My hopes were high (I started salivating halfway through the ingredient list) and I was not disappointed--these crispy chicken pieces roasted with garlic, pancetta, oil-cured olives, fresh herbs, and hot red pepper flakes are utterly delicious. On chilly evenings such as these, there are two compelling reasons to cook an entire meal in one hot oven: the heavenly aromas circulate throughout the house, and the cook gets cozy-warm in the kitchen. This dish would undoubtedly be good over soft polenta or mashed potatoes, but I was quite content to use that hot oven to roast fresh broccoli spears and heat some bread. The recipe serves 8, but is easily halved; just be sure to arrange the chicken pieces on a proportionately smaller baking sheet.

My hopes were high (I started salivating halfway through the ingredient list) and I was not disappointed--these crispy chicken pieces roasted with garlic, pancetta, oil-cured olives, fresh herbs, and hot red pepper flakes are utterly delicious. On chilly evenings such as these, there are two compelling reasons to cook an entire meal in one hot oven: the heavenly aromas circulate throughout the house, and the cook gets cozy-warm in the kitchen. This dish would undoubtedly be good over soft polenta or mashed potatoes, but I was quite content to use that hot oven to roast fresh broccoli spears and heat some bread. The recipe serves 8, but is easily halved; just be sure to arrange the chicken pieces on a proportionately smaller baking sheet.

I'm a big fan of eggplant, with its creamy texture and meaty flavor. I've also found that picky eaters--who considered eggplant far too scary to ever try--are usually pleasantly surprised when I identify what they've just eaten. For those reasons, this casserole makes an economical, crowd-pleasing vegetarian entree or side dish suitable for any buffet. Frying the eggplant admittedly takes a bit of time, but all the prep can be done a day in advance, leaving nothing more to do than pop it in the oven an hour or so before serving. To streamline your workload even further, the recipe offers the option of using a good-quality commercial marinara sauce instead of homemade.

I'm a big fan of eggplant, with its creamy texture and meaty flavor. I've also found that picky eaters--who considered eggplant far too scary to ever try--are usually pleasantly surprised when I identify what they've just eaten. For those reasons, this casserole makes an economical, crowd-pleasing vegetarian entree or side dish suitable for any buffet. Frying the eggplant admittedly takes a bit of time, but all the prep can be done a day in advance, leaving nothing more to do than pop it in the oven an hour or so before serving. To streamline your workload even further, the recipe offers the option of using a good-quality commercial marinara sauce instead of homemade.