Oven-Baked Fish Sticks
Coat the fish in seasoned bread crumbs, then freeze. To cook, bake until crisp and opaque throughout, about 20 minutes.
Serves: 8
Hands-On Time: 40 min
Total Time: 55 min
INGREDIENTS
3 cups panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
kosher salt
3 large eggs
2 1/2 pounds skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 1-inch strips
coleslaw and ketchup, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 450° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread crumbs with the oil, seafood seasoning, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Toast in oven,tossing once, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl and wipe out the baking sheet.
In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water.
Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the fish in the beaten eggs (shaking off any excess), then coat with the bread crumbs (pressing gently to help them adhere).
Place in a single layer on 2 large parchment-lined large baking sheets.
Bake the fish sticks until crisp and opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with the coleslaw and ketchup.
The uncooked fish sticks can be frozen for up to 3 months. First freeze them on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer bags.
To cook, bake from frozen on parchment-lined baking sheets until crisp and opaque throughout, 18 to 20 minutes.
Toasty Mac and Cheese
Eat this cheesy, creamy meal right away, or freeze unbaked for up to 3 months.
Serves: 8
Hands-On Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dishes
1 pound cavatappi, penne, or another short pasta
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups whole milk
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound Cheddar, grated (about 4 cups)
1 cup grated Parmesan (about 4 ounces)
1 cup crushed buttery crackers (about 16 crackers)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
buttered green beans, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350° F. Butter eight 6-ounce baking dishes or two 8-inch square baking dishes. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less
than the package directions suggest; drain and return it to the pot.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes (do not let darken).
Gradually whisk in the milk; add 1¼ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking occasionally,
until the sauce thickens slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the Cheddar and Parmesan.
Add the sauce to the pasta and toss to combine. (The mixture will seem wet.) Dividing evenly, transfer the mixture to the
prepared baking dishes and sprinkle with the crackers and parsley.
Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the green beans.
This dish can be frozen, unbaked and covered in plastic wrap, then foil, for up to 3 months. To bake, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Remove the plastic wrap, re-cover with foil, and bake at 350° F until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes for 6-ounce baking dishes
or 50 to 55 minutes for an 8-inch square baking dish. Uncover and bake until golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Chicken With Tomatoes and Thyme
Prep each portion in individual bags and freeze, then roast in a baking dish when you’re ready to eat.
Serves: 4
Hands-On Time: 10 min
Total Time: 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
1 lemon
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
8 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon capers
4 small chicken thighs
4 small chicken drumsticks
kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 1-quart resealable plastic freezer bags
DIRECTIONS
Freeze It: Slice the lemon into rounds. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes and their liquid, lemon, thyme, and capers.
Divide them among the 4 plastic freezer bags.
Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 leg and 1 thigh to each bag. Freeze, for up to 3 months, until ready to cook.
Cook It: Heat oven to 400° F. Remove the bags of chicken and tomatoes from the freezer (you’ll need 1 bag of chicken and tomatoes for each serving). Empty the contents of each bag into a baking dish. Drizzle with the oil, using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each serving. (For 4 servings, use 2 tablespoons oil.)
Roast until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 50 minutes.
Sausage, Cauliflower, and Kale Potpie
Delicious and easy, the casserole may be assembled (except for the puff pastry) and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance.
Serves: 8
Hands-On Time: 25 min
Total Time: 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and meat broken into 3/4-inch
pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
2 sheets puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), each cut into 4 rectangles
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, tossing occasionally,
until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl.
Add the onions, rosemary, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the skillet and cook,
stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the kale, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing, until the kale is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the kale mixture and cauliflower to the sausage and toss to combine.
Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch or some other 3-quart baking dish and top with the puff pastry, overlapping the rectangles slightly.
Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Pasta With Kale and Walnut Pesto
Prepare the unusual pesto—made with walnuts, kale, pecorino, garlic, and olive oil—and refrigerate or freeze. Combine with pasta for a quick meal when you’re too busy to cook.
Serves: 4
Hands-On Time: 20 min
Total Time: 30 min
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons walnuts
1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn (about 12 cups)
1 cup grated pecorino (2 ounces), plus more for serving
1 small clove garlic
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 pound fusilli, penne, or some other short pasta
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool.
Chop 2 tablespoons of the walnuts and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and cook until bright green, 30 seconds.
Transfer the kale to a colander (reserve the cooking water);
squeeze dry when cool enough to handle.
In a food processor, combine the kale, pecorino, garlic, the remaining ⅓ cup of unchopped walnuts, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Process until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.
Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the pesto and ¼ cup
of the reserved cooking water and toss to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry).
Serve the pasta sprinkled with the pecorino and chopped walnuts.
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