Spices

Homemade spice mixes can even the speediest meals taste better. To make your own chili seasoning, you only need five ingredients — and at least half of them are probably in your spice cabinet already. Homemade chili seasoning makes a near perfect pot of Classic Beef Chili, but can just as readily spice up a pot of Instant Pot black beans or a pan of roasted sweet potatoes. Here’s what you need to make chili seasoning at home.

The sauce is everything.

This vegetable jambalaya is faster and just as good, in my opinion, as traditional jambalaya (which typically has andouille sausage, chicken and/or seafood). With the “holy trinity” of vegetables, juicy tomatoes, and long-grain rice, this is a fantastic main dish (with some optional add-ins, if you want) or a hearty side dish to serve alongside your favorite main.

A hot and fruity Mexican Christmas punch.

Look to the people who survive winters with only a few hours of sunlight each day for the coziest winter drink.

It's tropical and coconut-y.

And it's so easy!

You can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure.

Just add water.

For all the cinnamon-lovers out there, here are 15 recipes you won't be able to resist.

Get ready for the whole table to rave.

Because leftover Thanksgiving sandwiches are overrated.

Can’t get enough of the crunchy, buttery topping.

A zesty, vibrant herb-packed sauce for everything from meat to potatoes.

You probably have all the ingredients you need to make it already.

It's that good.

I never celebrate Thanksgiving without it.

No grill, no problem.

Trust us: This is best (and easiest!) thing you'll cook in your Instant Pot this year.

A basic recipe for beginners and seasoned bakers alike.

Spiking is optional but highly encouraged.

Never buy a bottle again.

It uses the leaked secret spice blend from KFC.

Plus: our secret for making them extra tall and flaky.

For when you're bored of chicken (and pork chops).

Plus, there's little to no clean up.

No road trip required.

Move over, ketchup and Sriracha! When it comes to versatile red condiments, harissa is my absolute favorite. This Tunisian chile sauce is a fantastic shortcut to spice up a meal and can be used with everything from meat to vegetables, couscous, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, as a dip for bread … the list is truly endless. Making them is easy; you can blend the chiles into a thick paste with garlic, olive oil, and aromatic spices.

Can you slice vegetables and boil brine? Then you can make refrigerator pickles.

It's packed with rich and smoky flavor.

It's better than anything you could get at the drive-thru

If you think you detect a hint of chocolate in your chili, you're not wrong.

It doesn't get any more epic than this.

Ready in 2 days.

Toss the frozen shrimp straight onto the sheet pan.

One bite and you'll wonder why you haven't been making fruit salad this way all along.

This recipe takes less than five minutes to pull together and then rewards you with a delicious, healthy dinner at the end of the day.

Learn the keys to cooking rosy-pink pork tenderloin on the grill every time.

After visiting a za’atar farm in Lebanon and bringing home a couple bags of the tangy, herbaceous blend of dried za’atar herb, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt, I’m inspired to start using it more in my cooking. Luckily, I’m not the first to fall in love with this Middle Eastern condiment, so it isn’t hard to find tons of great recipes that use za’atar in tasty ways. Stateside, you can buy some za’atar blends made with the herb itself.

These fajitas have roasted sweet potato slices dusted in cumin and smoked paprika. Stuff them into warm tortillas and drizzle with a tangy yogurt and lime crema.

Chicken biryani is a dish for celebration. If you need to feed a crowd or host a dinner party, choose this biryani which will excite your guests with the aromas of the dish made in a slow cooker. The biryani is made with par-cooked rice and marinated chicken before they go into the slow cooker. The traditional method for cooking biryanis includes covering a large brazier with dough to trap the heat. In this recipe, the slow cooker is sealed with foil to produce a similar steamed effect.

Imagine all the things you can sprinkle this on!

The best bacon you'll ever eat is sweet, smoky, and spicy.

Who said cakes have to be sweet?

Stash these in your freezer ASAP.

Literally easier than pie.

This is a curry dish that benefits from a nice, long simmer anyway, so why not let that happen while you're off doing other things?

Eat them straight from the sheet pan, or make spicy, saucy tacos.

From the ingredients you use to the foods you put them on, flavored salts are wide open to your imagination. Start with a flaky salt, add herbs, spices, or other ingredients, and you have a quick, unique way to season everything from sliced tomatoes to chocolate cakes. They make wonderful edible gifts, too. Here’s a step-by-step recipe with basic ratios to get you started, plus tips for how to use seasoned salts, and a few of our favorite ingredient combinations.

It doesn't get much easier than this.