Casserole

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

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.

This dish is a holiday staple in Southern coastal cities. It can be served with the rest of the meal on the holiday buffet table, but my friend Marion likes to have it ready to go in the oven in case the meal is delayed and tempers get short. It soothes and warms enough to keep the hungry waiting. I'd set out little bread-and-butter plates and forks and put the casserole in the living room. Not all inland eaters have acquired a taste for oysters; they are especially delicious during winter holidays as either a traditional delicacy or exotic fare.

You just cannot do this one wrong. You don't have to drain the sauerkraut. You don't even brown the ribs; they brown without your help. The recipe was handed down to Camille MacKusick by her father-in-law, from the family archives. All sorts of magical juices ooze out of everything. When the last finger is licked and the last lip smacked, everyone will weep.

Cremini mushrooms or their mature form, portobellos—or both—can be used in this side dish from Cory Schreiber's new cookbook, Wildwood: Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest (Ten Speed Press).

To bring out the best in this dish, buy or order the finest cheeses from a cheese shop or Italian deli: fresh ricotta, mild imported provolone, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Think of a plate of pancakes and maple syrup with sage-seasoned sausage patties: This dish has that same mix of satisfying, sweet-savory flavors. Start preparing the strata one day ahead; it needs to be refrigerated overnight before baking.

Bobotie In the popular South African dish known as bobotie, leftover lamb or beef is minced and combined with bread and spices and baked for awhile before being covered with a custard and baked again. It is generally served in squares or wedges. We have substituted kaffir lime leaves for the lemon leaves called for in the original and used ground meat instead of minced.

This dish was inspired by pommes Anna, the regal, crisp-crusted potato cake rumored to have been named for Anna Deslions, a famous courtesan in nineteenth-century Paris.

Sweet potatoes have been cultivated in the South since at least the 1700s. A touch of cardamom gives this dish modern flair.

One great thing about this lasagna is that the noodles don't need to be pre-boiled. The dish has a lot of liquid (in the form of sauce) and goes into the oven covered, so the noodles get cooked perfectly as the lasagna bakes. Add a green salad, and serve some Chianti or California red Zinfandel with the main course.

Here's a hearty and satisfying "Mexican lasagna" that comes together quickly.