Easiest Foods To Cook For Dummies
Ever wonder about the easiest foods to cook? If you are a beginner chef looking to feed yourself and finally come to grips with becoming an adult, look no further because these simple foods will get you over that silly phobia of fire and burning your house down.
1. Eggs
When concerning easiest foods to cook, no food is as easily prepared as eggs. The process of cooking eggs only demands knowledge of the very basics—requiring just heat, a pan, and a spatula. Eggs are a great food for beginner chefs because they are not only quick to make, but they are versatile—able to be scrambled, fried, made into an omelette, or used within another larger meal. While also a great source of protein, you can whip these up daily without the concern of it negatively affecting your diet. Whether you choose to scramble or fry your eggs is your decision, the trick is to use butter on your pan, and most importantly, maintaining a low to medium heat setting—slow and easy wins the race; if you bump the heat too high you’ll find yourself with tough and chewy eggs, as opposed to the fluffy texture that we want. Once you are comfortable enough with your egg-whipping ability, you can experiment with adding cheeses or other toppings within your eggs to spice them up some!
2. Grilled Cheese
Another simple food that can be easily mastered by even the most skittish of chefs is grilled cheese! Again, very difficult to mess up a grilled cheese, and as stated before, all that is really needed to make one is heat, a pan, and a spatula—and of course, the obvious and necessary breads and cheeses! The type of cheese you decide to go with is up to you; if I had to recommend some, I’d advise to opt for American or Muenster. Now, once the butter is sizzling in your pan with your heat set to a medium setting, you’ll quickly want to butter one side of each slice of bread—trust me, it makes a difference. Once you’re all buttered and ready to go, it’s time to throw the cheese in the center of your slices of bread and pop the sandwich on your pan. If your pan has a lid, some chefs recommend covering the grilling sandwich with it, as it causes the cheese to melt better, but this is certainly not a requirement! Grill your sandwich until one side is lightly or golden brown and flip to repeat the desired effect on the other side of your sandwich. Before you know it, BOOM, your sandwich is cooked and you’re feeling like a finalist on Chopped.
3. Pasta
Pasta is another one of the easiest foods to cook, and is an ever-constant staple within college apartments, as well as in homes of those who may be culinarily challenged. As long as you have a stove and some cookware handy then you are ready to go! When cooking pasta, you’ll want to fill up whatever pot you are using about halfway with water, making sure to add salt to the water as well. Once this step is completed, a lid is typically put on the pot while the heat is cranked to high. Make sure not to stray too far from the stove as the water should boil within just a few minutes. Once your water begins to boil, the lid may then be removed, and the pasta poured in and left to boil. Typically, you’ll leave the pasta to boil for around 5-7 minutes or whatever the back of the pasta box instructs. Once your pasta appears to be cooked and soft, all that is left is the need to drain and serve it up alongside your favorite pasta sauce!
4. Hamburger
Hamburgers are a food that even the biggest culinary newbie won’t sweat making. Basically, if you’ve got a hot surface then you can cook up a burger, it is another one of the absolute easiest foods to cook. The meat that you choose is up to you, no judgment will be passed if you start off frying up frozen patties, everyone has to start off somewhere, right? So, once your patty is ready to be thrown onto the heat ensure that you’ve lightly coated the bottom of your skillet with vegetable oil. Making sure to use a medium heat setting, you may now throw your patty down onto the skillet and season it as it begins to cook and thaw. If you are unsure as to when your hamburger is finished cooking and whether it is safe to eat, do not be afraid to use a heat thermometer—in fact, I encourage it, especially if you are a self-proclaimed newbie; you’ll want a reading of 160 degrees Fahrenheit when testing the middle of your patty. Once your burger is ready for plating, feel free to experiment with various buns, cheeses, toppings, and condiments to compliment and enhance your burger—experimentation is where culinary genius is born. With practice and persistence, you’ll be cooking up burgers with ease, and eager to move toward more challenging tasks within the kitchen.
5. Mac And Cheese
Like previously stated, pasta is one of the easiest foods to cook, and if you can manage to cook up some decent pasta, then you most definitely can serve up some delicious mac and cheese. There is only a step or two added after the act of making pasta, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find yourself left with delicious and homemade mac and cheese. Once your pasta is drained and still hot, throw it back into your pot or saucepan because now it’s time to add a couple of new ingredients into the mix. Now is the time where you get to experiment with how much butter, cheese, and milk you prefer. I recommend beginning with adding each ingredient in small amounts—you can always add more, it’s a lot more difficult to fix over-added milk or cheese. Make sure that as you add and experiment with your ingredients that you are thoroughly stirring and mixing them all together, tasting as you go. Once your mac satisfies your taste requirements, toss it in a bowl and enjoy!
