TASTElist

Rolls hot from the oven can take a dinner party from nice to amazing, but with all the other things clamoring for a cook’s attention, home-baked bread tends to fall through the cracks. These knot-shaped, garlic- and parsley-flavored rolls are different: You start with store-bought pizza dough, which slashes prep time; then just roll, brush with butter and flavorings, and bake. The dough knots also work as a stand-alone nibble, served with marinara sauce for dipping.

We got the idea for these impromptu gnocchi from our Home Cooking community discussion board. All you need is half a pound of pizza dough, a pot of boiling salted water, and a sauce (marinara is perfect). Enlist your kids to help with the shaping, then let them watch you poaching the dough and tossing it in the sauce. What to buy: Premade pizza dough is available bagged in 14- or 16-ounce portions at well-stocked groceries.

Homemade cinnamon rolls hot from the oven are a rare treat. But it takes time and organization to mix the dough, knead it, and let it rise, even before you have to shape the rolls and let them rise again. You can speed up the process by starting with store-bought pizza dough. Just roll out the dough, lavish it with butter and sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon, cut and shape, and let rise while you heat up the oven. You can go from bed to the best breakfast ever in about 2 hours.

We love the Stromboli, the Italian-American pizza roll. We simplified things a bit here, with store-bought pizza dough and a once-over rolling technique. Our filling calls for marinara, shredded mozzarella, ham, and fresh chiles, but don’t be shy about freestyling with other cured meats and cheeses, herbs, veggies—the beauty of a Stromboli (er, Strom-Dough-Li) is its versatility. What to buy: Bags of premade pizza dough are available in 14- or 16-ounce portions at well-stocked groceries.

The Spanish brought ensaïmadas—rich, tender rolls originally from Mallorca—to the Philippines. The spelling morphed into ensaymada, and what had been bread dough heavily enriched with pork lard became buttery rolls crowned with grated cheese and sprinkled with sugar. We slashed the prep time by starting with store-bought pizza dough. They end up chewier and a bit more rugged than classic brioche-based ensaymadas, but what you lose in tenderness you make up for in prep time.

Technically this is a radler (the German version of lager and lemonade) but the spirit—a beer of low-hop bitterness, combined with something fruity and refreshing—definitely skews shandy. Instead of soda, we call for a second beer, a Belgian lambic flavored with raspberry. What to buy: You’ll need a wheat beer with low hops, such as Erdinger Hefe-Weizen, and a raspberry lambic (we’re fans of Timmermans Framboise Lambicus).

Since Sriracha as we know and love it is fermented, tagging this bold-tasting hot sauce made with red Fresno chiles as such is technically a misnomer. Still, giving the chiles a 15-minute session in the stovetop smoker gives the finished sauce enough grounding and complexity to be worthy of the name. Special equipment: You’ll need a stovetop smoker.

Substituting tangerine juice for lime in a margarita is a revelation. The taste is gentler, a little sweeter, and far more aromatic—the tangerine flavor acts as a shadow for the orange liqueur, amplifying its presence. If you can get a Meyer lemon to garnish with (it adds a final burst of citrus perfume), go for it. If not, a regular Eureka lemon will do just fine.

Digestifs are boozy after-dinner drinks said to tame the effects of a rich, heavy meal. They’re ridiculously easy to make: Just add citrus peels or herbs to grain alcohol and steep, then strain and mix with simple syrup. Digestifs keep forever (we store ours in the freezer so they’re already chilled), ready whenever you want a nightcap or a cocktail mixer. This recipe relies on the peel from blood oranges to create a wonderfully aromatic digestif that just happens to be perfect for margaritas.

Ah the shandy, Britain’s low-alcohol pub drink, the ultimate session sipper. This one calls for ginger beer, mixed half-and-half with a mild-tasting lager (no bitter hop bombs, please). Enjoy one for lunch when you have to go back to the office and keep a clear head, or whenever you want a little something that cools and stimulates without making you foggy.

This easy recipe yields a rich, smoky-tasting chili, perfect for laid-back Sundays. Made with chicken thighs, canned cannellini beans, and a handful of other ingredients, it tastes more complicated than it is. Bonus: You’ll have leftovers for the week.

We couldn’t resist trying this simple yet sophisticated baked asparagus “fries” recipe developed by one of our community members, AngelaID. This supereasy, and healthy, take on deep-fried potatoes is a great side or appetizer at any meal. If you can’t find fresh asparagus because it’s not in season, most stores sell frozen asparagus that’s often cut in stems and pieces, which could be good for bite-sized “fries.”