The Best Stovetop Recipes For Everyday Dinners
Simple and widely available ingredients can build your confidence in cooking other stovetop foods, especially if you have little cooking experience. Other stovetop foods featured in these recipes include cheeseburgers and steak sandwiches, Greek gyros, chicken piccata, stuffed sweet potatoes, and soups and pastas that make good lunch and dinner choices.
Reasons These Stovetop Dishes Work Well Together
- Common Ingredients: Chicken, beef, sausage, beans, spinach, broccoli, and mushrooms are all common ingredients, so this recipe is not difficult to make. There is no need to purchase hard-to-find items.
- Simple Pan-Based Cooking: Many recipes call for skillets, saucepans, and Dutch ovens. You can make these recipes with easily available equipment.
- Variety of Meals: Bowls, stuffed potatoes, gyros, and orzo offer make-ahead and leftover meal options for lunches and dinners.
- Flavorful Ingredients to Make: Cheddar and provolone cheeses, lemon butter, tzatziki sauce, and other creamy sauces provide flavor and easy-to-follow steps.
1. Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bread with Ribeye and Provolone
Ribeye with marbling is a suitable choice for a sandwich appetizer such as a Philly cheesesteak. French bread used as an appetizer by several people who would like steak is an option. Thinly slicing the ribeye makes cooking the appetizer in a pan easier. Ribeye is still tender after cooking in the pan and oven with provolone cheese. I cut out the soft part of the loaf, leaving a one-inch border. I add garlic butter to the cut sides before the first bake. During the second bake, the crust helps hold the filling in place, making the bread easier to slice after it cools a few minutes, the cut sides brown nicely. I always do the first bake if I plan to serve bread at a party. Cook in a large skillet and take the steak out before it's well done, as it will be further cooked with the vegetables and in the oven. An overcooked steak will be tougher. I like a little browning on the edges of onions and peppers before the steak is returned to the pan. Slice the steak and vegetables thinly enough to make good sandwich fillings, not big bites. Slice bread after a short rest and eat right away. Serve the bread with side dishes such as french fries, fried onions, slaw, and a green salad to increase food volume. Drizzle the green salad with vinaigrette. Add pickled jalapeños or other hot sauces to other toppings as desired.
2. Spinach Chicken Burgers with Oozing Cheddar Pockets
These spinach chicken burgers are simple to make: Preparations tips include precooking the chicken patties and buns just before serving to ensure fresh spinach pieces in the patties and melted cheese in the buns when the burger is sliced open (sliced hot cheese tastes better). Chop the spinach finely before mixing it with other ingredients in the bowl. Spinach that is only coarsely chopped will stick out of the chicken patties, leaving holes. I mix the ingredients only enough to incorporate the spinach and cheddar. To keep the patties from sticking to my hands as I make four patties, I lightly oil my hands with olive oil. Ground chicken gets sticky fast. I prefer a heavy skillet for burgers at home because cast iron and carbon steel cooking pans retain heat when cold burgers hit them. Heat the oil in the pan until it shimmers, then cook burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on one side. Listen for the sizzle to confirm that one side is well browned. A wide, offset spatula will help you turn burgers with less risk of damage. Indenting the patties in the center helps keep burgers flat. Indenting patties also makes it easier to add other ingredients because the tops of the patties will stay flat. I toast the cut sides of the buns with the patties in a pan, but not the top bun. Toast the cut side of the buns for about a minute until lightly toasted.
3. Burger Bowl with Secret Sauce and Cheddar
These burger bowls are convenient meal-prep options that can be served for lunch or dinner at home. Bowls can be assembled fresh for service with lettuce and seasoned beef topped with a creamy pickle-containing sauce (cold is best). I cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until browned, then drain fat from the skillet before adding other ingredients. Cooking for one more minute allows the mixture to absorb flavors from Worcestershire sauce and other dry spices without drying out the beef. Too much beef in a skillet steams instead of browns, leaving the beef pale. Sauce is made in small bowls and mixed while the skillet heats. I mix the sauce until smooth. I like to eat the sauce cold. Dill pickle relish mimics the taste of a regular burger. White vinegar offsets the taste of mayonnaise in the sauce. I prefer to put more sauce on the beef than on the lettuce. Cherry tomatoes and red onions are other ingredients that prevent this dish from tasting like a salad. For serving, I divide shredded lettuce among four bowls and add beef, tomato, red onion, pickles, and cheddar cheese. The toppings are served cold, with hot beef. This is how I like to serve a burger bowl. Add sliced avocado if you have it on hand.
4. Greek Chicken Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki and Toasted Pita
Greek chicken gyros make four filled pitas. To save time on the day you serve them, I chop vegetables and warm the pita bread right before serving. Other ingredients are Greek chicken and garlic and dill tzatziki sauce. Dice chicken breast into 1-inch (2.5cm) chunks and let the seasoned pieces sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Place a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Avoid adding too many chicken pieces at once to prevent steaming. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through to 165°F (74°C). To make the sauce, squeeze out excess water from chopped cucumbers with a kitchen towel, then mix the cucumbers with yogurt. I like thick tzatziki that clings to a spoon but not to pita bread (thin tzatziki is messy). Refrigerate fresh vegetables until ready to serve. Spread the sauce down the center of pita bread, then layer the fillings on top. Toast or heat pita in the empty pan for 30-45 seconds on both sides to soften, then serve on plain white plates. Sprinkle oregano and parsley over the pita as a garnish. Serve folded pita while still warm and soft. I enjoy cucumber-beet salad with this dish, but jalapeño coleslaw would also pair well with the garlic chicken.
5. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Southwest Black Bean Filling
Stuffed sweet potatoes are a good option when meal prepping. The sweet potato and black bean mixture can be prepared ahead of time and kept separate from the sweet potatoes until serving to make it easier to pack. Sweet potatoes and black beans make a great lunch or dinner. Serving size for this recipe is four people. I buy medium-size sweet potatoes with smooth skins and try to select similarly sized ones to prevent overcooked and undercooked sweet potatoes in the same batch. Cook sweet potatoes by brushing them with oil and arranging them on a baking sheet. The sweet potatoes will have crispy skins and be fully cooked when a knife inserted into the center slides in easily. The potatoes are cooked while you cook the filling in a skillet with sautéed red onion and garlic and other filling ingredients, such as beans and corn, and spices. I take the skillet off the heat before adding lime juice to the filling to retain the lime juice flavor. The filling takes 5 to 7 minutes to cook after adding beans and corn. Slice potatoes lengthwise and use a fork to break up the potato flesh. Add other ingredients to the potato halves. Avocado is a tasty addition to these potatoes. Feta cheese adds a salty taste. It's best to eat the potatoes shortly after adding other ingredients, whether they've been made ahead of time or not, for a tasty meal and crisp potato skin.
6. Chicken Piccata with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers
This chicken piccata yields four servings: I thin the cutlets and measure the pan sauce first, then cook it right before serving, while the chicken still has a crisp coating with the glossy lemon-butter sauce. Capers add a salty brine to the lemon dish, contributing considerably to the overall flavor (they do a lot here). I make use of a heavy stainless steel skillet for this task, though cast iron also works effectively, while I precisely pat the chicken dry before it comes into contact with the flour, leaving ample room around each cutlet in the pan for proper cooking process. If the skillet happens to be crowded, then the coating will steam together with it and will continue to remain pale. The butter should be foaming in the pan, while the oil must be shimmering within it. This must occur before the chicken is added to the dish. The browned bits that are left after searing play an important role in helping to start the sauce, and I gently scrape them up with the wine, then allow the lemon along with capers to reduce the liquid by half, after which I lower the heat before adding cold butter to the entire mixture. Remove the pan from high heat for that final step, and then carefully whisk in the butter with one tablespoon at a time. Serve these delightful cutlets along with traditional pasta immediately. Alternatively, place them beside deviled egg macaroni salad for a creamy accompaniment. Asian cabbage salad acts as a lighter pairing with many delicious meals. For a larger dinner, grilled shrimp skewers work well alongside the chicken, and I like lemon wheels over with chopped parsley on the top.
7. Creamy Italian Meatball Soup with Spinach and Parmesan
This Italian meatball soup with cream sauce takes 1 hour to make and cleans up quickly when cooked in a Dutch oven. I cook this Italian meatball soup with cream sauce on weekdays as an easy weeknight dish that includes browned meatballs, tomato broth, and spinach. You only need one pot, a Dutch oven. I mix the meatball ingredients until combined and form 1-inch meatballs, stopping before completely mixing the ingredients to avoid tough meatballs. I brown meatballs in batches, leaving browned bits in the pan. I stir the browned bits and chicken broth into the tomatoes with a spoon to add flavor to the sauce. The cream is stirred in after taking the soup off the heat and ending the boil. I heat the cream by stirring in some of the soup broth, then stir in the spinach to wilt. If you're also adding pasta, I recommend using a short pasta and cooking it during the last 10 to 12 minutes of the soup cooking time or until it's al dente. Hot soup with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley is suggested. Suitable dippers include garlic bread and other types of hard rolls. A green salad with oil and vinegar dressing would pair well with soup for a full meal. To serve the meal in advance, cook the pasta separately and add it shortly before serving to avoid soggy pasta.
8. Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Orzo: A Creamy One-Pan Dinner
Chicken sausage and broccoli orzo is a dish I cook at home to eat for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. I can quickly separate leftovers of cooked orzo, chicken sausage, and broccoli after dinner for lunch. The sauce for orzo is creamy, like risotto. I like firm broccoli in this dish. I sauté the sausage slices in a large, heavy skillet after the oil shimmers. I don't move the slices while sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes, then lift the slices out of the pan once they are browned on the cut sides so that their drippings can flavor the broth and orzo. I boil the broth and stir it during cooking to help thicken the broth and pasta starch in the pan. I do not rinse the pasta. I lower the heat to a simmer before adding dairy to the pan. I use freshly grated parmesan cheese from a block to help create a smooth sauce. I serve it right away in shallow white ceramic bowls with additional toppings of grated parmesan cheese, coarse black pepper, and flat-leaf parsley. I also offer a side of fresh salad with lemon dressing. Another side I'd offer with a family dinner is broccoli cheese rice casserole.
9. Creamy Mushroom Chicken Soup with Cremini Mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms, sometimes called baby bellas, are recommended for this soup recipe because they hold their shape and provide strong flavor in a creamy soup. Sauteing the mushrooms before adding them to the soup adds texture and flavor contrast to the shredded chicken and parsley topping (I particularly enjoy browned mushrooms). I sauté mushrooms in a big Dutch oven with foaming butter and olive oil, then add a single layer of mushrooms. I cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, flip them, and cook them more to brown. I leave browned pieces in the Dutch oven to add flavor to the cooking liquid. Two batches should be cooked in a smaller Dutch oven. After sautéing the onion, I allow the flour to cook in the pan for 90 to 120 seconds before adding stock. I pour the stock into the pan slowly while stirring to incorporate it. I simmer the chicken covered. I find it easier to shred cooked breast meat if it is not simmered at a full boil. I want small pieces of shredded chicken in a thicker stock. Cream is stirred in with the chicken and mushrooms when they are put back into the pot. Heat the soup gently, not to a boil, for 5 minutes to blend flavors. I recommend serving the soup hot and garnished with parsley. Provide freshly ground pepper and toasted sourdough bread for dipping. The soup can also be served as a starter course before Million Dollar Italian Lasagna.
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