2,155 main dish recipes

Radiant chicken bake layers floured browned chicken with green chilies, tomatoes, carrots, and lemon slices, then oven-braises for an hour. Southwest-style one-casserole family dinner.

Seafood cocktail salad with shrimp, avocado, honeydew, cantaloupe, orange, and strawberries on lettuce, dressed with a tangy cocktail-sauce-and-salad-dressing mix. A light summer main course.

Salmon fillets briefly braised on a tender bed of chiffonade leeks with garlic, lemon, and fresh tarragon. A 25-minute French-leaning dinner where the leeks become the sauce.

Grilled swordfish sandwiches marinated in lemon and oregano, topped with a cool cucumber-yogurt sauce and peppery watercress on a crusty roll. A Greek-inspired summer dinner in 30 minutes.

Pan-fried fish fillets finished with a quick boiling sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil sauce, punched up with fresh parsley, chives, and chervil. A French bistro classic that cooks in under 10 minutes.

Fish and corn chiles rellenos Hunter-style: roasted poblanos stuffed with flaked sole, sweet corn, crispy potatoes, onion, and Monterey Jack. A Mexican coastal twist on the classic.

Spicy Thai cold pasta salad with red and green bell peppers, scallions, and toasted black sesame seeds in a hot sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and mirin dressing. A fast vegetarian potluck salad served chilled.

Steamed shrimp cooked shell-on in a spiced broth with celery, peppers, scallion, and a kick of cayenne. Serve the peel-and-eat shrimp with the cooking liquid for dunking garlic bread. Messy, casual, and fun.

Grilled swordfish kebabs in a zesty lime-cilantro and pineapple marinade, skewered with cherry tomatoes, peppers and red onion. Meaty swordfish holds up on the grill for an easy summer dinner.

Gramma Bahrt's salmon piroghi, a hearty double-crust pie layered with stock-cooked rice, flaked salmon, hard-boiled eggs and buttery chives. A Russian-style salmon pie baked golden and glossy.

Granny's chicken and sausage gumbo, built on a deep brown roux and loaded with okra, smoky sausage, and tender chicken. Thickened twice with okra and file, simmered low, and ladled over hot rice.

A homemade pepper and mushroom pizza on a from-scratch yeast crust, spread with a creamy blended cottage cheese and Parmesan sauce instead of red sauce, then loaded with mozzarella. A lighter, veggie-packed pie.

Vegetarian Mexican chili burgers made with seven-grain cereal, brown rice, tofu, green chilies, and cumin. Pan-fried golden brown with no meat needed. Makes 12 patties.

Red bell peppers stuffed with spiced ground beef, rice, toasted walnuts, raisins, and olives, then baked until tender. A one-dish dinner with sweet and savory filling.

Grilled chicken breasts with a curried peach and Vidalia onion relish spiked with cayenne, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Make the relish up to 5 days ahead.

French country chicken: pounded chicken breasts sautéed and topped with a light shallot and mushroom pan sauce built with white wine, chicken broth, and fresh rosemary. Ready in under 30 minutes, no cream.