Italian Roast Beef

INGREDIENTS MEAT 1 (8 to 10 pound) top round beef roast Kosher salt ¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper 2 tablespoons dried oregano Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard 2 large heads of garlic, halved crosswise Extra-virgin olive oil GRAVY 1 cup hearty red wine, such as Chianti or Merlot 3 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard 4 cups beef stock 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 500°F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. ...

June 25, 2025 · Travis

Lemon-Herb Roasted Cod With Crispy Garlic Potatoes

INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (3 or more), unpeeled, sliced into ¼ inch-thick rounds 3 garlic cloves, minced 3½ teaspoon table salt, divided 1½ teaspoon pepper, divided 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets, 1 inch thick 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces 4 sprigs fresh thyme 4 thin lemon slices INSTRUCTIONS Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Combine potatoes, garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Cover and microwave until potatoes are just tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Shingle potatoes into 4 rectangular piles that measure roughly 4 by 6 inches on prepared sheet. Pat cod dry with paper towels, sprinkle with remaining 1½ teaspoon salt and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper, and lay 1 fillet skinned side down on each potato pile. Place butter, thyme sprigs, and lemon slices on top of cod. Roast until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 135 degrees, 15 to 18 minutes. Slide spatula underneath potatoes and cod, gently transfer to individual plates, and serve.

June 25, 2025 · Travis

Pizza Sausage

INGREDIENTS 1 pound lean ground pork 1 clove garlic minced 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon crushed thyme ½ teaspoon fennel seeds ⅛ teaspoon cayenne ½ teaspoon salt INSTRUCTIONS Place raw ground pork into a mixing bowl. Measure out all your herbs and spices and sprinkle over the pork; thoroughly mix everything together. Brown the meat mixture in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain sausage on a paper towel lined plate. Add cooked sausage to your pizza with other toppings of choice.

May 2, 2025 · Travis

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

INGREDIENTS 8 ounces uncooked pasta 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 tablespoon flour 3-4 cloves garlic minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth 1 cup heavy/whipping cream 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken shredded 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving 1 small handful fresh basil torn/chopped Salt & pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions. When the pasta is about 10 minutes away from being done, add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once it melts, sprinkle the flour in and cook for about a minute, stirring often. Add in the garlic, tomato paste, and wine. Give it a good stir and let it bubble for about one minute. Whisk in the cream, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and chicken, and cook it for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened to your liking. Stir in the parmesan and basil and take the skillet off the heat. Season generously with salt & pepper. Prior to draining the pasta, reserve some of the hot pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until coated. If needed, pour in a splash of the hot pasta water to the sauce to thin it out a bit. Serve immediately with more parmesan if desired.

March 19, 2025 · Travis

Cacio E Pepe

INGREDIENTS 8 ounces uncooked pasta 2 tablespoons butter, diced into 1-tablespoon chunks 1 teaspoon freshly-ground coarse black pepper 2 ounces finely-grated Pecorino-Romano cheese INSTRUCTIONS Boil the pasta water. Fill a large stockpot about halfway full of water (roughly 3 quarts) and bring it to a rolling boil. Generously season the water with fine sea salt (about 2 tablespoons). Bloom the pepper. Meanwhile, as the pasta water heats, melt the butter in a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Add the pepper and let it cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat. If you have an electric stove, you’ll want to remove the pan from the hot burner entirely. Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just barely al dente. Toss the pasta. Use tongs to quickly transfer the pasta directly to the sauté pan with the melted butter and pepper. Add 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to the pan and toss the pasta briefly to combine. Add in half of the cheese and toss the pasta briefly to coat. Add in the remaining half of the cheese and continue tossing the pasta, adding in a few extra tablespoons of starchy pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce, until the cheese is melted and forms a smooth and glossy sauce. Serve the pasta immediately, garnished with an extra twist of black pepper and/or extra Pecorino if desired. This pasta is definitely best served hot out of the pan, so please enjoy it right away!

February 3, 2025 · Travis

Baked Ziti

INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, minced 10 large garlic cloves, minced Kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 pound ziti 1 1/2 pounds whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese 8 sprigs fresh basil, stemmed INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 375°F. MAKE THE SAUCE: In a large skillet set over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and oregano and stir to blend. Cook, continuing to stir from time to time, until the tomatoes start to smell cooked and the raw garlic mellows, 18 to 20 minutes more. Taste for seasoning. COOK THE PASTA: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous handful of salt; the pasta water should taste like seawater. Add the pasta and stir with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom. Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta in a large colander. COMBINE THE PASTA AND SAUCE: Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to rest for 10 minutes-ideally the pasta is nicely coated with the sauce but it still looks saucy and not dried out. If it becomes too thick, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta water. BAKE THE PASTA: Fill an 8.5 x 11-inch baking dish with half of the ziti, sprinkling half of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta as you fill the dish. Top with all of the remaining pasta and cheese. Bake until the top browns, 15 to 18 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil the ziti until the top is browned and the sauce bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. SERVE: Tear the basil and sprinkle over the top. Serve family style.

January 30, 2025 · Travis

Big Mac Casserole

INGREDIENTS 8 frozen hash brown patties 1 onion 1 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 2 teaspoons white vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/4 lb ground beef sirloin 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated, divided 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce 1/2 cup hamburger dill pickle slices, roughly chopped INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees F). Place hash brown patties in a single layer along the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and crisp on the bottom, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, grate or very finely mince 2 tablespoons of onion and set aside, along with any accumulated juices. Cut the remaining onion into a small dice and set aside. While hash browns bake, combine grated onion with mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sweet pickle relish, white vinegar, sugar, mustard, paprika, and onion powder in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, undisturbed for 3 minutes. Continue to cook, while crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with remaining salt, pepper, Worcestershire and remaining chopped onions and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 2/3 cup of the sauce mixture and 1 1/3 cup cheese. Flip hash brown patties over, so the crispy side is on top. Pour meat mixture over hash browns and top with remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Top with shredded lettuce and drizzle with remaining sauce. Top with chopped pickles and serve immediately.

November 1, 2024 · Travis

Air Fryer French Fries

INGREDIENTS 2 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch sticks Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling Sea salt INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer so that the potatoes are not touching each other. You will have to work in batches. Air fry for 12 to 15 minutes*, flipping halfway, or until crispy. If your fries are not crispy, air fry them a little longer. Once all batches are finished, toss them all back into the air fryer (no need to place in a single layer this time) for 1 to 2 minutes to warm and re-crisp any that got cold from the first few batches.

October 6, 2024 · Travis

Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS 2 pounds frozen chicken wings 1 tablespoon light olive oil, avocado oil, or other oil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper INSTRUCTIONS Place the frozen wings in the basket of your air fryer. Cook at 400°F for 9-10 minutes until chicken is defrosted. Remove the chicken wings and place them in a bowl. Drain any liquid that accumulated in the air fryer basket. Add the oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to the chicken wings and toss until the wings are coated with the spices. Place the wings back in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until the wings are crispy and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Flip the wings halfway through cooking. NOTES Don’t overcrowd the basket. Cook the wings in a single layer so that they crisp up nicely. Once the wings are defrosted, make sure you drain the water in the basket before putting them back in the air fryer. This will help the wings crisp up. You can serve the wings naked or toss them with your favorite sauce. I like to toss them with my homemade honey buffalo sauce but you can also toss the wings with barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce or your favorite wing sauce.

October 6, 2024 · Travis

Easy Cassoulet

There are many different recipes for cassoulet, but this one is simple and flavorful. Serve it as a main course or as a side dish. The bread crumbs add a crisp texture to the soft beans. INGREDIENTS 5 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch- thick slices 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chicken broth One 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes Two 14.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups fresh bread crumbs 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In 3½-quart Dutch a oven, over medium heat, add the bacon and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to a a plate and reserve, leaving the fat in the pot. Add the onions and sauté for several minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, and bacon and stir. In a medium bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter and parsley. Set aside. Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the butter and parsley and set aside. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, sprinkle over bread crumbs, and return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve in warmed bowls.

July 4, 2024 · Travis