Don’t believe a sweet treat featuring slop could be delicious? Think of the secret ingredient as oatmeal instead and you’ll understand just how good these chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (featuring a hefty dose of butter, of course) really are. Use the cookies to make Big Brother Ice Cream Sandwiches and they’re off the charts —and a perfect snack to go with the Big Brother Season 19 premiere on June 28. Get our Big Brother Slop recipe, and see another tasty way to work it into your menu with our Big Brother Lemon Chive Waffles recipe.

Say you made a big batch of Big Brother slop (just go with it) —you might get tired of eating it in bowls, no matter what garnishes you’re piling on. So here’s a recipe for Lemon Chive Waffles that works in about a cup of slop (or call it oatmeal, if that’s more appealing). The waffles get a nutritional boost and a bit of texture, while remaining light and fluffy from the addition of whipped egg whites, and bright with lemon zest and juice. Topped off with thick, tangy crème fraîche, luscious smoked salmon, and briny pops of caviar, this is the most decadent way to work slop into your diet yet —and perfect for serving at your viewing party of the Big Brother Season 19 premiere (Wednesday, June 28 at 8/7Central)! Get our Big Brother Slop recipe, and find another surprisingly delicious way to use it in our Big Brother Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies recipe.

A big slab of beef ribs can be hard to find and intimidating to cook, so here I use short ribs. I also don’t follow any prescribed style of cooking or flavoring, which makes this recipe an easy shortcut for beginners, or people who don’t want to spend hours smoking their ribs. Start with a sweet and spicy rub to coat the meat, and let it sit overnight for the best flavor. In the meantime, make the slightly smoky chipotle barbecue sauce. Roast the ribs in the oven until the meat almost falls off the bone, then finish them on the grill, slathering them with sauce until the ribs are lacquered and slightly charred. Serve with a fresh corn salad and some herby potatoes. Special equipment: You’ll need a pastry brush or barbecue basting brush for this recipe. What to buy: Look for flanken-cut beef short ribs—they’re sliced through the bones, revealing four or five oval-shaped cross-sections. You’ll need ribs that are 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick and 5 to 7 inches long. But don’t worry if you can’t find that exact size or cut: Though their shape is not ideal for grilling, English-cut short ribs (sliced parallel to the rib) can also be used in this recipe. Just monitor the cooking time in step 3—if your ribs are thinner than 2 inches, check them for doneness after about 1 1/2 hours; if they’re thicker than 2 1/2 inches, check them after 2 hours. Game plan: You can make the ribs through step 3 up to 2 days in advance. After roasting, transfer them to a large, shallow container, set aside to cool for about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to grill, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour. The barbecue sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature before using.

Why would you want to eat slop, you may ask? Well, if you’re a losing contestant on Big Brother, you have no choice (and probably fondly recall the days of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the “Have-Nots”). But if you’re in the mood for an easy, no-frills oatmeal that contains all your essential protein, vitamins, and nutrients, try making a big batch of Big Brother Slop to carry you through the week. At least you get to garnish it any way you want to! And if you call it porridge, you may find it more appealing. You can also work it into legitimately tasty brunch and dessert options —get our Big Brother Lemon Chive Waffles recipe, and our Big Brother Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies recipe.

*These light and healthy Vietnamese-influenced summer rolls are filled with cooked shrimp, rice noodles, and plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables for flavor and crunch. Once your ingredients are prepped, the rolling fun begins as sheets of rice paper are softened in water and used for the wrappers. Dipped in a spicy peanut sauce, these rolls are a great hot-weather appetizer or light lunch. What to buy: We like to use natural peanut butter in this recipe. If you use the conventional kind, omit the sugar called for in the sauce. Look for hoisin sauce and chile-garlic paste in the Asian section of your supermarket. For the chile paste, we prefer the one made by Huy Fong Foods (with the rooster on the jar!). The rice stick noodles and rice paper wrappers can be found in most Asian grocery stores. For the wrappers, we like the Red Rose brand. Game plan: Be sure to have all your ingredients ready and easily accessible when you start to roll, and give yourself plenty of time (and counter space) to make these. Also be sure to have a few extra rice paper wrappers on hand—it may take a few tries before you’re rolling like a pro. Store the summer rolls in a dish or plastic container that’s roomy enough to hold them without their touching. Place a damp paper towel in the bottom of the container to keep the rolls moist. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. You can make the peanut sauce a day ahead. Just keep it refrigerated in a covered container. Let it sit for a bit at room temperature before serving. This recipe was featured as part of our summer no-cook recipes, as well as our chile pepper recipe slideshow and our picnic recipe slideshow.

Roasted poblano chiles stuffed with loads of cheese, battered with an airy egg coating, and fried until crispy equate to the Mexican version of comfort food. Chiles rellenos fillings can range from ground or stewed meats to a medley of vegetables, but this recipe sticks to classic cheese. Our spicy roasted tomato salsa is the perfect foil to all of the fatty goodness here, but a Smooth Salsa Verde would also be tasty. Game plan: Separate the eggs while they’re still cold, which will make them easier to handle; then let them come to room temperature. And make sure there are no traces of yolk in the whites, or the whites will not whip properly. Coring and removing the seeds from the peppers is easier before roasting and keeps the peppers from tearing while stuffing in the cheese. Roasting over a gas flame keeps the peppers’ shape and texture intact during frying, but if you don’t have a gas stove, use the broiler in your oven (instructions below). This recipe was featured as part of our No-Fail Mexican Favorites for Cinco de Mayo.

A shiny, crispy-edged glazed ham is an iconic holiday centerpiece second only, perhaps, to roast turkey. This easy, holiday-ready recipe yields a crunchy, sweet crust and juicy interior—all you need to worry about is getting the best-quality smoked, bone-in ham you can find and that fits the budget (seek out a good butcher or meat counter at a market or grocery store you trust). There aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, so be sure to buy a good ham for the best results. Note that leaving just enough fat on the ham is important for the perfect crunchy crust–to–juicy meat ratio—too much fat and your caramelized crust becomes a flabby mess; too little and your ham has dry spots. So take care when trimming. Serve this holiday classic with Scalloped Potatoes, Buttermilk Biscuits, and Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Fried Capers.

A bowl of creamy steel-cut oatmeal is a satisfying and healthy way to start the day, but the long cooking time makes these oats hard to execute on a weekday morning. Here, the slow cooker does all the work while you’re getting some shut-eye. Before bed, coat the inside of the cooker with butter to keep the oatmeal from sticking, then add in the oats, water, coconut or whole milk, and brown sugar. Stir it together, set the cooker to low, and wake up to a hot breakfast. Top it with dried fruit, nuts, or maple syrup, and blend up a fruit smoothie with all of your extra time. For the warmer months, learn how to make granola with our easy recipe.

Many commercial cheesecakes are huge and overflowing with a host of strange ingredients like peanut butter cups or chocolate chip cookie dough. One piece will ruin your cholesterol for a year. This recipe keeps it real, so the true flavor of the cream cheese comes through, with only a little lemon zest in the mix. If you must doctor it, top it off with a simple strawberry sauce. Game plan: The following baking method may seem time-consuming and (admittedly) strange, but it results in a smooth cheesecake without having to use a water bath. If time permits, make this cake a day in advance. It’s best after being refrigerated overnight.

The ingredients that go into slow cooker Filipino chicken adobo depend on where you’re from, or how your mother or grandmother made adobo—it’s a source of heated debate. At the dish’s core is meat or poultry braised in a vinegary sauce. This easy, mild version cooks onions, chicken, soy sauce, and vinegar in a slow cooker, and takes advantage of bone-in chicken thighs’ extra flavor from the bones. The onions absorb the savory sauce, and all that’s needed to complete the meal is a pile of steamed rice to soak everything up. Game plan: This recipe gets better as it sits, and can be made up to 1 day in advance. You’ll need to make steamed rice before you serve. This dish was featured as part of our Cozy Chicken recipe gallery.

This quick and spicy chili made with ground turkey lies somewhere between our hearty, rib-sticking Chipotle Bean and Beef Chili and our lighter Basic Vegetarian Chili. First, sauté ground turkey with red bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Add chili powder, cayenne, ground cumin, and a bit of cinnamon to provide depth and heat, then stir in canned diced tomatoes and canned white beans and leave to simmer until the flavors mingle. In about an hour, you’ll be ready to ladle this satisfying weeknight meal into bowls and top with our crumbled Baked Tortilla Chips and a dollop of sour cream. This dish pairs wonderfully with our basic Jalapeño Poppers. For more easy, healthy chili recipes, see our Chicken Chili recipe.

Though endless versions of savory rice porridge (also known as congee) exist worldwide, I know this dish by its Cantonese name, jook. On Sundays my grandmother would make a big pot for the family, with chicken or pork, but sometimes beef, or even seafood. Feel free to add more garnishes like soy sauce, fish sauce, fried shallots, or roasted salted peanuts to spice up this dish. For a vegetarian brown rice version of jook, check out our Brown Rice and Gai Lan Jook. This recipe was featured as part of our Healthy Cooking photo gallery.

When American settlers left the Atlantic coast and clams behind and made their way to the Midwestern Corn Belt, this creamy soup became a new take on New England clam chowder. Like most chowders, this version has milk, cream, and chunks of potatoes, but to add texture and maximize the sweet corn flavor, some of the corn kernels are blended with milk. Serve this hearty soup for lunch on its own, or for dinner along with a fresh salad. What to buy: If you’re using corn cut from the cob, you’ll need about 4 ears to make 3 cups of kernels. If you’re using frozen corn, you’ll need 1 pound.

Ganache is a simple blend of chocolate and butterfat in the form of cream and/or butter. The exact proportions depend on whether you’re making a coating, a filling, or truffles. This recipe is a standard 1-to-1 weight ratio of chocolate to cream, which is ideal for coating Boston Ice Cream Pie Cake or Espresso Mud Pie. When nearly solid, it can be rolled to make truffles. With only two primary ingredients in ganache, flavor and quality are paramount. We recommend breaking out premium chocolate such as Valrhona and the freshest heavy cream. Game plan: When working with ganache, make sure it’s warm enough to pour. If it’s too stiff, fill a small saucepan with an inch of water and bring it to a simmer over low heat. Set the bowl of ganache over it and melt, stirring, to the desired consistency.

A crisp is the way to go when you’re not in the mood (or don’t have time) to deal with pie dough—it’s an easy route to a memorable dessert. Here, the straightforward filling is a mixture of brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and fresh peaches. Dump everything into a baking dish and top with a generous layer of crunchy oat-and-brown-sugar streusel. Serve with scoops of Cinnamon Ice Cream or a mound of Easy Whipped Cream for a simple end to a warm summer day. For more, try tackling a homemade pie with Chowhound’s easy pie crust recipe.

As summer transitions into fall, hard squashes begin filling produce bins in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. One of our favorites for roasting simply is acorn squash, which has a blackish-green, deeply ridged skin and bright golden flesh. Acorn is not a flashy squash like delicata, or a meaty fall and winter workhouse like butternut, but it’s tender and delicate, with a subtly sweet and earthy flavor that takes well to butter and brown sugar. Here, you begin by splitting an acorn squash lengthwise, scooping the seeds, and cutting a tiny slice from the back of each half so it’ll be stable in a roasting pan. (If you’re shy about whacking the squash in half, you can always microwave it first to make things easier.) Season the cut sides with salt and pepper, and drop just enough butter and brown sugar in the cavities to become a delicious glaze when baked in a hot oven. This was featured in our Recipes for Fall Ingredients photo gallery. For more, check out our Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing or Acorn Squash with Red Onion and Currants.

Beefy brisket is transformed into tender morsels of barbecue goodness. Rub the beef with a combination of chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, cayenne, and garlic, then slow-cook it in a sweet-savory sauce that includes smoky chipotle chiles. After 10 hours of gentle cooking, the meat can be sliced or shredded, tossed with the sauce, and stuffed into a sandwich. Serve some ranch-style pinto beans on the side. This recipe was featured as part of our Slow Cooker Recipes for Hot Summer Days.

Is rice pudding the best comfort dessert of all time? This recipe is convincing enough—it’s simple and satisfying, and comes together in less than half an hour. All you do is combine milk, raw rice, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in a bit of vanilla or almond extract and boom, you’re done. You can serve as is, or dress it up with accessories of your choice: nuts, a dash of cinnamon, dried or fresh fruit—the sky (and the resources of your pantry) is the limit. See our How to Make Pudding video for more inspiration. For more, check out our Slow Cooker Rice Pudding, Champorado (Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding), and Creamy Rice Pudding with Boiled Plums.

This simple and super fresh first course, Tuna Tataki with Heirloom Tomato Crudo from chef Richard Blais’s new cookbook, So Good: 100 Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours, demands top-tier ingredients, particularly sushi-grade tuna and pristine tomatoes. If you find saku blocks (a staple in sushi chef’s kitchens: flash-frozen yellowtail tuna blocks all cut to the same exact size), get those. Otherwise, you can ask your fishmonger to cut any sushi-grade tuna into bricks of about 12 ounces each. Although the recipe calls for grape or cherry tomatoes, buy whichever tomatoes look best; you can always cut them down to size if they’re larger heirloom varieties. The sweet, juicy tomatoes and seared tuna are accented with light, bright Asian flavors, including shoyu (or white soy sauce, milder and thinner than the usual soy sauce), sesame seeds, sesame oil, garlic, and yuzu juice. Togarashi, a Japanese spice powder, is optional, but a great addition if you can find it —or you can always make your own! The shiso leaves are another delicious ingredient that might be hard to find; their flavor is unique, and while neither basil nor cilantro will replicate it, they’re both fine substitutes for the herb in this dish. For more Japanese-inflected flavors, get our Miso Soup with Napa Cabbage and Udon recipe, and our Pan-Seared Radishes with Miso Butter recipe.

Award-winning chef Thomas Boemer gave us some great grilling tips and fantastic recipes, including these Toasts with Grilled Chicken Livers and Peach Agrodolce. The chicken livers get a long marinade in buttermilk seasoned with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme, before being perfectly grilled. The peaches are grilled too, and tossed in a sweet-and-sour mixture of white balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon zest, and more thyme, then piled along with the livers on grilled toasts, for a crunchy, creamy, juicy, smoky, sweet, and piquant bite. These would be a uniquely delicious appetizer, or you could make a meal of them with a simple green salad on the side. For more uncommon ways to prepare peaches, get our Daniel Humm’s Peach Gazpacho with Toasted Almonds recipe, or our Baklava Sundae with Grilled Peaches recipe.