Verily Table – Already Stocked

This recipe is so flexible—I happened to have plain Greek yogurt in my fridge when I made this, but mayo, Miracle Whip, sour cream, and maybe even hummus would probably all work great as well. I highly recommend adding a little bit of red pepper to give it a kick.

I was nervous that these would fall into the “healthy but ultimately unsatisfying” category, but they were surprisingly quite filling. The chickpeas were more “crisped” than fully crispy, but they were still great (and I’m not sure I’d bother to leave them in the oven longer in the interest of getting dinner on the table quickly).

Creamy and hearty, this pasta dish comes together quickly and makes enough for leftovers. I was a little skeptical about the combination of bacon, beans, and artichoke hearts mixed with pasta, but wow—it works! I doubled the Parmesan cheese (because why not?), which I definitely recommend doing. I used 1/4 an onion instead of a shallot, and dried parsley instead of fresh.
– Kellie Moore

Add some rice, freezer veggies, and a simple homemade sauce to chicken, and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal (and very few dishes). I didn’t have stir-fry veggies on-hand, so I used what was left of my frozen California-mix and traditional mixed veggies. I used brown rice, not jasmine rice, and since it has such a long cook time in comparison, I gave it a 15-minute head start in a separate pot. I recommend doubling the sauce!
– Kellie Moore

This recipe instructs you to make a “dredging station” for each salmon cake, wherein you dip it first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, but let me tell you: don’t bother. (They’ll totally fall apart in your hands, and everything will be a mess.) Much better just to add flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs to your salmon mixture (adding more breadcrumbs as needed until the mixture is able to be shaped into cakes), then form them and add to the pan. Sriracha is a good substitute for sambal oelek (add more for an extra kick).
– Laura Loker

Add ketchup, mustard, and diced pickles to browned ground beef, and you’ve got sloppy hamburgers. I’ve made the whole salad in this recipe (we featured it in this newsletter last year), and it was excellent, but I soon abandoned it after realizing how easy and delicious the meat mixture alone is (this recipe nails the ketchup-to-mustard ratio). Serve it on buns for a super quick “sloppy” version of a traditional burger.
– Laura Loker

We’ve been eating a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches, and recipes like this one help make them more interesting. Garlic, herbs, Dijon mustard, and extra cheeses are the additions this recipe suggests. Rather than following this recipe strictly, I see it as inspiration to get more creative with something basic.
– Kellie Moore

This recipe calls for pre-cooked chicken, and I kept it simple by using canned chicken. (I used two cans and increased the salsa to 1/2 cup.) If you don’t have salsa verde, regular salsa will do. We used smaller tortillas than the burrito-style ones suggested, and we had enough chicken to make 6-8 burritos. While the avocado adds a nice touch, these are also good without, as we discovered when we enjoyed the leftovers!

With few ingredients, most of which are shelf-stable, this is a handy recipe to have in your back pocket on days when the fridge is empty. Israeli couscous works as a replacement for the orzo, if you prefer (or if that’s all you have on hand). Also, note that the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid after it’s cooked, so leftovers may need a splash of water or tomato sauce before reheating to avoid dryness.