Meet/9 recipes

Veal chops in spicy sauce: braised with cumin, saffron, coriander, and cayenne, then finished with a cool cucumber-yogurt spoon sauce. Warm spice meets bright tang in one Dutch oven.

Shepherd's pie meets chili night! Ground chicken breast simmered with crushed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, topped with whipped potatoes and baked until golden. A Tex-Mex twist on a classic.

Grilled chicken and pineapple kabobs brushed with soy sauce, served with a curried orange marmalade yogurt dip. A tropical-meets-Indian skewer dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Homemade pineapple upside-down cake from scratch with butter, mace-spiced vanilla batter, and caramelized crushed pineapple topping. Tender crumb meets sticky-sweet fruit in every bite.

Sauteed smallmouth bass meunier dredged in cornmeal and flour, pan-fried in butter, and finished with a vinegar pan sauce. A classic French-meets-camp fish preparation.

Pan-seared peppered swordfish with a fresh orange, red onion, and cilantro salsa. Bold black pepper crust meets bright citrus salsa in a 30-minute light dinner.

Cheesy grits Florentine with creamy spinach, sharp cheddar, sour cream, and crumbled bacon. A Southern-meets-Italian side dish with nutmeg-warmed greens folded through quick grits.

Lean ground beef meets spicy Italian sausage in a bubbling tomato-herb sauce topped with creamy Parmesan mashed potatoes for a hearty twist on classic shepherd's pie.

Market salad with Parmesan brittle: arugula, radicchio, and romaine tossed in Dijon-garlic vinaigrette, topped with buttery Parmesan-paprika shortbread strips. Bitter greens meet rich, savory crunch.

Tender duck breast meets creamy avocado and bright orange segments in this elegant no-cook salad. Topped with toasted pecans and citrus mayo, it's a showstopper appetizer.

Sloppy joe meets three-bean chili, stuffed into pita pockets with melted cheddar. Ground beef simmered with tomatoes, herbs, and brown sugar for a thick, scoopable filling.

Mac and cheese meets soufflé in this puffy baked dish studded with sliced franks. Dijon mustard and sharp cheddar give it grown-up flavor kids still love.

Warm fajita rice salad with lime-marinated sirloin, corn, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and a zesty picante dressing. Tex-Mex meets rice bowl in one bold platter.

Beef tournedos seared, crusted with Parmesan-laced fresh corn, then finished in the oven with a roasted corn and tomato pan sauce. A summer-meets-steakhouse plate.

Tostada waffles: cornmeal waffles topped with taco meat, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and olives. A Tex-Mex dinner-meets-breakfast mashup built for the waffle iron.

Corned beef simmered with garlic, cloves, and dried chilies, then glazed with bitter orange marmalade and roasted. Sweet heat meets briny, fork-tender beef in every slice.