886 better recipes

Bacon and bean soup simmers slivered bacon with kidney beans, carrots, celery and turnip in a thyme-scented beef broth. A hearty winter soup that tastes even better the next day.

Marinated eggplant in olive oil: salt-pressed, vinegar-soaked strips layered with garlic, oregano, and chile in extra-virgin oil. An Italian antipasto that gets better for months.

Make-ahead Italian pasta salad with rotini, crisp vegetables, and tangy garlic vinaigrette that gets better overnight for easy potluck and picnic perfection.

Raspberry pecan thumbprint cookies spiced with cinnamon and allspice, filled with seedless raspberry jam and topped with chopped pecans. Better the next day.

Old-fashioned bean and bacon soup made with dried pinto beans, smoky bacon, carrots, celery, and a splash of vinegar at the end. Slow-simmered, hearty, and far better than the canned version.

Homemade pickled jalapeno slices in a sweet vinegar brine with garlic. Quick to prep, then chill for 7 days to develop bold, tangy heat. Better than store-bought.

Tangy Italian antipasto spread packed with artichoke hearts, two kinds of olives, mushrooms, and a zesty vinegar-olive oil dressing. Make it ahead - it's better the next day.

Boldly spiced vegan chickpeas simmered with roasted cumin, garam masala, amchoor, and fresh ginger. Ready in 35 minutes and even better the next day.

Skillet garlic croutons toasted in butter with thyme. Homemade croutons with real garlic flavor in 15 minutes, far better than anything from a box.

Garlic marinated olives with lemon, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and sherry. A make-ahead antipasto jar that gets better every day in the fridge.

Marinated wild rice salad with porcini and white mushrooms, julienned carrots, walnuts, and Dijon vinaigrette. A make-ahead grain salad that gets better as it sits.

Low-fat marinated vegetable platter with crisp broccoli, carrots, celery, red pepper, olives, and artichoke hearts in tangy Italian dressing. Make-ahead appetizer that gets better as it chills.

I made this dish and thought it was too bland. I made it again, doubling all the Indian spices, and it came out much better.

Whole wheat Banana Health Loaf sweetened with honey and studded with unsweetened coconut. No eggs, just 3 tablespoons of oil, 98 calories per slice, and better flavor after resting overnight.

This recipe, though fussy to make, is attractive and tasty. Cheryl Kaufenberg of Darien said it came from a very old Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Marinated asparagus salad with red pepper, red onion, and tangy raspberry vinaigrette. A make-ahead cold side dish that gets better overnight. No oil, naturally light.