Meats recipes

Homemade canned fruit cocktail with fresh peaches, pears, seedless grapes, and maraschino cherries in sugar syrup. A from-scratch preserving recipe that beats store-bought.

From-scratch tuna mushroom casserole with Swiss cheese, green beans, dill, and buttered bread crumb topping. No canned soup needed. Homemade comfort food that beats the shortcut version every time.

Homemade chocolate sauce with semi-sweet chocolate, butter, sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Glossy, pourable, and shelf-stable for 6 months in the fridge. The make-ahead dessert sauce that beats every jarred version.

Soft homemade yeast buns with a tender crumb, shaped and baked fresh for burgers, pulled pork, or any barbecue sandwich. Two rises and a quick knead give you 20 golden buns that beat anything from the store.

Homemade whipped cream beats heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla into pillowy soft peaks. Three ingredients, ready in 5 minutes, no canned topping required.

Homemade cocoa mocha: steamed milk with cocoa powder, instant coffee, sugar, and vanilla. A simple stovetop mocha that beats the coffee-shop version for pennies.

Chocolate snickerdoodles rolled in a cocoa-cinnamon-sugar coating. Chewy oat cookies with a crackly crust and deep chocolate flavor that beats the classic version.

Two-ingredient cranberry relish made with fresh cranberries and sugar. The simplest stovetop cranberry sauce that beats canned every time, ready in under 15 minutes for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Coconut brownies: chewy chocolate brownies loaded with flaked coconut in the batter and crowned with chocolate chips and walnuts. The fudgy chocolate-coconut bar that beats any candy.

Fusilli pasta tossed with a no-cook creamy tuna sauce of cream cheese, Parmesan, half-and-half, and chives. A 20-minute pantry dinner that beats anything from a jar.

Moist prune cake made with baby food prunes, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A one-bowl spiced cake that beats everything for 3 minutes and bakes hands-off.

Marbled chocolate truffles swirl white and dark chocolate ganaches with orange liqueur, then roll into powdered-sugar-dusted balls. An elegant homemade gift that beats any boxed assortment.

Herbed whole wheat bread crumbs use up stale bread with basil, thyme, chervil, garlic, and shallot. A pantry-saver that beats every store-bought crumb on flavor, freezer-friendly for months.

No-cook freezer jam combining sweet strawberries and ripe bananas with fruit pectin and sugar. Just stir, jar, and chill. Bright fresh fruit flavor that beats anything store-bought.

Jack's barbecue pintos: dried pinto beans slow-simmered until tender, then finished with sauteed bacon, onions, garlic, and green chilies. Smoky, hearty cookout side that beats anything from a can.

Gazpacho relish for hot dogs: chopped tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, and garlic in a sweet-tangy red wine vinaigrette. Cookout topping that beats anything from a jar.