Oven Bake

Here's a delightful variation on the fried-chicken theme, with cornmeal adding welcome crunch. To accompany the meal, serve white wine spritzers and fresh lemonade garnished with mint sprigs.

To complete this meatless supper, have Italian bread and mesclun salad with pine nuts. End the meal with any type of winter fruit tart from the bakery.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 12 hr (includes soaking beans)

Whether you're watching the Super Bowl or just having friends over for a party, these potatoes are a great hors d'oeuvre. Feel free to double the recipe if you're expecting a big crowd.

Buckwheat — which grows well in cold climates — has a solid place in French-Canadian cuisine. Buckwheat crêpes can be traced back to Brittany, and buckwheat pancakes are a regular part of a Canadian breakfast. These "noodles," made from savory crêpes, are a contemporary twist on this classic dish.

This recipe is based on a delicious dish made by Laura DaMiano, a Quebecois chef. She loves the flavor of butternut squash paired with Oka cheese, a mild, semisoft cow's-milk cheese. Mild Cheddar can be used as a substitute. If you are making this entire menu in a single oven, and you are not making the scalloped squash ahead, you can bake the squash while the ham is standing after braising.

There will be about 3/4 cup of parsley pesto left over after making this lasagne.

What to drink: Offer a Pinot Grigio with these toasts.

Crisp rounds of potato are layered with wild mushrooms in this hearty dish. Prepare both galettes in the morning, then reheat them after the turkey comes out of the oven.

This dish is delicious over couscous, which will absorb the flavorful broth.

This delicious variation on a side-dish classic is made with red potatoes and flavored with a full head of roasted garlic. This recipe is an accompaniment for Chicken and Mashed Potatoes with Herb-roasted Tomatoes and Olive Broth .

If you don't happen to have any day-old corn bread on hand, just follow our recipe — fresh regular corn bread may be too moist. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes making corn bread)

Finnan Haddie Gratin Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

More sophisticated than macaroni and cheese—and just as good. Use a cheese slicer to make the very thin slices of Fontina called for here.

We have given no-boil lasagne noodles as an alternative to fresh because regular dried lasagne noodles often have curly edges and are too thick. Active time: 1 3/4 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Creamy potatoes are baked in a casserole.

This rich, creamy version of twice-baked potatoes can be assembled and refrigerated one day before the final baking.