When I was growing up, dinner was often a formula. One part chicken, one part rice/potato/pasta side dish and one part frozen veg (usually green beans, or a mixed vegetable medley of some sort).
Didn't a lot of us grow up that way in the Midwest? I feel like my family was not unique in this method of meal planning.
When it comes to deciding what's for dinner, I tend to revert back into that plain protein/carb/vegetable trap. That's why I've always kind of loved cookbooks, magazines, etc. that give full meal ideas — side dishes and all.
I've been cooking my way lately through Cooking Light's Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook. I checked it out of library in hopes I could shake things up a bit.
I have always looked forward to the dinner tonight series in the magazine because I loved the accompanying side dish recipes.
Tonight's dinner was ham and cheese stuffed potatoes, which essentially came from that book. It was quick and tasty.
I have been really tired all day and a quick to assemble dinner was a relief! Plus, it featured this new find from Aldi:
Swiss cheese!
The original recipe called for gruyere, but swiss cheese makes a more than OK substitute. My only complaint was that the potatoes got a little overcooked in the microwave.
It might be worth baking them in the oven the day before. That might take just a little too much planning, though.
And the reason you only see one little potato half on the plate? I ate the first half before I could even plate my dinner and photograph it. :)
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