Notes about Recipes in this book

• Sheet pan stir-fry with shrimp and asparagus

  • LaurenB on August 02, 2016

    Super easy and fast way to cook shrimp with veggies, shrimp turned out perfect and sauce was tasty. Will make again, but will try with snap peas and bell pepper next time, since some of the asparagus was mushy. Made with jumbo shrimp and only cooked for 6 minutes. If I had cooked any longer, the shrimp would have been overcooked.

• Pad Thai

  • BethNH on January 18, 2017

    p.150 This recipe is not authentic nor does it claim to be. In fact, it didn't taste like any Pad Thai I've ever been served. That being said, it was a good noodle dish. We all enjoyed the mix of noodles, shrimp and sauce and we'd happily eat it again.

• Chicken cordon bleu subs

  • BethNH on January 18, 2017

    p. 76 My 17 year old son chose this recipe to cook for dinner tonight. It starts with frozen breaded chicken cutlets so is low on the actual "cooking". Nevertheless, it's a pretty good simple dinner or lunch made with simple ingredients. We all enjoyed the sandwiches. The best part of the cooking was when the recipe instructs the reader to use a Dutch oven to weigh down the sandwiches. My son insisted he didn't want help but had no idea what a Dutch oven was.

• Goat cheese and spinach calzones

  • MollyB on December 13, 2018

    These are great! This is my go-to calzone recipe, and I've made it many times without feeling any need to tinker with the recipe (though we do use home-made pizza dough rather than store-bought). The mix of cheeses is perfect and are nicely balanced by the spinach and red pepper flakes. I usually make 4 or 5 smaller calzone to make each an individual serving, rather than bigger ones.

• Beef and bean chili

  • MollyB on December 13, 2022

    Decent if you're in a hurry and have the ingredients on hand, but probably not a recipe I'll return to. It was pretty bland and unexciting. Some chipotle powder or minced chipotle in adobo would probably be a good addition.

  • Creative.Juices on March 16, 2018

    Pretty good for a weeknight chili. It's mild, as is, so use some ground chili peppers or hot sauce if you enjoy some bite. I used very lean ground beef the second time I made it and felt the lack of fat in lost flavor. Otherwise, I'll make this a go-to weeknight favorite.

• Creamy orzo with Parmesan

  • MollyB on January 02, 2021

    Very good, easy side dish. Went beautifully with pan-fried fish. I might reduce the chicken broth by a half-cup if making again, as it was a bit soupy when done.

• Lemony chicken and rice soup

  • MollyB on January 15, 2019

    Very good, quick soup (especially if you have cooked rice on hand), made exactly as written. The fennel is lovely in the dish. It was perfect for a cold winter evening, and worked for a weeknight.

  • PytnPlace on December 12, 2020

    Very flavorful! Love the fennel and lemon notes. I added some garlic. The egg yolks flavored the broth with a silky texture. Felt a little “fancy”. I used Rotisserie chicken.

• Spicy Sichuan noodles

  • MollyB on February 15, 2022

    Very tasty and easy weeknight meal, with only moderate spiciness. (The 10-yr old grumbled a little but he did eat it.) We really enjoyed it and will make it again. Some sauteed bok choy or other greens would be a nice accompaniment.

• Soba noodles with pork, shiitake mushrooms, and bok choy

  • MollyB on December 02, 2021

    Very good but quite spicy as written. I would have enjoyed it more with 1 T. chile garlic sauce and less garlic, though my husband liked it at full spiciness.

• Cod cakes with garlic-basil aïoli

  • MollyB on November 21, 2018

    Very good, simple fish cake recipe. There were surprisingly good the next day for lunch, too. They were not quite as quick as the recipe promised, but still worked for a weeknight dinner. I might try varying the herb in the aioli next time - tarragon would probably be good if you didn't have basil on hand. Note that this recipe starts with raw fish, not cooked.

• Cheesy broccoli calzones

  • MollyB on July 16, 2018

    These were OK but not great. I used fresh broccoli that I steamed and chopped - maybe that wasn't a good idea? I had broccoli I needed to use up and pizza dough, and this was a good use for those, but I wouldn't go out of my way to make these again. The spinach and goat cheese calzone recipe in the cookbook (this is a variation on that recipe) is way better.

  • Shewi128 on October 07, 2022

    I followed the recipe for everything except the feta cheese for flavor preferences. I thought it was ok. It definitely needs a red sauce to dip the calzone into. The kids didn't love it. I'd maybe make this again.

• Skillet baked ziti

  • MollyB on May 31, 2019

    Very good, easy baked ziti recipe. Not having to boil the pasta separately made it quick enough to make on a weeknight after work. Make sure to season generously - we doubled the red pepper flakes and were happy with the results.

• Egg, ham, and hash brown pie

  • MollyB on June 26, 2018

    Very tasty simple dish. Everyone liked it, including the 6 yr old. Leftovers made a nice quick breakfast.

  • joyous on April 01, 2016

    This is like an american spin on a spanish tortilla. Easier too because of the hashbrowns.

• Skillet strata with sausage and Gruyère

  • MollyB on October 18, 2021

    I liked the skillet technique for this, that lets you make this for immediate consumption rather than having to plan to make it the night before. I think I'll use the general recipe in the future but vary the fillings. I think this sausage one would have been better with some spinach or mushrooms, or maybe a lively sausage like chorizo or linguica.

• Scrambled egg muffins with sausage

  • MollyB on May 25, 2022

    Very tasty egg dish you can make ahead! I've make these many times and they're always good. The Ritz crackers really work in the dish, giving some structure to the muffins but not really noticeable once baked. They're fine at room temp--I've made them for potlucks at work--and also good reheated during the week for a quick breakfast.

• Easy apple, sausage, and cheddar strata

  • MollyB on December 13, 2018

    This was easy and quick, but a bit bland and I wasn't sure about the sweetness of the apple. I usually don't like things like apple in savory dishes, but I gave this a shot since I had all the ingredients on hand. I might try it again with a tart apple (all I had was a Fuji apple), or perhaps with something like mushrooms or spinach instead of the apple. Make sure to use enough salt and pepper if making, and an assertive cheddar.

• Peanut butter truffles

  • MollyB on October 19, 2022

    Good, quick, easy recipe. A perfect entry-level recipe for kids! Easy enough for kids to make on their own, and tasty enough for it to be worth the effort. Don't skip the peanuts on top - my son didn't like the idea of nuts on top but I put them on a few and those were the first to be eaten and even he agreed they were better with the nuts.

• Thai curry and coconut soup with chicken

  • abrownb1 on September 09, 2021

    Pretty good but def takes longer than the 45 mins as written. Next time I may skip the browning and just poach the chicken in the broth since I'm not sure it brought a lot of flavor to the table. I also just added the curry paste and other things directly to the pot (eyeballed) to avoid dirtying another dish. Yummy, but I had to use a lot more curry paste (the entire small jar of Thai Kitchen brand from the grocery store) and ended up adding some cayenne to spice it up. Otherwise a nice dinner soup.

• Glazed baby carrots

  • etesla on July 18, 2014

    Simple and everyone ate the carrots very quickly. Would definitely make again.

• Potato chip-crusted chicken fingers

  • etesla on July 18, 2014

    I generally like to keep my comments positive, but in case I forget somehow and decide to try making these again, NO. The coating does not stick well, the chicken winds up rubbery and flavorless, and everything feels a little greasy. I have never wholeheartedly disliked an ATK recipe so much.

  • ldholakia on March 22, 2017

    My kids love this recipe and request it often...not sure I think it qualifies as "quick" in that it requires a lot of prep, but other than that it is a keeper in our house.

• Mexicali cheese spread

  • Phyla67 on January 04, 2014

    Delicious, will definitely make again

• Banana-chocolate chip snack cake

  • njp on April 18, 2020

    Made my own Bisquick using coconut oil. Also used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Delicious. Don’t forget to sprinkle chips and sugar on top.

• Tortellini minestrone

  • Creative.Juices on March 16, 2018

    This was an easy, quick to pull together recipe. If you're like me and want the tortellini to remain firm, only add them as you eat the soup.

• Curried red lentil soup

  • drussell41 on June 09, 2019

    Red lentils cook really quickly. I made it in the traditional manner (versus using the microwave), and it was still really fast and really good.

• Middle Eastern roasted red pepper dip

  • drussell41 on March 29, 2019

    For more authenticity: Aleppo red pepper instead of cayenne; pomegranate molasses instead of molasses+honey; watch lemon amount as PM has a little acidity to it already.

• The best hummus

  • drussell41 on March 29, 2019

    Texture on this one is outstanding.

• Chocolate and peanut butter oatmeal bars

  • Shewi128 on August 15, 2022

    I was trying to find a recipe to use some left-over chocolate wafers, and I found this recipe on EYB (love this website so much). This quick, no-bake dessert was fantastic. The crunchy granola in the middle was great. Warning: if you try to keep the bars at room temperature, they won't hold together very well. You probably want to keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. I would make this again.

• Cheddar and apple butter turnovers

  • Shewi128 on January 03, 2023

    This was a quick way to use up apple butter and extra puff pastry. Did I love it? Nah--but it wasn't bad.

• Warm cabbage salad with crispy tofu

  • Shewi128 on January 31, 2023

    Wow, we really liked this. The tofu was super crispy. 2 notes: First, the sauce is just a drizzle over the tofu. Double it if you want more (you will). Second, if you have people who don't love rice vinegar, substitute some lime juice for the vinegar. Also, "warm cabbage salad" is a bit of a misnomer--maybe it should be called slightly wilted cabbage salad. The warmed dressing is poured over cold cabbage salad. I did love the texture, though, so I wouldn't change that. I would make this again.

• Glazed Caribbean tofu with rice and pigeon peas

  • Shewi128 on December 13, 2022

    Very easy and good vegetarian dish. The glazed tofu turned out really nice. Nothing was too spicy for my kids. Of note, I used black eyed peas instead of pigeon peas, and I could not find pineapple preserves. I found pineapple passion fruit preserves, which still tasted good. I would make this again.

• Black bean burgers

  • Shewi128 on March 05, 2023

    I have only made ATK's other black bean recipe--the one with tortilla chips--before yesterday. This turned out pretty well, and I liked the smashed and whole beans, as well as the red bell peppers. I would make this again, and I'd also try the recipe with corn for even more variety.

• Grilled chicken fajitas

  • Shewi128 on July 19, 2022

    This needs actual spices to make it more memorable. The marinade gave it a slight savory flavor, but we wanted more spice--even my son said that. I don't think I'll make this again.

• Easy "roasted" Brussels sprouts with thyme and garlic

  • Shewi128 on November 21, 2022

    I didn't put in thyme, but this technique was super easy and resulted in delicious sprouts. Depending on how thick your sprouts are, you may need to microwave them longer. I will use this technique again for fast brussels sprouts!

• Hands-off baked white rice

  • Shewi128 on October 19, 2022

    Very fluffy rice and a quick way to cook rice in the oven and not on the stove.

• Hands-off baked saffron rice

  • Shewi128 on October 19, 2022

    Very fluffy rice and a quick way to cook rice in the oven and not on the stove. The saffron was nice and light, and provided a good warm color and flavor to the rice. Definitely will make again.

• Hands-off baked coconut rice

  • Shewi128 on October 26, 2022

    Another recipe for very fluffy, easy, and delicious rice. The coconut and cardamom combo was nice and light. Great side dish, and it doesn't take up space on my stovetop!

• Easy baked quinoa with lemon, garlic, and parsley

  • Shewi128 on September 09, 2021

    Super easy and turned out great. I would totally make this again.

• Teriyaki glazed chicken drumsticks

  • Shewi128 on June 09, 2022

    I used this cooking method with a homemade BBQ sauce. It was super easy and great for a weeknight meal. I'll try it again sometime.

• Unstuffed chicken breasts with prosciutto, sage, and roasted broccoli

  • Shewi128 on October 07, 2022

    Surprisingly good and very easy.. although most things with prosciutto are really good. I loved the one-pan technique for the chicken and broccoli. I used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts, which made it difficult to get all the toppings on, but I just layered them over the tenderloins including the gaps between them. I would totally make this again.

• Bacon cheeseburger pasta bake

  • Shewi128 on October 07, 2022

    This is probably a flavor preference thing, but we didn't really enjoy it. We thought it was slightly dry, and I hate pickles, so those didn't work for me. I made this once, and I don't plan to make it again.

• Chicken and cheese quesadilla pie

  • Shewi128 on October 07, 2022

    The flavor isn't spectacular, but it's a great family-friendly recipe. I've even taken it to friends that have had babies.

• Turkey taco salad

  • Shewi128 on August 24, 2022

    This was an easy salad to make and the result were good despite my husband making multiple errors. In the dressing, he used parsley instead of cilantro, and he used serranos instead of jalapenos. The dressing obviously had a more herbal flavor from the parsley with a bit more spice overall, but it was still good. I would make this taco salad again.

• Chopped salad with apples, bacon, and smoked turkey

  • Shewi128 on April 22, 2021

    I rarely make salads for dinner, but this salad was perfect. I loved the tangy dressing with the rich and savory fillings. I also added jicama that we had in the fridge.

• Kielbasa bites

  • Shewi128 on January 03, 2023

    I made this for a quick and easy NYE appetizer. It was ok--the whole grain mustard made it really pungent. I would make this again, maybe, just with a different mustard.