Friday, February 24, 2012

Inspired by other bloggers, I bring to you.... MacGyver Meals

Last weekend, Beth Fish Reads wrote about Desperation Cooking, which she referred to as

"when the thought of dirtying up the kitchen, chopping veggies, and waiting for flavors to develop in a simmering pot are just to too much to bear."

But this week, I'd like to talk about a different kind of Desperation Cooking, something I'd like to refer to as: MacGyver Meals.
Meaning, by the time you realize you have a virtually empty fridge and freezer, you must, in desperation, improvise and create something delicious to eat for dinner.

But what does MacGyver have to do with this? Well, if you remember anything about that old show from the 80s (besides Richard Dean Anderson's ability to make a mullet look good), it was that MacGyver could get himself (and whatever damsel in distress he was attempting to save that week) out of any predicament using some string, a box of toothpicks and some bubble gum.

In my case, these were but a few of the minimal items I had laying around in my kitchen:

eggs
milk
Gruyere cheese
onions
frozen pie crust

Hmmmmm.... how could I possibly save dinner with those few items.

I KNOW! Quiche!

Let me just explain to you, quiche is not on my normal repertoire of items I make on a regular basis.  But desperate times called for desperate measures, and with a little bit of ingenuity, I managed to create dish that was not only tasty, but fancy too: French Onion Quiche. Out of my desperation and my MacGyver skills in the kitchen, I managed to save the day and whip up a meal that satisfied both me and The Husband.
put the cheese and caramelized onions in the pre-made crust
pour milk and egg mixture into crust
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375. ENJOY!
Don't ask me for measurements for this recipe because I totally made it up on the spot. But that was the fun of it. So next time you're running low on staples in the kitchen, rather than calling for take-out, just ask yourself: WWMD, What Would MacGyver Do?

17 comments:

  1. LOVE this. You made my day. And I have some MacGyver meals up my sleeve too. That term will enter the permanent BFR household vocabulary.

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  2. Ingenious! And so simple! Macgyver would be very proud :).

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  3. That sounds like a great meal! And imagine it was borne out of desperation! I love the term "Mac Gyver meals". Will remember that one!

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  4. Yep. I'm definitely going to use the term Macgyver Meals! But I promise to remember I heard it here first!

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  5. For a moment, I thought you were referring to Airwolf (which led to me answering "er, try to get out alive with my chopper??") :D But MacGyver is a man who thinks of more versatile solutions, and I love how you coined this term. I can see our family using it too!

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  6. Perfect!! Love the term MacGyver Meals, too :-)

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  7. Now if Dean Anderson would stop by to pop that in the oven..
    {sorry, I must leave..I feel a dirty joke coming on after I typed that}

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  8. I love this! I frequently stare into the freezer and refrigerator and wonder what I can make of what is on hand. I am so stealing your "MacGyver Meals" concept, and will probably try your quiche as I have that on hand right now. You are very clever; take a bow!

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  9. Loved MacGyver. Loved him on General Hospital, too! Your quiche looks amazing!

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  10. LOL!! Too funny! I loved MacGyver. And yes, I've made a few MacGyver meals in my time. Surprisingly, they're very good.
    Here's Mine

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  11. Desperation hits me at least once a week, usually when I don't feel like doing anything. I love naming these times MacGyver Meals. (Such a great image.) Quiche is a great MacGyver meal. I've never tried caramelized onions before but now I will. Great idea.

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  12. I love the idea of "MacGyver Meals"! I tend to find myself in this situation on the nights my husband is teaching. My go-to method usually involves chicken broth, macaroni, and any vegetables I find in the fridge. And mushrooms. Lots of mushrooms!

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  13. Quiche is wonderful and easy. I love the MacGyver meals thing! Here's mine

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  14. Haha! Very rescourceful!
    Reminds me of a post I made on my blog a long time ago with instructions on how to "Onion Your Man." Basically start cooking an onion in a skillet minutes before your man walks in the door and he'll think something terrific is on its way. Inspiration usually hits at the last minute in a very MacGyver way. LOL!

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    Replies
    1. Christine, that is awesome! I completely agree with you on the onion thing. The smell of sauteing onions can cure many ills methinks. :)

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  15. This was so much fun to read! And I wouldn't mind eating some of that quiche for supper, either.

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  16. I think I will be making some MacGyver asparagus quiche this evening!

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