940 meet recipes

Make-ahead crab and Swiss cheese strata layered with buttered bread, Dijon mustard, and egg custard. Assemble the night before, bake until puffed and golden for an effortless brunch.

Slow cooker buffalo stew with carrots, celery, tomatoes, and a hint of ground cloves. Low-fat, high-protein bison simmers for 12 hours into a rich, fork-tender one-pot meal.

Navy bean borscht with beef, bacon, kielbasa, beets, cabbage, and potatoes in a sweet-sour broth. A hearty Polish-style beet soup thickened with a butter-flour paste and topped with sour cream.

Crab or tuna cakes bind crumbled crackers, red pepper, parsley, and herbs into golden oven-baked seafood patties. A lighter, no-fry baked-not-fried version of the classic.

Louisiana alligator with boudin cream sauce: flour-dusted alligator medallions flash-sauteed and plated on cornmeal cakes under a bourbon-flamed boudin sausage cream sauce. Authentic Cajun fine dining.

Filipino pancit, a stir-fried noodle dish with rice sticks, shredded cabbage, carrots, and your choice of pork, chicken, or shrimp. Bright with soy sauce and a finishing squeeze of lemon.

Molded crab dip with cream cheese, cream of celery soup, scallions, and gelatin for a sliceable appetizer. Vintage party fare made for crackers.

Warm crab dip with white wine, prepared mustard, and grated onion, gently heated and served with crackers. A full pound of crab makes this a generous party appetizer.

Maryland crab cakes with a pound and a half of lump crab, oil-soaked bread, and whipped egg whites for lightness. Pan-fried in butter until golden on both sides.

Crab and sharp cheddar spread on English muffins, freeze-ahead appetizer wedges that broil from frozen in 10 minutes for game day

Butterflied shrimp topped with a buttery crab, scallion, and hot-sauce stuffing, microwaved fast for an easy two-person seafood dinner. Ready in 30 minutes flat.

Chili with beans built the old-school way: overnight soaked pintos, three kinds of meat, and a slow simmer that coaxes out real depth. Cumin, cayenne, and jalapeños do the talking.

Twice-baked crab stuffed potatoes with sauteed mushrooms, dry vermouth, Gruyere cheese, sour cream, and yogurt. A rich, restaurant-quality seafood potato that works as a main dish or impressive side.

Cold crabmeat mousse with cream cheese, celery, and Worcestershire set in a gelatin mold. A creamy retro appetizer spread that pairs beautifully with club crackers.

Mom's creamy chicken gravy with celery, green pepper, and pimentos ladled over warm buttermilk biscuits. Old-school comfort food ready in 20 minutes.

Lentejas en Adobo: Mexican lentils with pork, ancho chilies, sweet plantain, and pineapple. A traditional sweet-savory Oaxacan adobo stew with deep fruit and spice.