Recipe Sifter

A noodle crust filled with seasoned ground beef, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and pepperoni. Vermicelli pie is like lasagna and pizza had a baby, and the whole family will fight over seconds.

Pasta with meatballs in a tomato sauce deepened with bacon and Marsala, the tender bread-bound meatballs simmered right in. The pasta is tossed in butter and sauce, then showered with parmesan.

Two-meat Sunday chili with cubed sirloin tip and ground beef, three cans of tomatoes, chili beans, wine, and a generous spice rub. Cook, cool, reheat for deep flavor.

Breaded and golden-fried goat cheese medallions are a great appetizer served with a drizzle of honey, garnished with sliced or diced peppers and spread on baguette slices. These little beauties would also be great atop a green salad.

Skip the noodles! This crescent roll lasagna wraps seasoned ground beef, creamy cottage cheese, and melted mozzarella in buttery, golden dough. Ready in one hour with make-ahead flexibility.

Greek-style macaroni pie (pastitsio) with feta cheese, cinnamon, oregano, mint, and tomatoes, topped with a creamy yogurt-egg-feta bechamel. A vegetarian baked pasta casserole cut into squares.

Caribbean-style baby back ribs marinated in a from-scratch sofrito with annatto oil, cilantro, Anaheim chile, guava jelly, and coffee liqueur. Baked low and slow until tender.

Quick beef spaghetti sauce with ground beef, garlic, green pepper, basil and oregano. Weeknight meat sauce ready in under 30 minutes.

Light shrimp Florentine spaghetti with wilted spinach, roasted red peppers, white wine, and lemon in a silky chicken broth sauce. Elegant enough for date night, healthy enough for every night.

Gumbo z'herbes, the New Orleans green gumbo: spinach, mustard, turnip, and collard greens simmered with smoked pork, ham, and oysters, spiced Creole-style and served over rice with file powder.

Button mushrooms simmered in a spicy Creole sauce with red wine, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, and oregano. A bold, low-calorie side dish ready in 25 minutes.

Nuevo Laredo chicken-fried steak marinated in beer with garlic, breaded in masa harina and cumin-spiced flour, then deep-fried. A Tex-Mex twist on a Texas classic.

Spiced veal chili swaps lighter ground veal for the usual beef in a chili powder-and-cumin tomato base, finished with red wine vinegar for a brighter, more refined chili. Bean-free Texas-style.

Bread machine Italian cheese-potato bread with mashed potatoes, Monterey Jack, oregano, and eggs. Dense, savory, and loaded with flavor in every slice.

Italian-seasoned beef and sausage mixed with creamy ricotta and Parmesan, rolled in layers of buttered phyllo, and baked into a crispy golden strudel. A show-stopping dinner or appetizer.

Italian sausages and chicken braised in red wine and crushed tomatoes with peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs. A big-batch one-pot dinner built for feeding a crowd or stocking the freezer.