Most of these are just recipes that have a high “gobble” factor for our family: if our family gobbles it up, it goes right here.
What? Mashed potatoes without boiling the giant pot of water and then having to wash the giant pot? YES PLEASE. Also, I avoid the pitfall of boiling the potatoes too long and making them gummy.
I feel like I’ve discovered the Seven Cities of Cibola… and they’re filled with mounds of perfect, fluffy, mouth-watering mashed potatoes.
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Tonight, I made a huge amount of this awesomeness for my husband, myself, a three-year old and a one-year-old. There is nothing left. Like, seconds and thirds for everyone.
I cannot stress how fast and versatile this recipe is and it finishes like a restaurant dish. I’ve used chicken, shrimp, any vegetable, any type of pasta… it is ALL good.
If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll grill the chicken first, which takes just a couple of minutes. Then I toss it in the pan when the pasta is finishing.
Why does this work when you normally have to make a bechamel sauce, use a million pans and your kitchen looks like world war III? Well, since you’re cooking the pasta in the cream/broth mixture, the starch from the pasta acts as a thickener.
Please do yourself a favor and make this for your family. You will cry tears of joy when you discover how easy it is. Yeah… it’s got a ton of heavy cream, but if you can hide a bunch of vegetables in it, you can totally rationalize it, amiright? Now get cookin’.
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One day we will have a giant, Italian brick oven in our backyard in which I can bake artisinal pizzas. Until then, this recipe is my very best approximation.
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This is it. This is THE perfect pancake. The ricotta makes this pancake moist. And the lemon zest with lemon juice… I dare you to find a better pancake because these are pretty near perfection.
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This recipe is brought to you by the great Bobby Flay. There are, of course, many versions of this same recipe, but this is why this one works for me: It’s fast and it’s delicious. And when I have hungry little boys impatient for breakfast, it comes together fast. Many of the other recipes call for egg separation, then to whip up the whites and fold it back into the batter. I wish you could see a picture of my face right now as I’m giving some serious side-eye at the suggestion of separating eggs for pancakes. OK, ok. The foodie in me thinks, “Oh yeah, that would make a big difference.” But not at 8 AM when I haven’t had my coffee, yet and I’m feeding hungry mouths. Like all pancake recipes, it’s always best if you let it sit for awhile a let the baking soda work its magic. But please see the previous sentence. Hungry mouths. Ain’t got time for that.
I am kind of obsessed with chocolate chip cookies. You might think, “If I’ve eaten one chocolate chip cookie, I’ve eaten them all.” But you’d be wrong. Dead wrong.
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A little more or less flour, a different kind of flour. More vanilla, less vanilla. Butter vs. Shortening. The possibilities are endless and each tiny tweak completely changes the flavors and textures. This particular iteration is a cookie that’s meant to be thick. And to stay soft and chewy in its thickness.
The secret is the corn starch. Cornstarch not only thicken sauces and mixtures, but it can be used in baked goods such as cookies or cakes, too. It is said that cornstarch used in combination with flour can “soften” the harsh proteins of flour, making a more tender baked good.
Then, it’s piled with a fabulous cookie-dough flavored icing. Oh, My WOW.