Recipes with salt and black pepper

Chilled creamy avocado soup pureed with chicken broth, heavy cream, cognac, and sherry. A no-cook dinner-party starter served in frozen avocado shells.

Charcoal-grilled T-bone steaks topped with wild mushrooms sautéed in butter, thyme, garlic, and red wine. Finished with grilled tomatoes and red onion for a steakhouse dinner at home.

Polenta pasticciata layers firm cooled polenta squares with porcini-spiked beef ragù, plum tomatoes, and grated pecorino into a rustic Northern Italian bake. Lasagne, but with cornmeal instead of pasta.

Restaurant-style crab cakes bound in a light herbed batter instead of breadcrumbs, fried golden in clarified butter and plated over silky beurre blanc with julienned peppers and capers. An elegant starter or main.

Chicken marinated overnight with garlic, oregano, prunes, olives, and capers, then baked with brown sugar and white wine. A legendary party dish that serves a crowd.

Slow cooker vegetarian chili with red kidney beans, brown rice, potatoes, cabbage, and tomatoes. Set it and forget it for 6 to 8 hours, then ladle out thick, hearty bowls for a crowd of 8.

Oven-baked monkfish in a ginger cream sauce made with white wine, fish stock, and heavy cream. Includes a from-scratch fish stock recipe. Restaurant-quality seafood entree.

Freezer-friendly pork chops baked with lima beans, chopped apple, cream of mushroom soup, and sage. A make-ahead casserole you assemble, freeze, and bake when ready.

Creamy puréed broad bean soup with sage, savory, and a swirl of thick cream. Silky smooth with whole beans stirred in and topped with golden homemade croutons.

Herb-seasoned beef meatballs baked in a red wine and tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and whole onions. A cozy one-pot stew that's great for make-ahead meals.

Old-fashioned beet and tomato casserole layered with grated cheese and toasted bread crumbs. Earthy beets meet tangy stewed tomatoes in a simple, bubbly bake.

Braised chicken legs simmered in apple cider with shallots, bitter radicchio, and thick rounds of tart apple. A rustic one-skillet fall dinner ready in 45 minutes flat.

Shrimp quiche made with a crescent roll crust, Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses, canned shrimp, and a lattice top of crescent dough. A retro brunch shortcut that bakes in an hour.

This recipe was so easy! I've tried this for a number of potlucks & everyone is always impressed on how 'gourmet' it looks & tastes

Kerry casserole layers pork belly and smoked bacon with sliced potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and rosemary, slow-baked in stock until golden. A hearty traditional Irish one-pot dinner.

Butter-seared shrimp with fennel and lemon, topped with a tangy pineapple-ginger sweet and sour sauce. A 30-minute seafood dinner that bridges Italian scampi and Asian flair.