Appreciation post: A neighbor's potluck casserole made me give up my complicated dinner plans

Last Saturday at our street's block party in Portland, Mrs. Henderson brought this simple baked ziti. Nothing fancy, just noodles, sauce, cheese, and some ground beef. I asked her for the recipe expecting some secret ingredient. She said she just uses whatever is in the pantry and throws it together in 20 minutes. That got me thinking. I spend way too much time planning elaborate dinners that stress me out. So this week I tried her approach. Last night I made a sheet pan dinner with chicken and whatever veggies were in the fridge. It took 10 minutes to prep and the kids actually ate it. Has anyone else had a simple dish from somewhere change how they cook at home?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor_miller109d ago

Read a food blog that said home cooks way overcomplicate things for no reason.

shane_fisher379d ago

Taylor, @taylor_miller10 you're totally right about that blog. I had this exact same thing happen with a neighbor's chili. She just opened a few cans and tossed in some leftover ground meat, no soaking beans or toasting spices for hours. That simple chili made me ditch my complicated recipes too. Now I do sheet pan dinners like you said, chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and whatever veg is in the drawer. Takes maybe 5 minutes to prep and the cleanup is nothing. It's wild how good food just comes from not overthinking it.