The 30 Best Recipes to Cook This April

published Apr 1, 2023
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Asparagus pasta in serving bowl with fork.
Credit: Photo: Ghazalle Badiozamani; Food Stylist: Micah Morton

Any day now, it will actually begin to feel like spring and our cold-weather doldrums will be replaced by warm-weather happiness. Just picture meals cooked and enjoyed outside — spontaneous lunches, picnics, grilling, oh my! 

You, being the great home cook you are, want to make sure you’re well-prepared for when these daydreams come to fruition. Spring produce is magnificent and you may find yourself with an embarrassment of asparagus glaring at you from the counter. It’s also time to plot your spring desserts! Carrot cake feels appropriate, but maybe you don’t feel like stacking layers and doing a detailed frosting job and, honestly, you prefer cookies (I’ll admit this is hyper-specific, but we have a solution!) A holiday spread doesn’t magically appear through wishful thinking. How do you honor timeless tradition with new classics? Is there a way for classic Easter ham and herby potatoes to get a glow-up? And I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there will still be random Tuesdays this month where you’re exhausted with a bunch of mouths to feed. Luckily in such constraints, we always have speedy seafood, one-pan skillets, noodle stir-fries, pizza, dinner salads, and everything in between.

If you need a little help drafting your spring playbook, this list should give you a boost up or, at the very least, offer a big little burst of fresh inspiration. Let’s dive right into all of the recipes we’re overly enthusiastic about cooking this April. Warning: This list may cause strong desires to run to a farmers market near you. 

1 / 30
Baked Risotto with Peas, Asparagus & Pancetta

Senior Recipe Editor, Christine, is excited to make risotto in the oven — especially with her bounty of beautiful spring veggies.

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2 / 30
Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Glossed with bourbon, brown sugar, and orange, then roasted until juicy and crispy, here is the ham centerpiece you want on your table while hosting for Easter dinner.

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3 / 30
Smashed Egg Toasts with Herby Lemon Yogurt

This toast recipe for spring caught the attention of Staff Writer, Patty. Soft-boiled eggs, hearty toast, and an herby lemon yogurt spread — yum.

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4 / 30
Moroccan Chickpea and Squash Stew

For your Ramadan menu consideration — a hearty, nourishing stew with butternut squash, dried apricots, and fragrant saffron.

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5 / 30
Pittsburgh Salad

This is the best french-fry salad you likely have never heard of — until now. The deliciously salted fries nestled on top of a heap of cold veggies makes the salad oh-so warm and crispy. A tasty ranch dressing delivers creaminess.

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6 / 30
Chocolate Macaroons
Perfect for passover, these chocolate macaroons have a dense, fudgy brownie-like texture that will keep you coming back for more.
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7 / 30
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Senior Food Editor, Kristina, says she can't wait to make this buttery, lemon-zested pound cake studded with blueberries.

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8 / 30
Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets
Thick wedges of sweet and tangy pickled beets, as vibrantly flavored as they are colored.
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9 / 30
Asparagus Pasta
A very light and springy skillet pasta with big lemony flavor.
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10 / 30
Chili Crisp and Honey Roasted Whole Chicken

Straddling between two cultures is never easy. But as this recipe from Frankie Gaw demonstrates, the results of appreciating the in-between can be delicious. His whole roasted chicken is stuffed with aromatics with a chili crisp, scallion, and ginger glaze — it's Ina Garten meets a Taiwanese grandma.

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11 / 30
Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad with Spring Veggies

This crunchy, bright, and totally satisfying salad is so good, Culinary Producer Kelli looks forward to it every April. Its tangy Greek-inspired dressing doubles as a marinade for the feta and chickpeas.

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12 / 30
Ukrainian Dill Potatoes

For a low-effort potato side dish that will impress on the Easter table, this four-ingredient dish is the magical solution.

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13 / 30
Lemon Icebox Pie

"Everyone is making this no-bake lemon pie, and it's easy to see why," says Recipe Director, Lauren. "Fresh lemon + condensed milk + cream cheese? Sign me up."

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14 / 30
Fonio and Strawberry Salad with Peppery Greens

A fresh strawberry salad for spring is an essential. You won't be disappointed by this medley of strawberries tossed with peppery greens, cucumbers, and cooked fonio.

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15 / 30
Easy Slow Cooker Bean Soup

"My mom is cooking Easter dinner this year," says Culinary Producer Kelli. "And I've already called dibs on the ham bone, so I can make this hearty bean soup."

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16 / 30
Easy Shrimp Scampi

A super-speedy (15-minute!) recipe for juicy shrimp scampi with a buttery lemon sauce is one that truly never goes out of style. If you want to gild a lily, ladle the shrimp over linguine.

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17 / 30
A Springy Noodle Stir-Fry

Raw and charred spring vegetables, including asparagus, snap peas, green beans, and snow peas, come together in this quick and delicious dinner from Ali Slagle.

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18 / 30
Carrot Cake Cookies

If a chewy cookie and a slice of moist carrot cake had a delicious spring baby, it would be this tender, warmly spiced carrot cookie smeared with tangy cream cheese frosting.

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19 / 30
Air Fryer Scallops
Plump sea scallops in a lemon-dill marinade are an easy weeknight win with the air fryer.
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20 / 30
Credit: Kitchn
Chicken and Orzo with Lemon and Olives

Senior Food Editor, Kristina, recently waxed poetic about her back-pocket dinner: Chicken and orzo with lemon and olives from the LA Times, courtesy of food writer Regina Schrambling. When Kristina's photo popped up on Instagram, Grocery Editor, Mara, made a mental note to make it as soon as possible. After all, it has three of Mara's favorite O's: Orzo, olives, and one-pan!

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21 / 30
Homemade Thin-Crust Pizza

Pizza is a cherished Friday night ritual in the house of Recipe Director, Lauren. So when Staff Writer, Patty Catalano, crunched the numbers and realized this recipe cost her $6.43 to make 2 (10-inch) pizzas, Lauren realized it was about time to start making her own, too.

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22 / 30
Papdi Chaat

As soon as this recipe dropped, Recipe Production Coordinator, Justine, saved it to her recipe box. "I love chickpeas and potatoes, I love chaat masala on anything, and I'm all for having snacks for dinner!"

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23 / 30
Rhubarb Dream Bars

Plotting a way to use rhubarb? This sweet recipe transforms stalks of rhubarb and a package of refrigerated sugar-cookie dough into tart bars topped with crunchy oat streusel. A literal dream!

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24 / 30
Tilapia and Pineapple Spring Rolls Recipe

Flaky tilapia fillets and juicy slices of pineapple get all wrapped up into a refreshing spring bite.

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25 / 30
Cucumber Soup

Recipe Production Coordinator, Justine, loves gazpacho even if she sometimes contemplates whether cold soup is a savory smoothie or if a smoothie is a sweet soup. Regardless, she recommends you make this creamy and refreshing cucumber soup packed with yogurt and fresh herbs.

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26 / 30
Caramelized Leek, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Tart

Need a break from your usual weeknight pastas and casseroles? This vibrant tart — with caramelized greens, cheese, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard — can certainly switch things up.

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27 / 30
French Onion Frittata

This frittata is loaded with all the best parts of a great bowl of French onion soup: velvety caramelized onions, melted Gruyère, even cubes of toast

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28 / 30
Spinach-Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Refresh your spring sandwich game with the flavors and ingredients of spinach-artichoke dip. This grilled cheese — with the perfect ratio of melty cheese to crispy bread — will show you how.

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29 / 30
Caribbean-Style Beans and Greens Quinoa Skillet

This budget-friendly skillet comes together in a single pan with minimal prep and rewards you with a plant-based meal that’s high in protein and fiber. It’s super hearty and comforting, yet still feels nutritious, and best of all has an unexpected creamy risotto-like quality that will make you swoon.

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30 / 30
Matzo Meal Pancakes
Also known as bubeleh in Yiddish, this cloud-like pancake is made from matzo meal and egg.
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