If you’re a Brooklyn-worthy foodie, this book is not for you. There won’t be broccoli rabe, za’atar, Gochujang Sauce or pomegranate molasses in this cookbook. If you’re looking for “clean” recipes, Paleo, keto, vegan, Whole 30 — anything like that — again, this book is not for you. There will be canned cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas, Lipton’s onion-soup mix, Hidden Valley Ranch dry packets, cornbread stuffing mix and — horror of horrors! — an entire chapter on casseroles.
Now that they’ve all gone away, I’ll address the rest of us. If you’re the typical worker who is tired of frozen TV dinners and can’t even think about affording food delivery, Matthew Bounds has come to the rescue with recipes to make when you’re very busy or tired. He’s packed 60 recipes into this cookbook that cooks can make with items most of us have at hand: pasta, rice, ground beef, chicken (a whole chapter on using rotisserie chicken!), pork chops, canned biscuits and those dreaded packets. I, for one, welcome our new casserole overlord with five processed stars!
Before the lectures begin on processed foods, a homemade casserole — even with cream of celery soup and/or onion-soup mix — beats out frozen pizza or a Subway sandwich for flavor and nutrition. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good on days you’re just exhausted.