128 secret recipes

Ultra-moist chocolate zucchini cake with shredded zucchini hidden in a cocoa batter loaded with chocolate chips and walnuts. The sneakiest way to use up summer zucchini, and nobody will guess the secret ingredient.

Hearty beef chuck chili simmered low for hours with kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, chili powder and a secret hit of cornmeal for body. A Southern-style bowl that warms you from the inside out.

Super easy pizza crust upgrades a boxed pizza mix with a secret handful of cornmeal kneaded in, for a crisp, golden, slightly crunchy crust. Roll it thin, oil it, and top it your way.

Vegetable pasta sauce loaded with zucchini, mushrooms, carrot and a secret of blended chickpeas that add body and protein to a red-wine tomato base. A hearty, vegan sauce that eats like a meaty ragu.

Hearty no-bean beef chili built on 3 pounds of stewing beef, half a cup of chili powder, masa harina for body, and a secret weapon: a dash of Peychaud's bitters and nutmeg at the finish.

Carter family coleslaw shreds fresh green cabbage, crisp apples, celery, and carrots, then dresses them with mayo and celery seed. The salt-water soak is the secret. Old-school Southern fish-fry slaw with a little Appalachian wisdom.

This French toast batter has a secret weapon: flour and baking powder mixed in with the eggs, milk, and cinnamon. The result? Thick, fluffy slices with a crispy golden crust that regular French toast just can't match.

This old-fashioned yellow squash pie sneaks garden-fresh squash into a sweet custard filling with coconut and lemon. A Southern secret that turns summer squash into the most unexpected dessert your family will ever fight over.

Light, tender fruit muffins made with egg substitute and low-fat milk. A versatile base recipe that works with blueberries, cranberries, or any fruit you have on hand. Gentle mixing is the secret to a fluffy crumb.

Game day chili loaded with beef, tomatoes, green chilies, and a secret ingredient: beer for deep, malty richness. Low-and-slow simmering for 3 hours builds layers of smoky, spicy flavor that'll have everyone coming back for seconds.

Cumulonimbus chocolate cake hides a secret ingredient: sauerkraut. Drained, snipped, and folded into a cocoa-and-coffee batter, it disappears completely and leaves behind a moist, fluffy chocolate cake. Frosted with a two-ingredient chocolate sour cream icing.

Gourmet chili: a deeply spiced, meaty beef chili with a secret spoonful of unsweetened cocoa for mole-like richness, plus cumin, paprika, cayenne and green chilies. Beans simmer separately so you can keep them in or on the side.

These delicate crackers never fail to attract a crowd. Fresh lemon zest is the secret to their popularity. Perfect party fare or dessert crackers, these treats are not too sweet, and they go well with a fresh pot of tea in the afternoon.

DASHI STOCK is Japanese clear soup stock. There are four types made from kelp, dried bonito, shitake mushroom, or dried fish. Dashi stock is the secret of Japanese cooking. To keep this strictly vegetarian, I omit the dried bonito flakes and substitute with soy bean sprouts and or mushrooms.

The secret to tender baked beans is to leave the salt out until they are finished cooking. For some reason, salt toughens them. To pamper your tummy, rinse off the beans when they are finished soaking in several changes of cold water. This recipe is easy to prepare ahead and cooks in only two hours.

McCall's legendary No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake, straight from their iconic Cooking School recipe card No. 23!