With fall just about here, you're going to want to start thinking about heartier meals. Stews, roasts... hot dishes that call for a lot of meat and vegetables. This time of year, even your salad-eating dates are looking for dishes that fill you up, and keep you warm. (Just like Donovan's mom says in the Chunky soup commercials.)

Here's a recipe for Braised Chipotle Chuck Roast from The Spaghetti Sauce Gourmet, by David Joachim (Fair Winds Press, $19.95). The chipotle gives it just enough heat to take away the chill of a fall night, but not so much that she won't eat it. Or want to get close to you later.

It takes only about 10 minutes of unbelievably easy prep before going into the oven to roast for two hours. While you watch football. Or have a drink by the fire with her. And as always, the leftovers are even better the second day.

Braised Chipotle Chuck Roast
(Serves 6)

1 beef chuck roast (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons preminced oil-packed garlic
1 1/2 cups refrigerated or jarred tomato sauce with chunky vegetables
12 ounces tomatillos or green tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces zucchini cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels then sprinkle all over with ground chipotle.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the pot and brown all over, about 8 minutes. Remove the meat to a platter and cover to keep warm. Add the garlic to the pot and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the sauce, tomatillos or green tomatoes, zucchini, and carrots. Return the roast to the pot with its juices, spooning some of the sauce over the roast.

Cover tightly. Roast in the oven until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Remove the roast to a platter and cover to keep warm. Skim excess fat from the surface of the liquid then stir in the cilantro. Carve the roast and serve with the sauce.