Many people like food in pots, prepared in portions. This partly resembles restaurant dishes, which are prepared and served individually for each. In addition, some variations of such recipes suggest the use of bread crust on top of the main filler. It is not only tasty, but also beautiful.
To make such an edible lid, you can use rice flour. This is especially true for those who do not eat gluten. But you can use regular wheat flour or corn starch.
If you do not have special pots, you can use ceramic soup bowls or even small foil containers.
Meat pots
The most popular portioned food is meat in pots. To prepare such a hearty meal you will need:
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil;
- 1 medium onion;
- 1 stalk of celery;
- 1 red or yellow pepper;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 450 grams of low-fat ground beef;
- 400 ml of boiled or canned beans;
- 400 ml of tomatoes;
- 1 cup (240 ml) of broth;
- ½ cup (120 ml) of red wine;
- 1 tablespoon paprika;
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme;
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt;
- ½ teaspoon black pepper;
- 2 tablespoons of flour.
Cooking potted beef
The recipe for potted meat is as follows. In a large pan with a thick bottom, heat olive oil over moderate heat. Slice the onion and fry it until it turns brown.
Dice the celery stalks and red or yellow peppers, then add them to the onion and sauté until tender. Put chopped garlic and ground beef in vegetables, fry until almost ready.
Rinse and drain the beans (if you use canned food). Add it and diced tomatoes to the meat and vegetables. Put the rest of the ingredients and flour, and mix everything very carefully. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a minimum and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
How to make edible caps?
Divide the mixture into 6 separate servings, each of which should be about 1 cup (240 ml). Prepare the covers from the dough. For them you need:
- 1 ½ cup wheat flour (rice or chickpea - optional);
- ½ cup cornmeal;
- 2 tablespoons of tea baking powder;
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (granulated onions);
- ½ teaspoon tea sweet paprika;
- ½ teaspoon of tea salt;
- ½ cup chilled oil;
- 1 large egg;
- ½ cup (120 ml) of milk.
Put both types of flour, baking powder, onion powder, paprika and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter with two knives or crumble the blender into pieces the size of a pea.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with a whisk or fork until smooth. Measure out two tablespoons, add them to the flour mixture, put the same oil there. Save the rest of the eggs to grease products.
Add milk and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. The dough will be very soft. Lay it on a work surface and add flour until you form a ball. Then squeeze the dough with your hands and cut into 6 equal parts. Fold each piece into a ball, then lay it on top of the work surface and smooth it with your fingers into a disk of the same diameter as the tops of your pots. Lift them as neatly as possible, and blind the lids over the meat blank.
Using a pastry brush, wipe the surface of each “cap” with the remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle a little paprika on top, and slightly cut the dough crosswise in the middle so that the steam can escape.
Bake this food in pots in the oven (preheated) at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Option with meat slices
Above is one of the simplest options for baked dishes. But potted food recipes can be very different. For another version of this dish you will need the following:
For the test:
- 1 cup flour;
- 1/4 cup of water;
- 1/4 tablespoon of tea salt;
- 1/4 teaspoon of tea sugar.
For the main filler:
- 1 kg of mutton (cut into medium-sized cubes);
- 12 small onions (peeled);
- 6 medium potatoes (peeled and quartered);
- 2 stalks of celery (cut into pieces);
- 4 -5 pickled Bulgarian peppers (chopped);
- 3 cloves of garlic (mashed);
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped);
- 1/3 cup fresh dill (chopped);
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice;
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme;
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary;
- 1 teaspoon of salt;
- 1 teaspoon black pepper;
- 250 grams of feta cheese (crumbled).
How to make dough
Cooking in pots should begin with the formation of edible lids. Make enough dough to cover ceramic pots. If the above ingredients are not enough, take a double or triple amount.
Put the flour in a bowl and mix with salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and add water. Mix until 3-5 minutes. Cover and set aside until next use.
How to make a main course
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except feta cheese. Arrange all the pots equally. Put crumbled cheese on top.
Remove the dough onto a floured surface. Divide it into equal pieces according to the number of pots. Roll out the round “lids”, and use your fingers to seal along the edges of the vessels. Wet with water if necessary.
Place the pots on a baking sheet and place it on the lowest rack in a cold oven, turn on the temperature 135 degrees. Bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Turn off the oven, open the door and let the pots cool for at least 20 minutes before removing. Serve hot.
Baked Beans
Baked beans can also be a great example of potted food. It’s easy to cook, and the taste is very pleasant. For this Latin American dish you will need:
- 1 kg of white beans;
- 1/2 cup ketchup;
- 1/4 cup mustard;
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar;
- 1 teaspoon of salt;
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped;
- 2 glasses of water;
- 250 grams of bacon, chopped.
How to cook food in pots with beans?
Soak the beans in cold water overnight, then drain. Pour fresh cold water, boil and cook for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper and a half cup of water from boiled beans, and add another 1 cup of water.
Lay the ingredients in ceramic pots in layers in the following order: bacon, onion, beans and liquid mixture, repeating the layers twice. Spread the remaining pieces of bacon on top. Cover the pots with lids and bake in the oven at 120 degrees for about 3-4 hours.
Serve this food in pots with boiled potatoes, ham, fresh bread and ketchup.
Option with bacon and potatoes
Almost everyone loves baked potatoes, and portioned pots with this baked root vegetable can even be served on the festive table, despite the simplicity of the dish. To prepare you will need:
- 6 medium potatoes, washed, peeled;
- 1 glass of water;
- 500 grams of bacon, chopped;
- 2 cups chopped mozzarella cheese;
- 2 cups chopped cheddar cheese;
- 2 cups sour cream;
- 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste);
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper;
- green onion, chopped (optional).
How to cook it?
The following is the recipe for potted potatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the double boiler. Put 6 potatoes in her grocery basket. Close the lid, turn on the appliance and adjust the time for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, leave the potatoes for another 5 minutes under steam, then open the lid and remove. Dice without peeling.
Oil the bottom and walls of the pots. Arrange approximately half of the prepared potatoes in them equally. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Spread a second layer of one glass of sour cream, then put half of the bacon, a glass of each type of cheese. Repeat the layers again. Spread the remaining bacon on top and cover with lids. Bake for about 20-30 minutes.
You can cook this food in a pot in the microwave, because all the ingredients do not require prolonged heating. Just make sure the portioned dishes you choose do not contain metal parts.
Hot spicy option
Hot chili peppers reveal their taste when heated. In combination with beans, meat, tomatoes and other spices, you can get excellent spicy food in pots. The recipe requires the following components:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil;
- 1 kg of minced meat (beef);
- kosher salt ;
- 800 grams of diced tomatoes;
- 500 grams of small red beans;
- 1 small bunch of cilantro from leaves and stems, finely chopped;
- 4 jalapenos, chopped;
- 2 garlic cloves, minced;
- 1 tablespoon ground caraway seeds;
- 1 tablespoon chili powder;
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano;
- chopped spicy cheddar cheese;
- sour cream.
Spicy cooking process
The recipe for potted food in the oven should start with preparing foods for baking. Heat a vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Add minced meat, 1 ½ tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of pepper, and fry at moderate temperature, stirring regularly, for about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and transfer to another container. Add the diced tomatoes (with juice) into the pan along with the beans, onions, chopped cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, caraway seeds, chili powder, oregano and mix with 6 1/2 cups of water. Boil the mixture, then remove from the stove.
Lubricate the bottom and walls of the pots with oil, put the fried minced meat in them. Next, fill them with a bean-vegetable mixture, cover and bake in the oven at 160 degrees for 6 hours until the beans are soft.
Then remove the pots from the oven, season the dish with salt and pepper. Cover each serving with a layer of grated cheddar, sour cream and finely chopped onions. Garnish the prepared food in pots with cilantro leaves and serve. This dish can also be eaten cold the next day, it is not necessary to warm it up.