Recipe Sifter

Layered Tex-Mex turkey casserole with homemade spiced tomato sauce, corn, bell peppers, tortilla chips, and melted Monterey Jack. The best use for leftover turkey.

Golden pan-fried tofu simmered in a rustic Provencal tomato sauce with green beans, garlic, basil, and oregano. French-inspired, vegan, and on the table in 30 minutes.

Layered vegetarian moussaka with sauteed eggplant, rich mushroom-tomato sauce with red wine, and creamy ricotta bechamel baked until golden. Greek comfort food, no lamb needed.

Italian style ingredients prepared in a wok. This makes an easy healthy dinner.

Cowboy pintos are a hearty vegan bean pot: dried pintos slow-simmered with tomatoes, onion, carrot, celery, thyme and cilantro until creamy. Spoon it over rice or barley for a stick-to-your-ribs meatless bowl.

Easy chickpea soup with canned garbanzos, tomato paste, onion, and oregano. A pantry-staple dump-and-simmer one pot recipe that purees into a creamy, satisfying meal.

A from-scratch chili con carne made with dried pinto beans, lean ground beef, and a smoky blend of cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Simmers into a thick, soul-warming bowl that's lower in sodium than most.

Vegetable-packed beer chili with kidney beans, chickpeas, zucchini, and carrots simmered in a cumin-chili spice base. Topped with cheese, sour cream, and sunflower seeds.

Hearty Italian bean soup with dried navy beans, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and whole wheat macaroni. A filling, budget-friendly one-pot meal that's naturally vegan.

Lentil lasagna layers red lentils, broccoli, mushrooms and corn with no-boil spinach noodles, finished with a vegan cheeze sauce of soy milk, nutritional yeast and turmeric. Dairy-free, hearty and weeknight-friendly.

Potato and green bean salad tossed in a garlicky white wine vinaigrette with red onion and oregano. A make-ahead side that improves overnight in the fridge.

Italian-style beef and potato stew braised in tomato paste, red wine, and oregano. Tender round steak cubes and fork-soft potatoes in a thick, savory tomato gravy. Serve with crusty Italian bread.

Oil-free Cajun red beans and rice in the McDougall style, with the holy trinity of onion, pepper, and scallion simmered in a spiced tomato broth and spooned over brown rice. A fast, low-fat, plant-based dinner.

Easy spaghetti casserole layered with a from-scratch beef and mushroom tomato sauce, tangled spaghetti and sharp cheddar, then baked under a crunchy bread crumb crust. A bubbling, crowd-feeding weeknight bake.

Herbed tomato spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, red wine, aniseed, and four fresh herbs added at the end to preserve their bright flavor. A vegetarian sauce simmered from scratch.

The first chili recipe appeared in West Texas at the turn of the century.