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Easy Meals Recipes P


 

Pasta Bake

 

Simple, inexpensive, quick and tasty - serves four people with good appetites

Leftovers freeze well for later use

1/2 kg premium mince
1 jar pasta bake sauce (I use Leggo's creamy sundried tomato and garlic but you can use whatever sauce you prefer according to your own taste)
300gms (approx) uncooked penne pasta -

when it's cooked you don't have to use it all if you don't want to, perhaps save some for another meal
Cooking oil
Grated cheese (packet is easiest)

Cook the pasta to packet directions, drain
While the pasta is cooking, fry the mince in a skillet with a little oil until browned,

drain any excess fat / liquid
Put the pasta and mince into a large bowl with the jar of sauce, mix through thoroughly
Put the whole lot into a casserole dish (no need to grease the dish)

and top with grated cheese to your taste
Bake uncovered in a moderate oven for about 30 - 35 minutes or until cheese is golden

Pikelets

1 cup of self raising flour, sifted

2 tablespoons of caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 of a cup of milk

 

Combine flour and sugar in a bowl

Gradually whisk in egg and milk to make a thick, smooth batter

Drop dessertspoons of mixture onto a greased, hot frypan

Cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pikelet

Turn and brown the other side

Pizza Minis

 

Makes 6 mini pizzas, which can be refrigerated for lunches the next day once cooked.

 

1 pack of 6 pita pockets (I use Bazaar brand, white)

Tomato paste

Spreadable Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Garlic granules

Dried oregano

Dried basil

200 grams of shredded ham (from the deli at your local supermarket)

150 grams of pre-sliced pepperoni (from the deli at your local supermarket)

1/2 a red capsicum & 1/2 a green capsicum, deseeded

and sliced thinly into pieces about 2 - 3cm long

1 small tin of pineapple pieces in juice, drained

1/2 a red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

4 decent sized button mushrooms with the stalk removed, peeled and thinly sliced

Grated cheese

 

Spread each pita pocket with cream cheese first,

then tomato paste - the thickness of each is up to you

Lightly sprinkle granulated garlic, then oregano, then basil over each

Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over that, then start layering the remainder of your ingredients

 

I usually put them in this order (but of course it's entirely up to you how you choose to do it):

 

Shredded ham

Red capsicum

Pineapple

Mushrooms

Green capsicum

Onion

Pepperoni

 

Top this off with another layer of grated cheese

Cook in moderate oven for approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted

Cut in half with a sharp knife or pizza cutter

 

Potato, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Bake with Spinach

My version of the traditional potato bake!

4 average sized potatoes, a decent sized gold sweet potato and a good chunk of butternut pumpkin -

all washed, peeled and sliced thinly
1 packet of frozen spinach - defrosted and drained of liquid
1 large brown onion, peeled and diced finely or sliced
Granulated garlic
Cracked black pepper
600ml thickened cream
Lots of grated cheese (I use packet stuff from Coles / Woolies - makes it easier)

In a reasonably sized, greased (a light spray of olive oil is good) oven proof casserole or baking dish, layer as follows: potato, onion, an even shake of granulated garlic and cracked black pepper, spinach, light sprinkling of cheese, light layer of cream

Repeat above with the sweet potato, then the pumpkin - keep going with all vegetables until you've pretty much run out of all veges and the top layer is spinach and grated cheese

Bake in a moderate oven until cheese is golden and veges are cooked - approximately 1 1/2 hours

Pumpkin & Bacon Macaroni Bake

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 brown onion, chopped finely

3 good sized teaspoons of crushed garlic

200 grams of diced bacon

About 800 grams of pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes approximately 2cm

1/4 of a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes

3 cups of chicken stock

300 grams of dried macaroni

About 400 ml of thickened cream

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups of fresh breadcrumbs

(just crumble slices of bread with the crusts removed)

2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest

1 cup of fresh parsley leaves

About 1 1/2 cups of grated tasty cheese (packet is fine)

Salt and ground black pepper

 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick frypan over a medium heat

Add the onion, garlic and bacon and cook, stirring,

for about 3 minutes until the onion softens

Add the pumpkin and dried chilli flakes then stir to combine

Add half the chicken stock and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes

until the pumpkin begins to go soft

Stir in the macaroni, cream, rosemary and the rest of the chicken stock

Season to taste with salt and pepper then bring to a simmer

Reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes

until the macaroni and pumpkin are tender

 

While the macaroni and pumpkin are cooking:

Put the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley and about 1/3 of the cheese into a food processor

Process until you get fine crumbs then add the remaining oil and combine

 

Stir the rest of the cheese into the macaroni mixture

then put into a lightly greased baking dish

Sprinkle the crumb mixture across the top then bake

in a moderately hot oven until golden

(about 200 degrees, a little less for fan-forced)

 

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