A toaster oven is one of the most useful appliances you cannot miss to have in your kitchen. Whether you have a big or small kitchen, this appliance will still prove useful because it does not take up a lot of space. It has a compact size and will occupy a very small space on your kitchen counter. You can use it to make healthy recipes in a very short period of time. It takes approximately fifteen minutes or less to prepare a meal with it. There are some models that you can attach under the cabinet if you want to save space on your kitchen counter.
Maybe you are wondering about the meals that you can prepare using a toaster oven. Well, there are so many, practically countless. In this article, we are going to look at only a few.
1. Warm Turkey and Gooey Mozzarella English Muffins
This is a very nice meal for breakfast. It is very healthy and far much better than anything that you will get at a coffee shop on your way to work. The turkey provides proteins while the avocado has healthy fats that will keep your hunger in check during the day. The spicy mayo that is also part of this recipe will wake up your taste buds.
Ingredients:
- 2 whole wheat English muffins
- 1/2 avocado (thinly sliced)
- 2 slices mozzarella
- 4 slices turkey breast
- 1 Teaspoonful of mayonnaise
- Sriracha (to taste)
How to Prepare:
- First, you will need to slice the English muffins in half and then top the bottom halves with a slice of mozzarella and 2 turkey slices.
- After that, you will need to take all four halves and toast them in the toaster oven until the cheese starts to melt.
- Mix the mayonnaise with Sriracha in a small bowl and then top the toasted muffins with the avocado slices. Add a smear of the spicy mayo for the best taste.
2. Baked Chicken Fingers with Cucumber-Mango Slaw
This is a perfect and easy meal to prepare for lunch using a toaster oven. You will use significantly less oil to prepare the chicken as compared to frying it and still be able to achieve the best results. Your family will love it.
Ingredients:
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken (breast cut into thick strips)
- 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cucumber (julliened)
- 1/2 panko crumbs
- 1/2 mango (julliened)
- Salt (to taste)
- Chili flakes (to taste)
How to Prepare:
- First, set your toaster oven to the bake setting at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After that, lightly coat the chicken strips in olive oil in a small bowl and then sprinkle with salt and then set aside.
- Take another bowl and use it to combine the panko crumbs, Italian seasoning and parmesan. Take the chicken and dredge it in the crumb mixture while pressing the crumbs into the meat to make sure that they are heavily coated.
- Line the chicken strips in a single layer in a baking pan that is covered with aluminum foil and then allow them to bake for 8 minutes. Flip the chicken strips and then allow them to bake for another 7 minutes. After that, allow the chicken to rest for five minutes.
- While the chicken is resting, toss the mango and cucumber together and then sprinkle with chili flakes on top.
- Serve with chicken strips. They really go well with dips such as Dijon or ketchup.
3. Braised Beef Brisket
If your favorite cut of beef is the brisket, you do not have to go through a lot of hassle to prepare it when you have a toaster oven. The brisket is not the type of beef that needs to be cooked quickly and served. It rather requires a long and slow cooking process so that the meat can become tender and soft. A great way to do that is using the toaster oven. You will not waste energy running your full sized oven all day to be able to get nicely braised beef briskets. For the best results, your toaster oven should be able to deliver even heat at low temperatures without hot spots. It is a nice meal for supper.
Ingredients:
- 1 beef brisket (about 4 pounds)
- 1 twenty four ounce jar of tomato sauce
- 1 small red onion (diced into large chunks)
- 1 green bell pepper (cored, seeded and cut into large chunks)
- 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced)
How to Prepare:
- Put the onion garlic and green paper into a large casserole dish that can accommodate the beef brisket and fit in your toaster oven.
- After that, distribute the vegetables evenly in order to form a bed for the beef brisket and then put then meat on top. Take the tomato sauce and then pour it over the beef and then tightly cover the casserole dish with foil. Put it into the refrigerator and allow it to stay overnight.
- You will need to remove the brisket from the refrigerator at least 60 minutes before beginning the cooking process. It should be at room temperature or close to that before proceeding.
- Next, you will need to heat your toaster oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then put the casserole dish, into the toaster oven. Do not remove the foil. Allow it to bake for 2 hours and then flip the brisket over. Allow it to cook for another two hours. After that, you will need to uncover the brisket, flip it and then cook it for another 2 hours. Still uncovered, flip it again and let it cook for two more hours. After eight hours have elapsed, the brisket should be tender and ready to be eaten
As you can see from the above recipes, a toaster oven is not only great for making toast, but also many other meals. You can use it to prepare meals for breakfast, lunch and supper very easily. It is very energy efficient compared to the regular oven. It also has the ability to crispify and brown foods the way that a microwave cannot. Since it has a compact size, it is very ideal for small kitchen spaces that cannot accommodate the regular ovens.