Cooking is one of those skills that you just have to learn by doing. Yes, you will mess up some things, but you will also learn as you go and you will have a skill that will serve you well for the rest of your life.
Here are two good recipes for beginners that are easy to make.
Homemade Mac and Cheese
This recipe can be doubled or even tripled.
1 and ½ cups dry elbow macaroni noodles
2 tablespoons flour – plain or self-rising
2 tablespoons butter – use stick butter, not soft and not margarine
1 cup milk – whole milk usually works best in cooking
2 cups shredded American cheese – you can also use part American and part Cheddar
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
The more noodles you cook, the more water you will need in the pot. For the 1 and ½ cups, use at least 2 quarts of water. Add in 1 teaspoon of salt to every 2 quarts of water. The salt will add good flavor to your noodles. Bring this to a rolling boil BEFORE you add in your noodles. Once the salted water is boiling, stir in the noodles and boil uncovered, stirring occasionally to keep them from sticking. Boil your noodles until they are tender. You will have to remove one and taste it every 5 minutes – once they are cooked to your liking – drain them and set them aside.
In a large pot, melt the butter then add in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook while stirring the entire time until this mixture is bubbling, then add in the milk. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens – then add in your cheese. Turn off the heat and add in your cooked noodles. You can serve it just like this, or you can put it into a greased casserole dish, add breadcrumbs (and more cheese if you like) and bake it in a 400 degree oven until the top is browned.
Smothered Meats
This makes its own gravy that can be served over rice or potatoes.
6- 8 pieces of tenderized round steaks (also called minute steaks)
OR
6-8 pork chops or pork steaks
OR
4 chicken leg quarters
OR
4-6 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
½ cup water
1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder – if you like garlic – leave it out if you don’t
Place the meat into a greased baking dish that has a lid. Mix the soup, water, Worcestershire and the garlic together in a bowl. Pour this mixture over the meats. Place the cover on the dish and bake in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour.
