When you consider that we have tested and published more than 15,000 recipes during the past 20 years, you can appreciate what a daunting task it has been to identify our 20 all-time best. We polled our staff for their favorites, analyzed reader feedback, and went through each issue, page by page, to nominate contenders for the list. The result is our very best recipes in 20 categories, from our favorite beef, chicken, pork, and fish entrées to the best bar cookie and cake.

Here's to 20 years of great cooking. We hope you enjoy these favorites as much as we do.

Best Beef Recipe
Beef Daube Provencal

Best Appetizer
Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

Best Vegetarian Entrée
Falafel with Avocado Spread

Best Vegetable Side Dish
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Best Cake
Texas Sheet Cake

Best Fish/Shellfish Recipe
Cornflake-Crusted Halibut with Chile-Cilantro Aioli

Best Ice Cream/Sorbet
Fresh Orange Sorbet

Best Yeast Bread
Hawaiian Bubble Bread

Best Grain Side Dish
Creamed Corn with Bacon and Leeks

Best Potato Dish
Garlic Fries

Best Bar Cookie
Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies

Best Pork
Lombo di Maiale Coi Porri (Pan-Roasted Pork Loin with Leeks)

Best Salad
Green and Yellow Bean Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing and Feta Cheese

Best Quick Bread
Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

Best Chicken Dish
Roasted Chicken with Onions, Potatoes, and Gravy

Best Chili Stew
Chunky Two-Bean and Beef Chili

Best Pasta Dish
Cavatappi with Spinach, Beans, and Asiago Cheese

Best Soup
Baked Potato Soup

Best Rice Recipe
Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone

Best Pie/Cobbler
Coconut-Peach Cobbler with Bourbon-Peach Ice Cream