Not experienced at cooking and want to start cooking more for my family!!

Liz - posted on 12/22/2011

I think one pot/pan meals like soups and stews or casseroles are easiest when you're just starting out.



There are loads of recipes on the Web -- when you google, add "easy" (like "easy beef stew") to get the most basic recipe, with fewer ingredients. Then when you get experienced with it, you can start adding things and experimenting.



Soups and stews cooking on simmer for hours are hard to burn too. :)



I find myself making a lot of them because I have a 15mo son, and it's easy to burn things when you have a little one demanding your attention.

Jaz - posted on 12/10/2011

My best advice is to start off with simple recipes, Betty Crocker had to start somewhere!! I started off learning with pasta, rice, and even soups. The key is to feel comfortable with the recipe, if you feel that it is too complex or that it may take too long, than move on to something simpler. Once you start to gain confidence, it will come natural to you, I promise!

Chris - posted on 12/05/2011

I also love the cooking class idea. A great bargain route for that would be a Pampered Chef party. It's a great way to learn one specific recipe, cooking tips and get together with friends.

Chris - posted on 12/05/2011

Don't be afraid, laugh at your mistakes and keep peanut butter and jelly on hand!

Sarah - posted on 11/21/2011

My favorite chicken crock pot recipe. Tastes like a rotisserie chicken, but more tender! If you only use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut the cook time down to 3 hours on hi. Enjoy!



INGREDIENTS:

1 Whole Chicken, skinned (4-5 pounds

2 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Onion Powder

½ tsp Dried Thyme

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

½ tsp Black Pepper

Pinch of Chili Pepper

4 Whole Garlic Cloves, optional

1 Yellow Onion, quartered (optional

DIRECTIONS:

Skin the chicken and get rid of the neck and other stuff from the cavity.



In a bowl, combine all of dried spices. Rub the spice mixture all over the bird, inside and out. Plop the bird breast-side down into the slow cooker.



If desired, shove 4 whole garlic cloves and a quartered onion inside the bird.



Do not add water.



Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8. The meat is done when it is fully cooked and has reached desired tenderness. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat.

Bridget - posted on 06/15/2011

I could barely cook at all when I met my husband. Once we had our daughter (20 months) I started cooking- we changed or diet and cut out a lot of processed foods. Now we have a 2 month old also and I try to find the time to cook 4-5x a week. The things I found the easiest were meatloafs- I tried all different kinds, cheesburger, italian, plain etc. Honestly they are hard to mess up, which is perfect for me because Im no distracted lately I dont always do recipes as they should be done! Also making chicken soup from scratch is super easy, and again, difficult to mess up. I make the chicken stock using the left over chicken carcas from a rotisserie chicken, and usually use the meat from a rotisserie chicken for the soup, it adds extra flavor and is delicious. Also, as someone else said, the crock pot is amazing. I make a pot roast that has been a huge favorite around my house and it is really easy. I take a roast and sear the sides, then put it in the pot with some onionsf, cream of mushroom soup, a little bit of Worschester sauce and either a can of water or a can of chicken broth. I set it for 8 hours and the meat ends up so tender and delicious.

Vicki-Lou - posted on 06/14/2011

The crockpot is your friend, especially if you are busy chasing after a 20 month old!
Just the other day, I made a really easy stew/goulash that emptied out my cupboards.
16-ounces vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
1 yukon gold potato, cubed
1 red potato, cubed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots
1 2.25 ounce can of sliced black olives
1.5 lbs (roughly) cubed beef (find it by the ground beef, usually)
2 cups egg noodles.
Dump all into the pot. Add some water just to cover it all. Cook for 7-8 hours on low, I think (working from the top of my head, here). Play with the recipes. Add seasonings and vegetables if you'd like, take away anything else. My husband loved this stew, and my 1-year ate the potatoes like a champ.

Suzette - posted on 06/12/2011

If you have an ipod get the recipe spinner app, its the best it has alot of different recipes for pretty much everyhing...even a slowcooker. you could also try campbells soup website, kraft canada website, and foodnetwork website for simple recipes.
good luck

Tyrae - posted on 06/12/2011

I would take a basic cooking class if you can! It would teach you all the nice basics and help you get your confidence going. Also, inside of some cookbooks you can find the basics, it walks you through everything, and if you follow recipes in the cookbook as much as possible it works out pretty good. I've gotten good enough that I can start adding in stuff or taking out things to make it taste different, or even jsut throwing a whole bunch of stuff together and make a really good meal. :)

Mimi - posted on 06/12/2011

Put a roast in the crock pot for 6 hours on low. Season it with worchestire and season all, not alot. After its cooked shred it and mix it with bbq sauce and 1 tbsp white vinegar. You can eat it on buns or wrapped in a tortilla. I usually serve it with pasta salad or coleslaw.

Elle - posted on 06/10/2011

First time I got married, I had no idea how to cook either. So I learned slowly by browsing the internet and tried the simple recipes. Go to www.allrecipes.com they have tons of recipes and easy to follow. Sign up for the membership (it's FREE) and you can start cook from there ! Good luck :)

Christine - posted on 06/09/2011

Buy a cook book, whether its Betty Crocker, Rachel Ray, Home and Gardens, Cooking for Dummies, or Paula Dean just having a book to look at that has pictures, and list substitutions will boost your confidance. Start with small meals, meat loaf, cheesy chicken and rice, Nice one pan meals and then branch off to larger more indepth meals. If you own a crockpot, you can make the best meals in one. What are some of your families favorite foods? list them on here and we can help with some great recipes!

Tasha - posted on 06/09/2011

Ive always loved cooking, but i have really gotten pretty good at it, and baking in the last year and i credit a couple things, watching the cooking channel to get ideas, and dont be afraid to experiment and mess it up! Some of my best ideas have come after i tried something, ruined it, then tweaked it and tried again. The food networks website is also full of ideas and videos to help you.