Name: Vegetable-Cheese Soup
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter; 1 9- to 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, diced; 3 celery stalks, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 4 cups vegetable broth; 1 15-ounce can creamed corn; 1 10-ounce package frozen corn kernels; 1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables; 2 cups (packed) grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces); 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce; Chopped fresh parsley

"Cooking with friends — that's pretty much what my life has been about," writes Louise Pickerel of Muskogee, Oklahoma. "When I moved here from Texas ten years ago, it was hard to leave the people I'd known for so long, but I've probably met two hundred new people since then. I have always entertained, but now that I'm retired, I finally have more time to play bridge and cook."

Louise likes to serve this chunky soup with ham or roast beef sandwich wraps.

Recipe notes

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.