Quick Italian, Easy American, Fresh Mex

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 potato burger buns
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for the skillet
• 4 slices deli-style yellow American cheese
• Nancy's Special Sauce, recipe follows
• 2 thin slices red onion
• 8 pickle chips
• 2 slices beefsteak tomato
• 1 large leaf iceberg lettuce, torn in half
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Toast the split burger buns in a skillet with butter until golden brown on the cut sides, then set aside.
2. Gently season and mix the ground beef with salt and pepper, then divide and form into four thin patties. Flatten them slightly larger than the buns.
3. Sear the patties in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. Top each patty with a slice of American cheese during the last minute of cooking to melt.
4. While the patties cook, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, Sriracha, and white wine vinegar in a small bowl to create the special sauce.
5. Assemble the burgers by spreading special sauce on both toasted bun halves. Layer two cheese-covered patties on the bottom bun, followed by red onion slices, then the remaining two patties, pickle chips, tomato slices, and lettuce. Top with the bun halves.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb flank steak
• 1 McCormick® Taco Seasoning Mix packet
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion (sliced into 1/4-inch (6-millimeter) strips)
• 1 green bell pepper (seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1/4-inch (6-millimeter) strips)
• 1 red bell pepper (seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1/4-inch (6-millimeter) strips)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• 4 flour tortillas (fajita-size)
• shredded cheese (to taste)
• salsa (to taste)
• sliced avocado (to taste)

Instructions

1. Slice the flank steak into thin strips, then toss them with taco seasoning in a bowl and let them marinate.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook the marinated steak in batches until nicely browned, then set aside.
3. In the same skillet, sauté sliced onions and bell peppers until they're tender. Season with salt.
4. Return the cooked steak to the skillet with the vegetables and toss to combine.
5. Warm the flour tortillas and serve the steak and vegetable mixture in them, topping with cheese, salsa, and avocado as desired.
6. For the next day's grain bowl, gently reheat the leftover steak and vegetable mixture in a pan until warm.
7. Assemble the grain bowls by layering cooked quinoa with the reheated mixture, black beans, shredded cheese, avocado, and any other preferred toppings.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound pancetta, diced
• 3 pounds pork spareribs, denuded, cut into individual ribs
• 2 pounds Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups diced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup diced garlic
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound radiatore pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 bunch sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Render the diced pancetta in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until it's crispy and golden; remove the pancetta and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Sear the individual pork spareribs in the pancetta fat until well-browned on all sides, then remove them and set aside.
3. Add the Italian sausage pieces to the pot and brown them on all sides, then remove and set aside with the ribs.
4. Sauté the chopped bell peppers, diced onion, and minced garlic in the pot until the vegetables are softened and translucent.
5. Deglaze the pot with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Stir in the whole San Marzano tomatoes, chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh basil, and red chili flakes, then bring the mixture back to a simmer.
7. Return the browned pork ribs and Italian sausage to the pot, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, cover, and let it simmer gently for about 1.5 hours, or until the ribs are very tender.
8. While the ribs are braising, cook the radiatore pasta according to package directions until al dente.
9. Serve the braised pork ribs and sausage mixture over the cooked pasta, garnished with the reserved crispy pancetta, sliced green onions, and finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 0.5 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 0.3333 cup flour
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 0.5 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 0.5 cup farmer's cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1.25 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 0.333 cup self-rising flour
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Brown cubed chicken thighs in butter in a large, lidded saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened, then season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
2. Stir in flour to create a roux, cooking for a few minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add diced celery and carrots, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let it gently simmer for about 45 minutes, allowing the gravy to thicken and flavors to meld.
4. While the stew simmers, prepare the dumplings by combining farmer's cheese, egg, minced rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth. Gradually mix in self-rising flour until a very stiff batter forms.
5. Increase the heat to bring the stew back to a steady simmer. Stir in sliced green onions.
6. Using two tablespoons, scoop and shape small portions of the dumpling batter into oval shapes, then carefully drop them into the simmering liquid. You should get about six dumplings.
7. Dust with a pinch of cayenne pepper, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the dumplings steam and cook through for approximately 15 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring.
8. Taste the stew and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the dumplings and chicken stew hot.