36 topper recipes

Pickled hard boiled eggs made by reusing leftover pickle juice. Two-ingredient bar snack and salad topper that turns the dregs of the pickle jar into something useful.

Pickled cherries with stems on, packed in apple cider vinegar brine sweetened with brown sugar. A cocktail garnish, charcuterie board star, and salad topper that keeps for months.

Homemade golden peach butter with cinnamon, cloves, and lemon zest. Slow-simmered from ripe peaches and water bath canned for pantry storage. A beautiful holiday gift or toast topper.

Cranberry maple syrup simmers fresh cranberries with pure maple syrup and apple juice into a ruby-red pancake topper. Three ingredients, perfect holiday breakfast pour.

Creamy cucumber dressing with nonfat yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and white pepper. Light, tangy, and cool. A falafel-friendly dressing that doubles as a fresh salad topper.

Marinated mushrooms from Mollie Katzen: briefly simmered button mushrooms soaked in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and thyme. A make-ahead vegetarian antipasto or salad topper.

Calcutta pasta sauce blends Indian spices with the Italian tomato sauce concept: cumin, garam masala, ginger, jalapeno, and yogurt for an exotic East-meets-West pasta topper. Curry-style sauce.

Homemade croutons and croutes from French or Italian bread, tossed in extra-virgin olive oil and baked until golden and crisp. Two essential bread toppers, one simple method.

Sugared pecans in a buttery brown sugar glaze made on the stovetop in 5 minutes with just 3 ingredients. A quick snack, salad topper, or holiday gift idea.

Turmeric oyster crackers are a microwave snack mix flavored with garlic, dill, and chicken bouillon. A golden, savory twist on seasoned crackers for parties, salads, and soup toppers.

Dressed-up French dressing with mashed avocado, blue cheese, hard-boiled egg yolk and a hit of soy sauce. Quick creamy salad topper for steak or wedge salads.

Giardiniera, the classic Italian pickled vegetable jar packed with carrots, celery, bell peppers, cauliflower, and pearl onions in a sweet-spiced vinegar brine. Sandwich topper, antipasto staple, condiment for everything.

Canned chili meets melted cheddar cheese spread and sour cream in this dead-simple rice topper. Five ingredients, one pot, and dinner is handled. The ultimate lazy night comfort meal.

Vegan whole wheat biscuit crust made with pastry flour, soy milk, and a touch of honey or maple syrup. Use as a pot pie topper or rolled-out base for fruit cobblers.

Raspberry cream cheese snowflake pie with a cut-out pastry topper dusted in powdered sugar, layered over a sweetened condensed milk and raspberry filling. A show-stopping holiday pie that looks like winter in dessert form.

Sweet and sour carrot salad: tender carrot coins, onion, and green pepper marinated in a tangy-sweet tomato dressing. The make-ahead 'copper pennies' salad that only gets better as it sits.