Carter Family Recipes

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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

  • Jägerschnitzel with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Jägerschnitzel with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Jägerschnitzel is a hearty German pork dish featuring thin, golden schnitzel paired with a savory mushroom cream sauce. The pork is lightly breaded and pan-fried until crisp, while…

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  • Shrimp Oreganata

    Shrimp Oreganata

    Shrimp Oreganata is a classic Italian-American seafood dish featuring large shrimp baked beneath a savory topping of garlic, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and crisp breadcrumbs. Dry white wine,…

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  • French Onion Butter Beans

    French Onion Butter Beans

    Creamy butter beans are simmered with deeply caramelized onions, garlic, thyme, dry sherry, and a rich savory broth, then finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Gruyère. The result has the…

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  • Marry Me Chicken

    Marry Me Chicken

    Golden pan-seared chicken is finished in a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce with garlic, white wine, Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil, thyme, and a touch of lemon. The sauce is creamy…

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  • Sticky Barbecue Chicken Thigh Rolls

    Boneless chicken thighs are marinated in a savory-sweet soy mixture, rolled tightly into compact cylinders, and baked in foil so they hold their shape. After baking, the rolls…

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  • Velveted Chicken and Noodles Stir-Fry

    Velveted Chicken and Noodles Stir-Fry

    Inspired by the original Quick Chicken and Noodles Stir-Fry recipe from Rene Carter’s Kitchen, this updated version uses the Chinese technique of velveting to create exceptionally tender, silky…

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  • No-Bake Cajun Shrimp Cheesecake

    An elegant no-bake appetizer featuring a buttery cracker-and-pecan crust topped with a creamy Cajun filling loaded with tender shrimp, fresh herbs, cucumber, lemon, and a gentle touch of…

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  • Potato-Crust Quiche

    Potato-Crust Quiche

    A crisp, savory potato crust surrounds a creamy filling of eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, bacon, chives and mozzarella. Baking and ricing the potatoes creates a relatively dry, sturdy…

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  • Buffalo Chicken Caesar Crunch Wrap

    Buffalo Chicken Caesar Crunch Wrap

    This Buffalo Chicken Caesar Crunch Wrap combines crispy breaded chicken, tangy homemade Caesar dressing, sweet-and-spicy Buffalo sauce, cool romaine lettuce, melted mozzarella, Parmesan Reggiano, and crunchy croutons inside…

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  • Crispy Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos

    Crispy Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos

    These Crispy Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos combine a golden Parmesan-panko chicken crust with warm flour tortillas, cool romaine, crunchy garlic croutons, and a bright homemade Caesar dressing. Ground…

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