Recipe Sifter

Split pea soup brightened with lemon zest and juice, loaded with carrots, potatoes, bacon, and Canadian bacon. A hearty, make-ahead soup with an unexpected citrus lift.

Kansas City-style barbecue sauce simmered from scratch with tomato paste, brown sugar, honey, beef stock, and a bold spice blend. Thick, sweet, tangy, and smoky.

Warm tortellini and green bean salad with smoked turkey, sautéed red peppers, and a tangy yogurt-chutney dressing. A hearty, colorful one-bowl meal ready in 40 minutes.

Vegetarian shepherd's pie with kidney beans, tomatoes, corn, and mixed vegetables under a garlic-basil mashed potato topping, finished with melted cheddar. A hearty meatless comfort food classic.

Hot cheddar bean dip with mashed pinto beans, green chiles, and hot sauce baked until bubbly. Five ingredients, minimal prep, and maximum cheesy, spicy flavor for game day or any gathering.

A big-batch chili built on chopped sirloin and sausage, simmered with dried pinto beans, mushrooms, olives, and green chilis. Four hours from start to bowl, this freezer-friendly recipe feeds a crowd.

Moist chocolate sour cream layer cake with fluffy cocoa frosting, toasted nuts, coconut filling, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. A showstopper for birthdays and celebrations.

Holiday cheddar date cake bakes a tube of brown sugar batter loaded with shredded sharp cheddar, dates, pecans, candied cherries, and golden raisins. A surprising savory-sweet fruitcake that keeps for 6 weeks.

Picnic kabobs: olive-stuffed ground beef meatballs skewered with tomato wedges, green pepper, baby potato, and button mushroom, basted with French dressing. An outdoor grill classic for six.

Healthy chicken fajitas with poached and seared chicken breast, colorful bell peppers, homemade pinto beans, and fresh tomato salsa. A complete from-scratch Tex-Mex dinner.

Spicy bean cake made with mashed pinto beans, diced apples, raisins, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Add cocoa for a chocolate version.

No-bake peanut butter bars with a graham cracker crust, powdered sugar, and a thin chocolate topping. Tastes like a giant homemade Reese's cup in bar form.

Walnut orange salad with honey-cinnamon marinated oranges, mixed greens, radishes, and purple onion dressed in olive oil. A bright, no-vinegar salad with natural citrus dressing.

Macadamia nut banana bread loaded with mashed bananas and chopped macadamias for a Hawaiian-inspired twist on the classic. Makes two large loaves, five small ones, or a dozen oversize muffins.

No-bake peanut brownies with graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, chopped peanuts, and a melted chocolate chip frosting. A fudgy, crunchy treat that sets in the fridge in just 1 hour.

Beaten biscuits, a historic Southern recipe made by beating dough with a rolling pin until it snaps. Crisp, tender, and shelf-stable for weeks. Makes about 100 small biscuits.