Nut Free

Can’t believe that bacon could get any better? Brown sugar and a pinch of cayenne add both sweet and hot components to the meat’s smoky flavor. As the bacon sizzles in the oven, the spicy mixture forms a glaze over each strip, packing even more flavor and crunch. Serve this traditionally, with scrambled eggs and an English muffin, or go rogue and pile this crispy treat onto a club sandwich with turkey and avocado for an extra-special lunch break.

Whether you are baking for Christmas morning, a brunch with family, or a plain old lazy Sunday, these cinnamon rolls from Molly Wizenberg of Orangette.com make it an occasion. If you’re crunched for time, try popping the prepared dough into a warm oven to help it rise.

These sophisticated waffles were originally conceived as the dessert course in a modern Parisian bistro menu, but make this the sweet dish for your next brunch—every good brunch includes at least one dish that could pass for dessert! If salted caramel is just too much before noon, skip it and serve these ethereal waffles with real maple syrup, or fruit and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. And take note—the caramel is a dream drizzled over ice cream.

This elegant dessert evokes all the fun of a caramel apple but is a whole lot cleaner and easier to eat—and to share. McIntosh and Golden Delicious apples tend to break down when cooked, so use firmer cooking apples such as Cameo, Cortland, or Braeburn. Save leftover sauce for another use, such as an ice cream topping, a sweet fondue, or dip.

The classic apple pie elements are flawless as is, but we think this version topped with a thick layer of cinnamon crumble is pure genius. The buttery, brown sugar–infused topping crowns a generous mound of tart Granny Smith apples, while a traditional American-style pastry features equal parts butter and shortening, with a touch of cider vinegar to ensure tenderness.

Homemade hot cocoa is in a category all by itself, and once you try this rich, vanilla-infused version developed by cookbook author Tracey Seaman, you’ll find just how much is missing from the store-bought variety. Use the highest-quality chocolate and vanilla you can find—Valrhona, Lindt, and Ghirardelli are all great options. And if you really love the delicate warm notes of vanilla, go ahead and use the full bean. Turn this decadent treat into an edible gift with decorative canisters, crocks, jars, or even cellophane bags, then trim your presents in festive ribbon and attach gift tags with the serving directions.

Bittersweet chocolate gives this creamy pudding a decidedly grown-up taste. It’s a favorite at the City Limits Diner in Stamford, Connecticut, where it originated. The ingredient list calls for Valrhona, but any good-quality bittersweet chocolate will do. With only six ingredients, the hardest thing you’ll have to do is wait for dessert to be ready.

With a recipe that is simple enough for beginners yet customizable for experienced bakers, this bread will end the days of buying overpriced loaves. Choose your favorite 7- or 10-grain cereal and then experiment with your own mixture of seeds and nuts to determine the taste and texture that suit you. This loaf is special enough to be a gift but requires less than an hour of active prep time. Use it for sandwiches or eat it toasted with a smear of butter or jam.

While several hours are required for the dough to rise twice, this top-rated bread recipe demands little more than 20 minutes of active time. If you prefer milder heat, omit the chile seeds and ribs, as that’s where the majority of their fire resides. A shopping note: Always purchase extra yeast. If it doesn’t foam when combined with water, it’s past its prime and you’ll need to start over with new. Active dry yeast will keep for about a year, but with this recipe in your repertoire, you’re likely to use it much sooner than that.

“Popover” may be one of the most inherently cheerful words in the language; it evokes something baked, warm, and fragrantly delicious. Infused with two savory cheeses, these foolproof, airy popovers, made in a mini-muffin pan, more than live up to their enticing name. They take little time to prepare and are best served hot, but if your oven is juggling multiple priorities, you can mix the batter a day ahead and chill, covered, until you’re ready to bake.

If you’ve ever made polenta, you know about the “polenta dilemma.” Freshly made polenta is so filling and luscious that there are almost always leftovers, but reheated polenta is disappointing: it’s never quite as creamy. Happily, this satisfying side dish, courtesy of the much-loved Roy’s restaurant on Hawaii’s Big Island, offers a great solution. Dredging firmed-up polenta in a little bit of flour and then frying it ever so lightly results in a divine finger food—and the accompanying roasted red pepper ketchup is a recipe you’ll want to use for turkey burgers and beyond.

Think of this dish from Epicurious member WCASS, from Toronto, as an Asian-style ratatouille. The key to this recipe is speed: the vegetables need little more than a quick toss in a wok or large sauté pan to cook. Look for Chinese eggplants and Thai basil, but small Italian eggplants and regular basil will do. If you like spicier food, you can leave in the chile ribs and some or all of the seeds, and complement the Asian flavors with some sriracha and a mung beangarnish.

Layers of potatoes smothered in cheese and mushrooms provide cozy comfort at any winter or holiday meal. This side—rich and creamy on the inside, toasted and crunchy on the top—will definitely warm you on a cold night. Gruyère cheese, sweet and salty, affords this dish its smooth texture, while the mushrooms add a distinctive flavor that will keep the family asking for seconds.

This zinger of a pesto sauce breathes new life into a nutritious winter staple, and works well with acorn and kabocha squash, too.

Transform a traditional holiday side into something bold and beautiful using smoked paprika (hot or sweet) and cayenne. This dish couldn’t be simpler to prepare, requiring just a handful of ingredients and yielding a result that’s sweet, savory, and delicious.

Is it a dumpling or a noodle? Spaetzle, the beloved dish of Austrians, Germans, Hungarians, and the Swiss, is infinitely easier to make than it is to classify. While some spaetzle dishes are cheesy and rich, this version is lightened with fresh herbs—a lot of them.

This simple-to-prepare pot pie is a perfect excuse for all that leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The cheesy crust is so good that you’ll want to bake it as a stand-alone biscuit—use just a cup of buttermilk for a stiffer consistency.