590 better recipes

Portuguese rubble soup with dried red beans, bacon, pumpkin, turnips, carrots, potatoes, and hand-torn cabbage. Even better with a ham bone simmered in the pot.

Marshmallow clouds wrap chocolate-pecan cookie dough around frozen mini marshmallows for soft, pillowy cookies with surprise sweet chewy centers. Better than s'mores, baked at home.

Mexican pita pockets stuffed with seasoned ground beef, beans, salsa, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato. A taco-meets-pita mashup that holds together better than a tortilla. Ready in 30 minutes.

Spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes with fennel seeds, green pepper, Parmesan, and a triple tomato base of fresh, pureed, and paste. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.

Chocolate bourbon balls: no-bake Kentucky candies with bourbon whiskey, chopped nuts, and a milk chocolate drizzle. The classic boozy holiday treat that gets better as it ages.

Quick-pickled dill carrots with apple cider vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh dill. Crunchy refrigerator pickles that get better after a few days of soaking.

Greek-style green beans and potatoes braised slow in tomato until meltingly tender, finished with a fresh hit of mint. A vegan side or light main that's even better the longer it simmers.

Caldo Verde: Portuguese green soup with kale, chorizo, white beans, potatoes, turnips, and smoked ham in chicken broth. One pot, one hour, and even better the next day.

Hot cowboy beans: pinto beans simmered low and slow with salt pork, ham hock, onion, jalapeños, and chili powder. A Texas chuckwagon classic that gets better every day.

Homemade chocolate sandwich cookies with creamy vanilla buttercream filling. Better than Oreos with the option to tint half the filling pink or green with peppermint for Valentine's Day.

Banana split pie is a no-bake banana dessert that is easy to make and serve. Nothing says summer better than banana splits, and this family favorite will not disappoint.

Old-fashioned bourbon nut cake loaded with pecans, raisins, and candied cherries, baked low and slow in a tube pan. Mellows for a week and tastes even better with time.

Cajun shrimp Creole simmered for hours in a homemade shrimp stock with fresh tomatoes, three peppers, thyme, basil, and the holy trinity. Even better made a day or two ahead.

No-bake chocolate wine balls rolled in sugar, made with crushed vanilla wafers, ground walnuts, honey, and sweet red wine. They get better with age, like a fine confection should.

Chunky corn chowder loaded with bell peppers, red potatoes, sausage, and a touch of cumin. Half the corn is pureed for a thick, creamy base. Even better the next day.

Hawaiian fruit bread with dates cooked in pineapple juice, honey, and nuts baked into a dense, moist loaf. A no-refined-sugar quick bread that slices better the next day.