Bachelor Pad cooking – Meal in a pan.

This is a cheep and tasty recipe that is quick to prepare and serve.
The basic recipe:

1. Place ¼ cup dried grain (I’ve used barley and several kids of rice) in an 8 inch cast iron pan.
2. Add water until the grain is awash and just starting to float.
3. Put a ¼ to ½ lb portion of frozen meat on the grain.
4. Top with toppings of your choice:
• Bacon (particularly if the meat is lean)
• Frozen sliced pepper, onions, etc.
• Salt, pepper, or other spices.
• Frozen vegetables; corn, bean, peas. (Or as a side dish.)
5. Cover and seal with tinfoil.
6. Bake at 350°F for 50-90 minutes

Cooking time depends on the type and size of meat; For me, pork seems to take about 50 minutes, chicken more like 90. Until you know how long to cook it, check doneness with a meat thermometer or cut the meat open to check for any remaining pink sections.

With a little planning ahead this can be prepared in under 5 minutes. If you keep and eye out you can often get chap meat (I’ve seen it at little more than as $1/lb), cut this into serving sizes and freeze them in individual Ziploc type sandwich bags. Vegetables can similarly be prepared and frozen in advance.