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I am trying my hand at learning to cook. I have subscribed to Blue Apron, but anyone have some easy beginner ideas for meals?

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DoggieMom86, all my life I disliked cooking as everything I tried turned out like a science project that went terribly wrong. My Mom never taught me to cook, in fact, she wouldn't allow Dad nor I into the kitchen except for meals. So that in itself was a cooking turn off for me. Plus any recipe that has more than 3 ingredients makes me want to go screaming into the night. Here I am 78 years old and I am not about to turn into Julia Childs.


Oh, I've done simple stuff, like frying pork chops or fish, then opening a can of veggies. But that gets boring after awhile.

AARP now has Silver Cuisine which I plan to try. The menus are divided according to your diet needs, such as low sodium, low cal, etc. It's just heat and serve, my type of cooking :)
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Nothing wrong with that doggiemom, 👍, is there anything exactly that you want to know?
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No I've been way spoiled in this area. Mom cooked for me and then my late husband did. I am trying to be a responsible adult and do it myself. I am willing to admit my weak points and work on it.
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I second the slow cooker/crock pot meals.


Salmon is super easy too because there are so many ways you can make it, glazes etc. I like it with mustard and some seasoned bread crumbs on top. Cooks up so quick too.


I also recommend Ina Garten's cookbook "How Easy is That", shes got some great dishes in there, that's where I got her mustard salmon recipe from. Funny story about this cookbook, one year my mother in law gave it to each of us daughter in laws for Christmas. 😂😂😂. Most mother in law gift ever.



We recently started also using Kevin's meals ($9.99 each) , the ingredients are "clean" he uses the sous-vide method of cooking so it's just heat and serve. Pair with some veggies and/or rice and you've a got a quick healthy meal. A multitude of flavors both chicken and beef.



WHAT IS SOUS-VIDE?
The protein in our Heat & Eat Entrée is fully cooked and perfectly tender. How do we do it? The answer is Sous-Vide! “Sous-Vide” is a gourmet cooking technique invented by French chefs. It literally means “under vacuum”. Here’s how it works: First, the meat is vacuum-sealed in a pouch and cooked in a hot water bath set to a precise temperature. The meat cooks in its own juices to the perfect doneness for maximum tenderness. The result is fork-tender, fully-cooked protein that is ready for you to heat and serve in less than 5 minutes.
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You're an adult and you don't know how to cook anything? did you have a cook who prepared your meals for you? The best thing you could do for yourself is buy a few cookbooks by reputable people. Start with 'Mastering The Art Of French Cooking' by Julia Child. This cookbook instructs on everything from how to properly use knives (you'd be suprised how many people don't know how) to how to get bread to rise. Watch cooking shows, you'll pick up a lot.

I too love the crockpot. Especially this time of year when it's cold.

@Fawnby

There is never any need to eat jarred tomato sauce. There's no war on and rationing. It's the easiest thing in the world to make. Then you freeze it in containers and you've got a quick meal on a weeknight.
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Brown hamburger in a bit of oil in a skillet, pour off the grease, then add a jar of your favorite ready-made spaghetti sauce and simmer for 10 minutes or so. (You can add black olives or cooked shrimp or leftover vegetables like corn.) Boil the pasta while you're making the sauce. Dinner is ready!

Freeze half of the sauce for next week.
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I made my first Blue Apron meal yesterday and it turned out really well salmon and rice. I see shortcuts to this recipe now. I like crockpot meals. I see cooking is more or less just knowing what ingredients to follow and modifying it. I really had to begin to learn once Mark got sick since I refused to do take out all the time.
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NY, Yes I have had them, pork chops , they are really good, and so is the chicken on a stick. I haven't been able to find them , I'm sure it's a more of a summer thing.
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I just found this the other day. Pork chops in a package that is precooked. All we had to do was heat them, we threw a bag of steamable garlic cauliflower in the microwave and we're done.

Try to cook things you can freeze and use for a second/third meal.

Peas and rice. 90 second rice, a can of peas, some onions, salt and pepper. Sautee the onions in a pan and add salt and pepper. Add the can of peas water and all. Cook until hot and add it to the rice.
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Try some soups.
Many Italian dishes are easy.
Indulging in comfort food lately which my husband likes as well, stews, soups, gnocchis, crepes, quinoa, quiches with some protein added. Chicken or fish.
Very easy to make.
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Doggiemom, one really simple recipe, take a box of stuffing, make it according to the box and put it in a 8 × 8 pan put 2 pork chops on top, and put a can of cream of mushroom soon and bake. Easy pessy, lemon squeeze. 😄
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Here's an e-z recipe I've been making for my husband who has early dementia, and he really likes it.

In a large heavy pot brown one pound of loose sausage meat-hot or mild. It's sold here in one pound blocks.
I like to add about a teaspoon of toasted garlic powder and two teaspoons of dried oregano.
Don't bother to get the meat to cook into tiny bits, chunks are fine. Browing time on medium-high heat will take about 8-10 minutes-if it's not perfectly brown, it still tastes good.

Add one jar of tomato sauce. I like Rao's. It's expensive, but good flavor. Use whatever brand you enjoy. Stir. In that now empty jar, pour in a quarter cup of water. Reseal the jar. Shake hard to get all the left over sauce out, pour into the meat sauce mixture. Turn heat down to low. Let simmer, try not to let it boil. Simmer at least an hour. Stir every now and then, as stove burners are a bit uneven heating-wise. Serve over cooked pasta.
Depending on how many you're feeding, there may be leftovers, tastes better the second day.
This feeds two people easily. Four, if two of 'em are small children,

Fry an egg, make toast or a freezer waffle, breakfast for dinner is always nice.
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I have considered crockpot meals actually. I am also thinking casseroles.
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The crockpot is a wonderful and super simple way to cook a great meal. Buy one and it comes with a little recipe book I still use 40 years later. Makes the best soups, stews and meals like chicken cacciatore. You just put all the ingredients in the pot in the morning, turn it on, and have dinner in the evening. Enough to freeze for more meals later.
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Doggiemom, not a recipe , but something I love is the ninja air fryer and grill. I use it all the time. It's more money than others air friers but well worth the money.
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Do you have basic prep and cooking skills? e.g., various ways to cut up ingredients (chop, dice, slice, etc.); saute/fry/braise, etc. Even the simplest recipes may use terms and techniques you're not familiar with.

If you have the skills and are looking for menu ideas, others have given you some good resources.

I'd be curious to hear what you think of Blue Apron. I've tried Hello Fresh and didn't care for it all that much, and have been using Martha Stewart/Marley Spoon for over 9 months now. some of their recipes are a lot more complicated than Hello Fresh, but I'm a reasonably good cook so I don't mind. they are also pricey. But I like that they have interesting international options I'd never have come to on my own.

Here's another site for easy to cook dinners: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/easy-dinner-recipes-for-beginners-5198225
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Maybe crockpot and instant pot meals would be a good way to start. When I first started cooking, I liked cooking that way.
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I have not tried them, but a few people I know have ordered Martha Stewarts new meals, and they really like them , they say the cost is comparable to what you get.
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Allrecipes.com has endless ideas when you type in the search feature. Use terms like “simple” “five ingredient” “one pot” or specific ingredients you enjoy to get started
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