Recipe Sifter

Susan's chocolate chess pie sets a velvety cocoa custard of butter, sugar, eggs, and evaporated milk into two flaky shells. The Southern dessert with a crackly top and fudgy center.

A creative twist on classic pizza, this dish layers savory sausage, mushrooms, and mozzarella under a golden, puffed crust. Perfect for a family dinner or casual gathering, it’s easy to prepare and delivers bold flavors in every bite.

Grilled sweet and sour meatball kabobs loaded with pineapple, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Brushed with a tangy steak sauce glaze and served over rice.

Pasta with zucchini and fresh mint sauce blends grated zucchini, cream cheese, Parmesan, and garlic into a silky, herb-bright sauce. A summer vegetable pasta that comes together in one pan.

Green bean bundles tied with blanched leek ribbons and steamed until bright, served over two silky sweet pepper sauces (one red, one yellow) perfumed with white wine and basil. A dinner party side that looks painterly on the plate.

White sheet cake topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting and glossy cherry pie filling. A simple, crowd-feeding dessert that starts with a box cake mix.

Garlic head soup built on three whole simmered bulbs blended into a brothy base with barley, wild rice, potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms, herbed with thyme, rosemary, and dill.

Deep-dish peach pie: a baking dish heaped with juicy peaches and brown sugar under a single flaky, golden top crust. A fruit-forward summer pie that lets the peaches shine.

Mushrooms and chestnuts in a light cream sauce with butter, flour, and half-and-half, served over baked potatoes. A rich, earthy autumn side dish with a nutty, woodsy character.

Blueberry sausage breakfast cake with sour cream batter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans on top. A make-ahead overnight brunch bake that goes straight from fridge to oven.

Gujarati dal: a Western Indian lentil stew with eggplant, zucchini, and tomato, tempered with mustard seed, cumin, and asafetida in ghee. Vegetarian, warmly spiced, served over rice.

Roasted bell pepper rolls stuffed with tuna, capers, and parsley in a lemon-garlic olive oil marinade. An elegant Italian appetizer that can be assembled a day ahead.

Idaho potato salad with julienned ham, Swiss cheese, toasted walnuts, and a Dijon-shallot vinaigrette. A hearty, warm potato salad that doubles as a main course on a bed of lettuce.

Meersburger cherry dessert with kirsch-soaked tart cherries layered over ladyfingers, topped with an almond cream cheese mousse and chopped pistachios.

Classic stuffed green peppers filled with ground beef, oats, onion, celery, and basil in tomato juice, baked and served with a creamy mushroom sauce. Old-fashioned comfort food.

Savory crepes fill thin egg pancakes with sautéed mushrooms and cottage cheese, then bake until warmed through. Eastern European brunch or light dinner classic.