Russet Potato

This composed salad is a variation of a recipe from Chef Antonio Ortega of Príncipe y Serrano in Madrid, Spain.

This soup is very thick; it can be thinned with additional chicken broth, if desired.

Terrific with roast chicken, lamb or steak.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, a contributing editor to Bon Appétit, says, "Every year, my family gets together for a big buffet, and soup is always the appetizer. The host greets the rest of the family at the door with a small cup of soup and a glass of wine. Each year the soup changes, but this one is particularly nice. It has lots of flavor and a creamy texture, yet isn’t so rich that it spoils the appetite."

Piping the filling into the potato shells with a pastry bag makes an attractive presentation. You can also just spoon in the filling and crosshatch the top with the tines of a fork.

Shallots, cayenne pepper and cheddar, the king of Wisconsin cheeses, all add a distinctive flavor to this appealing dish.

A rich, delicious stove-top side dish with a silky texture. This pairs especially well with the Porcini-Rubbed Turkey with Shiitake-Madeira Gravy — or grilled steaks on any other day in November. You can make the potatoes eight hours ahead and reheat them just before serving.

The moist interior and crisp crust call out for a main course of roast chicken or fish with pan juices.

Alice Marcus Solovy of Skokie, Illinois, writes: "Although I'm retired now, I like recipes that are fairly quick. Usually I'm just cooking for my husband and daughter, but occasionally we're joined by our eldest daughter and her family. When it comes to getting dinner ready, I have a system. While the main course is cooking, I'll prepare the potatoes and other side dishes. When guests come over, I'm not too fond of letting them help in the kitchen. I'm kind of a tyrant that way. I'd rather make dinner myself and have it all ready." To cut down on the cooking time, these potatoes are cooked in the microwave first, then stuffed and rewarmed in the oven.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says. "My mother never put sun-dried tomatoes in her mashed potatoes, as I do in this recipe. She made them ahead, then topped them with Parmesan and butter, and baked them. I've always loved those potatoes, and the layer of chopped sun-dried tomatoes I've added provides some terrific extra flavor."

If you cut up the potatoes ahead of time, keep them in cold water so that they don't discolor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Rather than frying many batches of small latkes on the stove, you can prepare two large ones that are browned in the oven, then cut into wedges. Offer the Three-Apple Applesauce alongside.

Mashed potatoes are formed into dumplings and served as an accompaniment to sauerbraten at Haussner's, a German restaurant in Baltimore.