1,350 cheesy recipes

James Beard's persimmon bread folds ripe persimmon puree into a spiced quick-bread batter with cognac, mace, raisins, and walnuts. Legendary holiday bread adapted for the bread machine.

Khao Niaow Ma Muang: steamed glutinous rice soaked in sweetened coconut milk and topped with ripe sliced mango. Thailand's most beloved dessert, made from just 5 ingredients.

A creamy vegan cheesecake made with blended tofu on a crunchy granola crust, topped with a fresh strawberry sauce. Dairy-free, egg-free, and naturally sweetened. Serves 8.

Crockpot lima bean casserole with cream of celery soup, mushrooms, pimentos, and dill, finished with cream and grated Parmesan. Hearty, hands-off vintage comfort food.

This recipe uses ready-made taco shells, but soft tortillas are good too.

Five-bean soup with lima, great northern, kidney, pinto beans and split peas simmered with cumin, savory, bay leaf, and stewed tomatoes. A hearty from-scratch bean soup.

Lighter clam chowder made entirely in the microwave with leeks, potatoes, sweet corn, and low-fat milk. No cream, no roux, ready in about 40 minutes.

Italian bean and pasta stew with chickpeas, kidney beans, great northern beans, tomatoes, carrots, and celery. A thick, hearty one-pot meal that's naturally vegetarian.

Moosewood-style minestrone with onions, eggplant, green pepper, carrots, celery, peas, pasta, and tomato puree in a red-wine-kissed broth. Vegetarian comfort inspired by the Ithaca classic.

This relish is based on a prize-winning English recipe of more than a generation ago. It is less sweet than traditional chutneys; most of its sweetness comes not from sugar, but from apples, dates, and parsnips. I generally use Winesap apples but any well-flavored, crisp eating apple will do.

Thick, hearty steak chili loaded with tender cubed round steak, smoky chili powder, and cumin, simmered low and slow in a rich tomato-salsa base. A cornmeal-flour slurry gives it body that clings to every spoonful.

White chicken chili with tomatillos, Rotel tomatoes, cannellini beans, green chiles, and lime juice. Stovetop or crockpot, topped with sharp cheddar.

Grilled fajita nachos with beer-and-lime marinated chicken, mashed pinto beans, caramelized onions, and a fresh tomatillo-lime salsa. Built on a pizza pan and finished on the grill.

Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake on a peanut butter cookie and chocolate wafer crust, topped with white chocolate peanut butter glaze and a chocolate drizzle.

Meaty sausage pizza sauce with browned pork sausage simmered in tomato sauce with oregano, mustard, and garlic. Freezer-friendly and ready in 25 minutes.

Pasta primavera in a light evaporated milk sauce with mushrooms, bell peppers, and garlic sauteed in dry sherry. A low-fat vegetarian pasta with no butter or cream.