Life has too few good surprises, so we go out of our way to create them. Incorporating unexpected, wondrous finds into food is easy: the joy of a fat ravioli, the jelly inside a doughnut, or a burrito with a taste revelation in every bite. Stuffed meat is particularly awesome because the surprise filling is often completely hidden until you cut into it.

Many cooks shy away from stuffed foods, thinking that they are too difficult to make. All they require is a little patience and practice. The payoff is well worth your time and gives you the confidence to stuff all types of food.

Spaghetti
Imagine a giant meatball on a plate in front of you. You smell the spices, your mouth waters, and memories of all the wonderful meatballs in your past flood your head. Then, as you slowly cut it in half, hot spaghetti in piquant sauce fills your plate, and nirvana is yours. Make it tonight, and soon, it will be at the top of your favorites list. Get the recipe here.

Sunday best pork chops
Nothing makes a more glorious presentation than a crown roast of pork stuffed with an aromatic mixture of apples, onions, pecan and lightly seasoned bread cubes. Indulge in those same flavors with these Sunday-best thick, center-cut pork chops. To cut perfect pockets in each chop, partially freeze them on a plate for 15–20 minutes to make the meat stiff. Then, use the sharpest, non-serrated knife in the block, preferably a medium-size carving knife. Get the recipe here.

Baked stuffed flank steak
Flank steak can be tricky. If it's overcooked, undercooked or not sliced against the grain, it's very tough to chew. This cooking method makes it tasty and tender. Butterfly the steak (or have your butcher do it), and then pound it with a meat mallet until it's 1/2 inch thin to tenderize it. Let it rest after cooking for 10–15 minutes, tented with foil, to ensure it's succulent and you don't lose any of the Italian-spiced filling and melted mozzarella. Get the recipe here.

Spinach and artichoke stuffed chicken
Fans of spinach-artichoke dip will think they're dreaming when they taste this treat. The filling is fully cooked ahead of time, so you just need to cook the chicken less than half an hour. Choose big, plump boneless breasts to cut the pockets in them easily, and freeze the breasts for 10–25 minutes for simpler slicing. Your sharpest carving or paring knife works best. The creamy, cheesy sauce makes these luxurious filets extra-special. Get the recipe here.

Garlic butter and mushroom stuffed chicken
Often, simpler is better and when you're talking about garlic, butter and mushrooms, simpler is superb. Velvety boneless chicken breasts with a pocket overflowing with those three ingredients is a delicious, quick supper or dinner party celebration. Large, meaty breasts help you avoid cutting through the sides and bottom and ripping the pocket. Work slowly with a super-sharp, small, non-serrated knife to make sure they look as wonderful as they taste. Get the recipe here.

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