April 2010
Thirty Minutes or Less
Skillet Suppers
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
You arrive home in the late afternoon after a hectic day and have no idea what to prepare for dinner. All you know is it needs to be something quick and easy because you don’t have the energy or time for a more complicated meal.
How about an easy and nutritious stovetop skillet supper! Serve it with a green salad and crusty bread and the meal is complete. And best of all, it can go from stovetop to tabletop in 30 minutes or less, and there is only one pan to clean up after dinner.
The nice thing about skillet suppers is you can use nearly anything leftover in your refrigerator. It’s easy to substitute ingredients by using your imagination. No rice on hand? Substitute pasta or frozen diced hash potatoes. No fresh carrots? Use whatever fresh, frozen or canned vegetables you have on hand. Forgot to buy ground beef? Use leftover chicken or quickly thaw frozen ground turkey in the microwave.
Of course your new creation will taste differently from the recipe, but it can still be delicious—and nutritious, too! You can even take breakfast favorites—eggs, bacon, sausage or ham, and hash browns—add canned or frozen diced green chiles, and you’ve got a winning, hearty, main dish skillet scramble. And homemade skillet dinners can be lower in sodium and fat than boxed dinners bought in the grocery store.
So next time you’re in a hurry and can’t think of anything fast to prepare for dinner, clean out your refrigerator by whipping up a fast and tasty skillet supper. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Hearty Egg and Sausage Skillet Supper
½ pound link sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup diced onions
¼ cup diced green pepper
2 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
4 eggs
½ cup chopped green chiles
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 small tomato, chopped
In 12-inch non-stick skillet, cook sausage 5 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat, turning occasionally. Remove from pan onto paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoon drippings in pan.
Add onion and green pepper and sauté 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add potatoes and stir in with onion and green peppers; spread evenly in skillet. Cook 8 to 10 minutes until potatoes are tender, turning with spatula occasionally. Top with cooked sausage.
In small bowl, beat eggs and chiles with fork or wire whisk. Pour egg mixture evenly over sausage and potatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until eggs are firm. Sprinkle with cheese and tomato; cover and cook 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 2.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 420; Carbohydrate 35g; Protein 21g; Fat 21g; Cholesterol 210mg; Sodium 890mg.
Curried Pork and Peanut Skillet Supper
1 Tb. olive or canola oil
¾ pound pork boneless loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 to 2 tsp. curry powder
½ cup shredded parsnip
¹/3 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
¼ cup raisins
1½ cups beef broth
½ cup sliced carrots, sliced diagonally
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts
Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Sauté pork and curry powder in oil, stirring occasionally, until pork is light brown. Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley and peanuts. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes; do not lift cover to stir. Stir in parsley and peanuts, fluffing rice lightly with fork. Serves 2.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 465; Carbohydrate 47g; Protein 33g; Fat 18g; Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 750mg.
Tuna Noodle Skillet Supper
1 Tb. canola or vegetable oil
½ cup coarsely chopped onion
¼ cup diced celery
1½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
¼ cup chopped green chiles (optional)
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1 (5-ounce) can white tuna in water, drained
1½ cups prepared Alfredo pasta sauce
½ cup seasoned croutons, coarsely crushed
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add mushrooms and green chiles and sauté another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in water and noodles. Cover; heat to boiling; boil 4 minutes. Stir in tuna and pasta sauce (sauce will be thin).
Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 4 to 6 minutes or until sauce has slightly thickened and noodles are tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Just before serving, top with crushed croutons. Serves 2.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 520; Carbohydrate 38g; Protein 24g; Fat 30g; Cholesterol 120mg; Sodium 540mg.
Skillet Beef and Vegetables with Brown Rice
1 cup beef broth
¾ cup uncooked instant brown rice
2 tsp. olive oil
½ cup sliced carrots, sliced diagonally
½ cup sliced celery, sliced diagonally
¼ cup chopped onion
½ pound beef top round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into thin strips
1 cup fresh snap pea pods, strings removed
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
Heat broth to a boil in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in rice; continue boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots, celery and onion in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beef and continue cooking for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cooked rice mixture, pea pods, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Cover and cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until pea pods are tender. Add a small amount of water to mixture if it becomes dry before pea pods are tender.
Optional: Add slices of provolone or pepper jack cheese over the top of the mixture after the pea pods are done. Remove from the heat, and cover and let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serves 4.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 405; Carbohydrate 63g; Protein 22g; Fat 22g; Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 880mg.
Spicy Mushroom and Cheese Skillet Dinner
1½ tsp. olive or vegetable oil
4 ounce uncooked vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium jalapeño chiles, seeded, chopped
½ cup water
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add vermicelli; cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion and mushrooms. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in tomatoes, chiles, water, cumin, and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.Sprinkle with cheese. Cover; let stand about 2 minutes to melt cheese. Serves 4.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 300; Carbohydrate 35g; Protein 14g; Fat 12g; Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 600mg.