10 Sweet and Savory Recipes You'll Love

By Hannah Agran; Photographer: Blaine Moats
Updated May 22, 2020

Sometimes contrasting flavors make magic together. You could call it the Maple Bacon Effect. Finding those perfect pairings takes time and a pinch of luck. We had both!

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Apple Harvest Chili

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Fresh apple, dried fruit and cashews add color, sweetness and crunch to a ready-in-45 vegetarian chili. For a twist on the traditional toppers (and to hint what's inside), garnish with apple slivers.

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Sweet and Spicy Steak Salad

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Sirloin strips marinated in raspberry-chipotle vinaigrette get caramelized edges on the grill. Pile skewers on mixed greens with goat cheese and veggies, then pass the tongs and dressing.

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Cinnamon-Spiced Beef Stroganoff

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A few pinches of pantry spices jazz up the traditional sour-cream gravy. This cozy weeknight dish dances on the line between comfort food and curry.

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Lemon-Rosemary Pork Loin with Cherry Sauce

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The classic fruit and pork combo gets a bold update: Slather the meat with a paste of garlic, mustard, lemon and rosemary, then serve with ruby red cherries. This recipe multiplies easily for entertaining.

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Grape-Stuffed Chicken with Lemon Orzo

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Fruit-and-nut stuffing transforms everyday chicken breasts into a company-ready feast. Bonus: It's deceptively simple; you'll have dinner on the table in an hour.

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Spicy Beef, Bean and Vegetable Stew

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Affordable beef chuck roast, apple, parsnip and sweet potato slow-simmer in broth flavored with dark beer, herbs and spices. Warm corn bread muffins and cold winter night optional.

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Salty Caramel and Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

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These cookies come with a friendly warning: Chewy caramel, toasted pecans and a flurry of sea salt will make you popular. Very popular. A product called caramel bits gives these cookies great flavor and chewy texture. Some supermarkets carry them, and they're widely available online. (Search for Kraft Caramel Bits.) Take care to follow recipe directions when baking: caramel bits melt quickly.

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Toasted Fennel-Lemon Cake

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This moist beauty begs for a mug of afternoon tea. Fennel seeds add the faintest hint of licorice flavor, just enough to make the cake stand out from the other Bundts in the room. We like the sweeter flavor of Meyer lemons in this cake. Look for them sold in bags at large supermarkets. If you substitute regular lemons, reduce the zest to 2 tablespoons.

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Bacon-Pear Macaroni and Cheese

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Crispy bacon, extra-creamy cheese sauce, pears sauteed in brown sugar and butter. It took our Test Kitchen three tries to get all the pieces right for this fall comfort food. Oh man, was it worth it.

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Spiced Chocolate-Pistachio Cookies

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Bright green pistachios and spice give this buttery chocolate cookie plenty of personality. It's like shortbread, perfect for pairing with a cup of coffee.

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By Hannah Agran; Photographer: Blaine Moats