Main Courses
A main course gives a meal its center, whether that is a piece of meat, a seafood preparation, pasta, or a vegetable-based dish. Casseroles, sandwiches, rolled dishes, and filled tortillas bring different serving styles to this collection. Begin with an ingredient or dish type, then choose a preparation suited to the table you are planning.
Browse the posts below, or choose a subcategory when available.
Barbecue
Chicken thighs with white barbecue sauce, glazed thigh rolls, and a layered barbecue pie offer different expressions of barbecue flavor. Browse these dishes for the cooking method and serving style described in each recipe.
Beef
Beef carpaccio, stuffed cabbage rolls, steak preparations, and other dishes bring different cuts and cooking methods into this collection. Choose a beef main course by its texture, accompaniments, and preparation.
Burritos
Filled tortillas become a portable meal or a portion to slice in these burrito preparations. Breakfast wraps, Thai peanut chicken, and shrimp Alfredo variations offer different fillings within a rolled form.
Casseroles
A casserole brings several ingredients into a dish that can be portioned at the table. Poblano chicken, chiles rellenos, and barbecue pie offer different flavors and layers within the collection.
Egg Dishes & Entrées
Eggs can anchor a meal beyond breakfast through an omelette, a sandwich filling, or another savory preparation. These dishes offer ways to bring a familiar ingredient into an entrée.
Enchiladas
Sauced tortillas and baked layers are at the center of these enchilada recipes. Mother’s cheese enchiladas, chicken casseroles, and sausage-gravy breakfast variations offer different ways to bring a warm tortilla dish to the table.
Freezer-Friendly Meals
Croissant breakfast casseroles, meatball pasta bakes, and stuffed shells offer dishes to prepare with freezer storage in mind. Follow each recipe’s directions for freezing, thawing, and reheating the finished meal.
Lamb
A raspberry-balsamic and pecan-crusted rack of lamb represents this small collection. Fruit acidity and a nut coating offer contrasts around the lamb in this main-course preparation.
Pasta
Orzo, noodles, and other pasta forms carry sauces and accompanying ingredients in different ways. Browse pasta dishes from a shrimp preparation to chicken and noodle recipes with contrasting cooking styles.
Pork
Pork chops, stuffed cabbage, and tenderloin Wellington bring different cuts into the main-course collection. Browse by the cut, cooking approach, and accompaniments that suit the meal you want to prepare.
Poultry
Chicken, turkey, and pheasant provide several starting points for a poultry meal. Skillet dishes, smoked preparations, pies, and rolled servings give this collection a range of methods and textures.
Quesadillas
A crisp tortilla and a warm filling give quesadillas their appeal in this collection. Egg, crab rangoon, and cheese preparations offer different flavors within a folded or layered tortilla dish.
Roulades
A roulade gathers filling and an outer layer into a rolled serving. Turkey with ricotta and spinach, steak pinwheels, and porchetta offer different approaches to shaping and slicing the main course.
Sandwiches
Egg salad, chicken Parmesan, and other fillings turn bread into the center of a meal. Browse sandwiches for the combination of bread, filling, and sauce that suits the serving you want.
Seafood
Shrimp chowders, salmon preparations, and other fish and shellfish dishes bring seafood into the main course. Browse by ingredient and cooking method for a dish with the texture and accompaniments you want.
Tacos
Jerk shrimp, Kung Pao chicken, and chipotle shrimp offer different fillings for tacos. The collection includes adaptations and fusion dishes alongside other preparations built around a tortilla and its toppings.
Tamales
Vegetables, cheese, and green chiles provide fillings for these tamales. The collection includes calabacitas con queso and poblano preparations, with the method shaping each wrapped serving.
Vegetarian
Vegetable rollatini, butter beans, and pasta dishes offer main-course ideas with a vegetarian direction. Browse by the ingredients and method, checking the full recipe for the suitability you need.
In this collection
Potato Gratin
In this classic gratin, thinly sliced potatoes soak up all the goodness of a milk-and-cream mixture that has been spiked with nutmeg. A sprinkling of grated Gruyere cheese…
Chicken Paillards with Lemon-Butter Sauce
Lemon segments give this dish great flavor. To segment the fruit, cut away all the peel and white pith. Then slice along the membranes. Serve the chicken and…
How to Prepare Chicken Paillards
Every cook needs a trick or two up her sleeve, a tried-and-true technique to rely on when time is short and people are hungry. Preparing paillards is one…
Pork Paillards with Sour Cream-Paprika Sauce
This pan sauce is enriched with sour cream instead of butter. Serve the pork and sauce over egg noodles tossed with butter and finely chopped parsley. 16 pork…
How to Prepare Pork Paillards
Every cook needs a trick or two up her sleeve, a tried-and-true technique to rely on when time is short and people are hungry. Preparing paillards is one…
Northern Fried Chicken Recipe
While the South may have a reputation for some of the country’s best fried chicken, this “Northern” fried chicken from Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s “Blue Ribbon Cookbook” has…
Tuna Noodle Casserole
This comforting and reliable classic features tuna, egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup and peas. 1 can (10¾ ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98%…
Quick Chicken and Noodles Stir-Fry
A quick and satisfying stir-fry featuring tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and ramen noodles tossed in a savory sauce. This easy one-pan meal is perfect for a busy weeknight.…
Spaghetti 101 with Garlic Bread
The secret to making authentic Italian spaghetti with red sauce lies in the ingredients — only the highest-quality ones will do. Fortunately, you can stock most of the…

Perfect Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
This recipe’s quickness depends on getting all the sauce ingredients and cooking equipment ready before you start cooking. Then, when the water’s boiling, start the pasta, and sauté…
