20 Messy Recipes Worth Their Weight In Napkins

Fall-Off-the-Bone Baby Back Ribs1/20

The secret to these knee-wobblingly tender little lovelies? Roast 'em low and slow and then toss 'em on the grill for just a short spell. Which means you don't have to constantly tend a smoker from dawn to dusk.

A square piece of homemade snickers bar on a piece of parchment.

Homemade Snickers Bars2/20

Know what really satisfies? Making your own gooey, peanutty, caramel-y, milk chocolate-y Snickers candy bars at home.

Cajun Fried Chicken3/20

Bathed in buttermilk and spiced ever so slightly, this Cajun fried hen is memorably moist, superlatively crisp, and gosh darn perfect through and through.

12 schnecken, pecan cinnamon buns, covered with pecan-caramel topping, and chopped pecans on a wire rack

Schnecken ~ Pecan Cinnamon Buns4/20

Schnecken translates from German quite literally as snails, although to us it means gooey, sticky pecan caramel buns.

Big fat juicy burger with caramelized onions, melted cheese, and a toasted hard roll

Best Burger5/20

Brisket, short ribs, and chuck. When melded in just the right proportions, as here, they turn out the most luxe made-from-scratch burger we've ever experienced.

A rimmed baking sheet filled with peppery chicken wings

Peppery Chicken Wings6/20

The intensity of the classic buffalo wing is tempered here, usurped by a deliciously, defiantly untraditional blend of beguiling spices.

A newspaper-topped table strewn with crawfish, corn, peppers, and potatoes - a classic crawfish boil.

Crawfish Boil7/20

Call some friends, set a pot of water to boil, and chill some beer. There's mudbugs to be had.

Chipotle Maple Barbecue Beef Brisket8/20

All the messy, smoky goodness of a backyard barbecue minus the messy, smoky backyard.

A hibiscus ice pop lying on top of a spicy mango ice pop.

Hibiscus Ice Pops9/20

Think the color of these crazy crimson-colored, Caribbean-inspired ice pops is flamboyant? Wait until you experience the taste.

A bucket of maple syrup in the snow with streaks of maple syrup snow nearby

Maple Syrup Snow10/20

Indulge your inner Laura Ingalls Wilder with this charming caramel-like candy made by drizzling maple syrup onto fresh snow. Its provenance may be outdated but its appeal transcends time.

A stack of Tom Aikens' chocolate crepes being drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Easy Chocolate Crêpes11/20

French-y but not at all fuss-y, these superbly chocolate-y crepes satiate that certain je ne sais quoi.

A scattering of chili cheese fries topped with cheddar and snipped fresh chives.

Chili Cheese Fries12/20

Honest grub with demolish-the-entire-panful-while-standing-at-the-counter allure. Grab some napkins.

A chili cheddar burger on a bun half with cheese sauce being poured over it.

Chili-Cheddar Burger13/20

This compelling chili and Cheddar burger is what it is. No apologies. Simply wrap your hands around the messy spectacularness and settle in for the real deal.

A stack of four slices of banana bread French toast dripping with maple syrup and topped with whipped cream

Banana Bread French Toast14/20

That's right. A behemoth stack of French toast made from—believe it—thickly sliced banana bread. Sort of makes you believe in magic, doesn't it?

A piece of blue cheese tartine with two slices of crispy bacon on a grey plate.

Blue Cheese Tartine15/20

A blur of sweet, smoky, creamy goodness, this tartine of sourdough, a schmear of blue cheese, and a dribble of honey makes basic bruschetta seem humdrum.

Two Hog Island grilled cheese sandwiches in a skillet with some cheese melting from them.

Hog Island Grilled Cheese16/20

This much-ballyhooed 'wich from Hog Island Oyster Bar in San Francisco is stuffed with fromage blanc, Gruyère, Cheddar, and Havarti.

Caramel apples with branch sticks sitting on a metal dish, with more in the background.

Caramel Apples17/20

Forget bobbing for apples. This endeavor requires less effort yet yields more caramel-cloaked gratification and a more elegant version of those sticky, red apples of our youth.

Open waxed paper bag with popcorn and maple bacon bits spilling out

Popcorn with Bacon Fat, Bacon, and Maple Syrup18/20

Wicked. Sinful. Indulgent. Those are just a few of the words being bandied about by folks who've succumbed to this crack-like concoction. What better to do than make some and settle in with Netflix?

A tray of s'mores brownies with a spatula resting inside and several brownies missing.

S’mores Brownies19/20

Chewy, gooey, and chocolatey, these crackly topped brownies buried beneath slightly charred marshmallow are the ideal balance of cakey, fudgy, and nostalgia-inducing messiness.