Recipe Sifter

Big-batch Texas-style chili with ground beef, cumin, coriander, and a dash of cinnamon simmered for hours in tomato sauce and juice. No beans, all meat, feeds a crowd.

Classic French coq au vin: chicken browned in butter, then simmered with red wine, brandy, pearl onions, and mushrooms. A rustic red wine chicken braise streamlined for the microwave.

Serve up this scrumptious side dish at your next barbecue or family gathering.

Corn and shrimp salad with boiled seasoned shrimp and sweet corn tossed in an emulsified Dijon vinaigrette with red onion and parsley. A bright, summery seafood salad.

Smoky corn and zucchini au gratin with chipotle peppers, Monterey Jack cheese, and a crunchy tortilla-cheese topping. A spicy Mexican-inspired vegetable casserole baked golden.

Crispy cast-iron cornsticks with cracked fennel seeds and black pepper, baked in a sizzling hot mold for crunchy golden edges. Ready in 20 minutes, served piping hot with butter.

A hearty free-form meatloaf packed with sauteed mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onions, seasoned with fines herbes and soy sauce. Baked crusty-brown on a sheet pan. Serves 4 to 6.

Layers of chopped ham and tart green apples seasoned with sage, topped with buttery mashed potatoes and baked until the peaks turn golden brown. A hearty savory-sweet casserole that feeds six.

Simple couscous with raisins and butter, ready in under 10 minutes. Just boil water, stir in couscous and raisins, cover, and let it steam. Five ingredients, no fuss.

Zesty black bean and olive dip layered over cream cheese with chopped hard-boiled eggs, lime juice, cumin, and crushed red pepper. A no-cook party appetizer that serves 12.

Dried pinto beans simmered from scratch with carrots, celery, Roma tomatoes, fresh thyme, oregano, and cilantro. A nourishing bean soup served over rice or barley that's worth the overnight soak.

Quick stir-fried crab with crisp snow peas, water chestnuts, garlic, and white wine over rice. A light, fresh Asian-inspired seafood dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Classic cranberry bread with walnuts, fresh orange juice, and grated orange rind. Baked low and slow, then rested overnight for a dense, moist loaf that slices like a dream.

Bread machine cranberry cinnamon bread: tangy fresh or frozen cranberries folded into a soft white loaf with lemon zest and warm cinnamon. Set-and-forget loaf for fall and holiday brunch.

Crazy cake mixed right in the baking pan with no eggs, no butter, and no milk. Cocoa, vinegar, and oil create a surprisingly moist chocolate cake from Depression-era ingenuity.

Cream cheese swirled brownies with a fudgy unsweetened chocolate base and tangy cream cheese filling marbled together. Rich, dense, and bakery-worthy.