Recipe Sifter

Old-fashioned braised chicken with carrots, celery, onions, and bell pepper in a creamy milk gravy. Country farmhouse cooking at its simplest, feeding a crowd of 12 from one pot.

Pounded round steak breaded in seasoned flour, pan-fried in butter until golden, and smothered in a slow-simmered cream gravy with bay leaf and clove. The real-deal Southern classic, done right.

Whole chicken slow-cooked on a bed of potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery with basil and seasoned salt. The cooking liquid turns into a savory thyme and soy sauce gravy.

Clam and shrimp chowder: a creamy New England-style seafood chowder with potatoes, corn, red pepper, and fennel seed. The anise note from fennel lifts it out of the ordinary.

Classic French coq au vin: chicken browned in butter, then simmered with red wine, brandy, pearl onions, and mushrooms. A rustic red wine chicken braise streamlined for the microwave.

A sophisticated chicken in wine that's good enough to telegraph home about.

Cornmeal griddle cakes with buttermilk, fresh corn kernels, and a touch of diced onion. A savory breakfast that comes together in 20 minutes flat on a hot griddle.

Pinto bean casserole topped with a cayenne-spiked cornmeal pone crust made with yogurt instead of butter. Southern comfort that's hearty, budget-friendly, and nearly vegan.

A hearty free-form meatloaf packed with sauteed mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onions, seasoned with fines herbes and soy sauce. Baked crusty-brown on a sheet pan. Serves 4 to 6.

Vegetarian zucchini kofta: grated courgette balls bound with gram flour, deep-fried to a reddish-brown crisp, then simmered in a spiced tomato cream sauce with garam masala and roasted cumin.

Crab quiche with sweet crabmeat, sharp cheddar, half-and-half custard, and scallions baked in a flaky pie shell. Brunch dish that doubles as a light dinner.

Cream of peanut soup with 2 cups of smooth peanut butter stirred into a velvety chicken broth base finished with half-and-half. A rich Southern classic garnished with chopped peanuts.

Creamed lima beans and corn baked in a homemade white sauce with Parmesan cheese. A comforting vegetable casserole side dish that's bubbly in 30 minutes.

Creamy carrot cheddar soup uses canned cream of cheddar, chicken broth, milk, and a quick roux for a 30-minute weeknight bowl. Sweet carrot, savory cheese, paprika, and Worcestershire give it depth.

Creamy broccoli lasagna layered with Swiss cheese, cottage cheese, and a velvety bouillon-spiked white sauce. A meatless casserole that turns weeknight pasta into something hearty.

Creamy onion soup with sauteed yellow onions, chicken broth, thyme, and a milk-flour finish. A quick, comforting weeknight soup that lands halfway between French onion and potato-leek.