96 smart recipes

Make this all-bran loaf that has lots of goodness is ideal for breakfast and gives you enough energy to start a new day.

Classic chicken gumbo built on a dark roux with okra, fresh tomatoes, and rice simmered right in the pot. One Dutch oven, pure Cajun comfort from start to bowl.

French apple spice cake with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, chopped walnuts, and raisins. An oil-based one-bowl cake that starts by macerating apples in sugar.

Green beans with fermented black beans and pork: classic Sichuan-style stir-fry with salty-funky fermented black beans, ground pork, garlic, and ginger. Weeknight wok dinner, 15 minutes start to finish.

Boozy bundt cake soaked in an apricot-rum glaze that seeps into every crumb. A showstopper dessert that tastes fancy but starts with a box mix.

White sheet cake topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting and glossy cherry pie filling. A simple, crowd-feeding dessert that starts with a box cake mix.

Red pepper bread machine loaf studded with sweet bell peppers, onion, and parmesan. Dump, press start, and walk away. Italian-inspired flavor with zero kneading required.

Puffy sour cream drop cookies topped with cinnamon sugar before baking. Soft, cakey, and lightly golden around the edges. Simple pantry ingredients, 30 minutes start to finish. Makes 18.

Toasted bread spread with a brown sugar, butter, and flaked coconut topping, then baked into a sticky-sweet breakfast treat. Four ingredients, 20 minutes start to finish.

Old-fashioned chicken chowder starting with a leftover carcass simmered into broth, then thickened with egg yolks and scalded milk and finished with sherry. Thrifty and hearty in every bowl.

Bread machine craisin nut bread with whole wheat flour, walnuts, dried cranberries, and a hint of orange zest. Just load the ingredients, press start, and let the machine do the work.

Bread machine dried fruit bread studded with mixed fruit bits and warm cinnamon. Just load the ingredients, press start, and let the machine do the work. Soft, lightly sweet, and ready with zero effort.

Buttermilk cheese bread for the bread machine with sharp cheddar, buttermilk, and a dual-rise from yeast and baking powder. Load it up, press start, and walk away.

Hot oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon, and sunflower seeds, ready in 15 minutes. A no-sugar-added, diabetic-friendly breakfast topped with milk or yogurt for a wholesome start.

Pressure cooker beef stew with stewing beef, potatoes, peas, carrots, and stewed tomatoes, ready in about 30 minutes start to finish. The slow-Sunday classic in weeknight time.

Bread machine cornmeal Parmesan focaccia with garlic oil, golden cornmeal crumb, and a deep cheesy crust. Hands-off Italian flatbread you can press "start" on and walk away.