Recipes with garlic powder

Oyster and plantation soup builds a Caribbean-Creole bisque from ripe plantains, onions, coconut milk, and cream spiked with cayenne, basil, and tarragon, then poaches fresh oysters in their own liquor. A briny-sweet seafood soup with island roots.

Competition-style Texas chili with 4 pounds of cubed round steak, 14 spices including curry and cinnamon, green chiles, and a secret weapon: milk chocolate melted in at the end.

Breakfast sausage bread rolls mild and hot Italian sausage, mushrooms, onion, and mozzarella into a stuffed jelly-roll loaf for sliceable, freezer-friendly brunch wedges that beat any boxed pastry.

Bean burrito casserole layers tortillas with pinto beans, brown rice, and scallions under a homemade chili-spiked enchilada sauce. Vegetarian make-ahead Mexican casserole baked in one dish.

Very delicious grilled cabbage, almost the best one I have ever tasted.

Sirloin steaks pan-cooked in a tangy lemon juice, mustard, and steak sauce mixture, topped with crispy French fried onions. A fast weeknight steak dinner with built-in flavor.

Chicken olive and mushroom bread pudding: savory layered casserole with curried chicken, black olives, mushrooms, and a cream-of-chicken sour cream top. Make-ahead party dish for sixteen.

Cajun barbecue sauce with bacon, pecans, honey, and citrus blended smooth. A spicy-sweet sauce with three peppers, orange rind, and Tabasco for chicken, pork, or ribs.

Slow cooker salsa chicken with Brussels sprouts, Ro-Tel tomatoes, jalapeno, and cayenne pepper. Set it and forget it for 7 hours on low for a spicy, hands-off dinner.

Microwave taco salad with hot Italian sausage, green chilies, and Monterey Jack over crisp lettuce and tomatoes. Single-person dinner ready in 20 minutes start to finish.

Toasted pita chips split, cut, and bake pita bread into crisp triangles for dips, soups, and lunchboxes. Two ingredients, eight-minute bake, much better than store-bought.

Southwestern beef and bean burger wraps with quick guacamole, pepper jack, and salsa rolled into whole-wheat tortillas. A 25-minute broiled burger with refried beans mixed into the patty for extra flavor and fiber.

Brown rice salad tossed with French dressing, water chestnuts, snow peas, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. A crunchy, make-ahead cold rice salad for potlucks and picnics.

Parmesan bread sticks: four-ingredient twisted breadsticks from frozen bread dough, dipped in egg white and Parmesan-garlic coating. Sixteen restaurant-style sticks in 30 minutes.

Hot three-cheese dip baked until bubbling, with sharp cheddar, cream cheese, and parmesan thickened by refried beans and spiced with chili and garlic. A scoop-ready Tex-Mex dip for chips and game day.

Cauliflower broccoli cheese bake with sauteed vegetables layered in cheesy gravy, topped with nutritional yeast and paprika. A vegan-friendly casserole with a savory, golden crust.