366 meet recipes

Hot borscht inspired by the Russian Tea Room with shredded beets, cabbage, parsnip, and fresh dill. A classic Eastern European beet soup simmered in vegetable stock.

Each person then mixes his own ingredients at the table. This may be served as a first course, as part of a smorgosbord, or as a late-supper snack with beer.

Vietnamese spring rolls (cha gio): crisp rice-paper rolls stuffed with ground pork, crab, glass noodles, garlic, and shallots, fried to a deep golden crunch. The crackly fried appetizer everyone fights over.

Homemade red horseradish (chrain): freshly ground horseradish root tinted ruby with beets, sharpened with lemon juice. The classic Passover condiment for brisket, gefilte fish, or matzo.

Meat and potato squares layer a savory meatloaf base under fluffy mashed potatoes and melted cheddar, then cut into tidy squares. Like a sliceable shepherd's pie for an easy family dinner.

Pressed sandwich: hollowed French bread stuffed with sliced meat, crisp bacon, melted brie, and caramelized onions, then pressed golden in a skillet. Panini-style meat lover's sandwich without a press.

Two-ingredient crab roll with backfin crab meat and cream cheese, shaped into a log and served with crackers. A no-cook elegant appetizer for parties.

Homemade vegetable juice cocktail with carrots, beets, radishes, watercress, and scallions blended and strained. A fresh, earthy alternative to store-bought V8.

Panjaria Salata, the classic Greek beetroot salad: whole beets boiled with tops intact, then sliced and served with Skorthalia garlic sauce or an olive oil, vinegar, and coriander dressing.

Crab and cream cheese log seasoned to taste with sherry, mustard, or Worcestershire and rolled in fresh parsley. A two-ingredient appetizer that comes together in 15 minutes and looks impressive on any cocktail tray.

Quiche with a saltine cracker crust skips the rolling pin entirely. Filled with crab or ham, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and a light sour cream custard. The buttery cracker crust is crisp on the bottom and tops the quiche too.

Broiled venison steaks seasoned with black pepper and meat tenderizer, then cooked fast under high heat. Simple preparation that keeps wild game tender and juicy.

Warm baked crab and cream cheese dip with a bite of horseradish, topped with toasted slivered almonds. Scoop onto crackers for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer in 40 minutes.

A Southern-style cornbread stuffing with browned sausage meat, onions, celery, and parsley. Sized to fill a 12-pound turkey, this Dixie Belle dressing comes together in just 30 minutes.

Simple lobster spread with chopped lobster meat, mayonnaise, scallions, and black pepper. A four-ingredient appetizer that chills for two hours and serves with crackers.

Hot crab meat canapes on crackers with lemon-cayenne mayo, warmed in the microwave until bubbly. A quick, elegant appetizer ready in 15 minutes.