Hibachi Chicken and Steak

The hubby and I love eating at Japanese restaurants, and while the hubby always starts off with some spicy sushi, I save my appetite for the hibachi dishes.

That's pretty easy to do when I don't like sushi. You have now witnessed the full extent of my willpower.

It seems like it should be something that's pretty easy to make at home, so we decided to give it a try. This came pretty darn close for us, although it still might be missing something. Maybe some sake? Extra oil? Spatulas flipping through the air and volcanic onions? We'll have to give those a shot.  

Hibachi Chicken and Steak
Serves 4-6

For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut it bite-sized pieces 
Salt and pepper 
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
1 tablespoon butter 
1-2 tablespoons stir-fry or teriyaki sauce (I used a spicy apricot sauce, sort of like General Tso's) 

For the steak:
1 pound sirloin, cut in bite-sized pieces 
Salt, pepper, and Montreal Steak seasoning 
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
1 tablespoon butter 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

2. Add chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is starting to brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 2-4 minutes.

4. Add stir-fry or teriyaki sauce and toss chicken to coat.

5. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in another skillet or wok over medium-high to high heat. (You can go a little hotter with the sirloin, because you don't have to worry about cooking it all the way through like you do the chicken.)

6. Add sirloin, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and steak seasoning. Cook until sirloin starts to brown on all sides.

7. Stir in 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon butter. If you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and toss in some mushrooms.

8. Cook until sirloin is cooked through to desired doneness.

Beef Noodle Skillet

This is a quick and easy recipe that we threw together after a long afternoon of sledding and snowblowing recently. It's not fancy fare, but it's tasty, filling, economical, and makes a ton of food. (It also reheats pretty well, if you don't cook the bejeezus out of your noodles.)

The idea for this recipe came from Everyday magazine, but as usual, I made some changes to suit our tastes and make it cook faster. (I was hungry.)

Beef Noodle Skillet
Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt, pepper, and onion salt
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, cut in small chunks
1 large bell pepper, cut in small slices
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water
12 ounces dried egg noodles (although you might not use them all)

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and onion salt. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.

Transfer to a plate or bowl.

3. In the same skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Add the potatoes to the pan and stir to coat with the rendered bacon grease.

5. Cover and cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes.

6. Stir in peppers, hamburger mixture, tomato sauce, and water.

7. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling, salted water until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain.

9. Add the noodles to the skillet, starting with about half to two-thirds, and then adding more as needed. Stir well to combine.

10. Before serving, season to taste with salt, pepper, and onion salt.

Korean Steak

Every once in a while I have to take a break from holiday baking to cook some real food for the family. This is a variation of a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com, and I've been anxious to try it because I really like Korean beef. The marinade has a longer list of ingredients, but it really does come together quickly.

I've read before that adding Asian pear to the marinade helps soften and tenderize the beef, but I'd never before seen an Asian pear in my grocery store. Luckily, kiwi can be used as a substitute (but just use a very small amount, like a fraction of a teaspoon). However, when I went to my supermarket to grab a kiwi, what should I find next to the kiwifruit, but Asian pears! (Actually, the sticker on the fruit said "Apple Pear," but the sign said "Asian pear.") I just grated up enough of the peeled fruit to make 1/4 cup of mush to add to my marinade.

I made a few other changes, as well, and I really liked how this turned out. My only complaint is that I typically like more vegetables in my stir-fry, so I think I'd add some next time. I served this with fried rice, in the meantime, and ended up sort of stirring it all together like a Korean beef-fried rice.

Korean Steak
Serves 4-6

Marinade:
1/4 cup shredded Asian pear
2 pounds thinly sliced steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I had to leave these out)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
5 tablespoons mirin
1/2 teaspoon sriracha

Stir-fry:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced lengthwise

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but not more than 24 hours.

2. Before cooking, sprinkle meat with sesame oil.

3. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir-fry onion and beef (discarding the marinade) until beef is no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes.

Meatballs in Gravy

This recipe, one of the hubby's most frequently requested, is very representative of our now-combined families. This is my mother-in-law's recipe for meatballs, combined with a version of my dad's legendary gravy.

The secret to the meatballs is crushed saltines. And the secret to the gravy? Cream of chicken soup. (I think I've mentioned on here before that my Grandma Erickson, my dad's mom, could accomplish extraordinary culinary feats with a can of cream of chicken soup.)

My gravy still isn't as good as my dad's, and I'm convinced that he's withholding some secret trick from me. (You know, aside from the whole "patience, young padawan" thing.) My tweaks to my dad's recipe are to add a bit of browning sauce and Worcestershire sauce, just to beef up the gravy a bit. (You don't get a lot of juice and pan drippings from meatballs.)

Another of my dad's little tricks? Use off-brand cream of chicken soup. Because it's not as chickeny as the more expensive brands, it picks up the flavors of your meat much better.

Meatballs in Gravy
Serves 6

Meatballs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably 85% lean
3/4 cup crushed saltines
2 eggs
Salt, pepper, and onion salt
2 teaspoons canola oil

Gravy
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans water
Salt, pepper, and onion salt, to taste
1-2 teaspoons browning sauce
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Slurry of cornstarch, flour, and water (about 1 part each cornstarch and flour to 2 parts water)

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, saltines, eggs, salt, pepper, and onion salt.

2. Form mixture into balls about 1“-1 1/2” in diameter.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs and brown on all sides.

4. Remove meatballs from skillet and repeat with remaining oil and meatballs.

5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in soup, water, browning sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

6. Bring soup mixture to a simmer and return meatballs to pan. Cover and cook about 15-20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

7. Using a whisk, stir in slurry until gravy is of desired consistency.

8. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and onion salt.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

And once again, I'm behind in my posts. It's been a busy few weeks with fall yardwork, the wedding of a couple of great friends, my Tigers in the playoffs (hey, watching baseball takes time), and this little goofball turning 2.

Isn't he getting big?

(That's me at the top of the slide. The hubby has been giving me Photography for Dummies lessons lately, including the importance of the bokeh effect in photos. I've discovered that I look my best when I'm bokeh-ed. I plan on taking all my photos that way from now on.)

Anyway, in belated honor of my little man's big birthday, we'll celebrate with meatballs, one of his favorites. These are basic meatballs without any crunchy stuff, no weird chunks of anything in the sauce, etc. Just tender meatballs simmered in a tasty sauce, and sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

The pickiest of eaters being my father, of course, not my 2-year-old.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably 85% lean
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (or more, as needed)
2 24-ounce jars pasta sauce

1. Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, and eggs to a bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt.

2. Combine mixture thoroughly. You might have to get your hands dirty.

3. Form mixture into uniformly sized balls.

I use my cookie scoop for this. Even though it weirds me out a little bit, and the cookie scoop is obviously washed in between.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and brown on all sides.

You might have to do this in two batches. You want your meatballs to have elbow room to get nice and caramelized.

5. Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta sauce and cover. Cook about 10 minutes, until sauce is bubbly. Then reduce to a simmer for another 20 minutes or so.

6. Serve over cooked pasta.

Quick Taco Casserole

Since the move, I've been commuting to work instead of the hubby. Luckily, my company is very flexible about my working from home a few days a week, which I love. I feel like I have the perfect combination of social interaction and alone time so I can focus, and our little family also gets a few more hours of together time on the days when I work from home.

The days when I commute can get a little hectic, though, because I return home right about the time when the little man is starting to demand his supper. (And let's be honest, I'm ready to demand mine, too.)

Meals like this are perfect for those evenings, because I can assemble this dish quickly the night before, and the hubby can just pop it in the oven when he gets home from work.

This isn't fancy cuisine, by any means, but as the hubby says, "It tastes good and it's warm." And the little man gobbled his right up.

Quick Taco Casserole
Serves 6-8

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 c. (8 oz.) taco sauce
3/4 c. water
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles (optional)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
12 white or yellow taco shells, or about 6 oz. tortilla chips, divided
2 c. shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese, divided
Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, and other assorted toppings

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 11x7-inch pan, or spray with cooking spray.

2. Cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until browned. Stir in taco sauce, water, green chiles, and taco seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.

3. Layer half the broken taco shells or chips on bottom of baking dish.

I'm not quite certain why I felt this photo was important.

4. Cover with half the meat mixture and half the cheese.

5. Repeating with remaining taco shells, meat mixture, and cheese.

6. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

7. Let cool slightly before serving, and serve with toppings.

The Chili I've Been Dreaming Of

It’s official; I’m a delinquent blogger.

Moving, kitchen packed up, blah, blah, blah. Had to unpack, couldn’t find the camera, yadda, yadda, yadda.

What it boils down to is that I’ve been neglecting my blog. But that’s done with, I assure you. We’ve only been the house for a few weeks, so we’re not exactly unpacked yet. (We might never be unpacked.) But the kitchen is fairly put together. I’m still missing various pots and pans and a half-dozen or so small appliances, but I can get by. I’ve actually cooked more in the past few weeks than the past several months, combined. (And we’ve probably had more dinner guests than in the past few years, combined.)

I really like my new kitchen. It’s very spacious and has a ton of counter space and double ovens.* And it’s YELLOW.**

Anyway, the chili. I’ve been on a quest for my perfect chili for quite some time now, because I like a thicker, meatier, more cumin-y chili that has lots of flavor but not a ton of heat. But everything I tried was too something. Too salty. Too thick. Too thin. Too chili powderish.

And then, I tried this. This is a recipe from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips, and it’s perfect. And you can’t mess it up. I’ve followed the recipe to the letter. I’ve halved it. I’ve cooked it on the stovetop. I’ve forgotten to toast the spices. I’ve added beans. I’ve forgotten half the tomato sauce. And it always tastes amazing.

You can serve this chili with your choice of toppings. The little man likes his topped with plenty o’ black beans. I like mine with cheese. My brother likes cheese and jalapenos. We all like to use tortilla chips in place of a spoon.

You must try this chili.

*One oven is about the same as age me.
**Yes, the yellow paint was my decision. It’s a happy kitchen.

The Chili I've Been Dreaming Of (a.k.a. Ryan's Chili)
Serves 6-8

2 Tbsp. oil
2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef
2 tsp. ancho chile powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp. cornmeal
2 c. beef broth
4 c. tomato sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, beans, jalapenos, etc. for topping

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and crumble, and cook until brown. Transfer meat to slow cooker.

2. Add chile powder, oregano, cumin, 2 tsp. salt, and cayenne to the skillet and cook until spices are fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add cornmeal and stir until mixture thickens. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Transfer to slow cooker and stir in tomato sauce.

3. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, or until chili is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with toppings.

Baked Mostaccioli

Now that the hubby and I have sold the house, life has sort of returned to normal. If normal means we can once again mess up the kitchen while we try to sort out the details of this moving debacle.

(And speaking of organizational nightmares, I got a new phone this week. It has a little Post-It notes app that just might keep me sane. Yay Windows Phone 7!)

I threw together this casserole the other night and left it in the fridge before tossing it in the oven after work. I'm a huge fan of pasta bakes, but the hubby typically says, "Meh." This one has a homemade sauce, and not as much sauce or cheese as I typically use. The hubby had two helpings and told me to make it again sometime. So it's healthier AND hubby approved.

Baked Mostaccioli
Serves 6

8 oz. uncooked mostaccioli or other pasta (I used rotini; that's 8 fewer ounces of pasta to pack up for the move!)
3/4-1 lb. lean ground beef
Salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. cottage cheese (I used 2%)
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11"x7" baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions.

3. Add ground beef to a large skillet or saucepan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt, and brown over medium to medium-high heat. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and marjoram; set aside.

5. Drain pasta. Spread 1/2 c. sauce in bottom of baking dish. Layer with half the pasta, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Please pretend there is mozzarella in this photo. Thanks, The Management.

6. Top with cottage cheese mixture.

7. Layer with remaining pasta, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

8. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Try to remember to take a picture before four servings have been eaten out of the dish.

Jack's Minestrone

This is Jack.

Light of my life, apple of my eye, the reason why I rarely get to cook on weeknights. Jack's a good eater, and he's also our resident flexitarian. He adores beans, veggies, and pasta; most meat or poultry receives a lukewarm reception, at best, and is usually outright ignored. (The exception? Duh, bacon.)

This is another soup recipe that combines some of Jack's favorite foods, and that's easy for us to reheat for him a few times during the week. I threw in some ground beef, because I am not a flexitarian, and I wanted soup, too. But I might just take a page from Jack's book (no pun intended) and leave out the ground beef next time. The soup is pretty hearty without it, and the broth is oh so tasty.

Jack's Minestrone
Serves 6

1 tsp. vegetable or canola oil

3/4 lb. ground beef (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small zucchini, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

Salt and pepper

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

15 oz. tomato sauce

32 oz. chicken broth

2 cans small white beans, drained

Additional salt and pepper, to taste

Cooked pasta

1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add hamburger, garlic, and onion, and cook until brown.

2. Add the veggies, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the Italian seasoning and bay leaf. Cook about 2-3 minutes, or until veggies start to sweat.

3. Add tomato sauce and broth, and stir. Bring soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. You can use any size or shape. Smaller pasta, such as ditalini, is probably more traditional, but I use rotini or even cheese tortellini so it's easier for the little man to eat.

When making soups that include pasta, I usually prefer to cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup later, so the pasta doesn't absorb all the broth from the soup. (It's even more important to store them separately if you have leftovers, or you'll end up with some sort of mushy casserole concoction.)

5. Add beans to soup and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta to individual servings.

Teriyaki Strip Steak

The hubby loves sushi, but me, not so much. (Wait, that didn't come out right.) Luckily, most of the sushi places in the area cater to the cooked-meat crowd, and teriyaki steak is one of my favorite dishes to order when the hubby has the urge to dine on cold, raw fish.

But I feel a little like Goldilocks. One restaurant's sauce is too sweet and clingy. Another's is too thin and bland. Et cetera.

This teriyaki sauce, from America's Test Kitchen, is juuuust right. Actually, it's better than just right. It's perfect, and this really simple weeknight meal ended up being the best teriyaki steak I've ever had. Of course, I got to choose my own cut of meat, but the teriyaki sauce is definitely the star.

This will be my go-to teriyaki sauce from now on, and this dish will be part of our regular rotation.

Especially when the hubby picks up sushi.

Teriyaki Strip Steak

Serves 4

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 12-oz. strip steaks

Salt and pepper

2 tsp. vegetable oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Whisk together soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl.

2. Pat steaks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, just until oil starts smoking. Add steaks and cook until well browned, about 5 or so minutes on each side.

You definitely want your steak on the rarer side for this dish.

3. Transfer steaks to a plate and tent with foil. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak.

4. Add soy sauce mixture to skillet. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes.

5. Slice steak thinly against the grain. Pour sauce over the steak and sprinkle with scallions.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

We had back-to-back blizzards here the week of New Year's, and more than a week later, some of the roads are still glare ice. Needless to say, we stuck around the house for New Year’s Eve -- and had ourselves a little fiesta.

I’m a huge fan of enchiladas with red sauce, but even when we go to a Mexican restaurant with a huge variety of combo platters, I have difficulty finding my favorite combination: one shredded beef and bean enchilada and one cheese enchilada. (If you combine them all together, the cheese flavor gets lost.) Luckily, it’s quite easy to make these at home.

For the beef filling, I used my shredded beef taco meat recipe, which is so versatile. Plus, it’s easy to make a day or two ahead. And while I strongly encourage making your own enchilada sauce, I didn’t have the ingredients I needed on hand. But I did have enchilada sauce. Go figure.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
Serves 4

1 c. refried beans (I usually use fat-free)
2 large can enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
Pinch of sugar (seriously, just a tiny pinch)
8 8-9” tortillas (corn is traditional, but I prefer flour)
1-1½ c. shredded beef taco filling
6 oz. shredded cheese (I prefer Monterey Jack)
1 c. shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
The usual accompaniments for serving: lettuce, tomato, olives, sour cream, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat refried beans until they’re of spreading consistency. (I sometimes add a bit of water or broth to mine to make them a bit thinner.)

3. In a small saucepan, heat enchilada sauce to a simmer and add beef bouillon cubes. Stir occasionally, until bouillon is thoroughly dissolved. Add a pinch of sugar.

4. Ladle a bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. This helps keep the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom.

5. Heat each tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds. For the beef and bean enchiladas, layer some beans on the tortilla – however much you prefer. (Or leave them out altogether if you’re not a bean fan.) Top with beef.

6. Tightly roll the tortillas and place them in the baking dish.

7. For the cheese enchiladas, add beans if you prefer, and tightly roll tortilla. Place in baking dish, alternating with the beef and bean. Or however you want to arrange them.

8. When finished with all 8, top with enchilada sauce.

9. Spray the dull side of a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover the pan (spray side down). Bake enchiladas about 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Immediately sprinkle with 1 c. cheese.

10. Serve with toppings.

Tortellini al Forno

It probably seems as though I'm not cooking as much lately, because I haven't been posting as much. In truth, I've been cooking a lot. But I'm having a recipe drought. I've made a few on-the-fly recipes that have turned out really well, but I wasn't expecting them to, so I didn't take photos. Meanwhile, I've had a slew of recipes with high expectations, lovely photographs, and ... well, meh flavor.

Perhaps I should blog these as what NOT to cook. You know, to save you some time, in case you've got the same cookbooks.

The other night, the hubby and I had an evening out with a few of our siblings, thanks to Jay at Pocket Jacks, his lovely fiancee Donna, and his adorably patient daughter, Macy. They hung out with the little man while we had a quick dinner out, followed by a movie. We ate at an Italian restaurant, and I ordered tortellini al forno, which is one of my favorite dishes. And the little man loved, loved, loved my leftovers the next day, so I decided to whip up a version at home.

Although it looks and tastes impressive, this dish is actually quite easy to make, especially if you use a jarred sauce. And because I broiled it instead of baking it, it just needs a quick zap in the oven.

Tortellini al Forno
Makes 6 servings

1 lb. ground beef
Salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt, to taste
2 24- to 26-oz. jars cheese-flavored red pasta sauce (such as Ragu six-cheese or Classico four-cheese)
1/3 c. cream
1 22-oz. pkg. of refrigerated cheese tortellini (frozen will also work)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella or thinly sliced fresh mozzarella

1. Preheat broiler on low. Meanwhile, spray a large shallow pan or individual baking dishes with cooking spray.

I used these guys, whom I love.

2. Brown ground beef in a pot over medium-high heat, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, onion salt, and garlic salt. Drain, if necessary, and then add pasta sauce. Cover and cook until bubbly, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in cream, and reheat sauce until bubbly.

3. Cook tortellini in salted water according to package directions.

4. Spread some sauce on the bottom of the baking dishes. This will help prevent the tortellini from sticking to the bottom. Nobody likes a sticky tortellini.

5. Drain tortellini and add to remaining sauce in pot, stirring gently so as not to upset your fragile tortellini. Add tortellini to baking dish.

6. Top with cheese, and a bit of dried herbs, if you like the color. And I do.

7. Broil until cheese is melted and just starting to brown, about 7 or so minutes. (Watch it closely, because it can go from barely melted to brown pretty quickly.)