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Busy? Tired? Make your own TV dinners ahead of time

Lucinda Scala Quinn shows how to prepare, freeze Salisbury steak with sides and dessert

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Video: Tasty TV dinners: Salisbury steak, potato mash

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    >> this morning in today's kitchen, what's on the menu? how about healthy tv dinners ? lucinda is the host of "mad hungry" and the executive editorial director of food at martha stewart living . good to see you.

    >> good to see you with the tv dinners . do you remember them?

    >> i remember them.

    >> we're updating it. fi first of all we're doing a salisbury steak . we have parsley, onion, salt, pepper, worcestershire, milk and egg. we don't have the trays anymore. what's this?

    >> you get the storage unit out, get this ready and start cooking. now it has to look like a steak, so we put it into a five-inch patty, stick it in the pan like this. now, al, i took onion and grated it. a whole onion for the onion gravy. it's all about the gravy. this is what it looks like when it's cooked and i didn't mean my, kind of steak-like.

    >> do you cook it all the way through?

    >> about 15 minutes total. all the way through. this is the star of the show. you want to put corn starch on here to thicken things up. perfect. here are the onions after they cooked. get them in there. a little bit more corn starch . looks like a lot of onion but it cooks about 35 minutes to get that caramelized flavor. then one and a half cups of beef broth. when you are freezing for your tv dinner you need something saucy or cheesy so it won't be dry. we cook it down, get the worcetershire in there.

    >> you put the patties in there?

    >> yeah. you want them to soak up the yumminess. that's it. while that's cooking, come on over. i have potato mash, but i put a little bit of carrot in here. add some butter and milk. i like to leave water behind so i use less milk. make it a little bit more healthy. that's the mash. that's what it looks like all mashed up.

    >> okay.

    >> so do you remember --

    >> there was always a dessert, too.

    >> that's apple cherry cobcobbler. you can have the brow anie or the cobbler. everything is cooked and cooled. that's important. i like to put the mash down there. then we grab here one of our salisbury steak . all done on a sunday afternoon.

    >> when you have had time.

    >> do you want to grab one from the microwave.

    >> they spend a lot of time here.

    >> doing the best savannah impersonation.

    >> oh!

    >> i love the mom's home cooking fresh. at least you can have it at home. this is it.

    >> delish.

    >> how long will it last in?

    >> two months in the freezer. ten minutes in the microwave. this is for six. pull one out at a time. and my teenager has a tv dinner but in front of the computer.

    >> thank you so much. recipes on the website.

    >> let's eat.

    >> coming up, hoda and kathie lee are doing a little cooking with wine, of course,

    >>

    Show transcript

TODAY recipes
updated 2/14/2012 4:33:29 PM ET 2012-02-14T21:33:29

When you have a doozy of a day, wouldn't it be nice to have a TV dinner at the ready that doesn't feel — you know — like a TV dinner? Here, Lucinda Scala Quinn shows how to prepare and freeze wholesome, nutritious meals for yourself and your kids. Here are her tips and recipes from the January issue of Martha Stewart Living:

The make-ahead plan
1. Get containers, tape, a pen (for noting date), and pans ready.

2. Start baking cobbler.

3. Start sautéing onions for gravy.

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4. While cobbler and onions cook, make potato-and-carrot mash.

5. Prepare creamed spinach.

6. Assemble and cook patties, then gravy.

7. Let cool, then divide among sealable containers (if reheating in oven, place cobbler in separate glass dishes).

8. Freeze for up to two months. To rewarm, microwave with cover open on high for 9 to 10 minutes or in a 350-degree oven, covered with foil, for 1 hour (cobbler for 45 minutes).

Magic portion
If you plan to reheat the meal in the oven as opposed to the microwave, portion out the cobbler into separate small ovenproof glass containers, and divide the meat, spinach and potatoes equally among larger ones.

Recipe: Salisbury steak with onion gravy (on this page) Recipe: Potato-and-carrot mash (on this page) Recipe: Creamed spinach (on this page) Recipe: Apple-cherry cobbler (on this page)

Need containers to help store your make-ahead meals? Try this and this.  

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Need containers to help store your make-ahead meals? Try this and this.  

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Recipe: Salisbury steak with onion gravy

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup safflower oil
  • 1 large onion, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
  • 2 slices white bread
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons plus a dash of Worcestershire sauce
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, plus 1/4 cup for dusting
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
Preparation

1. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup onion. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Set aside.

2. Soak bread in milk, flipping once. Finely chop. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup onions, the sirloin, garlic cloves, bread, egg, parsley, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Divide meat mixture into 6 oblong patties (about 5 inches long and 3/4-inch thick). Dust with cornstarch.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil, and reduce heat to medium. Cook patties, 3 at a time, for 6 minutes, without moving them. Flip, and cook until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining patties.

4. Make the gravy: Add cooked onions and 1 teaspoon cornstarch to same skillet, and stir for 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high. Pour in broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and whisk until broth is clear and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and return patties and juices to skillet, spooning sauce on top.

Serving Size

Serves 6. Active time: 45 minutes. Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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Recipe: Potato-and-carrot mash

Ingredients
  • 4 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation

1. Place potatoes, carrots, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until completely tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Drain vegetables, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Return all but 1/4 cup liquid to pot. Add milk and butter, and season with salt and pepper. Mash until smooth, adding remaining liquid to desired consistency.

Serving Size

Serves 6. Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes.

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Recipe: Creamed spinach

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds fresh spinach, washed thoroughly
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup whole milk
Preparation

1. Cook spinach in a large pot with 1/4 inch water until steam has collapsed leaves, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and squeeze out liquid. Coarsely chop.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Stir for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Fold in chopped spinach.

Serving Size

Serves 6. Active time: 10 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes.

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Recipe: Apple-cherry cobbler

Ingredients
  • 4 apples, such as Gala or Fuji, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries (5 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, grated
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8-inch square baking pan, toss apples, lemon juice and cherries.

2. Whisk together sugar, a pinch of salt, the cinnamon and flour. Add half the sugar mixture to apples; stir to combine.

3. Stir together oats and remaining sugar mixture. Add butter and stir. Evenly pat oat-butter mixture over apples. Bake until oats are golden, apples are tender and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes.

Serving Size

Serves 6. Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes.

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© 2012 MSNBC Interactive

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