Photo: iStock

The Anytime Cake
Is there a dessert more versatile than a humble pound cake? We think not. Easy to make, moist and flavorful, it's equally brilliant as a mid-morning snack, an afternoon coffee or tea accompaniment, or a dessert—just add some berries and whipped cream or ice cream. This straightforward recipe from Foodimentary by John-Bryan Hopkins has just 6 ingredients and, if you bake it in a Bundt pan, can serve as many as 24.

Get the recipe: Pound Cake

Photo: iStock

A Next-Level Take on a Traditional Appetizer
This halfway-homemade version of pigs-in-a-blanket from Foodimentary has a unique twist that could just make it your new signature dish. It calls for the usual refrigerated pizza dough sliced into strips, wrapped around cocktail sausages. After you take them out of the oven, though, you finish them with melted butter and coarse or flaky salt, so the buns take on a pretzel-like quality. Whole-grain mustard on the side? You bet.

Get the recipe: Pigs-in-a-Pretzel Blanket

Photo: Megan Porta

Grown-Up Cookies
It's useful to have an adult cookie in your repertoire, something you can savor with a cocktail, or bring to a friend's house for, say, an Oscar-viewing party. These lime-and-ginger treats are reminiscent of a Moscow Mule, and yes, they include splashes of vodka and ginger beer. They're zingy and fresh, whether you nibble them together with their namesake cocktail, or a cup of lemon tea. And the recipe, from Megan Porta's Cookie Remix, makes nearly 40 cookies.

Get the recipe: Moscow Mule Cookies

Photo: Jeremy Liebman

A Treat That'll Make Your Guests Think, "Am I at a B&B?"
When friends or family spend the night, here's the perfect morning meal to put out the next day: a hot, bubbling breakfast strata that practically oozes comfort. It combines tart raspberries and tangy goat cheese with plenty of rich-tasting eggs, milk and heavy cream to offer contrast, plus torn pieces of challah bread to soak everything up. Bonus: You can prepare this casserole the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning.

Get the recipe: Raspberry and Goat Cheese Breakfast Strata

Photo: iStock

The Surprisingly Easy Chicken Dinner
Whether you're hosting book club or wanting to bring a meal to a friend, here's a less expected version of chicken casserole that's delicious, comforting and serves as many as 10 people. It consists of individual crepes (you can buy or make them) that you stuff with chicken, broccoli and Gruyère, then bake. The finished dish feels special, yet is doable no matter your skill level.

Get the recipe: Chicken Divan Crepes with Gruyère
Published 02/08/2018