Recipes with bay leaves

Hearty one-pot stew with rabbit, veal, or chicken simmered with pearl barley, leeks, garlic, and sage until the meat falls off the bone. No thickener needed.

Uniquely flavored with sage, vermouth and bay leaf, this prize-winning chili takes kindly to a wide range of favorite chili toppings. Great served over or under rice, too!

Hearty lentil kielbasa stew with bacon, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf simmered in beef stock. A thick, smoky one-pot meal with Polish sausage added in two stages for the best texture.

Braune Einbrenne is the essential German brown gravy built from a dark lard-and-flour roux. Ready in 15 minutes, it's the go-to base for spaetzle, dumplings, and hearty vegetable dishes.

Florida bouillabaisse: a Gulf Coast riff on the French classic with fish, shrimp, crab, clams, and softshell turtle in a saffron-tomato broth. Wine, herbs, and white bread for sopping. Feeds a crowd.

Browned chicken breasts in a thick, savory gravy topped with fluffy rosemary-garlic dumplings and sweet green peas. A cozy Dutch oven dinner that fills the kitchen with the scent of fresh herbs.

Hearty chicken and cannellini bean soup with carrots, celery, and tomato, finished with a fragrant swirl of sage-rosemary-thyme herb oil. A Tuscan-inspired bowl that's healthy, filling, and ready in 45 minutes.

Spanish seafood empanadillas filled with shrimp, bay scallops, anchovy, peppers, and tomatoes in a flaky lard pastry crust. Baked golden and served warm or at room temperature.

Portuguese fisherman's stew with white beans, whitefish, stewed tomatoes, and thyme. The fish poaches separately in lemon water to stay tender, then joins the hearty bean broth.

A fiery roux-based Cajun sauce built on the holy trinity, triple pepper heat, and jalapeños simmered in beef stock. Ladle it over roast beef, steaks, or smothered dishes.

Greek red wine and tomato sauce with bay leaf, whole cloves, and oregano for oven-baked keftedes meatballs. Simmered until thick and fragrant, this is the authentic way to finish keftedes tou fournou.

Slow-simmered chili con carne with ground beef, kidney beans, and black olives. Bacon fat builds the base, and a splash of vinegar and brown sugar balance the heat.

Yucatan seafood stew loaded with clams, mussels, monkfish, tuna, cod, lobster, shrimp, oysters, and squid in a fire-roasted tomato and lime broth. The Mexican coastal showpiece for a special-occasion table.

Crockpot London broil roast braised low and slow in a rich brown gravy with onion, garlic, wine and bay leaves. A dump-and-go slow cooker beef dinner that turns a lean cut fork-tender.

Hearty chicken and leek soup with pearl barley, carrots, and celery simmered from a whole chicken. A rustic, filling bowl with chewy barley and meltingly soft leeks.

A velvety vegetarian split pea soup blended smooth with potato, celery, and garlic, seasoned with caraway seeds and a whisper of mace. Hearty, warming, and naturally creamy without any dairy.

Homemade barbecue sauce with maple syrup, English mustard, butter, and lemon juice simmered for an hour. A rich, tangy-sweet glaze for ribs, chicken, and grilled meats.

Classic Philadelphia snapper soup made with snapping turtle meat, veal knuckles, dry sherry, and tomatoes. A rich, old-school Pennsylvania tradition simmered for hours.

Armenian-style artichoke hearts and potatoes braised in olive oil, lemon juice, and a spiced broth of fennel, coriander, and bay leaf. Served cold.

Vegan cabbage soup with tender tofu and whole-wheat dumplings in a soy-seasoned broth. Filling, nourishing, and completely plant-based.

Pork chops braised under smothered red cabbage with apples, red onion, cranberry juice, and red wine vinegar. A hearty one-pot fall dinner full of tangy sweetness.

Fish in horseradish sauce: poached white fish chilled and napped with a creamy roux-based horseradish sauce, finished with sour cream and sieved hard-boiled eggs. A traditional cold Eastern European starter.

California-style bouillabaisse with lobster, snapper, halibut, shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, and mussels in saffron-fennel broth with white wine and tomato. Pacific coast classic.

Traditional Ukrainian fish in aspic (studynyna rybiacha): whole fish poached in aromatic stock, layered with carrot rounds, and set in shimmering gelatin. A stunning cold appetizer for holidays.

Chunky Southwestern chicken stew with kielbasa, potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, and corn in a cumin-tomato broth. A Dutch oven crowd-feeder that serves 8.

Homemade white vegetable stock simmered with celery, carrots, leeks, mushrooms, garlic, and white wine. A versatile vegan base for soups, risottos, and sauces that's clean-tasting and full of depth.

Lou Pastis en Pott, the classic Languedoc potted meat: beef and pork slow-cooked in red wine with juniper, sealed under lard, and built up over weeks. Traditional French preservation cooking.

Krautsuppe is a hearty German cabbage soup with bacon, potatoes, turnip, and carrots simmered in chicken broth. Topped with grated Parmesan for a rustic winter bowl.

A classic rustic french dish. Slow cooked pork shoulder.

White chicken chili simmers shredded chicken with white beans, jalapeños, oregano, cumin, and ground ginger in chicken broth and white wine, finished with melted Monterey Jack. A lighter alternative to red chili with brighter, creamier flavor.

Hearty low-fat cabbage soup simmered with beets, turnip, carrots, potato, raisins, and tomatoes in a tangy sweet-and-sour broth. A one-pot vegetable stew ready in an hour.

Rustic Spanish chickpea soup with chorizo, ham hock, carrots, and tomato sauce simmered in chicken broth. Hearty, smoky, and on the table in just 30 minutes.

Nevada cowboy chili slow-simmers 8 pounds of coarse-ground chuck with bell peppers, jalapeños, tomatoes, beer and a fearless amount of ground chilies. Big-batch bunkhouse chili.

Creamy white beans bound with garlicky spinach puree and soft bread crumbs, seasoned with oregano and thyme. A hearty, plant-based side dish with earthy flavor.

Filipino-style caldereta: vinegar-marinated lamb braised with dried chiles, cinnamon, peppercorns, potatoes, bell pepper, and green olives. A rich, spiced stew that fills the house with warmth.

Let your kitchen smell wonderful with this scrumptious dish made of succotash, chicken and a variety of spices.

Swordfish escabeche features golden-crusted swordfish bathed in a tangy red wine vinegar sauce spiced with toasted oregano, cumin, allspice, and cinnamon. Served at room temperature with sweet onion rings and red chilies.

Velvety leek and potato soup with crumbled Stilton cheese melted in and a splash of tawny port for warmth. A rich, quintessentially English starter ready in 45 minutes.

Hearty red lentil soup with carrots, celery, leeks, and tomatoes simmered in chicken broth with thyme and bay leaf. Partially pureed for a creamy-chunky texture.

A great rendition to crockpot-made beans that are best served with bread bowls or hamburger buns.

Pan-roasted rabbit marinated two days in brandy, red wine, juniper berries, and fresh herbs, then braised with chicken stock and served over wilted spinach and beet greens. A classic French farmhouse dish.

Portuguese piri-piri sauce: hot chili peppers, bay leaf, and lemon zest infused in olive oil. A 24-hour shake-and-wait condiment that keeps indefinitely. Drizzle on grilled chicken, fish, or pasta.

Mediterranean chicken breasts braised in red wine, canned tomatoes, basil, and garlic, served over spaghetti with green olives. A light one-skillet version of chicken cacciatore.

Baeckaoffa is an Alsatian casserole of pork, lamb, and beef marinated overnight in Riesling wine, then slow-braised with layered potatoes and onions in a flour-sealed earthenware pot.

Smoked turkey rubbed with liquid smoke and slow-smoked over a water pan with white wine, onion, and bay leaves. Juicy, deeply flavored whole bird with a simple seasoning approach.

Slow cooker curried beef with pineapple, orange juice, apricots, and crunchy peanuts served over rice. Sweet-and-spicy set-it-and-forget-it crockpot dinner with curry-braised beef chunks.

Seafood bouillabaisse with white fish, shrimp, oysters, and crab in a saffron-spiked tomato-wine broth. Slow-simmered base, quick-added seafood, finished in under two hours.

Simple crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage that cooks for 10-12 hours on low. Just beef, onions, garlic, and bay leaves for hands-off weeknight Irish comfort food.