Recipe Sifter

Carmelita bars layer a buttery oatmeal-brown sugar crust with melted caramel, chocolate chips, and pecans, then top with more oat crumble. Classic bake-sale and potluck cookie bar.

Creamy cottage cheesecake made with full-fat cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs on a graham cracker crust. The lighter, tangier alternative to classic cheesecake.

Tender rum-soaked bundt cake made with vanilla pudding mix and toasted walnuts. The rum-butter glaze seeps into every crevice for boozy, buttery bliss at potlucks.

Frozen Kahlua bundt cake with cocoa, coffee, and a Kahlua glaze poured over the warm cake before freezing. Whipped cream icing finishes a make-ahead dinner party showstopper.

Fruity chews are homemade fruit gummies made with just 2 ingredients: fruit juice and unflavored gelatin. A healthy, low-fat, sugar-free alternative to store-bought gummy snacks.

Georgia pecan biscotti with toasted pecans and orange zest, twice-baked until shatteringly crisp. A Southern twist on the Italian classic, perfect for dunking.

Kouloures is a traditional Greek Easter bread, sweet yeast loaves brushed with egg yolk, scattered with sesame seeds, and crowned with red-dyed eggs symbolizing the resurrection.

Maple glazed ham for the smoker: a 7-pound cooked ham basted in spiced maple syrup, studded with cloves, and smoked slow with pineapple and cherries for a holiday showstopper.

Marinated fresh mushrooms in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, and tarragon. A make-ahead appetizer that improves over 1-2 days in the fridge.

Cincinnati-style chili with ground beef, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, and tomato paste simmered 2 to 4 hours, served over vermicelli with cheddar and raw onion.

Mushroom strata with layered bread, sauteed mushrooms, peppers, and a cream-of-mushroom-cheese top. Make-ahead brunch casserole that bakes up tender, savory, and sliceable.

Old-fashioned hearth bread made with honey, wheat germ, and dry milk, kneaded in a food processor and baked into a rustic round loaf. Simple yeast bread with a golden, hollow-sounding crust.

Paprika beef roll stuffs pounded round steak with mushrooms, onions, pimiento, bread crumbs, and stuffed olives, then roasts in red wine for two hours.

Ranch-style lima beans baked low and slow with tomatoes, bacon, onion, and brown sugar. Hearty Southwest cowboy side dish with smoky-sweet depth from a three-hour bake.

Raspberry cranberry mousse: silky pink dessert with pureed raspberries, cranberry concentrate, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites. Light, tart, and ready for the holidays.

Ricotta cheese pound cake made with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, brown sugar, lemon zest, and nutmeg. The pureed ricotta creates an incredibly moist, dense crumb.