Angel hair pasta tossed with Mexican turkey picadillo, garlic, jalapenos, and tomato sauce, finished with fresh green onions. Weeknight Mexican-Italian mashup ready in under 30 minutes.
Four-B chili loads black beans, stout beer, broccoli, and peanut butter into a three-chili vegetarian chili with deep, roasty, unexpected flavor. Served over Spanish rice with warm corn tortillas.
Vermouth-poached monkfish or halibut nestled in golden shortcrust pastry shells with a zesty dill and mustard mayo. An elegant seafood starter that comes together in just 20 minutes.
Herb-loaded tomato barbecue sauce sweetened with honey and spiked with cumin, coriander, chili powder, and Tabasco. Simmers for 30 minutes and makes 5 cups of bold, versatile basting sauce.
Pork, ham, and shrimp jambalaya is a Louisiana-Creole rice dish layering sausage, cubed ham, and shrimp in a tomato-thyme broth. Three-protein one-pot meal with deep Southern roots.
Dad's shepherd's pie: ground beef with mushrooms, tomato and brown gravy, topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and baked until the crust turns golden brown. Sunday-supper comfort food.
Low-carb lasagna swapping noodles for sliced zucchini, layered with a slow-simmered beef and red wine meat sauce, creamy ricotta, melted mozzarella, and Parmesan. All the comfort, none of the pasta.
Pork chops with apples in a sweet-and-sour sauce of red wine vinegar, honey, chicken broth, and tomato paste. A French-inspired skillet dinner in 40 minutes.
Three meats, a cold beer, and a shot of tequila walk into a pot. Two hours later, you've got a thick, spicy chili with chunks of steak, ground beef, pork, and kidney beans that'll win any cookoff.
Meshoui is Moroccan-style roast lamb: a leg rubbed with paprika, garlic and pepper, roasted on a bed of aromatic vegetables, then braised tender in a tomato-spiked pan sauce. Fragrant, fall-apart North African lamb.
Pasta with red clam sauce made from fresh littleneck clams steamed in white wine and fish stock, then tossed with tomato, basil, and oregano. Light, briny, and ready in 30 minutes.
Slow cooker chicken cacciatore with two whole chickens braised in tomatoes, red wine, garlic, and Italian herbs. Set it, forget it, and feed a crowd of ten with zero effort.
Creamy blended lentil soup with bacon, leeks, and a splash of vinegar, topped with sliced sauteed frankfurters. A German-inspired comfort soup that's thick, smoky, and surprisingly hearty.
Sybil Carter's homemade barbecue sauce starts with bacon drippings and builds layers of tangy tomato, brown sugar sweetness, mustard bite, and hot pepper heat. Doubles easily and keeps in the fridge for weeks.
A hearty meatless chili with kidney beans, zucchini, green chiles, and brown rice simmered in a tomato base with cloves and vinegar. Even better the next day. Freezes like a dream.
Fassoulatha, the classic Greek white bean soup slow-simmered with olive oil, carrots, celery, and oregano. Vegan, hearty, and finished with a splash of white wine vinegar.