Oven Bake

Serve this appetizer with crusty bread and enjoy.

Buy an apple tart for dessert.

Chicken flavored with ham or bacon is an age-old Irish marriage. At Drimcong House in Moycullen, Ireland, the combination is translated into a stunning contemporary dish. Ask your butcher to skin and bone the chicken legs for you, which will make this easier to prepare.

At Thanksgiving, rice stuffings are standard on many southern tables. This one, a combination of white rice and wild rice, gets more regional notes from collard greens, pecans and ham.

Beets--both pickled and boiled--have long been a popular German side dish for meats. The sour cream dressing gets a kick from vinegar and mustard.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "My mother always added lots of sage and nutmeg to her stuffing. I loved those flavors when I was a kid, and I still put them in the stuffings that I make today."

Throughout the Spanish-speaking world, thickened sweetened milk is a regular feature at dessert time (and, like all treats, whenever Mom isn’t looking). Though not difficult to make from scratch on top of the stove, the use of condensed milk eliminates the need for constant stirring. Be sure to check the water level in the pan about halfway through cooking; if it’s low, carefully add a little more.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

A delicious and much lighter version of a favorite dish. Serve this gratin with roast chicken, pork, or beef.

A cross between spoon bread and tamale pie, this flavorful, colorful side dish is a huge crowd-pleaser. Assemble it at least one hour and up to one day before baking.

These mussels, flavored with garlic-herb butter and baked instead of steamed, beg for some crusty bread to sop up the wonderful sauce. Try them over pasta, too. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

Do not use a dark aluminum baking pan (including nonstick) for this recipe because the potatoes will burn. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Susan Stanley of Providence, Rhode Island, writes: "I vacationed in Alaska not long ago, and I can hardly wait to return. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, but I must admit that the delightful ginger-root beer drumsticks at the Snow Goose Restaurant in Anchorage were the real draw. Could you track down the recipe for me?" Although these are no longer served at the restaurant, chef Ron R. Sabado was happy to pass along the recipe. Accompany the spicy drummettes with cold beer.