Entertaining...The Dinner Party Part III: The Main Course

And now, for the main event!

Catch up on Part I (planning) here, and Part II (h'ors d'oeuvres) here.

As I said before, I think it is important to choose a meal that won't keep you glued to the stove the entire night. After all, it is your party and you should be able to enjoy yourself too.

This pasta dish was a no-brainer choice for me. I know I can't shut up about how great it was in the restaurant, but that is because it was in fact that great, and I needed it it my life. Aside from deliciousness, everything can be made ahead of time so there is very little last minute work. And truthfully, the short ribs should be made at least a day ahead because they are better when the flavors have time to meld a little.

This is definitely a time-intensive dish, but if you aren't making your own pasta, it comes together pretty easily. That being said, this isn't something I would recommend for a busy weeknight meal. Save this for a special occasion.

Pappardelle Pasta with Short Rib Ragu and Horseradish Cream
Makes 8 Servings

1 tsp olive oil
4-6 lbs bone-in short ribs
2 onions
8-10 cloves garlic
4 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups beef broth
2 cups red wine
3 tsp fresh thyme
2 tsp fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated horseradish (I could only find the jarred, I think fresh would have been better...but prepared worked fine)

Pappardelle Pasta (I used this recipe, you could also just purchase dried pasta)

1. Heat oven to 325. Roughly chop onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and oregano. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium-high (or regular pot, because you can use your crockpot instead of the oven later). Generously season short ribs with salt and pepper and cook a few at a time until they are browned on all sides. Set browned ribs aside.

3. Remove all but 2 TB fat from pot. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and wine, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Return ribs to pot, arranging to make sure all are submerged in liquid. Bring to boil, cover, and place in oven. Cook until meat is falling from bone, 3 - 3 1/2 hours.

Note: You can also cook ribs in crockpot instead of the oven. Transfer everything to large slow cooker and cook on low until tender and falling from bone, about 6-8 hours.

4. Let ribs and sauce cool. Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove bones and meat from sauce, set aside. Skim as much fat as possible from the sauce. Then using an immersion blender (or a regular blender or food processor) blend liquid and veggies to make a semi-smooth sauce. Tear ribs into 2-3 inch pieces, discarding bones and any extremely fatty sections. Return meat to sauce, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Cover and store in fridge until ready to serve. Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.

5. To make horseradish cream: stir together cream, chicken broth, and 1/4 cup horseradish (freshly grated or prepared) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Taste and add more horseradish if desired. Set aside until ready to serve. Can be made up to 6 hours ahead of time.

6. To serve: heat short ribs over medium heat. Cook pasta to al dente. Top pasta with short rib ragu and a dollop of horseradish cream.

Note:  If you are making fresh pasta, the dough can be rolled and cut up to 4 hours ahead of time.  Let cut pasta sit at room temp, lightly dust with flour and place in single layers between sheets of waxed paper.  Boil pasta as usual, ~3 minutes.

Beef With Broccoli Stir-Fry

I adore Chinese food, as does B, but we rarely rarely eat it because a) most of it is incredibly bad for you....loaded with calories and fat, and b) I am a total freak about take-out food, and I think take-out Chinese is the worst....the meats and veggies lose all their crispness and get all smushy and the sauces get all gelatinous and gross, and then temperature is all wrong, and the rice loses its stickiness. Ugh. See.....? Total freak.

My solution to this issue is to make my own. That way I can control the fat content and I don't have to deal with all my texture/temperature issues.

This is a quick and relatively easy dinner, perfect for busy weeknights when you are running short on time. When making stir-fries it is important you get all your ingredients cut and ready to go first, before you start cooking, because it comes together so fast. I served this one over brown rice.

Beef with Broccoli Stir-Fry
Makes 6 servings
210 calories / 7g fat / 14g carbs / 25g protein

1 lb lean beef, such as top sirloin or round
4-5 small bunches broccoli (about 4 cups florets)
1 red pepper
3-4 inch chunk ginger root (2 TB minced)
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch green onions
3 1/2 TB cornstarch, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sesame (or canola oil)

1. Trim all the fat from the beef and thinly slice it against the grain, as thin as possible. Toss with 1/2 TB cornstarch to coat. Mince the ginger and the garlic. Thinly slice the green onion. Slice the red pepper into thin strips. Cut the broccoli into florets, discard the stems/stalks.

2. In a small bowl, mix 3 TB cornstarch with chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes until sugar and cornstarch has dissolved.

3. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the green onions and the beef and cook until beef is browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli and red peppers and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sauce, bringing it to a boil and cooking until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve over rice or noodles.

Healthier Swedish Meatballs

Here is my typical "I am craving Ikea cafeteria food" meal....minus the huge crowds and flat-packed furniture (and the horse meat!).

These are lightened up by using a method I discovered a while ago in Cooking Light for cream gravies...a cream cheese and flour roux mixed with milk and broth. To me, the flavor and the texture is perfection...minus all the calories and fat. This is one of my favorite healthified tricks, I use it here, also.

I stuck to beef for the meatballs, but feel free to sub in turkey if you want. And me, being a pathetic creature of habit, always serves these with whole wheat egg noodles (and cooked carrots and cranberry sauce...always). Feel free to serve them with rice or mashed potatoes if that is your thing.

Swedish Meatballs
Makes 6 Servings
230 cals / 6g fat / 20g carbs / 22g protein

1 lb lean ground beef (96/4)
1 egg
1/2 small onion (1/3 cup minced)
1-2 stalks celery (1/4 cup minced)
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups beef broth
1 TB fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 cup skim milk
3 TB flour
4 TB reduced fat cream cheese

1. Mince celery, onions, and garlic. Combine with ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Roll into small balls, 1-2 TB in size....you should end up with 28-30 meatballs.

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat pan with cooking spray. Cook meatballs on all sides until cooked through and brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes.

3. While meatballs are cooking, chop parsley and set aside. Whisk cream cheese, flour, and milk until smooth.

4. Once meatballs are done, remove from pan and increase heat to medium high. Add beef broth and parsley to pan, stirring up any browned bits. Bring to a boil and stir in milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5-10 minutes, then return meatballs to the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with more parsley, if you want.

Family Dinner: Winter Beef Stew

I had grand grand plans for Valentine's Day.

Of course, almost all of them centered around food (because really...in my life, what doesn't?).  I was making all sorts of amazing and adorable treats for the kids' party at school.  I was going to wake up early and make us an awesome heart-themed breakfast. Then we were going to end the day with a nice dinner followed by some typical quality time for B and I and our respective Apple devices on the couch.

Turns out my ovaries had a different plan that included 2 days of pure agony and an 8 hour trip to the ER Wed night (thanks Kevin for staying with the kids so they could sleep!) and a last-minute trip to Little Ceasar's.  Bastard ovaries ruining everything.

Ultimately everything woked out.  I am doing better.  And somehow B and I managed to pull an all-nighter and finish all the treats and the Valentine cards in time for the kids' party. (Although I don't have any pictures, bummer). And B was able to take the kids to school and help out at their party for me (after staying up all night...he is a champ!).  And we had our Valentine breakfast on Saturday instead.

The point to this whine-whine-whine rant is....sometimes crap happens to get you down, and when it does, you need something warm, comforting, healthy, and delicious to cheer you up....like this beef stew. (just kidding, that wasn't the point...I just wanted to whine.)

Really though, this stew is great. It is a WW recipe that I minimally altered, and has always been one of my favorites. As with most stews, I serve this over whole wheat egg noodles, but rice or mashed potatoes would also work.

Winter Beef Stew
Makes 6 servings
295 cals / 8g fat / 20g carbs / 34g protein

2 lbs lean beef (top round or sirloin)
2 red onions
6 carrots
5 cloves garlic
1 TB thyme
2 tsp olive oil, divided
3 TB red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 cups apple juice
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parsley

1. Trim all the fat off the beef and cut into small strips, about 1x3 inches. Chop the onions, garlic, and thyme, set aside. Peel and chop carrots into 1-2 inch chunks, set aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides. Remove beef from pan and add remaining 1 tsp oil. Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes (it is ok if the bottom of the pan begins to brown...but you don't want it to burn. Add a small amount of oil or water if the bottom gets too dark or is sticking too much). Stir in the thyme, vinegar, bay leaves, apple juice, broth, salt and pepper. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.

3. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook, partially covered 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Serve over egg noodles (or rice or potatoes) and top with fresh chopped parsley.

Family Dinner: Not Yo' Momma's Meatloaf

Kidding.  This could very well be your mom's meatloaf.  If it is, your mom is cool.  You should invite me to dinner at your house.

Meatloaf is one of those comfort food meals that is truly unique....it seems like no two recipes are alike. There are so many varieties out there, and it seems like everyone has a different way of making theirs, but everyone is partial to their mom's. When I started making my own, I made it just like my mom did, 80/20 beef, lots of eggs and milk, and topped with ketchup. (I refused to make it the way B's family used to make it....topped with cream of mushroom soup. Yuck!). Over time, I diverged from my mom's method and my recipe evolved to match my own preferences, and now this is my perfected "mom's meatloaf."

I keep this healthy by using 96/4 lean ground sirloin beef. I just can't bring myself to use ground turkey for this. I have tried, and is grosses me out for whatever reason.  And with nutritional info like this, there is no need.

Meatloaf
Makes 6 servings
170 cals / 4g fat / 14g carbs / 18g protein

1 lb 96/4 lean ground beef
1/2 small onion
2 celery stalks
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup plus 3 TB BBQ sauce, divided (I prefer the sweet and spicy kind)
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Heat over to 350. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Mince the onion and the celery. You should end up with about 1/3 cup minced onion and 1/4 cup minced celery.

2. Place beef, egg, breadcrumbs, minced onion and celery, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a bowl. Mix all together until evenly mixed. Get your hands dirty...seriously. Use your hands. It is the easiest and fastest way. Place beef mixture into loaf pan and smooth/shape into a loaf shape. Top with remaining 3 TB BBQ sauce.

3. Bake until cooked through, 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and pour off any of the liquified fat. Slice and serve.

Family Dinner: Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

B and I have been married for almost 7 years. With the passage of time, two 3 year-olds running around, plus B's job, and just life in general, I would say the "movie" idea of romance has fallen by the wayside. Dates are few and far between, and we are both usually pretty tired by the end of the day. Most nights are spent on the couch with our respective Apple devices catching up on our latest favorite TV series (currently Boardwalk Empire and Revenge).

It is kind of funny how much my ideals of romance have changed over time...I have come to recognize and appreciate the little ways that B shows love...like taking my car to get gas when it is -4 degrees out so I won't freeze, making me coffee and setting out a mug every morning, or putting my clothes that I habitually pile on my dresser away because I am too lazy to he is tired of looking at them I can't seem to find the time. I will take not having to go out and pump gas in the freezing weather over a stereotypical attempt at romance any day. To me, that is true love.

Of course I have my own small ways of showing love...mostly through food (thanks southern grandmas!).  I hate mushrooms and seafood, and since I am the cook, we rarely have either. But since B and the kids both enjoy them, I will sacrifice and make a fish or mushroom dinner every now and then.   Ahhhhh.....gas and mushrooms. C'est l'amour.

This stroganoff is one example...I left the mushrooms big so I could easily pick them out, and the sauce flavor wasn't too shroom-ey.  I actually kind of liked this.  I served this over whole wheat egg noodles, but rice would be a decent as well.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
Makes 8 Servings
180 cals / 6g fat / 10g carbs / 22g protein

1 1/2 lb lean beef (top round, top sirloin, etc...)
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
3 TB parsley
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup beef broth
8 oz fat-free sour cream

1. Trim all visible fat from the beef and slice into 1/2 inch strips. Place beef in bottom of crock pot. Chop onion, parsley, and garlic and spread over beef. Add mushrooms over onions. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Whisk together broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Whisk in flour until smooth. Poor over mushrooms and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in sour cream just before serving.

Family Dinner: Cincinnati Chili

And now I present to you Cincinnati Chili....the other chili.  The best chili (really).  I love this stuff.  The ingredients are weird, but it is good.

I made this on the stove, but you can just dump everything in a crock pot and let it cook for 6-8 hours and adjust your spices before eating.  If it is too soupy, turn it on high and cook uncovered to reduce some of the water content.

My favorite way to eat this is on top of spaghetti noodles, with shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, diced onion, and lots and lots of Franks red hot sauce.


Cincinnati Chili
Makes 8 Servings
230 cals / 8g fat / 15g carbs / 23g protein

2 lbs 96% lean ground beef
3 cups water
2 small onions, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 TB apple cider vinegar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
4 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 square (2 rectangles) unsweetened bakers chocolate
2 bay leaves (remove these before serving)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper


Mix the beef and water in a large pot until the beef is broken up into tiny tiny pieces, like a meat slurry.  Place the pot onto stove over medium heat.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Partially cover and reduce heat, allowing to simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Adjust your seasonings and serve over spaghetti noodles.

Family Dinner: Bierocks

This is a meal my mom used to make (and I used to inhale).  I remember waiting impatiently in the kitchen so I could snatch a few as soon as they came out of the oven.  20 years later and I still think about these often.  And then one day it dawned on me...I am an adult with my own kitchen.  I could totally just make these for myself.  Duh!

These delicious little German dough pouches are stuffed with a seasoned ground beef and cabbage mixture. They freeze and reheat well, and are awesome dipped in some horseradish mustard. It seems a little involved, but actually comes together really simply. And you can make a bunch at once and take them for lunch over the week, or freeze them to eat whenever you need a fix.

I use my food processor to speed up the prep for this. If you don't have one, no big deal, you just need to plan on some extra time for shredding and chopping. You can make assembling these even speedier and make the filling ahead of time. I am sure you could be authentic and make your own dough, but really....ain't nobody got time for that!  And frozen is just as good in this case.

Bierocks
Makes 12
290 cals / 8g fat / 42g carbs / 13g protein

1 tsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 small onions, cut into quarters
1/2 head green cabbage, core removed
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 pack frozen Rhodes dinner roll dough balls
3 TB butter, melted

To make filling: in a large food processor with the chopping blade, process the garlic cloves until finely chopped. Add the onions and process until the onions are finely diced. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and onions. While that is cooking, fit your food processor with the shredding blade and shred the 1/2 head of cabbage. Add the shredded cabbage to the pot, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper and cover the pot with a lid, continuing to cook until the cabbage is completely cooked through, adding a tiny bit of water if needed to keep things steaming and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom, about 10-15 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, making sure to break the beef into tiny bits. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Thaw the dough balls however you want to. I spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and set out the dough balls to thaw, covered with plastic wrap. Then just keep them there to allow the dough to begin to rise. Once the balls begin to rise, combine 2 balls together and roll out to a flat circle, about 1/4 inch thick, using a little flour if needed. Place ~1/4 cup beef filling in center, then bring edges together, pinching seams to close.

Place on a sprayed cookie sheet, seam
side down, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow finished pockets to rise 30-45 minutes. Heat oven to 375 and bake, uncovered, until tops are golden brown, ~30 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter and enjoy!

Family Dinner: Shepherds Pie

Another hearty and filling meal.  The cold weather is getting to me, I think.  This is inspired by my good friend Kim, who made something similar while we were on a joint family vacation. This is definitely a departure from the shepherds pie my mom used to make using her Watkins pie pan and accompanying recipe. (anyone else know what I am talking about?) I remember going to Watkins parties with her...the Pampered Chef of days past? I loved those parties. They always had snacks.

You can take several short-cuts with this if you want...versatility is great!  Also, this would freeze really well, so make two and keep one in the freezer for another day, if you like to do that sort of thing. This could very easily adapt to the crock pot if you have better things to do than hang out in the kitchen for an hour.

First, the meat. I took a short cut and used Trader Joes pre-cooked pot roast (thanks Kim!). You can go the long route and cook your own beef roast, buy a different brand, or use leftover pot roast. Second, the vegetables. I used mostly fresh, but you can cut a lot of time using the bags of frozen mixed vegetables. Third, the topping. I forbid you to use instant mashed potatoes. It is sacrilege to my Southern roots. Use the ready made mashed potatoes if you must.

Shepherds Pie with Whipped Potato and Parsnip Topping
Makes 12 servings
240 cals / 6g fat / 38g carbs / 15g protein

3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
2 TB light butter or margarine (I use Brummel and Brown)
salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped
1 lb celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
3 cups beef broth, divided
1 lb pot roast, cooked
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen peas
3 TB flour
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes and parsnips in a pot and cover with water. Cook over high heat until fully cooked through and soft/mushy. Drain, and return to the pot. Add milk, butter, sour cream, and salt and pepper. Whip until smooth (I use my hand-held electric mixer). Throw out any of the tough parsnip cores (they will be in large chunks). Set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, in a large pot sprayed with cooking spray, sautéed carrots and celery over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add onions and garlic, continuing to cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes more. Add parsley and Worcestershire sauce, cook an additional 5 minutes then add 2 cups beef broth, beef roast, and salt and pepper. Allow to simmer until veggies are fully softened. Add corn and peas, cook until heated, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk flour with remaining 1 cup beef broth and add to beef/veggie mix. Bring to boil and cook until thickened. Heat oven to 400 and turn on broiler. Pour beef/veggie mix into a 13x9 pan, and top with whipped potatoes and parsnips, spreading evenly. Place pan in oven under broiler and cook until warmed through and top begins to brown, ~15 minutes.

And yeah, the pre-potato pie looks like dog vomit. But it tastes good, so get over it.

Family Dinner: Beef Barley Soup and Artisan Rosemary Black Pepper Bread

This meal is hearty.  I love making soups in the fall, they are easy, nutritious, healthy, comforting, and filling. (let's see how many adjectives I can fit in there, shall we?)  Beef Barley is a favorite among the tots.  This makes a big pot, so there is plenty of leftovers for lunches throughout the week, or enough to freeze and save for another meal down the road.  It is gets a little thick, so I guess it might be more of a stew than a soup, but you can thin it out to whatever consistency you want using more broth.  The other great thing about this soup is that it is easy to adjust to your tastes.  Want different/more/less vegetables?  Go ahead, switch it up.  It is really almost fool-proof.  I did not take a picture of the soup, I figured soup is something we all kind of know, and frankly, I don't have the photography skills to make it look as good as it tastes.

The bread.  While I wouldn't consider this "healthy," (it is bread after all), it isn't terrible in moderation.  And it tastes amazing, so I think it is worth it.  You can adjust this to your own tastes, adding whatever herbs, cheeses, or flavors you want.  I think the rosemary is a nice complement to the beef soup, though.  Making my own bread is something that I just started attempting this year. It seemed so daunting to me in the past, but it turns out it is actually fairly easy.  The amount of actual effort is minimal, you just have to allow plenty of time to let is rise.  For this recipe, I used my enamel Dutch oven, if you don't have one, I think any oven proof pan with a lid should work.

Beef Barley Soup
Serves 12, about 1 1/2 cup per serving
215 cals/5g fat/27g carbs/23g protein

2 lbs lean beef, such as top round, all the fat trimmed off, cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb celery, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb green beans, cut into pieces
6 cups 99% fat-free beef broth
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup uncooked medium pearled barley

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add beef pieces, and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic, celery, and carrots, cook an additional 3 minutes.  Add onions and cook until starting to soften, 3-5 minutes.  Add broth, water, salt, pepper, and bay leaves, stirring up any brown bits on the bottom.  Bring to simmer, add green beans and barley, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer ~1-2 hours.

Rosemary Cracked Black Pepper Artisan Bread
Serves 16
165 cals/6g fat/23g carbs/3g protein

1 cup warm water
3 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp kosher salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick melted butter
4 TB chopped fresh rosemary
1 TB fresh cracked black pepper

Add the water and the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (you can do this by hand, but it will take you forevvvvvveeeerrrr). Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and let it get foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour, chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and melted butter. Mix until dough is smooth, stretchy, and pulled into a ball, about 5-6 minutes. Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray, cover with plastic wrap and let rise, 4-6 hours. Lightly knead dough, reshaping into a round loaf shape if necessary, cover, and allow to rise again, 30-60 min. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425. Place empty dutch oven with lid on bottom rack and allow to heat at least 30 min. Take finished dough, plop it into hot Dutch oven, immediately cover with lid and return to oven. Bake for 25 min, removing lid for last 5 min for a browner crust, if preferred.

(Fact: typing Dutch oven this many times has made me giggle like a 13 year-old boy. Maturity at its highest here, folks.)