Recipe Sifter

Seven layer salad with crisp iceberg, water chestnuts, peas, and a sweet parmesan-mayo dressing, finished with bacon and hard-boiled egg. A make-ahead potluck classic that chills overnight.

New Orleans-style red bean gratin baked with cumin, coriander, cayenne, and red wine under a crispy breadcrumb-Parmesan topping. A vegetarian main dish with serious Cajun flavor.

Lemon chicken soup with fresh spinach and pasta shells in a garlic-rich broth. Lemon juice and zest brighten this hearty one-pot soup loaded with vegetables and tender chicken.

Pesce spada in salmoriglio: Sicilian grilled swordfish bathed in a bright olive oil, lemon, oregano, and garlic sauce. Five-ingredient authentic, table-ready fast, straight from the Mediterranean.

Oven-braised beef short ribs in tomato paste gravy with onions, carrots, and celery, served over noodles tossed in the pan drippings. Slow-cooked comfort food that falls off the bone.

Silky, chilled crab mousse with Neufchatel cheese, yogurt, and a horseradish zing. A lighter take on the classic seafood spread that's elegant enough for any gathering.

Browned SPAM cubes with carrots, green beans, tomatoes, and celery in a thyme-seasoned sauce, topped with sliced potatoes broiled golden. This hearty one-skillet casserole is a complete meal in about an hour.

Hearty Australian patio salad with kidney beans, hard-boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, celery, onion, sweet relish and sour cream. Protein-packed 5-minute salad.

Granny's minestrone is a hearty vegan vegetable soup packed with carrots, cabbage, zucchini, leeks and kidney beans in a tomato broth, finished with elbow macaroni. Slow-simmered for deep, comforting flavor.

Senate bean soup with navy beans, smoked ham hock, potatoes, and an onion pique, half-pureed for a creamy-chunky texture. The famous US Capitol dining room recipe.

Whole wheat spaghetti with a garlicky quick meat sauce built on a proper onion-carrot-celery base. Lean ground beef and crushed tomatoes make a weeknight pasta that eats like a weekend ragu.

A succulent and sophisticated chicken dish made with water chestnuts, amaretto liquer and beau monde seasoning.

Sicilian-style jumbo shrimp in a sweet-and-sour Marsala sauce with pine nuts, currants, capers, and fennel. A rustic Italian seafood main baked in an earthenware casserole.

Greek avgolemono-style lemon chicken soup thickened with egg yolks and a butter-flour roux. Silky, tangy, and loaded with rice and tender chicken.

Eugenia Potter's 27 Ingredient Chili Con Carn recipe

Classic beefsteak and kidney pie with claret-marinated kidneys, browned beef, and mushrooms baked under a golden pastry crust. Traditional British pub fare done right at home.