Recipe roundup: Classic recipes to try this spring

This light, colorful gratin can be made year-round. Just substitute canned diced and drained tomatoes if fresh tomatoes are not at their prime. 

Take it easy for dinner tonight with this delicious meal that’ s ready in a flash. Ritz cracker chicken takes ho-hum boneless, skinless chicken breasts and two common pantry staples— mayonnaise and Ritz crackers— and turns them into a crisp and juicy main dish. It’ s a chicken dinner that you’ ll find yourself making again and again.

In this baked asparagus recipe, tender-crisp asparagus spears are smothered with a creamy cheese sauce, then the casserole is topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs. 

These baked carrots fries are a playful alternative to potato fries or sweet potato fries, and are an easy way to add a vegetable to your family’s plate. They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and just begging for your favorite dipping sauce.

The inspiration for this stir-fry: curried noodles from our local takeout shop. The combination of crisp-crunchy vegetables with tender noodles pleases the whole family. For seasoning, simply mix bottled curry powder with chicken broth, garlic and ginger.

Make no mistake, country-style ribs are not really ribs. Instead, they are rib-size cuts from the shoulder end of the pork loin. The meaty pieces need less cooking time than ribs.