Old-fashioned chili beans from scratch with dried pinto beans, ground beef, red chili sauce, and a splash of vinegar. A six-hour slow simmer for deep, rich, no-shortcuts flavor.
Pasta with meatballs in a tomato sauce deepened with bacon and Marsala, the tender bread-bound meatballs simmered right in. The pasta is tossed in butter and sauce, then showered with parmesan.
Texas Bandera chili with ground chuck, tomato sauce, lite beer, and jalapeño pinto beans. Bold chili powder and a long simmer build the kind of deep, beefy stew that gets better the next day.
Batter-dipped fondue meatballs flash-fried tableside in a fondue pot, served with mustard and horseradish dipping sauces. A retro fondue party throwback that still earns its keep.
Award-winning chili with ground chuck, three kinds of tomato, pure chili powder, and a splash of beer simmered low for hours. The kind of contest-grade beef chili that tastes even better on day two.
A delicious casserole made with italian sausage, zucchini, rice and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
Poor man's lasagne, a one-pot ground beef and macaroni casserole with tomato sauce, mushrooms, and a cheesy topping. A budget-friendly skillet-to-oven alternative to layered lasagna in under an hour.
Classic SOS (chipped beef on a shingle): ground chuck in a thick, peppery white milk gravy ladled over toast, waffles, or muffins. Five ingredients and 25 minutes.
Hearty baked beans loaded with ground chuck, bell peppers, onions, hickory BBQ sauce, and freshly ground whole spices, finished in the oven until thick and bubbly. The ultimate cookout side dish.
Italian-style jalapeño chili with hot Italian sausage, ground chuck, fennel, red wine, and three kinds of peppers. A sturdy bowl for game day or cold-weather feeding.
Juicy ground chuck burgers mixed with teriyaki sauce and mustard for a sweet-savory twist on the classic cookout. Grilled or broiled and ready in 20 minutes flat.
Mexican-style chili with ground chuck, kidney beans, three cans of tomatoes, and green chili salsa simmered low for three hours. A big-batch chili built to feed a crowd, freeze well, and taste better on day two.
Cincinnati chili: thin, spiced ground beef sauce with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and a touch of molasses, simmered low and slow. Serve over spaghetti with cheddar, onions, and beans.
Cajun-style fried hand pies stuffed with ground pork and beef, onions, green onions, parsley, and a kick of red pepper. Crimped pastry pockets fried golden and crisp.
This is pleasently warm but not mouth burning hot!
Five-ingredient Texas-style bean soup with ground chuck, canned minestrone, Rotel tomatoes, and ranch-style beans. Ten minutes of prep, one hour of simmering, zero fuss.