590 better recipes

Southern Brunswick stew with shredded chicken, cubed pork loin, okra, corn, and tomatoes in a rich broth. A thick, smoky, two-meat stew that tastes even better the next day.

Rustic French potage with bacon, cabbage, root vegetables, and beans simmered for 2 hours. The kind of peasant soup that feeds a crowd for pennies and tastes better the next day.

A hearty meatless chili with kidney beans, zucchini, green chiles, and brown rice simmered in a tomato base with cloves and vinegar. Even better the next day. Freezes like a dream.

Homemade crunchy granola with rolled oats, wheat germ, coconut, nuts, and raisins baked in honey and vanilla. Better than anything from a box and your kitchen will smell like a bakery.

Cold spaghetti pasta salad tossed with diced cucumber, red bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bottled Italian dressing. A potluck classic that travels well and tastes better the second day.

Slow-cooker beef chili with pinto beans, green chiles, jalapeños, and a splash of balsamic for brightness. An Arizona-style chili that simmers 8 hours and tastes better the next day.

Moist carrot date nut bread with a blended carrot-orange puree, slivered dates, and walnuts. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, this recipe makes two loaves that slice even better the next day.

Sweet-savory quick bread with chopped dates, shredded cheddar, and walnuts baked into a moist loaf. Slice it thin for tea time or toast it with butter. Even better the next day.

Golden-browned whole chicken pieces simmered with okra, fresh tomatoes, cumin, and white wine until fall-off-the-bone tender. A soulful one-pot stew that tastes even better the next day.

Slow-simmered Italian pizza sauce built on canned plum tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, basil and tarragon. A balanced, herb-forward sauce that gets even better after an overnight chill in the fridge.

Savory vegetable soup simmered low and slow with tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beans, corn and mushrooms in a rich bouillon broth. A fat-free, pantry-friendly pot that tastes better the next day.

Sour cream coffee cake with cinnamon-pecan ribbon: a tender bundt cake with a hidden middle layer of cinnamon-sugar-nut crunch. The brunch table classic that tastes even better the next day.

A three-bean salad dressed in tangy molasses-mustard vinaigrette with celery, green onion, and torn curly endive. No-cook, make-ahead, and gets better the longer it marinates. Bring this to the cookout.

Chili macaroni is a one-pot weeknight dinner combining ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni in a chili-spiced sauce, topped with melted cheddar. Think homemade Hamburger Helper chili mac, only better.

No-cook black bean salad with diced cucumber, plum tomato, celery, slivered basil, orange zest, and lemon juice. A bright vegan side that gets better as it sits and doubles as a protein-packed lunch.

A velvety, creamy garlic soup loaded with 2 cups of garlic and caramelized onions, thickened with stale French bread and finished with half and half. Inspired by New Orleans chef Susan Spicer. Even better the next day.