambled the eggs a little.

I tried it at home, and the hubby and son loved it. Now I have to try a "real" one smileys/smile.gif

Other things we had at the Spam Jam was a Spam slider (mini burger topped with a slice of spam), spam handroll sushi, and a PF Chang's spam lettuce wrap.

I haven't been to a street festival in years (they were called block parties before), and was surprised that no alcohol is served.

Makes it more family friendly smileys/smile.gif

 
For me it depends on the season. Spring is our busy time. I make Pat's maple mustard pork chops

quite a bit. They are quick, easy and tasty. I sometimes sub chicken for the pork. I also do tacos and rice and beans, steaks in the cast iron pan with onions and mushrooms,chicken or beef stir frys and my brother keeps me stocked with fish and clams so we usually have seafood once a week. In the summer it's a lot of grilling. Chicken, beef, steak, veggies, and lots of fresh salads. Fall and winter seems to be stews, soups, pot roasts, spaghetti and meatballs, more pasta and potatoes

 
CB and I enjoy alot of variety and big flavors but if pressed to come up with nine . . .

1-Chicken, Andouille & Shrimp Gumbo
2-Roasted Lemon-Garlic Chicken
3-Green Chile Stew
4-Ropa Vieja with Moros y Cristianos
5-Turkey Sausage with White Beans on Arugula
6-Cioppino
7-Pork Chops in Black Currant Sauce
8-Tomato Beef Curry
9-BBQ'ed Pulled Pork, Brisket,Turkey, Ribs & Tri-Tip

 
Macaroni, Cheese & Tuna with...wait for it...smashed Potato Chips on top

It was my mom's specialty, which says a lot about how much she didn't enjoy cooking.

I've made this silly concoction for my kids and they really dig it. What can I say?

 
REC: Pasta Carbonara hereya go Cheezz, mangia!

this is by far the best recipe I've found for a carbonara. it tastes just like the ones my Italian friends (from Italy) used to make me.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Time Life Foods Around the World

to serve 4

4 TBL soft butter
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 cup freshly grated,imported parmesan
8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4" strips
1/2 cup heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper

1 lb spaghetti or linguine

fry the pieces of bacon until done but not too crisp. move to a paper towel lined plate to drain. drain off most of the fat in the skillet. add the butter and cream and set aside. in a bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks until they are well blended.

cook the pasta, ya all know how to that. when the pasta is done, gently heat the butter and cream mixture and add the pasta, tossing to coat. add the black pepper and the eggs and toss again to coat and add 1/2 cup of cheese and the bacon and toss again. serve with the extra cheese on the side.

make only when your cholesteral level is dangerously low... '-D

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top