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Simple Cooking

Chicory Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

This sweet-sharp vinaigrette pairs well with the bitter chicories, but feel free to use another sturdy green if you like.

Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

Garlic–brown butter makes these exceptional rolls fragrant and delicious, and a portion of cooked dough mixed into the batter keeps them supple. They’re a little labor-intensive, but once you taste them, you’ll be hooked.

Caramel Apple Drip Cake

Instead of the usual apple pie, opt for this spiced apple cake for Thanksgiving. Grated apples give it a moist, dense texture, while a caramel glaze and candied walnuts make it truly showstopping.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Delicata Squash With Cranberry Agrodolce

The cranberry sauce for this holiday-ready side does double duty: It looks gorgeous (and tastes great) drizzled over roasted squash and sweet potatoes, but it’s also an excellent turkey condiment.

"Antipasto" Pasta with Sausage, Artichoke Hearts, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This quick and easy pasta is made entirely from ingredients kept in the pantry, so you can make it whenever a carb craving strikes. Inspired by elements often seen on Italian antipasto platters, the pasta is tossed with dry-cured sausage, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes along with a simple tomato paste and olive oil sauce, and topped with toasted pine nuts and crisp peperoncini.

Chipotle-Style Cilantro-Lime Rice

This homemade version of a popular Chipotle restaurant menu item livens up plain white rice with lime juice and tons of cilantro. Serve it as a side dish or top with cooked vegetables and salsa to make a quick burrito bowl.

Gia's Mushrooms and Egg

This dish is so simple, but I would award it numerous stars and accolades. Just find excellent mushrooms, really good eggs, some aromatics, and a tiny bit of spice, and you have a beauty of a dish.

Creamed Dried Sweet Corn With Onion and Chives

Step aside, cornbread. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, dried sweet corn is an essential part of the Thanksgiving table. Soak it in milk and cream for at least 4 hours (or up to overnight), then simmer it with a bit of sautéed onion for a luscious side dish that's as sweet as summer corn—and even more irresistible.

Mom's Stuffed Peppers

Give this American comfort food classic an Italian-American twist with ground beef, Parmesan, basil, and tomato sauce.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

There are some flavors that beg to be paired, and sweet potatoes and ginger are in that category. This smooth, puréed soup is rich and comforting, ideal for fall evenings.

Masala Popcorn

This popcorn is a take on the Indian snack chiwda, a sweet and savory mix often made with puffed rice, dried fruit, nuts, spices, and herbs. It's a mainstay during Diwali, much like you'd have Chex Mix during the American holiday season.

Turnips with Garlicky Breadcrumbs and Parmesan

Toss steamed turnips in a double dose of lemon before showering them with Parmesan and garlic-infused panko for a bright and savory winter side.

Slow-Cooked Collard Greens in Olive Oil

Truth: Garlic sizzling in olive oil is the greatest smell in the world and the only base needed to transform everything from spaghetti to shrimp to these collards into something that’s both simple and spectacular.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Caprese

The classic tomato and mozz summer salad gets a roasty cold-weather makeover.

Roasted Beets with Grapefruit and Rosemary

If using different-colored beets, remember to toss them separately so they don’t stain one another.

Sparkling Cranberry and Brie Bites

These easy-to-assemble cocktail party hors d'oeuvres add a festive touch to any holiday party.

Olive Oil–Confit Chicken With Cipolline Onions

What happens when you cook with a lot of oil? Magic. Because oil conducts heat much more efficiently than air, foods that are confited in it, like these chicken thighs, come out incredibly moist and infused with the oil’s flavor.

Pork Chops with Celery and Almond Salad

Instead of serving everyone individually, cook two giant pork chops (perfumed with garlic and thyme), then slice them up and serve family-style for an easy, elegant presentation.

Crunchy Stuffed Cremini Mushrooms

Bite-size and crispy, these mushrooms are always a crowd favorite. The star ingredient here is the nutritional yeast, a plant-based ingredient that has the power to add a savory, cheesy flavor to basically anything.

Spaghetti Pie

Bake well-sauced pasta, plus plenty of cheese and a few eggs to hold things together, in a cake pan and the edges turn crunchy, crusty, chewy, and downright irresistible.
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