If you like 30-minute stovetop meals, this is one that offers lots of opportunities for personalization. This is exactly the kind of meal I made most often when we lived full-time in a motorhome without an oven. It uses one pan for easy cleanup, which was important in my limited space.
Ingredients
This is a very flexible recipe, so I will suggest options as I guide you to create a tasty skillet dinner your way!
- Gluten-Free Stir-Fry Sauce: Simply shake the sauce ingredients together in a jar. For variations or make-ahead tips, see the full sauce recipe.
- Ground Meat: You may use beef, pork, turkey, or chicken. While the recipe calls for one pound (454 g) because that is how ground meat is usually packaged, I have often made it with 1 ½ pounds.
- Onion: An onion of some kind is pretty standard in this recipe, unless you don't like onions. In that case, leave it out. I could be a red onion, a yellow onion, a Spanish onion, or a sweet Vidalia.
- Fresh Vegetables: This could be a fridge-cleaning opportunity. Use any vegetable that cooks quickly, such as bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower. I wouldn't recommend a root vegetable, as that would take longer to cook.
- Frozen Vegetable: I like to throw in a packaged, frozen vegetable for variety and ease of preparation. It might be a 10-ounce or 12-ounce package. Just work with whatever you have. This might be sweet peas, cut green beans, corn, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or mixed vegetables.
Instructions
Chop up the fresh vegetables you are using.
Fry the onion in oil until it becomes transparent.
Add the other chopped vegetables and cook them.
Remove the vegetables so the meat will brown well.
Add the sauce to the hot pan and stir as it quickly becomes thick, so it doesn't burn.
Add the vegetables back into the pan with the meat and sauce.
Add the frozen vegetables and stir just until they are hot. Don't let the peas overcook.
What to Serve with This Skillet Dinner
I usually serve this over rice, but it's also good over creamy mashed potatoes or noodles. For a lower-carb option, serve it over cauliflower rice, or simply enjoy it on its own. In that case, consider this hearty four-serving meal rather than a six-serving one. With plenty of vegetables mixed in, it easily stands on its own.
Storage
Any leftovers store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. My husband has reheated them in a saucepan over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, and taken this to work in a Thermos for his lunch.
Recipe
Quick Skillet Dinner
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
Stir-Fry Sauce
- 2 cups broth
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon GF soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon GF Worestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Savory Herb Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt optional, to taste
Skillet Dinner
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil olive or avocado
- 1 onion red, yellow, Spanish, or sweet
- 2 cups celery, mushrooms, bell pepper (or more) varied as you wish, sliced or chopped (could use fresh broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.)
- 1 pound ground meat (or more) beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
- 10 ounces frozen peas (-12 oz) OR frozen green beans, corn, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
Instructions
- Shake the sauce ingredients together in a jar.2 cups broth3 tablespoons white rice flour1 tablespoon tomato paste1 tablespoon GF soy sauce1 tablespoon GF Worestershire sauce2 teaspoons Savory Herb Spice Blend1 teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon ground black peppersalt
- Add some cooking oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped onions in it until they become transparent.1 tablespoon cooking oil1 onion
- Then, add the chopped fresh vegetables to the pan and stir-fry them until they become soft.2 cups celery, mushrooms, bell pepper
- Remove the vegetables and set them aside. Brown the ground meat in the pan.1 pound ground meat
- When the meat has browned, add the stir-fry sauce, stirring as it thickens up. It should change from a watery liquid to a glistening, thickish sauce.
- Add the cooked vegetables back to the meat and sauce in the pan. Stir them in to heat up again.
- Stir in the frozen vegetables and heat just until they are cooked through.10 ounces frozen peas
Notes
- Serve this quick skillet dinner over rice or mashed potatoes.
- If you like some heat, add a sprinkle of hot chili flakes or a dash of hot sauce.
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