Serves 4 to 6

This recipe can be doubled and prepared in a Dutch oven, but the cooking time will need to be doubled as well.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
While developing our Smokehouse Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe, we found that the right temperature and the right slice were key. We thinly sliced the sweet potatoes and cooked them covered, on the stovetop, on low heat with a small amount of butter and cream. The low heat allowed the potatoes in our recipe to release their liquid, which produced the steam that cooked them.

Serves 12
After it’s mixed in step 1, the dough will be very sticky, so coat your hands with flour before you move it to the greased bowl. The test kitchen’s favorite brand of tomato paste is Goya. The fresh basil is important here; if all you have is dried, skip the basil altogether.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For this super-size pizza, we create a dense, sturdy dough with a quick knead in the food processor and a double rise—once in the bowl, once on the baking sheet. Sugar and olive oil make for a rich, well-seasoned crust, and more oil on the pan produces a crisp, browned bottom. Parbaking the crust with a layer of Parmesan cheese before adding the sauce creates a barrier, preventing the crust from turning soggy, and giving the baked pizza a rest before slicing allows it to finish setting up.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2013/03/secrets-to-sheet-pan-pizza/

Serves 6 to 8

Why this recipe works:
Following the success of our Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna, we decided to create a hearty sausage version. Boosting the flavors of the ricotta filling with a hefty amount of Parmesan and some fragrant basil certainly helped our cause, as did boldly flavored Italian sausage. To keep things simple, we found spooning dollops of ricotta over the noodles—instead of spreading it—and pinching off pieces of raw sausage helped to streamline assembly. As for the sauce, the test kitchen’s favorite jarred sauce (Bertolli Tomato and Basil Sauce) worked perfectly.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Short-grain brown rice (see related How To Cook) can also be used.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To bump up the flavor of our basic brown rice recipe, we made a few easy additions. Caramelizing onions in a Dutch oven before stirring in the rice and incorporating chicken broth into the cooking liquid had a positive impact. Fresh herbs and a squeeze of citrus just before serving brightened our brown rice recipe.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Short-grain brown rice (see related How To Cook) can also be used.

SERVES 4 TO 6

If you cannot find Andouille sausage, substitute chorizo, linguiça, or kielbasa. Short-grain brown rice can also be used in this recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To bump up the flavor of our basic brown rice recipe, we made a few easy additions. Caramelizing onions in a Dutch oven before stirring in the rice and incorporating chicken broth into the cooking liquid had a positive impact. Fresh herbs and a squeeze of citrus just before serving brightened our brown rice recipe.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Short-grain brown rice (see related How To Cook) can also be used.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To bump up the flavor of our basic brown rice recipe, we made a few easy additions. Caramelizing onions in a Dutch oven before stirring in the rice and incorporating chicken broth into the cooking liquid had a positive impact. Fresh herbs and a squeeze of citrus just before serving brightened our brown rice recipe.

Serves 8 to 10

Our favorite lasagna noodles are Barilla No Boil. You can thaw the spinach overnight in the refrigerator instead of microwaving it. But do warm the spinach liquid to help smooth the ricotta.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
To make a spinach lasagna worthy of its name, the first step was simple: increase the spinach. Frozen spinach tastes just as good as fresh and cuts down on kitchen time as well. For the finest, most even texture, we use the food processor to chop the spinach and to smooth out the ricotta cheese. The final secret for extra spinach flavor is using some of the spinach liquid but not enough to make the lasagna watery. We nixed the traditional creamy béchamel in favor of a fresh, herb-flecked tomato sauce but still layered in plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan for added richness.

Serves 6 to 8

We prefer white wine vinegar here, but white and cider vinegars are acceptable substitutes.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Bottled ranch dressing sounds like a quick way to dress up potato salad, but many ranch potato salad recipes are surprisingly dull and bland. We found that red-skinned potatoes were key to our Ranch Potato Salad recipe—they hold their shape better than other types. Peeling the potatoes allowed them to absorb more dressing. For a flavorful dressing, we doubled the amount of cilantro used in most ranch potato salad recipes and added fresh garlic and scallions for a welcome bite. Dijon mustard and vinegar provide acidity and bite, while chopped roasted red peppers are a sweet counterpoint. Just a dash of dried dill lends the perfect amount of dill flavor. To better season the potatoes, we tossed the hot spuds first with just the Dijon mustard and vinegar.

Serves 6

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Cooking canned pinto beans for our Chicken Tostadas with Spicy Cabbage Slaw in a skillet along with some of the juice from the can gave them a creamy texture similar to refried beans. Tasters preferred queso fresco—a fresh, soft Mexican cheese available in many markets—in our Chicken Tostadas with Spicy Cabbage Slaw; however, we found we could use crumbled feta cheese instead. To save time we went with a bag of coleslaw mix instead of making the slaw from scratch. Using jarred jalapeños allowed us to add some of the brine to flavor the tostada filling as well as the slaw.