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

  • Lemon Chicken Lasagna

    Our zesty lemon-chicken lasagna is a fresh, fabulous take on the Italian classic — and you can make it ahead. Nonstick cooking spray 1 16-ounce jar roasted garlic…

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  • Creamy Artichoke Lasagna

    With plump artichokes, three different kinds of cheese, garlic, and fresh basil, this lasagna is rich and flavorful. Ingredients 3 cups water ¼ cup lemon juice 15 fresh…

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  • Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

    A tenderloin is the ideal dinner for two: easy, fast and simple. And while this marinated tenderloin would be great as is with some grilled asparagus and corn…

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  • Sunday Sausage Strata

    The “strata” in this classic casserole are layers of bread, cheese and sausage baked in an egg-rich pudding. ½ pound turkey breakfast sausage, (four 2-ounce links), casing removed…

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  • Chile & Beer Braised Brisket

    Brisket, a naturally tough cut, becomes meltingly tender braised in beer and chiles. Try this with corn tortillas or as a filling for enchiladas or tamales. Or serve…

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  • Turkey-Mushroom Burgers

    Ground turkey is the standard lean alternative to ground beef–and a good one–but burgers made from it can be dry and bland. These turkey burgers are particularly moist…

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  • Jamaican Beef Patties

    Patties are Jamaican fast food, a golden-yellow crust encasing a spicy beef, shrimp, chicken or vegetable filling. Traditional versions use butter, shortening, lard—or a combination of the three—to…

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  • Hickory Smoked Burgers with Glazed Apples and Smoked Cheddar

    Burger Patties ½ cup Spiced Apple Butter 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons hickory smoke flavoring 1 teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper 1¼ pounds ground beef chuck…

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  • Southwest Egg Scramble

    Cumin and salsa help spice up the typical, staid plate of scrambled eggs. To take this dish with you, wrap the eggs in a whole-wheat tortilla, and voila…

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  • Zucchini-Wrapped Pork

    For a delicious dinner that’s ready in just 35 minutes, we’ve wrapped roasted pork tenderloin in thinly sliced zucchini strips, roasted it, and topped it with tangy pesto.…

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