Cheese

Everyone loves a good cheese plate—here's how to compose the perfect one, every time.

This is the pizza margherita of the square-shaped pie. Resist the temptation to add extra cheese; a light hand is key.

Meat-free but not too virtuous, it’s healthy and satisfying.

Feel free to substitute other types of kale, such as curly or Red Russian, but make sure to pre-dress and massage the leaves as noted in the recipe.

Precooking the cauliflower and breadcrumbs means they will get toasty and crisp as the pie bakes. An extra step, yes, but well worth it.

Oil-cured olives are quite salty, and we love their chewy texture, but you can use brined black olives if you prefer.

You may ask yourself, Does this sandwich really need mayonnaise? The answer is yes. A swipe of mayo, not butter, on the bread encourages that gorgeous exterior. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

The keys to achieving razor-edged triangles: Let the sandwiches cool slightly, then slice with a serrated knife.

Chef Naomi Pomeroy prefers to serve salad at the end of the meal; with this one, you get a bit of a cheese course at the same time.

Using whole walnuts means there's more area for the seeds to get stuck and add crunch.

Let your cheese ball hang out in the fridge until firm. It will be easier to roll in the nuts.

If you have leftover "everything" spice, stir it into Greek yogurt drizzled with olive oil for a savory breakfast.

You want all of your cheese ball ingredients at room temperature to make sure the goat cheese mixture is smooth and homogenous.

If you prefer a spicy pie, use twice as much hot soppressata and none of the sweet type. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Use a very sharp cheddar to make this—it’s the difference between pimiento cheese and cheesy mayonnaise.

Set this up in advance and serve it at room temperature. The cheese will be soft enough to scoop with a cracker—and will taste better, too.

Gigante beans have a nutty, buttery flavor and creamy texture, and hold together when cooked.

From pancakes to salads, these 15 recipes taste better with ricotta cheese.

The intensely flavored soffritto is the foundation of this rich pasta; double the ingredients and freeze half for next time.

In search of a classic tuna melt? This is the best we’ve tried. Palace Diner makes its own pickles, but of course you can start with store-bought.

Chorizo adds smoky flavor to this vegetable-heavy frittata; use bacon if you prefer.

There are as many stromboli fillings as there are pizza toppings. Feel free to improvise, but don’t use too many wet ingredients in this stromboli recipe, or the dough will be gummy inside.

Does Tosca’s roast chicken recipe take work? Yes, but the results—from the drippings-soaked sourdough toasts to the glossy pan sauce—are transcendent.

Prefer a turkey, pork, or lamb sausage? By all means, use that instead.