Why it works: Thyme and celery match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,193 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Ham and Potato Skillet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Spray a large skillet with pam.
In the skillet cook ham, celery, and onion till vegetables are tender.
Stir in potatoes; fresh green beans if using them; water; thyme; and pepper.
Simmer
Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or till potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
If using frozen green beans, add to ham and potato mixture the last 7 minutes of cooking.
Serve
To serve, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Thyme + celerytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,193 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + thymetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,586 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground ham
- Provides the main savory meat flavor and bulk of the skillet.
- Potatoes
- Become tender as they cook and absorb liquid, giving the skillet its body.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds a salty, savory finish sprinkled over the cooked dish.
- Green beans
- Add crisp-tender texture and fresh vegetable flavor.
The step that matters
Simmer covered until most of the liquid is absorbed. Keeping the lid on traps steam so the potatoes cook through evenly, while the liquid slowly reduces. Lifting the lid too early or cooking too long can leave the potatoes undercooked or the skillet dry and sticking.
Swap the green beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, potato, onion, thyme, parmesan cheese, celery, pepper):
- Carrotfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Mustardfits better
- Green beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ham, potato, onion, thyme, parmesan cheese, celery, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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