Notes about Recipes in this book

• German apple pancake

  • julesamomof2 on August 11, 2019

    I feel like this recipe could have benefitted from a dash of baking powder, since the recipe states that it will puff up considerably, which mine did not do. That said, it was decent enough to maybe make again. The idea is a good one, perhaps better execution is out there.

• Smoky baked hash browns

  • bching on January 09, 2023

    I wouldn't make this again. too salty and too many prep steps and utensils, bowls, etc. for the results

• Baked eggplant Parmesan

  • nicolepellegrini on November 25, 2020

    I love eggplant parm but I'm always looking for a lighter variation on the recipe as it can otherwise be quite heavy and greasy. I liked how this recipe used broiled eggplant slices, not fried, which certainly gave it a lighter feeling. Husband enjoyed it quite a bit. My one criticism is the tomato sauce was quite sharp. If I made again I would cook down the onion, garlic and tomato sauce first to mellow and merge those flavors together better.

• Roasted cauliflower with lemon, garlic, and capers

  • nicolepellegrini on August 20, 2018

    I've seen (and made) numerous variations on this recipe before (oven-roasted cauliflower with garlic, lemon and cheese). Wanted to try this one because of the addition of capers, which did add a nice briny note to the dish. I did adjust some of the amounts as 3 tablespoons of capers seemed way too much for one head of cauliflower, as did an entire cup of grated Parm cheese. The author mentioned not actually liking cauliflower until finding a version of this dish online herself, so I'm wondering if the excessive amounts of those ingredients were to "hide" a main ingredient she still didn't really like the flavor of? Also the oven temp & time here didn't really result in a good browning/roasted finish as I've gotten from other versions of this dish cooked at a higher temperature. So, not sure this is a repeater.

• Red cabbage bake with cumin and caraway

  • Jane on April 21, 2013

    I wanted braised red cabbage for dinner but didn't have the 3 hours my usual (Delia) recipe takes. This worked out well considering it took a fraction of the time (20 mins) in the oven. It was a bit crisper than I would have preferred so after taking what I needed for dinner now, I put the rest back in the oven for another 15 mins. That was perfect and is now in the fridge for another meal (she says it is even better after a day or two). The cumin and caraway flavors were good. I wasn't too sure about the concept of adding Parmesan to braised cabbage but it worked - it added a depth of flavor without being too cheesy.

• Spicy butternut squash strata with bacon

  • nicolepellegrini on November 18, 2018

    Tasty and not too rich or heavy, which was what I was looking for. Could make a good holiday meal side dish, especially as an alternative to overly sweet sweet potato casserole. Only thing is that the milk and cream did curdle, so while it tasted good it didn't look that appealing once I scooped into it for serving. I think that could be solved by making more of a bechamel or cheese and cream sauce instead of just warming the milk and heavy cream together on the stove top first.

• Roasted autumn vegetables with Parmesan and sage

  • nicolepellegrini on October 23, 2018

    Easy side dish, perfect for Autumn. I cut recipe in half as otherwise it would have made a HUGE amount (and needed two roasting pans.)

• Shredded beets baked with caramelized onions and orange zest

  • nicolepellegrini on October 15, 2020

    This was...ok, but I didn't feel like the other flavors stood out at all from being overpowered by all the beets. As in I could have just served roasted beets on their own and not noticed much difference.

• Baked coconut rice with spices

  • bching on April 29, 2014

    Okay; advantages are that it can be cooked in the oven and has lots of variation possibilities

• Brown rice casserole with cheese and onions

  • Cheri on November 23, 2011

    This is a good hearty winter side. Used yellow bell instead of red (what I had). Made entire recipe. Makes 4 hearty servings. Actually baked covered at 325 deg. for 50 minutes, then uncovered, added cheese and cooked at 350 deg. for 15 minues. Rice was cooked and fine with this timing adjustment. When I uncovered at 50 min. not ALL of the liquid was absorbed, but 90% was. (I was in a hurry). Served with arugula salad and pork chops. I think the leftovers will be great, and could easily be used as a burrito filling with some beans. Mild flavor and should be amped up as leftover w beans.

• Sweet potato, chard, and coconut milk casserole

  • nicolepellegrini on July 09, 2018

    Delicious! What a surprising change of pace from the typical sweet potato casserole. A nice mixture of just sweet enough, and just a touch spicy. I used red kale instead of Swiss chard as that's what I had on hand—no complaints. I do recommend using a mandoline as I did to slice the potatoes evenly thin, as they came out perfectly cooked in the recommended time. Will make again.

• Spicy Mexican bean and rice bake

  • nicolepellegrini on January 09, 2021

    Only baked for 45 minutes, not an hour, as I was afraid it would dry out with further cooking (and it had a nice cheesy-browned crust already.) This was ok, but could definitely use something - maybe some minced fresh jalapeno, or some fresh salsa for serving? As it was I'm not sure I'd make again (especially as the leftovers, rewarmed, were very meh and this made a LOT.)

• Power greens pasta casserole with cheesy crust

  • nicolepellegrini on March 24, 2021

    Like a lot of the recipes in this book, this came out "okay" but I felt like it was missing something. Like, it wouldn't be bad as a side dish, as a version of "healthier" mac and cheese with the greens added in. But on it's own it didn't really feel like a main dish and needed something else.

• Chewy udon baked with mushrooms, egg, and beef

  • julesamomof2 on April 18, 2020

    This is one of the stranger things I've made, chosen by me because I wanted a comforting casserole with no cheese. It was met with suspicion by my kids, and most ended up in the trash. Outside of the texture, it was actually pretty decent on Day 1. Leftovers were not good (and there were a lot of those).

• Baked chicken and rice

  • Cheri on April 05, 2015

    A happy accident improved this otherwise run of the mill "I need to use this stuff up" casserole. Hit the dish with double the paprika, which really added a needed note of heat and interest. Used TJ's quick cooking brown basmati, which worked fine. Not guest worthy, but ok for regular weeknight sustenance.

• Tortilla chicken casserole

  • nicolepellegrini on August 05, 2019

    I used this as a starting point for coming up with my own version of a chicken tortilla casserole, because I liked the basic idea here but thought it would be a little too basic. I added some fresh corn kernels and chopped scallions to the sauce, and instead of just stacking the round tortillas in a pie pan I sliced them thickly and layered them more like a "Mexican lasagna". Flavor was very good with my modifications but I find it hard to give a rating to it as written.

• Green peppers stuffed with pork and rice

  • nicolepellegrini on July 29, 2018

    Green peppers, ground pork, and rice do seem to call out for an Asian-twist on stuffed peppers, but I feel like this recipe falls a bit short—and quite bland—as written. I used fresh ginger instead of dried/ground and added some furikake seasoning and chopped jalapenos before baking, but felt like it still needed something else. I actually think some black bean sauce would work really well either mixed into the stuffing or baked on top. In fact I'll probably try that with some of the leftover stuffed peppers tomorrow...

• Oven paella with chicken, shrimp, and chorizo

  • nicolepellegrini on November 04, 2019

    Left out the mussels as I didn't have any and made with some chicken breasts I needed to use up. Flavor was similar - though not quite as good - as a family favorite paella casserole from my youth, from an old Better Homes & Gardens Casserole cookbook. I found it needed another 10 minutes or so in the oven to fully cook the rice.

• Halibut wrapped in chard with thyme butter

  • nicolepellegrini on September 19, 2020

    The technique here is meant to keep the fish moist, supposedly, but mine still came out quite dry. Flavor combination was a little odd as well so I don't think I would repeat.

• Fast tilapia with Asian flavors

  • Lindalib on April 25, 2013

    This came together really quickly and everyone liked it. I used a blender rather than a food processor and skipped the cilantro because I didn't have any, but otherwise followed the recipe as written.

• Strawberry-blueberry buckle

  • Nancith on April 11, 2026

    This recipe was vaguely disappointing. The cake layer was to be "poured" over the fruit, but the batter was so thick pouring was impossible. The texture after baking was too heavy and firm which may have worked if more fruit was used; it just ended up as a mediocre cake layer with not enough fruit to balance it out. One good thing was that for all the butter & sugar used, it did not come across as overly sweet or rich. Also makes way more than just 6 servings unless the servings are enormous.

• No-bake Boston cream pie strata

  • Nancith on November 18, 2025

    A tasty dessert, a nicer rendition of the version using instant pudding. Not quite as easy to make as the author claimed. The only real disappointment was the chocolate icing which there didn't seem to be quite enough of & which would not spread easily without messing up the crumb layer beneath it. Not quite as visually appealing because of that but still delicious.

• Autumn salad with kale, pecorino, and olive oil croutons

  • nicolepellegrini on October 15, 2020

    Just your basic raw kale salad. Was ok.