Chicken Potpie with Cornbread Biscuits may not be a quick weeknight meal, however, with some advance prep work, this recipe can help get dinner on the table  in a reasonable amount of time. For the biscuit portion of this recipe, you’ll need all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, unsalted butter and buttermilk. The dry ingredients are mixed together followed by cutting in the butter with your fingers or pastry cutter. Using a fork, the buttermilk is added just until a sticky dough is formed. The dough can be made 24 hours ahead and kept (kneaded and formed into biscuits), otherwise you can mix the dough up to an hour ahead of baking.
 
The potpie mixture consists of 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of bone-in skin on chicken breasts (2 breasts), olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, unsalted butter, carrots, celery, an onion, fresh rosemary, all-purpose flour, chicken stock, whole milk, dry sherry, fresh chives or parsley and an egg.
 
The chicken breasts are seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted in the oven. When done and cooled, the meat is removed from the bones and shredded. Can you use a pre-cooked roasting chicken from the grocery store, why not.
 
The filling is made in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or any pan able to go into a 400° oven.  Butter is melted in the pan and prepared vegetables and chopped rosemary are added  and seasoned with salt and pepper. Next, the flour is added to create a roux. The liquids are added along with salt and pepper and cooked until the sauce is thick and rich. Off heat, the sherry, chives and shredded chicken are added and combined. The mixture is topped with your homemade biscuits and brushed with an egg wash. The potpie bakes for 20 to 30 minutes or until the biscuits are puffed and golden.
 
The potpie was delicious. The sherry added complexity to the sauce along with the chicken stock. The rosemary and parsley added a flavorful taste to the dish. This was a wonderful one pot meal.
 
Eric Kim’s Pepper Steak was a nice quick weeknight meal. For the recipe you’ll need either flank or skirt steak, cornstarch, freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce, a neutral oil, either green bell or Cubanelle peppers, an onion, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, salt, Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, honey and cooked white rice for serving.
 
I used flank steak for this recipe and green bell peppers. The steak was cut against the grain into thin slices. The meat marinated in a mixture of cornstarch, black pepper, soy sauce and oil for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 12 hours.
 
When ready to cook, preheat a wok or large skillet and use just enough oil to coat the pan. Cook the meat in a single layer about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until brown all over; remove to a plate. Next you’ll add the peppers, onion, garlic and ginger to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables soften, which should take about 1 minute or so. When the vegetables are done, the meat is added back to the pan along with the wine or sherry, honey and remaining soy sauce. The ingredients are stirred to combine and coat the meat. Before serving, adjust salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste.
 
This was a great meal as my husband is fond of stir fry dishes. It was quick to make as I let the meat marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes which gave me time to chop the vegetables. I served it over white rice and my husband likes to add some additional soy sauce and Chinese mustard.
 
If you want to level up your weeknight game, then Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin “Filets” is for you. The recipe takes approximately 35 minutes to prepare, but your dining companion will think it took longer. For the recipe you’ll need one pound pork tenderloin, 2 slices of bacon, kosher salt, black pepper, unsalted butter, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, unsulphured molasses, Dijon mustard and fresh rosemary.
 
Preheat your oven to 400°. The tenderloin is cut into 4 equal portions (approximately 2-1/2-inches thick) and flattened  to 1-3/4-inches thick. The bacon is wrapped around the perimeter and a wooden toothpick is used to hold it in place. The meat is seasoned with salt and pepper. Into a preheated cast iron skillet, the filets are added to the pan, bacon side down and browned all around. Pop the skillet into an oven and baked until pork registers 145°. Remove filets to a dish and cover to keep warm. Using the same skillet, add the bourbon and scrape up any fond on the bottom of the pan. Add apple cider vinegar, molasses and Dijon mustard and let cook for a minute or two. Add the chopped rosemary, remove toothpick and add pork back to pan and drizzle sauce over filets.
 
Wow, what a tasty dish. Between the richness of the sauce to the rosemary that added a nice peppery and woodsy flavor, simply terrific. The combination of flavors were wonderful
 
My son-in-law sent me an IG reel of a Meyer Lemon Tiramisu by Christian Petroni. I couldn’t locate the recipe, but I did find one Lemon Tiramisu in the “Cook’s Illustrated Magazine” of March/April 2025. The recipe was developed by Erica Turner and is made with sugar, eggs and egg yolks, table salt, lemon juice, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, limoncello, water and dried ladyfingers (savoiardi).
 
I will admit, though I read the recipe several times, somewhere along the line I mixed up a few steps. However, that didn’t stop those of us from cleaning our plate.
 
The recipe begins by making lemon curd which consists of sugar, eggs and yolks, salt and lemon juice. The sugar, eggs and a pinch of salt are whisked in a bowl. The lemon juice is heated in a pot just until hot; then slowly whisked into the sugar mixture until smooth. The liquid is transferred back to the empty saucepan and cooked. The mixture needs to be  stirred constantly either with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it’s thick and registers 170°.
 
When it reaches temperature, its removed and immediately poured through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing lightly to push the curd through. Using a lightly greased parchment paper or plastic wrap, press it on the surface and cool for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
 
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment whisk the mascarpone cheese until smooth and creamy. Add salt and 3/4 cup of lemon curd and whip until there are no streaks (This is where I goofed and added ALL the lemon curd). Move mixture to a large bowl  and set aside. In the now empty bowl, whip the cream until frothy then add sugar and whisk until you have stiff peaks. Starting with a small portion of whipped cream, fold it into the mascarpone mixture and then add remaining whipped cream and blend until there are no white streaks.
 
The savoiardi are rolled in a mixture of limoncello, water and lemon juice and placed in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. When you have one layer done, spread half the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and spread to all corners and smooth the top. Continue the same way for the next layer, dipped lady fingers then topping with remaining mascarpone mixture. With the remaining lemon curd, you’ll make nine dollops on top and with a offset spatula or back of a spoon, smear the curd. Cover and chill for 6 to 24 hours.
 
Although I made a misstep in the recipe, it turned out scrumptious. The tiramisu was light and had just the right amount of lemon tang. It was very refreshing to have after a rich prime rib dinner. By the way, my brother and sister-in-law went to Italy a few years ago and brought me a small bottle of Terre Pompeiane Limoncello, which I kept in my freezer. It was just enough for this recipe. 


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Chicken Potpie with Cornbread Biscuuits
By Lidey Heuck, The New York Times/NYT Cooking
 
Total time: 1-1/2 hours
Servings: 6 to 8
 
For the Filling
1½ to 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (2 breasts)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1½ cups)
4 large celery stalks, trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1½ cups)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken stock
½ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or parsley
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
 
For the Biscuits
1¼ cups/160 grams all-purpose flour
¾ cup/105 grams yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons/70 grams chilled unsalted butter, diced
¾ cup/180 milliliters buttermilk, shaken
 
Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them on the prepared sheet pan. Rub all over with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until just cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then discard the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
3. While the chicken roasts, begin making the biscuits: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk until well combined. Add the butter, and working quickly, cut the butter into the flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until it forms crumbles about the size of peas. Switch to a fork, and stir constantly while adding the buttermilk in a slow, steady steam. Mix just until a wet, sticky dough forms. (Do not overmix!) Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat it into a mound, then wrap and chill it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
4. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and rosemary, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, or until no white clumps of flour are visible. Add the chicken stock, milk, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until very thick, 7 to 10 minutes; remove from heat. Add the sherry, chives and chicken, and stir until well combined.
6. Unwrap the chilled biscuit dough and place it on a well-floured surface. Working quickly (you want the biscuits to be as cold as possible when they go into the oven) lightly press the dough with your hands into a rectangle about ¾-inch thick. Fold the dough in half and press once more to a ¾-inch-thick rectangle. Cut out biscuits with a 2½- to 3-inch-round cutter and arrange them on top of the filling. (You should have about 10 biscuits.)
7. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash. Place the skillet on a sheet pan to catch any drips, and bake, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until biscuits are puffed and golden. Cool for 10 minutes to let the filling thicken slightly, then serve.

 
Tip - The biscuit dough may be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you plan to make the biscuit dough more than an hour in advance, follow the directions for kneading the dough and cutting out the biscuits before chilling them.

Pepper Steak
“A Stir-Fry to Convert Green Bell Pepper Skeptics,”
By Eric Kim
The New York Times, June 22 2023 & NYT Cooking
 
Total time: 40 minutes, plus marinating time
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
 
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
1 pound beef flank or skirt steak (see Tip)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2½  teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
3½tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more for stir-frying
2 medium fresh green bell peppers or Cubanelle peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed and thinly sliced
1(1½-inch) piece ginger, peeled, crushed and thinly sliced
Salt
¼  cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2tablespoons honey
Cooked white rice, for serving
 
Preparation

1. Marinate the beef: Cut the steak into 2- or 3-inch-wide pieces along the grain, then cut into thin slices against the grain. In a bowl, combine the steak, cornstarch, black pepper, 2½ tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons oil. Toss to mix, cover and marinate at room temperature for up to 30 minutes (see Tip), or in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
2. Stir-fry the beef: Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high until a splash of water dropped into the pan evaporates quickly. Add enough oil to generously coat the pan, then add the beef in a single layer. Cook without flipping until the meat is browned around the edges, 2½ to 3 minutes, then stir constantly until browned all over, about 30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the peppers, onion, garlic and ginger to the same wok, still over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 1 to 1½ minutes.
4. Add the meat back to the pan, along with the Shaoxing wine, honey and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any stuck-on bits, until the liquid reduces greatly and slicks the vegetables and beef, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or soy sauce as desired. Serve immediately with rice.

 
Tip - If using a tougher cut like bottom round steak, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to tenderize the meat, but don’t let it marinate for longer than 30 minutes or it’ll turn mushy.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin ”Filets”
By Katie Rosenhouse
“Southern Living Magazine”, March/April 2025
 
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic (about 5 large cloves)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. coriander seed, coarsely crushed
1 tsp., plus a pinch of kosher salt
1 (1 1/4- to 1 1/2-lb.) pork tenderloin, trimmed
5 to 7 center-cut bacon slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
 
Directions

1. Prepare oven: Preheat oven to 425°F.

 

1. Season pork tenderloin with garlic mixture: Stir together garlic, pepper, coriander, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Rub evenly over pork. If needed, tuck thin end of pork under so the tenderloin is about the same thickness from end to end.

 

1. Wrap tenderloin with bacon: Starting with 1 bacon slice on underside of wide end of pork, stretch and wrap bacon around, spiraling toward middle. Continue wrapping with remaining bacon slices until pork is mostly covered and bacon seams end up on underside of pork.
2. Brown bacon: Heat oil in a large ovenproof cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high. Place wrapped pork, seam side down, in hot skillet, and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Bake pork tenderloin: Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and bake until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 140°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer pork to a cutting board; do not clean skillet. Let pork rest for 15 minutes before slicing 3/4-inch thick.
4. Make glaze: While pork rests, whisk apricot preserves, vinegar, and mustard into pan drippings until sizzling.
5. Finish and serve: Pour pan drippings into a small bowl, and whisk in a pinch of salt until glaze comes together, about 30 seconds. Pour any accumulated pork juices into bowl with glaze, and stir to combine. Serve sliced pork drizzled with glaze.

​Lemon Tiramisu
By Erica Turner
“Cook’s Illustrated” magazine March/April 2025
 
Total time: 45 minutes, plus 6-1/2 hours chilling
Servings: 8 to 9
 
The lemon curd was developed for this recipe; do not substitute another lemon curd. Do not allow the mascarpone to warm to room temperature before using; it has a tendency to break if allowed to do so. Be certain to use hard, not soft, ladyfingers.
 
Ingredients
2/3 cup (4-2/3 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
1/8 teaspoon plus pinch table salt, divided
½ cup plus 1/3 cup lemon juice, divided (5 lemons)
8 ounces (1 cup mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup limoncello
2 tablespoons water
7 ounces dried ladyfingers (savoiardi; 26 to 34, depending on size)
 
Preparation

1. Whisk 2/3 cup sugar, eggs and yolk, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Heat ½ cup lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot and just bubbling around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon juice into sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer mixture to now-empty saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until mixture is thick enough to cling to spoon and registers 170 degrees, about 3 minutes.
2. Immediately remove pan from heat and pour curd through fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl (you should have 1 cup). Press lightly greased parchment paper directly on surface of curd and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip mascarpone on medium speed until no lumps remain, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and ¾ cup lemon curd and continue to whip until just combined and no visible streaks of curd remain, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
4. In now-empty mixer bowl, whip cream on medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; increase speed to high and continue to whip until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer. Fold one-third whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside
5. Combine limoncello, water and remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice in wide bowl or baking dish. Place half of ladyfingers on counter. Drop 1 ladyfinger into limoncello mixture, roll (do not submerge; rolling should take 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie), remove, and shake off excess liquid. Place soaked cookie in 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. Continue rolling and shaking ladyfingers and arranging them in a single layer, breaking or trimming as needed to fit neatly into dish.
6. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use offset spatula to spread mixture to side and into  corners of dish and smooth surface.
7. Repeat dipping and arranging ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Dollop remaining ¼ cup lemon curd evenly on top of mascarpone in 9 places. Using small spatula or back of spoon, smear curd to create marbled design. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Cut into pieces and served chilled.