Oven Bake

Just four ingredients add up to a rich and delicious side dish. Once the potatoes are sliced, the gratin comes together quickly and then bakes unattended for about an hour and 15 minutes.

For a more elegant presentation, we cut out rounds from the gratin with a 4-inch cookie cutter. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Meat loaf has been a favorite throughout the century, especially during the 1940s when meat was rationed and ground beef was a bargain cut. We’ve put a contemporary stamp on this suppertime classic by adding lots of caramelized onions.

"On a recent visit to Las Vegas, my father and I ate at Malibu Chan's," writes Stephanie Flanders of Simi Valley, California. "I had the sea bass, and I'm already craving it again. I'm hoping to add it to my recipe collection."

Green curry paste (a blend of green chilies, garlic, onion, and spices) adds explosive flavor to these one-biters. You'll need a miniature muffin tin to prepare the wonton cups.

Janet Fletcher, food writer, says, "Sure, I loved sweet potatoes with marshmallows when I was a child, but some tastes you leave behind. Now I prefer a more grown-up preparation, with an intriguing hint of Sherry."

This delicious stuffing is similar to a savory bread pudding. It's best baked alongside, rather than inside, the bird.

A strata can be refrigerated overnight before being baked, so it's perfect for entertaining.

Meatless pasta loaded with bold flavors.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 40 min

The porcini mushroom soaking liquid moistens this stuffing from Rochelle Palermo Torres.

Marjorie Farr, Silver Spring, Md.
Use fresh spinach in this dish — frozen will not do. A sprinkle of parsley before serving adds a fresh touch.

Instead of the usual salty spiced nuts before dinner, these are served after dessert, with coffee.

Butternut is one of my favorite squashes. We often bake a small butternut squash (about 1 pound) at home; we split it lengthwise, seed it, score the flesh with a knife, sprinkle on a little salt, and bake, skin side down, for 1 hour in a 400-degree oven. Excellent in soup and pureed, butternut squash is always welcome at our table. This gratin is quite rich and should be reserved for special occasions, like Thanksgiving.

Salami and Cheese Rolls Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

"While traveling in the Northern California wine country with friends," writes Stephen Carkeet of Merced, California, "we ate dinner at Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar in Healdsburg and had one of the best meals I can remember. Chef Jeff Mall prepared a wonderful chicken dish he called 'coq au Zin.' It was a winner." A taste — and word — play on the classic French dish coq au vin, this time made with red Zinfandel. At the restaurant, this is served with creamy mashed potatoes.