17 basic base recipes

They were super easy to make, tasted buttery, cheesy, fluffy and flaky, with the aroma from basil. They can be served pretty much with all the main courses, or just eating them directly is yummy enough!

Baked sea bass with black olive sauce of garlic, oregano, basil, and parsley in vegetable stock. A Mediterranean-style fish dinner ready in 30 minutes with bold, briny flavors.

Romanian mititei-style sausages made with ground beef and pork, garlic puree, and baking soda for tender texture. No casings needed, shaped by hand for the grill.

Romanian mititei (mici) sausages made with ground beef and pork, garlic paste, baking soda, thyme, and basil. Skinless grilled sausages shaped by hand without casings.

Easy crustless tomato cheese quiche with bacon, sharp cheddar, and basil. Bisquick forms its own crust as it bakes, so no pastry rolling required.

Whole sea bass stuffed with seasoned croutons, fresh mushrooms, basil, and white wine, then baked until the flesh flakes apart. An elegant one-dish seafood dinner.

Sea bass fillets baked over a bed of black olives, garlic, oregano, basil, and parsley, basted in vegetable stock. A Mediterranean-inspired Turkish fish dish that's low calorie, high flavor, and effortlessly elegant.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Basic quiche recipe with a 5-ingredient custard base of eggs, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, milk, and flour. A versatile template for any vegetable, meat, or cheese combination.

Basic Green Sauce blends spinach, green chili, tomato, garlic, and oregano into a smooth base, then finishes with sour cream for a creamy Mexican-style green sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.

Chicken base is basically dehydrated, powdered chicken stock. If you can't find it in the supermarket, grind chicken bouillon cubes. For the asparagus, cut about two inches off the stem end. You don't need to peel it. To blanch spinach, simply drop it in boiling salted water for one minute and then immediately submerge it in ice water to stop the cooking and retain the color. The spinach will provide the soup with a vibrant green hue.

Homemade pizza dough with roasted bell peppers, fresh mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, easy to make and tastes good.

Basic graham cracker cheesecake crust: three ingredients pressed into a springform pan and chilled. The blueprint no-bake crust that swaps to gingersnap or chocolate wafer for any cheesecake variation.