Midwest Living January/February 2014 Recipes

This rich bread pudding made in the slow cooker has deep chocolate flavor, thanks to a combo of chocolate chips and cocoa powder. The simple strawberry sauce has just two ingredients.Double-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

We love this contemporary global twist on classic Midwest beef-barley soup. Coconut milk adds creaminess, while a tiny bit of curry powder and hot chili oil add zip. The recipe comes from Beth Seuferer of West Des Moines, Iowa.Asian Beef Barley Soup

These tender waffles have mashed potatoes in the batter, along with thyme, garlic and onion. We've traded the usual pancake syrup for a silky maple-orange gravy made with drippings from the chicken.Orange Maple Roasted Chicken and Mashed Potato Waffles

This creative slow-cooker recipe takes advantage of several shortcut ingredients, including muffin mix and canned cherry pie filling, for an easy dessert.Cherry-Nut Cobbler

Diane Buller of Champaign, Illinois, shared this flavorful version of the classic tortilla soup. Garbanzo beans add extra texture and protein.Chicken Tortilla Soup

A dollop of whipped cream foam crowns this rich, chocolatey mousse. For maximum fun, serve the mousse in mugs.Dark Mocha Mousse

This colorful one-skillet meal lends itself to improvisation; you could trade the red sweet peppers for green, the spinach for kale, the turkey for ham or the fried eggs for scrambled. Of course, we think the original recipe is pretty darn perfect, with a blend of potatoes and tasty browned onions whose caramelly flavor ties the dish together.Smoked Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash

No one will believe you baked this beautiful, moist cake in your slow cooker! The homemade cream cheese frosting is lusciously delicious, but you can substitute canned frosting in a pinch.Carrot Pineapple Cake

This flavorful soup from Mary Ann Van Wassenhove of Mitchell, South Dakota, is a breeze to make and is heartier than other, similar soups thanks to kidney beans and broccoli.Italian Soup

Your quest for cold-weather comfort stops here, with maple-flavor sausage, creamy milk gravy, herby biscuits, and mustard-glazed roasted carrots and Brussels sprouts.  Sage Biscuits and Sausage Gravy with Roasted Vegetables

Nuts and cranberries fill these simple baked apples that cook in your slow cooker. Top them with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and, if you like, a scoop of vanilla ice cream.Cider-Baked Stuffed Apples with Salty Caramel Sauce

Vibrant veggies and peppery greens tumble over savory French toast, but the magic ingredient is a drizzle of honeylike syrup that balances the salty Parmesan cheese. Parmesan French Toast with Roasted Fennel and Tomato Salad

This crazy-simple slow-cooker chocolate fondue has just three ingredients (plus the dippers, of course). We especially love it with strawberries.Spiked Chocolate Fondue

Corn and diced ham stud buttermilk pancakes topped with bright fruit salsa. Serve them for a savory brunch or light dinner with a green salad.Mexican Cornmeal Pancakes with Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa

Cathy Schneider of DeKalb, Illinois, shared her family-favorite recipe for a chicken soup that has just enough twists to keep it interesting: sweet potato, green beans, brown rice and fresh-tasting dill. (If you prefer less dill flavor, just reduce the amount. The soup will still be delicious.)Chicken Dill Soup

Bacon, grilled chicken, crisp romaine and a fried egg crowd inside a flaky croissant. Our dressing includes anchovy fillets for authentic Caesar flavor; if you'd prefer to leave them out, increase the Worcestershire sauce to 2 teaspoons. (Or you can substitute bottled Caesar dressing for the homemade to make the recipe more streamlined.)Chicken Caesar Egg Sandwich

Betsy Koss of Boyne City, Michigan, shared her recipe for velvety mushroom soup. It tastes rich and creamy but is actually dairy-free. The trick is to puree a little bit of white rice into the soup.Mushroom Soup

This hearty and uber-healthy vegetarian chili recipe comes from Brianne Jamerson of Indiana. If you'd prefer a looser texture, just add extra water or broth.Quinoa Harvest Chili