Starting at the beginning of 2023 I started to track every meal I cooked. I continued to do this in 2024. At the end of each year I looked back at everything j made and then ranked them all based on how they tasted to me. Here is the list of everything I made in 2024 and how each tasted to me:
If anyone wants recipes for anything in particular in the list let me know. For most of the meals I cooked I followed a recipe online.
I’ve got to know what “chopped cheese” is.
I’m also curious what recipe you used for chicken cacciatore because I think that is generally pretty good, and I’m not a really big fan of chicken.
Chopped cheese is like a lazy cheese burger. I was hoping it would be closer to a phily cheesestake but it ended up tasting more like a cheese burger. It’s decent.
For chicken cacciatore I used this recipe: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-cacciatore-recipe-1943042. Maybe I made it wrong but IIRC the “sauce” just tasted really bland and boring. So it just ended up being chicken breast meat with mediocre sauce.
Oh yeah, I wouldn’t expect that recipe to be great. Chicken breast? No. You need only dark meat. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Also, no flour and no broth. And there should be mushrooms. This one is pretty good if you’re interested in trying again: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_cacciatore_hunter_style_chicken/ Keep in mind that you can always add more spices.
I make basically what you sound like you’re describing as chopped cheese. Get very, very thinly sliced steak (like, shaved thin) then add white American cheese and, if you’re feeling ambitious, sliced onion. Start with the onion if you’re using it. Add a little salt and pepper. It’s basically a cheesesteak without the shape of a cheesesteak, and I say this as someone who grew up in the Philly area and has very strong feelings on cheesesteaks.
Wait I think I just thought of a good answer to my own question. I could buy beef meant for hot pot as it’s usually very thin.
You’re right. If you have hot pot beef available, that is the best option. Otherwise, you can ask the butcher counter to shave it for you, or you can partially freeze the beef and then cut it as thinly as possible with a very sharp knife.
How do you get really really thin shaved steak?