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Try this dimpled, chewy, herb-topped deep-dish focaccia

Centuries ago, focaccia began as a by-product: When bakers needed to gauge the heat of the wood-fired oven — focaccia stems from focolare and means "fireplace" — they would tear off a swatch of dough, flatten it, drizzle it with olive oil, and pop it into the hearth to bake as an edible oven thermometer. From there evolved countless variations on the theme — the stuffed pizza-like focaccia in Puglia and Calabria, the ring-shaped focaccia in Naples, focaccia made from rich or lean doughs, and even sweet versions. That said, it's the dimpled, chewy, herb-topped deep-dish focaccia ...

For streamlined chicken enchiladas, use a slow cooker

Chicken enchiladas offer a rich and complex combination of flavors and textures, but traditional cooking methods can be tedious. We wanted a more streamlined recipe for chicken enchiladas—one that utilized our slow cooker to make the filling and that enabled the enchiladas to be quickly assembled and finished in the oven. First we created a simple but flavorful red chile sauce with onion, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce, then braised chicken thighs directly in the sauce, which both enhanced the flavor of the sauce and ensured moist, flavorful meat for our enchilada ...

Great tasting oatmeal doesn’t need to comes in a packet

If you think oatmeal comes in a packet, think again. They know about oatmeal in Ireland and Scotland, where whole-grain, steel-cut oats are popular. Yes, these slightly chewy oats take longer to cook than old-fashioned rolled oats (and way longer than instant oats in a packet), but the results are so much better. To shorten the usual half-hour cooking time, start the process at night and then finish up in the morning. ] OVERNIGHT OATMEAL WITH RAISINS AND BROWN SUGAR Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus overnight resting time Cook Time: 15 minutes Prepare Ingredients: 3 ...

A bean chili that’s as rich and savory as any meat chili

Black bean chili should be primarily about the beans — they should be creamy, tender, and well-seasoned. We wanted a hearty bean chili that was as rich, savory, and deeply satisfying as any meat chili out there, yet simple to make in our multicooker. Tasters preferred the creamy, tender texture of dried beans over canned, and soaking the dried beans in salted water helped them hold their shape and cook evenly. Creating big flavor in vegetarian chili can be tricky since you can't use smoky ham hocks or bacon, but using the saute function to brown a hefty amount of aromatics and ...

Skip the boxed mac and cheese and make your own at home

Macaroni and cheese has always been on my "must-explore" list. It's just eaten too often in this country for us to ignore it. Kids in particular say yes to macaroni and cheese when they turn up their noses at everything else. Unfortunately, it's the boxed version, complete with orange cheese powder, that's made most often. There are two distinct styles of macaroni and cheese: bechamel-based, in which macaroni is blanketed with a cheesy white sauce, usually topped with crumbs, and baked. The other variety, the kind my mother always made, is custard-based. In this style, a mixture of egg ...

A cookie in a skillet? We admit this Internet phenom made us skeptical_until we tried it. Unlike making a traditional batch of cookies, this treatment doesn't require scooping, baking and cooling multiple sheets of treats; the whole thing bakes at once in a single skillet. Plus, the hot bottom and tall sides of a well-seasoned cast-iron pan create a great crust on the cookie. And this treat can go straight from the oven to the table for a fun, hands-on dessert_or you can slice it and serve it like a tart for a more elegant presentation. What's not to like? We cut back on butter and ...