CHEESE TYPES: Sharp cheddar, colby jack

OTHER ADD-INS: Béchamel sauce made with a roux (butter and all-purpose flour), milk and heavy cream

ADDITIONAL SEASONING: Dry mustard powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, pinch of nutmeg

COOKING METHOD: Bake in a buttered casserole dish

CHEF: Jennifer Hill Booker, owner of Bauhaus Biergarten, in Springdale, Arkansas

CHEESE TYPES: Sharp cheddar, cream cheese, American

OTHER ADD-INS: Milk, eggs, unsalted butter, applewood smoked bacon crumbles; for topping, mix melted unsalted butter, chopped pecans, light brown sugar and dried breadcrumbs

ADDITIONAL SEASONING: Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, ground white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder

COOKING METHOD: Bake in a cast-iron skillet

CHEF: Deborah VanTrece, author of The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors

CHEESE TYPES: Feta and white American

OTHER ADD-INS: Butter, chopped onion, jalapeño, dry white wine, heavy cream and a blond roux (made with unsalted butter and all-purpose flour)

ADDITIONAL SEASONING: n/a

COOKING METHOD: Stovetop in a saucepan

CHEF: Eddie Hernandez, coauthor of Turnip Greens & Tortillas: A Mexican Chef Spices Up the Southern Kitchen

CHEESE TYPES: Vegan cheddar and vegan mozzarella

OTHER ADD-INS: Butternut squash, russet potato, vegan butter, unsweetened plain cashew or almond milk yogurt, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth

ADDITIONAL SEASONING: Salt-free garlic and herb seasoning such as McCormick, sea salt, garlic powder; top with paprika

COOKING METHOD: Stovetop in a sauté pan or bake in a casserole dish

CHEF: Tabitha Brown, author of Cooking from the Spirit —Leslie Quander Wooldridge

VIDALIA ONIONS—grown only in Georgia—are sweet and surprisingly good raw. Slice them thickly for a burger, dice to top hot dogs, shave over chicken soup, chop up for salads or use wedges as a scoop for dips. —Alon Shaya, founder, Pomegranate Hospitality