# Simple at home meals you never tire of **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [August 26, 2020, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028 "2020-08-26T02:50:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/61 "2020-09-01T03:04:08Z")
Sorry to keep the off-topic going, but I’m having a pre-cooked sealed pack of rice tonight and thought about how it keeps for months.The packs I just got don’t have a Best By date, but a couple I had for about six months dried out and turned yellow, so I generally use them within a couple of months. The ingredients are water, rice and [glucono delta lactone](https://foodadditives.net/acidulents/glucono-delta-lactone/), an acidic natural power that’s also used in tofu and bread, among other foods. In the article I linked to above, acidity hampers the growth of the bacteria. There’s also prepacked frozen rice. This [Birdseye rice](https://www.birdseye.com/plain-vegetables/steamfresh/long-grain-white-rice) lists only water and rice as ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/62 "2020-09-01T03:07:50Z")
I imagine the packaging the air-tight, and the rice was hot enough to kill the spores when it was sealed. Heating to 240F or whatever it takes is not a big deal for a commercial food processing plant. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/63 "2020-09-01T03:29:34Z")
[Let’s not get too paranoid about rice:](https://www.abc.net.au/life/bacillus-cereus-in-rice-can-make-you-sick-if-not-stored-right/11324446) > _Bacillus cereus_ is commonly found in soil and sometimes in plant foods that are grown close to the ground, such as rice, legumes, cereals, spices, etc. > … > Ms Moir says this type of food poisoning is less frequent now than it was in the 1970s, when fried rice was a common culprit. > Ms Moir says this type of food poisoning is less frequent now than it was in the 1970s, when fried rice was a common culprit. > “Restaurants would cook steamed rice one day, then leave the rice out overnight to cook as fried rice the next day,” she explains. > > "So it had been sitting around for a day and the Bacillus spores had germinated, grown, and produced the toxins. > > "When the fried rice was cooked, the toxin wasn’t destroyed; then the customer consumed the rice and was sick, so there were plenty of outbreaks. > > “With the health authorities identifying the cause and educating the restaurateurs, the incidence of this type of food poisoning quickly decreased.” > > The best way to avoid food poisoning from _Bacillus cereus_ and other, often nastier, bacteria is to always cook and store food safely. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/64 "2020-09-07T18:02:28Z")
Several, but the one absolute cannot miss ever is perfectly fried eggs and butter toast. Perfection always satisfies. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/65 "2020-09-08T02:25:47Z")
A bone-in skin-on chicken boobie, salted and buttered and then roasted on some root veg (onions, baby potatoes, some carrot, and garlic cloves) until the skin is crispy and the veggies are braising in chicken-y goodness. Easy to pare down to one single serving, and takes a while to bake but it’s all hands-off time while you do other things. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/66 "2020-09-08T02:36:23Z")
Saute some onions, bell pepper, and cherry tomato in olive oil, add a whisked egg or two and scramble. Top with grated cheese at the end of cooking. Fold into a burrito. Comforting, delicious, easy, and not terrible on the nutrition front. My other favorite is to forgo cooking entirely and eat crackers with cheese and hummus. Very satisfying, especially with a glass of wine. ETA: That dead horse looks to me like it needs another flog: My leftover rice is good in the fridge for a week or so (my personal rule is not to go past 8 days on any leftovers). But I never leave food out for long. I can’t imagine letting rice or anything else sit out for four hours before putting it away (except maybe at a party). Anyway, I, along with millions of Indonesians who eat leftover rice constantly, put food-poisoning-from-leftover-rice extremely low on the list of things to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/67 "2020-09-08T03:30:13Z")
Smothered round steak and brown gravy with carrots & mashed potatoes. 10 mins prep and then 60 to 70 mins in a covered casserole dish, 350 degree oven. Very simple, package boneless round steak, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, can of sliced mushrooms, and cover well with beef broth or water. Add raw carrots after 40 mins and continue baking until beef is tender. We’ll get six servings from it. That’s 3 dinners for my wife & I. I could happily have it every week. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/68 "2020-09-08T03:41:29Z")
We usually use instant mashed potatoes. Or bake 2 sweet potatoes while the smothered steak is baking. Night 1, my wife and I split a potato between us. Night 2,. \*\*Peel the skin from the cold left over sweet tater, and slice. Heat in a skillet with butter. The outside will caramelize and get crunchy. 👍😇 \*\*Be sure the baked tater was refrigerated. The skin will fall off in your fingers. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/69 "2020-09-08T08:41:59Z")
Oooh, I’ll hafta try that sliced baked sweet potato thing! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/70 "2020-09-08T12:48:01Z")
My grandmother heated leftover sweet potatoes that way. I’ve bought sweet potato patties at Kroger. They’re in the meat section. Precooked and pressed out in patties on white trays. (similar to the ones used for meat) But it’s cheaper & just as easy to use leftover baked taters. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/71 "2020-09-08T12:57:48Z")
This is an easy to prepare food that many people in my country enjoy eating. Probably not so popular somewhere else. [![](https://lili-gateste.ro/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mamaliguta-cu-branza-si-smantana-8-min.jpg) ](https://lili-gateste.ro/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mamaliguta-cu-branza-si-smantana-8-min.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/72 "2020-09-08T13:29:48Z")
^ What is it tho?! ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/73 "2020-09-08T13:41:26Z")
Is it polenta topped with sour cream and feta or farmer’s cheese? ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/74 "2020-09-08T13:45:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > What is it tho?! Three easy ingredients: - polenta - sour cream - cheese Now, probably people on this board are not familiar with the cheese. It looks like Greek cheese, but it is a type of cheese that is widespread in the Balkans. This dish is simple and tasty. It makes you feel full but it doesn’t get you fat if you use low fat cheese and sour cream. ETA: to add this: > [@QuickSilver](#): > > Is it polenta topped with sour cream and feta or farmer’s cheese? Kind of. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/75 "2020-09-08T13:48:35Z")
Sounds delicious. Never had anything similar. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/76 "2020-09-08T13:52:01Z")
Interesting. Never occurred to me to top polenta with sour cream. Going to have to give that a try. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/77 "2020-09-08T14:02:20Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Going to have to give that a try. I think the cheese is a must. People who have traveled to Greece, Eastern Europe or Turkey know what I am talking about. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/78 "2020-09-08T14:14:10Z")
I have looked up “farmer’s cheese” and I think it is the correct one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/79 "2020-09-08T14:34:39Z")
I like a savory galette. I use a premade Pilsbury pie shells, fill it with any ingredients you like: ham, cheese, broccoli and onions; or kale, feta, sausage, and onion; crimp the sides and brush the crust with an egg wash, bake at 400f for about 30 min. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028/80 "2020-09-08T14:38:37Z")
Been there. Done that. Completely agree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-at-home-meals-you-never-tire-of/919028.md?page=5)