Recipe Sifter

Black bean chili built on home-ground spices and dried ancho chile. Vegetarian, vegan-adaptable, with toasted cumin and homemade chili powder. Serve over melted cheese with creme fraiche and roasted poblanos.

Mexican Meatloaf swaps breadcrumbs for cornmeal and adds pickled jalapeños, black olives, and chili powder to a ground beef and veal blend. Feeds 8 in about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Vegetarian ratatouille lasagna layers Provencal vegetables with ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, and bechamel between tender noodles. Meatless, hearty, feeds six.

Chicago Italian beef sandwiches with thinly sliced roast beef simmered in herbed gravy and piled on Italian bread. Dipped wet, topped with peppers and giardiniera.

Eggplant Italiano sauteed with mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes, then baked under melted mozzarella until bubbly and golden. A hearty Italian vegetable casserole.

Authentic New Mexican chili with cubed beef chuck, pork, mild and hot ground chilies, amber beer, and a long simmer. Serve beans on the side, Southwest-style.

Vegan mushroom spread made with sauteed leeks, garlic, oregano, and a hit of horseradish, pureed smooth. A savory appetizer for crackers, crostini, or turnover filling.

San Antonio chili made Texas-style with coarse ground beef chuck, no beans, no tomatoes. Slow-simmered with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne, thickened with cornmeal.

A hearty vegetable soup with black beans, okra, zucchini, and crushed tomatoes braised in red wine with cumin, ginger, and cayenne. Served over brown rice for a filling vegan meal.

New Orleans-style muffaletta on focaccia piled with ham, turkey, provolone, and a tangy olive relish of green olives, artichokes, anchovies, capers, and garlic. Chilled overnight for full flavor.

White pizza no red sauce: a garlicky herb-oil base topped with three cheeses (mozzarella, fontina, parmesan) and baked hot until the crust blisters and the cheese bubbles brown.

Vegetarian potato enchiladas with a spiced cumin-cinnamon enchilada sauce, Monterey Jack, and crumbled feta. Crispy pan-fried potatoes in corn tortillas baked until bubbly.

A hearty Louisiana-style lentil stew simmered with tomatoes, red wine, zucchini, and Italian herbs. Think of it as Cajun chili without the meat. Serve over polenta or brown rice.

Poached eggs nestled on warm corn tortillas with sliced avocado, a smoky green chile-tomato sauce, and melted Monterey Jack. California's laid-back take on huevos rancheros.

This Tex-Mex chilled red pepper soup blends smoky roasted peppers with tangy buttermilk, sweet corn, and pickled nopales for a bold, refreshing bowl topped with herbed Parmesan tortilla crisps.

White turkey chili with cannellini beans, leeks, green chiles, and a flour-thickened broth seasoned with cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Big-batch chili for crowds.