162 melt recipes

Crab casserole Florentine with layers of buttery spinach, cream of mushroom, and a Swiss cheese béchamel folded with sweet crab meat and crunchy water chestnuts.

Old-fashioned sausage and apple stuffing with walnuts, sage, thyme, and toasted bread cubes. A classic Thanksgiving turkey stuffing with McIntosh apples and pork sausage.

Maryland crab soup loaded with sweet lump crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, potatoes, corn, green beans, and carrots in a beef and tomato broth. The classic Chesapeake Bay vegetable soup.

Portuguese sauce blends ketchup, chili sauce, tomato juice, pickles, capers, olives, and Tabasco into a tangy zesty cocktail-style sauce. Five minutes in a blender, ready to spoon over shrimp, steak, or burgers.

Cold green vegetable soup with poached fish. Source: Olga Gorechev, St. Petersburg, Russia

Reptile pot pie poaches alligator, snake, or iguana meat in a Thai-Indian curry sauce of coconut milk, fish sauce, turmeric, and coriander. Served over baby vegetables with fresh cilantro. Bold, unexpected, and surprisingly approachable.

Linguine with crab and mushrooms in a light white wine sauce with chicken broth, turmeric, tomato paste, and fresh tarragon. A quick seafood pasta for two that's ready in 40 minutes.

Fiesta turkey with cream sauce: leftover cooked turkey simmered with mixed vegetables in a cumin-scented sour cream sauce. Weeknight dinner from Thanksgiving leftovers.

Crab and mushroom stuffing for flounder with scallions, bread crumbs, lemon juice, and butter. Baked at high heat and served with Mornay sauce.

Classic Philadelphia snapper soup made with snapping turtle meat, veal knuckles, dry sherry, and tomatoes. A rich, old-school Pennsylvania tradition simmered for hours.

Perogie puffs are deep-fried dumplings with cottage cheese dough stuffed with mashed potato, cheddar cheese spread, and optional bacon. A crispy Prairie twist on traditional pierogies.

Crab gumbo simmered with okra, tomatoes, and Cajun seasonings served over rice. A rich, tomato-based Louisiana-style seafood stew loaded with sweet crab meat.

Golden pan-fried lump crab cakes with chives and Dijon, served with a vibrant blanched basil mayonnaise. Triple-breaded for a shattering crisp crust outside, sweet crab inside.

Quick stir-fried crab with crisp snow peas, water chestnuts, garlic, and white wine over rice. A light, fresh Asian-inspired seafood dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Blanched cauliflower and cabbage tossed in a warm sweet-and-sour sauce with pineapple, water chestnuts, soy, malt vinegar, and sherry. A crunchy Asian-inspired side salad served cool.

New Orleans-style spinach and crabmeat casserole with shrimp, artichoke hearts, sour cream, Parmesan, Tabasco, and Worcestershire. Rich Cajun-Creole comfort food.