3 Cozy Fall Recipes You’ll Want to Make Tonight

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Lovely Recipes

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken enchilada casserole is a simplified take on the traditional chicken enchiladas. Rather than stuffing and rolling each tortilla with tender, shredded chicken, you layer everything together, similar to making lasagna.

While making a homemade red enchilada sauce with aromatics and a few secret ingredients may seem time-consuming, you'll discover it's easy to whip up and comes together fast. This sauce soaks into the soft corn tortillas to create the foundation of the casserole. With layers of Monterey Jack cheese, you'll enjoy the familiar enchilada flavors you love in every bite.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups shredded cooked chicken

  • 1/4 cup taco seasoning, homemade or store-bought

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans

  • 3 1/2 cups (24 ounces) red enchilada sauce, canned or homemade 

  • 24 (6-inch) corn tortillas

  • 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded


Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F: 

    Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, or use a pastry brush to give the dish a light layer of vegetable oil.

  2. Season the chicken:

    Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the shredded chicken in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chicken stock to the bowl and use a pair of tongs to toss the chicken in the seasonings. The chicken should be evenly moistened and coated with taco seasoning. 

    Add the drained black beans to the chicken and use the tongs to toss them with the chicken.

  1. Layer the casserole:

    Pour 2 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce into a pie dish or wide, shallow 1 1/2-quart mixing bowl. 

    Dip 8 corn tortillas into the enchilada sauce in the bowl, one at a time, ensuring each is evenly coated in the sauce. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with the dipped tortillas, overlapping them slightly to completely cover the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese over this layer of tortillas.

    Spoon half of the shredded chicken mixture over the cheese in an even layer. Top the shredded chicken with another 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. 

    Repeat the dipping and lay

  2. Bake the casserole:

    Bake the casserole for 25 minutes, covered. After 25 minutes, carefully remove the foil and bake until the cheese is completely melted and starting to brown, another 10 to 12 minutes.

  3. Cool slightly, then garnish and serve:

    Allow the casserole to cool for 10 to15 minutes. Use a spatula to cut the casserole into 8 squares. Serve the chicken enchilada casserole garnished with sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced red onions, and jalapeño slices. 

Paccheri with Quick Sausage Ragu

Paccheri (pronounced pa-care-e, not pa-chair-e) is a type of large, smooth, tube-shaped pasta originating from the Campania region in southwestern Italy. It’s also sometimes referred to as schiaffoni. The name is believed to come from the Neapolitan word paccherià, meaning "to slap," possibly alluding to the noise it makes when being eaten or when sauce is poured over it.

Lovely Recipes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound paccheri pasta

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds

  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes, optional

  • 10 1/2 ounces spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

  • 1/3 cup tomato paste

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt for salting the pasta water, plus more to taste

  • 1 1/4 cup pasta water (you'll reserve it right before draining the pasta)

  • 2/3 cup heavy cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper

  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

  • Fresh basil, for serving

  1. Finish the pasta and serve:

    Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta directly into the pan with the ragu. Gently stir or toss together to coat the pasta in the sauce. Once the pasta is coated and the sauce has thickened up, about 3 minutes, remove from the heat. Taste, adding salt if needed.

  1. Prep the pasta water:

    Set a large pot of water over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil.

  2. Start the ragu:

    Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once melted, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. 

    Add the fennel seeds and chili flakes (if using) and cook for another minute. Add the sausage, breaking it up in the pan as it cooks. Sauté until the sausage is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

    Add the tomato paste and lower the heat to low. Let cook, stirring often, while you start cooking the pasta.

  3. Cook the pasta:

    Once the pot of water is boiling, season with salt and add the pasta. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. A few minutes before the pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 1/4 cups of pasta water for the ragu.

  4. Finish the ragu:

    While the pasta finishes cooking, add the reserved pasta water to the ragu and turn the heat back up to medium. The sauce should be simmering and start to thicken. When the pasta is just about done, add the heavy cream.

Lovely Recipes

Easy Meatloaf

Over the years, I’ve come across (and cooked) countless meatloaf recipes. Many are good, and a few are exceptional. What the best ones have in common is their simplicity. If you're after a consistently crowd-pleasing meatloaf that you can whip up with a few pounds of ground beef and some basic pantry ingredients, this is the recipe for you.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground chuck (80/20)

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon ketchup

  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 cup milk

  1. Bake and rest:

    Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf registers 160°F, about 1 hour and 20 minutes (begin checking after 1 hour). 

    Let the meatloaf sit for 10 minutes before slicing. If you like, pour off the fat and juices to make a gravy (there will be plenty of fat, but not enough liquid; you’ll need to supplement with stock or milk).

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

    Position a rack in the center of the oven.

  2. Mix the meatloaf:

    Electric mixer: Combine all of the meatloaf ingredients except the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients are blended, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour in the milk. Do not overmix. The meatloaf mix should be slightly sticky.

    By hand: Combine all of the ingredients except the milk in a large bowl and mix together with your hands until combined. Then add the milk and work it in until the mixture is homogeneous. 

  3. Form the meatloaf:

    Turn the meatloaf mixture into an ungreased 9x13-inch pan. With your hands, shape into a 10x5-inch freeform loaf. Evenly spread the ketchup on top (an offset metal spatula is great for this if you have one). If you prefer, you can bake the meatloaf in a 9x5-inch loaf pan (it may take longer to bake). 

  1. Store or freeze:

    Cool leftovers completely, then wrap well in plastic or foil and refrigerate for up to 5 days. 

    Cooked meatloaf freezes well. Wrap in plastic, then in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.