Recipe Sifter

Spicy venison sausage lasagna layered with a slow-simmered mushroom tomato sauce, creamy ricotta, stretchy mozzarella, and Parmesan. A leaner, bolder twist on the Italian-American classic.

Vegetarian chili with mixed beans, crumbled tofu, tomatoes and a smoky cumin-cayenne spice base. Hearty meatless one-pot meal high in protein and fiber.

Herbed pork cutlets with Greek vegetable salad, cucumber yogurt, and couscous. A complete Mediterranean dinner plate with a lemon-oregano marinade that does triple duty.

A savory and delicious soup made with juicy tomatoes, chickpeas and succulent veal sausage.

Tomato-based seafood soup with fresh herbs, pasta shells, and mixed seafood finished with dry sherry. Elegant 60-minute bisque.

Tuna chili Texas-style with kidney beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and red wine vinegar. A quick microwave chili that swaps ground beef for canned tuna.

Individual crustless spinach and feta pies baked in ramekins with mint, nutmeg, and a bright Greek tomato salad on the side. A Mediterranean appetizer or light main.

Eggplant, lamb, and rice casserole layers roasted eggplant with browned ground lamb, cinnamon-spiced tomatoes, white rice, and crumbled feta. A Mediterranean one-dish dinner.

Beef and barley stew bakes in one casserole with ground beef, pearl barley, tomatoes, water chestnuts, and frozen mixed vegetables. Hearty, hands-off oven dinner.

Plain basic chili, a Texas-style chili con carne made with cubed beef, not ground, simmered low in chili powder, beef broth, and crushed tomatoes until fork-tender. No beans, no filler, just rich, beefy chili.

Focaccia Pugliese made with durum flour and mashed potatoes for a soft, chewy crumb. Topped with fresh tomatoes, capers, oregano, and olive oil.

Add sophistication to your dinner in no time at all with this succulent chicken dish.

Pasta with meatballs in a tomato sauce deepened with bacon and Marsala, the tender bread-bound meatballs simmered right in. The pasta is tossed in butter and sauce, then showered with parmesan.

Two-meat Sunday chili with cubed sirloin tip and ground beef, three cans of tomatoes, chili beans, wine, and a generous spice rub. Cook, cool, reheat for deep flavor.

Vegetarian chili loaded with kidney beans, three kinds of peppers, jalapenos, and TVP for hearty texture. A cookoff-tested vegan chili that tastes even better the next day.

Greek-style macaroni pie (pastitsio) with feta cheese, cinnamon, oregano, mint, and tomatoes, topped with a creamy yogurt-egg-feta bechamel. A vegetarian baked pasta casserole cut into squares.