balsamic-glazed pork chops... 20 minutes, plus marinating

the goods:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
bone-in pork rib chops



In a blender, combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth. With machine running, add olive oil in a thin, steady stream; blend until creamy.



Place pork in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper.



Pour vinaigrette over pork, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least an hour (or up to 1 day).



Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Remove pork from marinade (letting excess drip off); place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil, without turning, until opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

shredded beef tacos... 2 hours and 45 minutes

the goods:

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 boneless beef chuck roast, excess fat trimmed
flour tortillas
10 ounces frozen corn, thawed
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
avocado, chopped
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.



Cut beef into 4 equal pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover and bring to a boil; transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered, until beef is fork-tender, about 2 and 1/2 hours.



While beef is cooking stir together sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
Combine corn with tomatoes, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.



Transfer beef to a bowl. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper.



Serve beef with tortillas, corn relish, avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese and salsa if desired.

baked penne with chicken and sun-dried tomato... 1 hour

the goods:

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for pan
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 and 1/2 cups shredded provolone
1 cup finely grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes.



In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta.



While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In the now empty pot that the pasta was cooked in, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently.



Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute.



Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup parmesan. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.



Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup parmesan.



Bake one, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.



With the second baking dish, run it over to a friends house as an act of service, OR cover with foil and freeze. Be sure that on the foil you write what it is, and the following instructions on how to bake from frozen:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and bake (covered) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

slow-cooker lasagna... 4 hours and 25 minutes

the goods:

1 pound Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
lasagna noodles
2 to 3 cups shredded mozzarella



In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook sausage and beef over medium-high, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, then add tomatoes; bring to a boil, and remove from heat.



Spoon 2 cups meat mixture into bottom of a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Layer 3 noodles (breaking them as needed to fit), 2 cups meat mixture, and a layer of cheese.



Repeat: noodles, meat mixture, and cheese for two more layers.




Refrigerate 1/2 cup (or whatever you have left) of the cheese for topping.



Cover slow cooker, and cook on low 4 to 6 hours. Sprinkle lasagna with remaining cheese. Cover until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.

wide noodles with tomato sauce... 30 minutes

the goods:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes in juice
1 package pappardelle (wide pasta)
fresh basil leaves, julienned



In a large pot, heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes over medium until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Using kitchen shears, cut tomatoes into smaller pieces while still in can.
Add tomatoes and cut some more if still too large. Season with salt and pepper. Cook at a rapid simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.



Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and add noodles.




Simmer, stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.



Season with salt. Top with basil and serve!

linguine with spring veggies... 20 minutes

the goods:

1 pound linguine
1 pound asparagus (tough ends removed), cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 ounces sugar snap peas (stem ends trimmed), halved
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces



In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes short of al dente; add veggies. Cook until veggies are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup pasta water; drain pasta mixture, and set aside.



In the same pot, bring cream and butter to a simmer. Toss in pasta mixture and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce (it will thicken as it stands). Season generously with salt and pepper.

macaroni and cheese... 40 minutes

the goods:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 slices white sandwich bread

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain.



In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups cheddar, eggs, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pasta, and stir to combine. Pour into prepared dish.



In a food processor, pulse bread and melted butter until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Top pasta mixture with remaining cheese, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs.



Bake until mac and cheese is golden and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

breaded and fried chicken cutlets... 25 minutes

the goods:

3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs (pulse 5 or 6 slices white bread in a food processor)
1 cup vegetable oil
thin chicken cutlets
lemon wedges, for serving



In a shallow dish, whisk eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt, let stand 5 minutes. In another shallow dish, season flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a third shallow dish, season breadcrumbs with 1 teaspoon salt.

In a large, cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium.



Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Coat in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg (letting excess drip off). Dredge in breadcrumbs, turning twice and patting to adhere.



Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet; cook until chicken is browned, about 4 minutes. Turn with tongs; cook until browned and opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes more (if browning too quickly, reduce heat). Between batches, skim off brown crumbs from oil with a slotted spoon.



Drain chicken on paper towels; season with salt and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over top.

turkey bolognese ... 1 hour and 30 minutes

I know what you're thinking, an hour and a half!? I did all the prep work for this (chopping, measuring, etc.) ahead of time and put it in tupperware - it made cooking it a breeze!



the goods:

6 ounces turkey bacon, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 cup white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 pound ziti pasta, cooked according to package instructions

In a 5-quart dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add turkey; cook, breaking up meat with spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 9 minutes. Add wine and garlic; cook until wine has almost evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add broth and half-and-half; bring to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes more. Serve over ziti or pasta of your choice and enjoy with some garlic bread!

fish sticks... 25 minutes

the goods:

4 large egg whites
skinless tilapia fillets, cut into strips (halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
tartar sauce for serving (optional)

In a large bowl whisk together egg whites, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add fish, and toss to coat. In another large bowl, combine cornmeal and flour; season with salt and pepper.



Working in batches, lift fish from egg white mixture (letting excess drip off), and dredge in cornmeal mixture, patting to adhere; transfer to a plate.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook fish until golden brown and opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.



Serve with tartar sauce or ranch. Don't forget the fries! :)