108 basic base recipes

Spicy white pizza on a flaky biscuit crust with garlic-herb oil, red pepper flakes, mozzarella, and parmesan. No tomato sauce, just spiced cheese and a 22-minute bake.

Lavender herb bread baked in the bread machine with cottage cheese, honey, thyme, and basil. A floral, savory loaf with tender crumb that slices beautifully for sandwiches or toast.

Serve this scrumptious cheese bread with lasagna or any other kind of casserole you prepare for dinner.

Savory zucchini quick bread loaded with French fried onions, Parmesan and fresh basil. A no-yeast loaf that bakes up tender, herby, and toasts beautifully the next morning.

Crispy Colombian conch fritters with habanero heat, olives, pimentos, and fresh herbs. A Caribbean-style appetizer fried golden in minutes.

Serve with lightly dressed salad greens, tossed with tomatoes, then finish with pineapple chunks spooned over yogurt.

Lasagne pie is a crustless impossible pie with all the flavors of lasagna but none of the noodles. Ground beef, three cheeses, tomato paste, and a Bisquick batter that forms its own crust.

Keftethes from Pontos, Greek meat patties with veal, pork, fresh herbs, tomato, and vinegar. Shallow-fried until puffed and golden, served with fried potatoes.

Savory basil red pepper muffins with olive oil, scallions, and egg whites. A low-fat, no-butter muffin that works as a side for soups, stews, or on its own for brunch.

Meatballs without the meat in a tasty rich tomato sauce.

Herbed chicken mozzarella: chicken breasts shake-and-baked in a Parmesan herb crust, then crowned with chili sauce and melted mozzarella. A 90s casserole with serious herb backbone.

Southwest pork stew with chorizo, butternut squash, and corn, baked under a sour cream cornbread crust. A hearty one-dish Mexican-inspired dinner.

Impossible chicken parmigiana pie with Bisquick, three cheeses, and Italian herbs. A crustless pie that forms its own base as it bakes in a pie plate.

A cozy turkey and biscuit bake: leftover turkey in a creamy sauce with peppers, mushrooms and spinach, ringed with homemade garlic biscuits and baked golden. A holiday leftover rescue.

Frijoles con queso casserole: creamy pinto beans layered with sauteed zucchini and tomatoes, crowned with a tender cornbread topping. Vegetarian tamale pie-style bake for weeknight dinner.

Impossible lasagna pie made with Bisquick that forms its own crust as it bakes. Layers of cottage cheese, seasoned ground beef, mozzarella, and tomato paste in a self-crusting pie.