10,000 sweet recipes

Crab and avocado salad: sweet crab meat tossed in a zesty picante-mayo dressing with green olives, piled into ripe avocado halves. A no-cook, 20-minute Tex-Mex lunch or appetizer that looks far fancier than it is.

Roasted cranberry chicken, seared then oven-roasted chicken breasts served with a tangy-sweet homemade cranberry sauce simmered with thyme and brown sugar. An easy, elegant fall and holiday dinner.

Grecian green beans braised low and slow in olive oil with onion, garlic, oregano, and vinegar until meltingly soft. A vegan Greek-style side with a splash of cola for sweet, caramel depth.

Moggy is a traditional Manx and Lancashire sweet bread loaf made with flour, lard, and golden syrup. Crumbly, dense, and faintly molasses-like. Sliced and buttered thick the way the British Isles have done it for centuries.

Ham and corn custard: a Depression-era egg custard baked with diced ham, sweet corn, and sauteed onions. A tender, savory supper that turns leftover ham into something special.

BBQ hot dogs simmered in a quick homemade sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and sauteed onion, then baked until sticky and caramelized. A fast, sweet-and-tangy spin on the humble hot dog.

Pasta and peas tosses ditalini macaroni with sweet peas, sauteed mushrooms, and a quick tomato juice sauce. Melted fontina cheese pulls it all together for a 30-minute Italian weeknight dinner for two.

Grilled spareribs with homemade Creole mustard sauce, a cumin-cayenne dry rub, and a sticky honey glaze. Three layers of Cajun-style flavor build bark, bite, and a sweet-spicy caramelized finish.

Southern-style coleslaw with creamy buttermilk dressing, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and celery seed. A tangy, sweet, and crunchy cabbage slaw that gets better after chilling for 2 hours.

Spiced pumpkin muffin cakes studded with raisins or dried apricots and finished with a sweet powdered sugar drizzle. Warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest in every bite. Makes 20.

Chicken with cashew nuts in a hoisin and sherry sauce with mushrooms and water chestnuts, served over ramen noodles. A quick Asian-style stir-fry with a glossy, savory-sweet sauce and crunchy cashews added at the last second.

Slightly potted cocktail franks simmer in a bourbon-spiked sweet-and-tangy sauce of chili sauce, brown sugar and Dijon. A retro chafing-dish party appetizer that disappears off the toothpicks fast.

Silky strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream made with real strawberry puree, whipped egg whites, and butter. Light, not too sweet, and naturally pink without a drop of food coloring. Pipes beautifully on cake or cupcakes.

Traditional British coconut ice with a white and pink layered look. Just sugar, water, desiccated coconut, and vanilla cooked to soft-ball stage and pressed into squares. A classic Christmas sweet that's dead simple to make.

Pinto bean, pecan, and coconut pie: mashed pinto beans bake into a silky custard that tastes like pecan pie, with toasted pecans and sweet coconut throughout. A thrifty Southern classic.

Cumin black bean soup with smoked ham, sweet red pepper, and toasted garlic. Ready in 40 minutes from pantry cans, finished with sour cream and pickled jalapeños for a smoky, spicy weeknight bowl.