162 melt recipes

Crab or lobster tossed with linguine in a garlicky cream sauce with fresh tomato, Swiss cheese, and Parmesan. A luxurious weeknight pasta ready in just 25 minutes.

Sweet and sour turkey meatballs: lean turkey meatballs spiced with Chinese five-spice, simmered in a homemade sweet-and-sour sauce with pineapple, peppers, carrots and bean sprouts. A lighter take on the takeaway favorite.

Pan-fried crab cakes with scallions, celery, and lemon, coated in garlicky breadcrumbs and served with homemade dill mayonnaise made from scratch in the blender.

Crabmeat supreme casserole with two pounds of crab in a buttery sherry cream sauce with mushrooms, pimentos, and a cracker crumb topping. An elegant make-ahead dish.

Alaskan-inspired bouillabaisse loaded with halibut, clams in the shell, shrimp, and crab in a garlicky tomato-wine broth seasoned with thyme, marjoram, and hot sauce.

Lobster gazpacho with chilled lobster meat, avocado, artichoke hearts, cucumber, and jalapeno in a balsamic-citrus broth. A luxurious cold soup for summer.

The legendary Dagwood Bumstead sandwich: a towering, impossible stack of ham, bacon, meatloaf, sausage, lobster, sardines, fried egg, cold spaghetti, and everything else in the fridge.

Black-eyed peas simmered in ham hock broth, tossed with sweet crabmeat, crispy bacon, tri-color bell peppers, and fresh herbs, then ringed with juicy ruby grapefruit sections. Southern elegance on a platter.

Oyster pie Picayune style with fresh oysters, crab meat, mushrooms, bacon, and shallots in a creamy sauce baked in a double-crust pie. A classic New Orleans Creole seafood pie.

Cajun seafood gumbo with shrimp, lump crab, ham, and okra built on a dark cocoa-colored roux. Finished with file powder for authentic Louisiana flavor and body.

Black-eyed pea and crab salad with bacon, roasted peppers, and fresh herbs in a bright vinaigrette. A Stephan Pyles-style Southwestern recipe served on gorditas or crisp tortillas.

Sesame crab hash cakes: crab and red potato bound with egg, brightened with lime and cilantro, broiled golden, served over black bean sauce. A lighter, Asian-leaning take on the crab cake.

Restaurant-style meatloaf with beef and sausage baked in a water bath for a silky, custard-like texture. Seasoned with cumin, nutmeg, three peppers, and sauteed vegetables throughout.

A southern living take on stuffed peppers. Crab, crawfish and smoked sausage stuffing.

Cantonese-style fried rice loaded with shrimp, char siu pork, chicken, peas, and eggs. Seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and optional shrimp paste for serious wok flavor.

Oven-braised lamb stew with flageolet beans, elbow macaroni, fresh oregano, and Roma tomatoes. Browned lamb simmers in stock for 1 1/2 hours, then the pasta cooks right in the pot.