OK. So I'm gonna breakdown and buy an electric skillet today.

[Mr Mannn]

Just waiting for Merry Maids to show up and clean my place, then I'm off.

Target: Buy a skillet.
HyVee buy a pound of hamburger.

The mission, brown a pound of hamburger, and make hamburger helper.
Further I will brown several pounds and freeze them individually for use in my other recipes.

Now I did do this once before...20 years ago. So I know what I'm doing.

You'll laugh at me when I tell you I was first going to MaidRite buying a few sandwiches and scraping the hamburger off into my spaghetti sauce.
--Then I was paying gals at work $20 bucks for 3 pounds of hamburger already browned.
I was in heaven when I discovered freeze dried hamburger...

But now it come to this. I will cook my own...and actually CLEAN the skillet afterwards.

so apart from Hamburger Helper...what can you do with a pound of browned meat?
--and what else can you cook in a skillet? (yes. I asked that, but its not my fault. I blame the gals for not marrying me. Then I wouldn't ever have to cook or clean again. Alas. I must survive out here in the jungle without my Jane.)

[Eupher]

A pound of browned ground chuck and the contents of a jar of spaghetti sauce works okay, but that means ya gotta boil pasta of some type too. Might be too much to contemplate - a skillet AND a pot to clean. Scary....

[Mr Mannn]

spaghetti: six minutes in a disposable microwave container full of water. Let sit for 3 minutes. drain water. Pour sauce in and eat out of container. Throw container away when done.

ta da!  

Just don't do that with angel hair spaghetti.

[seahorse513]

Babes, you need a wife, or a gf. to help with meals, and other activities!

[Big Dog]

A tip for ya, buddy:

Unplug the skillet and remove the heating element (the part with the knob) before you wash the pan.

 

[Mr Mannn]

Babes, you need a wife, or a gf. to help with meals, and other activities!

and she could replace Merry Maids too!



Oh, another question. can I make bacon in a skillet? How long does it take?

[Mr Mannn]

[Big Dog]

and she could replace Merry Maids too!



Oh, another question. can I make bacon in a skillet? How long does it take?

Oh, yes.

Start with a cold skillet. Lay out strips of bacon side by side in the pan. Put the lid on the skillet, and open the little vent on the lid (if it has one).

Turn the heat to "medium".

After 15 minutes, remove the lid and turn over the bacon. Be careful, the grease may "pop" a little.

Leave the lid off, and cook the bacon 7-10 minutes more.

If you want meaty bacon, turn off the heat and remove the bacon from the pan.

If you want crisp bacon, carefully pour the bacon grease out of the pan (into a clean coffee can, if you want to cook with it later- otherwise, into a used can to go into the trash). Cook the bacon 5-7  minutes longer, until it reaches the amount of crispness that you like.

Welcome to Bacon World!

[seahorse513]

and she could replace Merry Maids too!



Oh, another question. can I make bacon in a skillet? How long does it take?

I am going to tell you a secret. When you meet the right woman, she will move heaven and earth for you...

When I was married, I gave my ex hubby, everything I had, too bad he ended up a scumbag!!

[Mr Mannn]

I am going to tell you a secret. When you meet the right woman, she will move heaven and earth for you...

When I was married, I gave my ex hubby, everything I had, too bad he ended up a scumbag!!

Its too late for me, but if I could talk a gal into marriage, I would probably spoil her rotten.

[thundley4]

If it's a deep enough electric frying pan, you can fry chicken in it.

[Dori]

Do you not have a stove?

You can braise meats in an electric skillet.  Get a chuck roast about an inch and a half thick ,brown on both sides on high/med high, then add water half way up, turn the heat on low and put the lid on.  Let cook about an hour, then add cut up potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.  Continue to cook with lid on low until the veggies are done.  Be sue to add liquid if necessary.  You can make a lot of things with the leftovers or separate and freeze them for future meals.

[Mr Mannn]

I have a hot plate I never used, and a Microwave. No stove.

I'm a little intimidated by cooking chicken. The worst food poisoning I ever had was from chicken.
Before I get all elaborate with this, I'll just start with eggs, bacon, and hamburger.

Please don't laugh, but what animal is a chuck roast from? I've cooked steak on a grill, fried up a fish I caught...but that's about it.

[Chris_]

Spend a few dollars on a thermometer from the grocery store... there are two or three here.  Check the meat closest to the bone.



I don't take risks with chicken or pork... always wear gloves, always use a thermometer.

Chuck roast is beef. 

[Mr Mannn]

Hi5. Thanks for not laughing.

[Chris_]

Do you have an oven in your apartment?  I have some simple recipes I can give you that you could use.

I don't do a lot of serious cooking anymore... I did enough of that when I was paid for it.  What gets me from one day to the next is easy, simple stuff that doesn't take any time to prepare and only minimal time to cook.

[Celtic Rose]

Tacos are easy to make with ground beef.  Just buy the packets of taco seasoning and follow the instructions (usually a cup of water added to browned beef).  Scoop onto tortilla and add whatever taco toppings you like. 

[seahorse513]

Do you have an oven in your apartment?  I have some simple recipes I can give you that you could use.

I don't do a lot of serious cooking anymore... I did enough of that when I was paid for it.  What gets me from one day to the next is easy, simple stuff that doesn't take any time to prepare and only minimal time to cook.

You two, are so goodlooking. I can't believe you don't have gf's

[seahorse513]

Do you have an oven in your apartment?  I have some simple recipes I can give you that you could use.

I don't do a lot of serious cooking anymore... I did enough of that when I was paid for it.  What gets me from one day to the next is easy, simple stuff that doesn't take any time to prepare and only minimal time to cook.

[Dori]

I have a hot plate I never used, and a Microwave. No stove.

I'm a little intimidated by cooking chicken. The worst food poisoning I ever had was from chicken.
Before I get all elaborate with this, I'll just start with eggs, bacon, and hamburger.

Please don't laugh, but what animal is a chuck roast from? I've cooked steak on a grill, fried up a fish I caught...but that's about it.

It's one of those meats that you braise.  Braising is just cooking the outer part of the meat to put some color on it and lock in some of it's own juices.  When you deglaze or add liquid to the braising pot, you create a lot of flavorful juices that add extra flavor to other things you add, like onions and potatoes.

You shouldn't worry about chicken.  As long as it's fresh and cooked properly.  I've been eating and cooking chicken at least twice a week since I've been alive and fed my family that way too.  No one, not once, has ever gotten sick from it. 

As far as salmonella and e-coli poisoning goes, you can get that from any meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and some fruits a vegetables.  Proper cooking or pickling will kill it.

 

You can do a lot with a hot plate, electric skillet, crock pot and microwave.  

You need a recipe book for bachelors who are not familiar with the kitchen.  Why don't you take a cooking class?  You seem to have a real interest in it.  That's half the battle.

Chuck is just a cut of beef.  Less expensive with a lot of flavor.  I use it for pot roasts, it's versatile and one of may favorites.  The meat when slow cooked and tender is great in soups, stews, tacos, chili, anything you want to use it in.
 

[Mr Mannn]

Hmmm. a book might be OK, but no classes please.

What about those crock pots that can cook all day. How long does a meal take?
I'm with Chris when it comes to a lot of prep work, I'm out. Meat and potatoes I'm OK with.

[Dori]

Hmmm. a book might be OK, but no classes please.

What about those crock pots that can cook all day. How long does a meal take?
I'm with Chris when it comes to a lot of prep work, I'm out. Meat and potatoes I'm OK with.

Crock pots are good for all kinds of things.  They usually come with their own menu ideas and there all kinds of ideas and recipes on the internet.  In fact, I hardly ever use a cook book anymore. I use the internet. For a crock pot, put everything in, set it and forget it.  Prep work is peeling vegetables.  Doesn't take five minutes and using fresh foods is a lot healthier and cheaper than buying processed.

[IassaFTots]

I am with Dori.  Get a crockpot as well.  Stew, roasts, soup, even spaghetti sauce! 

[thundley4]

Hmmm. a book might be OK, but no classes please.

What about those crock pots that can cook all day. How long does a meal take?
I'm with Chris when it comes to a lot of prep work, I'm out. Meat and potatoes I'm OK with.

Some if not most crock pots can double as a deep fryer also.

[Chris_]

Some if not most crock pots can double as a deep fryer also.

Never heard that one.  I don't know how comfortable I would be frying in a ceramic pot.  I wouldn't do any frying in a kitchen that didn't have an exhaust fan... you'll wind up with grease coating everything in the room.