Lentils are a great addition to your regular weeknight meals. They are not only really easy to make, but they are also good for your body. Lentils can take on a variety of flavor profiles, and one of my favorites happens to be Red Thai Curry Lentils. The slightly spicy kick that comes from red curry pairs perfectly with lentils and coconut milk. Serve the lentils over rice for a meatless meal that is packed full of flavor. This recipe is perfect for any chilly night and you will love knowing that you are feeding your family something that is healthy and satisfying.

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Note: Red Thai curry powder is a little spicier than regular yellow curry, so if you are looking for a completely non-spicy dish, yellow curry could be substituted here.

Things You\’ll Need

• 2 cups of lentils, rinsed and picked over

• 1 tablespoon oil (can be vegetable, olive, or whatever oil you have on hand)

• 1 diced onion

• 2 cloves of minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

• 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoon red Thai curry powder

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 can of coconut milk

• Cilantro for garnish

• Fresh lime wedges for garnish

Step 1: Sauté Onion and Garlic

Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to the pan and sauté for about five minutes until the onions are translucent.

Step 2: Add Spices

In a small bowl, make a paste by stirring together the red Thai curry powder with 1 tablespoon of water, and add into the pot with the onions. Add the bay leaf at this time and sauté the seasoning with the onions to bring out the flavors for 3 minutes.

Step 3: Add in Lentils

Add the lentils to the pot with the seasonings and onions, and cook for two minutes to simply toast the lentils and give them good flavor.

Step 4: Add Broth and Simmer

Add the broth at this time along with the rest of the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let the lentils simmer until tender about thirty minutes.

Tip

Be sure to check your liquid during the cook time. If too much broth has evaporated, add some water and continue to cook until the lentils are tender.

Step 5: Add Coconut Milk

Once the lentils are tender and most of the broth has been absorbed, you will add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Heat through about five minutes.

Step 6: Serve

Taste your lentils and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the lentils over rice or by themselves and garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Why not take a break from meat protein every once in a while and add lentils to your grocery list? This red Thai curry recipe is so delicious, satisfying, and super nutritious!

Pastitsio is a delicious Greek lasagna dish. It features layers of cheesy, tubular pasta and spiced meat sauce topped with a creamy béchamel. Needless to say, it makes for a hearty and flavorful meal. As with all traditional recipes, there are many ways to make it. Here's one version of the dish along with ideas for ingredient substitutions.

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Spiced Meat Sauce

Things You\’ll Need

• 2 pounds ground beef or lamb

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 28 ounces canned tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon white sugar

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Step 1

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and onions. Cook until the beef is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, while breaking it up with a spatula. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Drain the excess grease if desired.

Step 2

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaves and spices. Mix well and simmer until thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

Greek Béchamel Sauce

Things You\’ll Need

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 1/2 cups whole milk

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 cup grated Kefalotyri or Pecorino Romano cheese

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Step 1

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

Step 2

Add the flour. Whisk until thick and lightly golden.

Step 3

Slowly add the milk, 1/3 at a time, while constantly whisking. Whisk until no lumps remain.

Step 4

Add the salt, pepper and grated cheese. Whisk until smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 5

If you haven't already, lightly beat the eggs. Add them to the sauce and stir until combined and thick. Set aside.

Pasta Layer

Things You\’ll Need

• 1 package (500 grams) pastitsio noodles

• 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Tip

You can substitute the pastitsio noodles with 16 ounces penne, ziti or macaroni. These options will change the appearance of the final dish but not the flavor.

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Step 2

Drain the pasta. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and then gently toss to coat the noodles. This will keep the pasta from sticking together.

Step 3

If you haven't already, lightly beat the eggs. Add the cheese and beaten eggs to the pasta. Gently toss until evenly combined.

How to Assemble Homemade Pastitsio

Things You\’ll Need

• Olive oil

• Cooked pastitsio noodles

• Spiced meat sauce

• Greek béchamel sauce

• Grated Kefalotyri or Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large casserole dish with olive oil. Place the cooked noodles in the dish, arranging them in the same direction.

Step 2

Spoon the meat sauce over the noodles. Spread the sauce in an even layer.

Step 3

Pour the béchamel on top. Again, spread the sauce in an even layer. Top with extra grated cheese if desired.

Step 4

Bake for 40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden brown. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

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Cheese. Glorious, glorious cheese. Whether it's the main ingredient in a hearty bowl of macaroni, melted atop a slice of greasy pizza or sandwiched between two slices of golden bread, the magical power of cheese to bind together a tastebud-pleasing dish cannot be denied. Go ahead and break out your grater so we can chip away at America's cheese surplus with these melty, gooey, delicious recipes.

Image Credit: eHow 2 of 11

Beer Cheese Sauce

What's more American than cheese and beer? This beer cheese sauce. Treat this as a dip for chips and pretzels, or as a condiment for topping hot dogs and hamburgers.

Image Credit: Jackie Dodd 3 of 11

Cheesy Skillet Pizza

This skillet pizza recipe proves that you don't need any fancy bakeware to make pizza at home. We recommend opting for a four-cheese blend of provolone, mozzarella and manchego for optimal cheesy goodness.

Image Credit: Jennifer Farley 4 of 11

Fully-Loaded Grilled Cheese

Sure, a traditional grilled cheese is great, but we'd argue that this fully-loaded version is even better. Swap cheddar cheese for brie and add a few strips of bacon, a handful of baby greens and a few pieces of thinly sliced apricots to customize your own.

Image Credit: Gina Matsoukas 5 of 11

Macaroni and Cheese

If you find yourself craving some good ol' comfort food, then this macaroni and cheese recipe is for you.

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews 6 of 11

Easy, No-Fail Potatoes Au Gratin

A decadent, creamy sauce lurks just below a cheesy layer of melty goodness in this potatoes au gratin recipe. Trust us, you need this in your life.

Image Credit: Leigh Ann Chatagnier 7 of 11

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

Yes, mozzarella-stuffed meatballs. Need we say more?

Image Credit: Ashley Manila 8 of 11

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This chicken broccoli casserole is about to become one of your go-to weeknight meals. Gooey cheese binds together roast chicken, fluffy rice and fresh broccoli to create a flavorful dish that hits the spot any day of the week.

Image Credit: Ashley Manila 9 of 11

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo may not be as cheese-filled as the other recipes on this list, but it's certainly just as flavorful. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano makes all the difference, so skip the pre-packaged cheese when making this dish.

Image Credit: Jennifer Farley 10 of 11

Chile Relleno Casserole

This chile relleno casserole is an easy, crowd-pleasing vegetarian dish that doesn't skimp on the cheese. Don't you just want to grab a spoon and serve yourself a heaping plateful of this tasty looking casserole?

Image Credit: Charity Curley Mathews 11 of 11

Cheese Potato Pie

Serve this cheesy potato pie hot out of the oven while the cheese is still bubbling. Then, pair it with meatloaf for the ultimate comfort food meal.

Image Credit: Ashley Manila

Frozen pizza is a guilty pleasure in my household. There are so many evenings (too many, if I'm being honest) where I'm simply too tired to cook dinner. We usually keep frozen pizzas on hand for these occasions. It's so brainless, and dinner is ready in less than 15 minutes. It's total comfort food. However, I recently figured out how easy it is to prepare homemade frozen pizzas from scratch! These are much more economical and the ingredients are less processed, especially if using homemade pizza dough and sauce. I love having control over the various ingredients and toppings. Let's get started.

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Things You\’ll Need

• 1 pound room temperature pizza dough, store-bought or homemade

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 – 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce, store-bought or homemade

• 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

• Optional: additional toppings, such as pepperoni, banana peppers, mushrooms, sliced black olives, additional cheeses

Step 1: Gather your ingredients and tools.

The ingredients are all very straight forward. Some grocery stores have started carrying bagged pizza dough in the refrigerator section, which is a nice time saver if you don't want to make your own. Homemade pizza sauce is always going to taste better than jarred varieties, but this is entirely up to you.

For tools, you'll need a rolling pin and plastic wrap. A large baking sheet lined with parchment paper is an ideal way to pre-bake the dough.

Step 2: Roll out the dough.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a clean surface, roll out pizza dough to the desired size. You can also divide the dough in half or even quarters if you prefer single serving pizzas (note: this may decrease the cook times below). Pizza dough is very elastic. If you find that it's not holding its shape while you roll it, switch to stretching and letting it fall into the desired size (hold from the top and let the weight of the dough stretch it down while turning the circle). Place the dough on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with olive oil.

Step 3: Partially cook the pizza dough.

Bake the dough for approximately 8 to 10 minutes until solid but not golden. It will be back in the oven again at a later time, so there's no need to cook it completely. If any air bubbles form while baking, gently pop them with a fork to deflate. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Step 4: Build the pizza.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust, leaving space around the edges. Top with the cheese.

Step 5: Add optional toppings.

Add additional toppings, if desired.

Step 6: Wrap and freeze.

Carefully wrap in two layers of plastic wrap. The goal is to enclose the pizza as tightly as possible to hold the toppings in place without disturbing or compressing them. Place in the freezer on as flat of an angle as your freezer will allow until the pizza is fully frozen. After that, you can store it upright.

To Cook the Frozen Pizza:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Remove the plastic wrap from around the pizza.
3. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or on a preheated pizza stone (see tip below).
4. Bake for approximately 10 to 11 minutes, until cheese is fully melted and the crust is golden brown.

Tip

A pizza stone is an excellent way to achieve a crispy crust. If using, place in the oven during preheating.

What if I told you that you can combine all the best parts of a barbecue into one simple dish? Yes, it's true! Say hello to cheesy barbecue bacon meatballs! The center is stuffed full of gooey cheese, wrapped in beef, placed inside an onion and snuggly wrapped in bacon topped with mouthwatering barbecue sauce. My mouth is salivating, too. Hashtag nom!

Things You\’ll Need

• 2 large onions

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef

• 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning

• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

• 4 cubes pepper jack cheese

• 12 slices bacon

• 1 cup barbecue sauce

Step 1: Slice and Prep Onions

Cut off ends of both onions and peel off skin. Cut in half lengthwise and peel off top two layers of each onion, for a total of four onion shells.

Step 2: Stuff Meat and Wrap in Bacon

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix together garlic, spices, and parsley into the ground beef. Place a small amount of beef on a clean working surface, and place a large cube of cheese into the middle. Cover with another sheet of beef, and form into a ball, large enough to fit inside an onion shell. Place in the onion shell, and wrap with three slices of bacon.

Tip

Use toothpicks to secure bacon onto the onion so everything holds together. Bacon should be wrapped horizontally, vertically and diagonally over the onion ball.

Step 3: Bake and Serve

Place onion meatballs in a baking dish and bake on 425°F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, coat with barbecue sauce, and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve while warm. Enjoy!

Spinning a dreidel is a fun Hanukkah tradition, and making these dreidel cake pops could be the newest tradition in your family. Resembling dreidels with their four sides, each with a different Hebrew letter, you can actually play with the cake pops. However, everyone will much prefer eating them.

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Things You\’ll Need

• White or yellow cake

• Knife

• Vanilla frosting

• 1-inch scoop

• Blue candy melts

• Vegetable shortening

• 6-inch treat sticks

• White fondant

• Fondant roller

• Knife

• Blue candy decorating pen

• Edible adhesive

• Small paintbrush

Tip

If you keep kosher, there are many brands like Wilton, Satin Ice and Betty Crocker that offer kosher choices.

Step 1: Prepare the Cake

Bake a cake either from scratch or with a box mix. I used a yellow cake box mix. After it has cooled, take a knife and cut out the sides and top sections that have browned. (You can nibble on them while you're making the cake pops.) Your cake pops will be more uniform in look and texture by using just the inside part of the cake.

Step 2: Crumble the Cake

Use your fingers to crumble the cake into small pieces in a bowl.

Step 3: Mix With Frosting

Add two heaping tablespoons of vanilla frosting to the crumbled cake. For convenience, I used a tub of frosting from the store rather than making my own.

Mix the frosting and cake until it has the consistency of cookie dough. If you need to add more frosting as you mix, do so in small one-teaspoon increments. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to make it more firm.

Step 4: Shape the Mixture

Scoop out some of the cake mixture with a 1-inch scoop. Using a scoop will help you make all your dreidels the same size.

Shape the mixture into a rectangular prism using your fingers, leveling the sides on the tabletop.

Pinch one end to make it pointy like the bottom of a dreidel.

Place the dreidels on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare the Candy Melts

While the dreidels are chilling in the refrigerator, pour a bag of blue candy melts into a microwave-safe bowl.

Heat the candy melts in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each round in the microwave. Also mix two teaspoons of vegetable shortening with the candy melts to thin it out. You want the candy melts to drip from a spoon that's dipped into it.

Step 6: Prepare the Handle

Dip a 6-inch treat stick about a half inch into the candy melts.

Remove the dreidels from the refrigerator. Insert the dipped treat stick into the top of a dreidel. The candy around the stick will solidify when cooled and lock in the treat stick.

Poke the end of the treat stick into a piece of styrofoam to allow the cake pops to stand upright.

Step 7: Coat the Dreidels

Dip the dreidels in the candy melts, turning them to coat all four sides and the top.

Tap the stick against the rim of the bowl to shake off excess melted candy. Rotate the stick as you tap it so an equal amount of melted candy is removed from all four sides.

Tip

Now, while the candy melts are still liquid, would be a good time to add sprinkles if you want to give the cake pops some "bling." I ultimately decided against sprinkles because it became too ungapatchka, my favorite Yiddish term, meaning too over-decorated.

Let the cake pops stand upright in the styrofoam to allow the candy coating to harden.

Step 8: Roll the Fondant

Knead a ball of white fondant to soften it, and place it on a piece of parchment paper.

Flatten it with a fondant roller, making it as thin as possible. If your fondant roller has guides, use the guide for the thinnest depth.

Step 9: Cut Fondant

Measure the size of your dreidels. Cut squares of fondant using a knife, making them smaller than one side of a dreidel. The ones in this example were about 3/4 inches.

Tip

Let the fondant air dry for about 15 minutes before cutting them. Dried fondant is easier to handle without stretching.

You'll need four squares of fondant for each dreidel.

Step 10: Draw Hebrew Letters

A dreidel has four Hebrew letters on the four sides — נ (nun), ג (gimel), ה (hei), and ש (shin). Draw one letter on each of the fondant squares with a blue candy decorating pen.

Step 11: Glue Fondant to Dreidel

Squeeze some edible adhesive onto a plate. Dip a small paintbrush in the adhesive, and apply a thin coating of the adhesive onto the back of the fondant.

Position the fondant squares on each of the four sides of the dreidel, making sure to have a different Hebrew letter on each side. The white rectangles help delineate the shape of the dreidels and stand out nicely from the blue background.

Be sure to make a big batch of these dreidel cake pops. If they last more than eight nights, it really will be a Hanukkah miracle.