Simple recipes for bachelor survival

By Susan McClanahan

Our son Ross lives in St. Peters, Missouri, and he's finding it a challenge to cook for one person and to find recipes he's comfortable making. I went looking today for recipes I already had in my files from days gone by, and I found a couple of new ones that are very easy to prepare and warm up easily as leftovers. Most will freeze well, too, so he can put in smaller containers and freeze for later.

I hope this helps him, and others in a similar situation to find recipes that are easy, quick, delicious and rewarm nicely.

Don't forget to go online to see this entire column with additional recipes that space does not allow in the printed newspaper.

One-Pan Taco Rice Dinner

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups Minute Rice uncooked
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Serve with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and sour cream

In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add in taco seasoning and water. Stir well and allow mixture to come to a boil. Turn down heat, then add in uncooked Minute Rice and stir. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes (until rice is tender.) Remove lid and stir in salsa and cheese. Turn off the heat and it's ready to serve.

Serve with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and sour cream.

Baked Crab Imperial

• 2 pounds lump crabmeat
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• Cracker crumb
• Paprika

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except crab meat. Add crab meat and turn lightly so as not to break up the lumps. Put in a buttered 2 quart casserole or fill 8 buttered individual baking dishes and top with cracker crumbs. Cover with melted butter. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and brown.

Note: If desired, top with grated cheese last 5 minutes of baking.

Improved Tater Tot Casserole

This is not your ordinary tater-tot casserole. Ground beef, sausage, cheese, and, of course, tater tots make this classic casserole a crowd-pleaser. Cayenne pepper and hot Italian sausage give it a pleasant kick.

• 3/4 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup 2 percent milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 package (32 ounces) frozen tater tots

In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage, beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the soup, beans, corn, 1 cup cheese, milk, garlic powder, seasoned salt and cayenne. Transfer to two greased 11 x 7-inch baking dishes. Top with tater tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to three months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until bubbly.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Chili Cornbread Bake

This recipe calls for the ingredients to make a chili from scratch, or you may use your own favorite family recipe.

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans with chili gravy
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans or small white beans, drained
• 2 (8.5 ounce) packages Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• Milk and eggs to make Jiffy mix (see corn muffin mix for amounts)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese blend
• Light sour cream (optional)

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook turkey, celery and onion until turkey, breaking up the turkey with a spoon. Cook till turkey is no longer pink. Add garlic, chili powder, black pepper, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and beans. Turn heat down to low and allow to simmer while preparing cornbread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a deep 13 x 9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Prepare corn-muffin mix according to package directions and pour batter into prepared baking dish. Remove chili mixture from heat and spoon over the batter. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes. Edges of cornbread should be nicely browned and center should appear to be set. Carefully remove dish from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Serve with tortilla chips and top with sour cream if desired.

Cajun-Style Grill Foil Packets

You'll love all of the Cajun flavors with the corn and sausage and shrimp, and there is no mess. You may need to wait to make this until fresh corn on the cob becomes available again, as the frozen just isn't the same.

• 8-12 pieces corn on the cob, 4 full cobs cut in half or in thirds
• 4 red potatoes, washed and cubed
• 20-30 uncooked shrimp, peeled or not, it's up to you
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into chunks
• M or olive oil, to taste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, you may not need that much
• Cajun/Creole seasoning, like Tony Chachere's brand, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat grill or oven to 400 degrees. Evenly distribute corn, potatoes, shrimp and sausage between four heavy-duty foil sheets (approximately 12 x 18 inches each). Drizzle melted butter and about 2 tablespoons chicken broth over each foil packet. Season evenly and generously, to taste, with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Tightly seal foil packets by folding up the sides over the contents and tightly folding up the ends over the seam. Grill 30 to 40 minutes, or bake in oven until potatoes are tender, flipping once half-way through. Be careful opening the packets to check for doneness, the steam inside is very hot.

Grandma's Chicken and Rice Casserole

This recipe is quick and easy, and the leftovers are just as good as fresh baked. You can use less butter on top without compromising the end result. You may also wish to choose the heart-healthy, lower-sodium soups.

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups instant white rice
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup butter, sliced into pats

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease sides and bottom of a casserole dish. Stir chicken, water, rice, cream-of-chicken soup, cream-of-celery soup, and cream-of-mushroom soup together in the prepared casserole dish; season with salt and pepper. Arrange butter evenly over the top of the chicken mixture. Bake in preheated oven until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 1 hour to 75 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 (32 ounce) bag of tater tots
• 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef. Add in the chopped onions and cook until soft. Stir in the steak seasoning, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Place at the bottom of the greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Spread out the Monterey Jack cheese over the ground beef. Place one layer of tater tots over the casserole. Bake casserole at 375 degrees for 25 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese and put back in the oven until melted. Serve immediately with your favorite burger toppings, such as raw chopped onions, tomatoes, bacon or pickles. The possibilities are endless.

Orzo Chicken and Spinach Soup

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cubed
• 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Lemon slices, for garnish

Melt butter over medium heat in large stockpot. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Cover and sweat 10 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth, chicken, lemon juice and zest to pot. Bring to a simmer. Stir in orzo; bring to a boil. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and pasta is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and parsley. Add kosher salt and black pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.

Easy Dorito Pie

Layers of Doritos, seasoned beef and delicious sour cream create a meal that everyone will love.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 can crescent roll dough
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 3 cups crushed Doritos, divided
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Stir in taco seasoning and water and simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes). Spray a 9-inch pie dish with nonstick cooking spray. Separate the crescent dough into triangles and line the pie pan placing the points towards the center of the dish. Press the seams to seal. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of crushed Doritos onto the crescent crust. Top with ground beef. Combine sour cream and salsa. Spread over the ground beef layer. Top with cheese and remaining Doritos. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 20 minutes or until the crescent crust is golden brown. Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes or any desired toppings.

Baked Mushroom Rice

This oven baked version of the wildly popular Mushroom Rice may change your mind about oven baking rice. The idea behind this recipe is that the mushrooms act as a "lid" over the rice as it bakes, and the mushroom juices drip into the rice; best broth ever. The rice is fluffy, garlicky and buttery, and the mushrooms are golden brown and juicy inside. 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, quartered, enough for a single layer in the pan

• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter , melted
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves , minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Rice:

• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Finishes:

• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour over hot melted butter, add garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well. Place all the rice ingredients in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Mix and shake the pan to spread the rice evenly. Spread the mushrooms over the rice; they will be partially submerged but should pretty much cover the whole surface area (to be the "lid" while the rice cooks). Drizzle over olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until mushrooms are golden. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes.

Finishes: Add extra butter (if using) and scallions. Toss through rice. Serve.

Notes: The perfect quantity of mushrooms is when they cover the surface area in a single layer. That way, they will act as a lid for the rice as it cooks, then as the mushroom shrinks it allows most of it to brown (the part touching the rice doesn't brown). If the mushrooms are piled up too high, they won't brown as much and the rice will be on the soft side because less liquid will evaporate from the rice as it cooks (because of the mushrooms covering the surface).

Rice type: This recipe is best made with long-grain rice because it's less sticky than short and medium grain. Basmati and jasmine will also work, and around the same cook time. Medium- and short-grain rice will work, but the rice will be a bit stickier.

Risotto and paella rice is not suitable. For brown rice, do not top with mushrooms at the beginning. Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes. Then remove foil, and top with mushrooms and bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes until mushrooms are golden.

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

This recipe is super easy and it freezes beautifully. Usually no salt is needed in this recipe because of the soup and cheese.

• 4 cups of cooked chicken chopped (buy a ready made rotisserie chicken)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (do not dilute)
• 1 (16 ounce) container of sour cream
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce or buffalo chicken sauce
• 1 (32 ounce) bag of frozen tater tots
• 1 cup diced or thinly sliced celery

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray casserole dish. Mix chicken, sour cream and hot or BBQ sauce mix, cream of chicken soup, shredded cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder (whatever you like) then fold in frozen tots. Pour into prepared pan. Top with diced celery. Bake until thoroughly heated, about an hour and a half, until hot and bubbly. Serve it with a dollop of regular sour cream on top, if desired.

Have a great week, adn until next time, happy cooking.