Cheese

Pack this main dish into single-serving containers the day before travel. The flavor will improve overnight (and sturdy kale won't wilt). We like to keep meals cool with disposable ice packs, which we throw away just before security; the salad will be good for a couple of hours at room temperature. Don't forget the plastic forks!

A recipe for dates and Parmesan in a relish over roasted squash? Don't knock it till you try it.

Spinach and feta arrive in tiny puff-pastry packages.

Greek yogurt lends an unexpected tanginess to this light no-bake cheesecake. 

This stuffed chicken breast is elegant enough for a dinner party.

This mushroom risotto recipe is made even better with shredded turkey leftovers.

You can reheat this ooey-gooey queso fundido dip in a skillet, or keep it warm in a fondue pot. Save this recipe for your next taco night.

This vegetarian revelation balances the meaty sweetness of butternut squash with bitter broccoli rabe and a creamy sauce. Serve it with a simple salad.

Cream cheese makes this pound cake recipe extra moist.

This baked eggplant and saffron rice recipe is blanketed in layers of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses—never a bad thing, in our opinion.

Adapted from The River Cafe Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray, Ruth Rogers, and Michael Joseph. Copyright Rose Gray 2009.

This comforting pudding from chef Andrea Reusing has the best of both worlds: a slightly wiggly center and a browned, crisped top.