Recipes with margarine

Peanut butter cream cheese pies frosted with chocolate pudding and topped with chopped peanuts. The recipe makes two 9-inch pies, with real whipped cream folded into the peanut butter base for serious lift.

Savory onion-tomato cheese pie with sweet onions, Swiss cheese, and sliced tomatoes in a custard filling. A microwave-friendly quiche-style main dish.

Canned tuna and frozen peas and carrots in a homemade thyme-scented cream gravy, topped with refrigerator biscuits and baked golden. This easy tuna pot pie is cozy, budget-friendly comfort food in 35 minutes.

Italian zucchini casserole with a spaghetti sauce, cheddar cheese, and mushroom topping baked under Parmesan. A vegetarian main dish or side that uses up summer zucchini.

Light plum or apricot tea cake made with egg whites, orange juice, and fructose instead of butter and sugar. A lower-fat fruit loaf that stays moist for days.

Pan-seared beef liver in a Creole mustard and white wine sauce with shallots and cayenne. A Cajun-style liver dish with a tangy, sharp pan sauce ready in 35 minutes.

Duchess potato puff baked with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and egg until golden and cloud-light. Uses instant potato flakes for speed, but tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen. Ready in under an hour.

Low-fat lemon meringue pie with a graham cracker crust, fluffy lemon filling sweetened with sugar substitute, and a lightly broiled meringue top. A diabetic-friendly take on the classic.

Box mac and cheese transformed into a quick chicken cacciatore with seasoned canned tomatoes, green pepper, and cooked chicken stirred right in. A 40-minute shortcut dinner kids will devour.

Lighter muffins made with crushed pineapple, coconut flavoring, and vanilla. Golden, tender, and not too sweet. A Weight Watchers-friendly bake that freezes well for easy breakfasts.

British-style fruit and nut gingerbread loaf with treacle, raisins, chopped almonds, and warm spices. A dense, sticky bake with buttermilk for a tender crumb and deep molasses flavor.

Scallops broiled with garlic, vermouth, and lemon juice, then topped with a herbed lemon breadcrumb crust browned under the broiler. Quick Italian-inspired seafood dinner.

Broiled ground turkey patties loaded with sautéed mushrooms and Italian herbs, smothered in a red wine mushroom sauce. A lean, flavorful 30-minute dinner that's diabetic-friendly too.

Summer's best fresh peach pie with juicy fruit filling spiced with cinnamon, nestled in a buttery double crust that bubbles with sweet peach nectar as it bakes.

Soft sour cream cookies loaded with fresh orange juice and zest, topped with a bright orange icing. Drop cookie simplicity with bakery-level citrus flavor.

Hazelnut melting moments with ground filberts, lemon zest, and a pool of melted chocolate in the center. A delicate thumbprint cookie dusted with powdered sugar.

Soft sour cream drop cookies with a pillowy, cakey crumb, topped with a thick chocolate frosting made from melted unsweetened chocolate. Chill the dough, bake, and frost. Makes 24.

Open-faced ham and cheese sandwiches on rye bread with mustard butter, sliced tomato, and melted cheese topped with creamy coleslaw. Ready in 10 minutes using the microwave.

Popeye burgers are hearty vegetarian patties packed with spinach, potato, oats, and veggies, topped with homemade nutritional-yeast "cheese" sauce. A plant-based alternative to the beef classic.

Creamy cheese grits spiked with serrano chiles, red bell pepper, and scallions. A Tex-Mex twist on a Southern classic that's on the table in 30 minutes.

Baked mostaccioli and ground turkey casserole layered with tomato sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a light bechamel topped with mozzarella. Greek pastitsio meets weeknight dinner.

Melt in your mouth cookies, great to serve with morning coffee

German Chocolate Brownies with Coconut and Nut Frosting recipe

Individual cheesecake cups wrapped in flaky crescent roll dough, filled with almond cream cheese, and topped with warm amaretto cherry sauce. Ready in 45 minutes.

German-style white asparagus draped in a creamy roux sauce with julienned ham and a hint of nutmeg. A simple, satisfying side dish ready in 35 minutes.

Buttery shortbread bars layered with tart raspberry jam, crowned with glossy meringue studded with toasted almonds and coconut shreds.

Torn day-old bread mixed with browned breakfast sausage, sautéed celery and onions, and poultry seasoning bakes into a savory holiday dressing for your turkey.

Low-fat lemon poppy seed bran pound cake with oat bran, non-fat lemon yogurt, and egg whites. The classic bright lemon-poppy flavor with a tender bundt crumb and a tangy lemon glaze.

Scampi-style chicken thighs: boneless skinless thighs marinated in lemon juice and broiled fast with a garlic-parsley-white wine baste. Light, bright, weeknight chicken in under 30 minutes.

Italian fitascetta bread ring topped with slow-cooked caramelized red onions. A rustic olive oil yeast bread with a soft interior and a crispy, golden crust.

Gooey caramel and chocolate chip bars made with German chocolate cake mix and pecans. A semi-homemade shortcut dessert that bakes in under 30 minutes.

A layered tube cake with banana sour cream batter and a crunchy coconut-oat-pecan streusel swirled through every layer. Semi-homemade with yellow cake mix. Serves 12.

French country apple pie with a ground almond frangipane filling topped with sliced Granny Smith apples. Toasted almonds and almond extract create a rich, nutty custard base.

Chicken tetrazzini with a sage-scented cream sauce, spaghetti, mushrooms, and pimentos baked under melted Swiss cheese. A hearty casserole that serves 6 to 8.

Pepper beef balls simmer tender meatballs in a glossy soy-ginger sauce with green peppers, onion, and tomato, thickened to coat. A pepper-steak twist in meatball form, served over rice.

Two peas with turmeric and mint blanches sugar snap and snow peas, then tosses them in a turmeric-lemon butter with fresh mint. Bright spring side dish, gluten-free, ready in 30 minutes.

Jambalaya casserole with bacon, ham, shrimp, and elbow macaroni baked in a tomato sauce with a Parmesan breadcrumb topping. A Cajun-inspired baked pasta dish ready in an hour.

Frozen pumpkin ice cream pie marbled with homemade rum-caramel sauce on a graham cracker crust. A no-bake autumn dessert that serves at least 8 and lives in the freezer until needed.

Browned hot dogs and onions stirred into pork and beans with ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire. A nostalgic, kid-friendly one-skillet dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Maryland crab cakes pan-fried golden with a pound of crab meat, Italian breadcrumbs, dry mustard, and Worcestershire. Simple seasoning that lets the crab shine.

A cake mix coffee cake with a coconut cinnamon crumb swirl running through the center and crunchy nut topping, finished with a vanilla glaze. One pan, one hour, zero fuss.

Marji's fudgies: dense fudgy chocolate drop cookies with cocoa, powdered milk, and a stiff dough that bakes into a brownie-cookie hybrid. Foil-pan baking trick included.

No-bake chocolate cereal bars layered with a chocolate-ganache filling between peanut butter Cocoa Krispies cereal crusts. Kid-friendly snack bars ready in under 30 minutes.

Pumpkin cranberry bars with a buttery spiced cake-mix crust, tart cranberry filling, and creamy pumpkin custard topped with pecan streusel. A holiday-friendly Thanksgiving dessert that slices cleanly and feeds a crowd.

Apple dump cake layers canned apple pie filling under a butter pecan cake mix and chopped pecans, topped with sliced butter. No mixing required, five-ingredient dessert.

Cornish hens stuffed with turnip-apple-potato mash, browned in clarified butter, and braised in Calvados and apple juice. An elegant French-inspired dinner with autumn flavors in every bite.

Hot, cheesy chicken dip loaded with sauteed peppers, celery, and jalapeno, bound creamy with cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar. A quick, crowd-pleasing party dip for chips and crackers.

Rosky's (Czech rohlíky): cream cheese pastry cookies filled with apricot, dusted with powdered sugar. The Old World holiday cookie your grandmother kept on the tin every Christmas.