Want to put a ring on it? Make this ‘engagement chicken’

Here it is: the recipe that started it all. And once you’ve made it, you’ll know why: It serves up the kind of home-cooked goodness that no restaurant meal can top. The chicken’s crispy skin is drenched in herb-infused juices (don’t forget to pour the pan drippings back over the chicken before serving or, alternately, to drizzle them over individual pieces on the plate), and the trick of turning the chicken 15 minutes into cooking keeps the meat uniquely moist.

We’ve suggested a complete menu on page 245, but honestly, any simple sides will work with a main course this splendid. You can go with either white wine (in which case a Riesling would be nice) or red (try pinot noir). Happy cooking—and an even happier future to you and the lucky person you’ve deemed worthy of this dish.

Directions:

Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast-side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18–20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken—this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

Glamour Girl Tip

Carving a bird takes a lot of practice, so don’t expect it to be perfect on your first try. The most important thing is to have a sharp knife (preferably one made specifically for carving). Start by slicing the breasts, removing as much meat as possible, and then remove the legs and the wings (using kitchen shears works well too). Don’t worry if it looks messy; it will taste just as good!

When Glamour reader Laura Wheeler made Engagement Chicken for her guy, she topped it off with a recipe she’d invented herself: Hook Him Apple Pie. The one-two punch worked: He proposed. We love Laura’s spicy, saucy, apple-packed filling (she prebakes it to thicken and draw out the flavors), and have added our own buttery, sugary crust. The pie’s charms work on aunts, landladies, and cubicle mates too—anyone you’re sweet on.

Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the apples with the sugars, cornstarch, salt, and spices and stir to coat thoroughly. Stir in the melted butter and lemon juice.

Cover the baking dish with foil and cut large vents in the foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, stir the apples, and let cool to room temperature.

Make the pie crust: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Quickly cut the cold butter into small pieces, being careful not to warm it with your hands, and add it to the flour mixture.

Pulse the flour mixture in short blasts (5 seconds each) until the butter bits are about the size of peanuts or hazelnuts. Add 6 tablespoons ice water and continue to pulse in short blasts until incorporated. Check the consistency of the mixture by squeezing it in your hands. If it is floury and doesn’t hold together, drizzle in a bit more ice water and pulse again. As soon as the dough holds together, remove it from the processor and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a ball, then press into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to rest for an hour.

Remove the first ball of dough from the refrigerator (leave the second one in the refrigerator until you are ready for it) and roll out on a lightly floured surface until it’s 12 inches in diameter (it helps to rotate the dough between rolls, and to flip it occasionally, dusting as necessary with a little more flour to avoid sticking). Place the dough in a 9-inch pie pan, pressing gently along the base and sides of the pan. Add the cooled apple mixture. Then repeat the dough-rolling steps with the second ball of dough and place it over the apple filling. Trim the dough so only about 1⁄2 inch is hanging over, then turn the edges under and crimp them with your fingers.

Cut vents in the top crust. Brush some of the egg mixture over the center of the pie. Cover the edges with aluminum foil and dust the pie lightly with sugar.

Bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the crust is golden, 20 to 30 minutes more. Let cool to warm or room temperature before slicing.

Maybe you want to marry him, but aren’t an Engagement Chicken kind of girl. Why not ask him? Your inspiration: Hillary Seitz, a Los Angeles screenwriter who had been with her boyfriend for seven years when she decided to propose. “He’d wanted to get married all along; I was the one who’d resisted,” explained Hillary. “I wanted a proposal that said thanks for hanging in there and having faith in me.” So Hillary went to a paint-your-own pottery shop and painted two plates: one with the phrase “Charlie, will you marry me?” and the other with “Please say yes.” Hillary took her plates to a favorite restaurant, asked them to serve, and watched as Charlie uncovered the proposal. Naturally, he did say yes. Want to try it yourself? Consider this layers-of-love lasagna—big enough, incidentally, to cover the whole plate. Message optional!

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the marinara sauce. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the lasagna noodles one at a time and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, around 5 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander and set them aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta and eggs. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by half the ricotta mixture.

Repeat with a second layer of marinara, noodles, and ricotta mixture and top with a third layer of noodles. Spread 3⁄4 cup marinara sauce on the noodles (reserving 1⁄4 cup to drizzle over each lasagna slice when you serve it). Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Bake the lasagna for about 1 hour, or until the top is golden, the filling is bubbling around the edges, and the noodles are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cut the lasagna into thick slices, arrange on plates, drizzle with the remaining marinara sauce, and serve, garnished with basil.

Marinara sauce:

In a large saucepan, cook the garlic in the olive oil over moderate heat until golden, about 30 seconds.

Turn the heat up to high; add the tomatoes, a large pinch each of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to moderately low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the butter and basil to the saucepan, stirring to melt the butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Glamour girl tip:

This lasagna recipe leaves plenty of room for personalization. Play around with other fillings, adding a layer of sautéed mushrooms, chopped sautéed spinach leaves, or even some cooked crumbled sausage.

Nothing pleases after serious exertion like a burger. And if you don’t have a grill, don’t worry. You can get a similar “cooked on an open flame” effect by broiling these in the oven.

In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix the meat with a generous pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, the cumin, shallot, and Worcestershire sauce, making sure not to take so long that you begin to warm the meat.

Divide into 2 balls (or 4 smaller balls) and flatten into patties.

With your thumbs, create a depression in the top and add a pat of butter to each patty. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat the broiler or grill. If using the broiler, put the patties on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and broil for about 7 minutes, until they are browned on one side. Flip and cook for about 4 minutes longer, depending on how well done you like them. If using the grill, add the patties to the grill rack and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until charred, about 7 minutes. If making cheeseburgers, add the cheese during the last few minutes of cooking.

Place the burgers on the buns and add your favorite toppings. Close the burgers and serve.

Variation: Turkey burgers

To make turkey burgers, substitute ground turkey (the fattiest available) for the ground beef. Reduce the cumin to 1⁄2 teaspoon, and replace the Worcestershire sauce with 1 tablespoon each minced fresh oregano and cilantro. If broiling, start watching the burgers after 5 minutes, turning them as soon as they are well browned. Before serving, cut into each burger to ensure that it is properly cooked through.

Glamour girl tip:

Whether turkey or beef, don’t overhandle the meat—you want to leave pockets of air in the patties for the flavorful juices to collect.

We don’t know why this pasta is so good at what it does. All we know is that Glamour.com food blogger Sarah Jio has made it three times for her husband; now they have three babies. You do the math.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a large pinch of salt.

Add the penne to the pot and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Set aside 1⁄2 cup of cooking liquid, then drain and reserve the pasta in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the tomatoes and crush them with the back of your spoon (leaving the sauce a bit chunky). Simmer until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. (Sauce will keep for up to three days in the fridge.)

Scrape the tomato sauce into the serving bowl with the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cheese on top and serve — with red wine and candlelight!

If the last time you sipped a glass of anything in bed was when you were ten and had the flu, and the glass was filled with flat ginger ale and served to you by your mom, well—forget all that. For mornings that call for an adult breakfast in bed, whip this mimosa up in seconds. No, wait, better idea: Have someone else whip it up for you. Glamour staffer Ranya Barrett's husband, Dave, did just that on her birthday. “Heavenly,” she reports. Good boy.

In the microwave or in a small saucepan, melt the sorbet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until just thawed. Pour 2 tablespoons sorbet into each of 2 champagne flutes.

Top the glasses with champagne or Prosecco, adding more sorbet, as desired, to sweeten the mimosa. Stir gently and serve right away.