What home-cooked meal do you frequently make and still enjoy?

Burgers and fries

I make my own burgers ... buy about 2kg of lean ground beef when it's on sale .... mix them by hand with salt, spice, Worcester sauce .. measure out about 2oz to 3oz portions, press them in a burger press that is a bit large .... it makes a really thin burger patty. I like the thin patty because it only takes about five to seven minutes to cook. If I feel like having more, I just cook more patties.

I only cook a few at a time, then freeze the rest. Always nice to have a ready made supply of homemade patties.

I also cut my own fries, cover them in a bit of oil, then air fry them. Toss them with a bit of salt at the end.

I used to work as a fast food cook at our family's own burger joint when I was a teen. Homemade burgers and fries just seem like second nature to me at this point.

Burritos with baked tofu, peanuts and onions, fried and hastily squished beans, brown rice and cheese. 10 mins of work for 6 servings and then I store them in the freezer and just chuck them in the microwave as needed. Great low effort food and much healthier than most other microwave snacks.

I do the same thing but different burrito filling 🙌

I cook dinner virtually every night, but probably my (and my family's) favorite is Lemon Chicken Picatta.

I cut chicken breasts into pieces about nugget sized, then season w/ salt & pepper. Toss them in flour to coat, then pan-fry them in vegetable oil. Basically, home-made chicken nuggets (my wife says they're very similar to Chik-Fil-A nuggets).

When the chicken is done, I use the same pan, which now has a bunch of fond from the meat. Sautee some minced garlic, then add a bunch of chicken broth and thinly sliced lemons. Sautee that for a bit while scraping everything off the bottom of the pan. Add lemon juice and capers. Cook a bit longer. Take off the heat and add butter and parsley. Then pour the sauce over the chicken.

I usually serve it over pearl couscous with a side of air-fried broccoli.

For mother's day, I cooked a piece of fish in some of the sauce. I don't particularly like fish, but my wife said it was delicious.

fajitas
pasta with zucchini jam sauce
falafel sandwiches (I make all the components in big batches and eat this for days)
pizza (using a no-cook sauce recipe)

Always loved falafels .... do you have a recipe to make them? Or do you just get them ready made?
I tried making them before but all I got was disintegrated mush in my oil. :(
- I have, but it's a huge amount of work and most mixes are pretty good. If they fell apart you probably either made it too loose, or didn't press the patties enough before frying.

You had a kid when you were 64 years old?

Shakshuka, bean burritos, pizza are generally my most common. All are good, just generally have to plan ahead with a few of them.

What flavor is it?
- As a kid, I used to gobble up plain white rice with nothing but salt and pepper. I still love it that way but have to regulate myself.

Household spaghetti recipe.

So happy that the spaghetti that was made for me I now get to make for my kid.

Nice.
I also inherited a family spaghetti and meat sauce recipe.
In total it has 5 ingredients and that includes water and salt. I love it.
(The other 3 are the noodles, meat, and canned tomato sauce)

Mini pizzas. I use the naan from Costco as the base, par bake it a few minutes first, then top with jar sauce and shredded mozzarella and make everyone come and do the rest of their toppings from little bowls I’ve prepared before going back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Kids like mini pepperoni and pineapple bits from a can. I like pesto, spiced artichoke from a jar, Canadian bacon, and avocado and freshly chiffoned basil (after the baking). Everyone gets two pizzas customized to their liking, it tastes better than any takeout pizza, and it’s inexpensive.

Oh man, I totally forgot that I used to make naan pizza all the time. I need to get back into this

Moksi Alesi with djar pesi or blaka ai pesi and salted fish "bakkeljauw" or salted beef "zoutvlees" with Madame Jeanette pepper. Basically beans and rice. I learned the basic recipe from a friend with Suriname ancestry.

Hashbrowns and eggs with bacon. Cook some thinly sliced bacon, almost like bacon bits, and in the grease cook Hashbrowns. Then, once they're both cooked, crack a few eggs over everything and cook that. Serve with seasoning salt.

It sounds super obvious, but i never thought to cook hasbrowns in the bacon grease... Mostly because I'm fully converted to making bacon in the oven these days.
Definitely going to give this a whirl next time we're doing breakfast.
- For me the difference is the griddle top, covering my whole stove. Usually I’ll cook bacon in the oven, but if I’m getting that beast out, I’m cooking everything together. I love the space and freedom it gives, love to do the short order cook thing.
  I keep threatening my kids that I’ll learn to throw knives around like a hibachi chef and make onion volcanoes for their amusement
- I also take the oven approach to bacon, but I save the grease in a jar and use it for frying eggs and potatoes later.
  To build on the original comment, my common breakfast option is also potatoes, eggs and bacon but I usually throw them in a tortilla with cheese and salsa. Perhaps more often I make the same thing, but with peppers and onions instead of bacon. In my mind it's a little healthier, but admittedly not much.

Er, I feel like this is my time:

African Chicken And Jollof Rice
Asparagus And Crayfish Tail Tagliatelle
Aubergine Laksa
Baked Salmon W. Lemon Couscous
Barbecued Spatchcock Chicken With Potato Salad
Blackened Chicken And Dirty Rice
Blackened Salmon And Dirty Rice
Burgers
Butter Chicken
Cajun Chicken Thighs And Dirty Rice
Caldeirada - Portuguese Fish Stew
Carbonara
Carnitas
Chicken Adobo
Chicken And Butternut Squash Tray Bake
Chicken And Mushroom Casserole
Chicken Biryani
Chicken Caesar Salad
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Kebabs And Couscous
Chicken Kyivs
Chicken Milanese
Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Ramen
Chicken Shawarma
Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Thighs - Greek Style
Chicken Tikka Kebabs
Chilli Con Carne
Doner Kebabs
Fish Pie
Fish, New Potatoes, Asparagus
Fish, New Potatoes, Samphire
Gnocchi And Green Veggies
Grilled Chicken Tacos
Jamaican Chicken Curry
Jambalaya
Kedgeree
Kofte Kebabs And Koshari Rice
Mac ‘N’ Cheese
Mediteranean Chicken And Cous Cous
Oklahoma Onion Burgers
Paneer Curry Wraps
Pasta Alla Norcina (Sausage & Cream)
Penang Curry
Penne Alla Vodka
Peri Peri Chicken
Pesto Pasta
Portuguese Baked Cod
Portuguese Green Soup
Ragu Alla Bolognese Tagliatelle
Ragu Alla Genovese Tagliatelle
Red Beans And Rice
Red Salmon Pasta
Risotto – Chicken And Asparagus
Risotto – Mushroom
Roast Chicken
Salmon, Asparagus, And Crushed Potatoes
Sausage And Potato Tray Bake
Sicilian Chicken Spaghetti
Smoked Salmon, Lemon And Garlic Spaghetti
Steak/Chicken And Chips
Stir-Fried Tofu
Tandoori Chicken
Tortellini Soup With Chicken & Spinach
Tuna Pasta Bake
Tuscan Chicken, Bean, And Spinach Soup
Tuscan Pork Pasta
Veggie Chilli
White Chilli
Za’tar Salmon And Spinach Rice

Edit to add: I can dig up my recipe for any of these if anyone is interested.

Do you... have a recipe book? Or do you just walk around with an alphabetical list of stuff you know how to cook in your head?
- Bit of both. Generally what happens is that I come across a reference to a dish that makes me want to try it, then look up a bunch of recipes to get an understanding of how to make it, mix and match from the recipes I've found, then write up what I did. But I could probably buy the ingredients and cook at least half of these dishes from memory.
  I also maintain a spreadsheet of what I cook every day which helps me not repeat dishes too often (e.g. I can tell you that it's only been 21 days since I last cooked the Za'tar Salmon and Spinach Rice someone else asked about in another comment, so I'll probably give it at least a month before I cook it again.
  I also score (and get the wife and kids to score) each meal when I first cook it (to my satisfaction - sometimes it takes a couple of goes to tweak it). The ones I listed here are all ones which worked out ok and which I enjoyed. The kids inevitably score veg-based meals low but I mostly ignore them!
But if you are looping through all of these, there is not much repetition, right?
How about za’tar salmon?
- I have a container of za'tar but don't really know where to use it.
  I love salmon, but have found hawaiian seasoning the best when grilled. how's this za'tar recipe go?

I eat toast with cream cheese and a poached egg almost every morning and there's some synergy between the unctuous yolk, the sour cheese, and my hot sauce that is just about mana from heaven.

You could make it Turkish and add a dollop of yogurt.

Chana masala! It's so tasty and relatively easy to make.

Always love Indian food but always afraid to make it.
What's your recipe?
- I prefer to make it in my Instant Pot so I use this recipe: https://thegirlonbloor.com/chana-masala-instant-pot-and-stovetop/#wprm-recipe-container-26783
  Dw, there's also instructions to cook it on a stove stop. :>

Lately, I've really got into making sheet-pan dinners. Baked (and marinated) chicken breast surrounded by halved baby potatoes, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower with a little feta cheese sprinkled on after it comes out of the oven. Hearty and delicious! :)

Douse it in herbs and lemon, fantastic dish.

I make (vegan) bolognese, chili sin carne and similar weekly. It's so easy to mix up with different ingredients, seasonings etc. I usually use soy-based mince since it's the cheapest but I use other stuff like tofu, mince made from peas, mushrooms etc. pretty often too. They all give different textures and tastes so it's an infinitely variable thing. Lately I've been making bolognese-ish with oat milk and mushroom slices added, makes it really nicely creamy and earthy.

You might want to look into lentil-oat mixes for even cheaper mince substitutes. You can make it yourself and season it with no beef bouillon and it’s a high protein, high fiber, cheap and tasty option. It’s more time intensive, but it’s mostly passive cooking time.
My kids love chili, with or without meat. Especially if it has hominy or corn. And are crazy about "mushroom sauce" for pasta, saute a truly astonishing amount of mushrooms then pour bottled spaghetti sauce over. Like they want more mushrooms than pasta just about.
Oh, all of that sounds really nice!

Tortellini pesto - seems like a lot of steps but it’s simple and fast, little prep time needed

slice up some chicken and coat with lemon pepper rub
sear it in the cast iron skillet
boil the tortellini
strain it, goddam, forgot to keep some pasta water again
a couple tablespoons of olive oil in the pan,
heat garlic and red pepper flakes to infuse the oil
dump in a small jar of pesto and mix with infused oil, then turn off the burner
throw in the pasta, a cut up bell pepper and the meat, and mix (effing pasta water would make this perfect)
fold in some shaved Parmesan and fresh baby spinach leaves, and serve

Edit: this was me discovering wilted spinach is much better than slimy black overcooked spinach that I experienced most of my life, and I haven’t gotten tired of it. If I remember the pasta water, it’s nice and creamy

Sandwiches

My favorite lately has been bacon tomato sandwiches.

Cajun chicken wraps! Baked chicken with Cajun seasoning, romaine lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, in a slightly salted wrap and then lightly fry the wrap for a little crisp and to keep it sealed shut.

Whatcha using for that wrap tho?
Sounds good!
- Lately I've been using a new brand since they're bigger than the Mission ones I used to get, I think it's called Aladdin or something. They're just "regular" wheat wraps lol
That sounds delicious, and pretty healthy too. Thanks for sharing.

Beans and rice. I fry onions, bell peppers, garlic, and chili in a pot (sometimes carrots, celery, or leeks), add tomato paste and rice, and after a few minutes of toasting the rice, I add vegetable broth and cook until the rice is done. Then I add cooked beans (I use black beans, pinto beans, or black eyed peas at about a 2:3 ratio of beans to rice), spices, and sometimes tomatoes or nutritional yeast, depending on my mood and grocery stock. I serve it with lime, vegan cheese, or fried onions.

I'm experimenting with a similar thing, but with Lentils. Kind of a Dahl. I've recently learned about a mirepoix and I'm trying to meld it into as many things as I can. I threw blitzed carrot, onion, garlic, celery, and broccoli stems, in pot until softened, added tomato paste, a red chilli meal base I had laying around, seared the spices a little then, tin tomatoes, Lentils, split peas, (yellow and green), cooked till it tasted cooked, I have no idea. Added a tin of coconut cream at end, cooked a few more minutes. Turned out great, needed lemon, but I didn't add that because a kid hates it. I also added Greek yogurt. Bloody lovely, needed more spice, but I have the spice tolerance to kill a buffalo, so if I'm cooking for other people, I try not to do that.
I'm determined to keep a container with roughly chopped carrot, onion, celery, to blitz and add to stuff. It's been super useful. Seared it and Added it to a pumpkin soup the week before.

I make tacos every Tuesday. The only thing I change up is the meat used.

Tofu scramble, although it's so far diverged from "standard" tofu scramble I'm not sure if I'd even call it that anymore. Basically, it's crumbled tofu (firm or extra firm), fried potatoes (hash brown style), olives, bell peppers, onions, and tomato all thrown in a pan together and cooked on the stovetop. Seasoning is whatever the heck I feel like at the time, plus ketchup.

Cassoulet, also osso bucco with polenta, I don't think I'll ever stop making those unless I stop being able to get the ingredients

I cook most of my food. Lentil curry. Chilli. Apricot Chicken. Are my three meal prep's at the moment. I need a few meal preps or even tasty food can start to feel like a chore if I'm eating the same thing repeatedly.

I just bought a ham hock to make pea and ham soup today to mix it up a bit. I think my next lentil curry will be dal makhani, normally I do red lentils and yellow curry paste.

Fruit, nuts and a protein shake for breakfast. Usually a salad for lunch. Neither of which are particularly "cooking", more assembling.

Tostadas. Make them with seasoned ground beef/chicken, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and salsa if I have it on hand (usually I do). Delicious every time. Easy to make and filling. Will also add beans if I have them.

I like tilapia fried in garlic olive oil, roasted asparagus, and cous cous. I eat it at least 3x a week for lunch. It's easy and cheap and freezes well.

I do meal prep once a week with my mom. We just get together at her place and cook like 10 or 12 meals and put them in containers and I freeze them. Cheaper than TV dinners and it's easy lunch and dinner for the week.

I absolutely despise cooking, so taking the ingredients to my parents' place forces me to cook. At my house, I can just procrastinate.

Mac and cheese. It’s the only dish I can eat multiple times a week.

I cook most of our meals. My kids would eat ma po tofu every day I think. Husband asks for pierogi and sausage and sauerkraut all the time. Youngest would eat homemade macaroni and cheese probably every day. Yellow rice and chicken with black beans is always well received, as are bean and cheese simple burritos.

A roasted chicken. Usually we eat the dark meat for dinner, use the white meat for other meals over the next couple days, and then I use the carcass for stock. Root vegetables underneath the bird while it cooks to get them nice and schmaltzy.

Beautiful .... we usually use the carcass to make chicken soup.
For two people, one chicken can turn into four meals.
I had just recently learned about seating everything on root vegetables, makes an excellent base for stock and gravy.

Risotto. Sometimes I follow a recipe, sometimes I improvise something with whatever I have in the fridge.

Sounds super fancy but it's quite easy.

Also Pa amb tomàquet is a must with some friends.

Paprika hendl! Husband told me about it from Dracula, and that he had tried to make it with no recipe and there was none online. I found a recipe online (the author removed it now, but thank you printed paper) and I don't think it's like what modern paprikash is like but at love it! I don't have sour cream currently though, so none this week.

Can you share the recipe?
- I put the recipe on my mastodon awhile back! https://mastodon.social/@RebekahWSD/108209245112842577 Hopefully that link works right on lemmy. I made adjustments to the recipe for myself, but say what the original was.

Chile verde burritos. Comfort food.

Rice made with with cumin, paprika and other spices. Black beans with a little kick. Melted cheese on top, then throw in some crisp lettuce, chopped tomatoes and taco sauce. Nice little rice and beans bowl for an easy meal.