Recipe Sifter

Pressure-cooker braised beef chuck with red wine, tomatoes, mushrooms, green olives, and a pinch of saffron. Sunday-style stew in 35 minutes instead of 3 hours.

Brandy Beef Bourguignon: French-style braised beef with red wine, brandy, pearl onions, mushrooms, and herbs. Marinated for hours, simmered slow into silk-tender bites.

Rolled lasagna noodles stuffed with seasoned chicken, spinach and mushrooms, smothered in a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce and broiled until golden. A make-ahead Italian comfort classic.

Piquant meatloaf seasoned with paprika, oregano, thyme, and chili powder, served with a rich mushroom gravy made from butter, cream, and beef stock. A boldly spiced take on a comforting classic.

Pan-seared lemon chicken with thyme in a silky pan sauce made from seasoned flour, chicken broth, and fresh lemon juice. A one-skillet dinner ready in 40 minutes.

Cajun-spiced beef stew with cayenne, cumin, and hot sauce simmered low with potatoes, carrots, and celery. Stick-to-your-ribs comfort with a fiery kick.

Golden chicken, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and mostaccioli pasta tossed in a velvety homemade bechamel sauce with a pinch of cayenne. An Italian-American comfort bowl ready in 30 minutes.

Granny's ham and potato gratin for a crowd layers parboiled potatoes, diced ham, and Swiss cheese with a mustard-garlic bechamel. Feeds 24, bakes in under an hour, and can be assembled a day ahead.

Kentucky fried chicken copycat with paprika, ground mustard, thyme, basil, oregano, and Jamaica ginger. Fried golden then finished in foil for that takeout-style crisp crust.

A classic deep dish meat pie with cubed beef, lamb, pork, or veal in a savory herb gravy with potatoes, peas, and carrots under a flaky golden crust.

Boston chowder with fish and clams, potatoes, carrot, onion, and milk. A light, simple New England-style seafood chowder finished with fresh savory and thyme.

Classic double-crust chicken pot pie with a velvety thyme cream sauce, tender chicken, peas, carrots, and pearl onions. Golden, flaky, and baked until bubbling.

Layered chicken lasagna with a herbed tomato-mushroom sauce, creamy bechamel, and three cheeses baked until bubbly. An Italian-American classic that feeds a hungry crowd.

Veal brisket braised with Marsala wine, button mushrooms, dried porcini, and 8 cloves of garlic until fork-tender. A make-ahead main that improves over 3 days in the fridge.

Liver, bacon and onions done right: beef liver soaked in milk to mellow its bite, dredged, pan-fried until just pink, then simmered in a savory herb gravy with crisp bacon and sweet onions. Old-school comfort food.

Chorizo in a tomato wine sauce served over potatoes.