2,950 can king recipes

Pumpkin torte: a layered fall dessert with graham cracker crust, baked cream cheese center, and a light gelatin-set spiced pumpkin chiffon top. The Thanksgiving alternative to pumpkin pie that feeds a crowd.

A vegetable-packed white lasagna layered with a creamy pesto sauce, mashed white beans, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, and spinach-ricotta. No tomato in sight, finished with a parmesan-breadcrumb crust.

Spiced pumpkin muffin cakes studded with raisins or dried apricots and finished with a sweet powdered sugar drizzle. Warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest in every bite. Makes 20.

Two-meat meat loaf made with ground chuck and ground pork, bound with oatmeal and seasoned with allspice and thyme. Served with a whiskey-tomato pan sauce.

Mexican chicken lasagna layered with chili-cumin enchilada sauce, cilantro-laced cottage cheese filling, and sharp cheddar with Monterey Jack. A 9x13 crowd dinner.

Hunter's minestrone with cubed beef, kidney beans, pasta shells, and red wine simmered for four hours in three stages. A hearty, meaty Italian soup built for cold weather.

Cajun seafood gumbo with shrimp, lump crab, ham, and okra built on a dark cocoa-colored roux. Finished with file powder for authentic Louisiana flavor and body.

Crock pot sweet and sour chicken in a homemade sauce of brown sugar, vinegar, soy, and pineapple, thickened glossy and loaded with peppers and onion. A from-scratch slow cooker take on takeout.

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.

Lasagna roll ups turn classic lasagna into tidy individual rolls: cooked noodles spread with a cheesy ricotta filling, rolled up, and baked in a beefy tomato sauce under melted mozzarella. Easier to serve, just as comforting.

Hearty three-bean chili with black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans simmered in tomato-chili broth with bell peppers, topped with sour cream and fresh diced peppers. Meatless, protein-packed comfort.

Beef round steak cubes braised for 3 hours with mushrooms, wine, and Italian herbs in a rich tomato-consommé sauce, served over spaghetti. Fork-tender, deeply flavored, and worth every minute.

Flour tortillas stuffed with chicken, green chiles, black olives, sharp cheddar, and Monterey Jack in a creamy chicken soup sauce. Make ahead, freeze, and bake when you're ready.

Pear and apricot tart layers fanned pears and apricot halves over almond paste filling in a buttery almond pastry, then glazes with apple jelly. A bakery-worthy fruit tart for special occasions.

Superb white chicken chili simmers white beans, tender chicken and sweet corn with tomatillos, green chilies and cumin, finished bright with lime and cilantro. A lighter, tangy take on chili with all the toppings.