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

  • Frizzled Egg Spinach Salad

    Bacon and eggs nestle into a dinner salad filled with green beans, mushrooms, and crispy potato wedges. A warm raspberry dressing adds a tangy-sweet finish. 2 large round…

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  • Mediterranean Salmon Wrap

    This Mediterranean-inspired sandwich starts with convenient canned salmon. Wrapped up with silky-sweet roasted red peppers in a lemon-olive oil dressing, this sandwich fills you up without slowing you…

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  • Coconut Chicken Chili

    Spicy sautéed chicken and crisp veggies simmer in a tasty homemade peanut sauce. Serve over jasmine rice for Asian flair. 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, chopped…

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  • Garlic-Basil Shrimp

    Starring frozen shrimp, tomatoes, and fresh basil, this healthy (and easy) pasta toss is sure to become a dinnertime favorite. “The dish is ready in the time it…

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  • Four Cheese with Bacon Mac

    1 1-pound box cavatappi 6 slices bacon, diced 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups 2 percent milk ½ teaspoon onion flakes ¼ teaspoon salt…

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  • Tomato Basil Rigatoni

    ½ cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 3 ounces) 1 16-ounce box rigatoni pasta 1½ cups milk ¼ cup tomato-basil- flavored cream cheese (such as Philadelphia) 4 ounces (4…

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  • Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese

    1 1-pound box elbow macaroni or rotini 1 pound ground sirloin ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons yellow mustard 1 tablespoon unsalted…

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  • Chicken Taco Mac

    1 pound boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half horizontally if large 1 12-ounce box garden radiatore or rotini pasta (such as Ronzoni) 1 sweet red pepper, cored…

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  • Four-Cheese Classic Mac

    1 16-ounce box cavatappi or cellentani (corkscrew-shaped pasta) 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2½ cups 2% milk 1 teaspoon onion powder ½…

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  • Smoky Mac & Cheese

    8 ounces shell macaroni or mini wheels 8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded 6 slices American cheese ¼ to ½ teaspoon mesquite flavoring 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1½…

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