Worlds Best Lasagna

 From: World's Best Lasagna Recipe (with Video)

Yields: 12 Servings

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

¾ pound lean ground beef

½ cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

½ cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves

1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.

Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

 From:  Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce (Video)

Serves:  4-6

For the Sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

¾ cup finely chopped shallots, from 2-3 large shallots

1¼ cups red wine

3 cups beef broth

6 fresh thyme sprigs

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Beef

1 (2 to 3 lb) center-cut beef tenderloin roast

Kosher salt (½ teaspoon per pound of beef)

Freshly ground black pepper (¼ teaspoon per pound of beef)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup beef broth

For the Sauce

Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.

While the liquid is reducing, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and soften in the microwave, if necessary (it should be soft but not melted). Add the flour and, using a small spoon, mix into a smooth paste.

Once the wine mixture is reduced, reduce the heat to low and remove the thyme sprigs. Whisk the flour-butter paste, a tablespoon at a time, into the simmering liquid, and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Set aside. (The sauce can be made up to this point and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.)

For the Tenderloin

Let the beef stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Season the beef all over with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook, turning with tongs, until well browned on all but one side, about 10 minutes total. Turn the tenderloin so that the un-seared side is down, and transfer the skillet directly to the preheated oven. (If your pan isn't oven-proof, transfer the beef to a lightly oiled roasting pan.) Roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 120°F-125° for medium rare, about 15 minutes, or until done to your liking (115°F-120°F for rare, 130°F-135°F for medium). Keep in mind that these temperatures account for the fact that the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees while the meat rests.

Transfer the meat to a carving board (preferably with a well for collecting juices) and let it rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 10 to 15 minutes. Place a dishtowel or oven mitt over the handle of the roasting pan to remind yourself that it's hot.

Meanwhile, carefully discard the fat from the roasting pan (remember that the handle is hot!). Set the pan on the stovetop and add the ¼ cup of broth. Bring the broth to a boil and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the fond, or brown bits, from the bottom of the pan. Add the flavorful broth to the red wine sauce, and then bring the sauce to a simmer.

Carve the tenderloin into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve the beef, passing the red wine sauce at the table.

Butternut Squash Soup

 From:  Butternut Squash Soup Recipe (Stovetop, Instant Pot or Crock-Pot!)

Yields:  6-8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 white onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and roughly chopped

1 medium (about 3–4 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

1 sprig fresh sage

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste

optional garnishes: smoked paprika, extra drizzle of unsweetened coconut milk, or see more ideas above

Sauté the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.

Simmer: Add the vegetable broth, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are all tender and mash easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.

Purée: Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. (Or alternately, see instructions in the notes below for how to purée the soup safely using a traditional blender.)

Season and serve: Taste and season the soup generously with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes, and enjoy!

Spinach and Cheese Strata

 From:  https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/spinach-cheese-strata.html#tabrecipe

Servings: 8 to 10

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 75 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes, plus at least one hour to sit in the fridge

1 pound bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

3 garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces (¾ pound) Italian sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 11 slices or 8 cups)

6 ounces (1½ cups) coarsely grated swiss cheese

9 large eggs

2¾ cups milk or plant based milk

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1¾ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and drained spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.

Butter a 3-quart or 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread one third of the bread cubes in the dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. (Try to break it up as much as possible so there are no huge clumps of spinach.) Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice, ending with cheeses.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk until well combined. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed, set and golden brown all over top, 70-80 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. It will settle a bit as it cools.

Note: The cook time is based on the strata going immediately from the fridge to the oven. If it sits out at room temperature before baking, the cook time will be about 10 minutes less.

Chicken Casserole - Go to for Delivering

This is a great recipe to take when someone is sick, had a baby, or lost a loved one.  It is a full meal in one pan.  I add fruit and some cookies to round it out.  I found the disposable pan at the Dollar Store.  I normally don't bake it prior to taking, and I tape a note to the top telling them to bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  That brings all the flavors together.  It serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 Box Stove Top Stuffing Chicken

1 1/4 Cup hot water

3 T Butter

1 Roasted Chicken from the Grocery Store

10 3/4 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/3 C Sour Cream or Milk

1 bunch of broccoli cut into bite size pieces

1 disposable pan 12 x 8 size

Directions:

1.  Stir stuffing, water, and butter until moist.

2.  Steam or boil broccoli until just tender.  Make sure not to over cook.

3.  Pull chicken off bones.  Add to baking dish.

4.  Mix soup and sour cream or milk.  Pour over chicken.

5.  Add broccoli on top.

6.  Finish with the stuffing over the broccoli.

7.  Only do this step if you are serving right away.  Otherwise, let the recipient bake it when they are ready.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chili

 From:  https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-chili/#recipe

Servings:  4-6

• 1 - 1 ½ pound ground beef
• ▢1 medium onion , diced
• ▢4 garlic cloves , minced
• ▢2 cans (540ml/19oz) red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
• ▢3 tablespoons (49g) tomato paste
• ▢1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
• ▢1 - 2 tablespoons (8g - 16g) chili powder (depends on your chili powder’s spiciness and preference)
• ▢1 tablespoon (6g) cumin seed , ground
• ▢1 teaspoon (1g) dried oregano
• ▢1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
• ▢
• ▢Brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper to taste

Umami Chicken Stock Mixture:

• ▢1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock
• ▢2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce (can substitute with regular soy sauce)
• ▢1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
• ▢1 teaspoon (2.5g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Brown Ground Beef: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until indicator says HOT.

Season ground beef generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot.

Add ground beef in Instant Pot. The ground beef will start to release moisture. At the 5-minute mark, remove the ground beef juice.  Allow the ground beef to brown. Stir occasionally until they are slightly crisped and browned (~5 – 7 minutes). Taste and adjust the seasoning with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Mix Chicken Stock Mixture: While the ground beef is browning, mix 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, and 1 tsp (2.5g) unsweetened cocoa powder in a 500ml measuring cup.
Sauté Onion, Garlic and Spices: Add diced onions, minced garlic, 1 tbsp ground cumin seed, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp dried oregano. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the spices start to release their fragrance. Stir frequently.
Deglaze: Pour in ½ cup (125ml) of the Umami Chicken Stock Mixture, fully deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Mix the brown bits with the stock mixture.
Pressure Cook Chili: Pour in the remaining Umami Chicken Stock Mixture. Add 2 cans of drained red kidney beans. Mix well. Add 3 tbsp (49g) tomato paste and 1 can of crushed tomatoes with all the juice on top. Do not mix
With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + Natural Release. Open the lid carefully.
Reduce and Season: If the chili is too runny, give it a quick stir and cook for another few minutes using the Sauté mode.
Taste and season with brown sugar (we used 1 tbsp), kosher salt and black pepper.

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce

 From:  https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-beef-brisket-with-bbq-sauce/comment-page-10/#comments

Ingredients

• ▢1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb beef brisket (Note 1)
• ▢1 tbsp olive oil (or a neutral oil like vegetable, canola)

RUB:

• ▢1 tbsp brown sugar
• ▢2 tsp paprika powder
• ▢1 tsp onion powder
• ▢1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢1/2 tsp cumin powder
• ▢3/4 tsp mustard powder
• ▢1 tsp salt
• ▢1/2 tsp black pepper

BBQ SAUCE:

• ▢2 garlic cloves , minced
• ▢1/2 cup / 125 ml apple cider vinegar
• ▢1 1/2 cups / 375 ml ketchup
• ▢1/2 cup / 110g brown sugar , packed
• ▢2 tsp EACH black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder
• ▢1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste re: spiciness)
• ▢1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

• Mix Rub ingredients. Rub all over brisket. If time permits, leave for 30 minutes – 24 hours in the fridge, but I rarely do this.
• Combine BBQ Sauce ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix then add the brisket – squish it in if needed, like I did (see video).
• Slow cook in slow cooker for 8 hours (1.5 kg / 3 lb) to 10 hours (2 kg / 4 lb). (Note 2 for pressure cooker and click here for oven)
• Remove brisket onto a tray.
• Pour liquid in slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat and reduce until it thickens to a syrup consistency (it thickens more as it cools).
• Meanwhile, drizzle brisket with oil then roast in a 200C/390F oven for 15 minutes until brown spots appear. Remove then baste generously with Sauce, then return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove and baste again, then return to oven for 5 – 10 minutes until it caramelises and looks like the photos. (See note for BBQ option)
• TO SERVE: Slice brisket thinly across the grain and serve with remaining BBQ Sauce. This is terrific served as a meal with sides or piled high onto rolls with Coleslaw as sliders. See Note 3 for more ideas.

Recipe Notes:

1. Beef - This recipe will work on any slow cooking cut of beef but it works best with brisket because it holds its shape once slow cooked until tender, so it can be sliced. See post for more info. Best sub is chuck beef roast that's rolled and tied. 

AUSTRALIA: Best to get it from a butcher so you can ask for a thick cut which is best. Woolies and Aldi sell rolled brisket which is thinner. Harris Farms also sells brisket but they are small pieces. Recipe will work for these, see notes below for cook times for different weights.

2a). Cook time - The cook times provided yields a tender brisket that is sliceable but tender so the slices tear easily, as demonstrated in the video. Don’t stress too much about cook time - brisket is a cut of beef that holds together pretty well even cooked to the point of being shreddable. So even a 1.5kg / 3 lb brisket slow cooked for 10 hours should still be sliceable. Brisket that isn’t tender is tough and chewy but if you pull it out too early, don’t worry, just keep cooking!

SLOW COOKER on HIGH: Same recipe, 4.5 hours for 1.5 kg / 3 lb or 5 hours for 2 kg / 4 lb. Follow same directions.

PRESSURE COOKER: Same recipe, 1 hr 15 minutes for 1.5 kg / 3 lb or 1 hr 30 minutes for 2 kg / 4 lb. Follow same directions. If you've got an Instant Pot, add 1 cup water (otherwise you get the burn notice) and might need to reduce sauce slightly at end. Natural release, or wait 15 minutes then quick release

OVEN: Click here for directions.

2b) DIFFERENT SIZES: For a 800g - 1 kg / 1.6 - 2 lb piece of brisket, I would still slow cook for 7 to 8 hours on low because the cook time is more about brisket width rather than length. 

For a 2.5 - 3 kg / 5 - 6 lb brisket, I would slow cook for 10 hours on low.

3. How to serve - See in post for what to serve this with. For Sliders, I use soft rolls (brioche buns are pictured in the post) with Coleslaw (or try this No Mayo Coleslaw - it's excellent!)

4. Finish on BBQ: fantastic chargrilled flavour: Brush grills with oil, then preheat BBQ to medium. Place beef on the grills and leave until browned, then turn the beef over and brown the other side. Baste the beef generously and turn, then baste again. Do this repeatedly until there is a nice caramelised glaze on the brisket, then remove.

5. MAKE AHEAD: Slow cook the brisket but do not bake, then transfer into a storage container with the cooking liquid (don’t reduce it down) and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, transfer brisket only into a baking dish and cover. Bake at 180C/350F for 20 minutes or until warmed through. Then turn up oven to 200C/390F, remove cover and proceed with recipe to brown and baste the brisket surface. Transfer sauce into saucepan and warm – you may not need to reduce. Use for basting per recipe.

6. SERVINGS: I usually budget for 250g/8oz of raw meat per head, to err on the side of caution. This shrinks to about 200g / 6.5 oz per head once cooked. That's a generous pile on rolls!

7. Nutrition per serving, assuming a 2 kg / 4 lb beef brisket with some fat on the surface (i.e. not trimmed of all fat), 10 servings, assuming all the sauce is consumed.