10,000 buttered recipes

Open-faced cheddar sandwiches broiled with a creamy cheese spread made from sharp cheddar, cream, hard-boiled egg, pimento, and olives, topped with crossed bacon slices until bubbly and crisp.

Shirred eggs baked in bacon-lined muffin cups with dry sherry and cream, served on toasted English muffins. An elegant 30-minute brunch that looks fancy but couldn't be easier.

Buttery cookies with a chocolate Kiss hidden inside and mini chocolate chips throughout the dough. Each one cracks open to reveal a melted chocolate center.

Italian almond-ricotta cake with lemon zest and juice throughout. Moist, tender cake with light crumb from folded egg whites, baked at low temperature.

Green beans and butternut squash glazed in currant jelly, garlic butter, basil, and lemon juice, topped with toasted walnuts. A make-ahead holiday side dish.

Buttermilk pecan fruitcake made with dried pears and toasted pecans instead of the usual neon candied fruit. Buttermilk keeps the crumb tender, beaten egg whites give it lift. A gift-worthy Christmas loaf.

Country apple pie layers six cups of fresh apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a flaky double crust, baked in two stages for a golden top and tender filling. The American classic done right.

Annie Mae Jones' cornmeal muffins: pure cornmeal Southern muffins with buttermilk, baking soda, and a splash of butter, baked in pre-heated greased pans for crispy bottoms and tender centers.

English toffee bars with a buttery shortbread crust, pecan halves, bubbly toffee topping, and melted milk chocolate pressed on top. Three layers of crunch, caramel, and chocolate in every bar.

This cake won me First Prize at the county fair last year. It is very chocolaty.

Grilled garden sandwiches: a loaded grilled cheese stacked with sauteed mushrooms and red onion, fresh tomato, and two melting cheeses, griddled in butter until golden and crisp. A hearty meatless lunch.

Finnish rye bread made in the bread machine with dark rye flour and beer for an earthy, malty loaf. Dense, hearty, and deeply flavored, perfect for open-faced sandwiches, sharp cheeses, or cured fish.

Chocolate popcorn fudge: classic stovetop chocolate fudge cooked to soft-ball stage with chopped popped corn folded in for surprise crunch in every creamy square.

Semi-homemade chocolate cake with a gooey caramel, roasted peanut, and milk chocolate chip layer baked right into the center. Starts with a box mix and six ingredients. Tastes like a giant chocolate turtle bar in cake form.

Salmon potato casserole combines canned salmon with cream of potato soup, evaporated milk, and a crunchy shredded wheat topping browned under the broiler. A pantry-friendly weeknight casserole ready in 25 minutes.

Old fashioned checkerboard cookies stack vanilla and chocolate dough cylinders into striped logs, then slice and bake for crisp shortbread cookies with a stunning chess-pattern face. A vintage tea cookie.