Oven Bake

Oysters Rockefeller were created in 1899 by Jules Alciatore of Antoine's in New Orleans to make use of local shellfish and greens. Named for John D. Rockefeller, this classic course is likewise quite rich.

This makes a great dish for brunch or lunch.

Loosely translated from the Yiddish, tzimmes means "a fuss over something," but in culinary terms, it's commonly a casserole of various fruits, vegetables and/or meats.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "I first discovered that fennel was a delicious vegetable while enjoying Christmas Eve dinner at the home of a dear friend of mine, the late cooking teacher Loni Kuhn. At her own family's holiday meals, a gratin of fennel, potatoes and cheese was a much appreciated standard. The mild anise flavor of cooked fennel goes particularly well with roast turkey or roast pork, and it has been a regular at my family's holiday table for more than twenty years."

These individual vegetable terrines can be assembled a day ahead.

For a quick sauce to go with the fish, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and chopped fresh dill.

"The day before Thanksgiving, my grandmother would make trays of corn bread for this stuffing," says food writer Janet Fletcher. "We grandkids would crack the pecans for the stuffing; the nuts came from the trees in her back yard."

Here's a classic Irish combination.

This zesty, eye-opening casserole can be made with either pork or beef chorizo.

This is one of my mom's concoctions. Could it be any simpler?

Tamale pie, made with a cornmeal-mush crust, dates back to 1911. In this recipe, we use ready-made polenta packaged in a roll. The spicy beef filling takes advantage of the excellent bottled salsas and canned refried beans now crowding market shelves.

Not your typical corn bread dressing, this one from Michael McLaughlin features smoky ham and sautéed fennel.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 35 min

A crunchy, savory crumb topping makes broccoli irresistible — really!

For more information about cooking wild rice, see Born to Be Wild. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 40 min