Sausage

In Turkish cookery there's a distinctive group of dishes known as güveç, which take their name from the earthenware pot in which they are cooked—in the same way that the tagine does in Morocco. In rural Anatolia the cooking pots may be sealed and buried in the ashes of a fire to cook slowly overnight—or, only slightly less romantically, in the local baker's oven. If you don't have a clay pot, a heavy-based cast-iron casserole dish will serve almost as well. Güveç dishes encompass all sorts of meat or poultry cooked with legumes, vegetables and fruits. My addition of star anise is not remotely Turkish, but it adds a wonderful layer of aniseed flavor. This güveç is spicy with a lingering sweetness, so serve it with a light salad or braised wild greens. A dollop of yogurt would also be delicious. Sucuk is a spicy Turkish sausage and can be found in Turkish or Middle Eastern butchers and some specialist delis.

Add broth 1/4 cup at a time, stirring, to avoid sogginess.

Chalupa is the Spanish word for "boat" and refers to the shape of the fried tortilla dough that serves as the base for these appetizers. In this version, the dough is baked in mini muffin cups and filled with chorizo, avocado, and salsa.

This simple dish has a quiche-like filling and baguette slices for a crust.

The clams and sausage make a warm and comforting one-pot meal. Toss with cooked linguine, or just serve with toasted pain rustique.

What started as an arepa recipe evolved into a play on traditional American corn-bread stuffing. Chorizo takes the place of fresh sausage, and garlic adds punch to a buttery base. Imagine all of the classic textures with Latino flavors—it’s that good.

Instead of traditional baked pasta, we broiled mozzarella-topped penne and sausage to get that bubbly melted cheese everyone loves, minus a lot of oven time.

Chef Christian Constant's unforgettable potatoes stuffed with pigs' trotters at Les Cocottes, in Paris, inspired this homey but adventurous take on an American favorite: the stuffed baked potato. We used breakfast sausage and a savory glaze that does double duty as a salad dressing.

The richness of the sausage is a great match for bright, fresh fennel and sweet squash.

If possible, use flat no-cook lasagna noodles: They look and taste more like homemade than the curly kind.

The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted with permission from Gameday Gourmet by Pableaux Johnson. This Midwestern classic is a staple at any summertime outing, but is particularly associated with tailgates at schools like the University of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. A mild sausage made mostly of veal and pork, bratwurst crisps nicely but can dry out quickly if overcooked. A post-grilling beer bath serves to add some aromatic flavors, much-needed moisture, and additional cook time.

A bit of Spanish chorizo goes a long way, lending another dimension to a skillet full of mouthwatering clams and potatoes.

Nuggets of sausage give a little meatball action to this hearty, no-fuss soup chock-full of healthy escarole and lentils.

Chunks of chorizo balance the sweetness of spring onions, beans, and peas. A Sherry vinaigrette lends a slight Iberian edge.

Because it's cooked only briefly, the tomato sauce is incredibly fresh-tasting and not too heavy. Serve with thick slices of garlic bread.

This is a great excuse to get outside and grill—and an even better excuse to have smoky kielbasa for dinner. A vinegary potato salad adds a welcome note of acidity while making this a meal in itself.

This classic meat sauce gets some oomph from peppery arugula. A real crowd-pleaser.

For a complete diner-style meal, serve this indulgent main with sautéed green beans and buttermilk biscuits.