Freezer meal: Baked spahgetti

While making meals for my friends, I found this recipe in the Heat's Kitchen archives. As you can probably tell, I like to make new foods, so don't make the same thing again very often (unless it's a favorite).

Because the husband of the husband-wife pair I made this dish for doesn't like vegetables, I simplified this recipe quite a bit, so decided to repost!

Baked spaghetti-adapted from The General Store of Minnetonka Cookbook
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 5

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 jar favorite pasta sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and garlic over medium heat in a large saucepan. Drain off the fat. Add the spaghetti and sauce to the pan and mix well. 

Pour pasta into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with tinfoil and freeze in a freezer bag.

To make after freezing: Thaw in the refrigerator about 24 hours. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes still covered with tin foil. Remove tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Freezer meal: Poor man's lasagna

I wanted to keep one of the casseroles I made of this. It just sounded so amazingly delicious! Just throw everything for lasagna into a casserole--genius!

Pour man's lasagna-adapted from Fabulessly Frugal

Total time: 45 minutes

Makes two 8x8 pans

• 8 ounces dried pasta of your choice (I used medium shells)
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 24 ounce jar pasta sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, brown the Italian sausage then drain off the fat. Drain the pasta then return to the pot while still hot. Mix in the ricotta and cream cheese, and stir until combined and the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the Italian sausage and pasta sauce. Pour the pasta mixture into two 8x8 inch baking dishes. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover and store in freezer bags. 

To make after freezing: Thaw in the refrigerator. Uncover and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Freezer meal: Sausage and cheese egg muffins

Recipe number two made for my friends! They've already tried these and love them. I've made a few egg muffins before (here and here). Being able to make something for breakfast that is easy to freeze and reheat. They also taste delicious, even though I know some people think that reheated eggs aren't great.

Sausage and cheese egg muffins-adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Total time: 15 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

• 10 eggs
• 1/3 cup low fat milk
• 4 ounces precooked breakfast sausage, diced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk together, then gradually add in sausage and cheese. Pour into well greased muffin tins to about 3/4 full. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tops are set. Let cool slightly and remove gently with a spoon.

If you wish to freeze: Place the muffins in a gallon freezer bag. To reheat, cook in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

Freezer meal: Garlic ranch chicken

Some very close friends of our welcomed a lovely baby girl into the world on Valentine's Day! I knew that I wanted to do something special for them, so I made a bunch of freezer meals. I'll share all the meals over the next few posts, but I haven't tried them, so you'll just get the before pictures!

Garlic ranch chicken-adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Total time: Unknown :)
Serves 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package dry ranch dressing
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dried minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a gallon freezer bag.

When ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator. Fabulessly Frugal recommends grilling the chicken, but I'm sure you could bake or cook on the stove top as well.

Crunchy French Toast

French toast is something I rarely make, but decided to treat ourselves today! I was a bit hesitant of the flour, but it made them crunchy, which was just awesome!

Crunchy French Toast-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 8

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk
• 1 loaf french bread, sliced into 1-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Syrup for serving

In a large bowl, mix thoroughly salt, flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. There may be lumps which is okay. Heat a skillet over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Then dip each piece ofr bread into the flour mixture, coating both sides. Cook each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread slices.

Can be frozen, and reheated for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

As part of my Christmas gifts this year, I wanted to cook a few things. To do this, I made my very good friend Ashley, who just had her third daughter (!), some casseroles that can be frozen for up to three months. Since she has two little ones that would eat this, and a sometimes-picky husband, I decided to go with a standard pasta without anything too crazy to it. I didn't get to try this dish as I gave them to her, but they looked tasty!

This recipe is enough for two 9x13 inch pans. Each can be frozen up to 3 months before cooking.

Pizza Pasta Casserole-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 16

• 16 ounces penne pasta
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 32 ounces spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces pepperoni slices

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook beef, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain, return to pan and add spaghetti sauce and cooked pasta until heated through.

Turn pasta into two greased 9x13 inch pans. Top evenly with mozzarella and pepperoni. If cooking immediately, cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Freeze the other casserole. When ready to cook, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

Stroganoff

When I was in high school, I would spend a few dinners a week at my then-boyfriend's house. His mom made the BEST stroganoff. I've never been able to replicate it, but this one was definitely a keeper! It had the mushrooms, beef and flavor I was looking for without being over powering. It was very easy as well! There are also directions for freezing this meal for another day--I did not try this, but included the directions

Stroganoff

Stroganoff-adapted from Taste of Home's "Easy Back to School Meals"
Total Time 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can condensed beef consomme, undiluted
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons water

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion and garlic unti meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the consomme, mushrooms, lemon juice and pepper. Add pasta, sour cream and water to skillet and heat through (do not boil).

**Freezer Directions**

Cook the beef, onion and garlic until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the consomme, mushrooms, lemon juice and pepper. Place the meat mixture in a freezer container, cover and freeze up to three months.

To Use Frozen Meat Mixture:

Thaw in the refrigerator. Transfer to a skillet and prepare as directed above.

Baked Spaghetti

This recipe was really flavorful and delicious. It makes a TON of food however. So this would be great to either make two dishes & freeze one, or for a large gathering. The flavors are great, and since it's baked it gets nice and cheesy.

Baked Spaghetti-Adapted from The General Store of Minnetonka Cookbook
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 10

• 16 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 jars spaghetti sauce
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, brown and drain beef and Italian sausage. Add onion, pepper, garlic and cook about 5 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in spaghetti, and cook until thoroughly mixed. 

Pour mixture into 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, and top with cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

I love broccoli cheese soup and beer cheese soup. Seeing both in the title made me know I had to make this! I absolutely loved it! There was so much flavor to this soup! The only thing Scott wasn't a fan of was that it wasn't a very thick soup. I think that's okay though, because of all the other things that are in it. I will definitely be making this again--and you can make it as a freezer recipe too!

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Serves: 12

• 5 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cans chicken broth
• 4 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package cream cheese, cubed
• 12 ounces light beer

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute celery, carrots and onion in butter over medium high heat until tender. Add the broth, broccoli, red pepper, salt and pepper. Combine flour and water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thickened and vegetables are tender.

Stir in cheese and beer; cook until heated through and cheese is melted, stirring occasionally (do not boil). 

**To Freeze**

Cool remaining soup; transfer to freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen soup: thaw in refrigerator overnight. Transfer to a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally (do not boil).

Nutrition Facts
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		186.8
Total Fat		11.0 g
	Saturated Fat	6.8 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.6 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.0 g
Cholesterol		36.7 mg
Sodium		1,071.2 mg
Potassium		444.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate		10.4 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.7 g
	Sugars	1.7 g
Protein		11.3 g

Chicken Pot Pie

I have made a few pot pie's throughout the course of this blog. Look here, here and here. And I can't say that this one was definitely better than the others, because I remember really liking them. But I can say that this one has instructions for freezing it for up to 3 months. Also, it had the perfect amount of flavor to it!

Chicken Pot Pie

I made this as a homey dinner for Scott and his mom a few weeks ago. Just as delicous as ever!

October 18, 2014

Chicken Pot Pie-adapted from Taste of Home

Total Time 1 hour

Serves 6

• 2 medium carrort, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken brother
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1/2 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 package refrigerated pie crust, thawed according to package directions
• 1 egg

If cooking right away, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large stock pot, saute the carrots, onion, celery and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, 1/4 cup cream, parsley, garlic salt and pepper.

Spoon into ungreased 9-inch pie plates. Roll out pastry to fit top of each plate; place over filling. Trim seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. In a small bowl, whisk egg and remining cream, brush over pastry.

Place on baking sheet, and cook in over for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To freeze, cover in tin foil and seal in large ziploc bag for up to 3 months. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking. Cover edges of crust loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees; remove foil. Bake 55-60 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Chili

I still haven't run across a recipe in the Pioneer Woman Cooks that I haven't liked. This chili was a little bit different. It wasn't soupy like a normal chili. It was very thick. But it was also super tasty. I'm not sure if I really needed to use masa instead of regular flour, but I did. If you try it differently, please let me know so I can let my other readers know!

Chili-Adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Serves 6
For the Chili:

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup masa (optional, or use cornmeal)

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 can pinto or kidney beans, drained
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes and chiles

For Serving:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Diced onion
• Sour cream

Place ground beef and garlic in a large pot and cook the beef until brown; drain the excess fat. Pour in tomato sauce, spices, and salt. Stir together, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for one hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes dry, add in 1/2 cup water as needed. After an hour, place the masa in a small bowl and mix with 1/2 cup water. Dump the masa mixture into the chili and stir together well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with cheese, onions and/or sour cream.

To Freeze

Allow the chili to cool completely, then place in 1-cup portions in freezer bags. Flatten the bags for easy storage in the freezer.

Hand Pies

I got a new magazine for free from reading another one-Southern Living. And what I got was the all recipe book of favorite fall recipes. I was so excited! This was the first recipe I decided to make. And not going to lie, I got lazy. This recipe is for 18 appetizer like hand pies. I really only made two large "pot pie" like items. But the potatoes really added to them (I make killer mashed potatoes) along with the gravy. So instead of being a little creamy pot pie, its a pot pie with mashed potatoes served with gravy on the side. So awesome (3.5/5)!

Photo Courtesy of Southern Living

Hand Pies-Adapted from Southern Living

Total Time: 1 hour

Makes 24 appetizers or 2 large pot pies

• 1 cup finely chopped roasted turkey
• 3/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup cut green beans, cooked
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Poppy seeds (optional)
• Turkey gravy, warmed

• Stir together first 6 ingredients. Season with desired amount of salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°. Unroll each piecrust. Lightly roll each into a 12-inch circle. Cut each piecrust into 6 circles using a 4-inch round cutter. Place about 3 Tbsp. turkey mixture just below center of each dough circle. Fold dough over filling, pressing and folding edges to seal.
• Arrange pies on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with egg, and, if desired, sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• Bake at 400° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with warm gravy.
• Note: Unbaked pies can be frozen up to 1 month. Bake frozen pies 30 to 32 minutes or until golden brown.

Macaroni and Cheese

I love love love Mac & cheese! Ever since I got Real Simple's Meals Made Easy Cookbook, I wanted to try this recipe and I finally got around to it! It was absolutely phenomenal! The only thing we would change, is to add more of the stuffing mix to the top to make it a little more crunchy! Otherwise this is a 4/5! The other nice thing is that this is a freezer recipe, so there are directions on how to freeze it if you prefer to have ready to go meals or make some for friends!

Macaroni and Cheese-adapted from Meals Made Easy by Real Simple

• 1 pound dry elbow macaroni
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups whole milk
• 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) grated sharp cheddar
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups dry stuffing mix
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the macaroni according tot he package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream. Cook for 7 minutes. Add the cheddar and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the drained macaroni and toss. Transfer to a buttered casserole or individual ovenproof bowls. Combine the stuffing mix, parsley, oil, pepper, and the remaining salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake until golden and bubbling around the edges, about 25 minutes.

To Freeze....

Make the stuffing mixture and place it in a resealable freezer bag. Assemble-but do not bake-the casserole. Tightly cover with two layers of foil. Store both for up to 3 months.

To Reheat....

Thaw the casserole overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Sprinkle the stuffing mixture over it. Cover and heat in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and heat until bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

Banana Pancakes

I honestly cannot remember the last time I made homemade pancakes! This was a very easy recipe & almost anyone could do it! The pancakes were also awesomely fluffy, which, whenever I've made pancakes in the past, always seem to not be fluffy. I'm not quite sure what it was yet, but I'm thinking maybe the buttermilk.

The recipe also calls for a spice called cardamom. After some research, I learned that this is considered the queen of spices in Inida (with pepper being the king). And that it is extremely expensive. So after a little more digging, I found out most people suggest to not substitute. Well, I've been cooking for awhile now. Granted, nothing extremely exotic, but I've never yet come across cardamom in a recipe. I wasn't about to pay $13 for a small bottle of the stuff. So in the end, I substituted cinnamon, and it definitely did the trick!

Overall, I'd give this a 5/5. I'm definitely going to make these again when I'm craving pancakes. More often than not, I'll have everything on hand. The batter is what makes it, the banana pieces just add to it! Also, try making a double (or more!) batch, as you can cool then freeze the pancakes for a later date!This recipe is from Taste of Home Cooking School's cookbook/magazine.

Banana Pancakes

Makes 10 pancakes

Total Time: 25 Minutes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or cinnamon)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (any type of cooking oil will do, canola is healthier)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extra
• 1 small firm banana, finely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cardamom. Combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in banana.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.

Spaghetti Casserole

A great dish that can also be frozen to make at a later date!

Spaghetti Casserole

Yield: Makes TWO Casseroles

Total Time: 90 Minutes

• 1 package (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Remove from the heat.

Drain pasta. Combine soup and sour cream. In two 8-inch square baking dishes, layer half of the meat sauce, pasta, soup mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.

The Changes

I added some mushrooms I had on hand, which turned out great. I added garlic salt after the fact as well.

The Lessons

I forgot to read the whole recipe before I started cooking (something I'm notorious for). I didn't realize it was for two casseroles until after I started cooking the meat. So my casserole had twice as much meat as it originally called for, but it still turned out great!

Another lesson I've said before, is that if something seems as though it'll be bland, you probably need to add seasoning. 

The Verdict

4.5/5. It was eaten up right away! And the leftovers were gone today! It definitely needs seasoning-salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and/or mushrooms--pretty much whatever you like in your spaghetti sauce. I didn't make the whole recipe and freeze it because I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I would definitely recommend it!

Beans and Franks Bake

At first I was very hesisitant to make this recipe. I'm normally not a huge fan of baked beans. This, however, was absolutely delicious! The cornbread topping is what definitely did me in! This was also super easy!!!

I used turkey sausage instead of normal hotdogs. This recipe is for two dishes, where you can freeze one for up to 3 months. This is for sure awesome for when you want to prepare stuff ahead of time. I just made one casserole since I didn't know if I would like it or not, but I would definitely make two in the future!

From Taste of Home's Easy Back to School Meals

Beans and Franks Bake
Makes 2 casseroles-8 servings
Prep 20 minutes  Bake 40 minutes

• 2 packages (8-1/2 ounces each) corn bread/muffin mix
• 1 can (28 ounces) baked beans
• 4 hot dogs, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Prepare corn bread batter according to package directions; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the beans, hot dogs, bacon, ketchup, brown sugar and onion. Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese; top with corn bread batter.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the second casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

To use frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

This is from Real Simple, and is listed as a freezer recipe, meaning you can make it and freeze it to eat at a later date.  I ate some of it tonight and froze the rest, so I did not use the whole pound of pasta (for 4-6 servings).  I also used canola oil instead of olive because that was what I had in the house.  I substituted turkey bacon from pancetta because I couldn't find pancetta at the grocery store and I was getting hungry!  I also substituted skim milk for the whole milk, because who uses whole milk?  I substituted spaghetti for the fettuccine (you could use any pasta).  And I omitted the parsley because I forgot to buy it, and it's more of a garnish anyway :P

I would also suggest cooking the meat separately because I had issues getting the excess fat out of the sauce from the beef.  Just a thought!

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 pound pancetta, chopped (I used turkey bacon)
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
• 1 cup whole milk (sub. skim)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried (I used the dry stuff)
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (omitted)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pound dry fettuccine (any pasta will do)

In a Dutch oven (I used a saucepan), over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, then add the beef and cook until brown. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with cooked fettuccine. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes