Here’s to one of those nights that you need a quick and easy meal for dinner. For me, that happens about…pretty much every night.
Who am I kidding, as long as you have:
a) a job
b) a child/children
c) a husband (which could fit into the above category) or wife
d) all of the above
You need simple dinner options for your family. “Easy” comes in different categories:
- few ingredients
- minimal preparation
- quick cooking
- little attention while cooking
- make ahead steps
- quick clean-up
The best meals fall into multiple categories, a homerun meal touching base with all six. This Homemade Tartar Sauce Baked Salmon knocks it out of the park with all six bases. I know, there are only three four bases in baseball, but I am trying to make a corny analogy here. Bear with me.
By the way, speaking of baseball, is it still “America’s Favorite Pastime?” or has it been replaced? I mean, do kids still play baseball all the time or are they more into soccer, football, and basketball nowadays? I’ve been thinking about that since our treacherous 12 hour drive home from Utah a few weeks back.
The kiddos were watching The Sandlot (classic movie) in the backseat and it totally brought back memories of running around our neighborhood playing all kinds of games with our friends. Although we never got into trouble like those Sandlot boys did. Never. My favorite sport of choice was called “pick the tallest tree and climb as high as you can until you are too scared to climb down and your 4′ 10″ mom has to come rescue you”. Yeah, that was a classic.
Oh, salmon. Yes, I love salmon. We tend to eat it about once every two weeks or so. I buy it in bulk at Costco and freeze it into family sized portions. It really comes in handy because it freezes well and thaws quickly, especially if you leave it in a pan of lukewarm water. It only takes about 30 minutes.
The recipe for this Homemade Tartar Sauce Baked Salmon can be prepped ahead of time and only takes 20-25 minutes to cook in the oven. Whip up a salad and some rice or potatoes on the side, and you’ve got a fancy meal in no time.
The tartar sauce on this salmon is homemade in less than five minutes and you can use it as a spread on sandwiches, a dip for homemade fish sticks (recipe coming soon), or a condiment for salmon burgers using your leftover salmon.
However you use it, all I know is that it bakes into a velvety creamy layer of flavor right under the crunch of the crispy breadcrumbs in this salmon dish. The combo is fantastic.
Bon appetite! Oh, and before I forget. For easy clean-up, just bake the salmon right on a piece of foil. Yeah, I got your back.
- 1½ pound salmon filet
- ¼ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- salt
- pepper
- Homemade Tartar Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayo (can use light or olive oil mayo)
- ¼ cup sour cream (I used light)
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 heaping tablespoon dill relish
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- dash of salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet or pan with foil. Set aside.
- To make tartar sauce, mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. If serving as a spread or a dip, allow to chill for at least 30 minutes. To use on top of salmon, you may use immediately.
- Lay salmon filet on top of foil. Spread a thin layer of tartar sauce over salmon to just cover.* Melt butter in microwave for 10-15 seconds until just melted. Mix in breadcrumbs and stir to coat all crumbs. Sprinkle evenly on top of sauce.
- Bake salmon in oven at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until flakey and barely pink inside.** Serve immediately.
**A 1¼" thick filet should take 20 minutes whereas a 1½" thick filet could take about 25 minutes.
If you’re not sure what else to do with salmon, check out some of my other salmon recipes.
Maple Glazed Pan-Seared Salmon, Quinoa Salmon Salad, and Salmon Fish Tacos
