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Tacos, sliders and more: Quick go-to dinners for busy parents
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Cheap and delicious, these dishes are easy to cook and will please everyone.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Margaux Laskey
UNITED STATES – With the onset of the school holidays, there are plenty of things families have lined up for the vacation.
Then there is dinner. How can you meal-plan and cook when time and energy levels are abysmally low?
Six parents – recipe developers, a reporter and a photo editor – share what they make for their families when they are absolutely beat, but still want to get something cheap, delicious and mostly nutritious on the table.
Here are some delightfully speedy, real-life recipes you can turn to on your busiest days that will make everyone happy.
Creamy Cabbage Pastina
Shredded cabbage adds flavour and nutrients to this pasta dish.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Samantha Seneviratne, recipe developer and mother to an eight-year-old boy; New York City: “I could eat pastina, the simple Italian pasta shaped like stars, with chicken broth, egg yolks and Parmesan every day. It is fortifying and comforting, and tastes like a hug. My sometimes tricky-to-feed son loves it too. The only downside is no vegetables. But I have come up with an easy solution. While it is not traditional, shredded cabbage adds flavour and nutrients without signalling ‘vegetable’. It becomes meltingly tender when simmered with the pasta and gives the soup a mild sweetness that goes beautifully with cheese and butter.”
Ingredients
2¼ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 packed cups shredded cabbage (thinly sliced with a knife or store-bought pre-shredded)
1 large egg
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup pastina pasta
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
Salt and black pepper
Method
In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is just tender, for three to five minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cheese.
Add the pastina and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is just tender, for five to six minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in butter.
Stir a few spoonfuls of the hot pasta mixture into the cheese mixture. Repeat this process two more times, then return everything to the pot. Stir in the lemon zest and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Serves two
Roasted Sausages With Chickpeas And Spinach
Quick to defrost, seasoned and ready for a pan, sausages are a boon for crazy-busy nights.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Melissa Clark, columnist and recipe developer, and mother to a 17-year-old; New York City: “I always keep sausages in the freezer. Quick to defrost, seasoned and ready for your pan, they are a boon for those crazy-busy nights. In this recipe, I roast them with cumin-scented chickpeas, then shift to broiling so everything gets a little crisp at the edges. I love to throw in some spinach during the last minute of cooking so it can wilt into silky ribbons. The extra vegetable eliminates the need for a salad, turning this into a one-pan meal.”
Ingredients
2 cans chickpeas, drained
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
1 tsp cumin seeds or pinch crushed red pepper (or both)
Salt
450g Italian sausage links, sweet or spicy, at room temperature
1 Tbs cider vinegar, plus more to taste
100g to 150g baby spinach
Method
Heat the oven to 260 deg C. In a broiler-safe 22cm by 33cm pan, toss together the chickpeas, 1 Tbs of the oil, half the grated garlic, the cumin and crushed red pepper, if using. Season with salt.
Top with the sausages and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Roast until sausages are firm but not yet golden, for about 10 minutes. If your sausages are cold, you might have to add a minute or two to the roasting time. Turn on the broiler (or transfer the pan to the broiler) and broil until the sausages are browned in spots and cooked through, for about five minutes longer.
Meanwhile, mix the remaining garlic with 1 Tbs cider vinegar and a pinch of salt.
When the sausages are golden on top, transfer to a serving platter. Toss baby spinach into the hot chickpeas to wilt spinach. Drizzle with the vinegar mixture, tossing well until everything is nicely mixed. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve chickpeas and spinach with sausages.
Serves four
Halloumi And Sweet Potato Tacos
Serve these tacos with a simple coleslaw.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Brett Anderson, reporter and dad to two sons aged 11 and nine; New Orleans: “I came up with this idiosyncratic recipe when Oscar, my older son, was a pescatarian. It is so good that it remains a weeknight staple, even though Oscar eats meat again. Most of the preparation can be completed while the oven is heating. I like to serve it with a simple coleslaw, which I often have already made in the fridge, and store-bought Mexican salsa verde.”
Ingredients
8 flour tortillas (15cm)
2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1.5cm cubes
340g to 450g halloumi, patted dry and sliced roughly the size and thickness of dominoes
3 Tbs olive oil
Kosher salt
1 medium tomato, chopped
Mexican salsa verde, for serving
Chopped cilantro, for serving (optional)
Method
Heat oven to 230 deg C. Wrap tortillas in foil.
Arrange sweet potatoes and halloumi in separate sections on a large sheet pan. Drizzle everything with oil, season the sweet potatoes with salt and toss to coat.
Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring the sweet potatoes and flipping the halloumi halfway through roasting, until sweet potatoes are tender and halloumi is golden. In the last 10 minutes of roasting, place the foil-wrapped tortillas in the oven alongside the sheet pan to warm through. Meanwhile, chop the tomato.
Serve sweet potatoes and halloumi on a platter, with tongs, alongside the tortillas, tomatoes, salsa and cilantro, for everyone to make his or her own tacos.
Serves four
Cream Cheese Ramen
Instant ramen is the base of this dish.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Kevin Pang, recipe developer and dad to a 10-year-old boy; Chicago: “There is such a thing as a noodle emergency – when hunger strikes at an inconvenient hour and the only remedy is a bowl of noodles. Instant ramen is an obvious solution, but most of the seasoning packets that come with those noodles can taste artificial and too salty. The solution in our house? Ditch the soup powder, keep the noodle brick and use cream cheese as the base of a luscious sauce that enrobes each strand.”
Ingredients
1 instant ramen noodle brick (not from cup ramen), soup packet discarded
1 Tbs butter
60g cream cheese, cubed
3 Tbs shaker Parmesan or freshly grated, plus more if desired
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
Any desired additional toppings, such as sausage or pepperoni
Method
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodle brick and cook for about 90 seconds until the strands are separated and loose, but still slightly underdone. Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, remove noodles to a serving bowl but keep the noodle water in the pot.
Pour out most of the noodle water, leaving about 1/3 cup in the saucepan. Over low heat, add butter, cream cheese, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper to the remaining noodle water. Stir to incorporate and melt the cream cheese into the liquid until the sauce is uniform and smooth.
Turn off heat. Add the cooked noodles back to the pot and gently fold into the sauce. Return the finished noodles to the serving bowl. Top with more Parmesan, cracked pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, along with any desired additional toppings.
Serves one
Chicken And Kale Chile Bowl
The chicken in this dish can be replaced with shrimp or tofu.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Brigid Ransome Washington, recipe developer and mother of two children aged 11 and nine; North Carolina: “A can of diced green mild chiles is the key that unlocks a fast, satisfying meal for my family of four. After searing boneless, skinless chicken thighs, I deglaze the pan with those chiles, along with a can’s worth of tap water, and make a deep, bright, bracing sauce. That simmering sauce flavours and softens the kale leaves and black beans. My daughter prefers this recipe with shrimp, and it is easy and affordable enough that I can make both versions on the same night. This method could be also used with extra-firm tofu (see Tip) and sturdy vegetables like bell peppers.”
Ingredients
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 110g can diced mild green chiles
1 medium bunch kale, trimmed and chopped (with stems), or 4 large handfuls pre-chopped kale
1 420g can black beans, drained
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Method
Using paper towels, pat the chicken dry and season both sides of the meat generously with salt and black pepper.
In a skillet or high-sided pan large enough to hold all the chicken at once, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook until browned and the top is slightly crispy, for four minutes a side. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add the can of green chiles. Fill the empty can with tap water and pour into the pan. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up the browned bits. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle into the sauce. Cook for another five minutes, until cooked through.
Place the kale in a large serving bowl or four smaller individual bowls. Top evenly with the beans. Next, add the chicken and pour the green-chile pan sauce over the kale and beans. Top with avocado.
Serves four
Tip: To use tofu instead of chicken, press 450g of drained extra-firm tofu to remove excess water. When searing, use the same amount of oil over medium heat. Tofu will naturally release on its own from the pan when it is ready to be flipped.
Cheeseburger Sliders
Melt squares of cheese on the patties before assembling the sliders.
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE/NYTIMES
Gabriel H. Sanchez, photo editor and father of three; New Jersey: “Keeping meals quick and fun can mean the difference between a relatively chill evening and pure chaos at home, so these quick-cooking sliders are a great way to feed my kids. To make the patties, roll ground beef into small meatballs, then press them into 7.5cm patties and give them plenty of seasoning before cooking. Toasted Hawaiian rolls offer a sweet cushion for the burgers, which are finished with a melty blanket of cheese and your favourite toppings. Served alongside baked French fries or a handful of potato chips, it is a quick meal that is always a perfect match for my little ones’ tiny hands.”
Ingredients
8 Hawaiian sweet rolls
2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbs white sesame seeds
450g lean ground beef (10 per cent fat)
Salt and black pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
4 slices American cheese, cut into quarters
Method
Prepare the buns: Heat the broiler to high, with a rack positioned 15cm from the heat source. Separate and cut the rolls into halves, arranging them evenly, cut side down, across a baking sheet. Brush the top portions of the buns with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 30 to 45 seconds, until toasty and golden brown. Keep a careful eye on the rolls so they do not burn. Remove from the oven, flip the bottom buns cut-side up and set the baking sheet aside in a warm place.
Divide the beef into eight equal portions, then roll each portion into a large meatball. Place the meatballs on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the meatballs with a second sheet of parchment and use a sturdy spatula to flatten each meatball into a patty, about 7.5cm wide and 1.5cm thick. Remove the top layer of parchment and liberally season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper.
Add the oil to a 30cm skillet and heat over medium until hot. Working in batches if needed, add eight patties to the pan and cook until the underside is browned with a slight char, for three to four minutes. Flip the burgers and cook until almost done to your liking, for two to three minutes more. When patties have about one minute remaining, arrange two squares of cheese on each patty and cover the pan with a lid until cheese is fully melted.
Assemble the sliders and garnish with your favourite toppings and condiments. Enjoy the sliders warm.
Serves three to four
NYTIMES
