10,000 melting recipes

Soft sour cream drop cookies with apricot preserves baked right into the dough. Brush with warm apricot glaze for a fruity shine. Makes 5 dozen in about 30 minutes.

Chocolate pound cake baked in a tube pan with melted unsweetened chocolate and cream of tartar for a tender, tight crumb. A one-bowl, old-fashioned pound cake dressed up in cocoa.

Open-face turkey melt on toasted English muffins with broiled Monterey Jack and a fresh Italian-dressed chopped salad piled on top. A bright, crunchy spin on a leftover-turkey sandwich.

Homemade chocolate peanut butter cups: milk chocolate shells filled with sweet peanut butter centers. Better than store-bought, made in candy cups in 30 minutes.

Irish curd cake: a traditional sieved cottage cheese cheesecake in a shortbread crust with lemon zest and a sugar-butter glaze. Light alternative to heavy American cheesecake.

Low-fat holiday cheesecake with nonfat cream cheese, lemon yogurt, and a graham cracker crust, topped with cherry pie filling and whipped topping.

Gramma's chocolate peanut butter pie layers a creamy peanut butter pudding filling and melted chocolate chips inside a graham cracker crust, then crowns it with toasted meringue.

Peanut butter bon bons: soft, chewy peanut butter cookie balls coated in melted milk chocolate. A chocolate-peanut butter treat that looks fancy but uses simple pantry ingredients.

Poppy seed chicken casserole with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, mushrooms, and a buttery cracker-poppy seed crumble topping. A Southern potluck classic.

Loaded Southwestern corn and cheese chowder with sweet potatoes, bacon, beer, green chiles, and melted Monterey Jack. Thick, creamy, and ready in 45 minutes.

Glossy dark chocolate glaze with melted chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. Pours smooth over cake layers and sets with a mirror-like sheen. Press chopped nuts into the sides for a bakery finish.

Buttery pecan shortbread balls rolled in snowy powdered sugar for these melt-in-your-mouth Mexican wedding cookies. A holiday favorite that's actually simple enough for weeknight baking.

Fudgy homemade brownies made in one saucepan with cocoa powder, no melting chocolate required. A quick, moist, deeply chocolatey bake with optional walnuts for crunch.

Fettuccine tossed with melted goat cheese, roasted red and yellow peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and capers. A Mediterranean pasta ready in 25 minutes.

This ultra-rich chocolate bar poundcake melts milk chocolate into buttermilk batter for a dense, velvety crumb that practically dissolves on your tongue. A showstopper dusted with powdered sugar.

Oat-crusted Mexican chicken breast baked with chili powder and paprika, served with a fresh tomato, green pepper, and lemon relish. A crunchy, spiced chicken dinner with a no-cook salsa topping.