10,000 pepper recipes

Colorful wagon wheel pasta salad tossed with sautéed red and green peppers, fresh dill, and a zesty Dijon red wine vinaigrette. A crowd-pleasing potluck side that serves 8.

Pasta with kielbasa and sauerkraut brings smoky Polish sausage, tangy kraut, red bell pepper, and Dijon together over ziti with a splash of white wine. A hearty Eastern European pasta dinner.

Homemade tasso from pork shoulder cured in a bold Cajun spice rub with cayenne, paprika, and garlic. No smoker needed, just patience and plastic wrap.

Pork chops and sauerkraut with caraway seeds and tart apple slices, seared on the stovetop and finished in the microwave. A quick weeknight take on a German classic.

Curried egg and chutney dip with cream cheese, Worcestershire, cayenne, and hot sauce. A no-cook party dip that tastes like curried deviled eggs and keeps for weeks.

Bold apple chutney with garlic, fresh ginger, and hot chilies. Simmer tart apples until mushy, then add pear strips that stay intact for texture. Makes 8-10 pints for canning.

Foil-wrapped round steak slow-baked with butter, Worcestershire, onions, red pepper, carrots, and celery. A hands-off one-pan dinner that steams the beef fork-tender in its own juices.

We've kept all the great flavor of the original zesty chicken wings but eliminated some of the fat by using skinless breasts.

A loaded Cajun jambalaya with chicken, ham, Cajun sausage, and shrimp simmered over brown rice with filé powder, cayenne, and fresh tomatoes. Feeds a crowd straight from one big pot.

Potato, artichoke, and leek soup pureed silky smooth with fresh thyme and a touch of Tabasco. Served hot or cold, this creamy soup uses milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter bowl.

Crabmeat stuffed ravioli served with a sauce béchamel. Takes time to make but well worth the effort to impress our just tread yourself!

Classic French compound butter with shallots, garlic paste, and fresh parsley. The essential beurre d'escargots for snails a la Bourguignonne, ready in 15 minutes.

Note: 15 bean mixtures are available packaged in supermarkets and health food stores. If you prefer, make your own by combining equal amounts of dried blackeyed peas, red kidney beans, white kidney beans (cannellini), green lentils, split peas, black beans, yellow split peas, navy beans, cranberry (Roman, shell, or shell out) beans, great Northern beans, pinto beans, small white limas, red lentils, cow peas (field peas), and pink beans. Avoid using beans such as garbanzos and large lima beans, as these take longer to cook than other varities.

Maque choux Thibodaux: Paul Prudhomme's Cajun stewed corn built with a dark pan-caramelized puree, apple and prune juice, peppers, and a silky evaporated milk finish.

Crispy oven-fried Parmesan chicken coats chicken breasts in crushed corn flakes, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes, then bakes until golden. The healthier no-fry alternative to fried chicken.

Cream cheese and Spam whipped with salsa, Worcestershire, and cayenne, then loaded with crunchy bell pepper, celery, and cilantro. A retro party dip that always gets finished.