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Chicken soup is an automatic crowd-pleaser, but this Mexican-inspired tortilla soup does the classic one better. Homemade broth is key here, providing a base for brown rice, black beans, and chunks of sweet potato. Cooling pieces of avocado play off of a warm, earthy undercurrent of chipotle chiles.

For this interactive dinner, use a camping or induction burner at the table, or just get cozy around a warm stove. As the broth cooks the chicken and vegetables, it becomes a flavorful homemade soup.

This full-bodied stew will bring the crowd running when you lift the lid. First, pieces of chuck are browned to develop their flavor, then they’re braised in a red-wine beef broth. Adding the potatoes and carrots toward the end of cooking keeps their character and color bright.

In Turkish cookery there's a distinctive group of dishes known as güveç, which take their name from the earthenware pot in which they are cooked—in the same way that the tagine does in Morocco. In rural Anatolia the cooking pots may be sealed and buried in the ashes of a fire to cook slowly overnight—or, only slightly less romantically, in the local baker's oven. If you don't have a clay pot, a heavy-based cast-iron casserole dish will serve almost as well. Güveç dishes encompass all sorts of meat or poultry cooked with legumes, vegetables and fruits. My addition of star anise is not remotely Turkish, but it adds a wonderful layer of aniseed flavor. This güveç is spicy with a lingering sweetness, so serve it with a light salad or braised wild greens. A dollop of yogurt would also be delicious. Sucuk is a spicy Turkish sausage and can be found in Turkish or Middle Eastern butchers and some specialist delis.

If fresh peas are out of season, look for high-quality frozen brands such as Cascadian Farm.

In order to be kosher when served with meat, the risotto in these cakes is dairy-free. It gets its creaminess exclusively from the starchy rice, so it's important to cook it slowly, stirring continuously, to release as much starch as possible. If you don't need to avoid dairy, you could replace half the vegetable oil with melted unsalted butter and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese with the mushrooms and thyme for extra flavor.

Pistou—France's pesto—gives these simply poached eggs tons of flavor.

The pork needs time to cook and chill, so be sure to begin this recipe at least one day ahead. Put out a platter of cornbread (homemade or purchased) along with the posole.

Here's a quick way to feed a crowd. The salmon is also great made ahead and served chilled.

Here, chanterelles provide a delicate but satisfying topping for baked fish.

An impressive roast. Irish whiskey adds complexity to the gravy, which was inspired by steak au poivre. Plan to make and chill the stuffing one day ahead. There will be only a small amount of stuffing for each person, but it's so rich and flavorful that you won't need more.

Instead of breadcrumbs, this mac and cheese is topped with rich, pungent caramelized shallots and creamy, crumbled goat cheese.

The clams and sausage make a warm and comforting one-pot meal. Toss with cooked linguine, or just serve with toasted pain rustique.

An easy, elegant entrée that's perfect for a holiday dinner with friends.

Serve grilled bread alongside the tuna. Be sure to buy domestic albacore to keep the mercury to a minimum.

The richness of the lamb is balanced by the sweet-tart lemon sauce. To make things easier, ask the butcher to trim the lamb for you.

In Italy, this recipe is a classic holiday dish. For Christmas Eve, it would generally be served at room temperature, as part of a buffet.

Also great made with ground lamb.

In a clever switch, a zucchini blossom stands in for the traditional sage-leaf topping. A terrific dinner-party dish.