10,000 carob recipes

Cheddar cheese ball blends sharp cheddar with cream cheese, onion, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, then chills overnight and rolls in chopped nuts. Classic make-ahead party appetizer with crackers.

California pizza topped with melted cheddar, black olives, sliced avocado, alfalfa sprouts, sour cream, and crumbled bacon. A retro West Coast pizza in 25 minutes.

Creamy crab and artichoke hearts over a bed of sour cream spinach with a cayenne kick. This microwave casserole is on the table in 20 minutes flat.

Mini cheesecakes baked in muffin cups with a graham cracker crust, sour cream topping, and golden lemon sauce. Perfectly portioned individual desserts for parties and potlucks.

Tangy bleu cheese spread blended with cream cheese, white wine, and Worcestershire. Served with sliced California dried figs and crackers for an elegant cheese plate appetizer.

Mini quiches with a crispy rice crust, Swiss cheese, bacon, green chiles, and pimentos. Bite-sized, gluten-free appetizers baked in miniature muffin tins.

Variations: Omit parsley, add tarragon or rosemary.

Rustic corn soup thickened with hard-boiled egg yolks from a 1936 Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook. Half the corn is grated for creamy base, half left whole for sweet bursts of texture.

Mouclade, the classic French Bordeaux mussel dish steamed with shallots, white wine, saffron, and cream. Like moules marière's richer, golden cousin.

Stuffed sole fillets with scallops, crab, shrimp and Monterey Jack cheese. Elegant seafood dish with hollandaise-style sauce baked in 25 minutes.

Pan-sauteed chicken breast with a lemon-caper sauce and fanned avocado slices. A light, Mediterranean-style chicken dish with bright, tangy flavors and no heavy cream.

Mushroom pate with a pound of sauteed mushrooms, dry vermouth, Parmesan, sour cream, and toasted pecans. A rich, earthy spread for crackers and crostini.

Liptauer cheese spread with cream cheese, butter, caraway seeds, capers, mustard, and grated onion. A savory Austrian-Hungarian appetizer served with crackers.

Quick Italian pasta shells tossed with garlic-sauteed shrimp, fresh green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper in olive oil. A 25-minute weeknight dinner with big Mediterranean flavor.

Machaca is a classic Northern Mexican scrambled egg dish with shredded carne asada, sauteed onion, poblano strips, and minced jalapeño. A hearty desayuno ready in 30 minutes.

Grilled veggie burger with pineapple, red onion, Swiss cheese and lettuce on a whole wheat bun. Tropical vegetarian burger ready in 20 minutes.