Main Courses for Every Day: 12 Simple and Accessible Recipes

Source: FomaA, AdobeStock

Today, we've gathered the best main course recipes for every day: featuring meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and other ingredients readily available at any store. Choose your favorites and try cooking them in your own kitchen!

1. Chicken Thighs Baked with Potatoes in Clay Pots

Source: AdobeStock

When you want to make dinner with a side dish all at once, without spending extra time at the stove, clay pots are usually a lifesaver.

Ingredients

These ingredients are enough for approximately 4-5 pots.

• 800 g boneless chicken thighs;
• 750-800 g potatoes;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 180 g sour cream;
• 200 ml water;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• salt and ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut chicken thighs into large pieces, potatoes into medium cubes, onion into half-rings, and carrot into rounds.
2. Sear the chicken until lightly browned. Distribute it with all the vegetables into the clay pots.
3. Mix sour cream, water, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. You can also add a pinch of aromatic herbs.
4. Pour the sour cream mixture over the dish, cover with lids, and bake the pots for 1 hour in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Chicken Chakhokhbili with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Source: AdobeStock

A very vibrant flavor – lots of tomatoes, sweet bell pepper, garlic, herbs, and melt-in-your-mouth chicken!

Ingredients

If the tomatoes are a bit tart, add a small pinch of sugar at the end of cooking for balance.

• 1 kg chicken thighs or drumsticks;
• 2 bell peppers;
• 600 g tomatoes;
• 1 large onion;
• 3 cloves garlic;
• 20 g cilantro or parsley;
• 1 teaspoon khmeli-suneli;
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika;
• salt and ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut the onion into half-rings, bell pepper into strips, and tomatoes into small pieces.
2. Sear the chicken until golden brown and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion and bell pepper for 5-7 minutes.
3. Return the chicken, add tomatoes, garlic, khmeli-suneli, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper.
4. Cover and simmer the chakhokhbili for 40-45 minutes over low heat. Finally, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

3. Beans with Minced Meat and Corn

Source: AdobeStock

Can be eaten immediately or wrapped in a tortilla or lavash. A dish with Mexican culinary notes!

Ingredients

Both beef and mixed minced meat will work.

• 600 g minced meat;
• 250 g canned beans;
• 180 g canned corn;
• 1 onion;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 300 g tomatoes in their own juice;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin;
• 1 pinch hot red pepper;
• salt and ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Finely chop the onion and bell pepper, mince the garlic.
2. Brown the minced meat in a pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Add the onion and bell pepper, cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, garlic, and spices, mix well.
4. Simmer everything together for 15-20 minutes over low heat until the sauce thickens.

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4. Braised Pollock in Cream

Source: AdobeStock

Pollock is often underestimated, although for an everyday menu, it's one of the most versatile fish.

Ingredients

If the fillet is frozen, thaw it in advance and pat it dry thoroughly with paper towels.

• 800 g pollock fillet;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 250 ml cream, 20% fat;
• 1 tablespoon flour;
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice;
• salt and ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut the pollock into serving pieces, onion into half-rings, and grate the carrot on a coarse grater.
2. Sauté the onion with the carrot until soft. Add the fish to the vegetables, season with salt and pepper.
3. Separately mix the cream with flour and lemon juice until smooth, pour this sauce into the pan.
4. Cover and simmer the pollock for 12-15 minutes over low heat.

5. Bulgur with Turkey and Vegetables in a Skillet

Source: AdobeStock

Because everything is cooked together, the dish turns out very cohesive and harmonious.

Ingredients

For a juicier result, use turkey thigh fillet.

• 500 g turkey fillet;
• 200 g bulgur;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 2 tomatoes;
• 600 ml water or broth;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• salt and spices to taste;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut the turkey into small pieces, bell pepper into strips, and tomatoes into cubes. Mince the onion and garlic, grate the carrot.
2. Sear the turkey until lightly golden and set aside.
3. In the same pan, sauté the onion with the carrot until soft, add the pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Return the turkey, add bulgur, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and spices. Pour water or broth over the dish.
5. Cover and cook the bulgur with turkey for approximately 20-25 minutes over low heat.

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6. Cod with Vegetables in Tomato Sauce

Source: AdobeStock

This recipe can be easily prepared even by cooks with no special culinary skills.

Ingredients

Enough for 2-3 generous servings.

• 700-800 g cod fillet;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 300 g tomatoes in their own juice;
• 150 ml water;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• salt and fish spices;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut the cod fillet into serving pieces, onion into half-rings, bell pepper into strips, and grate the carrot.
2. Sauté the vegetables until soft, add tomatoes with their juice, water, minced garlic, salt, and spices.
3. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the cod pieces.
4. Simmer everything together for 12-15 minutes, covered, over low heat.

7. Potato Gratin with Cheese

Source: AdobeStock

An interesting recipe for a basic potato side dish for dinner.

Ingredients

Slice the potatoes very thinly so they cook through and don't remain hard in the middle.

• 800 g potatoes;
• 300 ml cream, 20% fat;
• 120 g hard cheese;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 30 g butter;
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper;
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Slice the peeled potatoes into thin rounds and finely mince the garlic.
2. Grease a baking dish with butter and layer the potatoes. Sprinkle the layers with garlic, salt, and ground black pepper.
3. Pour in the cream, sprinkle with grated cheese, and arrange butter slices on top.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake the gratin for 40 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

8. Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Beef and Rice

Source: AdobeStock

No more spending hours wrapping cabbage!

Ingredients

It's best to pre-cook the rice until half-done so it finishes cooking at the same time as the meat and cabbage.

• 600 g ground beef;
• 500 g white cabbage;
• 120 g rice;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 180 g sour cream;
• 250 g tomatoes in their own juice;
• 200 ml water;
• salt and spices;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cook the rice until half-done, finely chop the onion, grate the carrot, and thinly shred the cabbage.
2. Sauté the onion with the carrot for 4-5 minutes, add the minced meat and cook for the same amount of time, breaking up any clumps.
3. Add the cabbage and rice, mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the cabbage slightly wilts.
4. Mix sour cream, tomatoes, and water, season with salt and spices. Pour the resulting sauce into the pan.
5. Cover and simmer the lazy cabbage rolls for 40-45 minutes over low heat.

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9. Baked Chicken Drumsticks with Vegetables and Chickpeas

Source: AdobeStock

A convenient dish where you just need to put everything in a baking dish. The oven will do the rest!

Ingredients

You'll need ready-to-use canned or pre-cooked chickpeas.

• 8 chicken drumsticks;
• 300 g cooked chickpeas;
• 600 g potatoes;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 1 red onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 4 tablespoons sour cream;
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme;
• salt and spices to taste.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut the vegetables into large pieces. Place the chicken drumsticks, vegetables, and chickpeas in a baking dish.
2. Mix sour cream, pressed garlic, salt, and spices, add to the other ingredients and mix well.
3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius. Then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes.

10. Noodles with Pork and Green Beans

Source: AdobeStock

A dish with a distinctive flavor and vibrant character.

Ingredients

If using frozen green beans, there's no need to thaw them in advance.

• 500 g pork;
• 200 g noodles of your choice;
• 200 g green beans;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce;
• 150 ml water;
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander;
• ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut the pork into strips and thinly slice all the vegetables.
2. Cook the noodles according to package instructions and rinse.
3. Sear the pork over high heat until browned, add the onion and carrot, and after 3 minutes, add the bell pepper and green beans.
4. Add garlic, coriander, ground pepper, soy sauce, and water. Cook everything covered for 10-12 minutes.
5. Then add the noodles to the pan, mix, and heat everything together for another 2-3 minutes.

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11. Baked Mackerel with Lemon in Foil

Source: AdobeStock

An exquisite dish that you'll want to both eat yourself and serve to guests.

Ingredients

If the mackerel is large, you can bake it in serving pieces instead of whole.

• 2 mackerels, total weight about 800 g;
• 1 lemon;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Herbes de Provence;
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil;
• salt and ground black pepper.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Clean the mackerel, remove the entrails, and rinse thoroughly. Make several shallow cuts on the sides of the fish.
2. Mix vegetable oil, minced garlic, salt, ground pepper, and dried herbs. Rub the fish with this marinade.
3. Slice the lemon into thin rounds and insert some inside the mackerel and some into the cuts.
4. Wrap each fish in foil and bake for 30-35 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Uncover the foil 5-7 minutes before the end of cooking.

12. Vegetable Stew with Zucchini, Eggplant, and Potatoes

Source: AdobeStock

Simply lots of vegetables and a mild tomato sauce that brings everything together.

Ingredients

Feel free to add any other favorite vegetables.

• 500-600 g potatoes;
• 1 zucchini;
• 1 eggplant;
• 3 tomatoes;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 1 carrot;
• 1 onion;
• 2 cloves garlic;
• 150 ml water;
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• salt and ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil for frying.

Step-by-step recipe

1. Cut all vegetables into medium pieces.
2. Sauté the onion with the carrot for 3-4 minutes, add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper, mix and sauté everything together for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, paprika, salt, ground black pepper, and pour in the water.
5. Cover and simmer the stew for 30-35 minutes over low heat until the potatoes are tender.