Ashley Christensen

There is a way to have your macaroni fix in the freezer: a custard-style baked mac ’n’ cheese. Instead of a cream-based sauce, this one uses eggs and béchamel to help bind a very cheesy filling with the noodles. The pimentos help to cut the richness with a little bit of acidity.

Béchamel, a cream sauce bound by a roux of flour and butter, holds up well in the freezer, maintaining the same gooey, melty texture that the freezer too often destroys in other dairy. It’s pivotal for casseroles, such as lasagna (page 126) or the green bean dish (page 125) that falls on so many Thanksgiving menus. It’s the halfway point to sausage gravy (page 122) or cheese sauce. Long story short, béchamel helps bridge the gap when thinking about foods that freeze well. Just like duct tape, you should never be without it.

When late-season and bruised tomatoes show up at the market, stock up.

This showstopper is a worthwhile project. Set aside some time 2 days ahead to make the components, then practice saying "Aw shucks, that was nothing!" to raving guests.

Anson Mills, the company behind the South's heirloom-grain revival, helped usher this beautiful little pea back into the limelight. Chef Ashley Christensen orders hers from ansonmills.com, though you can substitute dried black-eyed peas and cook them for about 1 1/4 hours.

Ground gingersnap cookies form the crunchy crust of this pie filled with layers of vanilla and chocolate custard.

Chef Ashley Christensen serves this jam with cheese and thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto as a sweet-and-salty starter.

Rice grits are a by-product of milling Carolina Gold rice. Find them at ansonmills.com or grind your own. To learn how, go to bonappetit.com/go/ricegrits.

Christensen's vinegary, buttery, barely cooked greens stay bright in color and flavor.

You can make these custards and their grape garnish up to 2 days in advance.

This herb-scented, brined bird packs more flavor than a basic roast chicken.