Imagine if a classic Italian dinner and a busy Tuesday had a very delicious baby. That’s this Chicken Milanese-ish. It’s the ultimate "fancy-casual" meal: sophisticated enough to impress a date, but simple enough to make while you’re still wearing your favorite sweatpants.

A blend of cream cheese, sharp Cheddar, and hot sauce is shaped into a football, coated in toasted walnuts, and detailed with string cheese laces, served alongside homemade rosemary-thyme crackers. This playful, savory appetizer is the ultimate centerpiece for a football watch party spread.

A festive holiday salad of mixed greens and romaine tossed in a creamy Champagne vinaigrette. Topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls, pine nuts, and sliced basil.

Cremini mushrooms sauteed until deeply golden with garlic and baby spinach, finished with a splash of balsamic vinegar. A simple, earthy side dish that rounds out any holiday spread with wholesome green goodness.

A whole chicken is brined in buttermilk and hot sauce, coated in seasoned panko breadcrumbs, and oven-baked at 425 degrees on a wire rack until golden and shatteringly crisp without any frying. This clever technique delivers all the crunch and juiciness of classic fried chicken with far less mess and a fraction of the oil.

This one came from one of her mom's old recipe boxes - and Val has no idea where her mom found it, whether it came from a magazine or whether she invented it herself. But it's so good that it didn't matter. Vanilla wafers pulsed into fine crumbs, folded into a warm semisweet chocolate mixture with corn syrup, vanilla, evaporated milk, and powdered sugar, then rolled into walnut-coated nuggets and chilled until set. They look like little truffles, they taste like something between a no-bake cookie and a candy, and they freeze beautifully - which means you make the batch once and pull one out whenever the craving hits. Dessert for one for the next 30 days.

This savory summer galette features a creamy, herb-infused base of goat and ricotta cheeses brightened with a touch of fresh lemon zest. Topped with a colorful arrangement of sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes, it is baked in a flaky, golden-brown crust for a simple yet elegant seasonal meal.

A crisp-shelled, marshmallow-centered meringue is baked low and slow, then topped with silky orange curd, vanilla whipped cream, jewel-toned clementine and grapefruit wheels, and a shower of lime zest. This stunning, layered pavlova is a show-stopping centerpiece dessert for an elegant ladies' dinner or any special celebration.

A whole turkey deep-fried to golden, crispy perfection with incredibly juicy meat inside. The showstopping centerpiece of Valerie's Thanksgiving table.

A custardy bread pudding made with rich challah and spiked with limoncello liqueur. A warm, comforting dessert with a citrusy Italian twist.