This no-fuss lava cake is comfort dessert at its finest. It’s dangerously good, with a perfectly cooked cake topping and a simple, but satisfying lava made from instant pudding. The cake batter bakes over the pudding, creating a perfect cake top with moist, gooey lava underneath. You likely already have the ingredients at home, but to take things up a notch, use a good quality vanilla extract—it makes a big difference. This makes a lot, so it’s perfect to share with friends or bring to a potluck—you won’t have to worry about leftovers, trust us. Eat it with ice cream or whipped cream, and dress it up with some berries.

  Try classic Mississippi pot roast with pork for a juicier, less expensive twist. It’s comforting, super savory, rich, and delicious, and the juicy, tender meat falls apart just like a good pot roast should. It makes a great dinner, especially paired with dinner rolls, mashed potatoes or rice. This recipe will also work with a bone-in pork butt. Best of all, the opportunities to utilize the leftovers are endless—try them in tacos, barbecue sandwiches, stews, and more.

  Enjoy the best of two epic appetizers—jalapeño poppers and fried mushrooms—in one mouthwatering, crispy package. These savory mushroom bites are filled with a decadent cream cheese filling and sausage filling, studded with fresh jalapeño; of course, you could make them vegetarian by leaving out the ground pork sausage and simply doubling up on the cheese. And thanks to the air-fryer, you get all of the crispy satisfaction with a fraction of the grease—meaning clean-up is a breeze. 

  This gooey, cheesy, ultra-comforting Chicken Parmesan Casserole is easy enough to throw together after work and is a surefire family favorite. Plus, the leftovers hold great—just be sure to cover while reheating to retain moisture. For the most flavorful Chicken Parmesan Casserole, our test kitchen recommends using Rao’s marinara sauce.

The air fryer’s strengths span far beyond crisping up frozen French fries. Here, the countertop appliance provides a perfect shortcut to homemade cannoli (a traditionally labor intensive treat to make). In this impressive air fryer dessert, prepared pie dough is used to create the crunchy, buttery richness you’d expect from a deep-fried cannoli shell. Though all of the ingredients for this air-fryer cannoli are easily found at any supermarket, you may need to order the cannoli tubes if you do not already have a set. (However, you can also use aluminum foil formed into a cylindrical shape in lieu of the tubes.) Pro-tip: Don’t skip draining your ricotta cheese! This essential step keeps the filling from being too moist—leading to soggy cannoli shells.