Root Vegetable

Packed with veggies and two kinds of cheese, this dish is hearty and surprisingly luxurious.

Roasting turns broccoli into an addictive side. This crowd-pleaser can be prepared in no time.

Here, chorizo replaces the usual steak or chicken.

This side is a riff on pommes Anna, a classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes cooked in a shallow pan. In this modern version, the potatoes are joined by slices of celery root and turnip.

These palm-size pockets can be frozen for up to a month and fit perfectly in a lunch box.

The resulting dish is brothy but thick; it can be thinned with stock for a more traditional soup.

For authentic flavor and texture in this dish, the meat should be sliced very thinly. To firm up the steak and make it easier to slice, place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour first, and use a very sharp knife.

While reminiscent of a marinara sauce, red bell pepper, cognac, and jalapeño add hints of newness to this luscious, traditional favorite lobster dish.

The rich, intense flavor base of this traditional Malaysian dish comes from the rempah, or curry paste, that is made from scratch and infused into the oil before cooking the remaining ingredients. This recipe uses whole chickens that have been broken down into 10 pieces (2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 4 breast pieces each). If you're not comfortable cutting up a chicken yourself, you can ask your butcher to do it or buy chicken pieces.

This recipe originally accompanied Curried Lamb Samosas with Apricot Chutney .

This recipe originally accompanied Jalapeño Popper Fritters with Tomato Salsa .

Few can resist this soup-stew of tender cannellini beans, silken pork shoulder, tomatoes, and herbs. We give the cherry tomatoes a little extra love in the oven to boost their flavor before we stir them into the beans. Rosemary is a natural in this dish, but it’s the generous amount of parsley added at the end that’s the real revelation. The herb adds a zesty top note to the beans. Simple side dishes—garlic bread, a green salad—complete the picture.

At first glance, your guests will think this is creamed spinach. One bite and they'll be thrilled to find it's much more exciting than that. Kale, a hearty green, brightens potatoes that have been cooked in cream. Smooth and substantial, this dish is a welcome foil for pork roast with winter fruits or other roasted meats.

Sprightly bits of lemon zest and garlic punctuate this creamy mayonnaise-based egg salad. In place of the usual celery and onion, fennel lends an aromatic crunch.

In an attempt to simplify hash browns, we spread superthin slices of buttered Yukon Golds in a casserole and baked them in the oven. They came out equal parts tender spuds and crisp golden top—a delicious cross between scalloped potatoes and homemade chips.

Mashed potatoes are a tried-and-true side dish with steak, but for something new, try an Italian purée of white beans—it's just as creamy and much faster.

Test kitchen director Ruth Cousineau, who developed these recipes, says, "For a big dinner, you must include soup. Just don’t make it heavy." Here, she's created a chicken broth infused with the aroma of ginger and cardamom. Petite savory flans, studded with tender chives, lend a light creaminess to each mouthful.