Recipes with bay leaves

French onion soup Burgundy-style with 3 pounds of onions caramelized, simmered with white wine, and topped with Gruyere-crusted toast baked until bubbly and golden.

Spiced beef roast braised in beer and beef broth with thyme, bay leaf, and brown sugar. Cubed stewing beef baked until fork-tender with mixed vegetables added at the end.

Red bell pepper soup with fresh tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, ginger, and cumin. Slow-simmered with red onion and garlic for deep, layered flavor.

Lean 7-ingredient chili con carne with cooked ground beef, beans, tomato sauce, and chili powder simmered for 30 minutes. A fast, freezer-friendly weeknight dinner.

A silky cream sauce built on butter-sweated onion, pepper, celery, and garlic simmered in milk, thickened with roux, then strained smooth and enriched with cream. A versatile foundation sauce.

Creamy fresh tomato soup made from ripe tomatoes, basil, whole cloves, and brown sugar, pureed and finished with half-and-half and milk. Far better than anything from a can.

Pureed potato soup with just potatoes, onion, celery, stock, and a bay leaf. Seven ingredients, 30 minutes, naturally creamy without any dairy.

No need to simmer for hours to create a flavorful homemade chicken broth.

Argentine Creole stuffing with pork and veal mince, milk-soaked bread, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and mango. A South American holiday tradition for roasted poultry.

Amazing Stuffed Leg of Duck with Red Wine Sauce recipe

Saussarelle d'escargots with snails in red wine, tomato, and espagnole sauce finished with brandy and fennel, served in artichoke bottoms. A refined French appetizer.

Jamaican jerk chicken rubbed with a fiery homemade paste of toasted allspice, scallions, garlic, and warm spice, then grilled low and slow over indirect heat. Serve with Pickapeppa sauce for the real deal.

Ground beef and black bean chili with green peppers, carrots, and red pepper flakes simmered in tomato juice. Ladle it over hot rice for a filling 45-minute dinner.

Hearty cure-all chicken noodle soup simmered 3 hours with a whole chicken, turkey wing, root vegetables, and garlic. The pureed veggies melt into a rich, silky broth that heals what ails you.

Slow-baked navy beans layered with salt pork, smoked ham, onions, garlic, mustard, and a splash of rum. A rich, old-school baked bean recipe with Caribbean flair.

Rich homemade chicken stock built from gizzards and necks simmered for over 2 hours with onion, carrot, garlic, and peppercorns. Yields 2 quarts of liquid gold for soups, sauces, and braises.

Polish hunter's stew (bigos) with sauerkraut, kielbasa, beef, bacon, mushrooms, apple, and tomatoes slow-simmered and served over dilled steamed potatoes.

Beefy spaghetti soup loaded with ground beef, broken spaghetti, green beans, and mushrooms in a rich tomato-beef broth. A warm, filling one-dish soup made entirely in the microwave.

Sylvia's stuffing lives up to its name with cubed bread, cornbread, oats, and sunflower seeds soaked in butter, bacon drippings, and turkey giblet broth. Seasoned with an unexpected kick of chili powder alongside classic herbs.

Pot roast turkey breast simmered with pearl barley, thyme, bay leaves, and a clove-studded onion, served with buttered leeks and cream-enriched barley on a platter.

Hearty fish soup loaded with haddock, cod, scallops, shrimp, and clams in a tomato broth with garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. A cioppino-style seafood stew.

Pork chili with artichoke hearts and white beans: a Mediterranean-leaning chili with cumin, oregano, white wine, and roma tomatoes. Lemon juice and cilantro hit at the end for brightness.

A simple and tasty side dish made with lentils and chopped celery and zucchini.

Loaded Vegetable, Lima Bean and Fennel Stew recipe

Oxtail is one of the most economical and most flavorful cuts of meat, and one that takes well to marinating for days in a hearty mixture of red wine, herbs, and vegetables. The longer you marinate the mixture, the more flavorful it will be, but be sure it marinates at least 3 days. Oxtail is also a fatty cut -- give yourself plenty of time to allow the stew to cook and then cool, so all the fat can be skimmed off. Serve this with thick noodles in warmed soup bowls, accompanied by a tossed salad, and of course, a robust red wine.

A slow-simmered lamb chili with black beans, fresh ginger, allspice, and Zinfandel wine. Beans cook with lamb bones for deep flavor. Best made a day ahead for the richest taste.

Friday night pot roast marinated overnight in red wine, apple juice, and aromatics, then braised low and slow for 4 hours. A make-ahead roast with a reduced wine sauce, served chilled and reheated.

Herb-rubbed beef brisket braised with chunky carrots, celery, and onions in tomato juice. Roasts to fork-tender in the oven with a thick, savory sauce. Feeds ten.

A spiced oil made with carrots, sweet bell peppers and red pepper flakes that can really spice up pasta or steamed vegetables.

Discover an authentic Texas-style beef chuck chili recipe with toasted chilies and cocoa for rich flavor; easy no-beans homemade chili perfect for beginners, game day crowds, or cozy family dinners with gluten-free options and spicy variations.

Syrian noodles with lentils is a hearty one-pot vegetarian stew of cumin and coriander-spiced lentils simmered until tender, then finished with broken vermicelli. High-fiber comfort food that feeds six for pennies.

Cuban red beans and rice with soaked kidney beans, bay leaf, cumin, and oregano. Cook beans with bell pepper strips until tender, sauté aromatics, then simmer rice in bean stock for fluffy, flavorful grains.

Saffron-infused rice topped with slow-cooked black beans and a fresh tomato-cumin garnish. A vibrant, naturally vegan bowl built from three simple components.

Indonesian chicken sateh skewers marinated in lemongrass, garlic, and curry, grilled over fire and drenched in a silky coconut-peanut sauce with fish sauce and lime.

Garden-fresh vegetable soup with Roma tomatoes, new potatoes, corn cut from the cob, and a bouquet garni of oregano, parsley, and lemon zest. Ready in 30 minutes.

Mom's brown stew with beef cubes simmered for two hours in a Worcestershire and lemon-spiked broth with potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions, finished with a flour-thickened gravy.

Hearty beef summer vegetable soup with fresh tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and cabbage. Slow-simmered soup with tender beef chunks and garden vegetables.

Pennsylvania-style kettle roast with rump beef seared in bacon drippings, then braised low and slow with ginger, cloves, bay leaves, and onion. Fork-tender after a long simmer.

A bold Latin-style sauce with green peppers, pimentos, canned tomatoes, and warm spices like cumin, oregano, and thyme. Built for spooning over shredded beef, rice, or stuffed into arepas.

Provencal soup au pistou loaded with kidney beans, white beans, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and macaroni. A hearty, rustic French vegetable soup.

Shrimp Creole: Louisiana-style shrimp simmered with the holy trinity of onion, celery and green pepper in a cayenne-spiked tomato sauce, served over fluffy white rice.

Vegetarian potato corn chowder with carrots, celery, tomatoes, and herbs, thickened by mashing some of the potatoes back into the broth. Hearty, creamy, and dairy-free.

When you don't have 4 hours or more to make chicken broth use inexpensive chicken legs to make this rich broth along with cooked chicken for use in other recipes.

A tasty family meat sauce that is super flavorful.

A tasty side dish made with ricotta cheese, light cream and cardamom pods.

Ayam Panggang Mesanten features charcoal-grilled chicken sliced and simmered in a coconut milk sauce with shrimp paste, red chiles, shallots, and lemongrass. Smoky, fiery, and deeply savory Indonesian grilling.

This is a very colorful and tasty arrangement of marinated and then skewered and grilled vegetables and fish. The marinade, called chermoulla, is a blend of fragrant seasonings, oil, and lemon juice. In this version I've suggested my favorite vegetables for kebabs. You should choose your own favorites; some other good choices are eggplants, mushrooms, and onions.

Hearty beef stew simmered with red wine, tomatoes, new potatoes, carrots, and green beans in a rich broth. No shortcuts, just a proper Dutch oven stew that fills the house with warmth on a cold day.