Food and Beverage
Make the Holidays Magical with Hearty Meals
Capturing the magic of the holidays often happens at the dinner table as loved ones toast the season with stunning meals worth celebrating.
Last Updated on July 14, 2024 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) Capturing the magic of the holidays often happens at the dinner table as loved ones toast the season with stunning meals worth celebrating. This year, call the entire family together and make your festive feast truly memorable with pairings that offer favorite flavors for all.
Starting with tender cuts of meat hand-trimmed by master butchers at Omaha Steaks, these dishes from chef David Rose call to mind the extravagant holiday gatherings of yesteryear with modern twists you can claim as your own.
Roasted Chateaubriand with Red Wine Gravy and Lemon-Garlic Asparagus offers classic taste while Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Crushed Potatoes brings some zing to the kitchen. For seafood lovers looking to make a splash at this year’s get-togethers, Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails with Dirty Rice provide a savory, succulent pairing worthy of the season.
Visit OmahaSteaks.com/Blog to find more recipes fit for the holidays.
Roasted Chateaubriand with Red Wine Gravy and Lemon-Garlic Asparagus
Recipe by Omaha Steaks Executive Chef David Rose
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: about 90 minutes
Chateaubriand:
- 1 Omaha Steaks Chateaubriand (2-4 pounds)
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Red Wine Gravy:
- Reserved chateaubriand juices
- 1 medium shallot, small diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to tastePreheat smoker or pellet grill to 275 F.
Lemon-Garlic Asparagus:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound jumbo asparagus, stems trimmed and spears blanched in salted water
- 1 pinch kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1 pinch ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- To make chateaubriand: Pat chateaubriand dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with salt and pepper; bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- In large cast-iron pan, bring grapeseed oil to high heat.
- Sear chateaubriand on all sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove chateaubriand from pan, reserving pan drippings; place chateaubriand on wire rack-lined baking sheet. Bake according to cooking chart for cook time and desired doneness. Use meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- Rest chateaubriand 15-20 minutes. Slice to desired thickness.
- To make red wine gravy: Bring cast-iron pan with reserved chateaubriand drippings to high heat then add shallots and minced garlic. Brown 30 seconds.
- Add red wine and deglaze pan, cooking until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and flour until all clumps have disappeared and mixture is well-incorporated, 3-4 minutes.
- Add water and bouillon cubes; bring to boil then whisk in stone ground mustard.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer until achieving sauce-like consistency, 7-8 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Turn off heat and whisk in remaining butter until fully melted and emulsified into sauce.
- To make lemon-garlic asparagus: In large saucepan, bring olive oil to medium-high heat.
- Add asparagus and season with salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Sear undisturbed about 1 minute.
- Turn asparagus and add minced garlic, sauteing about 10 seconds. Add lemon juice and continue sauteing until reduced by two-thirds, about 1 minute.
- Turn off heat and add butter, stirring until emulsified into pan sauce. Season with salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
- Serve chateaubriand with lemon-garlic asparagus and red wine gravy.
Crab Stuffed Lobster Tails with Dirty Rice
Recipe by Omaha Steaks Executive Chef David Rose
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Dirty Rice:
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound Omaha Steaks Ultra-Premium Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium red bell pepper, small diced
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1 cup small diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup tomato-based sofrito
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
Crab Stuffing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 20 butter crackers, finely crushed
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
Crab Stuffed Lobster:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 Omaha Steaks Cold Water Lobster Tails (5 ounces each), halved lengthwise
- To make dirty rice: Rinse jasmine rice with water until water is clear. Drain.
- In large saucepot, bring vegetable oil to medium-high heat.
- Add ground beef, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika; saute 5 minutes until browned.
- Using slotted spoon, remove browned beef and set aside.
- Add butter to pot then add red bell pepper, green onions and yellow onions. Saute 2 minutes until lightly caramelized.
- Add sofrito and jasmine rice to pot; saute 1 minute. Add cooked ground beef and chicken stock; bring to boil. Once mixture boils, reduce heat to simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave lid on pot 5 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To make crab stuffing: In medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
- Gently fold in crushed butter crackers and crab meat. Set aside.
- To make crab stuffed lobster: Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Stir melted butter, salt and lemon juice. Brush lobster tails with butter mixture.
- Divide crab stuffing into eight portions. Stuff each lobster tail half with crab stuffing, pressing stuffing into lobster. Place stuffed lobster tails on aluminum foil-lined sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with dirty rice.
Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Crushed Potatoes
Recipe by Omaha Steaks Executive Chef David Rose
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: about 2 1/2 hours
Servings: 4-6
Creamy Horseradish Sauce:
- 15 ounces crema or sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons horseradish
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Pepper Rub:
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground peppercorn medley
- 2 teaspoons ground guajillo chili
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Prime Rib:
- 1 Omaha Steaks Boneless Heart of Prime Rib Roast (4 pounds)
- pepper rub
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Crushed Potatoes:
- 1 pound baby red skin potatoes
- cold water
- 1 pinch kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely minced Italian parsley
- ground black pepper
- To make creamy horseradish sauce: In medium bowl, whisk crema, mayonnaise, horseradish, vinegar, chives, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika until well-incorporated. Season with additional salt and white pepper, to taste.
- To make pepper rub: In small bowl, stir salt, peppercorns, chili and thyme.
- To make prime rib: Pat prime rib dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with pepper rub and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- In large cast-iron pan, bring grapeseed oil to medium-high heat.
- Sear prime rib on all sides until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Place seared prime rib on wire rack-lined baking sheet. Bake according to cooking chart for cook time and desired doneness. Use meat thermometer to ensure doneness. Cook until internal temperature is 10 F below desired doneness.
- Rest prime rib 15-20 minutes. Slice to desired thickness.
- To make crushed potatoes: Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Add potatoes to stockpot. Cover with cold water by about 1 inch and add 1 pinch salt. Over high heat, boil 8-10 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and completely cool with running cold water.
- Once cool, carefully crush potatoes with palms until skin breaks and potatoes are slightly crushed.
- In medium bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic and parsley.
- Place crushed potatoes on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and toss lightly with olive oil mixture. Season potatoes on both sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Roast potatoes until crisped and golden brown, 15-17 minutes.
- Serve prime rib with crushed potatoes and creamy horseradish sauce.
SOURCE:
Omaha Steaks
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Food and Beverage
ALDI Rolls Out Its First-Ever Line of Ready-Made Meals
ALDI is entering the ready-made meal market with seven fresh, refrigerated dishes priced under $15. The rollout begins in October, with nationwide availability expected by January 2027.
Busy shoppers looking for a quick dinner option will soon have something new waiting in the refrigerated section at ALDI.
ALDI is launching its first-ever collection of fresh, ready-made meals, introducing seven single-serve and family-size dishes designed to combine convenience, affordability and familiar comfort-food flavors.
The new meals begin rolling out at select ALDI stores in early October, with additional markets receiving them throughout the fall. ALDI expects the entire collection to be available nationwide by January 2027.
Seven New Meals — Ready to Heat and Eat
Unlike frozen dinners, ALDI says its new meals are delivered fresh and sold refrigerated in easy-to-heat trays.
The initial lineup includes five single-serve meals priced under $8:
- Beef Bolognese Spaghetti
- Beef Brisket with White Mac & Cheese
- Butter Chicken & Rice
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Two larger family-size meals will be available for under $15:
- Chicken and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese
- Meat Lovers Pizza Bake
ALDI says the recipes were developed around ingredients including chicken breast, smoked beef brisket, real cheeses and made-from-scratch sauces.
The single-serve meals contain between 30 and 46 grams of protein per serving, according to the company. Family-size offerings provide between 16 and 22 grams per serving.
Convenience Without the Restaurant Bill
The move puts ALDI more directly into the growing market for prepared refrigerated meals — an increasingly attractive option for consumers who want something more substantial than a frozen dinner but don’t necessarily have the time or desire to cook from scratch.
ALDI cited the 2026 International Food Information Council Food & Health Survey, which found that 61% of Americans consider convenience an important factor when purchasing food.
“Our shoppers are looking for meals that fit into busy lives without sacrificing quality or stretching their budgets,” Joan Kavanaugh, Vice President of National Buying for ALDI U.S., said in the company’s announcement.
ALDI supplier Kitchen Food Company said hundreds of recipes were tested while developing the new collection.
Dinner in Just a Few Minutes
Convenience is a major part of the concept.
Depending on the variety, ALDI’s single-serve meals require roughly 3½ to 4½ minutes in the microwave. The company instructs consumers to heat the meals until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The larger family meals can be prepared in a conventional oven at 350 degrees, with approximately 40 minutes of total cooking time.
Shoppers will find the meals in the refrigerated meals section near the front of participating ALDI stores.
More Meals Are Coming
The seven dishes are only the beginning.
ALDI says it plans to introduce additional ready-made meals through its rotating ALDI Finds selection every month during the next year. That could allow the retailer to experiment with additional recipes, flavors and seasonal offerings while expanding its presence in prepared foods.
The timing also makes the rollout noteworthy. With restaurant meals and takeout competing for household food dollars, prepared grocery-store meals occupy a middle ground: more convenient than cooking from scratch while potentially costing considerably less than feeding a family through restaurant delivery or takeout.
For ALDI shoppers, that means the familiar question of “What’s for dinner?” may soon have a few more answers — and they could be waiting just inside the front door.
Source: ALDI, September 22, 2026
Sources & Related Links
- ALDI — Official Announcement: ALDI Launches First-Ever Collection of Ready-Made Meals
- Original Press Release: ALDI Ready-Made Meals — PR Newswire
- Consumer Research: 2026 IFIC Food & Health Survey — Convenience Outranks Healthfulness
- More ALDI News: ALDI U.S. Newsroom
- More Food & Drink Coverage: STM Daily News Food & Drink
Hungry for More?
Looking for more easy dinner ideas, meal-planning inspiration, and affordable meals? Explore STM Daily News Food & Drink for the latest recipes, food news, restaurant stories, culinary trends and more.
A poached egg may look fancy, but it is surprisingly easy to prepare. With a tender egg white and warm, runny yolk, it makes a delicious addition to toast, salads, breakfast bowls or avocado toast.
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh egg
- Water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar, optional
- Salt and black pepper
- Toast or English muffin for serving, optional
Instructions
Fill a saucepan with about 2 to 3 inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Avoid a rolling boil, which can break the egg apart.
Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl. Add the vinegar to the water if desired—it helps the egg white hold its shape.
Gently slide the egg into the simmering water. Cook for about 3 minutes for a runny yolk, or 4 to 5 minutes for a firmer center.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place it briefly on a paper towel to absorb excess water. Season with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.
Quick Tip
Fresh, cold eggs usually produce the neatest poached eggs because their whites are thicker and stay closer to the yolk while cooking.
Simple, satisfying and ready in minutes, a poached egg is an easy way to make an everyday breakfast feel a little more special.
recipes
Fiber is Trending: Sorghum Makes it Simple
One whole grain quietly gaining recognition for its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in the kitchen is sorghum. This Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad makes it easy to add more fiber to your plate, pairing whole-grain sorghum with seasonal produce like kale, butternut squash and apples.
Fiber is Trending: Sorghum Makes it Simple
(Feature Impact) Protein has long dominated nutrition headlines. Now, dietitians encourage people to pay close attention to another important nutrient: fiber.
One whole grain quietly gaining recognition for its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in the kitchen is sorghum. It’s a naturally gluten-free whole grain that provides both fiber and protein, contains naturally occurring antioxidants and supplies essential nutrients including magnesium, iron and B vitamins.
One reason sorghum is attracting attention is its fiber content. Whole-grain sorghum contains a type of fiber called resistant starch, which research has shown can contribute to healthy body weight and improved insulin resistance.
Unlike many refined gluten-free products that are lower in fiber, sorghum delivers the benefits of a whole grain while remaining naturally gluten-free. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or simply want to enjoy a wider variety of whole grains, sorghum is an easy addition to your menu.
Another reason nutrition experts are taking a closer look at sorghum is its antioxidant content, specifically its health-promoting polyphenols.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is how easy sorghum is to cook with. Whole-grain sorghum offers a mild, slightly nutty flavor and pleasantly chewy texture, making it a delicious alternative for brown rice, quinoa or farro in grain bowls, soups and salads.
Pearled sorghum cooks faster, making it ideal for busy weeknights. Sorghum flour can replace wheat flour in pancakes, muffins and quick breads, while popped sorghum creates bite-sized crunchy kernels for a fun snack or topping for yogurt, soups and salads. For example, this Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad makes it easy to add more fiber to your plate, pairing whole-grain sorghum with seasonal produce like kale, butternut squash and apples.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean following the latest trend. Sometimes it simply means rediscovering nutritious foods that have stood the test of time. With its combination of fiber, protein, antioxidants and naturally gluten-free, whole-grain goodness, sorghum is an ancient grain worth adding to your pantry.
You can find dozens of recipes, cooking tips and meal ideas at SorghumCheckoff.com/recipes.
Easy Sorghum Swaps for Everyday Dishes
If you’re looking for ways to add more sorghum to your meals, these easy swaps make it simple to enjoy this versatile grain in recipes you already love.
- Replace rice. Use cooked whole-grain or pearled sorghum instead of white or brown rice in grain bowls, stir fries, burrito bowls and side dishes.
- Swap for pasta. Stir cooked sorghum into pasta salads or use it in place of small pasta shapes in soups for a hearty twist.
- Mix into salads. Add cooked sorghum to green salads, grain salads or vegetable salads for extra texture and whole-grain nutrition.
- Boost your breakfast. Stir cooked sorghum into oatmeal, yogurt parfaits or breakfast bowls then top with fruit, nuts or cinnamon.
- Bake with sorghum flour. Replace wheat flour in pancakes, muffins, cookies, waffles or quick breads with sorghum flour for a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad
Recipe courtesy of Sorghum Checkoff
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash, cubed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling, divided
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sorghum syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cups kale, chopped
- 1 cup cooked whole-grain sorghum
- 1 small apple, diced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss cubed butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and golden.
- In a jar or small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sorghum syrup, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper, to taste, until emulsified.
- Add chopped kale to a large bowl. Massage with a drizzle of olive oil 1-2 minutes until tender.
- Arrange precooked sorghum, roasted squash, apple, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion and feta cheese on top of kale.
- Drizzle with sorghum syrup dressing just before serving. Toss lightly to combine or serve dressing on the side.
SOURCE:
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