Recipe Sifter

One-dish spaghetti made from a frozen beef-tomato mix with mushrooms, oregano, chili powder, and melted cheddar cheese. A freezer meal shortcut that cooks pasta and sauce together in one pot.

Fried chicken breasts rubbed in ancho peppers: chicken slathered in a rich ancho chile paste, then dredged in a chili-spiked cornmeal coating for a shatteringly crisp, Southwestern-spiced crust. A bold twist on classic fried chicken.

French bread pizza hero loaded with homemade mushroom-pepper-onion pizza sauce and melted cheese. Split-loaf pizza with a sauce simmered 15 minutes for real pizzeria flavor without the dough.

Herbed oatmeal pan bread, a soft, savory bread machine loaf with rolled oats, butter, garlic, basil, oregano, and a parmesan crust. Tastes like garlic bread and pizza dough had a kid.

Herbed zucchini-pea soup blends tender zucchini and shelled green peas with parsley, oregano, chervil, a touch of horseradish, and half-and-half. A chilled summer soup with a sneaky sharp finish.

Individual party pizzas on homemade dough with Italian sausage, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella. Pre-baked 7-inch crusts topped and finished in the oven.

Quick marinara pasta baked with melted mozzarella on top. Canned tomatoes simmered with basil, oregano, and garlic over tricolor pasta, then broiled until bubbly and golden.

Louisiana BBQ shrimp skewers with a homemade sauce of ketchup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and bacon drippings. Sauce mellows for a week before grilling for deep, layered flavor.

Mexican red onion soup slow-caramelized with cumin, coriander, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon, brightened with orange juice and red wine vinegar. A spice-warmed take on French onion.

Moros y Cristianos, the classic Cuban black beans and rice cooked together in one pot with garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and a splash of vinegar and white wine. Simple, soulful comfort food.

Pizza bianca: a white pizza with hand-stretched dough, olive oil pureed with shallot, garlic, and Italian herbs in place of red sauce, then blanketed in melted Gruyère. Crisp, nutty, no tomato.

Simple, but scrumptious snacks that are perfect when on the go. Try different toppings to add some variety.

Simplified Cincinnati-style chili with ground beef, kidney beans, and tomato sauce in 50 minutes. No exotic spices needed, just classic chili flavor for busy weeknights.

Meatless spaghetti sauce with bulgur wheat stirred in for hearty texture, simmered with tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and bay leaf. Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash.

Classic spaghetti pie baked in a pie plate with a pasta crust, spinach-cottage cheese filling, seasoned ground beef, and stretchy melted mozzarella on top.

Thirty cloves of garlic, white wine, cinnamon, and cumin transform beef stew into a Greek stifado that smells like a Mediterranean kitchen. Topped with crumbled feta and crunchy walnuts for the finish.