15 Minute Korean-Style Rice Bowls with Beef or Mushrooms

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of the easiest meals in my recipe rotation. It is simple enough for children to make, and it uses so few ingredients and utensils, that it can be made in the most poorly equipped kitchens. I make it often for lunch or light suppers and we've enjoyed it in some very strange places. The bowls, obviously, are not Korean, but the taste of the finished dish is much like that of a Korean barbecue, hence its name. If you are trying to cut back on the amount of meat you eat, or chose never to eat it, the mushroom version of the dish will allow you to sample and enjoy these delicious rice bowls. Do give them a try. I know you will enjoy them. Here is how they're made.

Italian-Style Beef Rissoles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you are looking for a substantial meal to serve your family, give this recipe a try before warm weather arrives. A rissole is an extended meat patty that is breaded and fried. Those that are deep fried are especially delicious, but these days health concerns keep most of us from that excess. The ones I've created for this post are pan-seared and baked in a tomato sauce that makes them much like a poor man's veal Parmesan. I use ground beef and Italian spices in my rissoles and I extend them with a small amount of rice. While I've included a recipe for tomato sauce, feel free to use a commercial brand if that better suits your needs and time constraints. It takes about 30 minutes to assemble the rissoles and another 30 for them to bake. If you serve them with spaghetti you'll find these Italian-style patties will satisfy the heartiest appetites at your table. I'm always surprised at how quickly this meal disappears. Here is the recipe for those of you who would like to give them a try. Mangia.

Meatballs for a Crowd

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox had to bring a dish to an all-male get together this afternoon. I thought some all-male meatballs woulds be perfect for them and for me. As it happens, these meatballs, which are baked rather than fried, are easy to make and when napped with a flavorful gravy they are absolutely delicious. I sent them with sandwich rolls, but they are also great when paired with buttered noodles or creamy mashed potatoes. This is a straight foreward recipe that is quick to put together. The thing that sets this dish apart from others like it, is the wonderful onion gravy in which the meatballs are warmed. The recipe can be doubled to double or triple if you need to serve more than 12 people. I do hope you'll try this recipe. Here's how the meatballs and their gravy are made.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Southwestern Soft Taco Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This recipe produces way more food than the two of us can eat, but I decided to make it anyway. I had a plan. We'll be eating out at least twice this weekend, but I thought it would be nice to have something in the refrigerator that can be reheated for those meals we will have at home. Cooking everyday is not all that it is cracked up to be and given the right circumstances, nuking is a beautiful thing. We happen to love this casserole, and Mary makes it for family and church functions. It is easy and inexpensive to make and it's draws teenage grandsons to the table faster than bees to honey. The recipe is straightforward and it calls for ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. If you have never tried this casserole, do yourself a favor and give it a try this weekend. You can find the recipe, here.

Bob's in the Kitchen - Retro Meatloaf

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Meatloaf isn't glamorous, but like most of you who have raised, or are raising a family, I can make one in my sleep. I have at least a dozen recipes for loaves of one type or another. Some are fancy and can rival the finest of French pates, but this effortless creation is the one that I relied on when I was working and all the chairs around my table were still occupied. It is one of the few recipes in my collection that relies on a dehydrated soup mix.  I gave myself absolution for using it years ago and I'm unapologetic about its use in this particular recipe. It simply works better than fresh onions in this meatloaf. I suspect the recipe originally came from the Lipton's test kitchens, but I have not been able to verify that or identify who else might have been responsible for its creation. It you can fill in the blanks, please let me know so I can properly credit the source.  The loaf takes about 10 minutes to mix, and if you form it into mini-loaves as I have here, you can have dinner on the table in just a bit over 30 minutes. If you prefer to bake it as a single loaf, use a 9 x 5 x 2-inch loaf pan to form it, but turn it onto a baking pan to bake for about 50 to 60 minutes. The freestanding loaf allows all surfaces of the meatloaf to be glazed and helps keep it  from sitting in the drippings that are released as it bakes. This recipe will make 6 servings. It can be doubled or tripled if you are feeding a gang. This makes an nice entree for a family meal. I know those of you who try it will appreciate the ease with which this comes together. It's a great recipe to make in the kitchen of a vacation rental. Here's how the meatloaf is made.

Bob's Notes: If I can make this, so can you. Dinner tonight was meatloaf, baked potatoes and salad. It was pretty good. You can find the recipe here.

                    

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Inside Outside Cabbage and Rice Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The first flush of fall always brings out the farm wife in me. Though our numbers have dwindled, falling leaves mean that flour and yeast will be bought in quantity and my stockpot, hidden for the summer, will again assume a place of prominence in the kitchen. When our children were still at home, it also signaled casserole season. Two of my three were athletes, and had the appetites of trencherman. The third, while less active, just loved to eat and had a metabolism that allowed caloric consumption that would have felled a lesser mortal. Suffice it to say, casseroles made a regular appearance on my table, and tonight's feature for deconstructed cabbage rolls is one they really enjoyed. The recipe is simple to follow and it is easy enough for your young athletes to make for themselves. This is a heavy dish, so I don't recommend serving it to those with peckish appetites, but if you cook for hearty eaters who enjoy full-flavored meals, you might want to give this casserole a try. Here is how it is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Chili-Cheese Sandwich Rolls for a Crowd

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Those who work with, or entertain, teens will find this recipe helpful. It makes sandwiches that are different, delicious and easy on the pocketbook. The warm hoagies are easy to prepare but they do require advance planning, as they must be refrigerated for at least two hours before they are baked. The base recipe will make a sandwich with only moderate heat, so if you like your sandwiches spicy, add jalapenos to the filling before the sandwiches are baked. We had these last weekend at a large, multi age barbecue. The sandwiches were meant to be fillers or meal extenders, as our hostess was unsure of the number of people she would be entertaining. As it turned out, she had a crowd and needed them to stretch the chicken and sausage she had on the grill. It was the first time I had this sandwich and I liked it well enough to ask for the recipe. I thought those of you who work with youth groups or regularly have grandchildren at the table might work these sandwiches into your meal plans. Here is how they are made.

Child's Play - Penne Pasta Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Here's a simple family meal that young cook's can make with little or no supervision. It relies on a commercial spaghetti sauce for flavor, so a bevy of spices is not required for seasoning, and better still, even young hands can have this 5 ingredient, 1 pan wonder on the table in about 30 minutes. That makes this a perfect dish for the summer kitchen and you'll find it's a nice meal to serve after a long day in the sun or on the water. The recipe comes from the Kraft test kitchen, so it is nearly foolproof. While I prefer to use Rao spaghetti sauce and penne pasta when I make this dish, any sauce and small pasta can be substituted. If you are looking for a quick and tasty meal, or a way to keep the kids busy, do give this a try. It's truly child's play. Here is how this simple skillet meal is made.