Recipe Sifter

Pressure cooker beef stew browns chuck with onion soup mix, then pressure-cooks with potatoes, carrots, and onion for fall-apart tender meat in 40 minutes instead of three hours.

Italian meat sauce mix is a bulk-batch freezer sauce: hot Italian sausage and ground beef slow-simmered for 8 hours with tomato puree, basil, and hidden broccoli and cauliflower florets. Makes 8 pints to stash.

Lemony chicken zucchini stir-fry with mushrooms, carrots, and toasted walnut halves. A 30-minute one-pan dinner brightened with lemon zest and garlic butter, no soy sauce required.

Polenta pasticciata layers firm cooled polenta squares with porcini-spiked beef ragù, plum tomatoes, and grated pecorino into a rustic Northern Italian bake. Lasagne, but with cornmeal instead of pasta.

Haricot mutton, a traditional New Zealand stew with flour-dredged mutton, turnip, carrots, and celery simmered in stock. Old-school comfort food from the farm kitchen.

Finnish fish chowder layered with salmon, clams, shrimp, bacon, potatoes, and red cabbage in a milk broth. A hearty Nordic soup that freezes beautifully.

Bread machine oat carrot bran bread with grated carrots, rolled oats, oat flour, bran, cinnamon, and applesauce. A high-fiber loaf with natural sweetness.

Vegan potatoes au gratin layers baked potato slices with sauteed onion, celery, and carrot in a cheesy plant-based gravy. Topped with paprika and nutritional yeast for that classic golden finish.

Slow cooker beef daube braised in white wine and brandy with shallots, ham, orange peel, and Provencal herbs. A French stew made effortless in a crockpot.

Lamb bredie, a South African stew with bone-in lamb, cabbage, carrots, green chiles, cinnamon, and cloves simmered low and slow for 75 minutes. No stirring required.

Turkey meatloaf loaded with spinach, carrots, and horseradish, bound with herb stuffing and egg whites. A leaner, veggie-packed twist on classic meatloaf.

A rich beef and pork lasagna with a slow-braised ragu, a roasted butternut squash layer, and a quick creme fraiche white sauce instead of bechamel. A layered, deeply savory take on the classic.

Crisp stir-fried vegetables in a glossy honey-orange-ginger sauce tucked into whole wheat pita pockets and grilled until sealed. A wholesome meatless dinner in 40 minutes.

Lemon pineapple chicken with broiled chicken breasts finished in a bright sweet-sour sauce with pineapple chunks, carrots, and green pepper. Light, easy weeknight dinner.

Cossack beef roast marinated 24 hours in vinegar and spices, then slow-roasted with apple cider, raisins, cabbage, turnips, and carrots. A hearty Eastern European pot roast.

Easy carrot salad with shredded carrots, fresh herbs, scallions, and a bright lemon-and-safflower-oil dressing. A 15-minute vegan side that brings color and crunch to any plate.