Recipe Sifter

Norwegian pan-fried trout in sour cream sauce with lemon and parsley. Whole fish, flour-dredged and fried in butter, with a quick pan sauce from the drippings.

Cajun chicken sauce piquant with a dark roux, Chablis wine, tomato sauce, stuffed olives, and hot pepper sauce, slow-cooked for hours and served over spaghetti. Big-batch Cajun cooking.

Breaded chicken breasts in a mushroom-sherry cream sauce tossed with fettuccine and Parmesan. A restaurant-quality one-skillet dinner ready in just 30 minutes.

Lobster tails in patty shells spoons sweet lobster meat in a sauterne-spiked cream sauce with mushrooms, olives, and pimento into golden puff pastry shells. A retro special-occasion dinner straight from the supper-club era.

Mushrooms and chestnuts in a light cream sauce with butter, flour, and half-and-half, served over baked potatoes. A rich, earthy autumn side dish with a nutty, woodsy character.

Sauteed smallmouth bass meunier dredged in cornmeal and flour, pan-fried in butter, and finished with a vinegar pan sauce. A classic French-meets-camp fish preparation.

Ham and cheddar casserole over French-cut green beans with a homemade white sauce, hard-cooked eggs, and crushed herb crouton topping. A weeknight one-dish dinner in 40 minutes.

Microwave-poached sole fillets bathed in a creamy white-wine shrimp sauce. An elegant fish dinner from the 1980s microwave-cooking era, ready in 40 minutes without dirtying a stovetop pan.

Earthy wild mushroom lasagna layered with Marsala-sauteed fungi, creamy Fontina bechamel, and a golden mozzarella-Parmesan crust. Vegetarian comfort food at its most elegant.

A savory carrot quiche with homemade butter crust, Edam cheese, cream, and bacon. Arranged in a star pattern, this European-style tart makes a gorgeous brunch or light dinner centerpiece.

Cheesy fisherman's grill: canned salmon and fresh crab folded into a parsley-tomato béchamel, topped with parmesan, and broiled bubbling gold. A quick seafood gratin for two.

Louisiana seafood gumbo with shrimp, crab, and okra in a deep brown roux, simmered with the Cajun holy trinity, tomato, and a hit of Tabasco. Served over rice for a true Gulf Coast supper.

Pan-fried sweetbreads and button mushrooms baked under a golden yogurt, egg, and cheese gratin. A refined dinner for two that's ready in an hour.

Yeasted cheese bread topped with ham strips and a triple cheese melt of cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan. A savory one-pan dinner bake with homemade dough.

A big-batch chili built on chopped sirloin and sausage, simmered with dried pinto beans, mushrooms, olives, and green chilis. Four hours from start to bowl, this freezer-friendly recipe feeds a crowd.

Open-faced cod sandwiches on English muffins with broiled tomato, topped with a sharp cheddar cheese sauce spiked with mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire. A hot seafood lunch.