Winter, for the most part, is a good time to stay indoors. Especially during - in many places - the brutally cold month of January, as the holiday season is in the rear and spring hasn’t yet sprung. But the good thing is it’s a perfect time to make those delicious, yet time-consuming meals. So, whether it’s an extensive ingredient list with a lot of prep steps, or a dish that just takes hours to simmer, here are five excellent recipes to make if you have time on your side.
Often a go-to for the Lane family, particularly when it’s cold out, this Spanish pork stew recipe is light on prep time and heavy on flavor … it just takes a bit of patience to let it simmer — so, get it ready and get it going; then sit back, relax and watch a flick. Once your movie is done, it’ll be time to eat. Here's a helpful hint: if you are looking to trim a few minutes, you can skip steps 7-9 and simply wrap up cooking after step 6 (the last couple of steps aren’t necessarily essential to enjoy the meal).
It’s just a crockpot dish; big whoop! Still, this slow cooker meal is hearty and heart-warming. The prep work is a bit involved. After that though, your pot will do all the heavy lifting. Now, fire up a batch of sweet cornbread or biscuits, and you’re in business. Personally, I like to add the cornstarch at the end to help the stew feel more filling. Also, to save time and effort, I buy as many of the ingredients pre-cut as possible. I get “stew meat” from the meat department, baby carrots instead of whole, sliced mushrooms, and baby potatoes (I use these potatoes). Enjoy.
Here’s another fun, yum dish … in fact, I’d eat it more often during the year than I already do; except my wife & kids (though they like it) don’t flat out love it nearly as much as myself — that aside: you’ll be hard-pressed to find another pasta recipe as silky and delectable as a nice bowl of drunken noodles. The best part is the sauce. I’m a sucker for velvety wine sauces. Plus, the bell peppers add brightness and some sweet flavors to each bite. And who can go wrong with sausage crumbles? By the way: pay no attention to the total time they list on the site. Unless you’re Tom Colicchio, it’ll take the average person double the time. That said, ditch the marinara or cream sauces for a moment. Make this your next pasta meal!
I’m cheating a bit with this because it isn’t your normal stove-top or oven meal. Nonetheless, this is one mouthwatering recipe. And while the prep time is simple enough and doesn’t take long at all, the cook time is a whole different story. Clocking in at 9 hours — those who make pulled pork know that’s not an exaggeration — this is definitely a dish you want to throw on early in the morning or, depending on when you’re trying to eat, the night before (maybe even the wee hours of the morning). But the chew is worth the commitment … trust me. If you don’t have a Traeger, specifically, I’m sure any wood grill will do. Either way, I highly recommend apple wood.
If you’re looking for hearty, look no further. This Swiss steak recipe is everything. Depending on how busy an evening you have, or whether or not you get home late from work, this might not be the best weeknight dish. But, with a little time on your hands, it’s definitely a pleaser. Just pair it with a side of rice and perhaps some green beans, and you’ve got a thoroughly satisfying meal. Note: this particular version calls for tip sirloin, but you can use bottom round, top round, or chuck instead.
They all look super yummy and worth the effort. I’ll be trying them out. I must say…I do love your mother-I’m-law’s pulled pork recipe. We need a head-to head taste test of the two pulled porks!