Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book: Her Favorite All-New 30-Minute Meals, Veggie Meals, Holiday Menus, Dinners-for-One, Kosher Meals, Rollover Menus, and Much, Much More! by Rachael Ray

    • Categories: Stews & one-pot meals; Main course; Mexican
    • Ingredients: ground pork; ground allspice; ground cumin; jalapeño chiles; tomatillos; canned white hominy; cilantro; avocados; limes; corn chips; lettuce; chicken stock
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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Quick pork pozole

    • peterpangirl on January 25, 2026

      https://rachaelray.com/blogs/recipes/quick-pork-posole?srsltid=AfmBOoqBHzZxxJSzNASFQHzEJq3a4y2hehvY77lieGy6qZ5vLhhBIqJ_

  • Sopa da pedra rock soup

    • peterpangirl on January 25, 2026

      Instructions Brown the Meat: Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo or your choice of meat. Sauté for about 2 minutes until browned and fragrant. Sauté Vegetables: Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften. Simmer: Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, hot sauce, and chicken stock. Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Prepare Serving Bowls: While the soup simmers, place a handful of stale bread cubes into the bottom of each bowl and drizzle lightly with EVOO. Serve: Remove the bay leaf. Ladle the hot soup over the bread cubes in each bowl. Top with fresh parsley or cilantro.

  • Sausage mushroom ragu and rigatoni

    • Nancith on August 07, 2017

      Nice pasta dish! I ate it without the sausage which was good, but not as substantial as my omnivores' portions. I used mock chicken broth rather than beef stock, & had somewhat less mushrooms & sausage than called for. Using the amounts given would have been better. Even so, a very pleasing & filling dish.

    • Lnevva on October 14, 2023

      Added some torn kale - tossed in at the end to wilt slightly and it was great!

  • Lemon-garlic-herb chicken with grilled prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and pesto three-bean salad

    • VegasCook37 on March 31, 2025

      Makes more like 8 servings as everything RR has huge portions. Way longer than 30 min but good combo of flavors. Let the chicken Marinate a bit and pounded the breasts so they would all cook the same time time. Used toothpicks to keep the procutio on the asparagus. Chicken could use a little more salt. Bean salad was great and used some lemon juice in the end to help keep it green and fresh.

  • Chutney and cheddar-stuffed chicken breasts with BLTP (bacon, leek, and tomato potatoes)

    • averythingcooks on February 26, 2021

      I just made the potatoes as a side for flank steak and they were really good! I did not really want to add chopped bacon this time, so I simply cooked the leeks using the fat from a couple of little pieces of what I label "fatty bacon ends" & keep stashed in my freezer (ie render the fat then discard the solids). The end result was crispy (yet beautifully soft on the inside) potatoes mixed with jammy grape tomatoes and flavourful leeks. This is a definite repeat.

  • Halftime hero: chili Suizas bake

    • averythingcooks on March 23, 2024

      I scaled this to 1/3 to serve 2 and as ground chicken is not our preference (ie I never buy it) I used 6 oz of beef topped up with Mexican chorizo (pork would also be good). We love the combo of poblanos, tomatillos & jalapenos but I also added a small handful each of navy beans & corn. I actually forgot the dollops of creamy dairy and we didn't miss it. We liked the combo of Monterey Jack & Swiss and rather than include crumbled tortilla chips in the bake, I served them beside our bowls for dipping. This is easy to heat up (or down) as needed and is a definite repeat idea.

  • Roasted lamb meatballs with honey-rosemary polenta and tangy red onion and fire-roasted tomato sauce

    • Nancith on September 13, 2018

      This is a nice meal with a salad, & tastes more complex than it is to prepare (ostensibly a 30-minute meal, but it took me longer). The lamb meatballs, eaten by hubby, were declared very tasty, and the tangy tomato sauce was a nice contrast to the creamy polenta. I really like the addition of honey & rosemary to the polenta, plus milk as part of the cooking liquid.

  • Ground gyro platter deluxe

    • Nancith on August 02, 2016

      The meat-eaters in the family loved this! The variety & amount of spices used for the meat created a complex & tasty gyro. The yogurt-tahini sauce was slightly spicy but cooling. I used some ground pork to augment the too-small-amount of lamb in my larder. It was difficult to slice the gyro loaves as thinly as described & have them stay together. Did not make the chicken "gravy" for the waffle fries knowing that would not appeal to my family.

  • Sliced steaks with sauerbraten gravy, onion hash browns, and spiced red cabbage

    • Nancith on January 15, 2015

      The meat eaters in the family really liked this one! Lots of good flavors, especially the red cabbage. Had to substitute chicken stock for beef in the gravy, but it didn't adversely affect the flavor. supposed to be a 30 minute meal, but it took me rather longer to prepare.

  • Root vegetable patties

    • Nancith on September 07, 2014

      Relatively easy to prepare, nice flavor, but the veggie mixture didn't hold together well as patties at all. Should have followed my instinct & added an additional egg.

  • Honey-dijon potato salad

    • stevenpeters on April 29, 2026

      There's a little too much liquid, but good.

  • Steak pizzaiola burgers

    • averythingcooks on April 08, 2024

      I scaled this down to 1/4 and made sliders (4 x 2 oz patties). The meat mixture seemed a bit dry so I used an idea from our favourite meatballs and added a spoonful of ricotta + minced garlic. The patties had good flavour, the red wine onions were a great topper and I had aged provolone to use. We ate these with a creamy potato salad and we both were full & happy.

  • Casablanca burgers

    • monica020 on February 11, 2022

      This recipe is available online at rachelraymag.com

  • Jaw-droppingly delicious asparagus penne

    • LifeofPie on July 06, 2023

      I didn't have a lot of faith in this recipe because I find that most asparagus pasta recipes taste pretty much the same. I had to use the asparagus though and I had all of the ingredients on hand except for fresh tarragon-I used dried. It actually is jaw droppingly delicious! The lemon and the mustard really make it interesting. My husband didn't care for it, but he doesn't like mustard and that flavor does come through. Very good though!

  • Austin mac 'n' cheese Suizas

    • ajs on August 16, 2010

      Really delicious!

    • averythingcooks on April 14, 2024

      We loved this! As I have to grow my own tomatillos, I have to use what I've preserved and this time it was a tomatillo salsa that included onions, jalapenos, cumin & lime (250 mL jar = perfect for a 1/2 recipe). I added diced roasted serranos to the green sauce & chopped roasted poblanos to the cheese sauce. The last dress up was a Ritz cracker crumb topping (in place of crushed tortillas) and we pretty much devoured it. This will be made again.

  • The must-have minestrone

    • hbakke on May 19, 2020

      A good, easy soup that I used as more of a template for minestrone than an exact recipe. I made a few additions and substitutions. I subbed black beans for garbanzo beans, vermouth for white wine, and added a large can of tomatoes. I also added a small amount of orzo that needed to be used. I think this made the soup too thick because I had to add quite a bit of water at the end of cooking.

  • Sloppy veg-head joe

    • Nancith on October 08, 2015

      This was just OK, probably won't make again without major tweaking. It seemed too much like just throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot & hoping it turns into something wonderful. It didn't.

  • Broccoli and cheddar stuffed taters

    • averythingcooks on January 20, 2021

      I baked 2 big russets for a 1/2 recipe of filling. I followed this very closely but did add a good handful of chopped ham & some chopped green onions to the broccoli and cheddar cheese. The result was 4 lovely, very generously stuffed 1/2’s. I served these to the 2 of us beside big plates of salad - a simple but delicious & satisfying dinner.

  • Ranch-style stuffed taters

    • averythingcooks on August 25, 2020

      These were really good beside tonight’s steaks! However, my 1st “issue” is the request for BIG russets...hmmmmm....how big IS big? Because I was cooking for 2 & have no actual idea of what BIG means, I selected my 2 biggest potatoes & one more. I put the flesh of those 3 through the ricer and mixed it with the rest of the ingredients (I didn’t actually realize the cheese was for sprinkling and just mixed it in) and ultimately stuffed 4 of the 6 halves. The 2nd issue was that I also wasn’t sure the potatoes needed the oven roasted tomatoes as a topping so skipped that tonight. Creamy, cheesy potatoes with a good fresh ranch flavour = success.

  • Fish tacos with quick slaw, avocado sauce, and green rice

    • vickster on June 07, 2019

      The tacos, slaw and avocado sauce are all good. I am particularly fond of the green rice, and I make it often without the tacos.

  • Ham steak with chili gravy and cheesy polenta

    • Nancith on May 07, 2018

      Even though I was dubious about chili sauce on a ham steak, hubby really like the combination. He liked the cheesy polenta more than I did--it wasn't very creamy, almost dry in texture, certainly not as it appears in the book photo; the liquid to instant polenta ratio is not correct IMHO.

  • Orange-sesame pork chop with teriyaki whole wheat noodles

    • spharo00 on July 03, 2012

      I substituted rice for the whole wheat noodles and bone-in pork chops for the boneless chops. The rice was especially delicious and I loved the pop of the edamame in each bite.

  • Pork chop with cider gravy, sauteed apples, and onions

    • Nancith on November 03, 2014

      The meat eaters in my family pronounced this very tasty; I whipped up some of the cider gravy with apples & onions for myself as well. Originally a recipe for one, but easy to expand for more people. Definitely will make again.

  • Single guy (or gal) shepherd's pie

    • averythingcooks on March 29, 2025

      Wanting a simple but tasty meat base for a small cottage pie (which I usually just freestyle) I came here. I used a small food processor for the garlicky mire poix + a home-canned steak sauce & I ALWAYS include a layer of creamed corn under the potatoes. I did skip the egg yolk in the mash but T still thought the potatoes were great. It's not ground breaking or gourmet...just very good. However, she says "single" & I fed 2 of us for dinner + lunch for 1.

  • Devilish sesame chicken with green beans and scallion rice

    • Nancith on January 22, 2015

      Quick to prepare, as the recipe says. I tripled the recipe & perhaps due to my miscalculation, the sauce was not as "devilish" as promised. It also was very thin, more like broth, so I added some cornstarch to thicken.

  • Seared salmon fillet with cucumber dill salsa

    • Melissa_427 on September 06, 2023

      Skipped the rye bread and served this dish over rice instead. Very tasty.

  • Chicken cutlets and spaghetti with peppers and onions

    • Nancith on October 18, 2015

      A little fussy with the prep of the chicken cutlets, but very tasty indeed. For the sake of time, I short-cutted the chicken prep a bit, just sprinkled w/ herbs & granulated garlic, no cheese, before breading. Forgot the lemon zest, had no parsley. Replaced the tomatoes in the sauce with half a jar of pasta sauce from the frig. A nice dish for Sunday supper.

  • Buffalo chicken potpie

    • swegener on February 01, 2015

      This tasted good, but was a kind of bland orange color. I also would have liked more veggies in it--perhaps something less orange.

  • Elsa's baked ziti

    • Nancith on March 30, 2019

      This was good, but not great. Something was missing; it was a rather bland dish. The amount of tomato puree seemed to not do much but turn the ricotta pink. It certainly didn't add much to the flavor. Granted, I didn't have grill seasoning, & subbed mixed herbs, and my supply of fresh basil was small, but still, the dish needs a flavor boost. Has potential.

  • Elsa's favorite fish

    • Nancith on July 03, 2014

      Really delicious sauce for the fish and pasta. Quite a number of steps in the prep, but it was relatively easy to prepare. Good enough for company.

  • Hearts of romaine, palm, and artichoke with citrus dijon dressing

    • Nancith on October 09, 2017

      A pleasant salad with clean, mild flavors that is a nice accompaniment to a rich main dish. It's a good use for that half-filled jar of marmalade that might be taking up space in your frig! Didn't have hearts of palm, unfortunately, or parsley. Replaced shallot with shallot salt.

  • Basil cream sauce with pasta

    • averythingcooks on July 30, 2023

      This came together quite quickly and it was pretty good. I used a lemon basil pesto (so skipped the zest called for here) and added sauteed shallots, red peppers & broccoli florets to create a more complete dinner. I also thinned the sauce a bit and finished each bowl with some parmesan + a crunchy panko, garlic & lemon zest topping. A nice dinner on a cooler summer evening.

    • hbakke on June 09, 2023

      Easy, tasty dinner although the sauce looked like (as Ina Garten would say) a dog's breakfast. I added a bit more broth and used the lemon juice since the sauce was pretty thick.

  • Ranch dip and variations

    • averythingcooks on May 03, 2024

      We used the base ranch recipe over romaine. I like the use of all fresh herbs & garlic here but would scale recipe back to 1/4 next time as 1/2 made still made a lot. I would also alter the buttermilk : sour cream ratio given for a dressing (vs a dip) as it was a bit thin for us. There are several variations/add-ins given that I will try another time.

  • Skillet rosemary-lemon lamb chops with roasted tomato chutney

    • averythingcooks on September 01, 2020

      I made a lemon & herb bbq’d pork tenderloin tonight & came here for the grape tomato chutney. I made a 1/2 recipe pretty much exactly as written but did add some fresh basil with the parsley and finished with a shot of red wine vinegar because we didn’t feel the sherry vinegar had added enough “punch”. This was just delicious with the lovely charred lemony pork. A definite repeat!

  • Shrimp with garlic

    • tlight on January 16, 2019

      This is dog eared in my book. My go to anytime I'm craving a simple shrimp dish. I add a splash of white wine and chopped basil, as well. Served with crusty, warm bread ~ yum.

  • Herb-roasted turkey breast with cider pan gravy

    • CaraGulati on November 21, 2022

      Super yummy. Loves the sage and lemon zest under the skin. Couldn’t find Apple cider that wasn’t sparkling, so went with Apple juice. Worked fine and gravy rocked.

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  • ISBN 10 0307383199
  • ISBN 13 9780307383198
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Nov 04 2008
  • Format Paperback
  • Page Count 360
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Random House
  • Imprint Clarkson Potter

Publishers Text

In the 10 years since she served up her first 30-minute meal—and thousands of delectable dinners later— Rachael Ray has learned just about all there is to know about getting a great tasting meal on the table in a hurry, whether it is one of her patented 30-minute miracles or something just a tad more involved for a special gathering. Rachael’s Big Orange Book is the ultimate resource for busy cooks. Need kitchen inspiration? It’s all here and it’s all new—and bigger than ever!

Just one for dinner tonight? Forget the cold cereal. Rach has a chapter of recipes that make dining on your own a thoroughly civilized occasion, with great meals that won’t leave you with a fridge full of leftovers. Vegetarians on the guest list? No problem! Choose from dozens of meat-free meals that are every bit as satisfying as your tried-and-true standards and savory enough to please the carnivores in your crowd. Observing a Kosher menu? Check out the selection of menus just for Kosher cooks, all ready in less than, you guessed it, 30 minutes. There's even a mother lode of burger recipes for fans of the bun—so many options you could make a different burger every day for a full month!

In addition to her latest 30-minute creations, Rachael has put together an array of menus and recipes for easy entertaining, from quick snacks to serve for game night and easy hors d’oeuvres, to soup-to-nuts menus for her favorite holidays and special occasions. Whip up a pasta buffet for a special mom on Mother’s Day, please a crowd with a super-simple Oscar party menu, and give thanks for not one but four fantastic menus that keep holiday stress to a minimum by getting you out of the kitchen in record time.

Best of all, these recipes have all the huge flavors you’ve come to expect from Rachael, with something to please every taste—and every food budget. You’ll even find the treasured family recipes that Rachael and her husband, John, have enjoyed for years; see if they don’t become beloved family traditions in your home as well. Whether this is your first introduction to cooking the 30-minute way or you are a long-time convert, you’ll find irresistible new recipes here to make the most of every second you spend in the kitchen.



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