Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday (because not everyone loves tacos). Today's offerings include Detroit-Style Pizza and Egg Potato Salad. Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER SAUSAGES, PEPPERS AND ONIONS

This is from Ali Slagle on The New York Times cooking site. For this yummy recipe, Ali wrote, "The sure-fire combination of sausages, peppers and onions is ready-when-you-are when you make them in the slow cooker. (Once the sausages are cooked through and the peppers and onions are tender, they can hold on “warm” for up to 2 hours.) Searing the sausages in a skillet is the only cooking you’ll have to do, but it’s an important step that fortifies the sauce with the sausage’s brawny, spiced juices. The sweet peppers and onions will tangle in the light, tangy tomato sauce. (Save extra sauce for tomorrow’s pasta, or if you want a thicker sauce, strain and reduce in a saucepan on the stovetop.) Pile everything into a sub — perhaps with some mozzarella broiled on top — or over pasta, roasted potatoes or gnocchi."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours; Total Time: About 6 hours; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025352-slow-cooker-sausages-peppers-and-onions.

Ingredients

3 bell peppers (any colors), sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1 Parmesan rind (optional)

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/2 to 2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage

One (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Torn basil leaves, for serving (optional)

Preparation

In a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, add the peppers, onion, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper and Parmesan rind (if using). Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.

With the heat off under the skillet, pour in the crushed tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits from the skillet. Scrape the tomatoes into the slow cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, 4 to 6 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the basil, if desired.

REAL LASAGNA SOUP

This is from John Mitzewich, aka Chef John, on AllRecipes. This yumminess begins, " If you love lasagna, but don’t love the time and effort it takes to do all that layering, then this amazing lasagna soup is for you. Unlike many of the other lasagna soup recipes online, this is way more than just some pasta, meat, and cheese sitting in a bowl of thinned out tomato sauce. This is real lasagna in soup form.

"Anyway, I loved how this came out, and I think one of the secrets is baking the pasta to give it more of the taste and texture of an actual baked lasagna noodle. They may not have looked much different in the final product, but I found the texture to be far superior to the standard technique, which is just to heat up some cooked pasta in the finished soup. So I do recommend the extra few minutes of prep, but either way, if you’re in the mood for lasagna, but aren’t into the whole production, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/real-lasagna-soup-recipe-7967799.

Ingredients

Noodles:

8 ounces dry lasagna noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

Soup Base:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean ground beef

6 ounces bulk Italian sausage, or 1 Italian sausage links, casing removed

1 cup diced yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

1 (24 ounce) jar prepared marinara sauce, or 3 cups homemade marinara sauce

4 cups chicken broth

2-1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cheese Mixture:

12 ounces ricotta cheese

3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Garnish:

1/2 cup torn fresh basil and Italian parsley leaves (optional)

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in lasagna noodles and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just flexible, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer noodles into cold water until cooled; drain very well.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and grease parchment with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Cut noodles in half lengthwise. Arrange noodles in evenly overlapping rows on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, and use fingers to rub some butter between the noodles.

Bake noodles in the preheated oven until they are golden, blistered, and are beginning to brown with crispy outside edges. Let cool; cut into bite-sized pieces.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a soup pot, and place over high heat. Add beef and sausage. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces; cook without stirring until liquid evaporates and meat begins to sizzle in its own fat, then continue to cook and stir until meat begins to brown, about 7 minutes.

Add onions, garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, black pepper, and kosher salt. Cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 45 minutes.

In a bowl, stir ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese together; set aside.

Increase the heat under soup to medium high; stir in noodle pieces. Cook, stirring, until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in the 2 tablespoons Italian parsley.

Serve in bowls with a scoop of cheese mixture, and sprinkle with freshly torn basil and Italian parsley if desired.

Cook’s Note

The pasta does not have to be baked first, and can simply be broken up raw, stirred into the soup, and cooked until tender. Other pasta shapes can be used instead.

More or less chicken broth can be used for a thicker or thinner soup texture.

DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA

This is from Naz Deravian in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this wonderful recipe, Naz wrote, "With charred and cheesy edges, a thick and chewy crust, and a reverse order of toppings, Detroit-style pizza has earned its place in the seemingly endless world of pizza. This hearty pie first appeared on the menu at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria in the Motor City, in 1946. Owner Gus Guerra baked his mother-in-law’s recipe for Sicilian-style pizza in the deep pans typically used to hold auto parts; the dark, industrial steel better distributed heat than traditional baking pans. Using plenty of sharp, aged Wisconsin brick cheese (see Tip) cut into cubes, with some touching the sides of the pan, helps create the pizza’s coveted burnished edges. You can find a Detroit-style pan online, but a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan will also work. (You’ll just have to settle for slightly less crispy edges.) Inspired by J. Kenji López-Alt’s Detroit-style dough recipe, this version calls for bread flour, which creates a delightfully light and chewy crumb."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes, plus 3 hours 45 minutes' resting; Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024845-detroit-style-pizza. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend doing so. Great recipes, great guides, and more. Seriously, sign up!

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing

4 ounces packaged thinly sliced pepperoni

12 ounces Wisconsin brick cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, or 6 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar and 6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1-1/2 cups pizza sauce, or a 12-ounce jar

PreparationIn the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt and yeast. Drizzle in 1 cup lukewarm water and mix on low until the flour is incorporated and the mixture becomes a shaggy dough, about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes. Knead on medium-low until the dough is smooth and supple but still sticking to the bottom of the bowl, about 10 minutes. Using lightly floured hands, shape the dough into a ball in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface, until smooth and supple, 13 to 15 minutes. Shape into a ball and transfer back to the bowl.)

Generously grease the bottom of a (10-by-14-inch) Detroit-style pizza pan or metal 9-by-13-inch baking pan with oil (about 2 tablespoons). Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to the pan, turning it in the pan until coated in oil. Using your hands, stretch the dough out in the pan as far as it will spread. (It won’t yet reach the sides.) Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Stretch the dough again; if it still doesn’t reach the edges, re-cover and allow it to rest for 15 minutes, then try again. When the dough has relaxed enough to reach the edges, stretch it up and slightly beyond the edges of the pan so it will stay put. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 500 degrees with the rack in the lowest position. Remove the plastic wrap and, using your fingers, press down on the dough to remove any large air bubbles. Top the dough evenly with the pepperoni. Add the cheese, making sure to spread some of the cubes right to the edges of the pan (this will help create a crispy crust). Spoon the sauce evenly over the cheese in three rows, running the length of the pan.

Bake until the edges are crisp and charred and the cheese is melted and bubbling, 15 to 18 minutes. Run a knife or an offset spatula along the sides of the pizza to help release it from the pan, doing your best not to break up the charred edges. Using one or two flat spatulas, carefully lift the pizza out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 6 to 8 square slices and serve.

Tips

Pepperoni is traditional, but you can swap with bell peppers or mushrooms for a vegetarian version. Remember to place any toppings under the cheese.

Wisconsin brick cheese is available at specialty cheese shops and online. It is very sharp, tangy and pungent. (Its name comes from the bricks originally used to press the curds in the late 1800s.)

EGG POTATO SALAD

This is my version of potato salad. While there are undoubtedly fancier versions of potato salad, this is the one that my family loves and asks for. While I’d love to say that the leftovers refrigerate well overnight, I wouldn’t know; it never lasts long enough!

Ingredients

5 pounds potatoes (I use regular white potatoes)

6 – 8 eggs

1 – 2 onions, diced

3 – 4 cups mayo (if you usually use a vegetarian version, go for it)

1/2 cup mustard

Directions

Peel potatoes and cube into bite-sized pieces. Place in large pot, cover with cold water, then boil. Once water reaches a boil, turn heat to medium and cook for 20 – 30 minutes. Potatoes should be cooked through, but not mushy.

While potatoes are cooking, place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water and turn stove on high. Once water begins to boil, let boil for 10 minutes. Turn off stove, place pan in sink and run cold water over the eggs to cool off.

Drain potatoes and rinse in cold water. Place in large bowl. Peel and cut up eggs and add to potatoes, along with diced onions. Add mayo and mustard and mix well. Can be served either slightly warmed (now) or, if served later, cooled in refrigerator.

BAKED SPAGHETTI

This is from Lidey Heuck in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Lidey wrote, "This comforting baked pasta feeds a crowd and is an easy way to upgrade everyday spaghetti with meat sauce. Once baked, the spaghetti casserole slices into neat squares, and the layer of ricotta and Parmesan filling give it the rich flavor of a lasagna. Feel free to play around with the recipe, swapping in Italian sausage or ground turkey for the ground beef and sautéing leftover vegetables and adding them to the sauce. If you’re planning in advance, you can assemble the casserole (through the end of Step 5) and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to bake."

Time: 1-1/2 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 8 servings

To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024351-baked-spaghetti. While you're at it, please sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1 pound ground beef (at least 85-percent lean)

1 (32- to 35-ounce) jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving

1 cup/8 ounces ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 large egg

2 cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente.

Step 2

While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the marinara sauce and basil. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the sauce and toss well.

Step 4

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth.

Step 5

Transfer half the pasta and sauce to the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the pasta in large spoonfuls, then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella on top. Add the rest of the pasta and sauce to the pan, again smoothing it into an even layer.

Step 6

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then bake, uncovered, until the mozzarella has melted, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Step 7

Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with more chopped basil, a pinch of dried oregano and more red-pepper flakes, if desired. Slice the baked spaghetti into large squares and serve hot or warm.

BEEF NOODLE SKILLET

This is from Ree Drummond on the Food Network.

Active Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-noodle-skillet-8053162.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground chuck

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

12 ounces egg noodles

2-1/2 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

A few dashes Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground chuck and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the meat, crumbling as you go, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the noodles, broth, 1 cup hot water, the mustard, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Give a big stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow everything to simmer, stirring occasionally and adding up to 1/2 cup more water if necessary, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and heavy cream and cook for 1 additional minute or until the pasta is tender.

Remove from the heat. Sprinkle over the chives and serve directly from the pan.