American

This recipe makes decadent chocolate cake and delicious chocolate cupcakes. Don't skip the silky frosting, it's the best part!

Who doesn’t love banana bread? This one is just sweet enough, with fabulous crunch if you add walnuts and coconut, as I always do. There’s no better solution for over-the-hill bananas, and the batter comes together in less than 10 minutes. I’ve been making this recipe — created by my late dear friend Sherry — for almost fifty years; it’s incredibly reliable.

Attention pecan pie lovers! Here's a classic recipe using a classic American brand.

This simple, four-ingredient pie has a bright and tangy yet sweet and creamy filling.

Set out a plate of these sweetly spiced cookies and watch them vanish fast.

I’m sort of a snob when it comes to trying new recipes. I just seem to like my old tried and true ones best, and it takes a lot for something new to grab my attention. I had to have the recipe for this dip after I tried it on Super Bowl Sunday 2006. Garth is a die-hard Steelers fan, so it was an exciting day. Everybody always brings something for the party, and this was my friend Kim’s contribution. Being a good southern girl, I love anything with black-eyed peas in it, but for you folks who are right now turning up your noses at the idea of eating black-eyed peas, all I can say is just try it. In fact, maybe I should name it something else for those skeptics. How about Pea Dippy?

These bars are as refreshing as an icy glass of lemonade, and perfect for entertaining, potlucks, or picnics.

The classic cheesecake features a nutty base of crushed graham crackers and a rich and fluffy cake.

My mom's meat loaf is inarguably better than yours, but this is not my mom's meat loaf recipe. This one is an amalgam, intended to evoke all the important meat loaves in my life—and there have been many.

For deep apple flavor, the fruit in this pie is macerated. The juice is then reduced to a syrup and returned to the filling, along with Chinese five spice powder (a blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns).

Move over boxed mac and cheese; this version is just as simple and a whole lot tastier.

Can’t decide which pie to make? Let your guests in on the fun with this do-it-yourself pie bar.

My Tater Tot hotdish has the body of a chicken pot pie, a dish that I loved growing up, long before I knew the existence of Tater Tot hotdish. But a close examination reveals that the only real differences are the subbing of chicken for ground beef and the use of a homemade cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom soup. I don’t think this will offend a hotdish purist.

Knowing you have a bubbling hot breakfast waiting for you on a chilly morning makes getting out of bed so much easier.

These thinly-rolled pastries are made with both orange zest and juice for a full burst of sweet citrus flavor.

Turn your favorite halloween candy into a giant version to feed a crowd.