82 smart recipes

Grandma's cabbage casserole: steamed shredded cabbage in a simple egg-and-milk custard with melty cheese and paprika. Old-school church-potluck comfort, six ingredients start to finish.

Russian peasant breakfast skillet with crisp pumpernickel croutons, smoky bacon, kielbasa, sautéed onions, and runny eggs, garnished with fresh dill. A hearty, rustic farmhouse start to the day.

Homemade Scotch broth simmers meaty beef bones with pearl barley, carrots, celery, and turnip into a clear, restorative Highland soup. A frugal, cold-weather classic from start to finish.

Butterflied pork tenderloin marinated in Dijon mustard, barbecue sauce, olive oil, and rosemary, then grilled hot and fast. Just 6 ingredients and under an hour from start to plate.

Buttery spinach and crab meat baked with Parmesan into a warm, bubbling dip that disappears fast at any party. Only 5 ingredients and 30 minutes from start to crackers.

Herbed cheesy popovers with cheddar, thyme, sage, and basil baked in a cold-start oven until puffed and golden. Light, hollow, and crispy with a savory cheese flavor throughout.

Wok-seared lobster tossed in a fiery Szechuan chili sauce with hoisin, ginger, garlic, and dried red chilies. Restaurant-quality stir-fry ready in just 15 minutes from start to plate.

Bohemian liver dumplings made with ground calf's liver, eggs, garlic, and cracker crumbs, boiled in broth. A traditional Czech soup addition with only 5 ingredients and 30 minutes start to finish.

Ricotta gives the frittata creaminess and the moist texture, spinach provides lots of nutrition and mint makes the frittata taste so refreshing. A great breakfast to let your day get started.

Giblet gravy done right starts with a slow-simmered broth of turkey neck, wing tips, and giblets with aromatics, then finished with skimmed pan drippings. The backbone of every classic Thanksgiving plate.

Sybil Carter's homemade barbecue sauce starts with bacon drippings and builds layers of tangy tomato, brown sugar sweetness, mustard bite, and hot pepper heat. Doubles easily and keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Spanish clay pot chicken with ham, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes braised in wine. A rustic Mediterranean one-pot meal cooked from a cold oven start for tender, falling-off-the-bone results.

Red snapper baked en papillote with a creamy green peppercorn pan sauce. A bistro-style fish dinner with tender flaky fillets and a peppery wine cream that takes 30 minutes start to finish.

A fast wok stir-fry with large shrimp, snow peas, and bok choy in a bright lemon-orange sauce thickened with cornstarch. Dinner in 20 minutes, start to finish. Light, fresh, and full of crunch.

A bare-bones homemade sausage base of ground beef and cracked black pepper, stuffed into casings and left to dry. The blank-canvas starting point for building your own Italian, breakfast, or smoky sausage blends.

Start your day with one or two wedges of this cheesy and tasty broccoli frittata with a cup of orange juice or some fresh fruits. It satisfies your taste buds and provides enough nutrients before the lunch hunger hits you.