Ian Knauer

Nothing could be easier than stirring together chopped scallions with a dollop of mayonnaise, and this quick coating adds considerable verve and oniony bite to meaty arctic char fillets. And it looks great, too—the green of the scallions contrasts nicely against the pink flesh of the fish. For this recipe, we use the leftover scallions from our Tuna Steak au Poivre recipe, but it would also work fine with a full bunch.

As its name suggests, a pudding cake is like two desserts in one: a light, fluffy cake that gives way to a smooth, rich custard. This one gets its signature tang from buttermilk. Maple–sweetened berries prove to be an inspired companion.

There's no need to introduce any liquid to the slow cooker—as the chicken legs and vegetables cook, they release their juices to make a very savory stew. Whisking in some sour cream just before serving adds body to the sauce, and fresh cilantro brings brightness to this no–hassle one–dish dinner. Poblano chiles have notoriously tough skins, but we were happily surprised to learn that several hours of gentle cooking makes the skins practically melt away.

"America needs more bran," says food editor Ian Knauer. It's hard to argue when your mouth is full of one of his crumbly, deliciously buttery bran muffins. Golden raisins add sunny bursts to this healthful snack.

In a twist on classic tiramisu, the leftover almond-flavored macaroons assume a more prominent role: Layered with an airy mascarpone mousse, they take the place of the traditional ladyfingers.

A thin layer of deep-flavored molasses filling gives way to a tangy buttermilk custard.

A big jar of beet-pickled hard-boiled eggs anchors many a neighborhood bar in Pennsylvania, but you can take the idea a step further, melding a colorful finger food with another classic snack. Caraway seeds add an aromatic note to the eggs’ deviled filling.

Taking a cue from German potato salad, these Yukon Golds are smashed with a hot bacon dressing and then tossed with fresh dill. Steaming rather than boiling the potatoes keeps them fluffy.

A roast turkey glazed with a buttery cider syrup is burnished outside and juicy within. You'll have more than enough gravy to ladle over the stuffing, the smashed potatoes, and tomorrow's leftovers.

A towering dessert on the holiday sideboard always gets attention. And the oohs and aahs will only get louder when you cut in to reveal its moist crumb dotted with ruby-red cranberries and topaz-colored pear. Its scent of vanilla and spices is very inviting, while the brown sugar and cinnamon glaze is, of course, the icing on the cake.

In this golden casserole (which you'll find on many Pennsylvania Dutch tables), a buttermilk custard rises to the top while the chewy, toasty corn sinks to the bottom, resulting in a two-layered pudding. The packaged sweet corn—frequently called by its most common brand name, Cope's corn—is slowly dried so that its natural sugars caramelize, a centuries-old Native American preservation method. Recipes usually call for grinding the corn, but the whole kernels impart a coarser texture that we love.

Swapping rye for the usual white bread adds something intriguing to stuffing. There's still that wonderful contrast between the crisp, browned bread on the top and the soft pieces moistened with stock or broth below, but there is an undercurrent of warm, almost spicy sweetness. As with all stuffings, the better the bread you use, the better the final dish will be, so buy a good bakery loaf.

Carrots, braised in chicken broth and combined with shallots and fresh herbs, make a beautiful addition to the table, especially when you take advantage of the different-colored varieties found at farmers markets. You will also appreciate how small amounts of seasonings turn a taken-for-granted vegetable into something splendid. Don't reserve the recipe just for Thanksgiving; it would also be delicious with pork chops or a roast chicken.

A vinaigrette that’s pleasingly sharp thanks to apple cider vinegar and grainy mustard tempers the lushness of the onion pie . Dress the greens just before serving.

The inspiration here is the fantastically rich dish called Zwiebelkuchen (onion cake), a southern German specialty that arrived in America with European settlers and quickly became a staple in Pennsylvania Dutch homes, where it is known as Zwiwwelkuche. Slow-cooked onions are combined with eggs and sour cream and spooned into a yeasted dough. The pastry is then partially folded over the filling.

When earthy greens are tossed with a walnut- and garlic-scented oil and lots of crunchy nuts, they taste delightfully new.

Store-bought sauerkraut undergoes an amazing transformation when gently simmered with apples and white wine. The cabbage's crispness gives way to a seductive silkiness, while the fruit and a spoonful or two of brown sugar offset its acidity.

This bravura sandwich stimulates all the senses. Grilling eggplant instead of frying it adds lightness and smoky complexity.

Chicken breasts are a terrific foundation for an easy-to-make dish that's sweet, salty, dilly, and—is this even a word?—grilly.

Figs combine beautifully with all sorts of salty flavors—prosciutto, for instance, or Gorgonzola, or, of course, bacon. They also add succulent, sumptuous texture.