Easy meal secrets
What’s a food writer eating for dinner when no one’s looking? Cheesy popcorn, deli burgers and loaded baked potatoes
Friends tell me they feel intimidated cooking for me. I let them in onmy secrets to ease their minds: My favorite dinner involves popcorn. Or a baked potato. Occasionally, just a burger.
I keep theseweekly meals from boredom by swirling in some variety or inspirations from dining out. Cheese and black pepper on the popcorn, for example, might remindme of cacio e pepe at our favorite Italian spot.
We make our popcorn on the stovetop with oil suited for highheat cooking. In fact, we have designated a 3-quart pot solely for popping corn. Like an old friend, we knowthe quirks of howtowork with the pan, including the proper amount of oil and heat adjustments to get every kernel popped without burning. If this pandemic has you deep in microwave popcorn, give this stovetop version a shot— it’s truly dinner-worthy.
Loaded baked potatoes starred as dinner many nights when the kids had sporting events and tons of homework. NowI crave them for both comfort and indulgence. I like to swap sweet potatoes for russets, and plain yogurt for sour cream in a nod toward better eating.
To offset the mundane, this fall I’m loving a version that tops crusty baked sweet potatoes with awhimsical take on Buffalo-style chicken wings. Think chicken nuggets, blue cheese and hot sauce billowing out of the potato’s center. Feel free to swap frozen eggplant cutlets, or vegetable fries, diced after heating, for the chicken for a meatless main.
We enjoy takeout burgers on occasion— mostly as inspiration for our own versions made at home.
My current favorite mash-up involves a hot corned beef sandwich with a juicy beef burger. It may sound strange to pile corned beef over grilled beef— but think bacon on a burger and you’ll get the concept. I’ve added a spoonful of sauerkraut and a dressing reminiscent of Thousand Island.
This is no ordinary burger. The recipe makes six burgers— leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave for speedy meals. Of course, you can make them with ground turkey to reduce the fat content.
As for any burger, the better the bun the better the sandwich. Ciabatta buns have those large airy holes that keep them from being too dense. Pretzel buns offer sweetness that pairswell with the tang of sauerkraut. Thick slices of toasted, crusty country bed or marbled rye likewise satisfymy good bread theory.
Armed with these recipes, you can cook forme anytime. I’ll even do the dishes!