Dinner Dilemma

7for Busy Families Must-Try Simple Recipes

Now that school is back in session, harried parents will be looking for the most efficient ways to use the few hours they have between getting home and going to bed. Somewhere amid the after-school activities, homework, church events, bath time and bedtime stories, they have to squeeze in dinner, and occasionally, they’d like for it to not include a drive-thru window and eating in the car. For school nights when the family has time to gather around the table for a sit-down meal, North Cobb High School culinary arts instructor Chelsea Bodenhamer offers a few quick and easy recipes that don’t take all evening to prepare.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Sauté

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, even size and thickness • 1¼ teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning • Oil (just enough to coat bottom of pan) • 1 cup carrots, half moons and ⅛-inch thick (ideally, blanched and shocked) • ⅓ cup sliced green onions • ¾ cup chicken broth • 1 tablespoon flour • ¼ cup sour cream • 1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with seasoning. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken, single layer, presentation side down first. Sauté on one side until a golden brown exterior has developed. Flip once, sauté until a golden brown exterior has developed on the second side. Remove chicken and finish cooking in the oven, if necessary. Add another small amount of oil to the pan, if necessary. Add carrots and onions to pan. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, mix broth and flour together until well-blended to create a slurry. Deglaze sauté pan with broth. Bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until desired thickness. Stir in sour cream and parsley. Warm through. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve. Makes 4 servings. • ½ cup butter • 1 pint heavy whipping cream (2 cups) • 4 ounces cream cheese • ¼ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon pepper • ½ teaspoon minced garlic • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, add butter, whipping cream and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat and whisk until melted. Add minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Toss it with your favorite pasta. Make 4 servings.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Rich Cream Sauce

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves • 1 tablespoon minced onion • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour • ¼ cup dry white wine • ¾ cup unsalted chicken stock • 1 tablespoon butter • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley • Oil, as needed • Salt and pepper, to taste

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a stainless-steel sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add chicken, presentation side down first; cook until deep golden color has been achieved, adjusting heat as necessary. Flip chicken over, reduce heat to medium and cook until golden brown color has developed on the other side. If necessary, finish the chicken in the oven. Add more oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant and translucent. Add flour; sauté 30 seconds. Add wine to pan; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring constantly. Stir in stock; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until sauce reaches desired thickness. Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a dusting of parsley. Makes 4 servings.

• 2 pounds (about 3 large) russet potatoes, peeled and chopped uniformly • 4 tablespoons butter • ¼ cup milk or cream • 1 to 1½ pounds ground beef, lamb or a combination • 1 yellow onion, diced • 2 carrots, peeled and diced • 2 celery stalks, diced • ½ cup frozen peas • ½ cup frozen corn • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce • 1½ teaspoons salt, divided (½ teaspoon and 1 teaspoon) • 1 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Set a 9-by-13 baking dish nearby. In a medium pan, cover potatoes with an inch or two of cold water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender. Drain and mash thoroughly with a potato masher or a fork until no lumps remain. While potatoes are hot, mix in butter, milk and a half-teaspoon of salt. Taste potatoes and add additional butter, milk and salt to taste. Set aside. While potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough vegetable oil to film the bottom of the pan. When the pan is hot, add ground beef or lamb. Break the meat apart with a spatula and stir occasionally until it’s crumbled and browned all the way through. Transfer ground meat to a separate dish. Pour off all but a few teaspoons of fat. With the pan still over medium-high heat, cook onions, carrots and celery with the teaspoon of salt until they have softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in peas, corn, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and the reserved ground meat. Cook until peas and corn are warmed through. Taste and add more Worcestershire sauce or salt as desired. Transfer cooked meat and vegetables into a casserole dish. Drop spoonfuls of mashed potatoes evenly over the surface and use a spatula to smooth the potatoes into an even layer. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. If adding cheese, sprinkle it over the top of the casserole in the last few minutes of cooking. Makes 8-10 servings.

Burgers for Grilling

• 1 pound ground beef • 2 tablespoons dried minced onion • 2 tablespoons minced garlic • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • ½ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef • ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs • 3 tablespoons milk • 1 egg • 2 tablespoons cut parsley • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan • Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix just until combined. Shape meatballs into 1-inch circles and place back in the bowl where you combined the ingredients. Heat a sauté pan. Heat a small amount of oil in the bottom of the pan. Sear the meatballs on all sides. Allow them to get brown on each side. Remove meatballs and place on a lined sheet pan. If necessary, deglaze pan with tomato sauce. Once sauce is heated, add meatballs to sauce; allow meatballs to finish cooking on a low simmer. Serve over fresh pasta. Makes 4 servings.

Marinara Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil • ½ cup chopped onion • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 1 can tomato sauce • 1 can petite diced tomatoes • 1 teaspoon dried basil • ¼ teaspoon oregano • 1 teaspoon sugar • Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil over medium heat in medium saucepan. Sauté onions and garlic until brown. Add balsamic vinegar and reduce until liquid is nearly dry. Add tomato sauce and stir. Lower heat to medium-low. While stirring, add basil, oregano and sugar. Allow sauce to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use immediately or transfer to a plastic container for storage. Makes 4 servings.