Jenes Rita

Hamburger stroganoff is the dinner I make when I want the creaminess of stroganoff without the steak budget or the fuss. Ground beef browned with onion and garlic, mushrooms and beef broth building a quick savory base, and a cup of sour cream stirred in off the boil for that signature tangy silk. It is … Read more

Meatball subs sliders are the party food that never makes it to the second quarter: golden baked meatballs tucked into soft slider buns with warm marinara and a blanket of melted mozzarella, brushed with garlic butter and baked in a 9×13 until the tops turn toasty and the cheese stretches on every pull. A dozen … Read more

Meatloaf muffins are the weeknight dinner that makes people smile before they even take a bite. Everything you love about classic meatloaf, the savory beef, the onion and garlic, the sweet tangy ketchup glaze caramelizing on top, portioned into individual servings that bake at 375 degrees in 25 to 30 minutes instead of an hour. … Read more

This sheet pan sausage and peppers with potatoes is the one pan dinner that feeds the family on a busy night: Italian sausage links nestled over baby potatoes, bell peppers, and red onion, all tossed in olive oil with oregano and garlic powder and roasted at 400 degrees until the potatoes turn golden, the peppers … Read more

Slow cooker pork carnitas are the set it and forget it miracle: a three pound pork shoulder buried with onion, garlic, orange juice, and lime, seasoned with cumin and oregano, and left on low until it shreds under a fork, then broiled until the edges turn crispy and caramelized. Soft, juicy, crisp at the tips, … Read more

Kielbasa, potatoes, and cabbage in one skillet is the dinner my grandmother would call practical and I call quietly wonderful. Smoky kielbasa coins browned until their edges crisp, golden potatoes softened in butter, a whole heap of cabbage cooked down sweet and silky with paprika and caraway, all of it tumbled together in one pan. … Read more

This ground beef stroganoff is the from scratch classic, no condensed soup in sight: a pound and a half of beef browned with onions and garlic, mushrooms cooked down in butter, a savory broth base with a splash of Worcestershire, and sour cream stirred through at the end for that signature tangy creaminess. Served over … Read more

Pork chops in mushroom cream sauce is what I hand people who think pork chops are dry and boring, because it ends that argument in one bite. Thick chops seared to a golden crust, then simmered in a silky sauce of buttery mushrooms, onion, a whisper of Dijon, and a full cup of cream until … Read more

Beef and broccoli stir fry is the takeout order you can beat at home: thin sliced flank steak seared fast in a screaming wok, broccoli blasted until it is crisp tender and charred at the edges, and a glossy soy brown sugar sauce with garlic, ginger, and sesame that thickens around everything in about two … Read more

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes casserole solves the best argument in comfort food: why choose between meatloaf and mashed potatoes when one dish can hold both? A tomato rich meatloaf layer pressed into a baking dish, crowned with garlic chive mash, and baked at 375 degrees until golden and cooked through to the middle. Every serving … Read more