Bourbon Sour

Loaded potato skins are a perfect package: crunchy scooped-out spud shells filled with gooey, melted sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and tangy sour cream. A classic bar snack or game day food, these are great any other time too, including for an easy dinner (just add a salad if you feel the need for a little more green than what the chives bring to the table). Read more.

This comes together in about the time it takes to order takeout, and is miles more nuanced than your average Chinese restaurant's sweet and sour sauce. Ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, and rice or cider vinegar are boiled together with water (though pineapple juice makes for a tasty tropical twist), and thickened to the perfect dipping consistency with a little cornstarch slurry. Serve this with egg rolls, wontons, rangoons, and whatever other fried foods you want to perk up. Feel free to add some heat to the sauce with minced ginger, garlic, or chiles (or all three). Read more.

Softened vegetables, including onions and bell peppers, amped up with spices like chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne, form the base of this tortilla soup. Chicken broth and tomatoes are added, along with soft corn tortillas that meld into the liquid to make a hearty, thick meal. Finally, shredded chicken is stirred in, and everything is garnished with crunchy tortilla strips, sour cream, shredded cheese, and scallions (avocados, pickled jalapeños, and cilantro would all work too). Read more.

Crunchy, gooey, and crazy delicious, these chicken and cheese quesadillas are super simple to make, and even easier to eat. Before you start, prep some pico de gallo (or whatever kind of salsa you like) and guacamole for topping, and don't forget the sour cream. Read more.