Loaded skins

Bacon or gammon in a garlic tomato sauce topped with potato wedges and mozzarella.


Serves four (but easy to scale up and down).

Cut four large potatoes (or unsuprisingly more if they are smaller) into wedges (I cut each into eight: cut longways in half, then half and half again. Put in an oven tin, drizzle over a couple of teaspoons of oil then rub all the potato slices together to coat. Spread them in one layer and put them in the oven (about 200c/GM6) for about 45 mins.

I usually leave them for about half an hour, then check them and begin making the next bit. If they aren't yet cooked through (stab a thick one to make sure it's soft) and starting to go a bit crispy yet (depends on how thick the slices are and how packed the tin is), you might need to leave them in a bit longer, or turn the oven up a bit.

(If you are using leftover cooked gammon or bacon, make the sauce and then add it)

Cook the bacon or gammon chopped into small bite-size pieces for a couple of minutes in a pan. (You probably won't need to use any oil, as the meat will release some fat if you start cooking it gently.) You can use sliced bacon, chopped up bacon or gammon steak, lardons et cetera. I usually find cutting a bacon or gammon joint up is the best value and freeze the rest for another meal. How much is up to you, a pound of meat (450-500g) is more than enough for four, and less wouldn't seem mean in this dish. Especially if I am using chunky pieces from a joint, I sometimes take the meat out of the pan and spread over the oven dish I will be baking it in and pop it in the oven while I make the sauce to give them a roasted taste and texture.

Chop a couple of onions (I usually chop one fine to thicken the sauce and one a bit chunkier) and soften them in the pan for a couple of minutes with some crushed garlic (up to you how garlic-y you like it, I usually use about half a bulb).

Then add a tin of tomatoes, some black pepper, a big pinch of oregano and a squirt of tomato purée (2-3 tsps). Bring it to the boil and let it simmer for a few minutes so it is thick and not runny.

Mix the sauce and meat and spread evenly over an oven dish. Put the lightly crispy wedges over to cover and then thin pieces of mozzarella here and there over the potatoes.

Put back into the oven for about ten minutes for the mozzarella to melt and bubble.

You might also like:

Potato and Bacon Soup - this is an idea for any unused meat

Other meals with mozzarella

Beef in Beer

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Chilli Beef Stew


Stuffed Peppers

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Whether for spaghetti and meatballs or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken or steak, this quick and easy tomato sauce recipe won't let you down.

Tomato Sauce (Spaghetti and Meatballs)

Serves four

The Sauce

Chop one or two onions as finely as you can, and soften on a low heat in a small splash of olive oil.

Crush some garlic (I think about half a bulb is right) and add to the pan to soften.

Blend a tin of tomatoes (I use a wand blender, as less washing up), and then strain through a sieve into the pan, pushing it through with a spoon to remove the pips and any skin. (This just takes a couple of minutes but if you are short on time and effort, you could just pour the tin straight in and mash it up with the spoon, but I think this is better with a smooth sauce.)

Stir in a big pinch each of dried oregano and parsley, some black pepper and about half a teaspoon of sugar while you bring it to the boil. Stir in a squeeze of tomato purée (about 2-3 tsps) and let it simmer for about five minutes, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

This can be made the day before and reheated, it also freezes well. (Although the sauce doesn't take long to make, reheating it is one less thing to sequence when also making meatballs and boiling spaghetti)

(I sometimes make this as a sauce to go with grilled chicken, roast or new potatoes and eg green beans/mange-touts/sugar-snaps)


Meatballs

As they are going into a tasty sauce, I make really lazy unseasoned meatballs in the microwave. This takes most of the fat out and you get meatballs which hold their shape in the sauce.

Divide a pound of minced beef into however many meatballs you want to make (I usually chop a slab of mince into quarters, half each quarter, and then split each piece into two to make 16 fair sized meatballs)

Place evenly on a microwaveable dish and microwave for two minutes (this will release a fair amount of fat from the mince, so don't use a shallow plate).

Turn them over (if some of the ones at the centre aren't as cooked, you might also want to swap them with ones at the edges) and cook for probably about another 30-60 seconds.

They should look brown and still be a bit springy. Don't over cook them in the microwave; they are going into a hot sauce and so will continue to cook.

When they are cooked, add to the sauce while you are waiting for the pasta to finish cooking.

(You can also pour the fat off and add any meat juices to the sauce if you like.)


You might also like

Kofta curry

Stuffed Peppers

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )

Chicken Kebabs

Quick and tasty. Serves 4

Marinade (to cover 1lb of chicken cut into bite size pieces)

2tsps ground coriander

2tsps ground cumin

(I am a bit more generous with the coriander, rounded spoons for coriander, flat ones for the cumin)

1tsp turmeric

¼ - 1 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper (according to how spicy you like it)

Crushed garlic (depends on how garlic-y you like it– I think half a bulb is about right!)

Lemon juice, add enough to make a thick paste, but not sloppy, about 1-2 tbsp

Add chicken and mix to coat. Leave for about 10 minutes while grill heats up.

Foil line a roasting tin, spread chicken out and cook under a hot grill for 5-10 mins. Cut into a big piece to check chicken cooked through (ie no pink remaining)

Serve with toasted pita breads, yoghurt (I think greek is best) and chopped peppers (the marinated chicken is lovely on its own, but the peppers and yoghurt work brilliantly together stuffed in pita bread).

This is also good in tortilla wraps.

It is tasty cold on a picnic as well.

1tsp = 5ml

1tbsp = 15ml

1lb = 450g

You might also like

Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

Chicken and Bacon Casserole

Salsa Salad

Spicy Prawn Salad

For more ideas, follow me on twitter @Tyne_Teas

Please visit my Intro post for more about my blog and me - I hope you enjoy my recipes : )