Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Beef Empanadas and Grandma’s Chicken Casserole. Enjoy!

LASAGNA

This is from Regina Schrambling on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “In 2001, Regina Schrambling went on a week long odyssey in search of the ultimate lasagna recipe. She tested several, and finally found her ideal in a mash-up of recipes from Giuliano Bugialli and Elodia Rigante, both Italian cookbook authors.

“‘If there were central casting for casseroles, this one deserved the leading role. But its beauty was more than cheese deep. This was the best lasagna I had ever eaten. The sauce was intensely flavored, the cheeses melted into creaminess as if they were bechamel, the meat was just chunky enough, and the noodles put up no resistance to the fork. Most important, the balance of pasta and sauce was positively Italian. At last I could understand why my neighbor Geoff had told me, as I dragged home more bags in our elevator, that all-day lasagna is the only kind worth making.’”

Time: 4 hours; Yield: 8 to 10 servings

This was featured in “The Noodle and I: A Face-of at the Oven”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9530-lasagna.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium red onions, finely diced

2 large cloves minced garlic

8 ounces pancetta, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good red wine, preferably Italian

2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 pound ground sirloin

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

2 eggs

10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried

2 large whole cloves garlic

1/2 cup flour

1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet

For the Lasagna:

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

2 extra-large eggs

2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 pound mozzarella, grated

16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria

Preparation

For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour.

Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce.

In a clean skillet, brown the sausages over medium-high heat. Transfer to the sauce. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

BEEF EMPANADAS

This is from Angela Dimayuga in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Angela wrote, "Filipinos take snacking seriously, so much so that we devote an entire meal to it: merienda, which may take place midmorning or midafternoon, if not both. Empanadas are a great treat for this in-between time, but also keep well at room temperature — the grace of food built for a warm climate — so you can graze all day. (My family used to buy these by the tray for parties, but it’s nice to make your own and store them in the freezer for later.) In these, a ground-beef filling is tucked inside sturdy but flaky dough, with raisins added early in the cooking to plump with the beef juices. There are variations on empanadas all over Latin America; ours rely on the potency of onion and garlic, and exploit it to the hilt."

Yield: 40 empanadas; Time: 2 hours

This was featured in "Angela Dimayuga’s 10 Essential Filipino Recipes", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020490-beef-empanadas.

Ingredients

For the empanada dough:

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), diced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2/3 cup ice water

For the filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/2 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-centimeter cubes (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup raisins

3/4 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 (48-ounce) bottle neutral oil, such as canola, for frying

Preparation

Prepare the empanada dough: In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, combine the flour and 1 tablespoon salt, and mix well. Add the butter and incorporate it into the flour using your hands or a food processor. Combine until mixture is sandy. Combine the egg mixture, vinegar and 2/3 cup ice water, whisking to break up the egg. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, and beat with a fork to bring dough together.

Sprinkle a light layer of flour over a work surface. Place the dough on top. Bring dough together by pressing and folding dough onto itself a few times with the palms of your hands. Being careful not to overwork, split dough in half and form into two equal logs about the thickness of a small sausage, 1 1/2- to 2-inches thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

While the dough rests, prepare the filling: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high and bring to a shimmer. Add the tomato paste and toast, stirring frequently, until darkened and caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the potato and raisins, and cook, stirring, until mixture starts to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the beef, increase the temperature to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in oyster sauce and soy sauce until coated, then stir in chicken stock. (Mixture should be glossy but not overtly wet; cook for another 5 minutes or so to reduce liquid, if need be.) Transfer to a sheet pan, dispersing in a thin layer, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes.

Fill a small bowl with some cool water for sealing your empanadas, and another small bowl with flour for dusting. Working with one log at a time, remove dough from fridge. Cut each log in half crosswise, then cut each half crosswise into 10 equal pieces, which will be the shape of thick coins. Using a bit of flour, dust your work surface. Round each coin slightly using your thumb and forefinger and on your surface with your hands press each coin lightly to coax it into a flat round shape. Switch to a rolling pin and roll each piece of empanada dough into a 4-1/2-inch circle. You can lightly dust and stack your circles off to the side or transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet and chill until you are ready to assemble (they are easier to work with when kept cool). Repeat with remaining log. When you have all your pieces rolled out, you are ready to assemble your empanadas. Place about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the meat filling in the center of each circle, leaving at least a 1/2-inch border. Using a brush or your finger, wet the edges of the dough with water and fold the crust over the filling, forming half-moon empanada shapes, sealing out as much air as possible. Crimp the edges of the empanada with the tines of a fork to seal.

In a large heavy Dutch oven or pot, heat about 2 inches of oil over medium-high. Heat oil to 365 degrees. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, maintaining an even heat, fry the empanadas, turning frequently, until they start to bob, 4 to 5 minutes. (They should be crisp and golden brown, the pastry should be cooked through and the meat should be warmed through.) Transfer to a paper-towel lined baking sheet and fry remaining empanadas. Serve warm.

MEME'S PASTA FAGIOLI

This is from Karyn Osborne on AllRecipes. Karyn wrote, "White cannellini beans, ditalini pasta with vegetables, lean hamburger, and herbs are simmered in vegetable juice and chicken broth. It is like an Italian chili like Olive Garden®'s Pasta Fagioli and even better the second day."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/238014/memes-pasta-fagioli/.

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 thin slice onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (32 ounce) bottle tomato-vegetable juice cocktail (such as V8®)

1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups ditalini pasta

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; saute carrot, celery, and onion until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir vegetable juice cocktail, chicken broth, parsley, basil, oregano, and black pepper into vegetable mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook ditalini pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.

Stir cannellini beans and ground beef into soup; cook and stir until soup is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Spoon about 1/3 cup pasta into each serving bowl; ladle soup over pasta.

Cook's Note:

Keep pasta separate from soup for leftovers and combine when reheating.

GRANDMA'S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "When it comes to weeknight dinner, casseroles are king. This super-simple, five-ingredient chicken casserole recipe comes together quickly and bakes up beautifully. It’s sure to be your quick-meal go to for at-home dinners and a reliable favorite for bake-and-take potluck dinners."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

3 cups Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Place chicken evenly in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon and spread soup evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

In medium bowl, stir bread crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Your grandma probably didn’t use panko bread crumbs, which are crispy crumbs used in Japanese cooking. But she’d definitely embrace them if she were given a box. Panko makes topping a casserole quick and ensures there’s good texture and contrast to the creamy center of the hot dish.

tip 2

Leftover roast turkey is a great substitute for chicken in this recipe—especially the day after Thanksgiving.

tip 3

Sub in crispy French-fried onions to top the casserole or try Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend instead of cheddar cheese.

TEXAS CHILI

This is from Jennifer Steinhauer in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Jennifer wrote, "Chili tastes are highly personal, often inflexible and loaded with preconceptions — the political party of culinary offerings. “I don’t disagree with anyone’s chili,” Robb Walsh, a Texas food historian, the author of “The Tex-Mex Cookbook” and a restaurateur, told The Times. “If you are making a one-pot meal and you want to put beans in it, that’s fine. If chili is part of your cuisine, like Tex-Mex, there are other things you will want to do." This recipe is an amalgam of styles, with coffee and chocolate for complexity, hot sauce for kick and beans just because."

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (about 8 cups); Time: about 2 hours 30 minutes

This was featured in "If It’s Chili, It’s Personal", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016036-texas-chili..

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground bison or ground dark turkey

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 12-ounce bottle of beer

1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon chile sauce

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Half a serrano or other hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped, or to taste

1-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans

1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans.

Directions

Place a Dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the meat and sauté until browned, then transfer to a plate.

Add the onion to the pot and stir for 1 minute. Take two large sips from the beer, and pour the rest into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, coffee and tomato paste.

Add the brown sugar, chile sauce, cocoa powder, hot pepper, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and kidney beans. Return the meat to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, for 1 hour.

Add the white beans to the pot and simmer over very low heat, partly covered and stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 more hours. (Longer cooking improves the flavor.) Adjust salt and cayenne pepper as needed and serve.

EASY BEEF STROGANOFF IN THE SLOW COOKER

This is from AllRecipes, and begins, "I make my beef stroganoff in the slow cooker with cream of mushroom soup and cream cheese with garlic and herbs. Serve over noodles to your liking."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 4 hours; Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes; Makes 5 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/261152/easy-beef-stroganoff-in-the-slow-cooker/.

Ingredients

1-1/3 pounds cubed beef stew meat

2 cups fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup milk

2 onions, chopped

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces herb and garlic-flavored cream cheese

1 cup fusilli pasta

1/4 cup sour cream (Optional)

Directions

Combine beef, mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, milk, onions, and Worcestershire sauce in a slow cooker.

Cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 5 to 7 hours. Stir in cream cheese until well dissolved; cook for 1 hour more.

During the last 20 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fusilli to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.

Serve stroganoff over fusilli and garnish with sour cream.

Cook's Notes:

Use a high-quality cream of mushroom soup, don't buy a cheap brand. It makes a difference.

No need to add extra liquid for the condensed soup, this is what the milk is for.