Dinner from the pantry...

So I'm not sure that it's ever happened in the history of Scott & I living together these last 5 years...but the time has finally come:  I do not think I've stepped foot in a grocery story in over 2 weeks. 

HUH???  How does this happen?  I'm usually there at LEAST once a week with little stops at Trader Joe's here and there.  But nope...I've been NADA since the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  And aside from a few meals out here and there, we really have been cooking A LOT.  Goes to show what a well stocked pantry & freezer can produce!

So I tell you all of this because I spent most of Monday having not a CLUE of what we were going to have for dinner...yet, I somehow managed to pull off a pretty awesome one just by using random ingredients I had lying around the kitchen...

First I remembered that I had some leftover fresh thyme that I had wanted to use up...along with the ALWAYS useful crushed garlic... 

If you have just these two things...miracles can occurJ

(ps-using fresh thyme, or most fresh herbs, are so easy.  You just run your fingers down the 'branches' to strip off the herbs.  It takes seconds.  And don't worry if you get a rouge 'twig' here or there, once you dice it up, you'll never notice it)

So like chicken, one thing our freezer has an abundance of is pork chops since they also haven't been OVERLY appealing these last few months (although, don't go looking for any ground turkey or meat...we are CLEAR OUT AT ALL TIMES!J)  So since it was what I had on hand, I coated up one side of the trimmed pork chops with the crushed garlic... 

...and coated the other side with the fresh thyme and let them pan seer until they were cooked through. 

After the pork was cooked, I set it off to the side and to the same pan I added a diced onion and some MORE of my prepared and frozen leeks... 

These baggies of leeks have become invaluable!  I had gotten 3 leek stalks for about $1.50 and I've already stretched them into 2 meals...and still have a baggie & a half left in the freezer.  A good 'save' if I do say so myselfJ

Anyways, I let the onion & leeks cook up and soften, while the 'water' from the frozen leeks had just enough moisture to deglaze my pan and have the onions pick up all of the colors...(add a little water or chicken broth if things are getting 'too hot'J) 

Next up, Scott made 'quick pulled pork' and added it back to the onions & leeks to combine... 

And aside from pork & chicken...what else was our house ABUNDANT in?????  Polenta!  I know, I know...strange, right?  But polenta is one of those things that I feel instantly happy about when we have it, so I guess that means the baby likes it and I had STOCKED UP at some point or anotherJ hahahahaha.... 

Not to mention, it's one of the easiest things to whip up.  I brought 3 cups of liquid to a boil (I happened to use 1 1/2 cups milk & 1 1/2 cups chicken broth this time...but use whatever you have).  Once the liquid boils, you whisk in one cup of polenta and stir until it 'masses.'  

Be sure to turn your stove onto loowwwwwww as this stuff turns to spurting molten lava QUICKLY!!!  After you whisk it for about 3 minutes, it's READY!

Add to the pot whatever you have to flavor it up....this time I happened to use the last of the thyme, a little salt, leftover gouda cheese & about 1/2 cup of grated cheese... 

Stir and wallah...how easy is that dinner?? 

To our plates we just added a layer of the cheesy polenta... 

...and then topped it with the pulled pork, onions & leeks!  So simple!  I started dinner at 5:30 and our plates hit the table at 6:01J 

And soooooooooo delicious!  The creamy, cheesy polenta made a great base for the herby pork & onions.  SUCH a good dinner for one that was 'pulled out of the closest'J

I actually have at least one more 'from the pantry' dinner planned for tonight.  A little spin on an old favorite.  We'll see how THIS one goesJ

Hope you guys have a great day...although that might be tough in Jersey, as it's rainy AND HOT!!!  Ughhhhhh...not a fan, especially in December. 

Off to go dream of snowflakes & gingerbreadJ