81 mind recipes

A layered chile relleno casserole with green chilis, two pounds of melted Monterey Jack and cheddar, a creamy sour cream egg custard, and salsa baked on top. Skip the frying. Keep the flavor.

Onion casserole with butter-cooked sliced onions in cream of chicken soup with mushrooms and paprika, topped with buttered croutons and melted cheddar and Parmesan. A fast, savory side dish.

Pollo a la creme with sauteed chicken in sweet cream served inside a baked noodle ring mold with cheese and bechamel. A vintage dinner party showpiece with French technique.

Beef tamale pie with seasoned ground beef, peppers, salsa, and black olives sandwiched between two layers of golden cornbread, topped with melted Colby Jack. A potluck-sized 9x13 crowd-pleaser that serves 12.

Small pieces of steak served over white rice with a side of broccoli.

Baked granola gorp trail mix with chow mein noodles, peanuts, dried apricots, raisins, and chocolate chips. Crunchy, sweet, salty, and totally customizable.

Pork loin fajitas with a sweet-heat sauce of chunky salsa and peach preserves, loaded with seared peppers, onions, cilantro, and a cool sour cream finish.

Savory cilantro corn pancakes loaded with roasted chiles, scallions, and sweet corn kernels. Served with salsa and sour cream for a Southwestern brunch twist.

Loaded trail mix cookies with M&M's, peanut butter, peanuts, raisins, oats, oat bran, and wheat germ. Chewy, crunchy, and packed with something in every bite.

Italian meat sauce mix is a bulk-batch freezer sauce: hot Italian sausage and ground beef slow-simmered for 8 hours with tomato puree, basil, and hidden broccoli and cauliflower florets. Makes 8 pints to stash.

Cheese and chili soup with 10 cloves of garlic, fresh tomatoes, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and salsa stirred in at the end. Thick, cheesy, and loaded with flavor.

This cheesy chicken & mushroom lasagna saves your time and expense with judicious ingredient choices but doesn't skimp on delivering big, bold flavors. It's a perfect example of how a little ingenuity can turn simple ingredients into a gourmet experience.

Twice baked potato casserole gives you all the stuffed-potato flavor with none of the scooping hassle. Russet flesh baked with sour cream, bacon, cubed and grated cheddar, and green onions.

Vegan unstuffed bell pepper soup with brown basmati rice, tomato paste, and loads of diced peppers in a savory tamari broth. All the flavors of stuffed peppers without the stuffing.

Chili primero with smoked bacon, cubed round steak, pickled cactus, jalapenos, and masa harina thickening. Long-simmered Tex-Mex chili packed with deep, layered Southwestern flavor.

Puppy's Breath Chili is a no-bean Texas-style bowl of red built on chunks of sirloin and layers of chili powder and pureed dried chiles. The spices go in staged like a cook-off champ, finished with lime and Tabasco.