Ground Meat

Roasting eggplant until it's creamy and custardy makes it the perfect base for layering with a rich, meaty sauce in this take on moussaka, which is topped with a rich layer of ricotta and mozzarella cheese in place of béchamel sauce. Don't worry if the eggplant slices look dry when flipped; they will continue to release moisture during the remainder of the roasting time. Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou, Beverage Director at WM Restaurants in Sacramento, California, picked a perfect wine pairing for this cozy dish: "Go for a Cabernet Sauvignon and Agiorgitiko blend for this dish; the plum and cherry notes and warm spices in the wine balance the richness of the eggplant and lamb."

Ground sausage recipes are guaranteed to make your taste buds do a dance, preferably the tango. As herbs and spices likesage, garlic, and pepper work together, ground sausage steals the show. Whether your style is sweet or spicy, we've got options. Ground sausage works beautifully in casseroles,lettuce wraps, burgers, andfinger foodgalore. This recipe collection features cheesy broccoli and rice casserole, sausage-stuffed fried olives, and Italian sausage burgers. If you want to turn up the heat or keep it sweet, here are our best savory ground sausage recipes.

Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. Not a fan of lamb? Try preparing these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible.

Traditional kofta hug the metal skewers in oblong ovals for stability and greater contact with the grill. Metal skewers work best here—they conduct heat, which helps them cook evenly. Mint, paprika, and tart pomegranate molasses match the stronger flavor of ground lamb.Slideshow: More Ground Lamb Recipes

Don’t laugh. This dish might give you more insight into my culinary history than almost anything else. It’s a throwback to my childhood and it speaks directly to my more-than-occasional desire for quickness and efficiency, in that I love a good casserole or one-skillet dish. No fuss, no muss, easy cleanup, and get-right-to-it dinner. I made this for Wolfie and his friends when they came home after soccer or Little League practice. I can still picture everyone at the kitchen table, doing homework, while I simmered the beef in the mélange of spices and added macaroni, cheese, and breadcrumbs, and then announced to a sea of smiling faces, “Dinner’s ready.” Years later, I whipped out this dish when Tom’s kids entered the picture and everyone came home from college during breaks. We all know the store-bought mix; this homemade version is even better than the classic, I promise.Excerpted fromValerie’s Home Cookingby Valerie Bertinelli. Copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved. Slideshow: More Ground Beef Recipes

Top Chefjudge Gail Simmons first met Andrew Carmellini in 2002, when he was chef de cuisine at Café Boulud. She was working for chef-owner Daniel Boulud at the time and spent hours hanging out at the café, usually because its kitchen always had the best staff meal. One of the things she loved about Carmellini’s menu was the changing section highlighting a specific world cuisine. Carmellini left Café Boulud in 2005 and went on to open many of New York’s most successful restaurants, including Locanda Verde, where his lamb meatball sliders caused a national frenzy. Simmons’s own recipe owes a debt to his meatballs, as well as to her honeymoon trip to Vietnam. The combination of lemongrass, a few dashes of fish sauce and tons of fresh herbs creates a salty brightness to crave year-round.Slideshow: More Meatball Recipes