Recipes with butter

Barbecue beef sandwiches made with pressure-cooked beef chuck shredded and simmered in a homemade ketchup-based BBQ sauce with brown sugar, Worcestershire, and vinegar. Great for potlucks and freezes well.

Glazed apple cake: silky McIntosh apple purée folded into a warm-spiced batter, topped with fanned Granny Smith slices and a glossy apricot jam glaze. A bakery-style fall dessert.

French chicken saute braised with red wine vinegar, fresh tomatoes, and chicken stock, reduced to a glossy, tangy sauce. A classic bistro dish with bold, concentrated flavor.

Fruitcake drop cookies with brandy, candied cherries, dates, candied pineapple, and nuts. All the holiday fruitcake flavor in a bite-sized cookie that bakes in 12 minutes.

Tender sour cream biscuits served with homemade ham butter blended smooth in a food processor. A savory brunch staple with only 7 ingredients.

Crabmeat supreme casserole with two pounds of crab in a buttery sherry cream sauce with mushrooms, pimentos, and a cracker crumb topping. An elegant make-ahead dish.

Peanut butter granola cookies with raisins, brown sugar, and a chewy-crunchy texture from 2 1/2 cups of granola baked right into the dough. Thick, hearty, and packed with crunch.

Hearty skillet cornbread loaded with creamed corn, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. Baked in a preheated cast iron pan for a crispy bottom and savory Italian twist.

Sour cream blueberry cake with a buttery shortbread-style base, fresh blueberries, and a rich sour cream custard topping. A European-style fruit cake baked in a springform pan.

Chocolate thumbprint cookies bake a cocoa-walnut shortbread base, then fill the wells with vanilla cream and ruby cherry pie filling. Holiday cookie tray showstopper.

Chocolate peanut butter cookies loaded with peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts. A fudgy cocoa dough with a double dose of peanut crunch in every bite, baked in under 10 minutes.

Sole fillets rolled around crab, baked under a classic Mornay sauce with sauteed mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Make-ahead elegant seafood casserole.

Microwave cheese casserole layered with corn chips, green chili tomato sauce, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. A Tex-Mex style layered casserole ready in about 40 minutes.

New England clam chowder made the proper way with whole clams steamed open, salt pork rendered, and a milk-flour finish whisked in at the end. Pennsylvania-style chowder with a creamy thick body.

Whole chicken roasted French-style in a covered casserole with sherry, baby onions, and potatoes. The herb-stuffed cavity perfumes the bird while pan juices reduce into a thin gravy.

Fried rabbit simmered first in salted water with peppercorns and bay leaves until tender, then dredged in flour and pan-fried in butter until golden. A two-step method for crispy, juicy rabbit.