Dinner doesn’t always have to be a complicated culinary experience. Pickerington mom Jessie Haden knows what it’s like to be in a pinch when it comes to whipping up meals.
She was gifted a cookbook titled The Four Ingredient Cookbook, co-authored by Emily Cale and Linda Coffee, and cracks it open on a daily basis.
“I started making these recipes back in 2004 as easy, four-ingredient dishes,” Haden says. “As I was busy with young children, only four ingredients helped ease stress at dinnertime.”
Plus, the recipes are so simple that Haden’s kids are all hands on deck in the kitchen.
“The kids help (with the poor man’s steak recipe) by crushing the crackers and adding the cream of mushroom while I make the patties,” Haden says. “They’ll even help with the setup.”
Haden cooks the poor man’s steak twice a month and sometimes she’ll switch it up by adding buns, lettuce and tomato to make sandwiches.
A survey conducted among 133 Pickerington residents revealed that 42 percent feel like they don’t have time to make dinner after a long day. 54 percent of those residents say they order carryout at least twice a week when they don’t feel like cooking.
These recipes are quick to make and require food items typically found in your refrigerator or pantry. It’s as easy as one, two, three … oh, and four.
Recipes
Poor Man’s Steak
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. ground beef
- 1 cup cracker crumbs
- 1 cup water
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
Directions
Combine ground beef, cracker crumbs and water, and season to taste.
Form into patties and brown in skillet.
Remove browned beef and put in oven. Spread soup on top and bake, covered, at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour.
Get creative with your cracker crumbs! Try garlic-flavored for an extra kick.
Chicken Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cut up
- 1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice Mix
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- Half can of milk measured using the soup can (about 2⁄3 cup)
Directions
Mix all ingredients and pour in greased two-quart dish.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Try substituting mushroom soup with chicken noodle or bone broth!
Carrot Raisin Celery Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 cups sliced celery
- 1⁄3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
Directions
Mix above ingredients and chill for at least one hour.
Try substituting raisins with dried cranberries!
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
