Recipes with water

Spicy black bean and corn casserole with cornmeal, green chilies, and stewed tomatoes. A one-bowl vegetarian Tex-Mex bake that comes together with pantry staples and feeds a crowd.

Vera's buttermilk cookies use powdered buttermilk and a half-sugar, half-sweetener blend for a lower-sugar tangy sugar cookie. Crisp edges, soft centers, ready in 35 minutes.

German chocolate layered apple cake with sliced apples and cinnamon-nut batter in alternating layers, topped with cream cheese frosting. A semi-homemade cake that tastes fully from scratch.

White chicken chili with bite-sized chicken breast, chickpeas, fresh salsa, and vegetables simmered in a cumin-spiked tomato broth. A lighter spin on classic chili that's ready in an hour.

Vegan tofu cheesecake blends silken tofu with lemon, vanilla and sugar into a creamy, dairy-free filling that bakes up smooth and sliceable. No cream cheese, no eggs, just a blender and a crumb crust.

Saucy black beans simmered with sweet Vidalia onions, stewed tomatoes, green chiles, and a hit of orange zest. A Mexican-style pot that works over rice or inside enchiladas.

Tender yellow summer squash layered with sauteed onions, green chilis, and cheddar cheese, topped with crunchy cracker crumbs and baked until bubbly. A Southwestern-style squash casserole.

A European-style carrot cake with walnuts, whipped egg whites for lightness, and a layered filling of cream cheese, jam, and sweetened whipped cream. Elegant and unforgettable.

Easy pepper steak with thin-sliced beef simmered in onion soup mix, green bell peppers, and a cornstarch-thickened gravy. A simple weeknight stir-fry served over rice.

A cherry gelatin twist on classic Waldorf salad, loaded with chopped apples, celery, and walnuts in a shimmering cherry Jello mold. Unmold on lettuce and serve.

A cherry gelatin twist on classic Waldorf salad, loaded with chopped apples, celery, and walnuts in a shimmering cherry Jello mold. Unmold on lettuce and serve.

Portobello stir fry: meaty portobello mushrooms, broccoli, tofu, and water chestnuts tossed in a miso-ginger sauce with five-spice. A plant-based Asian weeknight dinner.

Five-spice chicken thighs in a soy, sherry, ginger, and brown sugar sauce, cooked in the microwave in 30 minutes. The pan juices thicken into a glossy sauce spooned right over the top.

Bread machine oatmeal whole wheat loaf with molasses and instant oats. A hearty, slightly sweet sandwich bread with nutty flavor and soft crumb.

Cream puff cake bakes a sheet of pate a choux as the base, then layers vanilla pudding cream cheese filling, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup on top. A pan-sized riff on the classic eclair.

This meaty beanless chili has the makings of a champion, but it's super simple.