tomato puree Archives - Cooking Classy with a sprinkle of fancy Thu, 19 Oct 2023 22:02:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 44235149 Texas Chili Con Carne https://www.cookingclassy.com/texas-chili-con-carne/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/texas-chili-con-carne/#comments Thu, 19 Oct 2023 22:00:10 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=68821 Texas style Chili Con Carne - Bite size pieces of chuck roast are browned then simmered in a homemade thick chili puree until flavors have well developed and beef is perfectly tender. From there you can top it with all your favorite toppings and pair it with tortilla chips or cornbread for the ultimate cozy meal! 

Chili con carne in a serving bowl topped with shredded cheese, cilantro and chopped onion.

Chili Con Carne

Chili con carne is a robust and rich chili made with beef roast that includes deeply flavored Mexican chilies and spices all simmered together in a stew-like dish. This is a Texas style chili and it's made of mostly beef and chili sauce without lots of added fillers.

It uses a generous amount of browned beef chuck chunks rather than ground hamburger and this really builds up the meaty flavor. Whole dried chilies are used in place of pre-ground store-bought chili powder, and those chilies are toasted in a skillet then soaked in liquid and pureed in a blender to build the base of this hearty chili.

The chili is simmered low and slow on the stovetop for well harmonized depth of flavor and to tenderize the beef.

It's an impressive made from scratch chili that may seem intimidating at first but once you try it you'll see it's easier to make than you'd think.

It's also a tasty change from the original style chili and you may find tasters to love it even more, especially meat lovers! Plus it could just win your next chili cook off!

Pot filled with Texas style chili con carne.

]]> https://www.cookingclassy.com/texas-chili-con-carne/feed/ 5 68821 Lasagna https://www.cookingclassy.com/lasagna/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/lasagna/#comments Sun, 03 Mar 2013 08:08:21 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=4954 Lasagna! Is there anything much better? Pasta noodles piled high and layered full of three kinds of cheese to go along with the perfect blend of meaty and zesty, tomato pasta sauce all loaded with herbs. The ultimate comfort food!

lasagna15

My Favorite Homemade Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is Italian comfort food at it's best. To press your fork through all those layers of pasta as the sauce and cheese glides down the slides then it's all lifted so longingly into your mouth. Bite, after bite, after bite. Each bite savored and appreciated.

One word, YUM! This lasagna does take a bit of time and effort, but it is most definitely worth it. With flavors this good you'll have have a hard time stopping at one serving of this tempting lasagna.

]]> https://www.cookingclassy.com/lasagna/feed/ 46 4954 Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala https://www.cookingclassy.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:30:00 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/02/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/ Chicken Tikka Masala doesn't get any easier than this!  I created this recipe because so often people skip Chicken Tikka Masala in their dinner rotation recipes because it takes so much time and effort to prepare.  In my opinion this cooking method tastes just as good, if not better, than any of those tediously time consuming recipes.

The better comes because of the unbelievably tender chicken this recipe yields from long hours of slow, low cooking and also how much time it gives the spices to meld and develop in this incredible dish.  I'm quite certain this will now be my only method/recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala.  How could I go back to the long, laborious method now?


Never tried Indian food before?  Then now is definitely time!  I was thinking, how do you describe Indian food and it's enticing, delectable flavors in two words?  Bold and exciting!

If you have never tried Indian food before, it's likely you have tried the spices it contains in several alternate dishes but Indian food combines all those rich spices into one amazing dish.  So go on and excite your taste buds with this flavorful, spice packed Indian dish.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Deliciously flavorful, easy to make Chicken Tikka Masala cooked in the slow cooker.

  • 5 boneless (, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces (about 3 lbs))
  • 1/2 large yellow onion (, finely diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (, minced)
  • 2 Tbsp freshly (, finely grated ginger)
  • 1 (29 oz) can tomato puree (I recommend Contadina Brand)
  • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp Garam Masala
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp salt (, or to taste)
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper*
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • Prepared Long Grain White Rice or Basmati Rice
  • Chopped cilantro (, for serving)

  1. In a large mixing bowl combine chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, tomato puree, plain yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cayenne pepper. 

  2. Stir until combine. Pour half of sauce mixture into a large slow cooker then add in diced chicken followed then cover chicken with remaining sauce. Add in 2 bay leaves. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low heat for 6 - 8 hours (or high for 3 - 4 hours).
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together heavy cream and cornstarch, pour mixture into slow cooker and gently stir. Allow mixture to cook 20 minutes while you prepare the rice. Remove bay leaves and serve warm over rice and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

*I put 1 -3 tsp because it is all depending on your heat preference. If you don't like spicy foods you could even omit this ingredient. I go for 3 tsp but I like my food really spicy.

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