This duck-lover’s version of the classic southern French casserole includes the bird in the form of rich sausages, bone-in legs and thighs, breast meat, and the traditional confit.

This chile-rubbed, beer-braised pork belly is cooked until tender and served atop arugula and pears. Get the recipe for Beer-Braised Pork Belly Salad »

This Swedish gratin of shredded crabmeat is traditionally made using Västerbotten, a salty aged cows’ milk cheese, but parmesan works well as a substitute. See the recipe for Crab Gratin with Anchovies and Västerbotten Cheese »

This thick, tangy soup from Ludivine restaurant in Oklahoma City gets additional depth of flavor from smoked tomatoes. Add a grilled cheese and you’ve got a perfect weeknight meal. See the recipe for Smoked Tomato Soup »

In this pub staple, gravy is added to minced meat, onions, and any vegetables on hand and topped with a buttery mound of mashed potato is dolloped on top. Get the recipe for Shepherd’s Pie »

Classic, comforting pot pie gets an elegant boost with the addition of shaved black truffles.

In South India, rice and sambar is a daily meal. A stew made from chana dal (yellow split peas), sambar is a spicy medium for vegetables from miniature eggplants to okra to pearl onions. South Indian sambar is bolstered by sambar powder—coriander seeds, red chile, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves, among other spices, that are coarsely ground together—as well as spices typically found in garam masala.

Todd Coleman

This is a pasta dish of strong flavors: dark, earthy kale is offset by bright lemon cream and a warm, aromatic heat from crushed red chiles and garlic.

These German bread dumplings spiced with nutmeg are served in beef-marrow enriched broth for a warming winter soup. Get the recipe for Markklosschensuppe (Beef Marrow Dumpling Soup) »

A thick, dark roux and heaps of okra combine with chicken and sausage in this classic Cajun stew.

Beef meatballs and fresh escarole lend sweet depth to this comforting Italian-American soup. See the recipe for Escarole Soup »

For a riff on classic pasta alla norma, try adding spicy Italian sausage to pasta laden with eggplant and sweet tomatoes. Get the recipe for Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage »

A rich beef and root vegetable stew is made with armagnac, chocolate and, traditionally, Madiran wine. We use pinot noir instead for a lighter, more nuanced version. Get the recipe for Gascon-Style Beef Stew (Daube de Boeuf À la Gasconne) »

The recipe for this spicy, cheese-topped meat loaf comes from home cook Matt Gibbs of Houston, Texas. See the recipe for Southwestern Turkey Meat Loaf »

Loaded with root vegetables and sweet Savoy cabbage, this robust white bean soup from southwestern France is enriched with smoky bacon and duck confit. See the recipe for Garbure Gersoise (Cabbage and White Bean Soup with Duck Confit) »

No one will miss the meat in this creamy, vegetable-laden lasagne with perfectly al dente noodles.