I've been experimenting this summer with all the food channel I've been watching- I started with mexican lasagna (seasoned beef, peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes and beans layered with tortillas and monterey jack cheese). I never follow the exact recipes since it's very rare that I have everything on hand, and I refuse to spend a lot on buying tons of ingredients I'll only use a little of.
So I won't post the recipes here, but summarize how I made them with a simple description and the shortcuts I used.
Turkey Pepperoni & Veggie Pizza
Google a simple pizza crust recipe- you'll need flour, a packet of yeast, salt, etc. and not much else. I used Ragu Pizza sauce but you can make your own if you have the time. Then go crazy and top with whatever you'd like. I used mozzarella, turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. I threw on a couple eggs during the last ten minutes of baking, but I wouldn't do it again- turns out I'm not a fan of eggs on pizza!
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
For when you have mushy bananas you want to use up.
I used a mix here, and added in Milka bar chunks.
Fourth of July Pancakes
I used a pancake mix and added in the sliced strawberries and blueberries when my cakes were on the griddle. The secret to getting them fluffy, round and not runny is to make the batter extra thick. It should be fluid, but not enough that it would splash.
Gnocchi & Spinach Salad
I bought the gnocchi at the supermarket and made the sauce by experimenting with melted mozzarella, parmesan and butter since I couldn't find gorgonzola. I recently picked some up so that'll be my next experiment! Spinach salad on the side with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, pumpernickel croutons and balsamic vinaigrette.
American Chop-Suey
A New England tradition, I cooked the beef in tomato sauce, added chopped cherry tomatoes, and seasoned to taste. I tossed with rigatoni afterwards, but you can use any type of short pasta you like. Serve with grated parmesan.
S'mores Bars
I googled S'mores Bars recipes until I found one that required basic ingredients (Hershey's Bars, Marshmallows, flour, butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, graham cracker crumbs).
If you have all that and you know how to layer, you're good! It takes about a half hour to make.
S'mores Pancakes
I wanted to make a quick and fun breakfast for my little sisters AND use up all of the bulk kosher marshmallows I ordered. So, I used regular pancake mix and added in crushed Hershey's bars and marshmallow pieces right on the griddle. Remember to keep the batter really thick to make it easier to work with on the griddle- and don't forget to grease it well. Flip when you see all the bubbles come through. Be careful cause the griddle will get sticky from the marshmallows, and you'll need to clean it between batches.
