5 Ingredients or Fewer

When removing the skillet from the oven, beware of the hot handle!

Roasting turns broccoli into an addictive side. This crowd-pleaser can be prepared in no time.

This recipe originally accompanied Jalapeño Popper Fritters with Tomato Salsa .

At first glance, your guests will think this is creamed spinach. One bite and they'll be thrilled to find it's much more exciting than that. Kale, a hearty green, brightens potatoes that have been cooked in cream. Smooth and substantial, this dish is a welcome foil for pork roast with winter fruits or other roasted meats.

In an attempt to simplify hash browns, we spread superthin slices of buttered Yukon Golds in a casserole and baked them in the oven. They came out equal parts tender spuds and crisp golden top—a delicious cross between scalloped potatoes and homemade chips.

After tasting this American classic during a visit to Walt Disney World Resort, Payard gave it a twist by adding bitter cocoa to balance the sweetness.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez's grandmother used to serve tender green beans tossed with mashed potatoes—so this is straight from Nonna's kitchen.

This holiday twist on the traditional brunch cocktail sparkles ruby red with pomegranate juice, its tart intensity offset by a hint of sweetness from fresh orange juice and Cointreau.

"I'm hot-rodding bacon here," said food editor Melissa Roberts, "making it extra-special with a fragrant hit of pepper over a sweet glaze." Rendering the bacon before it's brushed with maple syrup and finished in the oven results in strips with a spectacular crunch.

Nuoc Cham Chay Luke Nguyen: This is the vegetarian equivalent of dipping fish sauce. This sauce is quick and easy to make, and if you want to liven it up, add some pickled vegetables and chile.

Cranberries add sparkle to the meal.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. In this case, because absinthe has a very strong flavor, the recipe doesn't call for much. In fact, a large number of cocktails including the Sazerac, Corpse Reviver #2, and even some tiki drinks call for just a rinse of absinthe. It is always poured into the glass, swirled, and then discarded. But still, it adds a layer of complexity to the final cocktail.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. This is basically an easy way to transform the well-known Absinthe Drip into an iced drink. To make the basic Drip, simply add an ounce of absinthe to a glass, set a sugar cube atop a slotted spoon over the glass, and slowly drip icy-cold water over the cube until it dissolves. Those absinthe fountains that you see in old pictures are full of cold water, not absinthe, and allow boozers to dilute the drink to their preferred level. The absinthe in the glass will "louche," or turn cloudy. Add three to five times as much water as absinthe, to taste.