We made these all the time growing up, mostly because they're so cheap and easy, but they also taste really good.
Ingredients
White sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cocoa Powder - 1/4 cup
Peanut butter - 1/4 cup
Quick-cook oats - 1.5 cups
Vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then boil for exactly 1.5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter.
Add 1.5 cups oats and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Drop batter onto waxed or parchment paper, then let cool until hardened.
Notes and Tips
This recipe should yield about 18 small cookies.
Quick-cook oats are super important here. Don't substitute for other oats.
Beef Stroganoff
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Background
Beef stroganoff is one of those comfort meals that I consistently go back to. It's the perfect mix of creamy and tangy, with meat and pasta to keep you satisified for a long time. Also, it sounds like beef strokin' off.
Ingredients
Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
Stew meat (beef), cubed - 2 lbs
Garlic - 2 teaspoons, minced
Rehydrated minced onions - 2/3 cup
White mushrooms, processed - 8oz
Thyme powder - 1 teaspoon
Flour - 2 tablespoons
Beef broth - 3.25 cups
Worcestershire sauce - 2 teaspoons
Egg noodles - 12oz
Sour cream - 3/4 cup
Parsley - 1 tablespoon
Instructions
Set the instant pot to Saute High.
Season 2 lbs of cubed beef with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook beef until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Set beef aside.
Add 2 teaspoons garlic, 2/3 cup onion, 8oz mushrooms, and 1 teaspoon thyme powder. Stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
Mix in 2 tablespoons flour until lightly browned, 1 minute.
Stir in 1/4 cup beef broth and scrape bottom of pot.
Cover and set to manual high pressure, and set time for 12 minutes.
Quick release then stir in 12oz egg noodles.
Cover and set to manual high pressure and set time for 5 minutes.
Quick release and stir in 3/4 cup sour cream and add parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
Notes and Tips
You'll want to use at least a 6 quart instant pot for this amount.
This goes so well with a sliced baguette or some other crusty bread. Works great to get the last of the sauce out of the bowl too.
Biscuits & Gravy
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Background
A classic breakfast growing up, and I see why. This shit has a tasty:effort ratio like nothing else. It's also pretty reasonably priced for people on a budget.
Ingredients
Flaky biscuits - 16oz can
Sausage - 9-12oz (See notes)
Flour - 1/4 cup
Whole milk - 2.5 cups
Instructions
Cook one 16oz can of biscuits to package instructions.
Cook 9-12oz sausage until browned.
Slowly mix in 1/4 cup flour, until sausage is coated.
Slowly mix in 2.5 cups of milk.
Let cook until gravy thickens and comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. You'll need more pepper than you think.
Either split biscuits or tear into pieces. Serve topped with gravy.
Notes and Tips
I like using maple sausage for this, personally. I buy 12oz, but that seems to be a lot of sausage for the amount of gravy.
Baked Mac & Cheese
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Background
This recipe is actually from The Chunky Chef, but I keep losing it and it's my absolute favorite recipe. Be warned - if you make this, you will never get out of mac & cheese duty on Thanksgiving. This recipe has also been slightly modified to be less heavy on the dairy.
Ingredients
Elbow pasta - 1 lb dry
Butter - 1/2 cup
Flour - 1/2 cup
Whole milk - 1.5 cups
Non-dairy heavy cream - 2 cups
Medium cheddar cheese - 16oz block, shredded
Gruyere cheese - 8oz block, shredded
Smoked paparika - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 tablespoon
Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° and butter a 9x13" baking dish.
Begin cooking 1 lb pasta to 1 minute less than box instructions. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
While water boils and pasta cooks, shred both cheeses. Divide into 3 piles, 3 cups (sauce), 1.5 cups (inner layer), and 1.5 cups (outer layer).
Melt 1/2 cup butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Gently whisk in flour, cooking for 1 minute.
Slowly pour 1.5 cups heavy cream into the sauce, whisking until smooth.
Slowly add the rest of the heavy cream and 1.5 cups whole milk, whisking until smooth.
Continue cooking over mediumheat until thickened nearly like condensed soup.
Remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 teaspoon smoked paparika, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper along with 1.5 cups cheese mix.
Once combined, mix in the other 1.5 cups of cheese until smooth.
Combine sauce and pasta. Pour half into baking dish, then top with 1.5 cups cheese mix.
Pour other half of pasta mix into pan. Top with final 1.5 cups of cheese mix.
Bake for 15 minutes until top is golden and bubbly.
Notes and Tips
The cheese shredding can take a while, and it has to be freshly shredded. Don't use the pre-packaged stuff.
You can also swap the gruyere out for parmesan, colby, or muenster. Or get crazy and do a mix. Mozarella adds a good cheese pull.
Ritz cracker crumbs can be added on top for a crunchy topping.
Make Ahead: Don't bake, but let cool and refrigerate up to 2 days. Allow to sit on counter for 30 minutes, then bake at 325° for 25-35 minutes.
Enchiladas
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Background
We ate a lot of enchiladas from those pre-made box mixes growing up, which I always really loved. I honestly would still use them now, but they don't sell the kits at Aldi, and I'm sure there's something to be said about homemade food.
Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a skillet or pot on medium high heat.
Stir in 1/4 cup of chili powder and 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in 1.5 cups water, 8 oz of tomato sauce, 1 chicken bouillon cube, and 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth.
Heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Add 3.5 tablespoons of minced onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
Add 4 teaspoons of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add 12 oz of ground beef, breaking it up and cooking until browned.
Coat the bottom of a 9x13 pan with a thin layer of the enchilada sauce.
Season with 1 teaspoon of cumin and salt and pepper, then stir in the rest of the enchilada sauce.
Mix in 1 lb of (refried) beans, then simmer for about 5 minutes if necessary.
Enchilada layers: 1.5 tortillas, meat filling, cheese. Repeat until the last tortillas, then top with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.
Top with cilantro and cut into 8 pieces for serving. Add sour cream to make it even better.
Notes and Tips
The dried minced onions should be added to a measuring cup with enough water to moisten them. Microwave for 30 seconds.
The bell pepper should be washed and processed.
Check out the refried beans recipe for the beans in this. Clicking the "beans" tag should bring it up quick.
A perfectly hearty meal on its own, but this could also be supplemented with rice if you're really trying to stretch your dollar.
Refried Beans
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Background
I hated eating beans as a kid, but once I went to college, I couldn't make Mexican food taste the same as I remembered eating. Turns out my mom had always mixed refried beans into the ground beef to hide them. Though I do actually eat beans now without a problem, I'm not always a fan of the canned refried variety (and I'm a cheap bastard that loves buying dried beans) so here's my recipe for them in the instant pot.
As of 9/2/2025, the spice amounts may not be perfect. I forgot to actually make them into refried beans when I used them in the enchiladas. Whoops.
Ingredients
Dry pinto beans - 1 lb
Rehydrated minced onions - 1 tablespoon
Minced garlic - 4 teaspoons
Chili powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Fresh black pepper - around 1/4 teaspoon
Water - 8 cups
Chicken bouillon - 1 to 4 cubes, depending on use
Instructions
Rinse beans and remove any debris.
Add all ingredients to the instant pot. Stir to combine.
Pressure cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, then naturally release for 15 minutes.
Vent any remaining pressure, then mash and season to taste.
Notes and Tips
The dried minced onions should be added to a measuring cup with enough water to moisten them. Microwave for 30 seconds.
More chicken bouillon can be used if the refried beans are being eaten by themselves (rather than mixed into meat, etc).
Lasts in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Tuna Salad
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Background
I absolutely love this tuna salad, to the point that I almost gave myself mercury poisoning after eating it for a week straight. It's really good.
This is my mom's recipe, but I've still gotta actually measure everything out. Me and her both cook kinda off the cuff. Very cool for cooking, very bad for recipes.
Ingredients
Canned tuna (in oil) - amount
Miracle whip - amount
Pickles - amount
Eggs - amount
Dried minced onions - amount
Celery salt - amount
Instructions
Boil eggs.
Process pickles and eggs.
Rehydrate minced onions in microwave.
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.
Notes and Tips
The best pickles to use for this are zesty italian pickles (Vlassic is what I always get), but regular pickles work great too.
Don't replace the miracle whip with mayo. I don't use it for anything else, but it's absolutely necessary to make this taste right.
My favorite way to eat tuna salad is on a sandwich with a layer of plain Lays on it. It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.
Ranch Roasted Chicken & Veggies
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Background
I'm not from the midwest, but my extreme fondness for recipes like this makes me second guess that. The cool tanginess of ranch combined with the heartiness of root vegetables just always makes me feel better.
This is one of those recipes that make me feel like a single mom in a double wide, but that's nostalgic in it's own way.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs (boneless/skinless) - 1.5 lbs
Carrots (large) - 4
Red Potatoes (medium) - 4
Ranch seasoning packet - 1 oz
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Wash 4 carrots & 4 potatoes, then cut into 1 inch pieces.
Toss in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt & pepper, and 1/2 of the ranch packet.
Add to sheet pan. You may have to split this across 2 pans.
Toss chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt & pepper, and the other 1/2 ranch packet.
Add chicken to sheet pan(s).
Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is done.
Notes and Tips
I didn't split this across 2 pans last time, and everything was too crowded. Don't be cocky like me.
You could make corn or a salad as a side for this, but it's already pretty filling as is.
Maple Custard
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Background
I used to love making custard in high school, though I would normally make a vanilla custard on the stove more akin to pudding (that recipe will come at some point). This one is more like a flan or creme brulee, but maple flavored.
This is 1000% better with the creme brulee topping in the notes, but it tastes really good without it too.
Ingredients
Egg (large) - 1
Whole milk - 3/4 cup
Pure Maple Syrup - 1/4 cup
Vanilla - 1/8 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Whisk together all ingredients until eggs are beaten and the mixture is mostly smooth.
Pour mixture into ramekins (2 or 3), filling them about halfway up.
Place ramekins in a baking dish. Fill the dish halfway up with water.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean from the center of the custard.
Remove ramekins from baking dish and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight. Or burn your mouth and eat it hot.
Best served with a bit more maple syrup drizzled on top.
Notes and Tips
If you can find it, use Grade B (dark) maple syrup as it has a much more intense taste.
Creme Brulee Topping: Just before eating, top the custard with a generous amount of sugar. Use a kitchen torch or broil while checking every few minutes to prevent burning.
French Toast
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Background
As a kid, we used to go to Cracker Barrel all the time. I liked it because I got to look at the store while we waited for our table, then I got to play that fun little peg game while we waited for our food. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the food, I always loved getting the french toast, mostly for the pure maple syrup that came with it.
This french toast recipe is under work - I'm still cobbling together recipes to figure out what works best.
Ingredients
Egg (large) - 1
Whole milk - 1/2 cup
Pure Maple Syrup - 1/2 tablespoon
Vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon
Ground Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Bread - 4 slices
Butter - 2 tablespoons
Powdered sugar
Instructions
Whisk together all ingredients except bread, butter, and powdered sugar.
Melt butter in a pan/skillet on medium heat.
Dip bread into egg mixture, then transfer to pan.
Cook until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes for each side.
Transfer to a plate, dust with powdered sugar, then serve with butter and pure maple syrup.
Notes and Tips
If you can find it, use Grade B (dark) maple syrup as it has a much more intense taste.
Sweetener substitutes: You can also use sugar, splenda, honey, whatever you want. The maple syrup in the mixture just gives it more maple flavor.
Milk substitutes: You can use whatever milk or non-dairy substitute you want, but whole milk or cream will be richer than skim or almond milk.
Bread choices: A bread like brioche (thick and sweet) works best, but I just use honey wheat sandwich bread. Stale bread works great for this, but fresh bread is totally fine.
Making ahead: You can make the egg mixture up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it for easier french toast in the morning.
Freezing: Freeze on a flat sheet pan, then store in the freezer up to 3 months. To reheat, microwave or bake in foil at 350° for 10 minutes.
Chili Con Carne
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Background
I like chili, so here's a recipe. It's kind of a shitty recipe because I don't give amounts for the spices, but I just measure with my heart.
If you're sick, you can add a shit ton of heat so you can actually taste it. If you have COVID, I'd wait - you'll probably make everyone else's stomachs burn (ask me how I know).
Ingredients
Pinto beans (dry) - 2 cups
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
80/20 Ground beef - 2 lbs
Rehydrated minced onions - 3/4 cup
Minced garlic - 2 teaspoons
See notes for spices
White mushrooms - 6 oz
Green bell pepper - 1
Beef broth - 3 1/4 cups
Canned corn - 1 can
Tomato sauce - 15 oz
Tomato paste - 6 oz
Instructions
Beans: Add 2 cups of beans and water (1 inch over beans) to instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release and drain, then set aside.
Set instant pot to Sautee > HIGH. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown 2 lbs ground beef with 3/4 cup of onions, 6 oz mushrooms, and 1 green bell pepper.
After a few minutes, add 2 teaspoons of garlic and the spices
Once mostly browned, add 3 1/4 cups beef broth, 15 oz tomato sauce, and 6 oz tomato paste. Check seasoning.
Add cooked beans on top and do not stir to prevent burning.
Set instant pot to Pressure Cook > HIGH for 22 minutes. Natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release.
Stir in the can of corn at the very end, let simmer, check for seasoning one last time, and serve.
Notes and Tips
The dried minced onions should be added to a measuring cup with enough water to moisten them. Microwave for 30 seconds.
Spice mix: Salt/pepper, chili powder, cayenne powder, cumin, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, hot sauce, A1, beef bouillon, mustard powder, cocoa powder, etc. I have no measurements and I make it differently every time.
The green bell pepper should be cut in half and oven roasted at 450° for 10-15 minutes, then processed.
The mushrooms should be washed and processed.
Best served with tortilla chips, over rice, over noodles, on a baked potato, or mixed into mac & cheese. Really helps stretch out the servings.
Curb Casserole
Categories
Background
It's called curb casserole because it's chicken, rice, and broccoli (CRB). It also sort of reminds me of getting kicked to the curb and being sent to a friend's place.
This was a "nice" meal when I was broke as hell, so it brings back some mixed feelings. Like the best day of the worst part of your life. If you don't have those weird memories attached, it tastes really good!
Ingredients
Chicken breast/thighs - 2 lbs raw (1.5 lbs cooked)
Chicken broth - 3 cups and 1 cup, divided
White rice - 1/2 cup (dry weight)
Butter - 2 tablespoons, divided
Broccoli - 1 head, cut/processed
Shredded mozarella - 10 oz
Cream cheese - 8 oz
Minced garlic - 1 teaspoon
Italian seasoning
Thyme
Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Chicken: Fill pot with 3 cups chicken broth, 2 lbs raw chicken, and enough water to cover the chicken. Add salt, thyme, red pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes depending on thickness. Let cool and shred.
Rice: Add 1 cup water and 1 tbsp butter to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then stir in 1/2 cup rice. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 17-20 minutes, then remove from heat and fluff.
Preheat the oven to 400° and butter a 9 x 13 baking dish with 1 tbsp of butter.
Soften 8 oz cream cheese and 1 tbsp butter, add 1 cup chicken broth. Mix until smooth.
Add chicken, processed broccoli, rice, and cream cheese sauce to pan.
Add 1 tsp minced garlic, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt/pepper. Mix to incorporate. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Broil to brown cheese. Garnish with thyme or italian seasoning.
Notes and Tips
You can use pre-cooked/pre-shredded chicken and instant rice if you want to make the recipe even easier.
I basically pulverize the broccoli, but you can cut them to any size if you're into that kind of thing.
You gotta season with your heart, but keep a light hand on the red pepper flakes.