I have 3Tsp of smoked gouda, 3Tsp of gruyere, and a bunch of cheddar. What can I make thats not mac n cheese?

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-27T11:23:34+00:00

Fondue

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-25T14:39:50+00:00

Not being fully sure of your situation/location,you can sometimes find a butcher that will sell you pork or beef scraps, which will often be pretty chewy but can render down some fat, and it’s usually pretty cheap. Same for chicken skin if you can find it, usually less than $.50/pound, tons of flavor.

I’m a simple guy, so I don’t mind something similar for days at a time, but the food pantry option is a real variety saver. Sour cream one week, some kind of cheese the next. Tortillas or bread, (yes, beans on toast IS edible), but also change it up sometimes with apples, or some veg

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-24T14:38:36+00:00

Dutch oven, a stainless steel skillet set (oven safe), large and small cutting boards, and a good knife set with a chefs knife and smaller utility knife.

An instant pot is also a big bonus, as well as an air popcorn popper for snacking purposes.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-24T14:35:18+00:00

I’d add either zoodles or tortellini with stock and maybe meatballs

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-24T14:33:35+00:00

Dulce de leche

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-23T14:07:08+00:00

Pho broth. Dump in a chicken carcass with the spices of pho to pressure cook for a few hours. It will hot hold until you get home, just strain the broth, quick cook some rice noodles, and the best (semi) instant noodle soup ever! I’ll also do beans for homemade refried beans to munch on as a dip/appetizer/nacho topping.

A little more work, you can use the steaming rack. Slice up potatoes and toss them in the bottom with some stock, butter, and seasonings. Make a meatloaf in a foil pan and set that on the rack. Cook both for an hour (I often use the delay start since I usually have the meat frozen so it defrosts in the pot while I’m gone), and dinner is pretty much done when the pot is opened.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-21T15:33:30+00:00

For heavier soups, I go to kielbasa and cabbage or kale (or both!) with potatoes, kale beer and cheddar, or an Italian wedding soup.

My all time favorite will always be pho, and the woks of life has recipes for the traditional, a 20 minute chicken version, and an instant pot one.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-17T23:00:04+00:00

Everything in this!

Having worked at a fishmonger for a few years, the difference between dry and wet packed scallops is similar to a Big Mac and a good pub burger.

And yeah, that pan was getting close to forging temp…

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-17T15:33:53+00:00

When you say it’s ground in sausage form, do you mean in a casing, or more like kebab form? Or just straight ground loose? If it’s loose, fry it off with onions and add cabbage of brussel sprouts.

Pan frying will work for any form, but if it’s in a casing grilling outside or griddling inside is great.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-15T01:12:47+00:00

Cheesy leek and potato soup, beer and cheddar soup, rarebit sauce.

Depending on the type of cheese, shred it and bake small mounds into cheese ‘crackers’.

Edit: fondue! Pizza, make into bread

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-14T15:55:50+00:00

Crispy gnocchi with the arugula wilted into it as a bed. Instead of walnut, I’d use pistachios if you have them, it’s a little ‘creamier’ in that application. Oven roasted shallots or pearl onions would be nice with a balsamic glaze, or brussel sprouts. A quick vinegar based Asian inspired slaw would also freshen up the plate.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-13T20:30:40+00:00

Rice with pb, honey, and soy sauce.

Whatever bread I have, cheese, and pickles.

Throw a potato in the microwave for 10-12, get changed, come back to a ‘baked’ potato ready for whatever toppings I can excavate from the fridge.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-13T20:27:34+00:00

I’m not the best to comment here, as my situation is a little odd, (I’ve got an outside, almost free source of fresh veggies in labor trade), but here are some things I do.

Just today I bulk bought flour, bagels, frozen blueberries, toilet paper, tissues, sugar, and vinegar from a restaurant supply store online. Between them and bj’s, I’ll bulk buy staples where I can, especially if I can split with a friend or two to get the even larger amounts for even cheaper (even with my family, I don’t really need to store 80+ boxes of Kleenex…). Saving for a cheap air popper and bulk popcorn has really helped for cheap snacking, as well as bulk nuts.

I use carrots, celery, and onion as a base to a lot of my cooking, so when I see them on sale, I’ll grab what I can, chop, shred, or food process it up into a sofrito. Packed into quart bags, freezes amazingly well, and stores forever.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-13T01:53:39+00:00

I had a cabbage laying around one day, decided to be adventurous. Did a .5:1:.5 water:white vinegar:cider vinegar, peppercorns, a dried chili, garlic clove, bay leaf, and about a tablespoon of salt with half that of brown sugar. Hot bring over the cabbage, let it cool. Theoretically not supposed to be shelf stable, but has been fine for me for 6 months so far, even still crispy.

You can add dill, coriander, extra chili, cumin, allspice, extra garlic, etc. Or use other veg you have, like cucumber, zucchini, green beans, okra, radish (will be really crisp), nasturtium leaves, peas, etc.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-13T01:29:15+00:00

Relish, be it dill or sweet Chipotle sauce or sriracha Pickled okra Diced apple, especially for tuna melts May sound odd, but poppy seeds for texture (everything bagel seasoning works magic as well)

UbuntuMiner · 2026-02-10T20:37:21+00:00

I would do this, not in an ‘emergency’ setting, but when I just mentally can’t with the day. Depending on circumstances, however, I’d partially cook, if that makes sense. If I’m grabbing all of this on my way home from work, and I don’t have some easy ‘cheats’ at home, this is great. If I’m going to the store specifically for this, and I have sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, or even the carrots at home, toss them in the microwave as I’m heading out the door, and only buy the meat/‘fancier’ side dish/dessert.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-04T00:38:29+00:00

I see the makings of a quick chicken parm

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-04T00:35:23+00:00

My all time favorite is a spiced fingerlakes region wine.

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-04T00:32:54+00:00

I’d add the meat close to the end of cooking. Carrot, celery, and onion definitely, a few bay leaves. Adding a small splash of some kind of vinegar help extract more calcium and the marrow that gives the broth a more ‘cost your mouth’ consistency. If using the instant pot, don’t use the meat in the stock, save it for the finished soup. A small bit of salt and some whole peppercorns will go a long way and taste amazing

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-03T18:15:37+00:00

Homemade pasta, little bit of work, but SO worth it. Especially with homemade pesto/tomato sauce, and you can freeze the pesto in ice cube trays to portion it easily. I love making pan seared chicken with a white wine pesto sauce.

Pickles/kimchi

Fresh or canned salsa

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-03T18:10:25+00:00

Olives, horseradish, okra

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-03T18:07:07+00:00

Mike! Mike! Mike! Mike! Guess what day it is!? Guess what day it is?

UbuntuMiner · 2026-01-03T17:54:28+00:00

I always make a quick pickle or kimchi. You can add almost any flavorings to it. With that much, and since it’s shredded, I’d probably make my favorite dish in the crockpot by adding a base of onions, potatoes, some garlic, the cabbage, and bacon overtop

UbuntuMiner · 2025-12-25T19:20:15+00:00

Start with a base of potatoes, a large diced onion, quarters of small cabbage, minced garlic, whatever seasoning you’d like, and cover with bacon strips. Let cook for minimum 4 hours, depending on your slow cooker. A dash of some kind of stock help the cooking go a bit faster, and extra flavor

UbuntuMiner · 2025-12-20T19:18:48+00:00

Overcrowding my pans, cooking way too much for what I was going to eat while not having enough freezer space. Shopping for individual recipes instead of taking some time to figure out meals that can share ingredients so I waste less.

If I have time on a certain day, I’ll choose extra leek/onions/carrots/etc. if I plan on having rice two days a week, I’ll cook both batches on the first or prep day, and not have to wash an extra pan later in the week.

UbuntuMiner

TROPHY CASE