Pasta recipes

Big-batch Texas-style chili from Tyler with 2 lbs ground beef, seven cloves of garlic, jalapenos, and a serious triple-pepper spice blend. Simmers for 3 hours until thick, rich, and fiery.

Homemade pizza on a nutty whole wheat crust topped with a quick-simmered tomato sauce, chopped green chilis, mozzarella, pepperoni, and olives. From dough to table in about 40 minutes.

Beef and pork chili with four pounds of ground meat, pinto beans, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano simmered for two hours. A big-batch, no-shortcuts meat chili topped with cheddar.

Impossible lasagna pie made with Bisquick that forms its own crust as it bakes. Layers of cottage cheese, seasoned ground beef, mozzarella, and tomato paste in a self-crusting pie.

Yankee lamb stew with braised lamb shoulder, potatoes, turnips, carrots, and peas in a white wine and thyme sauce. Oven-braised in a Dutch oven for fork-tender meat.

Red dragon pie is a vegetarian British-style shepherd's pie with adzuki beans and brown rice braised in tomato and herbs, blanketed with mashed potatoes and baked until the top browns. Hearty, meatless, freezer-friendly comfort food.

Kahlua chili: ground beef chili spiked with coffee liqueur, served Cincinnati-style over spaghetti with cheddar and onion. The coffee-and-cocoa background note that makes it work.

A traditional British Easter fruitcake with a hidden almond paste layer, golden raisins, currants, and candied cherries. Topped with 11 marzipan balls for the Apostles.

Sichuan-style shredded pork with garlic sauce, tree ear mushrooms, celery, and water chestnuts. Deep-fried pork meets a spicy, tangy, sweet sauce in this bold Chinese classic.

An elegant vegetarian plate of couscous, basmati rice, and quinoa timbales served over a silky roasted sweet corn coulis. Restaurant-worthy presentation for a dinner party grain course.

A scrumptious cake made with raisins, glaced cherries and dark rum which makes it a popular Christmas favorite in the Caribbean.

Classic French Provencal dish usually cooked in a heavy casserole on the stove top or in the oven; would also work well in slow cooker. Use inexpensive stewing beef or oyster blade; it will not be anywhere near as good if you use more expensive cuts of beef.

Vegetarian chili with dried pinto beans, TVP, meatless meat crumbles, jalapenos, and cocoa powder for depth. A hearty, plant-based big-batch chili with serious spice and body.

Vegetarian tamale pie with a golden cornmeal crust wrapped top and bottom around a spiced bean-and-barley filling loaded with corn, ripe olives, and sweet red pepper. A hearty meatless main baked until the cheese bubbles.

Hearty vegetarian chili with meatless crumbles, dried apricots, and warm spices, simmered in beer and tomato sauce for a sweet-savory twist on classic chili.

My copycat version of the top secret famous A1 Steak Sauce.