Weekend cooking for me is all about time with the family. My boys are in their late teens now, and for the most part, they pop in and out of the house all day long. But our evenings are spent enjoying dinner together, especially on the weekends. So that’s my time to get into the kitchen, early in the day, and start the process.
For me, weekend cooking is all about the low and slow dish: dishes that take a little bit longer to cook than I would have time for during the week, but that take almost no time at all to prep. Really, once you get the ingredients in the pot, the food practically cooks itself and the outcome is spectacular 99.9 percent of the time. A cheesy casserole, a pot of stew, and a big hunk of meat braised to perfection that just simmers on the stove all day long are all perfect weekend projects.
And the smells that fill the house are intoxicating; even to this day I am taken from time to time with the memories that come with a delicious meal working its magic on the stove top. You know you’re doing something right when a rotating cast of family members pop into the kitchen to dip some crusty bread into your Sunday sauce or a tortilla chip or two into that pot of chili.
I’m not going to lie to you: it was difficult to narrow this category down to just a few viewer dishes. After serious debate among the hosts, we decided on some pretty heavy hitters. There are oven-baked ribs and slow-roasted pork, baked pasta dishes, and turkey with a twist. We hope that you enjoy making these dishes as much as we enjoyed eating them. Buon appetito!
—Mario Batali
Meaty Ziti / Justin Washington
Pork Chops with Apple Mash and Roasted Brussels Sprouts / Nicole Vanluvender
BBQ Fried Chicken / Jerry Butler
Sausage and Beef Casserole / Mamma T
Turkey Breast Creamed Collard Greens / Deena Leslie
Ocracoke Shrimp and Grits / Beth Porter
Puerto Rican Style Roasted Pork Pernil / Savannah Campbell