2,800 better recipes

This homemade pita recipe is much better than store bought pita. You will love the aroma that comes out of the oven during the baking. Make your own pita today.

Chicken salad chinois is a light Asian-inspired chicken salad with yogurt, ginger, and soy dressing. Low-fat and diabetic-friendly, this make-ahead salad gets better as it chills.

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.

Mom's chili with ground beef, kidney beans, tomato paste, and a touch of ketchup simmered low and slow. A no-frills homestyle chili that gets better the longer it cooks.

Homemade oven-baked croutons from day-old bread, slow-dried at low heat until golden and crunchy. One ingredient, any herbs you like, and better than anything from a bag.

Oven-dried tomatoes, a simple slow-roast technique that concentrates summer tomatoes into chewy intensely sweet jammy slices. Better than store-bought sun-dried, with infinite uses across the kitchen.

Light sponge cake baked in a casserole dish, then soaked with a hot rum sugar syrup and topped with toasted almonds or coconut. This boozy, syrup-drenched dessert is even better the next day.

My husband loves banana cream pie, and I love chocolate, so I decided to combine the two and the result was better than either one of us could imagine. It is delicious, and has tuned out to be a favorite.

Potato fudge uses mashed potatoes as the secret binder in a chocolate candy rolled in coconut or walnuts. A Depression-era confection that works better than it has any right to.

Potato barley soup simmers pearl barley with carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes in beef or chicken stock for a thick, hearty grain-and-vegetable bowl that gets better the next day.

Stir-fried flank steak with ginger and scallions tossed with noodles, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and celery in a light soy sauce. Better than takeout beef lo mein in 40 minutes.

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.

Chicken pad thai: soaked rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, egg, and a sweet-sour-salty tamarind sauce, finished with peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime. Better than takeout in 30 minutes.

Hearty low-fat vegetable soup with potatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, pureed tomatoes, and kidney beans. Oil-free and loaded with garden veggies, this make-ahead soup tastes even better the next day.

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.

Crispy General Tao's chicken coats golden fried chicken in a sticky sweet-and-savory sauce of brown sugar, soy, garlic, and ginger with a kick of chili. Better than takeout, easily made gluten-free with tamari, and ready in about 25 minutes.