Carol Hays, Recipe Tester

Four ingredients and one simple technique that will leave everyone asking—maybe even demanding—you for more. A keeper of a side dish.

Apple cranberry sauce. Not quite as American as apple pie. Not until you taste this version, that is. Sweetly tart and superbly lovely with turkey and pork and so, so much more.

A Mediterranean classic that’s healthy as can be although you’d never guess it from the indulgent taste.

Tomato and peach panzanella may sound unlikely but it’ll knock your socks off. If you’re not wearing socks this time of year, then it’ll knock your flip-flops off. Guaranteed.

Essentially spaghetti casserole with veggies smothered with cheese. Sounds like supper to us.

Maple Sriracha bacon isn’t just the title of this simple recipe, it’s the ingredient list as well. Which means you probably already have everything you need on hand.

Everything you would imagine in a pound cake. Buttery. Indulgent. Moist. Rich. And with a perfectly balanced and ever so slightly puckery lemon glaze.

Mac and cheese honestly doesn’t get any quicker or easier or pantry-friendlier than this 3-ingredient savior that can be tossed together with stuff you already have on hand. Certain to please.

Our latest definition of decadent comfort food. A David Leite original, this recipe melds layers of ham, potatoes, shallots, and gooey cheese in a rich cream sauce.

A dark chocolate brownie crust, blobs of brownies baked in the cheesecake, and a swirl of bittersweet chocolate. Comfort food, indeed.

Your newest go-to appetizer. (Or, on lazy nights when you feel like indulging, your dinner. Don’t forget the wine.)

Imagine the crispness of a French fry colliding with the fluffiness of a baked potato. That’s what this recipe delivers. You’re welcome.

Summer simplicity that’s gonna earn a place in your weekly rotation.

We think of this gorgeous lemon salmon pasta as the Audrey Hepburn of pasta recipes given how it graciously brings both elegance and simplicity to the party.

Obscenely rich and soul-achingly satisfying. That’s what we think of these classic Portugueseroasted potatoes with caramelized onions and melted cheese.

Just when you thought you were unable to come up with yet another variation on roast chicken that didn’t bore you out of your mind, along comes Dorie Greenspan with this simple yet surprisingly lovely rendition.

Sorta like a first grader’s culinary experiment that unexpectedly turns into something deliciously right and, we dare say, unexpectedly sophisticated.

A modern riff on a Cantonese classic. This leaner version relies on pork tenderloin rather than more indulgent cuts but tastes every bit as authentic as the real deal and is redolent of five spice powder, garlic, and ginger.

This Texas dry rub recipe has just the right blend of seasoning for bbq ribs, chicken, even flank steak for fajitas.