Easy

Set out a plate of these sweetly spiced cookies and watch them vanish fast.

I’m sort of a snob when it comes to trying new recipes. I just seem to like my old tried and true ones best, and it takes a lot for something new to grab my attention. I had to have the recipe for this dip after I tried it on Super Bowl Sunday 2006. Garth is a die-hard Steelers fan, so it was an exciting day. Everybody always brings something for the party, and this was my friend Kim’s contribution. Being a good southern girl, I love anything with black-eyed peas in it, but for you folks who are right now turning up your noses at the idea of eating black-eyed peas, all I can say is just try it. In fact, maybe I should name it something else for those skeptics. How about Pea Dippy?

This pasta is a complete revelation. The sauce is magically made from the pasta water and tomatoes as the pasta cooks—all in one pan.

Seven ingredients and one skillet lead the way to home cooking that's as good as anything you'll eat in restaurants.

These bars are as refreshing as an icy glass of lemonade, and perfect for entertaining, potlucks, or picnics.

The classic cheesecake features a nutty base of crushed graham crackers and a rich and fluffy cake.

Zucchini ribbons take the place of pasta in this naturally gluten-free vegetarian casserole.

The best thing about this salad is how it comes together in no time at all. Asian rice noodles generally cook more quickly than wheat noodles and with the addition of the precut coleslaw mix the prep time is very minimal.

Change up your typical pasta casserole with these fun vegetarian lasagna rollups—they’re like individually portioned mini lasagnas. The pasta tends to soak up a lot of the liquid while it cooks, so you’ll want to reserve about a half jar of marinara sauce to add at the end for a properly saucy dish.

Make these gluten-free quinoa and sweet potato "muffins" ahead for a quick breakfast or energizing mid-day snack.

Move over boxed mac and cheese; this version is just as simple and a whole lot tastier.

My Tater Tot hotdish has the body of a chicken pot pie, a dish that I loved growing up, long before I knew the existence of Tater Tot hotdish. But a close examination reveals that the only real differences are the subbing of chicken for ground beef and the use of a homemade cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom soup. I don’t think this will offend a hotdish purist.

Knowing you have a bubbling hot breakfast waiting for you on a chilly morning makes getting out of bed so much easier.

Use butternut squash two ways in this autumnal dinner: shaved into a Southeast Asian–inspired salad and roasted with pork until caramelized and tender.

Rasam, as prepared in most homes in Southern India, uses either tamarind or tomatoes as the base. It is a piquant broth poured over steaming hot rice. In our home—both in Kerala and America—rasam was a staple part of everyday meals. One night when I was a teenager, I was out to dinner with my brother Tom in New York City’s Little Italy and ate mussels cooked in a light tomato broth very reminiscent of rasam. I couldn’t wait to get home, buy fresh mussels, and cook them in rasam. This dish has made its rounds in my kitchens for close to three decades now. Make sure to have some fresh crusty bread to soak up the tomato-mussel broth.

The flavors of apples dipped in peanut butter, all cozied up inside a flaky puff pastry crust. Sold!

Kohlrabi has a muted flavor and crunchy texture similar to a broccoli stem, which is something to keep in mind for this pickles recipe.

Add ready-peeled shrimp to tomato sauce spiked with fennel and chiles for a fast and flavorful weeknight dinner.

Elevating the humble onion: Roasting them in their skins retains their natural sugars, and they get meltingly soft without disintegrating.

This roasted butternut squash recipe is perfect for a dinner party—serving on a large platter encourages second helpings and all the half portions, tastes, and just-one-more bites that follow.