666 stale recipes

Baked macaroni and cheese with two kinds of cheddar layered in three stages for deep cheese flavor in every bite. Old-fashioned American comfort casserole serves 8 in 40 minutes.

Buttermilk pecan pralines cooked to soft ball stage for a creamy, melt-on-your-tongue candy loaded with toasted pecan halves. The buttermilk and baking soda create a caramel flavor that plain sugar pralines can't touch.

Old-fashioned chocolate caramels cooked with cream in two stages and studded with walnuts. A chewy, cocoa-rich homemade candy with a deep caramel undertone and a clean, smooth bite.

Hunter's minestrone with cubed beef, kidney beans, pasta shells, and red wine simmered for four hours in three stages. A hearty, meaty Italian soup built for cold weather.

Classic custard pie made with eggs, sugar, scalded milk, and cream, finished with warm nutmeg. A two-stage baking method sets the crust crisp before gently cooking the silky vanilla custard.

Buttery cream cheese pastry cups cradle gooey brown sugar pecan filling in these bite-sized Southern tarts, baked with a two-stage method for extra flaky crusts.

Classic beef stroganoff scaled for one person with tender chuck steak, mushrooms, and a silky sour cream sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, served over noodles or rice.

Old-fashioned chocolate butterscotch fudge cooked to soft ball stage with sweetened condensed milk, crunchy walnuts, and a toffee-like richness you won't find in shortcut recipes.

Homemade chocolate fondant candies made from a sugar syrup cooked to firm-ball stage, kneaded with unsweetened chocolate, then finished with pecans or dipped in white chocolate.

Roasted Cornish hens brushed with olive oil, parsley, and thyme, served with pan-gravy mushrooms, glazed carrots, and Brussels sprouts. A rustic Sunday dinner plate, scaled small.

Old-school Italian focaccia built on a two-stage rise, olive oil, and unbleached flour. A chewy, golden flatbread ready for any topping from rosemary to olives.

Incredibly moist, aromatic and tasty. So easy to make, definitely a keeper!

Master method for cooking duck: first steam to render fat and tenderize, then roast at moderate heat for crisp skin. The two-stage technique pros use for perfectly rendered, crackling-skinned duck.

Vodka witch's brew is a Halloween punch with apple juice, lime, vodka, and lime sherbet floated in club soda. Eerily green, slushy, and easy to scale up for a crowd of 16.

Garlic cheese bread scaled for a crowd: French bread slabs slathered with garlic butter, blanketed in mozzarella, and showered with parmesan, oregano, and parsley. Built for parties, potlucks, and catering.

Crispy skinned red snapper crusted with eight spices including Szechuan peppercorn, star anise, cinnamon, and cumin. Pan-seared then oven-roasted for shatteringly crisp skin.