Recipe Roundups & Menu Ideas

Often, when I don’t feel like cooking, I’ll make a dinner salad, a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, or a quick beans-and-greens sauté and call it a night. But come winter I crave dinners that are way more comforting than that. When I’m looking for something to warm me from the inside out — something that is as hearty as they come — I turn to these recipes.

There are no shortage of ways to cook up a really great chicken dinner, and one of my absolute favorite ways is in the slow cooker. That’s right — your slow cooker isn’t just for big, tough cuts of meat. It’s also perfect for cooking up tender, juicy chicken. Whether you’re starting with a pack of meaty chicken thighs, lean chicken breasts, or even a whole chicken, your slow cooker is the secret to turning it into an easy, family-friendly dinner.

It always feels like a treat when salmon is in my dinner lineup. I love it because it’s easy to prepare and there are so many ways to cook it. Take your pick between cooking salmon in the oven, under the broiler for an extra-speedy dinner, or on the grill. You can even cook salmon straight from the freezer.The best side dishes for salmon should be simple enough to make while the salmon cooks, and deliver plenty of flavor without outshining the beautiful fish.

Cheers!

When the craving strikes, we got you.

Dessert recipes for everyone.

There's nothing more comforting on a cold winter night.

There's nothing your slow cooker can't do — and these recipes prove it.

It's one of the easiest ways I know to get a veggie-packed dinner on the table.

Garlic is one of those transformative ingredients. It can completely change a dish, and it can completely change in a dish as well: It can be strong and spicy, or sweet and mellow, all depending on how you slice, mince, or cook it. This may be why garlic butter, with its luxurious creaminess, rules our collective palettes all year round. Get out your garlic grinder, because here are 25 recipes that prove just how garlic-enthused we can be.

These will warm you right up.

Pure comfort food.

Break free of your broccoli rut.

Easy, satisfying meals for whatever mood you're in.

Need some cool inspiration?

Salmon is a weeknight-dinner hero.

They're the ultimate weeknight dinner.

Which one will you make first?

Dutch ovens are the workhorses of pots. They go from stovetop to oven with ease, making them ideal for braises, soups, stews, and more. Even better, Dutch ovens can be covered to keep foods warm or to transport a hot dish over to a sick friend. Whether you choose a classic cast iron Dutch oven or the ever-popular enameled version, Dutch ovens are easy to clean and can last decades with proper care. I like to think of the day I brought home a Dutch oven as the day my kitchen changed forever.

Number 13 is a total crowd-pleaser.

We all know this scenario. You tossed a bunch of kale into your cart last weekend with the best of intentions to add more greens into your meal plan this week. But they’re still in the refrigerator and you’re stumped about what to make. Don’t worry! The possibilities are endless when it comes to kale.

Italian sausage is one of my favorite proteins. It packs a lot of flavor, and yet it still manages to pair well with just about anything. Whether you like yours sweet, spicy, or mild, there are plenty of things you can make at home with it. Of course there’s pasta, which is usually the first thing that comes to mind when people think about Italian sausage, but that’s really just the beginning. Soups, casseroles, and sheet pan dinners are all great ways to turn sausage into a meal.

One word: Dolly.

Anytime I’m sick (or even on the verge of being sick), two things are certain: My energy and inspiration to cook are pretty low. Even when my meals are planned out for the week, I’m happy to abandon my plans for pork chops or a casserole for another night. This is a time when I crave simple foods that are warm, nourishing, and supremely comforting. A pot of warm and comforting soup is often the go-to for whatever ails us.

There’s a one-pot, 15-minute pasta on the list!

It was the year of the dump cake!

There’s a reason we love adding pork chops into our meal rotation. Much like chicken breasts, this quick-cooking cut of meat is super-versatile. Pork chops can be cooked a ton of different ways — in the oven, on the stovetop, over a grill, in an Instant Pot, or air fryer. Personally, I like to cook my pork chops in my cast-iron skillet, but whatever your favorite method is, we have the best pork chop recipes for you.

We're in our Dump Cake era.

Everyone will want these recipes.

Whether it’s a small, intimate celebration with my family at home or a gathering with the extended family, my favorite way to kick off a holiday morning is with an extra-special breakfast. But since I’d much rather enjoy my time with my family than spend it in the kitchen, I make a point to stick with a breakfast that can be cooked through (or at least totally prepped) the day before.

Because we all know the sides are the stars.

Bring on the peppermint, eggnog, and gingerbread.

Looking for an exciting holiday showstopper desert or no-bake summer stunner that’s ridiculously easy to make? Let us talk you into making trifle. In case you’re new to the dessert, trifle is a classic English dessert that usually consists of layered sponge cake, fruit, and custard, but there’s a lot of room for creativity. Serve it in a traditional glass trifle bowl to display the layers and you will be thankful trifle is so deceivingly impressive.

They somehow taste even BETTER when prepped in advance.

Get excited.

There’s nothing better than freshly baked cookies on Christmas. But do you need an occasion to bake them? Of course you don’t! A lazy Saturday or a rainy weeknight is absolutely reason enough. After all, it doesn’t get any more satisfying than biting into a warm cookie fresh from the oven — and we could all use a little extra cozy right now. Everyone has their own cookie preferences, be it chocolate chip or shortbread.

All too often I buy a carton of heavy cream for a recipe and, after using a small portion, the leftovers get pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten about. Sound familiar? I’ve learned that the best strategy for making sure I use up the leftovers is keeping a roster of easy ideas of what to do with heavy cream. It’s an extremely versatile ingredient, and can be used in a pretty wide variety of sweet and savory recipes.

I can’t think of a brunch dish classier than a good slice of quiche. With a savory, custardy filling — often speckled with all types of cheeses, veggies, and meats — and a buttery-rich crust, quiche is downright showstopping. It’s the dreamiest dish to dig into for a special family breakfast, a weekend brunch, or simple lunch or dinner.

Beef tenderloin is an annual tradition on my family’s holiday menu. Covering the beef tenderloin in a salt crust makes roasting it easy and fast, which leaves me with plenty of time to make delicious side dishes. Our table almost always includes bread like biscuits or rolls for soaking up roast juices, but it also needs a potato side dish (or two or three) and a few vegetables too. Here are 40 of my favorite side dishes to serve with beef tenderloin.

Just like whiskey, rum, and gin, you’ll find a bottle of vodka in just about everyone’s liquor cabinet. It’s a staple spirit that’s incredibly versatile in cocktails, whether you’re simply enjoying it with tonic water or shaking it into some sort of fruity concoction. If you have a bottle waiting to be turned into happy hour drinks, look no further. We’ve gathered all our best vodka cocktail recipes and dropped them all in one place.

These are totally worth turning on the oven right now.

If you’re not already slotting steak into your meal plan once in a while, I’m here to encourage you to do just that, be it date night at home or a random Wednesday night. There’s no need to go out for steak when you can make a delicious steak dinner from the comfort of your own home. You can keep it light with a steak fajita salad, or switch things up and make a sirloin steak sandwich.

It's the duo we deserve.

You say bruSHETta, I say bruSKETta, we all say tartine! Open-faced sandwiches seem to have a special place, here at The Kitchn, with over a dozen recipes scattered through our archives. Why? They’re so pretty, their piled fillings on display, and they work well as lunch, dinner, an appetizer. From sweet potato goat cheese bruschetta to a ricotta, fig, and honey tartine for fall, here are 25 of our favorite open-faced sandwiches.

Can you guess which activity pairs perfectly with a hot toddy?

Bring on the latkes.

They're easy to pull off and easy to transport.

What do you do if your Valentine is someone who just doesn’t like chocolate? What if a fancy box of chocolates or a flourless chocolate cake doesn’t make your heart skip a beat? Not to worry — there are plenty desserts out there that don’t rely on chocolate for their deliciousness. Pick any one of these recipes for a sweet dessert that your special someone will enjoy … even if that someone special is you!

Slow cooker soups, quick and easy weeknight pastas, and the best-ever veggie burger topped the list of vegetarian mains.

No one ever said they could only be eaten at lunch.

Crisp, chewy flatbread is a welcome start to any party, and tastes great with whatever toppings you have on hand. Pizza works just as well, cut into bite-sized pieces and served warm from the oven. Whatever you call it, these 24 recipes and techniques for making crackly-crusted dough, with or without toppings, are easy crowd-pleasers.For the quickest party prep, use store-bought pizza dough or puff pastry, or freeze your own rounds of homemade pizza dough for future use.

Meat takes a secondary role, and we're not mad about it.

These are for the die-hard fans.

These are simple classics to memorize.

Yes, it is possible.

A big casserole dish filled with baked pasta is the easiest (and tastiest) way to feed all of your family and friends.

Reach for inexpensive cuts of meat, grains, pantry staples, and veggies instead.

Bring on the cheese!

I think we can all agree — there are few things more wonderful in this life than a giant bowl of pasta for dinner.

Make now, eat later.

Ah, bacon; its crispy snap and smoky flavor have a special way of making everything it touches even better. It’s nearly perfect on its own, but it really shines when it’s added to another dish — everything from breakfast bakes and salads to side dishes and soups. Let these 20 recipes show you there’s no shortage of ways to use bacon from breakfast to dinner.

If you're not making pasta in your Instant Pot, it's time to get started.

Satisfying recipes that are extra portable.

From a bright-pink beet pesto pasta to a creamy Alfredo, here are 11 ways to dress your pasta sans the red sauce.

Time to add frozen tortellini to this week's shopping list.

We applaud all of you just cooking like champs. Here are some extra-easy, extra-delicious recipes to get you through one more week.

Your morning self will thank you.

Start your morning the right way.

A menu and timeline for cooking an easy, small-scale Mother's Day brunch.

Fresh corn might be one of the best things about summer. We’ll take all the hot nights, sunburns, and sweaty commutes just so long as we get plenty of fresh corn — either on or off the cob. We’re firm believers that corn can be enjoyed for any meal of the day — including breakfast. So here are five tasty ways to start your day that include our favorite kernel.

Breakfast can be the best meal of the day when you're doing a round of Whole30.

Or how to cook an amazing breakfast without a recipe.