Recipe Sifter

Barbecue ribs braised foil-wrapped in the oven, then basted with a sweet-savory sauce of brown sugar, dark rum, soy, and Worcestershire. Fall-apart tender pork ribs with a glossy, sticky glaze.

Frijoles de olla are traditional Mexican pot-cooked beans simmered slowly with onion, lard, and epazote. Soupy, soulful, and the foundation of countless Mexican meals from refried beans to soups.

Texas-style beanless chili with cubed pork loin and beef brisket braised in beer, tequila, and triple cumin, thickened with masa harina. Six pounds of meat, no beans, all heat.

Homemade jalapeno pasta made with pureed peppers in the dough, topped with seared sea scallops in a white wine sauce with cilantro, tarragon, and garlic.

Thick meaty spaghetti sauce simmers ground beef, bell pepper, celery, garlic and mushrooms with three forms of tomato. Slow-cooked 2 to 3 hours into a deep, batch-friendly Italian-American gravy.

Hummingbird cake stacks three layers of banana-pineapple-pecan cake under tangy cream cheese frosting. Southern church-supper royalty, no mixer required, just stir and pour. The crumb stays moist for days thanks to fruit and oil.

Twice baked potato casserole gives you all the stuffed-potato flavor with none of the scooping hassle. Russet flesh baked with sour cream, bacon, cubed and grated cheddar, and green onions.

Texas-style beef chili with coarsely ground chuck, beer, Rotel tomatoes, and a bold nine-spice blend. No beans, all meat. Make it in the microwave or slow cooker.

No-bake malt shop pie with vanilla ice cream, crushed Whoppers malted milk balls, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. Four ingredients and zero oven time.

Mashed sweet potatoes with orange juice, marmalade, and fresh ginger, baked under a crumbly oatmeal cookie topping. A sweet, citrusy twist on classic sweet potato casserole.

French cookies are easy rum-and-raisin drop cookies: dark rum-soaked raisins folded into a buttery sugar dough. Crisp edges, soft centers, and a grown-up boozy aroma.

Fresh strawberry glazed pie with whole berries in a baked pastry shell topped with a homemade strawberry glaze and whipped cream. A no-bake filling that showcases peak-season strawberries.

Lower-fat ricotta cheesecake with no crust, no cream cheese, and no sour cream. Light and fluffy with lemon zest and vanilla, topped with fresh strawberries.

Apple juice pot roast braises beef chuck low and slow with caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, and a tangy ketchup-thyme gravy. Old-school Dutch oven Sunday supper that fills the house with sweet-savory aroma.

Classic chocolate cream pie with a deep two-chocolate filling spiked with rum and vanilla, topped with rum-laced whipped cream and grated chocolate. A make-ahead diner classic.

Masterclass frozen raspberry souffle layered with crisp almond meringue discs and Italian meringue mousse with whipped cream, served with raspberry puree. A pastry chef's showpiece.