123 secret recipes

Cajun barbecue compound butter with cayenne, fresh garlic, Worcestershire, and a trio of dried herbs whipped into softened unsalted butter. The grilling secret weapon that turns plain steaks and corn into something memorable.

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.

Helen's Cheesecake with a ground pecan and graham cracker crust, a lemon-kissed cream cheese filling, and a sour cream topping baked right on. Refrigerate 24 to 72 hours - patience is the secret ingredient.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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