Brunch

This hearty dish averages about $2 per serving. It's ideal for breakfast or brunch (accompanied by a salad).

Two of summer's tastiest offerings help you spoon up more of the skin-saving antioxidant lycopene.

Spicy, cheesy, and moist! I love this cornbread for dinner on a warm summer night, whether with barbecued meats or just a big old salad. If you don’t have Manchego, you can substitute cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gouda.

This can be a great dish all year round, if you choose the best fruits available. The addition of mint adds a bright, refreshing flavor to the sweetness of the fruit.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Kimberly Kennedy's The Art and Craft of Entertaining. For Kennedy's baby shower tips click here.

Editor's note: The recipe below is from Kimberly Kennedy's The Art and Craft of Entertaining. For Kennedy's baby shower tips click here.

Juicy tomatoes mingle with softly scrambled eggs in a saucy dish that's delicious over rice.

We're not dismissing the sweeter side of pain perdu (French toast), but custardy, golden bread just as easily goes savory. Here, it’s baked into a puffy, cheesy base for poached eggs and a salad.

The burger's undeniable appeal and infinite flexibility have inspired culinary luminaries like Bobby Flay and Laurent Tourondel to devote entire restaurants to the humble sandwich. And despite what purists might say, some of today’s best burgers aren't even made with beef. Patties made of lamb, bison, or seafood (like the crab burgers here) are increasingly popular. Toasted bread, a pita pocket, or even a lettuce leaf are fun standins for the traditional bun. In our homage to the modern burger, the crab patties are served open-face with a spicy red pepper dressing.

It's the possibilities in that blank crust that make pizza so much fun. Lately, we've been obsessed with white pizza. Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with mozzarella, and then let the fun begin. Without the acidity of the tomato sauce to contend with, you can really experiment. In this version, asparagus adds freshness and a hit of color, goat cheese brings a creamy tang, and fingerling potatoes (yes, potatoes) round out the pie with their richness.

Most chefs don't focus on salads. Maybe that's how "chef’s salad" came to mean a pile of iceberg lettuce topped with bits of cheese, strips of cold cuts, and wedges of hard-boiled eggs. But with all the fantastic American cheeses and locally produced charcuterie available today, it's time to put the "chef" back in the chef's salad. It doesn't take long to arrange the meats and cheeses atop a bed of interesting greens, then whip up our quince dressing, drizzle—and dine.

These cold Vietnamese-style noodles are perfect for a warm night. The rice stick noodles, fish sauce, and chili-garlic sauce can be found in the Asian section of many supermarkets and at As ian markets.

Here's an updated version of a classic comfort-food casserole.

This recipe yields enough to make the "shortcakes," too.

Dried berries and cherries are sold at most supermarkets in the dried-fruit aisle.

This batter is very adaptable: If you want savory crêpes, simply omit the sugar. For flavored crêpes, replace the vanilla with a flavored extract such as almond, a liquor like rum or brandy, or a flavored liquor such as Kirsch or Amaretto. Crêpes freeze well—you can make a big batch and stack them, separated by sheets of waxed paper, in a tightly sealed container or plastic bag. Stored this way, they'll keep for several months. Allow them to defrost at room temperature, then reheat as described in the do-ahead instructions below. These crêpes can be served with any number of different fillings. One traditional French option is a hearty squeeze of fresh lemon juice and light dusting of sugar. Sliced fresh bananas and a drizzle of Nutella are also popular.

I can't think of a better sandwich to take along to the beach, enjoy next to the pool, or keep on hand in the fridge than these wraps. The combination of olives, goat cheese, frisée, and red pepper reminds me of the Mediterranean Sea, making any summer occasion seem slightly more exotic. Thanks to the durable flour tortillas, which can hold alot of heft and moisture without soaking through and tearing, these sandwiches can be made ahead of time.