Big Game Food: Sausage, Peppers & Onions Stoup

Day 180

Stoup: noun \ stüp \ thicker than a soup, but not as thick as a stew

In the meantime, I realize it's been awhile since I wrote about the best foods to enjoy at home while watching the big game. Okay, okay... It's been awhile since I wrote about anything. Touché.

If you have a sports enthusiast in your family who is even half the fan Hubby is, you probably know the NFL playoffs start tomorrow. Our New England Patriots have the week off, but that doesn't mean the TV won't be turned to NFL RedZone for several... long... hours... I'm sure it will.

That said, you know I love a reason to cook up warm, hearty comfort food, and this recipe will help you win the title of Kitchen MVP.

The minute I saw Rachael Ray describe this stoup as a ballpark sausage-peppers-onions-in-a-bowl (the kind you get outside Fenway -- yep, she gave our hometown ballpark a nice shout-out), I could not wait to give it a try. I made the stoup as directed, with one exception: I upped the sausage to two pounds. Hey, if you're making something like this, why not really go for it? (I even managed to find the perfect hot sausage without those pesky caraway seeds. I can't stand those things. Blech!)

It... Was... Amazing. Seriously. So good. You really need to let the sausage get nice and browned before adding the vegetables. And the best part was deglazing the pan after everything had caramelized, bringing all that flavor back to life in the broth. The picture I'm showing you doesn't show the cheese topping, but don't fret -- I added it. It, too, was delicious.

My Grade: A

Hubby's Grade: A

Recipe: http://bit.ly/fDNik4

Big Game Food: Homemade Lasagna

Day 124

Sundays in the fall mean cool, crisp and gorgeous weather; a day free of commitments, all to yourself; and husbands everywhere on the couch, first updating their fantasy picks on the laptop, then screaming at the TV all day. You know what I'm talking about. But Sundays don't have to be just for the boys. I find them an excellent excuse to make hearty, comfort food under the premise of "Oh, just a little something I thought you'd enjoy for the big game, honey!"

One of my favorite go-tos? Lasagna. Now, I don't know anyone that follows a recipe when they make lasagna. However, I tend to have a little consistency in mine, because that's what makes it "My Lasagna." And I happen to get a little swelling of pride churn up when Hubby asks for some of "My Famous Lasagna."

For example, I always use ground beef as my base. I mean, if I'm going to go for it with cheese and the rest of the yumminess, I'm going to throw some beef in there. But, you can really choose based on what you're feeling that day - ground beef, turkey, or pork sausage, or even vegetables like eggplant and zucchini. Isn't that what makes preparing it so fun? I find that properly flavoring the base is what makes or breaks the lasagna. You have to slow cook it with fresh vegetables and herbs, like garlic, onions and oregano. Only after the flavor is cooked into the meat can you add the tomato or vegetable sauce of your choice. Otherwise you end up with a sad version of goulash (or as you East Coasters call it, American chop suey) and all you're missing is the elbow macaroni.

When it comes to the cheese, I never leave out cottage cheese. When I was younger, it was because I wasn't a fan of ricotta, but now it's because I like the creaminess it adds to the dish. Two layers of cottage cheese are all you need, but feel free to add more. Sometimes I even use a low fat or fat free version, and the flavor is still spot on. The other cheeses vary each time I make it. Sometimes I use more parmesan than mozzarella; sometimes more mozz than parm. But what never changes is that the Parmigiano Reggiano needs to be fresh grated, and I always top my dish with some fresh grated Pecorino Romano for an extra bite.

Speaking of toppings, I find that a little garnish goes a long way. Slice up some Roma tomatoes, sprinkle on some fresh herbs or chopped garlic, whatever you feel like. It will go a long way in taking your dish from just another casserole to "My Famous Lasagna."