152 stage recipes

Honey crunch pecan pie: classic pecan pie with a bourbon-laced custard filling topped with caramelized honey-pecan brittle. Two-stage pie that turns Thanksgiving pecan into a showstopper.

Tri-color pasta salad with juicy tomatoes, black olives and zesty Italian dressing, dressed in stages so the noodles soak up flavor as they chill. An easy vegetarian make-ahead side for picnics and potlucks.

Chicken and sausage chili loaded with smoked sausage, tender chicken and a trio of fresh chilies. Tangy tomatillos and a two-stage spice blend give this Dutch oven chili real depth. Top with sour cream and cheese.

New England apple pie with a butter pastry, crumb topping, and heritage apples like Northern Spy or Rhode Island Greening. Cinnamon and lemon zest brighten the filling, and a two-stage bake browns the crust without burning.

Prune fudge made with stewed prunes, prune juice, sugar, lemon juice, and chopped nuts, cooked to soft ball stage and beaten creamy. An old-fashioned, no-chocolate fruit fudge.

Five pound fudge made with chocolate chips, chocolate bars, marshmallow cream, evaporated milk, and pecans. A big-batch holiday candy recipe cooked to the soft ball stage.

Old-fashioned white Christmas fudge loaded with pecans, walnuts, candied cherries, and candied pineapple. Cooked to soft ball stage for a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Hearty ribs and beans bakes country-style pork ribs over Great Northern and kidney beans in a tangy tomato-mustard sauce. A two-stage casserole that feeds six.

Old-fashioned marshmallow fudge with unsweetened chocolate, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla. Cooked to soft ball stage, beaten until thick, then studded with marshmallow pieces.

Creamy microwave fudge made with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and evaporated milk. Cooked to soft-ball stage in the microwave for a smooth, rich homemade candy.

Old-fashioned pineapple cream candy made with real pineapple, brown sugar, marshmallows, and nuts. Cooked to soft ball stage and beaten until creamy for a fruity, fudge-like confection.

No-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chopped peanuts. A stovetop candy-cookie hybrid cooked to soft ball stage then dropped onto waxed paper to set. No oven needed.

Pumpkin pie with a buttery brown sugar pecan streusel that bakes onto the top during the second stage. The cross between pumpkin and pecan pie that solves the holiday choice forever.

This delicate soup, popular 100 years ago, is now unusual. On no account should it be liquidized at any stage, as that ruins the texture

Pat's Shrimp Creole with a two-stage sauce: the first vegetables simmer into the tomato base for 45 minutes then get strained out, and fresh aromatics with brown sugar finish the dish. Serves 8 over rice.

Homemade chocolate caramels with unsweetened chocolate, cream, and brown sugar cooked to firm ball stage. Rich, chewy candy poured over chopped nuts and cut into squares.