Looking for a super easy weeknight dinner? This chicken and gravy is super easy to prepare, smells wonderful while it’s cooking, and tastes like you spent all day on it!

What’s a “Weeknight” meal?

If you work outside the home and have a family, week nights can get stressful trying to prepare a nutritious AND delicious meal for the family.

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You come home tired, you just want to sit and relax. A “weeknight” ^[1] meal is quick to prepare, doesn’t take a long time to cook, and is comforting and tastes amazing! This one hits all the those points.

Making the Chicken and Gravy – 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large casserole dish, add the soups, pepper and paprika.

Stir it all to blend.

Place the chicken on top of the soups. Score the skin, then sprinkle the olive oil over the chicken skin, then top with the salt, a little more pepper and sage.

Bake 45 minutes to an hour. The skin should be golden and crisp and the internal temperature of the meat should be between 180 and 200 degrees.

Remove it from the oven and let it rest about five minutes.

Stir the gravy before serving.

Serve with mashed potatoes or stuffing and your favorite steamed veggie or a salad – voilà! It’s dinner!

Want to make it even easier?

Instead of mashed potatoes or stuffing, place some whole potatoes in the oven at the same time as the chicken, directly on the rack. Cook until they are soft and steamy. Use a steam in the bag frozen vegetable and you have dinner with only one pan to wash.

© Copyright 2024 The Lazy Gastronome

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This delicious stew is super easy to make. Just brown the meat, dump it all in the crockpot – and a hearty meal is ready for you when you get home!

Making the Crockpot Stew

Start by cutting the pork into cubes and sprinkling with 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, then brown the meat on all sides.

Clean the tomatillos –

While the meat is browning, add the vegetables, chiles, spices, garlic, and the remaining salt and lemon pepper in the crockpot.

Give it a stir just to mix the ingredients.

Top with the potatoes, pork and all the pan drippings. Don’t stir it again!

Put the lid in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

At this point, mix the cornstarch with the water. Carefully stir in some of the juices from the pot. Pour it over the stew and stir it all together. Cover and cook on low for another hour.

Serve it hot garnished with cilantro, and maybe a dusting of smoked paprika.

It goes great with sopapillas ^[6]!

© Copyright 2024 The Lazy Gastronome

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Are you looking for something unusual for breakfast? These potato “waffles” make a fantastic breakfast ^[11] for a holiday or Sunday morning. They are easy to make and totally delicious.

I had planned on freezing some to use at a later date, but my husband ate them all!!

What are hash browns?

The 1887 Kitchen Companion cookbook called these potatoes hashed browned potatoes. Made of boiled or cold leftover potatoes, they are browned in flat “pancake”, then folded like an omelet.

Hash means to chop, so, “hashed” potatoes are chopped potatoes. Here we’ve used modern technology and used shredded, frozen potatoes.

Making the hash brown waffles

Mix 2 eggs with the flour and spices. Whisk together and set aside. In another large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cheese and hash browns.

Pour the liquid into the dry bowl and gently stir to incorporate it all together.

Let is sit for about 15 minutes.

Heat a waffle iron (I used a Belgian waffle maker. They are deeper).

                                                                       

About 2/3 of a cup of the mixture goes into the waffle maker, close, and cook for about 5 minutes.

When they are done the waffles will be golden brown and will come off the iron easily. If it sticks, give it another minute or two.

Remove the waffle and set on a rack in the oven at 250 degrees. This will keep them warm until you are ready to serve.

When all the waffles are cooked, serve them with a soft egg on top and some chopped fresh chives.

Variations include adding meat, like ham, bacon or sausage. Use a different kind of cheese. Jack, swiss, gruyere, provolone and mozzarella are good options.

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

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I love potatoes ^[16] and I love cheese. This au gratin recipe combines the two – and it’s just as easy as it is delicious!

What is au grain?

Au gratin simply means something has been baked with cheese or breadcrumbs on top. The term “gratin” is the French term used for anything with a browned crust on top.

True “potatoes au gratin” are made with very thinly sliced potatoes, heavy cream and butter and a sharp cheese, like cheddar or gruyère.

Here’s how you do it:

Cut the potatoes about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. I used russet, but you can use any kind of potatoes. Red or white are a nice creamy texture – and the yellow ones add their own butteryness.

Next step – Melt the butter and cream cheese together, stir well. The cream cheese will be chunky, sort of curdled looking like cottage cheese. You can use an immersion blender to break it up more, or just leave it like I did. That slightly tart piece in your mouth with a bite of potato was actually quite good!

Now, using a spray oil, spray the bottom of a shallow casserole dish. Put a layer of potatoes in the bottom. Cover with half of the cheddar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I like to use extra sharp cheddar. I enjoy that sharp bite – but you can use mild if that’s what you prefer.

Pour half of the butter-cream cheese mixture on top of that.

Lay the remaining potatoes on top of the cheese. Add more salt and pepper, the remaining cheddar and top it with the remaining butter. Sprinkle half the thyme on the cheese. You can use dried thyme (use half the amount) but it’s so much better with the fresh.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with the remaining thyme.

Allow to cool a little before serving.

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I love cheesy potatoes ^[21]. So does my family. These twice baked are almost a meal in themselves. And perfect as a side with a pork chop or a steak – give them a try! You’ll love them too.

Here’s How to Do it:

Preheat the oven to 350° and bake the potatoes. When they are fork tender, remove from the oven and let them cool.

NOTE: You can bake them the day before if you want. Refrigerate them, but be sure to bring them to room temperature before you start working with them.

While they are cooling, melt the butter and grate the cheese.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half lengthwise.

Carefully scoop out the inside, leaving a little in the skin shell. Put the insides in a bowl and set the jackets in a shallow, 2 qt. baking dish ^[22].

Crack some pepper and a little sea salt onto the potato jackets.

Pour 1/8 cup of the melted butter evenly over each half.

Now prepare the insides – Add 1/4 cup of the melted butter to the potato insides. Mash together.

Add salt and pepper to taste at this point. Finally, stir in the 1-3/4 cup of the cheddar.

Stuff each potato with 1/4 of the mixture.

Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese spread evenly over each potato.

Place them back in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is fully melted.

Top with some chopped green onions. Serve!

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

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