Every January when it turns cold I just want to hibernate. Hibernation calls for comfort food and one of my favorites is my mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce. It is quick, easy, and yummy. Through the years I’ve adapted the recipe to kick it up a notch. Now, my version of the recipe is a beef, sausage, and mushroom ragu. Still easy, but even more yummy.

Mom’s Easy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe: Brown 1 to 1 ½ pounds of ground round. Drain, return to pan and add 2-3 cups of Mom’s tomato sauce (thawed). Simmer for 15-20 minutes. While sauce simmers, cook pasta. To serve, top pasta with with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredient note: If you haven’t had time to make Mom’s tomato sauce, use your favorite canned tomato sauce. If you live in the Atlanta area, Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market’s fresh Pizza Sauce is what I use when I’m out of the homemade stuff.

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Spaghetti Sauce Kicked up a Knotch

January 24, 2021

Servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ lb. Hot Italian sausage
• Mushrooms
• 2 to 3 c. Tomato sauce
• Olive oil
• Spaghetti or your favorite pasta
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Step 1 Put water on to boil for pasta. Clean and slice mushrooms.
• Step 2 Brown beef and sausage over medium heat (6-8 min). Break chunks of meat up as it cooks. When meat finishes cooking, remove from pan and drain.
• Step 3 Return pan to heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Saute mushrooms until cookd through (8-10 min).
• Step 4 When mushrooms are done, add the meat and add tomato sauce to the pan with the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 min.
• Step 5 While sauce simmers, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain. To serve, divide pasta between 4 bowls. Top with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. Put water on to boil for pasta. Clean and slice mushrooms. If using frozen tomato sauce, thaw it.

Step 2. Brown beef and sausage over medium heat (6-8 min). Break chunks of meat up as it cooks. When meat finishes cooking, remove from pan and drain off grease.

Step 3. Return pan to heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil or you can use a tablespoon of the grease left from cooking the meat. Sauté mushrooms until soft and cooked through (8-10 min).

Step 4. When mushrooms are done, add the meat and add tomato sauce to the pan with the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 min.

Step 5. While sauce simmers, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is done, drain. To serve, divide pasta between 4 bowls. Top with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

This week, pictures from my visit to Emilia-Romagna have been popping up in my photo feed. Since I got back from that visit to Italy, I’ve tried to recreate several of the dishes I had there. One of them is Tortellini in Brodo. Traditional Tortellini in Brodo is simple – handmade tortellini simmered in homemade chicken broth. Simple and delicious. My attempts were good, but the store-bought cheese tortellini just isn’t the same as the traditional Emilia-Romagna version. In Emilia-Romagna they fill it with mortadella, Parmesan, and other goodies. One day I will attempt making it, but not today. If I was going to use store-bought tortellini I needed to find a way to kick it up a notch.

As luck would have it, this year I have had an abundance of peppers from the garden. I have been looking for ways to use them. The peppers, planted next to the Thai basil, gave me an idea. I decided to add sliced hot peppers, Thai basil, and cherry tomatoes to my tortellini in brodo to give it a Thai spin. This was just the kick that the store-bought tortellini needed! As a bonus, it is quick and easy to make, too! Pair it with a salad or sandwich for an easy lunch or weeknight dinner.

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Thai Tortellini in Brodo

September 2, 2020

Servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 c. chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 3/4 to 1 c. cherry tomatoes,
• 1-2 hot peppers (jalapeno or similar)
• 4 sprigs of Thai basil
• 10 oz fresh cheese tortellini

Directions

• Step 1 In a pot over medium heat, bring chicken broth to a simmer. While the broth heats, slice the peppers into rings and slice the tomatoes in half.
• Step 2 Simmer the tortellini in the chicken stock for the amount of time indicated on the package.
• Step 3 While tortellini cooks, get 4 serving bowls. In each bowl put 1/4 of tomatoes, 4-5 Thai basil leaves, and 2-3 slices of pepper (depending on your heat preference).
• Step 4 When tortellini has cooked, ladle the tortellini and broth into the bowls. Let sit and steep for 3-4 minutes before serving. Serve with a piece of sourdough toast or your favorite bread.

Substitutions

If you can’t find Thai basil, you could substitute cilantro or Italian basil

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. In a pot over medium heat, bring chicken broth to a simmer. While the broth heats, slice the peppers into rings and slice the tomatoes in half. Choose your hot pepper & the amount you use based on the heat level you want.

Step 2. Simmer the tortellini in the chicken stock for the amount of time indicated on the package. (This is usually 3-4 min.)

Step 3. While tortellini cooks, get 4 serving bowls.In each bowl put 1/4 of tomatoes, 4-5 Thai basil leaves, and 2-3 slices of pepper (depending on your heat preference).

Step 4. When tortellini is cooked, ladle the tortellini and broth into the bowls. Let sit and steep for 3-4 minutes before serving. Serve with a piece of sourdough toast or your favorite bread.

My dad loved cheese. This is our first Father’s Day without him. I’ve been missing him a lot lately, so to feel closer to him this week I’m made one if his favorite foods: macaroni & cheese.

Mac & cheese was a regular in the Sunday dinner rotation at Big Quin’s. I suspect it was because she knew it was dad’s favorite. He always said he was her favorite son-in-law. This mac & cheese recipe is hers, but I did tweak it a little after a trip to Beecher’s Cheese in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. I loved the blend of sharp Cheddar and Jack cheese in their macaroni & cheese so I changed BQ’s cheddar-only recipe to a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack. The last time I made mac and cheese for Dad it turned out perfect. He said it was the best mac and cheese he ever had. So, Dad, this mac and cheese is for you, too. Happy Father’s Day.

Note: The herb-brined pork chop in the photo is from Pine Street Market. So yummy and so easy since they brine it for you. Also, here is the green bean recipe.

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5 from 1 reviews

Dad's Favorite Mac & Cheese

June 21, 2020

Servings: 6-8

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• 2 c. (8 oz.) Macaroni pasta - elbows or similar shape
• 2 1/2 c. (~8 oz.) really good sharp or extra sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 c. (~4 oz.) Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp. butter + more to grease casserole dish
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4+ tsp. kosher salt + more to season pasta water
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 3/4 c. milk

Directions

• Step 1 Bring large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Shred the cheeses.
• Step 2 Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
• Step 3 Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Layer half the pasta in the dish. Sprinkle with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 1 Tbsp. flour then 1 Tbsp butter cut into 3-4 slices. Top with half the cheese. Repeat the layers again in the same amounts.
• Step 4 Add milk.
• Step 5 Bake at 350˚ for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

Make Ahead Instructions

If making ahead of time, complete steps 1 – 3 then cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Remove from fridge and let sit for at least 30 min. to start to come to room temperature. Then, continue with the remaining steps. DO NOT FORGET to add the milk. When I make it ahead of time I have a tendency to forget this step and it is always disappointing. I’ve been known to put a sticky note on top to remind me: Add the milk!

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Preheat the oven to 350˚. Shred the cheeses. Note: The secret to this recipe is to use really good sharp cheddar. Yellow or white is fine. I like white cheddar, but I’ve found that some kids like the traditional yellow. Most really good cheddar does not come pre-shredded, so I buy block cheese and shred it myself. This takes 2 minutes if you use a food processor, so I think it is worth it for the payoff in added flavor. That being said, using a good quality pre-shredded cheese is fine and a good time-saver.

Step 2. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Cook it to al dente (still firm when bitten). The pasta will soften up more while it bakes.

Step 3. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Layer half the pasta in the dish. Sprinkle with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (depending on your taste), 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 1 Tbsp. flour. Then layer on 1 Tbsp butter cut into 3-4 slices. Top with half the cheese. Repeat the layers again, ending with cheese. If you can still see pasta thru the top layer of cheese, add more cheese. (You can’t have too much cheese!)

Note: The right amount of salt will depend on several factors: the type of salt you are using, the saltiness of the cheeses you are using and your personal preference. I use Dixie Crystals Kosher Salt and I use a 1/4 tsp kosher salt in the first layer and 1/8 tsp. salt in the top layer. When I did this with table salt, it was a bit on the salty side for my taste. See what works for you. Err on the side of less salt initially – your diners can always add salt when you serve it, but they can’t take salt away.

Step 4. Add milk.

Step 5. Bake at 350˚ for 35-40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown on top. Serve warm.