Dish Types

One of the biggest challenges of packing my kids’ school lunches is seeing — and cleaning up — the food that comes back home. Not only is it a major bummer to see the food go to waste, but it also leaves me wondering if my kids spent the afternoon hungry. Sliced apples — beloved by my kids at home — used to always come back in their lunch boxes uneaten.

A week of better breakfasts promises days that start with ease (not chaos), and food that fuels us, whether we eat at home or on the run. A better breakfast, in our book, is one you can cook once and eat all week without getting bored, and is nourishing, convenient, and, of course, flavorful. May we introduce you to our new favorite strategy? The 1×5 breakfast.

I will be the first to admit that I do not drink enough water during the work day. It’s not for lack of good intention — I start the day strong, but by mid-morning I slowly start falling off track. I’m certain that the culprits (okay, excuses) are the same ones that plague you (i.e., not getting up from my desk enough to refill my glass, forgetting to keep a glass on my desk, or when I do, simply forgetting about it). No more excuses!

I’ve never been great at the whole lunch thing. I rarely have the foresight to prep things in advance, and buying lunch every day can really add up. So more often than not, I snack. A little bit of this and little bit of that becomes my surprisingly satisfying midday meal, with bonus points that I can assemble everything quickly — with little-to-no actual cooking. Here’s how I build my snack-box lunch.

I’m about to have a whole mess of fragmented spaghetti noodles for lunch, and the reason why is super dorky. No, not dorky — educational. When the Kitchn staff got wind that researchers at MIT were testing the long-held scientific theory that it is impossible to break a spaghetti noodle neatly into two halves, our hubris got the best of us. Of course it’s possible to break spaghetti into two pieces — just watch us! And we did.

We know: You already make pretty good lasagna. But what if you could make it wildly better? We’re talking the difference here between lasagna and ah-mazing lasagna. Now you’re listening? We’ve come up with a list of five things you need in order to make this happen. Some items on the list are little gadgets that’ll make a big difference, while others are straight-up tips. Try some of these out and let us know how it goes.

It’s hard to beat a simple sheet pan of crispy roasted Brussels sprouts; it’s a fall and winter side dish that goes with basically everything. And while roasted Brussels sprouts are great served plain and simple — with just olive oil, salt, and pepper — sometimes it’s fun to play around. Start with a basic recipe like this one and add a little bit of this and that from your pantry to give this wholesome side dish an upgrade. Here’s how to do it.

You know how they say don’t mess with a good thing? I think brownies are an exception. There are so many delightful variations — chewy, fudgy, and cakey, of course, but also super-thin and speculoos-swirled — that limiting myself to just one would be a mistake. Based on your comments over the years, I’d say you agree.

Brownie connoisseurs already know this to be true: not all brownies are created equal, but there’s room in our lives for lots of them. Cocoa brownies and chocolate brownies both have a place in our kitchen, although they bake up with slight idiosyncrasies. Here is everything you need to know about the differences between the two. Both cocoa- and chocolate-based brownies include sugar, eggs, and flour.

Recently, as I was reading through the comments on all our brownie recipes, one suggestion in particular stood out: Refrigerate the batter overnight for a richer, chewier brownie.

When it comes to eating in a way that makes me feel healthy, I’m a strong believer in balance. My heart beats just as strong for vegetables as it does for cheese and chocolate. My secret to having the best of both worlds? Taking the comfort foods I love most and finding a way to give them a lighter twist. And that’s just how I discovered using one of my favorite finds from the produce section to lighten up my favorite cheese sauce.

Many of us are eating sweet potatoes throughout the year — baked, turned into noodles, or just boiled and mashed — but I’m declaring November the official start of roasted sweet potato season. When you roast sweet potatoes, their flesh becomes sweeter, burnished by the hot oven, and the flesh tenderizes into the most delicious bites ever.

Every year my family’s Thanksgiving spread absolutely needs to include a creamy, marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole. It’s essential. I’ve made a lot of variations of this iconic dish, and over the years I’ve learned that what makes it so great isn’t the topping — it’s the way you treat the potatoes. This is the easy, but important trick you need to know.

You might not think that buying tons of tiny candies can add up, but in October the cost of mini Snickers can actually run pretty high. Which is why this Amazon deal of the day is one to check out. Until 12 a.m. PT, you can get 25 percent (or more!) off select candy. They’re also all Prime-eligible, which means you could check one big item off your Halloween to-do list and have the candy on your doorstep as early as Thursday.

Last week, the city of High Point, North Carolina, announced that it would be stepping in to prevent its citizens from handing out those gross peanut butter kiss candies. “Alright everybody, we’re giving you a one-week notice as you prepare for trick-or-treaters to remind y’all that by order of the City of High Point Emperor of Acceptable Candy (it’s a real thing), these are banned,” the City of High Point Government wrote on Facebook.

When you order pasta at a fancy restaurant, chances are it’ll come to you plated perfectly — swirled in a little mountain of noodles, basically tailor-made for Instagram. But how do restaurants do this? Long pasta can be tricky to work with without sauce splashing all over the rim or errant noodles escaping. Turns out there’s an easy way to avoid all of that if you follow a simple (and smart!) method.

If you’ve never had a buckeye, then first and foremost you should know that these sweet confections — that most often appear around holiday time — are pure bliss. They’re made with a ball of smooth peanut butter coated nearly all the way, save for a small area around the top, with a firm, crisp layer of chocolate.

Named for their resemblance to the nuts from the Ohio buckeye tree, buckeyes are the impossibly delicious confection made with a ball of smooth peanut butter coated nearly all the way — save for a small area around the top — with a layer of chocolate. When choosing chocolate for this sweet holiday treat, the options are plenty, including chips, wafers, and chocolate bars. But it’s important to remember that not all varieties of chocolate are created equal.

There are few cooking projects more satisfying than making caramel sauce or dulce de leche (a creamy caramel sauce popular in Latin America) from scratch. With caramel, you get to watch the sugar take on a gorgeous dark amber hue, stand back as it bubbles when the cream hits the pot, and then whisk until you’ve got a glossy, pourable sauce, indicating that you’ve totally nailed it.

I first saw the viral “microwaving a turkey” meme on Instagram, where my friend had posted a screenshot of her hilarious conversation with her mom. (If you aren’t aware of the trend, people are texting their moms asking how long it would take to cook a 25-pound turkey in the microwave in hopes of getting a funny response, then posting a photo of the conversation on social media.

Want to make the greatest version of your favorite cookies this holiday season? Of course you do. (Me too!) It turns out that the key to making truly outstanding and memorable cookies doesn’t involve a top-secret recipe, super-fancy chocolate, or expensive ingredients. According to Christina Tosi, the dessert genius behind Milk Bar, the secret is an inexpensive staple stocked in your grocery store’s baking aisle that you’re probably overlooking.

One of the things I took away from trying the Whole30 diet a few years ago was the importance of breakfast — specifically eggs. I was constantly searching for easy, make-ahead egg recipes for the busy mornings when there just wasn’t enough time to make breakfast from scratch. Although I’m not on Whole30 anymore, there are a few recipes that I still make from that time on a regular basis.

Before starting my first round of Whole30 a couple of years ago, I was nervous about one thing, and one thing only. It wasn’t cutting out sugar or ditching my beloved ice cream, nor was it the lack of carbs, cheese, or grains. The single thing I knew I’d miss most of all was the generous glug of heavy cream I tipped into my coffee every morning. It added body and richness to coffee — with just the tiniest hint of indulgence — and I found it irresistible.

The dress, the kiss, the dancing, and the cake — there’s so much wrapped up into one special day. I said “I do” just as I began a career in food 10 years ago, before Pinterest and DIY weddings were a thing. But the thought of making my own wedding cake never even occurred to me. Instead, I ordered a perfectly nice (albeit perfectly forgettable) tiered cake from a professional baker. Fast forward a decade and weddings are freer and less formulaic.

Mastering the essential ways to cook an egg will serve you well time and time again. On mornings (or evenings) when you don’t feel like digging up a recipe, knowing how to poach, scramble, soft-boil, and more means you can whip up a meal in next to no time at all. Spend a few weeks trying them all — you might just discover you have a new favorite way to prepare your eggs. Comforting and kid-friendly, a soft scramble is there for you when you need a warm and familiar meal.

When you think of chocolate and fruit, chocolate-covered strawberries are probably the very first thing that come to mind. It’s hard not to love the treat, whether you splurge at the Godiva store at the mall or you make them yourself for someone you love. That’s really just the beginning when it comes to enjoying chocolate and fruit together, though.

To me, steak is one of the ultimate special-occasion foods. We don’t eat it very often, but when we do it’s usually when Valentine’s Day or my husband’s birthday rolls around. That’s when I pull out all the stops: a nice piece of meat, extra-buttery potatoes, and, of course, good wine. When you think of steak, you probably think of red wine.

Mid-winter is ideal pie time, in my opinion. There might not be the swath of ripe berries and stone fruits of summer, but the weather is cool enough to justify cranking up the oven and making the most of winter citrus. And blind baking — or letting the pie crust bake for a bit on its own before you add the filling — is a key step in the process. One of the most common ways to blind-bake a pie is to use dried beans to weigh down the crust as it bakes.

If we were giving out superlatives, tater tots would win Most Likely to Be in a Kitchn Editor’s Freezer. We’ve been a little obsessed lately, adding them to everything from frittatas to tacos. But for as much as we love getting creative, we also understand the appeal of eating a tot as it was intended: straight from the sheet tray as a hot and crispy finger food, with a bottle of ketchup nearby.

We recently went on a salad kit-eating spree here at Kitchn and it was even more thrilling than it sounds — trust me! Every day for weeks I found myself wandering the refrigerated sections of every grocery store on my walk to work and purchasing every single salad kit at my disposal. All of this was in an effort to determine the best salad kits in America, which I’m confident that we did! (See: We Tried Nearly Every Salad Kit in America. Here Are the Top 5.

On their own, salad kits don’t go very far. Most claim to have three to four servings per bag, but let’s be real — you can easily devour the whole thing on your own in one sitting. To stretch them a little further (say, like, dinner for two!), all you need is a little inspiration and creativity, and you’ll see that a basic salad kit is your starting point for a one-bowl meal to feed two hungry people. Here are 10 ideas to get you started.

Few candies can claim such an iconic role in a holiday as the SweetHeart Conversation Hearts — you know, the slightly chalky, pastel-colored hearts that say things like “Be mine,” “Text me,” and “Love you.” The candies that come in the box with the clear window that you handed out to friends — just like your parents before you might have — won’t be around this February for Valentine’s Day.

When it comes to easy, satisfying lunches, a salad kit is often your best friend. It does all the work for you by packaging up a healthy helping of greens with a bit of salad swag — dressing, crunchy bits, dried fruit. But you don’t have to take salad kits at face value. Here are a few ways to amp up these budget-friendly lunches from their $1.99 price tag into something that tastes like a $14 salad from the fancy salad bar.

The beauty of Twitter is that anyone can ask the kind of question that really makes you think — and sometimes they even come beautifully illustrated with an animated video. Such was the case this week when user Dave posited, “If baguettes could move, how would they move?” and requested to hear reasoning.

Cornbread is one of those versatile side dishes that can be made in pretty much any vessel you like. You can scoop the batter into muffin cups (or mini muffin cups!), spread it into a square brownie pan, dollop it into a cute cornstick pan (what we used when I was growing up), or, my personal favorite, pour it into a preheated cast iron skillet.

Frittatas are meant to be scrappy — filled with odds and ends from your produce and cheese drawers. They’re a great way to practice cooking with your gut and all five senses, using your eyes and ears and nose and touch and taste to determine when the veggies are cooked, the eggs are set, and so forth. So the next time you make one, I encourage you to ditch the recipe (or, use it solely as a point of inspiration), and just remember this one simple rule instead.

Whether it comes frozen or on the rocks, or if you’re on the beach or celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the margarita has long been America’s go-to warm weather drink (or what you drink when you’re missing the warm weather). Tangy, sweet, a little salty — the margarita hits all the right notes. A new study confirms that Americans still call the margarita their favorite cocktail. Well almost all Americans. In Chicago, drinkers buck the trend.

For a generation of cooks who grew up listening to the gospel of Good Eats, Alton Brown’s tricks and tips that bring scientific thinking to the kitchen are like gold. His examination and improvement of staple dishes help everyone think about just how we can improve every dish. And we found out that on his website, he takes banana bread to task, improving the classic quick bread with one simple trick.

With the growing popularity of grain-free diets like the keto diet, the Paleo diet and the Bulletproof diet, bread is becoming more and more of an enemy to people’s everyday menus. I can’t exactly relate (I bought three loaves of bread at Trader Joe’s last week), but sometimes I understand the impetus to reduce the amount of sugar or carbohydrates in your diet which some breads contain a lot of.

If you’re like me, the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is make a giant pot of coffee. Personally, I have what constitutes my first cup (of many) down to a science. Here’s my order: I put a spoon of sugar in my mug first, after brewing my grounds with a dash of salt, of course (thanks Alton). Then I pour some of that blessed, steaming brew into my cup almost all the way to the top, leaving space for the last part: the cream.

We think sandwiches are easily one of the best foods out there. We love how creative you can get with ingredients that go between two pieces of bread. The same goes for open-faced sandwiches, of course, which are what you’ll find on our smorgasbord. It’s funny how a sandwich just tastes better when you pile toppings as high as they’ll go and throw out that top slice. (Though you are free to use a top slice too — we won’t tell.

Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar: Every morning when I wake up, I brew a giant pot of French roast, and pour myself a cup. After adding sugar and cream, I take that first sip, and every morning it’s like the first time I’ve ever had such a drink in my life. It’s absolute perfection. It’s like vanilla, sugar, cream, and coffee beans were made to be tasted by me this morning and me alone. But then, each subsequent sip is a little less satisfying.

Yesterday the CDC issued a stern warning to the country: Do not, under any circumstances, eat romaine lettuce. An E.Coli outbreak may have contaminated all types of romaine. If you bought any heads or hearts of romaine, go into your kitchen right now and throw it out. Same goes for any boxed salad mixes. In fact, you better stay in there and disinfect your refrigerator. Better to play it safe.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons you might want to skip the traditional sweet potato casserole topping of caramelized, gooey marshmallows. Maybe you’re welcoming a vegan or vegetarian to the table, or you want to eat less sugar during the holidays, or maybe you’re one of those folks who just doesn’t like marshmallows! Luckily, sweet potato casserole doesn’t hinge on a marshmallow topping.

When you think about it, Halloween and astrology really have a lot in common. They’re both a little witchy and mysterious, bounded by the night and stars. And they both give us an opportunity to boldly embrace who we are or, sometimes, who we want to be. But ultimately, they’re both all about having fun.

Vanilla ice cream doesn’t have the best reputation in the frozen dessert world. For starters, it’s an insult to call something “vanilla,” as the suggestion implies that whatever you’re referring to is essentially boring AF. Now we are about to add insult to injury with some cold-hearted facts: Nearly one in five store-bought vanilla ice creams doesn’t even contain vanilla, according to U.K. consumer insight organization Which?.

A really good fruit salad can be a truly special treat. Light and refreshing, it is so simple to pull together yet has the power to be the star of your brunch, potluck, and even dessert spread. While choosing the right fruits to add to the bowl will certainly help when you want to whip up a crowd-pleaser, the real key to amazing fruit salad doesn’t come from the produce aisle.

When I was growing up, my mom always had a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer. Mostly she used it for icing boo-boos and hiding the box of Popsicles behind it, although occasionally she served a long-freezer-burned (and then microwave-steamed) serving of that bright-colored corn, carrot, and green bean medley.

We all know the best place for macaroni and cheese is in one’s mouth, but how we get it there is a matter of some debate. Do you use a fork or a spoon? The nation appears to be divided. There are YouTube videos and Reddit threads devoted to the “right” way to eat macaroni and cheese, and now cult-favorite brand Annie’s has conducted a nationwide survey to figure out what utensil people prefer to use when eating one of the most delicious dishes on the planet.

We know you’ve got that bag of frozen peas or cauliflower languishing in the freezer because we do too. Want to make more room for ice cream in your freezer by using up those frozen vegetables regularly? Same! Our very best advice for using up the frozen vegetables is to skip the lengthy directions on the back of the box or bag and try these few shortcuts instead. You’ll get the same tasty, nutritious vegetables in less time from the freezer.

The freezer is such a treasure chest of kitchen delights. I reach into my own for frozen vegetables to get dinner done in a pinch, ice for cold brew and boo-boos alike, and frozen fruit like berries, cherries, and peaches (yes, even in the height of summer!). And yet, I’m not making smoothies every day. No, I’m using frozen fruit for everything from dessert to dinner in a few surprising ways that makes these frozen gems worth their weight in gold.

I love meal planning. It is one of my favorite ways to feel prepared for each week and reduce my daily stress. But meal prep? The final step in meal planning where you chop veggies, make dressings, maybe even cook some meals? I’m really bad at it. Finding time — even just a few hours — over the weekend to cook is probably as hard for you as it is for me. Lately, I’ve been relying on the freezer aisle to help me prep parts of our meal plans to save me time during the week.

Frozen vegetables are a smart cook’s secret weapon. They eliminate two of the biggest roadblocks in the kitchen: washing and prepping produce (hello, slippery squash and stubborn edamame pods) and the time-consuming cleanup that inevitably follows. And, they’re pretty much the easiest way to work more veggies into your diet.

I’m not one to be hyperbolic about food stuff, but mastering cold brew at home is a game-changer. For starters, nothing will make you feel like you’ve got yourself together in the morning like having iced coffee ready to go in your fridge. Making cold brew at home is going to save you so much time (and money) this summer that you might actually find a minute to meditate in the morning — or catch up on email, if that’s more your speed.

This summer we think you should give banana ice cream, also known as nice cream, a try. Why? Well, for one it’s the easiest freezer treat that you can make without an ice cream maker. Nice cream is also full of fruit, easily customizable, and so dang delicious you’ll be eating it for breakfast too.

These are the game-changers that will give pasta night the boost you didn't know it needed.

So you might’ve heard that there’s a wedding this weekend. Despite the fact that America legit fought a war to escape the British monarchy, seemingly every television channel that isn’t SyFy is breathlessly counting the minutes until Prince Charles walks Meghan Markle down the aisle and straight into the Royal Family.

Are you curious about this nitro coffee that keeps popping up? Me too. So I got an expert here in Louisville, Kentucky (which excels at beverages beyond bourbon!) to break it down for me. Here Brian Beyke, with local roaster Quills Coffee, shares everything you could want to know about nitro coffee.

Do you know your cold brew from your pour over?

How do you make vegetables inspiring? Go and raid your pantry! You’ve got all the secrets to amazing veggies in your kitchen already. A quick addition, be it a condiment or spice, can take a baking sheet full of roasted broccoli or a big green salad and transform it into something that may induce cheers.

Los Angeles isn’t all vibrant grain bowls, fancy toasts, and glowing glasses of cold-pressed juice — the city has a storied salad pedigree, too, dating back to the inception of the Cobb Salad at Hollywood’s Brown Derby more than three-quarters of a century ago. Nowadays, the stalwarts of LA’s health-conscious dining scene are staying true to the city’s legacy, leveraging the plethora of Southern California produce with the city’s boundless culinary diversity.

Remember the last time you had a really good grilled cheese? I do! It was still warm from the heat of the skillet, with golden-brown, butter-kissed toast that left my fingertips just a little greasy, and a pool of gooey melted cheese that seeped through the slices with each bite. True to its name, the cheese is what truly makes this iconic sandwich. Take a look in any cheese case and there are no shortage of choices when it comes to choosing this sandwich’s namesake ingredient.

You know that feeling of satisfaction that comes from doing something in a really clever way? That’s how Dijon mustard makes me feel. This jar of mustard can seriously make you feel like a genius in the kitchen once you know how to wield its tangy, savory power to make a huge impact on nearly everything you’re cooking.

I’m not sure when I turned into such a pizza fanatic, but when you’re willing to drive six hours roundtrip to eat at a pizza place you read about online and put down several hundred dollars for an outdoor pizza oven, you’ve got to admit to yourself that pizza isn’t just something you enjoy eating on Friday night — it’s your passion. For years, making great pizza at home always eluded me.

Last year I did a wild thing and got rid of my pizza stone. We have pizza once a week and I used that stone a ton! But I fell in love with another pizza cooking product that was easier to store, made for a crisper crust, and held more pizza: the baking steel. Here’s why I ditched my pizza stone and became a pizza baking steel convert. The Baking Steel was pioneered in 2012 by Andris Lagsdin, after a much-lauded Kickstarter campaign helped launch the brand and concept.

The thing I love most about chili (aside from each bite!) is how versatile it is to make. Anything goes with chili, and the best version doesn’t come from one prized recipe, but from building it just the way you like it. In fact, I don’t think you always need a recipe — just a basic template that guides you along to make a pot of chili just the way you like it. Here’s how to make any kind of chili without a recipe.

The merits of a simple frittata are many, including the fact that it makes ideal leftovers! Not only can this baked egg skillet be cooked up with whatever veggies, cheese, or meat you have handy, but you can also count on it to hold up quite well in the fridge for days. You could eat the leftovers as is, but I have a much, much better idea for you! Even if you have just a small slice, this is the most ingenious way to eat a leftover frittata.

Let’s talk about french fries at home. I haven’t ever experienced a french fry from my own kitchen that truly rivals a fast food fry. I’ve tried almost every brand of frozen fries and every oven-frying tip and trick. And as someone who is not afraid to fry in the name of good food, I’ve tried several fried recipes at home too. But only one method has delivered on a satisfying french fry time and time again in everything from my home kitchen to vacation rentals.

Making something sweet and special is my favorite way to spread the love to my nearest and dearest on Valentine’s Day. Whether your Valentine’s Day plan includes a girls’ night in, a romantic evening with your main squeeze, a special family night, or helping your little ones spread some love through the classroom, sweet treats made for sharing are a must.

Valentine’s Day is next week. I felt like I had to get that information out of the way for anyone, like me, who has been sitting around thinking, Why is everyone writing so many Valentine’s Day stories right now? I still haven’t taken off all my New Year’s Eve makeup. Valentine’s Day is a million years away. But Valentine’s Day is actually next week, so you should start making plans. Personally, I don’t really like going out on Valentine’s Day.

Jill O’Connor, the well-known baking genius behind the cookbook Cake, I Love You, isn’t immune to the age-old problem of leaning cake layers. You’ve been there: You decide to make a cake for a friend’s birthday, spend way too much time finding the best recipe, bake the cake itself perfectly, and botch the whole thing when your not-so-perfect slicing and re-stacking technique leaves the cake looking like the leaning tower of Pisa. By celebration time, you hate your cake.

Martha Stewart is the queen of beautifully executed entertaining. When one pictures her holiday dinners, it brings to mind visions of spiral hams and glossy golden-brown turkeys with little paper crowns on the drumsticks. One might expect cranberries, or even figgy pudding.