Recipes: Cornbread-and-beef skillet pie, Mushroom Frittata and Apricot-stuffed Pork

CORNBREAD-AND-BEEF SKILLET PIE
Serves 4.
This dinner-in-a-skillet includes generous amounts of beef, mushrooms and red peppers; the tastes meld with the cornbread biscuits as they bake together.
• 1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), divided
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 (10-oz.) pkg. white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 3/4 c. reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onion and mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing occasionally. Raise heat to high; add beef and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until meat is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons flour and 2/3 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
Make cornmeal batter: Add sour cream and egg to reserved cornmeal mixture; stir just until moistened. Drop tablespoons of batter over beef mixture in skillet, 1 inch apart. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes to 20 minutes.
APRICOT-STUFFED PORK WITH POTATOES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Serves 4.
Quick-cooking pork tenderloin, stuffed with a sweet-and-savory mixture of dried apricots, apricot jam and a shallot, roasts in a half-hour.
• 1 lb. red new potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 pints Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 2 tbsp. olive oil • Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 c. dried apricots, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. apricot jam
• 1 pork tenderloin (1 to 11/2 lb.)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together potatoes, Brussels sprouts and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, tossing once. Meanwhile, combine apricots, shallot and jam in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place pork on a work surface. Holding a chef's knife parallel to the work surface, make a pocket by cutting lengthwise down center of the tenderloin, stopping about 1/2 inch from other side (avoid cutting all the way through). Open, and stuff with apricot mixture. Spacing evenly, tie 3 to 4 pieces of kitchen twine around pork to close pocket. Season with salt and pepper. Remove baking sheet from the oven once the sprouts and potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes. Toss, and push to sides of baking sheet, then place pork in center. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork (avoiding stuffing) registers 145 degrees, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
MUSHROOM-CHEDDAR FRITTATA
Serves 4.
This American-style vegetarian frittata uses Cheddar instead of Parmesan cheese and is spiced up with a dash of mustard and hot-pepper sauce.
• 1 (10-oz.) pkg. white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 1/2 lb. red new potatoes, cut into 1/2-in. pieces
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. hot-pepper sauce
• 1 c. shredded white Cheddar
• 1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and patted dry
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, toss mushrooms, potatoes and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, hot-pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in cheddar and broccoli. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and potatoes, and stir to distribute them. Bake until puffed and set in the middle, and a paring knife inserted in center of frittata comes out clean, about 45 minutes to 50 minutes.