Freshen up your favorite dressing recipe

From Mindy Merrell

Dressing is one of those dishes that opens itself up to versatility. “It’s a blank canvas, so change it up to match the theme of your menu,” Mindy Merrell says.

• Italian — Add a pound of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage. Add some rosemary, red bell pepper and pine nuts.
• Sausage, apple and pecan — Add 1 pound of cooked and crumbled sausage, a finely chopped apple and 1 cup of toasted pecans to the mix.
• Leeks and country ham — Use leeks instead of onions and add bits of country ham.
• Clams or oysters — Add fresh chopped clams or oysters to the mix and a sauteed green bell pepper.