Six quick and easy baked dishes you can make in under 20 minutes
Ground beef casserole. Picture: iStock
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These six delicious flavourful baked meals can be prepared for yourself and your loved ones in 20 minutes or less, and not only are they quick to prepare, but they are also easy to make and super tasty.
Ground beef casserole
Ground beef casserole. Picture: iStock
Ingredients
500g uncooked penne
1/2 medium onion, chopped
500g extra lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ cups marinara sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Method
Preheat your oven to 195°C and move the rack to the middle position. Grease a baking dish.
Boil a large, salted pot of water for the penne. Cook it for 10 minutes (it should be slightly underdone so it doesn’t get mushy).
Add the oil, beef and onion to a skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as you go along, for 10 minutes. Once it gets going, stir in the garlic. Spoon out excess fat if needed.
Stir in the marinara sauce and warm through. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Drain the pasta and pour it into the baking dish. Pour the beef mixture over the top and then toss until it’s combined with the pasta. Top with an even layer of the cheese. If you want it extra cheesy, you can stir in an additional half cup of cheese prior to topping it with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is nicely melted. You can then broil it for a few minutes (optional) to brown the cheese up a bit. Serve immediately.
Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin, smooth meat mallet or small frying pan to flatten the thick side of the chicken so that it is roughly an even thickness.
Place chicken breasts in a baking dish (or a larger one if you are using very large chicken breasts — you don’t want them smashed together or they will take longer to cook).
Combine ½ teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Drizzle chicken with oil and rub with seasoning (I just do the top, since the bottom will be sitting in sauce).
Whisk together cream, garlic, corn starch and salt until combined. Stir in sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and pour around the chicken in the baking dish (it shouldn’t cover the chicken completely, but it won’t hurt anything if it does).
Bake at 200°C for 16-20 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and stir spinach into sauce. Cover pan and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes while the spinach wilts.
Chop the vegetables and garlic from the roasting kit into 2cm pieces. (Reserve rosemary for another use.) Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the vegetable mixture and chickpeas and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.
Add the korma sauce and 1/2 cup (125ml) water to the vegetable mixture in the pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Uncover. Cook, stirring for a further 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens slightly.
Meanwhile, cook the rice following packet directions.
Divide the rice and vegetable mixture among serving bowls. Sprinkle with coriander to serve.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper.
Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down. Brush the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle it with the prepared spice mixture, spreading it around until completely coated.
Bake salmon in the oven, on the center rack for 13-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon. Salmon is done when the center easily flakes with a fork, but still has a good amount of gloss to it. Take care to not over cook.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground meat, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, egg, cheese, and breadcrumbs. Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing with your hands until everything is just combined. Don’t over mix here or it’ll make the meatballs tough. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.
Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop about one tablespoon of meat into your palms and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked though.
While the meatballs bake, make your marinara.
For the marinara sauce
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Heat oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for one minute, or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Add in the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and seasoning and stir well to combine. Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
When the meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce, stir to coat, and serve!
