Suggestions? My oven is dead, and I have two dinners planned.

[MaryIsobel]

That pretty much says it all. Our Cuisinart induction top/electric oven died a couple of days. The cooktop still works but as we have already spent over 1000.00 Cdn on a new motherboard for this stove, we are going to replace it with a Samsung from Costco as we plan to move within the next couple of years. We'll get the new one sometime on or after December 15th. Thing is, I have two dinners with friends planned between now and then. One is a single guy, late 60's, very plebian tastes, does not care for pasta or anything "fancy." My plan for that dinner was roast chicken and roast potatoes. That won't be happening. The second dinner is with friends and I had already planned to make Ciopinno as they love seafood. I had planned on baking baguettes to have with it, but I can get those from a bakery. Hit me with some of your favourite stove-top only kind of meat and potato dishes. I thought of beef stew but we had that only a few days ago, same with chicken and dumplings (and honestly I don't know if said friend would consider dumplings too "out there.")

[blue_dolphin]

Steak and mashed potatoes

Fried chicken and mashed potatoes

Pork chops with apples & onions

 

Is mac & cheese considered to be "pasta or anything fancy"?

Edited December 10, 2023 by blue_dolphin (log)

[MaryIsobel]

Steak and mashed potatoes sounds like the answer - thank you. This friend is a lovely fellow who would do anything for anyone but so picky about food. We sometimes camp in a group with him so I often invite him for dinner as he's the only single guy in the group. Once I was making bacon and eggs and hashbrowns for dinner and invited him, telling him what was on the menu. He said "thanks, but I don't think I'd like eggs at night - I only eat them in the morning!"

[Shelby]

Beef stroganoff first popped in my mind--you could serve that over mashed potatoes...but he might deem that too fancy.

[FauxPas]

Similar to @blue_dolphin's suggestion, I've done cubed steak and potatoes in a skillet before. Here's a recipe, though I don't know if you need one and this one seems a bit fussy. I sometimes just use a bit of Hy's seasoning mix for the meat. But the garlic butter addition might be nice. 

 

https://carlsbadcravings.com/steak-and-potatoes/#wprm-recipe-container-33664

 

 

[chromedome]

14 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

Once I was making bacon and eggs and hashbrowns for dinner and invited him, telling him what was on the menu. He said "thanks, but I don't think I'd like eggs at night - I only eat them in the morning!"

LOL I'm the opposite, I seldom eat eggs for breakfast but "breakfast for dinner" is a frequent occurrence.

[Deephaven]

I don't like to make steak for others as I like mine rare and it seems every time I do for that type they want a filet butterflied and well.  Eek.

 

One of my gotos for situations like yours is a simple take on chicken saltimbocca.  Would take a kitchen torch to melt the cheese, but as long as prosciutto, mozzarella, lemon and garlic aren't out there it is always a pleaser.  I normally add capers as well, but wouldn't considering what you've shared.

[Maison Rustique]

I'm a casual sort and I wouldn't hesitate to make either chili or posole for a dinner guest. Hearty and fun food that you can make stove top and serve with lots of various toppings to suit each person.

[FauxPas]

19 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

Hit me with some of your favourite stove-top only kind of meat and potato dishes.

 

Also, various types of schnitzel. Or something like Chicken Marsala? 

[Kerala]

https://ladyandpups.com/2018/10/11/how-to-make-perfectly-butterflied-and-crispy-skillet-chicken

You'd get almost the same thing as your roast chicken, possibly with crispier skin.

[MaryIsobel]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I woke in the wee hours this morning with a raging stomach issue and realized early in the day that talking about, thinking about or looking at pictures of food was not a good idea. I'm better now so hoping it is a 24 hour thing. I think we have decided that my husband will do steaks on the bbq (he's quite good at that) and I will make stuffed potatoes in the toaster oven, along with a caesar salad. I'm going to keep all the other ideas because the oven in our 5th wheel (RV) is crap and I like to cook nice things when we're camping because I don't do a hell of a lot else during the day except walk the dog, read and if we are on a lake, I spend time in my floaty chair. Leaves me with lots of energy to make a decent dinner.

[weinoo]

KFC?  Domino's?  

[ElsieD]

30 minutes ago, weinoo said:

KFC?  Domino's?  

Yuck.