We used to have a cat named Jack. Jack was a sly, slow-moving, long-haired Persian that would rarely come when called, but if you put out a small bowl of vanilla ice cream, out of nowhere he would magically appear.
This is sort of how my dad is with meatballs.
All I have to do is say, “Dad, I’m making meatballs,” and he’s half-way out the door on the way over. He loves these turkey meatballs.
Continue reading “Turkey Meatballs with Tomatoes and Basil” »
Powered by WPeMatico
In New England, where I live, there are so many grand maple trees that the syrup goes into everything.
You often find it in pots of baked beans instead of molasses, as well as in all kinds of cakes, pies, and other sweet desserts.
Maple syrup also makes its way into simple weeknight dishes like this skillet chicken recipe, where it turns into a glaze.
Continue reading “Maple-Glazed Chicken with Caramelized Onions and Pears” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This recipe is so easy, it’s surprising how good it is!
You just line a baking dish with chicken breasts, pour over plenty of salsa verde, bake, sprinkle with some cheese, bake some more, and presto wham-o you’re there. Serve over rice to absorb the sauce.
Continue reading “Salsa Verde Chicken Bake” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This is a mac and cheese for grown-ups. It is not the ooey-gooey comfort food of your childhood, but something a little more refined that just so happens to be cheesy and crispy.
For this baked pasta recipe, sweet, roasted cauliflower and onions are paired with salty Parmesan and buttery Gouda and topped with a crispy Ritz cracker crust. It can be served as a simple vegetarian dinner or as a side dish for roast chicken or grilled steak.
Continue reading “Cauliflower Pasta Bake” »
Powered by WPeMatico
When was the last time you threw a cake together in 15 minutes? Well, this one delivers and it will make you so happy!
Juicy plums are excellent for eating out of hand, but baking with them is one of the finest pleasures of summer. Their flesh is sweet and their skins are tart, so they inspire use in tarts, crumbles, muffins, coffee cakes — or in this case, an easy walnut cake.
The walnuts also give moistness and earthy flavor to the cake, which is heavily scented with the zest of an entire lemon. The whole dough can be made in a few minutes in the food processor.
Bonus points: You don’t even have to peel the plums!
Continue reading “Plum Walnut Skillet Cake” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Sheet pan recipes are popular for a reason — the simplicity just can’t be beat!
In this iteration, I channel favorite fall flavors by pairing Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with honey-mustard glazed pork chops.
Continue reading “Honey-Mustard Sheet Pan Pork Chops” »
Powered by WPeMatico
One of the best things about fall is the abundance of pumpkins and hardy winter squash. Ever wonder why winter squash is called “winter” squash when it first makes its appearance in the fall?
Perhaps because if stored in a cool place, they’ll last several months, well into winter.
Continue reading “Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce” »
Powered by WPeMatico
I had a single unopened sleeve of graham crackers, several assorted packages of chocolate, and half a bag of somewhat stale mini marshmallows, all unearthed from the pantry on a rainy late-summer/early-fall afternoon.
What’s a gal to do but make chocolate and marshmallow S’mores Cookies?
Continue reading “S’mores Cookies” »
Powered by WPeMatico
I work from home, but even though I may not be actually going anywhere, I still appreciate a quick breakfast that I can grab from the fridge.
I tend to procrastinate this most important meal of the day, sipping my coffee and checking email before plunging into work. Before long, it’s ten o’clock and hunger pangs have set in.
I love opening my fridge to see these oatmeal and chia cups waiting for me.
Continue reading “Grab-and-Go Oatmeal Chia Cups” »
Powered by WPeMatico
You don’t really need a recipe for minestrone, so think of this recipe as more of a guideline.
The key ingredients to this ubiquitous Italian soup are beans, pasta, and tomatoes. Beyond that, you can add whatever vegetables are in season, leftover chicken from another meal, or any number of things.
What’s fresh and in season? What do you have in your crisper drawer or pantry already? Take this recipe and make it your own!
Continue reading “Chicken Minestrone with Basil Pesto” »
Powered by WPeMatico
I was first introduced to the concept of a dump cake when I was in high school. It quickly became a favorite of my mom’s because it was so easy and convenient – and, of course, everyone loved eating it!
Classic dump cakes, my mom’s included, were made with canned pie filling, a box of dry cake mix, and melted butter. The ingredients were dumped into the pan — fruit first, then cake mix, followed by the melted butter. No mixing; just layer and bake.
The whole thing came out of the oven resembling something between a cobbler and streusel.
Continue reading “Dump Cake from Scratch” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Yes, you read the title of this recipe correctly.
Today, we’re combining two of our favorite foods, buffalo chicken wings and cheesy lasagna, to make the ultimate crowd-pleasing casserole.
Continue reading “Buffalo Chicken Lasagna” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Pickle chips are essential for hamburgers and sandwiches. Did you know that you can easily make them yourself at home?
With this method for refrigerator pickles, you don’t need to get out the canning equipment or have any special pickling know-how.
They’re made with a simple brine and pickle in just 24 hours right in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to a month — if they last that long!
Continue reading “How to Make Easy Refrigerator Pickles” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Caponata is a beloved sweet-sour Sicilian dish that brings together eggplant, tomatoes, celery, olives, and capers.
It’s usually served as a relish or as a topping for bruschetta. I decided to turn it into a complete meal and use it to top roasted chicken thighs.
Continue reading “Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Eggplant Caponata” »
Powered by WPeMatico
These absolutely gorgeous Chocolate Cranberry Zucchini Muffins are from a new cookbook that I’m really enjoying right now. It’s called The Cranberry Cookbook, and it’s by none other than Sally Vargas, one of our Simply Recipes contributors!
The pages of this cookbook are full of ideas for incorporating cranberries into every meal of the day.
Didn’t think you needed that many cranberry recipes? Think again! As usual, Sally has hit it out of the park and given us a collection of recipes that are sure to become favorites.
Continue reading “Chocolate Cranberry Zucchini Muffins” »
Powered by WPeMatico
My mom lives in a small mining town nestled among the mountains of rural Nevada, and in that town is a gem of a deli-cafe run by a Mennonite family. This family makes the most enormous, fluffy cinnamon rolls slathered in sticky cream cheese frosting that I have ever seen.
Those cinnamon rolls were exactly what I channeled while working on this recipe. I wanted to deliver a recipe for big, puffy, bakery-style cinnamon rolls that anyone can make at home.
Continue reading “Bakery-Style Cinnamon Rolls” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Let’s clarify one thing I wish I had known when I was younger: there is no iced tea anywhere in the Long Island Iced Tea. It is simply the color of iced tea.
This is critical knowledge to have if you plan to drink one. Or three. Because not knowing this will get you in a whole heap of trouble.
Continue reading “Long Island Iced Tea” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Every year I plant cucumbers in my garden. And every year, my one plant takes over the bed (climbing over trellises put in place for other vegetables) and showers me with a daily supply of lovely cucumbers.
This is all well and good, as long as I remember to pick them daily. As careful as I can be, hunting for cucumbers in the tangle of leaves and vines, I do miss them occasionally, only to discover a monster cuke hiding perfectly camouflaged under a leaf.
Like zucchini, left to their own devices, cucumbers will grow to ginormous proportions, resulting in a thick-skinned, seedy bat.
What do do with extra large cucumbers?
Make cucumber soup!
Continue reading “Chilled Cucumber Soup” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Here’s a great recipe for those days when you leave the house early and won’t be back until dinner time.
Prep this skillet pasta in the morning before you leave – or even the night before — and pop it in the oven when you’re home from work, your kid’s soccer practice, the last beach run of the season, or whatever activities have filled your day.
Continue reading “Make-Ahead Skillet Baked Spaghetti” »
Powered by WPeMatico
When it comes to the grill or barbecue, I defer to my colleague Hank, especially when it concerns meat. Here he shows us how to cook pork country ribs, slow and low. A favorite from the archives! ~Elise
Country ribs. Big slabs of porky goodness cut from the shoulder of the hog. Sold boneless or bone-in, these are nothing like a rack of ribs. They are pork logs, laced with fat, and require slow, low-temperature cooking to become delicious.
That’s the downside: You can’t do a fast country rib.
The upside is that they are all meat, so you only need one to fill you up. In fact, I slice them in half because a full rib, which can weigh a pound, can be too much for some people.
Continue reading “Slow and Low Country Ribs” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Everyone should have at least one meal that they can make without having to think too hard – a recipe that is easy, reasonably healthy, and totally delicious.
These chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and broccoli truly fit the bill. And the best part is that you only have one pan to clean up after dinner!
Continue reading “Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes” »
Powered by WPeMatico
You don’t need to work very hard to make this vegetarian dish look stunning. The vegetables are so colorful!
This is golden eggplant is the dish I make whenever we have company for dinner and there are vegetarians among us or I feel like something a little lighter is in order. Even the carnivores among us like a meatless meal once in a while, and besides, eggplant is such a meaty vegetable!
Continue reading “Roasted Eggplant and Butternut Squash with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with The California Olive Committee.
The ingredients in a Greek salad are very simple and need little improving: tomatoes, olives, onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, and peppers. Some tender greens fill out the salad, while add-ins like leftover shredded chicken or cooked chickpeas can add more substance.
Continue reading “Greek Salad in Jars” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Salisbury steak is such a satisfying skillet dinner! Did you grow up eating it?
The name is a little misleading — these “steaks” are actually ground beef held together with egg and breadcrumbs. They’re basically single serving patties of meatloaf that are seared and then braised in a savory mushroom gravy.
Continue reading “Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Here’s one of the best loved recipes on the site—tomato pie! Perfect at the peak of summer tomato season.
One of the great things about going on vacation is I get to hang out with my friends, and sometimes meet their friends, who sometimes have OMG-this-is-so-GOOD dishes that they bring over. This tomato pie recipe is a result of one of these encounters.
Continue reading “Tomato Pie” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Is there anything more refreshing than ice cold cucumber on a hot day?
This Chinese-style cucumber salad with bits of shredded chicken (or tofu!) takes almost no effort to prepare and makes a fantastic light summer meal.
Continue reading “Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Sheet pan pizzas are seriously the only way I ever make pizza in my house anymore. I used to futz with a heavy baking stone, but I hardly ever take it out anymore!
Rolled out and stretched onto a sheet pan, a 1-pound ball of dough makes the perfect thin crust pizza.
Here’s a recent favorite: a super simple white pizza topped with garlicky baby spinach, marinated artichoke hearts from a jar, and lots of mozzarella cheese.
Continue reading “Spinach & Artichoke Sheet Pan Pizza” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This post is brought to you in partnership with Frigo® Cheese.
Friends, let us never underestimate the transformative power of cheese.
Even just a sprinkle of Parmesan or a crumble of feta can transform an otherwise simple dinner into something truly special.
Continue reading “12 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes with Cheese” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This green curry chicken dish is one of my favorite things to cook on a weeknight. It comes together so fast and it is packed with vegetables!
Continue reading “Quick Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini Noodles” »
Powered by WPeMatico
For a quick supper, especially in warm weather, you can’t beat a big taco salad like this one.
Make the bean and turkey topping in a big skillet, and serve it warm over lightly dressed crisp romaine. Or make it ahead and serve it cold. It’s up to you.
Continue reading “Turkey Taco Salad” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Long warm summer days are perfect for chilled pea salad!
This recipe uses frozen peas, which you don’t even have to defrost, green onions, water chestnuts, and smoked almonds. The peas do thaw a bit, but they’re wonderful crunchy and cold too.
I first encountered this delightful salad at a friend’s potluck. It was one of the dishes that everyone went back for for seconds.
I’m not sure of the original source of the recipe, but since the recipes calls for Smokehouse Almonds, perhaps the almond company? It could easily be made with tamari almonds as well. You just want salty, crunchy, roasted almonds for this salad.
Do you have a favorite pea salad? Please let us know about it in the comments.
Photos and recipe updated, first published 2007
Continue reading “Cold Pea Salad” »
Powered by WPeMatico
You may associate piña coladas with laid-back poolside vacations, but this mix of rum, coconut, and pineapple is actually a pillar of the tiki drink canon.
Quite a few bartenders and bars have claimed to have created the now famous piña colada over the years, but the drink’s true origins are a bit murky. There’s even evidence that traders in the 19th century mixed rum with coconut water and mashed pineapple for what would have been a sort of proto-piña!
In the end, though, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Because piña coladas are amazing.
If you’re looking for a refreshing, sultry cocktail to highlight your next summer party this is it.
Continue reading “Blender Piña Colada” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Move aside food processor! Be gone tough pie crusts! I hath found the holy grail of pastry doughs.
It is flaky, it is buttery, it is un-fussy, and it needs no difficult-to-clean equipment, just your clean hands and a large bowl. The secret?
Continue reading “No Fail, Sour Cream Pie Crust” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Have you heard of ceviche? It’s a popular dish in many Latin American countries that uses lemon or lime juice is used to “cook” raw fish.
Done well, ceviche means fish with a perfectly firm but tender texture, a bright citrus taste, and a pure fish flavor that you might associate with the freshest sashimi.
Continue reading “Ceviche with Avocado and Grilled Corn” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This post is brought to you in partnership with Northwest Cherry Growers.
Don’t you wish you could eat cherries all year round?
Unfortunately, the season for juicy, sweet Northwest cherries is a short one, lasting only from June until August. But fortunately, cherries freeze exceptionally well.
Continue reading “Baked Cherry French Toast Casserole” »
Powered by WPeMatico
My mother loved to mix canned salmon with a few seasonings and shape it into cakes headed for a hot skillet. This meal thrilled us as kids and it was an easy cooking night for her.
Now I make salmon cakes with fresh cooked salmon, which only adds a few minutes to the prep time and makes incredibly moist cakes. This is also a great way to use up leftover salmon from another meal!
Continue reading “Fresh Salmon Cakes with Spicy Mayo” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This chicken with a funny name (“spatchcocked”?!) is a boon for grillers.
Spatchcocked chickens say moist when grilled over low heat – no fear of dry, tasteless grilled chicken with this recipe!
Combine this with a tasty ginger-orange marinade, and you’ve got one fantastic summer meal.
Continue reading “Spatchcocked Grilled Chicken with Orange and Ginger” »
Powered by WPeMatico
No bake cookies will always and forever remind me of my mom, who made tons of them when my brother and I were teenagers — probably because they were super easy, could be made with pantry staples, and were perfect for that time between extra-curriculars and dinner.
Plus, they included both cocoa and peanut butter, which is basically one of the best combinations ever.
Continue reading “No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Elise’s recipe for Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans is fantastic. If you’re in a rush and don’t have time for the full version, it turns out that you can speed it up considerably by using an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot!
Instead of taking eight hours to cook, I can make these pressure cooker baked beans in just over two hours!
Continue reading “Pressure Cooker Baked Beans” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Have you ever cooked with farro before? This wheat grain is chewy, nutty, and filling. It’s also not much harder to prepare than brown rice.
Mix cooked farro with some vegetables, as we’ve done here, and you have an easy side dish for dinner or even a light lunch for the week! Just add some chicken or a poached egg for a complete meal.
Continue reading “Farro Salad with Green Beans, Corn, and Cherry Tomatoes” »
Powered by WPeMatico
The classic margarita has a nobility that’s expressed by its simplicity—tequila, orange liqueur for sweetness, and tart lime juice.
Just three ingredients, harmoniously combined and perfectly balanced.
Continue reading “Classic Margarita” »
Powered by WPeMatico
This berry and banana terrine is one of my favorite summer desserts. It’s so pretty!
It’s packed with potpourri of berries, speckled with banana slices, and held together with a grape-juice based gelatin.
Think Jello, but a grown-up, sophisticated version, with all natural ingredients and much less sugar.
Continue reading “Berry and Banana Terrine” »
Powered by WPeMatico
A picnic table without pasta salad feels like something is missing. You can put out all kinds of beautiful dishes, but pasta salad has to be one of them. It’s dependable, kids love it — and so does Nana.
This recipe combines pasta with beans and fresh vegetables for a more substantial picnic salad. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette – no mayo – so the flavors stay fresh and bright.
Continue reading “Pasta and Bean Picnic Salad” »
Powered by WPeMatico
I could wax on and on about my love for pie. The flake of the crust, the sweet filling, that sparkle of sugar on the crust — but I’ll spare you.
Peach pie is right up there on my list of favorite things to make and eat. One of my very first memories is of riding my grandfather’s shoulders, picking peaches right off the trees in a California orchard, taking that first bite, and letting the juices flow down my arm.
This is the memory of summer for me, and peach pie is a recipe I think every baker should have in their recipe box.
Continue reading “Old-Fashioned Peach Pie” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Every once in a while, I improvise a pasta dinner that I like so much, I end up making it twice in one week. That’s what happened with this recipe.
It’s so quick and simple: Just sauté colorful cherry tomatoes with garlic and toss them with angel hair pasta. Top it with Parmesan and you’re done
To say the sauce is quick doesn’t quite get the point across. It’s practically instant. This is one of those surprising meals that is more than the sum of its parts.
Continue reading “Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Want pulled pork in a hurry? With the pressure cooker, you can have tender, fall-apart pulled pork in just a little over an hour!
Elise’s low-and-slow slow cooker Mexican pulled pork is fantastic, but when I forget to plan ahead or want it to be ready a little more quickly, I make this speedy version in my Instant Pot.
Continue reading “Pressure Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas)” »
Powered by WPeMatico
An entire meal in one bowl is a brilliant system. That’s one reason the bowl trend has taken off and shows no signs of declining.
Another is the ease. You can put a bowl together without any heavy lifting, and at the end of your assembly line you have happy eaters.
Here is a riff that I like to do on Vietnamese “bún” – one of the original meals in a bowl! This is a cold salad of vermicelli rice noodles, chicken, fresh herbs and vegetables, and a tangy rice vinegar dressing.
Continue reading “Vietnamese-Style Noodle Bowls with Chicken” »
Powered by WPeMatico
Last summer, I was all about cold brew coffee. This summer, my obsession is iced chai lattes. And my friends, I am deeply obsessed.
The size (and frequency) of my batches seems to have become larger and larger as the summer has progressed. At first, I was just drinking one or two glasses in the morning. And then another glass in the afternoon started to seem perfectly reasonable.
When I switched from water glasses to pint glasses, I knew I was in trouble.
Continue reading “Iced Chai Latte” »
Powered by WPeMatico
I like all kinds of potato salads, but German might be my favorite!
For German potato salad, sliced potatoes are tossed with bacon, sautéed onions, fresh herbs, and a mustardy white wine dressing. It’s a nice change-up from the mayonnaise-based version, and you can serve it warm or chilled.
Continue reading “Classic German Potato Salad” »
Powered by WPeMatico
I love tacos, but if you ask for my favorite, it’s got to be tacos made with grilled fish.
The recipe I’m sharing today is one of my favorite versions. It has a bright strawberry and pineapple salsa that truly makes it taste of summer!
Continue reading “Grilled Fish Tacos with Strawberry Pineapple Salsa” »
Powered by WPeMatico