The 10 Easiest Foods To Cook Slideshow
Chicken Breasts
Boneless, skinless chicken breast is an easy and filling dinner. Cubing or slicing the breast into thin strips takes away the worry of over- or undercooking it (the "cut a little piece and peek" method often leads to drying out the meat). Or, cook the breasts on the grill like in this easy Mustard-Lime Chicken recipe pictured at left.
Fish
Fish is healthy and, depending on what type of fish you buy, can be on the less expensive side of proteins. For cooking seafood like scallops or fish fillets, check out this chef's tips for perfectly cooking fish (it's basically foolproof). Fish, however, is very versatile and can also be baked in foil packets or cooked in a skillet, like this tilapia recipe or this salmon recipe.
Bacon
Bacon is a perfect side dish for breakfast on the weekends or can be crumbled and added to salads, sandwiches, or even vegetables like this Brussels sprouts dish with bacon. For tips on making bacon, check out this how-to recipe.
Pasta
Though one of the easier foods to make, it is possible to overcook pasta, ending up with a hot, gummy mess. To improve your pasta-making skills, check out the advice of TDM's editorial director, Colman Andrews, in his piece "What to Know When Cooking Pasta." To serve this simple dish, forget the sauce, and keep it easy: Toss it with butter and freshly grated cheese or make a cacio e pepe dish, pictured at left. For a more rounded out meal, try topping the noodles with a fried egg like in this Spicy Garlic Pasta with Fried Eggs recipe. Or, make this quick-cooking sauce served with pasta in this Spaghetti with Crushed Cherry Tomato Sauce recipe.
Pancakes
Fluffy and hearty or thin and crispy, pancakes are a brunch special. Popular blogger Joy the Baker shares her tips for making perfect pancakes, but feel free to be creative with the toppings used and the mixed-in ingredients, maybe adding blueberries both on top and inside like this Honey Oat and Blueberry Pancakes recipe.
Slow Cooker/Crock-Pot
Being able to throw everything in a pot, press a button, and walk away certainly simplifies the cooking process. Experiment with different types of dishes, like Slow Cooker Brisket, Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder, or Crock-Pot Beef Stew.
Cookies
A favorite childhood dessert, cookies are probably one of the easier baked goods to make. Check out these tips for making perfect cookie dough and take a gander at this delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe from New York City's Milk & Cookies bakery.
Steamed Vegetables
Choose whatever vegetables you like broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or green beans and place in a steamer basket above boiling water. Close the lid and let cook until theyve softened to your desired level of doneness (some prefer vegetables on the crisper side while others may enjoy them softer).
Beets
Here is one vegetable that's packed full of nutrients and vitamins and is unbelievably easy to make. Drizzle the beets with oil, wrap them in foil, and roast in the oven. Once tender, simply slip off the skin, cut up, and serve with crumbled goat cheese or fresh herbs like in the roasted beets recipe pictured at left.
Fried Egg
Nutritious and filling, a fried egg is one of the easier things to make. Here's how it goes: Heat a heavy pan (preferably cast iron) over high heat. Once hot, add a little oil and gently crack a room temperature egg as close to the cooking surface as possible so that it doesn't spread out too much. Turn the heat down to medium-high, and once the edges have started to brown and curl, and the egg whites are just set, your work is done. From there, put the egg on top of wild rice, pasta, or just serve it on its own with some toast.