American

This pure, unadulterated comfort food is pasta simmered in a bacon and burger filled cheesy tomato sauce. It doesn't get better (or easier) than this!

Lemon is an unlikely flavoring for pasta, but oh…is it ever refreshing and good, especially in the spring and summer. This is a baked version, but if you’re in a hurry there’s nothing more delicious than this: saute butter and olive oil, add chopped garlic. Squeeze in the juice of a couple of lemons and add in some of the zest. Stir together and add a splash or two of half and half or cream, then toss with pasta, chopped parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Divine.
There’s something about this baked version, though, that I just love. I use sour cream instead of cream or half and half—I like the “noodle kugel” quality of the finished dish, (I should have been Jewish, I love kugel so much.) and I love the smell of lemon and garlic emanating from the oven.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
This recipe may be doubled, tripled, or octupled—it’s totally easy.

For this recipe, baby carrots are ideal, but you can also use mature carrots if you cut them down to size (see tip below). Do not use bagged "baby cut" carrots.

You start cooking the carrots on the stovetop and then move them to the hot oven to roast. The direct heat of the stovetop jump-starts the caramelizing of the carrots.

Roasted in the oven or on the grill, these onions are simple and tasty. They taste like French onion soup, and smell great.

If you really hate mayo, you can sub it out with extra butter.

If you like a little spice in your food, these big stuffed burgers are for you. Just have plenty of frosty cold drinks on hand to serve with them.

Potato and Green Bean Salad with Pesto is gorgeous and green, with snappy green beans and tender new potatoes tossed in a peppery pesto.

I never have had a chicken this juicy before; this little trick works and makes the people eating it go silent. It's funny. We nibble on the celery after.

Not too often do you hear 'fantastic' and 'Brussels sprouts' in the same sentence but this recipe is deserving of that. When I mentioned I was bringing Brussels sprouts to a holiday get together, my mom told me not to bother. After eating this dish, my family now requests I bring it to every get together!"