Sarah Mock

Cream cheese recipes are some of the most reliable, crowd-pleasing dishes you can pull from your kitchen repertoire; whether you are headed to a party, feeding your family on a weeknight, or need a no-bake dessert that disappears before you can set it on the table. I have been cooking with cream cheese for years and it remains one of the hardest-working ingredients in my kitchen. It melts into sauces, holds its shape in cheesecakes, and makes every dip taste like it came from a restaurant.

Lazy lasagna is a cheesy, hearty, weeknight dinner made with frozen ravioli, seasoned ground beef, and pasta sauce; all layered in a slow cooker and cooked until melty and satisfying. I developed this as my answer to craving real lasagna on a Tuesday night when nobody has the time or energy to boil noodles, mix ricotta, and babysit a casserole dish.

When you need brownies for a crowd and a 9x13 pan just won't cut it, sheet pan brownies are the answer. My from-scratch recipe bakes up 36 fudgy, double-chocolate squares in a single 13x18-inch pan in just 35 minutes. There is no box mix, no fuss, no running out. Whether it's a bake sale, a potluck, a school party, or just a Sunday when the whole family shows up, this is the pan you reach for.