1,435 topping recipes

Five-spice chicken thighs in a soy, sherry, ginger, and brown sugar sauce, cooked in the microwave in 30 minutes. The pan juices thicken into a glossy sauce spooned right over the top.

Corn tortillas fried crispy flat, spread with refried beans, loaded with sharp cheddar, and broiled until bubbly. Topped with cool shredded lettuce and fresh tomato for the real-deal Tex-Mex chalupa experience.

Pounded-thin veal scallops seared golden in minutes, then topped with wilted spinach, briny capers, and a bright lemon pan sauce. Just 6 ingredients and 45 minutes for an elegant Italian weeknight dinner.

Mixed greens tossed in a honey mint vinaigrette with poppy seeds, topped with sliced carrots and toasted sesame seeds. The dressing recipe makes a double batch so you can refrigerate half for later.

Sole fillets stuffed with crab meat, sauteed mushrooms, capers, and dill, poached in white wine and topped with a rich egg-cream sauce. An elegant rolled fish dish with a French-inspired finish.

Beef tamale pie with seasoned ground beef, peppers, salsa, and black olives sandwiched between two layers of golden cornbread, topped with melted Colby Jack. A potluck-sized 9x13 crowd-pleaser that serves 12.

Kaesmus or Rallenmus (German cheese mush): a rustic Swabian dish of tiny flour-and-egg crumbs simmered in milk with cheese and topped with browned onions in clarified butter. Ready in 30 minutes.

Classic green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup, milk, a splash of soy sauce, and crispy French fried onions baked on top. The Thanksgiving side dish that earns its spot every year.

Snack pizzas made on flaky refrigerated biscuits, topped with oregano-spiked tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, and sharp cheddar. Ten mini pizzas in 8 minutes flat, perfect for game day or after-school bites.

Master Coney sauce: the classic Detroit-style hot dog topping with ground beef, tomato, and a warm spice list of cinnamon, allspice, clove, cumin, chili powder, and mint. Simmered low for three hours.

Pomegranate and blood orange mimosas mix tart blood orange juice with ruby pomegranate, then top each flute with chilled sparkling wine. A jewel-toned New Year's Eve toast that takes minutes to pour.

Chunky beef posole chili built on tender chunks of browned beef shoulder with jalapeno, cumin, and tomatoes, thickened with grits for a corn-rich body. Topped with cilantro, scallions, sour cream, and tortilla.

Shucked oysters topped with fermented black beans and a savory sauce of soy, sesame oil, vinegar, and chicken broth, steamed for just 2 to 3 minutes. An elegant Chinese appetizer that's quick and impressive.

Two-cheese meatloaf with Parmesan mixed into the meat and Monterey Jack melted over the top until bubbly. Green olives and tarragon give this loaf a bold, briny twist you won't find in a standard recipe.

Steaks Esterhazy is a Hungarian-style dinner of broiled sirloin or T-bone topped with a creamy paprika sauce of mushrooms, sour cream, and Worcestershire. A 35-minute weeknight take on a classic recipe.

My family has been making this for years. It's always a hit.