Recipe Sifter

Easy kielbasa bean soup uses condensed bean and bacon soup as a smart shortcut, simmered with smoky Polish sausage, potato, carrot, onion, and celery. A weeknight pantry-staple soup ready in 35 minutes.

Indonesian vegetable salad tossed in creamy peanut dressing with garlic, rice vinegar, and chili flakes. Crunchy tofu, bean sprouts, and broccoli make a bright gado-gado style make-ahead bowl.

Chilled Bloody Mary soup with sauteed vegetables, tomato juice, Tabasco, and Worcestershire, served with a shot of ice-cold vodka at the table. A crowd-size cocktail in a bowl.

Rice-stuffed Cornish hens with a sweet filling of raisins, walnuts, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Roasted with butter-rubbed skin until golden and juicy.

Herbed potato salad with red-skinned potatoes, Dijon mustard, yogurt-mayo dressing, and plenty of scallion, dill, and parsley. A lighter picnic side that skips the heavy gloppy stuff.

Hearty vegetable soup with 7-grain cereal, tomatoes, green beans, corn, mushrooms, and winter squash simmered until tender: finished with canola oil and fresh parsley for bright flavor.

A fruity and scrumptious side to stuffing that is perfect for Thanksgiving.

Vegetable-packed alphabet soup with barley, tomatoes, and peas in a chicken-beef broth. Wholesome, colorful, and satisfying without any meat.

Corn casserole with creamed corn, beaten eggs, crushed soda crackers, evaporated milk, and chopped peppers, celery, and carrots, topped with melted cheddar and paprika. A Midwest potluck staple.

Louisiana gumbo built on a classic roux with okra, bell pepper, celery, onion, tomatoes, and your choice of shrimp, chicken, or crawfish. A Creole one-pot served over rice.

Smoky andouille bathed in tangy barbecue sauce spiked with Southern Comfort, slow-simmered for hours until thick and rich for the ultimate party appetizer.

Vintage molded gelatin salad with apple cider, diced apples, celery, and almonds suspended in lemon-spiked gelatin. Unmold onto lettuce and serve with whipped cream or sour cream.

Crisp button mushrooms stuffed with tangy apple, toasted walnuts, and melted blue cheese for a sweet-savory bite-sized appetizer ready in under an hour.

Savory rice pilaf with toasted almonds, diced dried apricots, and a hint of ginger for a side dish that pairs beautifully with roasted meats.

Set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker stew packs chicken, eggplant, potatoes, and beans into one hearty 8-hour meal that feeds a crowd.

A loaded Spanish paella with chicken, pork, shrimp, and calamari over saffron rice. This one-pan fiesta feeds 6 and comes together in under an hour.