Make Ahead

This gratin is particularly welcomed on the holiday table by those who love sweet potatoes and hate marshmallows. The cream and butter make this so delicious your guests will lie in bed and remember it happily all year long. You only serve this kind of dish once in a very long while, so the caloric intake is moderated. If your meal has too many sweet potatoes, see the variation for turnip gratin.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Baked Ham with Mustard-Red Currant Glaze and Rhubarb Chutney .

Rosemary Leicht of Bethel, Ohio, writes: "I've been a finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off three times, so I'm something of an expert at cooking with prepared doughs and bread mixes. Even though these items are simple to use, many people don't venture beyond the package directions. For each contest, I experimented with dozens of recipes, and some of my favorites have been breakfast dishes and desserts. Nowadays I don't enter as many competitions as I used to, but my family still looks forward to my latest creations." Look for cinnamon chips in the supermarket's baking section.

Accompany the shrimp with grilled zucchini and yellow squash.

For convenience, these can be made up to three days ahead.

The vitamin C tablet in this recipe keeps the apple juice from turning brown.

This colorful dish plays with the Basque sauté of red and green bell peppers. The Sherry wine vinegar gives the salad a delicious sweet-tangy edge.

The delicately flavored fruit chayote is ubiquitous in the central highlands of Mexico. It varies greatly in size, ranges in color from white to dark green, and can have prickly or smooth skin. The variety most commonly available in the United States (also known as a vegetable pear or mirliton) has smooth, pale green skin that can be eaten but is sometimes removed.

Rillettes, potted meat spreads, are a French specialty traditionally done with pork and goose. This lighter version makes for a delicious, contemporary canapé.

Prepare a day ahead, and chill overnight. Look for bulgur (also called cracked wheat) in natural foods stores and supermarkets.

Eggplant adds a nutty flavor. Open a light-bodied Valpolicella from Italy for the meal.

Vanilla and Almond Frosting is an accompaniment for this recipe.

Few sauces are as simple to prepare as this low-calorie, nonfat one.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Jamie Oliver This dish was created by my mum, Sally Oliver, on the occasion of the birth of her second granddaughter, Daisy Boo Oliver. Be sure the rhubarb you use is nice and juicy, and lay it, pretty side down, over the syrup so it looks nice when you take the cake out of the pan.

Eric: If you have to make mussel broth for another recipe and don't know what to do with all the leftover mussels, this dish is the perfect solution. On the other hand, if you want to make this salad and don't have a use for the broth, just freeze it. Maguy: The crunchy diced vegetables contrast perfectly with the softness of the mussels, even though it's not the wonderful moules marinière of my childhood.