Side DishesDeviled egg pasta salad is another picnic and outdoor menu item I offer along with lunch items. Macaroni pasta soaks up the deviled egg dressing with mustard. Crumbled bacon and diced egg and pickle ingredients add texture and deviled egg flavor to this outdoor summer side dish.
DinnerCaprese-style burrata pasta is my go-to choice if I want other tomato-based spaghetti options and a more visually appealing dish, burrata is served whole as part of the plate decoration. Roast halved cherry tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar with garlic. Combine cooked cherry tomatoes with spaghetti and serve room-temperature burrata on top.
DinnerPan-frying chicken cutlets allows the chicken to cook more evenly. Allowing rested chicken to cool before cutting helps prevent cooked chicken from drying out after further cooking in the sauce. This creamy chicken and mushroom pasta recipe is a recipe I enjoy for sautéed mushrooms and pasta with a mild sauce.
DinnerVery high heat can give dry steak a browned exterior while keeping the interior juicy. Longer rest time can help keep steak juicy, especially thicker cuts. I serve sliced blue cheese steak with warm onions and ciabatta bread to provide a contrast in flavors between the blue cheese and the steak.
DinnerThe filling under the puff pastry gives the puff pastry room to rise and helps you peel the cooked filling from the parchment paper because the cheese creates a crust that releases cleanly. I sometimes use this method to prepare tacos when I want both a warm filling and puff pastry shell.
LunchI prepare this Italian sub pasta salad for lunch when I don't have time for a meal with more preparation. Gemelli pasta works well with an oregano-based dressing. Ingredients like lunch meats, mozzarella cheese, olives, and chili peppers add sub flavors to the pasta salad. This cold pasta salad makes a good substitute for a sub sandwich for lunch.
DinnerBuy 80% lean, 20% fat ground chuck to make quesadilla burgers. The fat in ground chuck keeps the meat patty and melted cheese moist. The quesadilla tortillas are crispy like burger buns to hold the whole burger together in your hands. I sometimes make quesadilla burgers instead of regular buns to mix things up.
DinnerBrowning and draining the ground beef keeps the tortilla dry while making the filling moist. Using cheddar cheese prevents the filling from leaking out while it melts in the tortilla. I enjoy cheeseburger quesadillas for their crispy tortillas and pickled hamburger flavor.
DinnerSpreading 4 ounces of beef around the tortillas will give Big Mac tacos with oven-baked beef. I sear beef patties and cheese-covered tortillas in a preheated cast iron pan at a high temperature. I like softer tortillas.
DinnerGround beef stroganoff is a favorite meal. I can prepare it in 30 minutes using cooked ground beef and mushrooms in a sour cream-based sauce with egg noodles. A small amount of Worcestershire sauce enhances the flavor. This dish serves four and is simple to make.
BeefBrowning the beef before adding Worcestershire sauce to the cheeseburger quesadillas makes the beef more flavorful, and cheddar melts in the tortillas when making cheeseburger quesadillas, but pickles do not. I make cheeseburger quesadillas when I want to eat a cheeseburger but cook at the stove instead.
DinnerGround beef is the primary ingredient in quesadilla burgers. Four patties of ground beef are layered with Colby Jack cheese in tortillas. I make quesadilla burgers as an alternative to regular burgers. They can be eaten as a handheld meal with chipotle mayonnaise, lime, pico de gallo, and lettuce.
