The Kitchn Archive: Mar 2020

It has more than 700 reviews.

Spoiler alert: creamy comfort foods, one-pot pastas, and easy soups.

The only other ingredients you really need are garlic, lime, rice, and coconut milk.

This is the fastest salmon dinner I know.

By now we all know the history of Funfetti, a rainbow-hued twist on a boxed cake mix, thanks to the folks at Pillsbury way back in 1989. It was revolutionary because instead of using the packet of sprinkles to decorate the outside of the cake, bakers were instructed to mix them into the batter. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to scroll through Instagram or Pinterest without seeing a joyful array of rainbow-colored sprinkles adorning everything from doughnuts to dips.

There are some enchiladas that are pure over-the-top indulgences, oozing with cheese at every turn. These are not those enchiladas. You’ll certainly find gooey, melty cheese in every bite, but this version comes with a more wholesome twist and is all about the veggies. These family-friendly enchiladas are packed with sweet roasted butternut squash, tender corn, and smoky black beans, and then topped with a super-simple, ultra-fresh green salad.

Weekday breakfast needs to be functional, right? Something that’s been made ahead that you can eat on the run and don’t have to really think about. What if you could just grab a chewy, toasty bagel pocket stuffed with cream cheese and topped with a generous sprinkling of everything bagel spice instead? With the help of some pizza dough, these make-ahead, freezer-friendly breakfasts can be yours to grab and enjoy with no muss and no fuss. And just wait until you taste them.

I’m not one of those moms who likes to hide vegetables in my kids’ foods, but I’m certainly not above covering vegetables with cheese and serving them up as pizza! Veggie supreme pizza is not only a way to get kids (and grown-ups) to eat more vegetables — it’s also a thoughtful way to clear out the crisper drawer at the end of the week.

Chocolate crinkle cookies, with their crackly, powdered-sugar surface and chewy, brownie-like center, are a beloved part of many holiday cookie plates. While we’ll never tire of the classic version, this take is an elegant twist that could easily become a new favorite. Fresh mint infuses these crinkle cookies with bright, herbal notes that have long been an ideal match for rich chocolate.

This is a recipe that has stood the test of time and has become a family treasure. I developed it when our daughter was a toddler, and she is now a senior in high school (which I still can’t quite believe). In our house, it comes out several times a year for all sorts of holidays and occasions. The cookie recipe is easy to make and it’s quite forgiving — it works for dough that is rolled out thick or thin.

If your ideal cookie has thin, crispy edges that enclose a thick, fudgy middle with just a touch of chewiness in between, then you should definitely be making these flourless chocolate cookies. At first glance, they might look like any other chocolate cookie, but these cookies have a deep chocolate flavor and are studded with dark chocolate chips. The fact they there are flourless and require just one bowl for mixing is just gilding the lily.

As a child of the 1980s, one night a week was reserved for Hamburger Helper — a quick sauté of ground beef, some noodles, and sauce and you’ve got dinner. Today, I don’t need help from a box to get a quick skillet dinner on the table; I just need a basket of everyday ingredients and inspiration from an iconic sandwich. Philly cheesesteaks mean thinly sliced beef and sautéed onions and bell peppers tucked into a hoagie roll and smothered with melted cheese.

Apple crisp is an absolute must come fall. Requiring a fraction of the work of apple pie, apple crisp still delivers on autumnal delight: warm, fragrant apples bathed in sweet cinnamon, topped with a crisp, crumbly oat mixture that makes the perfect contrast in each bite. Want to make apple crisp even better? Build it in an oven-safe skillet and you can go straight from sautéing your apples to baking the whole thing in the oven without dirtying an extra pan.

On busy weeknights when I’m tempted to order in, this is the recipe I’ve been turning to again and again. Inspired by a takeout favorite, this weeknight recipe features ground beef that’s cooked until the edges are nice and crispy, quick stir-fried veggies, and an irresistible sticky orange sauce. You’ll definitely want plenty of rice to soak up the extra sauce.

When was the last time you looked in the back of your liquor cabinet? Last week, when I pushed past the bottles of Bulleit bourbon and Gran Centenario tequila, I found some surprises including banana liqueur, black pepper-infused vodka, and an unopened bottle of Marsala wine. I pushed my previous dinner plans aside and resolved to put that bottle to use in a simple homemade chicken Marsala.

If you’re a fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches then boy oh boy, are you in for a treat. This snack cake starts with a tender, moist cake full of peanut flavor, but the crowning touch is in the hypnotic swirl of jelly over the top. A creamy peanut butter mixture and dollops of grape jelly mix and mingle throughout the cake batter and bake up so that every single bite of this cake tastes as though a PB&J and yellow cake collided.

Pure sweet potato bliss!

For this super-simple side, thick chunks of sweet potato are roasted and then dusted with a snowy layer of nutty Parmesan that turns irresistibly crisp around the edges after a few minutes under the broiler. A hit of garlic only makes them even more delicious. Make these Parmesan-coated sweet potatoes once and you will never go back to plain roasted sweet potatoes again. They will make you the hero of dinner and the talk of your next potluck.

The craving: General Tso’s chicken from your favorite Chinese takeout spot. The problem: You’ve got different diners eating at different times. The best solution: General Tso’s chicken from your slow cooker. Yes, you’ll be investing a little more time than dialing for takeout, but you’ll make the best General Tso’s you can at home without stir-frying and you can feed your family in shifts as they stagger in the door tired and hungry.

It’s true: You can enjoy a satisfying Thai-style chicken curry on a weeknight without leaving home. I’ve pared down the classic recipe to the bare essentials, which means you can get this one-pot stew from stove to craw in less than 30 minutes. You’ll love the complex spices, fresh herbs, and creamy coconut milk base. Ladle this curry over a steaming bowl of cauliflower rice, and your supper will be Thai-rific!

When you think of oatmeal, you most likely think of weekday mornings — it’s a hearty breakfast that keeps you full on busy days. Weekends are reserved for pancakes and eggs, right? Well, I encourage you to set aside a Saturday for this particular oatmeal, as it’s as special as that short stack.

I’d argue that there is no occasion where a bowl of crunchy, salty, cereal-studded party mix isn’t welcome. We make big batches for birthday parties, game nights, and even our Christmas Eve celebration. So when it comes to Thanksgiving, chex mix should be on everyone’s holiday menu too.

The slow cooker is an ingeniously easy way to make spiced nuts for parties, gifting, and straight-up snacking.

With its puffed edges and eggy pancake-meets-popover texture, a Dutch baby pancake is guaranteed to delight a crowd every time you pull one from the oven. This version, baked in a trusty 9×13-inch baking dish, has even more than what meets the eye, with a crackly cinnamon-sugar layer on the bottom and swirled throughout the batter. Top it with some warm apple slices and a dollop of whipped cream and you’re good to go. Best of all, it is nearly effortless to pull off.

Do yourself a favor and serve it with rice or bread to mop up all the extra sauce.

Apple sauce and sour cream still required.

You'll use the whole lemon, pith included.

Because when you're looking for comfort food, nothing beats lasagna.

This is the absolute best use for your starter's discard.