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These quick chicken recipes will help you get a quick and delicious meal on the table without spending hours in the kitchen.

Chicken can be used in complex and simple recipes. Here are some easy ideas to using chicken in a simple, budget effective way that remains mouth watering. The portions of chicken and side ingredients you use are modifiable to fit your dining needs.

Ingredients: 4 Chicken breasts, 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, and 1 bag of vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 400. In a baking dish single file lay out your chicken. Pour the mushroom soup over it. Heat in oven for 50 minutes. Pull out and add cheddar cheese to the top and put back in oven until cheese is melted. Microwave some canned or frozen veggies. Pull out chicken. And dinner is served.

Ingredients: 1 lb Spaghetti, 4 Chicken breasts, a can or jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400. In a baking dish single file lay out your chicken. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken. Heat in the oven for 50 minutes. The last ten minutes get your water ready to boil and cook your noodles. Pull chicken out and add the mozzarella to the top and put back in the oven until cheese is melted. Drain your noodles. Arrange plates with noodles then chicken over them and the excess sauce in pan can be used.

Ingredients: 1 cup of butter, 4 potato’s, 4 chicken breasts, 2 tbsps lemon pepper (use more or less depending upon taste), 1/2 cup onion

This is another way to use the chicken in the oven. This leaves a zesty taste that even the pickiest eater can’t resist. Preheat your oven to 400. Peel and wash your potatoes. Slice them and layer in bottom of casserole dish. Then lay the chicken over them. Melt approximately 1.5 cups of butter in a microwave. Pour over your chicken and potatos. Add sliced or diced onion to the pan. Sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper. Cover the chicken and the potatoes. Bake for one hour. Then serve.

Ingredients: 2 chicken thighs, 3 cups of rice, bag of frozen vegetables, 2 tbsps soy sauce, 2 eggs

Brown your chicken in a skillet. Go ahead and prepare your rice according to package directions. Add the cooked rice to the skillet. Next crack your eggs and add about two to three eggs to the mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring around. Add your frozen vegetables and soy sauce as you cook. When the vegetables are heated, and the eggs are done, turn off heat and move to a cool surface. Enjoy this quick and easy version of chicken fried rice.

Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts, small bottle of Italian dressing, 4 potatos, 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup of onion

Marinate your chicken in Italian dressing for one hour, longer will not hurt the flavor. Prepare your grill. Peel and slice your potatoes. Butter one side of aluminum foil. Put the potatoes in the foil and add diced onions. Wrap the bundle of potatos and onion tightly and secure the package. Put them on the grill for one hour, turning once in middle of cook time. On the last twenty minutes of cook time pull out your chicken. Throw it on the grill and enjoy an easy, simple meal.

Ingredients: chicken (whole fryer works best), 1 cup onion, 1 lb egg noodles, 2 tbsps sage, 5 chicken bouillon cubes

Boil your chicken until it is done. Feel free to sprinkle some sage and seasonings over the chicken while boiling. Save the broth from the boiling. Set chicken aside to cool. Add your egg noodles and diced onion to the broth. De-skin the cooled chicken and throw the skin away. Pick the meat off the bones and add to the broth. Add more sage and chicken bouillon cubes to taste. Serve an easy, delicious chicken noodle soup.

Chicken is an easy dish to experiment with. Use any one of these fast and easy variations of the meat or come up with a unique combination. These ideas all started with a grocery budget and a mom who was in a hurry to come up with an easy dinner. Quickly they became family favorites.

Are you looking to add fresh herbs to your cooking? Here are some of the most common garden herbs and how to use them!

Herb gardens can be small, or large, grown either in a patch of earth, or on a sunny window sill. Whether you choose to have a few plants on your kitchen shelf, or many plants in your giant backyard, you will find that herb gardening is both pleasurable and rewarding.

All of the plants listed here are considered perennial. If planting outdoors you may want to cover them in fall, in colder climates, to ensure their return next spring.

Chives are one of the best loved herbs. They are raised for their hardiness, and ease of care. They offer lovely blooms in the spring and summer, and add a touch of flare regardless of whether you use their pungent leaves or edible flowers to enhance your cooking.

Parsley is an easy to grow herb, that comes in many varieties. Parsley can add a lovely texture to the earth garden, or can be grown indoors for a decorative, and productive display piece. It is a common herb used in a variety of dishes, from Italian to down home American cooking. Parsley is used both dried and fresh, however it’s flavor and eye-appeal is generally at it’s best when the plant is used fresh.

Oregano is also a nice addition for the herb garden. It will grow in almost any climate, and is useful in the kitchen as well. While chives and parsley are herbs that are generally used fresh, Oregon can be dried, and added to your favorite recipes, long after the garden has been covered over for the winter.

Rosemary is a lovely, fragrant plant. Though not used as often in the kitchen as some of the other herbs mentioned, it does add an intriguing flavor to many Italian dishes. Rosemary is easy to grow, does well in pots and planters, and will bloom if left uncut in the summer.

Sage, used in stuffing, with chicken and pork, and even occasionally in pasta or pesto. This plant is also easy to grow, and will provide you with plenty of “produce” when grown either indoors or out.

The best location you can use for your herb garden is one that gets the majority of sunlight throughout the day. Herb gardeners grown just outside the kitchen door are convenient, if you plan to cut your herbs just prior to cooking with them. Herbs grown in pots in the kitchen are also convenient when cooking, and they lend a cheery, homey atmosphere to your decor as well.

Trying to save money on your food budget? Check out these tips for cooking a week’s worth of meals on a tight budget!

Cooking has become a dying art for parts of our communities and for a variety of reasons. Busy schedules and other life style issues have placed constraints on our time and it often becomes easier to simply buy fast food or dine out.

For others, cooking has very much become a challenge. This is especially true if you have a family. Higher food costs, fuel costs, mortgage payments etc have stretched our budgets to the breaking point.

So what to do? As parents and cooks, we all want to have our families eating healthy and of course, we still want to provide that occasional sweet treat for a job well done at school or simply out of love.

The first, and most important, is to shop smart. When you can, buy in bulk as this generally offers a greater savings. Avoid getting caught up in the “sale wars”. Store coupons most certainly save you money, but always consider before hand if you are really going to be saving money if you have to drive from store A to B to C to use these coupons. Another thing to keep in mind is the generic food line. This I have found to be mostly a trial and error affair. There are some really good generic products and then there are some that just don’t cut the mustard if you will.

Before you go shopping, take a moment and really look at what you are shopping for. Menu planning can save you money without you even knowing. Stores are set up for impulse sales and it is easy to grab that little extra item. Having a weekly menu along with a shopping list will help you avoid these pitfalls.

Secondly, be creative. A good imagination and a little love can lead you to some very affordable and delicious meals. One of the most useful products I buy for home is cream of celery soup or cream of mushroom either as a box mix or in a can. These serve as the base for casseroles, potato bake, scalloped potatoes and much, much more.

A simple hot dish using cream of mushroom soup would include a pound of ground beef, a diced small onion, mixed vegetable, (I prefer using frozen) and your favorite cooked noodles. In a skillet brown off the ground beef with the diced onion, drain well. Add the soup and dilute as directed, add your mixed vegetables and gently simmer until the vegetables are tender. Finally add your cooked noodles and heat through. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Simple, tasty and a good way to stretch your food dollar.

Cream of celery soup makes an excellent potato and vegetable bake. To add a little extra touch, try adding shredded cheddar cheese. Over all though, I think my favorite use of cream of celery soup is for making scalloped potatoes. This recipe makes a lot and is ideal for a large family.

Scalloped Potatoes:

3 to 4 pounds of peeled and slice potatoes.
1 small onion, diced
1 can cream of celery soup + can of water
1 can evaporated milk
1 ham steak, cut into cubes
4-6 strips of bacon
Salt and pepper
Flour

In a deep baking dish, place a layer of potatoes, ham and chopped onion, sprinkle with flour, lightly salt and pepper. Continue this until layering until you have used all of the sliced potatoes. Pour cream of celery soup, evaporated milk and water over the top of your potatoes. Don’t worry about stirring, it will all come together as it cooks. Top this with the bacon strips. Cover and bake on cookie pan (this is just a precaution in case the potatoes boil over in the oven) until potatoes are tender. Remove lid and let the bacon brown up a bit.

Another simple and delicious meal would use two cans cream of chicken soup, left over chicken, de-boned and cut into cubes. Your favorite style of rice prepared as directed and a light and fluffy dumpling recipe. Simply prepare the soup as directed, add the cubed chicken. Bring to a gentle boil. Drop your dumplings by the spoonful into the soup, cooking as directed until done. Serve along with your favorite vegetable on the side if you wish.

Well, that is all for me today. Remember, don’t be afraid to use your imagination or combinations that one might not normally associate with a certain recipe.

Want to fry eggs like a pro? Check out our guide on how to fry eggs perfectly, every time.

Arm yourself with a spatula, a teaspoon and a knife or fork with which to break the egg’s shell. For each egg, melt ½ a teaspoon of butter in a skillet or frying pan over a moderate (Medium-Low) heat. Tilt the pan and move it in a circular motion to coat the bottom of the pan. When the butter froths and is just starting to brown, the pan is hot enough for the egg.

Break each egg individually onto a saucer and then slide it carefully onto a greased section of the pan. This enables you to check for any eggs that may be ‘off’ and to remove any small piece of shell that may fall in with the egg.

When the bottom has set, tilt the pan and spoon the fat with teaspoon onto the top surface of the egg to assist the cooking process (eggs ‘sunny side up’) or flip the egg over by scooping it onto the spatula and then gently inverting it (‘eggs over easy’).

Cooking for Beginners- Notes on How to Fry Eggs

If the pan is too hot, the eggs will be crispy at the edges and leathery underneath. Using butter enables you to keep better control over the pan’s temperature because the pan is ready when the butter has melted completely and is just starting to brown.

As when making an omelet, if you want to avoid the additional cholesterol in butter, you can also use at least a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil instead of butter. In this case, use the water test: if a drop of water sizzles immediately it touches the surface of the pan, then the pan is at the correct heat.

If the pan starts to smoke, it is too hot for eggs: take the pan off the heat for a moment to let it cool down. Turn down the heat. Add your egg and then return the pan to the heat.

Serving Suggestions for Fried Eggs

Serve with French fries (from the microwave), or as part of a breakfast with toast, sausage, bacon and fried bread or as ham & eggs. Place a fried egg on top of simple suppers on toast, such as baked beans (pork & beans) on toast or melted cheese on toast. Fried eggs also form the basis of ranch-style dishes such as Ranch Eggs and Divorced Eggs (see below).

Simple Egg Recipes- Fried Bread

This is an ideal way to clean up the residue left in the pan after frying eggs and other breakfast items.

Heat a little extra oil in the pan and lay a slice of slightly stale bread in the pan. Fry until golden underneath and then turn the slice over and brown the other side. Sprinkle garlic powder on the top side of the slice before introducing it into the pan for garlic fried bread. You can also dip the slice in a mixture of beaten egg, ground cinnamon and milk before frying it and serve it with a topping of maple syrup for quick French toast.

Thick slices of bread with the crusts removed and then cut into cubes, sprinkled with garlic powder and herbs and fried in oil or butter make excellent croutons for salads or soups. Place the croutons in a bowl and sprinkle them with Parmesan while still hot for even more flavor.

Cooking for Beginners- Ranch Eggs

This is a dish that originated on the open range and consists of fried eggs laid on a fried tortilla spread with salsa and bacon rashers and topped with more salsa.

Simple Egg Recipes- Divorced Eggs

This dish is similar to Ranch Eggs but consists instead of two fried eggs on fried tortillas, one topped with red salsa and the other with green salsa. A space is left between the two eggs and filled with home-fried potatoes or refried beans for an authentic Mexican flavor. Sprinkle liberally with tortilla chips.

Scrambled eggs can be substituted for the fried eggs and toast can be substituted for the tortillas in both these recipes.

Follow these tips and discover how easy it is to cook steaks over an open flame. Let’s get grilling!

Rib Eye is not the tenderest cut of steak, but Rib Eye has a lot of flavor. Filet Mignon for example is a much more tender cut of meat but Rib Eye has it beat hands down in flavor. Look for steaks with a little fat marbling; much of the flavor comes from the fat. A good cut of meat and a quality steak doesn’t need much seasoning, a little fresh ground pepper is all that’s needed, too much seasoning takes away the natural flavoring of a good steak.

Preparation

Before you put the steaks on the grill, take them out of the refrigerator and let the steaks reach room temperature. Trim any excess fat in excess of ¼ inch. To prevent your steak from curling, make a cut in the fat about every inch or so. Rub steaks lightly with olive oil and sprinkle steaks with fresh pepper. Oil the grill and set a gas grill on high. For a charcoal grill add single layer of dense charcoal until ash is white.

Grilling

Place your steaks on hot grill using direct heat. For cross hatch grill marks on a steak, cook the steak for about 2 minutes, then turn the steaks 90 degrees. To ensure a juicy steak, flip the steaks only once turning cooking. Flipping the steaks more than once can dry out a good steak. Always use tongs to flip your steaks, never puncture them with a fork to turn and remove them. Watch for flare-ups and move the steaks to a cooler part of the grill if necessary.

Cooking Time

Cooking times can vary depending on external conditions like wind, ambient temperature and so on. Of course the biggest factor is the thickness of the steaks. If it’s an exceptionally thick cut of steak, partially cook the steak using indirect heat. But always sear both sides of the steak to lock in the juices first.

One method of testing a steak’s doneness is by pressing the steaks with tongs. A rare steak will be soft; medium slightly firm and well done will be firm. Another method of testing steaks doneness is to use a cooking thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to get an accurate reading. The cooking times below are an approximation of cooking times. Remember there are a lot of factors involved in cooking times.

 Rare - 1" thick 8-10 minutes, 1 1/2" thick 10-14 minutes, 2" thick 12-16 minutes
 Medium - 1" thick 12-14 minutes, 1 1/2" thick 16-20 minutes, 2" thick 22-26 minutes
 Well - 1' thick 16-20 minutes, 1 1/2' thick 22-26 minutes, 2" thick 24-28 minutes

Let the steaks sit for about 5 minutes before serving; this allows the juices to distribute evenly throughout the meat. A good microbrew paring with a great steak is a pale ale with a bit of a hops bite to enhance the flavor of the steak.

Follow these tips to make the perfect burger every time. From choosing the right meat to seasoning it just right, we’ll show you how to do it like a pro!

The perfect burger is hearty, succulent, and juicy. The meat literally melts in your mouth, and the condiments aren’t overpowering. The perfect burger makes a name for itself. However, not many people know how to make their own perfect burger. Most just go outside in search for it, when in fact making the perfect burger at home isn’t as difficult as it seems. In fact, it’s both fun and rewarding.

The perfect burger obviously starts with the type of meat you use. Whether it’s a turkey burger, a pork burger, a chicken burger, or a beef burger, you should choose meat that isn’t too lean.

I prefer using beef that is about 70% lean. Anything that is leaner than that percentage is too lean, and almost always results in a dry burger. Although you can definitely use ground turkey or pork to make your burgers, ground beef has that classic flavor that I personally think the “perfect burger” should have. Also, ground turkey can sometimes be too dry, and ground pork can sometimes be too fatty. A good ratio of leanness in beef ensures that your burger will be up to par.

Although you can add various amounts of spices to your ground meat, you should take care not to over spice it. What you want to do with the burger is to put the meat on a pedestal; therefore, there should not be too many things that mask the natural taste of the beef. This consideration includes too many spices; stick with the basic spices, such as ground garlic or onion and the occasional dried herbs to bring out the natural meaty flavor of the beef. However, use them in moderation.

Some burgers are grilled and they are called “perfect,” while others are done on the stovetop or even in the oven. Each method, of course, adds a distinctive flavor to the beef that is unique to the type of burger you want to create. If you want to make a Southwestern flavored burger, it makes sense to grill the beef.

If you want to make a classic burger, you can definitely cook the meat on the stovetop using just a frying pan and a bit of oil. However way you choose to do it is up to you, and again, each method is done specifically for a certain kind of burger. That said, I can’t say which one I prefer. With each method, however, you want to avoid overcooking or undercooking the meat.

Most people fail in making great burgers because they don’t know when to stop cooking the burger. Some people “flash cook” their burgers and the result is a burger that is burnt on the outside and uncooked in the inside. Prevent that by giving your burger time to cook. Also, take care that you don’t press down on the burger as it cooks. This releases the meat’s valuable juices.

The bun is also a vital part of the burger. Choose buns that are right for you; some people like them without the sesame seeds, while others like to use specialty buns. Vegetables and condiments are all relative, but again, you don’t want to add anything that will mask the flavor of the beef (or whatever is the “star” in your burger). Let the beef’s natural flavor shine through and you’ll end up with a burger that’s hard to put down.

Love cooking over an open fire? Here are some recipes for vegetable side dishes that will make your next camping trip even more delicious!

Tired of the same old boring grilled burgers and steaks? Here are some veggie side dish ideas to help campers enhance the evening meal.

Camping is all about the enjoying the great outdoors and life under the stars. So why should the evening meal be boring? Sure it’s easy to throw a steak on the grill and call it dinner. But with a little forethought, campers can bring a little more excitement to their campground fire pit with some grilled vegetable recipes.

Basic Tips about Veggies and Camping

Refrigerator items such as vegetables can spoil quickly in the great outdoors even when kept in a cooler, so it is important to plan accordingly. A weekend camping trip is generally no problem; however, campers who want to enjoy paradise for a longer period of time should plan on restocking at a local market.

Do as much of the prep work at home as possible to make meal time in camp go faster and smoother. Plus campers need to be sure to bring their own fire grate or grill in case there is none at the campgrounds. And here’s a tip from food guru Guy Fieri: cross-utilize groceries. That means bacon fat from breakfast can be reused to fry potatoes for dinner.

Campfire Veggie Side Dishes

As most backyard barbecue cooks know, grills are not just for meat. There are plenty of veggie side dishes that campers can include in their meals, like grilled zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes or baked potatoes, just to name a few. And, of course, don’t forget corn on the cob. However, why not spice it up a bit with a little seasoned butter?

Seasoned Butter Recipe

 1 t. chili powder
 1/8 t. dried oregano
 1 pinch of onion power, cayenne pepper and garlic powder
 Salt and pepper to taste
 ½ cup softened butter

Mix all the ingredients in advance and store in air tight container (just don’t mix this up with plain butter and spread it on the morning toast!) At camp, prepare six ears of corn by carefully pulling back husk, removing as much silk as possible and rewrapping in husk. Soak in water 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, dry and spread corn with seasoned butter. Tie closed with string or husk strips. Grill until tender, about 20 minutes.

And speaking of spicing things up, here’s a recipe for spicy grilled sweet potatoes that does just that.

Grilled Spicy Sweet Potatoes for Four

 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
 1 cup red onion, minced
 1/3 cup olive oil
 2 T. catsup
 2 t. chili powder
 2 t. salt
 1 t. pepper

Mix all ingredients except the potatoes in a re-sealable container. At the campsite, prepare the potatoes then mix into marinade. Pour onto four separate sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil (regular foil tends to tear) and seal into tight little packets. Place on grill (350 to 400 degrees). Watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Cook until tender, about 25 minutes.

Another way for campers to get their veggies is to skewer them and then roast them on the grill. For this veggie side dish, chop one each of zucchini, yellow squash, red and/or green pepper and red onion chunks plus about a cup of mushrooms. In a separate air-tight container combine sweet and sour marinade.

Sweet and Sour Marinade

 ½ c. cider vinegar
 1/3 c. sugar
 1/3 c. vegetable oil
 Salt and pepper to taste

At campsite combine veggies and marinade a few hours before grilling. Vegetables that marinate too long can become mushy or rubbery. Grill until cooked to desired tenderness.

For a little extra twist, grill veggies using the spicy sweet potato marinade or just a bit of salt and pepper then toss into a grilled flour tortilla with a bit of the evening’s protein and/or maybe some campfire beans. Now that’s fine eating!

Campfire cooking is all about keeping it interesting. And making veggie side dishes on campground fire pits is just about mixing it up and doing as much prep work as possible in advance.

This easy guide will show you how to cook a whole chicken in your crock pot for a delicious and hassle-free meal.

Whether you’re away from home all day, or your office is your home, there’s nothing quite like having dinner ready for you at the end of the day. This slow cooker chicken in wine has minimal ingredients, meaning it’s easy to toss together in the morning, but is big on flavor. You can cook the whole chicken this way, braising in the Crock Pot, or substitute cut up chicken pieces if you prefer. Either way, your house will smell delicious and you will feel pampered not having to cook at dinnertime.

Chicken

The great thing about cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker is cutting it up once it’s cooked is a breeze. It will practically fall apart without much help from the knife. After dinner, you can use the whole carcass to make a soup. But if you’d rather not mess with whole chicken, pieces work great too. Either way, you can remove the skin first to keep fat to a minimum. The skin does help keep things moist and flavorful, though, so consider keeping it on if fat is not a big concern. You can also leave the skin just on the breast and cook it breast side up, keeping a crispy skin with moist meat, and letting the remaining portion of the chicken cook without skin in the wine.

A Complete Meal

If you want the entire dinner cooked in the Crock Pot, feel free to add vegetables to the bottom of the pot. They’ll be well seasoned in the liquid there, but if you put vegetables in at the beginning of the cooking time and let them go all day, they will be very soft. If crisp vegetables are your preference, cook them separately at the end. A cold salad, warm rolls and the rest of the wine would make a great dinner.

Leftovers

Whatever is left from the chicken should be removed from the carcass right after dinner. It doesn’t have to be pretty. Just slice off big chunks of it and store in a well-sealed container. As this chicken will be very moist, it’s best to remove the meat from everything, even the legs, and store all of the boneless meat together. You can use it for sandwiches, chicken salad, soup, fajitas, quiche or anything else you’d like a little protein in.

Slow Cooker Chicken in Wine Recipe

Ingredients:

 1 whole chicken
 Salt and pepper
 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
 2 cups white wine

Directions:

1. Remove skin from chicken if you’re cooking without it, or leave it on the breast portion as mentioned above.
2. Remove giblets from chicken, rinse well and pat dry. Season liberally inside and out with salt, pepper and tarragon.
3. Pour wine into slow cooker, then add chicken.
4. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours. Makes about 4 servings.

Find out how to make various meals with canned tuna–from appetizers to pasta and more. You’ll be surprised at just how delicious, and economical tuna can be!

Most pantries in the U.S. have at least one can of tuna in it. Others have more than one. Those of us who’ve been through a disaster stockpile foods of this nature as part of our survival kit. The problem is finding different ways of preparing them.

Old Favorites

Tuna noodle casserole is one of my more favorite uses for this product. It can be made two ways. The fastest and easiest is to mix the tuna with a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs on top and toss it in the oven. I have to say that no one in my family much likes that version.

My version is a little more time consuming. Here is my version:

Mince half an onion and dice five or six mushrooms. Next, make a roux by melting a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of olive oil. When it’s melted, add two tablespoons of flour. Whisk for at least one minute. Add two cups of milk, whisking as it’s poured. Throw in the onions and mushrooms and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Add a cup of cheese (we prefer mozzarella), stir till it’s melted and then add the tuna. Top with more cheese and breadcrumbs (optional) and bake until set.

Tuna cakes are another easy to prepare food, and can be made even if a disaster is the reason for the tuna. Put the tuna into a bowl, add about a third of a cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, an egg and three tablespoons of minced onion. Form this into patties and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Fry until golden on both sides.

Tuna salad is probably the most common use for this product. The basic recipe is to mix tuna with mayo and sweet pickle relish. Diced onion is also added at times.

Newer Ideas

These recipes taste best if top quality tuna is used. In fact, all tuna recipes seem to taste better, but it is on the expensive side. These can be made, at least to a certain degree, after a disaster.

Fish Tacos: This is the simplest recipe of all. Put tuna into a taco shell, add salsa (if desired), lettuce, tomato and cheese. Guacamole or avocado can also be used.

Pasta Salad: Add tuna to any standard pasta salad recipe. It can even go into the boxed salads in the grocery store.

Stuffed tomatoes: The stuffing for this is the tuna salad mentioned above. To prepare the dish, cut the top off of three or four vine ripened tomatoes. Remove the core and any seeds that come up. Spoon the tuna salad into the tomatoes and serve.

Tuna may be a common pantry item, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Experimenting with different applications could help no matter why you want to use this fish.