Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites by Deb Perelman

    • Categories: Bread & rolls, savory
    • Ingredients: active dry yeast; dark rye flour; all-purpose flour; ground caraway
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Notes about this book

  • mcvl on March 30, 2026

    Ingredients

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Deli rye English muffins

    • anya_sf on November 21, 2021

      The dough was quite slack and since there wasn't a large volume, the dough hook didn't really mix it on low speed, just sort of pounded it. I lifted the dough a few times to unstick it from the sides, but gave up in the end, figuring English muffin dough doesn't need a lot of kneading. The muffins were surprisingly easy to shape. I baked them 2 days later, browning them on an electric griddle so I could do them all at once, then baking for 30 min (sides weren't exactly firm). My family loved them, especially for breakfast sandwiches. A couple of muffins were undersized, so next time I will make a double batch to yield 12 muffins.

    • leigh_li4u8l on March 29, 2026

      i didn’t think these were going to work out, my dough was very sticky and craggy but they turned out to be easy to shape when the time came! These don’t have the nooks and crannies texture. But they did have a nice rye flavor.

  • Granola biscotti

    • southerncooker on January 08, 2018

      Delicious. Prefect addition to your morning yogurt or for a snack with hot tea or coffee.

    • Bryan on February 10, 2018

      http://cooktildelicious.com/granola-biscotti/

    • Frenchfoodie on July 18, 2018

      Delicious. Like hobnobs but better, crumbly loveliness.

    • spatterson88 on March 30, 2021

      I substituted wheat bran for some of the oatmeal and it turned out great.

    • snoozermoose on December 06, 2021

      These were way better than I expected them to be. They were a bit of a pain to cut because of the sliced almonds and coconut so it was hard to get them as thin as I wanted without them crumbling completely. The thinner slices were a real treat--crisp and nutty. The thicker ones were a bit softer and stodgier so I'm going to try hard next time to get them thin even though it's difficult. I'm interested in trying them with chocolate chips in place of the dried fruit next time.

    • jenmacgregor18 on August 07, 2022

      These are pretty good, not too sweet. For the dried fruit, I used King Arthur's yuletide mix, candied orange, lemon, raisins and cranberries. But as snoozermoose mentioned, the best ones were the crispiest. So, I may try cutting them thinner and/or bake a bit longer next time.

  • Jam-bellied bran scones

    • Zosia on October 27, 2017

      Filled with maple jelly, even those not fond of bran muffins loved these. They didn't rise as high as some scones do but they were tender and had a nutty flavour and a bit of chew from the bran. My dark brown sugar was as solid as rock so I used light brown (while the dark brown softens for the next batch!)

    • bwhip on October 28, 2017

      Made these this morning and they were very good. Nicely light compared to most scones. I toasted the wheat bran a bit before mixing, and mixed in fresh blackberries rather than using jam. Tasty!

    • Rutabaga on November 05, 2017

      The entire family loved these scones, although my six-year-old was a skeptical at first, probably because they didn't line up with his idea of what a biscuit should be. But he, too, was won over at first bite. Ours were filled with blackberry jam. The jam was a great companion to the flavor of the bran, and they were indeed tender and moist. These will definitely be added to the regular breakfast rotation.

    • Lepa on November 19, 2017

      These were good but they were more work than most scones and I'm not sure we liked them enough to justify the extra work. I filled them with raspberry jam, which was a nice flavor combination.

    • southerncooker on March 31, 2018

      I couldn't find wheat bran but wheat germ is available in all our local supermarkets. I did a Google search and found they are interchangeable in recipes. I also learned the bran is the husk and the germ is the kernel. The bran has more health benefits. I got exactly 10 scones and filled half with blackberry jam and half with raspberry. I liked the blackberry better.

    • shoffmann on January 26, 2019

      I loved these scones. Nice tender texture, and the jam filling was nice.

    • Cathyschuh on March 01, 2020

      Dense and delicious.

    • anya_sf on September 18, 2021

      Very good filled with apricot or blackberry jam. The dough needed a little extra liquid to come together. My scones must have been slightly large as I just got 8. I assembled them the night before and froze them. Baked from frozen, they needed 5 extra minutes in the oven. Next time I might just bake plain bran scones and simply spread them with jam.

    • vegwithtastebuds on July 09, 2023

      Made with batch split between blueberry, apricot, and Damson Plum preserves- all excellent!

    • ljl1989 on January 18, 2026

      Not a traditional scone recipe but the earthiness of the oat bran works so well with the light sweetness from the brown sugar and jam. We found this to be slightly sweeter than we'd prefer for breakfast, and I might play with reducing the sugar in the future (but we typically don't like sweet or flavored scones - it's still a great recipe). I think it'd be just as good without jam. My dough was too dry to come together and I had to add an extra tablespoon or two of cream, but that may have been because it was a very dry winter day, and they came out tender and moist. Also had to roll a little thinner than the prescribed 1/2 an inch in order to make 10; I'd probably just make 9 in the future.

  • Baked oatmeal with caramelized pears and vanilla cream

    • bwhip on October 30, 2017

      Delightful. Fluffy, light, not-overly-sweet, with lovely flavor from the pears, lemon and vanilla bean.

    • Rutabaga on October 29, 2018

      Overall, our family really liked this dish, except, surprisingly, the seven-year-old. The vanilla cream was a nice touch, as were the pears. Perhaps because I was using a Pyrex dish, the pears didn't caramelize while baking, although they were cooked through. Perhaps I will leave them in the oven for a longer next time to aid in caramelization. It's a good brunch dish, as it takes time to bake.

    • anya_sf on November 21, 2021

      I made 1/3 recipe as I had one pear to use up. Like Rutabaga, I used Pyrex and didn't get a lot of caramelization, but the flavor was delicious nonetheless. I skipped the vanilla cream, putting the extra sugar and a splash of vanilla extract in the oat mixture, and topped my serving with lowfat milk. I can imagine the vanilla cream would make it that much better.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      This is a lovely brunch dish. No pears? Apples work just fine.

    • Jhein12 on May 08, 2026

      Nice way to use pears

  • Spinach, mushroom, and goat cheese slab frittata

    • Lepa on December 25, 2017

      This is okay. It needs a bit more salt. Hot sauce is also a good accompaniment. My husband liked it but I thought the mushrooms had a rubbery texture that was off-putting (we ate it the morning after baking it).

    • Lmocooks on February 06, 2018

      Fine. Nothing to write home about. It definitely needs some extra salt and maybe some herbs. Perhaps some kind of herbed goat cheese would do the trick.

    • snoozermoose on December 06, 2021

      This was pretty meh. The frittata bakes up quite thin. I agree with Lepa that the mushrooms ended up rubbery, and the frittata as a whole was bland and watery. We ended up having to add a lot more salt.

    • mikeyeatsstuff on January 05, 2025

      This came out great for us. We subbed in feta instead of goat cheese, and defrosted and squeezed out frozen spinach in lieu of fresh (less work, cheaper). Loved the flavors!

    • kbrooks on January 11, 2025

      We like this a lot. Key is to get the spinach really really dry after cooking it.

    • Jhein12 on May 07, 2026

      Good method and easy meal prep

  • Everything drop biscuits with cream cheese

    • Rutabaga on November 12, 2017

      These are wonderful savory biscuits, perfect, in my opinion, with just butter. You can actually taste the cream cheese in the dough, and it makes for a very soft, tender biscuit. I used Trader Joe's "everything bagel" seasoning, which is similar to the mixture Perelman includes with this recipe. With the seasoning ready to go, this is a quick and easy twist on basic buttermilk biscuits.

    • shoffmann on December 29, 2017

      I used milk instead of buttermilk (it was way too cold to go to the store) and they still turned out great. The biscuit was light and fluffy, while the seeds made for a nice crispy exterior. These felt a bit more special than my regular biscuit recipe, but were not a lot of extra work. We will be making again.

    • anya_sf on September 30, 2018

      Served with more cream cheese and smoked salmon, these made a nice weekend breakfast, with hardly any effort. I was liberal with the topping - next time I'd reduce the salt, since the smoked salmon was also salty.

    • Skamper on June 18, 2023

      Delicious and came together easily. Used trader joe's everything seasoning. I used an ice cream scoop to portion and got 14 biscuits. 12 minutes is the right amount of time to bake.

    • gootenbeez on January 01, 2026

      For me these were just ok. I feel like these were not as soft as I'd like. Im not sure if I made a mistake or it's just the recipe. Not bad but not amazing. I don't think I'd bother with adding cream cheese in a drop biscuit again.

    • heyksquared on April 26, 2026

      I’ve been making this recipe for years, and adore it. Like others, I use Trader Joe’s everything seasoning for ease. I also used a big ice cream scoop with a lever to portion the dough. I find 450 to be too hot in my oven, so I baked at 425 for 14 minutes and they were perfect.

  • Ricotta blini with honey, orange, and sea salt

    • Zosia on October 31, 2017

      These are very nice: moist, light and crisp with lovely orange flavour. I liked them with powdered sugar alone but family really enjoyed the ones with honey and salt. I did have a little problem transferring the shaped pancakes to the fry pan; as they sat, they absorbed flour and ended up sticking badly to the tray. Next time, I'll put a more generous coating of flour on it.

    • Toomanybooks88 on January 13, 2018

      Delicious. We added fresh berries and a dollop of lemon marscapone cream.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      I had a lot of trouble flipping these while keeping them neat. The end result was just okay. Overall these felt like more work than pancakes should be and weren't anywhere near as good as the peach pancakes from Deb's first cookbook.

    • Lepa on May 29, 2023

      I would echo @snoozermoose's comments there. These were more fussy and difficult than pancakes but not quite as good. If you are looking for a similar flavor profile I'd recommend the Food 52 version with cottage cheese and currants (by Deborah Madison), which are easier to handle and probably taste better, too.

    • dbuhler on February 01, 2025

      We really enjoyed these! I ended up adding just a little bit more flour to help the dough be more manageable while shaping. We really enjoyed the orange and the current combination and we have plans next time to try lemon with dried blueberries. I also served these with orange blossom honey and I would definitely do that again!

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      They are good if a little labor-intensive for breakfast (compared to blueberry pancakes, for example). But nice for a change, especially using honey, orange zest and/or currants. I have made with farmer’s cheese instead of ricotta as well.

  • Loaded breakfast potato skins

    • southerncooker on January 08, 2018

      Delicious. I baked my potatoes the night before and scooped out the middles then continued with the recipe the next morning. I omitted the sour cream since I'm not a big fan.

    • hirsheys on April 28, 2018

      This came out yummy, though the recipe takes quite a while if you don't prebake the potatoes. I had one issue - I must have tilted the pan as I put it in the oven, because one of the eggs slid out of the potato, which meant it overcooked. Still, the flavors were all quite tasty. (I went much heavier on the scallions and would again...)

    • SheilaS on April 30, 2018

      I was hoping for a runny yolk but these were cooked through at 10 min. Next time I'll check sooner. Otherwise, I thought they were very good. Brushing the skins with melted butter makes them especially delicious.

    • Mrs. L on December 07, 2019

      Ten minutes was too long for my oven. At seven they were almost overdone. And of course I added more bacon after I took a photo lol.

    • spatterson88 on December 25, 2020

      After reading the notes, I checked on the eggs at 5 minutes, and pulled them out at 8 minutes. That was perfect timing.

    • EmilyR on February 26, 2023

      My family enjoyed these, though my potatoes weren't deep enough and the egg white spilled out a bit. They feel a bit decadent and I like that it has a bit of protein to it and can be doctored up according to preference.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      We love this for a breakfast/brunch when we have overnight guests, since you can bake the potatoes the night before and easily assemble in morning. Agree with previous comments to reduce the baking time so the eggs don't over cook. Have also made this for an easy supper with a green salad.

  • Sticky toffee waffles

    • Frenchfoodie on April 02, 2018

      Quick, easy, delicious. Too sweet for breakfast here but a lovely dessert. We were happy with them soft from the waffle maker.

    • hirsheys on May 12, 2018

      Yum! My waffle iron is terrible, but once I greased it very well, these came out nicely and were super delicious. (I didn't add extra whipped cream.) Without the sauce, these *would* actually be reasonable for breakfast, but once you add the sauce, this tips over into pretty sweet territory. These are also relatively easy, but make a mess - to make them you have to mess up a bowl, pot, blender, and waffle iron. Next time, I might double the sauce to match the number of waffles.

    • tarae1204 on December 25, 2023

      Difficult to remove from Belgian waffle maker due to moisture, but no breakages. They crisp up in the oven and are over the top delicious with the toffee sauce. I like that the waffles just use dates as sweetener. One batch was finished off by our family of four, so I'd consider making a double batch to have some to freeze and eat with a more healthful topping.

    • kastnich15 on August 13, 2025

      Very delicious! I have made these numerous times.

  • Raspberry hazelnut brioche bostock

    • Rutabaga on September 24, 2018

      Since I made the hazelnut cream and syrup the night before, this was a quick breakfast dish to pull together on Sunday morning. I used a loaf of Hefezopf from our local German bakery for the bread. It's delicious; the tart raspberries (and I'm sure I used more berries than called for) nicely balanced the rich sweetness of the hazelnut cream, and the syrup ensured the dish wasn't too dry and was well flavored.

    • anya_sf on November 24, 2021

      I was lazy and used hazelnut meal rather than toasting and grinding hazelnuts; the hazelnut cream was still very flavorful. I used probably double the raspberries to nearly cover each slice. Possibly because of that, the bostock took closer to 25-30 min to set and start turning golden. Really delicious!

  • Polenta-baked eggs with corn, tomato, and Fontina

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Delicious! I used stone ground grits.

    • BeckyLeJ on February 25, 2018

      Flavors were good, but I had some issues with this recipe that we’re totally my own fault: I used a narrower casserole dish, which caused the eggs to run into one another and create a solid layer of egg over the whole dish. By the time the egg whites had cooked, the yolks were also cooked completely through. Next time, I’ll use a shallow dish.

    • pattyatbryce on February 28, 2026

      Very nice dish. Definitely plan on broiling top. Next time, I'll individual ramekins to bake 4 servings. Two eggs with all of the cheese would be too much for us.

  • Kale Caesar with broken eggs and crushed croutons

    • Lepa on October 27, 2017

      This is the first recipe I tried in this eagerly-anticipated book and it didn't disappoint! I scaled the recipe down a bit because I was eating alone. I used a whole bunch of kale but only half the dressing and one egg. It was perfect for one- and so, so delicious!

    • Zosia on November 02, 2017

      Family and I really enjoyed this and despite having a few components, it was quite quick to prepare. I used thinly sliced curly kale in place of baby kale as recommended and dressed it well in advance of serving to soften it. A half batch of dressing was enough for the full amount of kale.

    • rionafaith on November 05, 2017

      Great easy salad. I served alongside a pan-seared steak, but this could also be a light meal on its own.

    • Cgautier on January 01, 2018

      I made this twice the first week I bought the book. Yum.

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Love kale and this recipe didn't disappoint.

    • Lesliehauser on January 27, 2018

      Really is the best kale salad!

    • Rutabaga on March 04, 2018

      The "cheater" caesar dressing here is a great match for kale, and I loved the addition of panko crumbs. Since the rest of the family aren't "jammy" egg fans, I kept those aside for my own salad. My baby kale was quite robust (nothing like the delicate leaves featured in the cookbook photo), so I used almost the full amount of dressing, adding it ahead of time to soften it. My husband isn't a big kale fan, but he loved this salad, and even my six-year-old ate his (very) small portion with minimal fuss.

    • BeckyLeJ on March 08, 2018

      This was good and quite satisfying as a dinner salad.

    • westminstr on March 12, 2018

      This was a good salad, very pantry friendly with the panko and with the eggs (2 each cooked in the IP) and bread on the side, was enough for dinner.

    • hirsheys on May 06, 2018

      I made this with baby spinach (what I had) and it was great. With the eggs and the breadcrumbs, the salad is really quite special and super easy if you have greens and a lemon in your fridge. For future reference, I prefer this dressing with the smaller amount of lemon juice (1 T) and a relatively light amount of garlic.

    • kbrooks on March 31, 2023

      The faux Caesar dressing is great on other salads, on steamed green beans or broccoli, and as a dip for crudites.

    • averythingcooks on April 01, 2023

      I made the dressing & the panko to use on a salad of mixed greens & thinly sliced red onion. Both are great little tricks to have on hand to dress up a simple salad and I have enough of both left for tonight's dinner. Repeats for sure.

    • dbuhler on August 06, 2023

      I only made the dressing and it was just okay. In terms of caesar dressings that don't use anchovies, I prefer the ratios of ATK's version. I added the parmesan to the dressing because I prefer my caesar dressing to have that included.

    • snoozermoose on May 18, 2022

      This was so delicious and easier than I thought! Will definitely make this again.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Never made Caesar salad before and so it was easier than I thought. Will make again!

    • anya_sf on February 18, 2023

      I just made the dressing to use on romaine lettuce with traditional croutons. I loved that it was quick and easy and I didn't have to make a vast quantity, plus the flavor was very good with the larger amount of lemon juice and lots of parmesan cheese.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      We're not fond of raw kale; I've been using this faux Caesar dressing on lots of other salads.I make it as written, adding in the parmesan cheese.

    • lholtzman on August 02, 2025

      Delicious way to use kale. I used regular curly kale from my garden and it was delicious. This is a good salad for lunch or a side salad for pizza.

    • Suitsme on March 22, 2024

      Perfect as written. It’s a dish I crave.

  • Flipped crispy egg taco with singed greens

    • Rutabaga on October 31, 2017

      This is the kind of breakfast I go for - greens and eggs are a winning combination. I appreciate how fast this is to throw together, too. While I made a taco for myself, I served the kids plain eggs and bagels, and it all came together in under ten minutes. If you have it, some cotija or queso fresco would be a great addition.

    • Lepa on November 28, 2017

      I made this for a late post-run breakfast and it checked all my boxes: easy, nutritious and delicious!

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Quick easy breakfast and delicious too.

    • Zosia on February 04, 2018

      So simple yet so good. I used pre-washed baby kale and chard salad blend so there was virtually no prep required.

    • Lepa on May 11, 2018

      I make this several times a week at home but just wanted to note that it is also an excellent meal to cook while camping!!

  • Mango apple ceviche with sunflower seeds

    • Lepa on October 31, 2017

      This salad was easy to throw together and a big hit with everybody, young and old. We had it with grilled salmon and it was a bright and tasty dinner.

    • southerncooker on January 26, 2018

      This is best eaten within in an hour of making but it was still good the next day for my work lunch. I ate some after resting in the lime juice for 15 minutes and it was good even though I hadn't added the olive oil yet.

  • Perfect blueberry muffins

    • Lepa on November 05, 2017

      These were excellent! The batter is very stiff and doesn't rise much so it's fine to fill the cups; they won't overflow. I plan to make these frequently, as they were well received and especially easy to throw together.

    • Frogcake on December 09, 2017

      We really liked these muffins. It’s mandatory to use wild blueberries and In my opinion, the more berries, the better the muffin -So I added one and a half cups of berries. I also made six jumbo muffins instead of the nine. Loved the crunchy turbinado sugar on top!

    • Rutabaga on January 16, 2018

      These muffins are pretty much perfect, and very easy to make, too. For me, they're on par with the Dahlia Bakery recipe, which also produces excellent muffins. You can't go wrong with either recipe.

    • southerncooker on March 18, 2018

      These were indeed very good. I liked them even better the next day split, buttered and toasted in the oven under the broiler as suggested by Deb. I got 12 small muffins instead of 9. I used frozen blueberries which she said was ok. I'm going to try them with fresh as well. I went a little easy on the turbinado, next time I'll use the full teaspoon per muffin.

    • vickster on August 06, 2018

      Very good - I agree with other comments. Not too sweet, don't rise very much, a more dense texture than I am used to for muffins. I added the larger amount of blueberries. They are delicious and I will make again.

    • kari500 on September 11, 2019

      I don't even like muffins and I thought these were great. Family gobbled them up within 2 days.

    • cpauldin on October 10, 2024

      Sub 1/2 t lemon extract instead of peel Can use scant 1/2 c sugar

    • bernalgirl on September 01, 2020

      Leave out the lemon zest and add 1/2 t vanilla. These are outstanding.

    • hirsheys on May 14, 2018

      I was really impressed with these, as was everyone at work. The lemon flavor is lovely and bright and the muffins aren't too sweet, even with the full teaspoon of crunchy sugar on top. I only had around 1 cup of blueberries, but I think these would be even better with the full amount.

    • averythingcooks on October 29, 2023

      These are good and they came together quickly but they don't beat out some of our other favourites. I used slightly more than the lower mass of blueberries suggested and for me....that was maybe too many blueberries?? I got 10 muffins and I will say that I did like them better on day 2.

    • Rutabaga on August 01, 2018

      I made these again using all whole wheat pastry flour in place of white - still tender and light - excellent!

    • Yildiz100 on August 26, 2019

      These are quite good, but overall I still prefer the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins in the NYT cookbook. I got 12 muffins, and they weren't at all small. I probably could have made fewer but I got bored trying to stack the very thick and sticky batter in the muffin cups-it was easier to make more.

    • stockholm28 on April 11, 2023

      I made these with whole milk yogurt. They were great. I measured out the ingredients the night before and they were very quick to make in the morning for breakfast.

    • Rachaelsb on June 08, 2019

      Always skeptical when so many positive reviews, but this recipe absolutely proved me wrong. Perfect texture with lots of blueberry deliciousness!!

    • trmarvin on December 25, 2018

      Yep, absolutely perfect. I don't always listen when recipes tell me YOU MUST DO IT THIS WAY but for SK, I make exceptions. Nine muffins. 1 tsp coarse sugar on each. Do it.

    • anya_sf on June 30, 2021

      I've made and reviewed the blog recipe before; now I finally have this book (the recipes are identical). These are my favorite blueberry muffins - hearty, lots of berries, not too sweet. I used white whole wheat flour, zest of a whole lemon, and rounded 1/2 tsp turbinado sugar on each.

    • Xyz123 on August 19, 2018

      Add blueberries AFTER mixing in the flour.

    • AndieEats on April 09, 2018

      Liked that these were not too sweet. Used frozen blueberries, and made 9. They stayed in the oven for almost 30 minutes to get golden brown on top and the batter cooked through. They didnt rise much, so would be okay to completely fill up the liners and mound the dough. Next time, fold in the flour before the blueberries - some raw flour got stuck in the berries and were still noticeable at the end.

    • cnorton on August 03, 2025

      Delicious and easy! These are my go-to BB Muffins.

    • rach3190 on May 16, 2026

      These were decent, but they were a bit dense and I actually did find it to be too many blueberries. I was amidst a quest for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe and ended up like ATK's recipe more, from their Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook.

    • taste24 on January 05, 2021

      These are delicious and the major plus is how easy they were to prepare! Not too sweet, and the muffin tops are just lovely with the turbinado sugar.

    • Running_with_Wools on January 18, 2022

      I have made these three times using yogurt, sour cream, and once, buttermilk. I am at altitude and sub gluten free flour and they have always turned out perfectly.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      These really are perfect. Love the sugar on top.

    • snoozermoose on December 10, 2021

      These were indeed perfect! Tender with a crispy top and loaded with blueberries. This is my new go-to recipe.

    • anniecc on February 21, 2026

      Fantastic recipe. I used only 175g blueberries because that’s what I had, and it was plenty!

    • Soulkitchenjen on June 02, 2024

      These are very good and very easy.

    • Pandan on July 16, 2024

      Definitely perfect blueberry muffins! I made 24 mini muffins and 3 regular sized muffins with this recipe. Used 10% fat sour cream (German Saure Sahne), 210g frozen blueberries and just sprinkled the raw sugar on top (less than a teaspoon). Next time I will reduce the sugar in the dough just a little bit. The mini muffins were perfect for my son’s kindergarten birthday celebration, but I preferred the bigger ones (really creamy and moist!).

    • Mumster on August 12, 2024

      These are always very popular with my family and friends. I make them all year, with frozen, cultivated, or wild blueberries, and with lime if that's what I have kickin' around instead of lemon. Turbinado sugar is a treat and creates just enough sweet with less total sugar. Recipe is easily doubled.

    • lisari on July 27, 2025

      I found these a bit dry? Would try again just because of all the positive reviews. Maybe whole milk yogurt next time.

    • abigayle_d5od7q on January 03, 2026

      Mine didn't get as tall as the cookbook and were a little dense, but my baker friend says that's probably because my baking soda isn't fresh enough. Who knew? Flavor was excellent and I loved the high blueberry to muffin ratio.

    • sophia_csi5ki on February 21, 2026

      I baked this in a square cake pan for 42 minutes and it turned out perfect. 100% would make again. The batter was thicker than I was used to but it allows the berries to be perfectly distributed.

    • jackie_2a0ba6 on February 04, 2026

      This is my go-to recipe for blueberry muffins! Dont forget the sugar topping to give it that little bit of crunch.

    • cora_3bay1q on May 16, 2026

      Extremely easy to make and came out beautifully! Muffins usually come out lackluster at home and this recipe was ????

  • Sushi takeout Cobb

    • bwhip on November 08, 2017

      Easy, tasty, light and fresh! Dressing is perfect.

    • wjjjww on May 19, 2018

      dressing SO GOOD! used salmon instead of tofu (not a fan)

    • Rachel_ on January 03, 2026

      Dressing is amazing but will probably do some swaps on the salad next time around

  • Fall-toush salad with delicata squash and Brussels sprouts

    • clcorbi on November 13, 2017

      This is a fun take on a fattoush. The bright dressing works very nicely against the rich fall flavors of the brussels and squash. I found the roasting time to be a bit short for the brussels sprouts, but otherwise followed the directions as written. The leftovers hold up nicely, too, since both these vegetables are so sturdy.

    • chriscooks on December 17, 2017

      I cheated making this and used part of a bag of baked pita chips (didn't add salt except for what was on the chips). It was very tasty, and good the next day. The delicata season seems to be ending so next time I'll try it with butternut squash.

    • Toomanybooks88 on January 14, 2018

      Made this with butternut pumpkin. Very tasty.

    • westminstr on November 14, 2018

      this was delicious! used all the dressing with 1 small delicata and 1 lb of brussels sprouts. i used a bag of pita chips and we all agreed they weren't necessary at all. the veg, herbs and dressing is enough on its own. i also don't think it stands alone for dinner. maybe if you serve it with bread and cheese or another protein.

    • jenburkholder on October 13, 2020

      This is really good. I used a whole-wheat pita and added a can of chickpeas to make it a whole meal. Kept well and made a fantastic lunch.

    • GinaRhodes on September 03, 2025

      A pretty simple, delicious recipe that just demands some cooking time. I agree with other raters that you could easily sub out pita chips for making your own, and it might be better to do this if you won't eat it all in one go since they don't retain their texture like the veggies do. It's a side and not a meal, but it's a delicious side that tastes like fall.

    • Lsblackburn1 on October 21, 2018

      I’m not sure if this was really filling enough for a main course, but dang - it was delicious! Will definitely make again. Added a bit more mint and parsley than it called for.

  • Carrot salad with tahini, crisped chickpeas, and salted pistachios

    • Rutabaga on December 11, 2017

      This was good, but not a "wow" dish to me. Ultimately, though, it's a nice hearty salad made with ingredients I usually keep on hand, and I can see how trying out some variations could be really fun. How about adding Aleppo pepper, feta, mint, or pomegranate? Or a variation on the dressing using lime juice instead of lemon? It's worth coming back to for the endless possibilities for a healthful, quick supper.

    • westminstr on March 26, 2018

      I liked this salad pretty well, even though (1) my chickpeas never really crisped; and (2) the kids wouldn't eat it. I really enjoyed the pistachios here. Best served with other middle eastern flavors.

    • lholtzman on May 27, 2025

      I’ve been on the hunt for a good carrot salad recipe. I’m never a huge fan, but this is great. The tahini and lemon really balance the sweetness of the carrot.

    • purrviciouz on February 17, 2020

      I was surprised at how satisfying this salad was. I served it with a handful of salad greens and half an avocado and got 4 light meals out of it. I might add some cayenne to the dressing next time.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This was pretty good and paired well with a meaty main dish, but it wasn't great enough to make again. The crispy chickpeas lost their crispness shortly after tossing in the salad (my husband, bless his heart, didn't foresee this when he tried to help me with dinner) so that step felt like a bit of a waste. The dressing didn't blow me away when mixed with the carrots.

    • snackbaby on November 25, 2023

      agree with everyone who says this was good, but not that great. I also felt that it made a lot and ended up feeling a bit resentful towards it by the end.

  • Winter slaw with farro

    • Lepa on December 12, 2017

      This was good. It's light, comes together easily and seems healthy.

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Made this to take for my work lunch. Holds up well and tastes great. I couldn't find farro so I used barley.

    • snackbaby on December 28, 2024

      made with cold pressed sunflower oil and without apricots. I was quite fond of it, my partner a little less so, but would 100% percent make again for lunch for me. don't be afraid to up the lemon.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      In contrast to others here, we didn't care for this. It was a little blah compared to other farro salads I've made, and it felt like an awful lot of cabbage with a not particularly flavorful dressing.

    • lholtzman on January 09, 2025

      This was really good. I love the combination of parm and cabbage.

  • Pea tortellini in Parmesan broth

    • Rutabaga on December 25, 2017

      This is a nice, soothing soup, although a little plain. I used goat cheese in place of the ricotta, and like that flavor combination. Unfortunately, after making the broth and dumplings in the morning (and freezing the dumplings), I was in a hurry at dinner time and simply dumped all of the dumplings into the broth, cooked them, then ladled the soup into bowls. The problem, of course, was that the dumplings continued to cook and get mushy. Had I followed Perelman's instructions about removing the dumplings from the broth, then ladling the hot broth over them right before serving, that should not have been an issue. I also should have added more salt - definitely taste and adjust as needed.

  • Fennel, pear, celery, and hazelnut salad

    • westminstr on January 16, 2018

      Delicious! I reduced the lemon. Can reduce the hazelnuts too as neither kid liked them. A little more parm wouldn't hurt either. But regardless this is a great salad.

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Another salad for my work lunches. Delicious!

    • Jane on June 20, 2025

      A fresh and tasty salad. It was quick to assemble - I used a mandoline for thinly slicing the fennel and pears. I skipped celery as another salad at the dinner was white bean and celery - it would be good with or without it. I felt there were too many hazelnuts, much as I love them.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Love this salad. It's my go-to. I've made it with apples. With and without celery. With or without hazelnuts. It's very adaptable and simple enough for me to remember. Love it!

    • Rutabaga on October 15, 2018

      This salad is a crisp and refreshing option in fall when pears are in season. It's very easy to make, and you can even prepare it in advance, as the ingredients won't quickly wilt like a lettuce-based salad. It's a great choice to pair with a heavier main dish.

    • Lepa on February 23, 2019

      I finally got around to making this salad and it is surprisingly delicious! The balance of flavors and textures were perfect. Because my husband and younger son were very enthusiastic and because it's so easy to throw together, I anticipate making this often.

  • Roasted tomato soup with broiled cheddar

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Very good version of tomato soup.

    • anniecc on September 24, 2023

      This was comfort food at its best and quicker than the instructions suggested. My tomatoes took nowhere near an hour to cook, next time I will reduce the oven temperature. I put the tomatoes through a food mill rather than blending them because I prefer a smoother soup. I only simmered the soup for about 10 minutes before adding the cheese, not 25.

    • PacoHayd on May 18, 2026

      So delicious and great to plan ahead of time.

    • Ishie1013 on July 11, 2025

      This was really good, was inexpensive to make, and the boyfriend has requested it go in our regular rotation.

    • heidimia on December 14, 2020

      Really yummy and comforting on a rainy day. I also made the grilled cheese as a separate sandwich. A keeper!

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      This is a yummy and very substantial soup.

    • Rutabaga on October 19, 2018

      This was very nice, although some in the family prefer their grilled cheese separate from their soup, so the bread doesn't get soggy. I enjoy eating them together as a change of pace, and found the soup-drenched bread comforting. The soup was rather acidic, which was probably the fault of my tinned tomatoes. A pinch of sugar would probably correct that, but I found the acidity nicely balanced the rich cheese toasts.

    • kbrooks on October 26, 2024

      Loved this soup first time I made it in May with the canned tomatoes . Last night made it with 3-1/2 lbs. heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market. I cored but didn't peel the tomatoes and blended the soup with an immersion blender. Absolutely wonderful!

  • Charred corn succotash with lime and crispy shallots

    • PiaOC on January 25, 2018

      So good! Easy to prepare ahead and then assemble at last minute. Versatile too. Had it with Christmas turkey and leftovers for breakfast with a poached egg. Definitely worth repeating.

    • clcorbi on February 05, 2018

      Another recipe from this book that, despite the book's title, is decidedly fussy. The result was tasty, but there were SO many steps--frying the shallots, blanching the green beans, charring the corn, sauteeing all the vegetables, etc. Neither of us felt the final salad was so good that we'd ever want to deal with prepping it again.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      This is delicious and worth the effort. The only change I made was to substitute tamari sauce for the fish sauce.

    • mmshort on July 10, 2020

      Uses green beans, corn

    • Rutabaga on September 03, 2018

      Personally, I didn't find this recipe overly fussy, although it's true that it takes a bit of effort. Fortunately, each individual step (frying the shallots, making the dressing, etc) is pretty quick. I also had the advantage of using four leftover ears of already grilled corn. It's very flavorful and works well when paired with a simple grilled meat dish. Add bread, and you have a complete summer meal. My husband loved the flavor, and asked me to be sure to add a note to make it again.

  • Smashed cucumber salad with salted peanuts and wasabi peas

    • BeckyLeJ on February 25, 2018

      I love a good cucumber salad and this is a good cucumber salad! Super easy and tasty! Makes a great side dish for any Asian main in particular.

    • anya_sf on July 12, 2021

      This is the first smashed cucumber salad I've made (the name just never sounded very appealing), but it won't be the last. Lacking both wasabi peas and peanuts (I could have sworn I had peanuts on hand), I sprinkled the salad with sesame seeds. Really good!

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Peanuts are an interesting touch. Refreshing and tasty.

    • Tinkygirl on March 11, 2026

      I substituted sherry for the sake since I didn't have any on hand. No complaints!

    • Pandan on May 18, 2024

      This was easy to prepare and quite nice. I used wasabi peanuts instead of peas

    • jvozoff on July 31, 2023

      Delicious - even without the wasabi peas and peanuts. Will definitely make regularly.

  • Potatoes and asparagus gribiche

    • southerncooker on March 20, 2018

      I loved this and hubby enjoyed it too but said he would have liked more pickles. Son enjoyed it after he picked the asparagus out.

    • bernalgirl on May 15, 2024

      This is a very tasty concoction. Not much to look at but absolutely delicious.

    • hirsheys on May 01, 2018

      I made this recipe this weekend and found it remarkably delightful. I was annoyed by her recommendation to use a "medium saucepan" - I didn't use the full 2 lbs of potatoes and still nearly overflowed my saucepan with the potatoes and asparagus. Next time, I'll use a larger pot. Still, my vegetables came out miraculously well cooked, so I got over it quickly. Also, next time I make the gribiche sauce, I'll mash the yolks THEN add the dijon. (I used pickled okra instead of cornichons and that worked well). don't love raw parsley, so will leave it out next time and was glad I added the dressing to taste, since I had extra.

    • ksg518 on May 03, 2021

      Very good! My store only sells small potatoes in 1 1/2 pound bags so I didn't have the full two pounds. But I probably had more than the specified pound of asparagus so made the full amount of dressing. I like purrviciouz's idea of substituting green beans for the asparagus in summer. I'll definitely make this again.

    • purrviciouz on March 26, 2018

      Loved this! I lightly pickled the shallot in the white vinegar before mixing the sauce. Next time I'll add oil packed tuna to stretch it. In the summer I might sub green beans for the asparagus.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Really good salad. Did not expect it to be a favorite but I really enjoyed.

    • Twysbeek on June 27, 2021

      Small potato bags usually come in 1.5lb bags, typically just add extra asparagus, full sauce recipe. This is a favorite of us, reminds me of potato salad, but healthier. I double the cornichons and capers.

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      It’s funny Deb called this book “unfussy”, because everything I’ve cooked is a bit fussy! But the fuss is usually worth it, as with this recipe. You have to separate the cooked egg yolks out and mix them for the dressing. It also calls for cornichons, which are not a pantry staple for me. I used chopped pickles instead. But I loved the results. Nice use of asparagus, a very elevated potato salad. A nice weekday lunch in its own as it’s substantial.

  • Spaghetti pangrattato with crispy eggs

    • louie734 on January 18, 2018

      Bastardized this a bit... noticing that my thin pasta needed 6 minutes, I opted to throw an egg in with the noodles to soft-boil. Used the meantime to sauté lots of garlic in olive oil and chili flakes. Breadcrumbs, parsley, and perched the egg on top, breaking it just before serving. YEAH.

    • hirsheys on May 18, 2018

      I enjoyed this, though I think I'd like it better with more acid and with more emphasis on the lemon (and less on the rosemary). The concept is amazing for a pantry meal, though, so I'm going to fiddle with it.

    • Lepa on October 31, 2017

      We liked this. I frequently make Mark Bittman's fried eggs with spaghetti and made this a bit like I make that dish. I fried the eggs right before the pasta was done and the whites had barely set then threw the pasta, capers, cheese and some pasta water in with the eggs and tossed it. This makes a creamy sauce that my family adores. I thought the breadcrumbs really made this dish shine but my husband preferred it without so you may want to serve them on the side. These were especially delicious breadcrumbs, by the way. I sprinkled some on my green beans and it improved those immensely.

    • Jenny on January 06, 2018

      We loved this dish - my crowd doesn't like fried eggs (they are weird). The breadcrumbs were outstanding --- I loved the capers. I reserved a good cup of the pasta water for the sauce.

    • Bsiminitz12 on August 31, 2018

      One of our absolute favorite recipes in a pinch. We double the breadcrumb mixture because we just can’t get enough of it. We’ve also enjoyed it with gluten-free corn pasta, which was a nice touch (it’s also good with penne!).

    • intrepidfox on July 23, 2022

      Really delicious. The breadcrumbs are amazing and combined with the crispiness of the fried egg and the grated cheese made a very satisfying combo. My pasta did turn out a bit dry but I think I just needed more pasta water.

    • barbara_xcaci9 on May 14, 2026

      Delicious and comforting. Comes together quickly if I prep the panko topping and chop the parsley and capers ahead of time.

    • adellel on March 23, 2026

      I thought I’d enjoy this more, but it was a bit too dry for me.

  • A dense, grainy daily bread

    • Jane on January 31, 2018

      My photo is a good illustration of what goes wrong with bread when you don't follow the recipe. I made up a batch of this bread then set it aside to rise. About 8 hours later I realized I had missed out the beer. The dough was very stiff but I decided to incorporate it anyway and see how it baked up. Since I now had a half bottle of beer and a bit less than half a packet of the grain cereal I decided to make another batch. The 1st batch had not risen much after 48 hrs and turned out a heavy dense loaf. The 2nd batch (which had more white flour to make up for less grain cereal) rose much more before and during baking - it was an inch taller. The second bread was much tastier - not as dense and more flavorful. This is a dense bread but I like that. My only issue is that I live alone and she says the bread only is good the first day. Though she suggests freezing it in thin slices. I usually have Ezekial bread in the freezer (which costs about $7 a loaf) so this will be a good alternative.

    • hirsheys on May 18, 2018

      This was a fail for me, but I'm not sure I gave it it's best shot. I ended up having to store it in the fridge for a full day after its 48 hour rise on the counter, and I think it was still a bit cold when it went in the oven. It took far longer to reach 196 degrees than 90 minutes, and even at 196, was a bit gluey inside. The taste wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great. I may try again without the beer next time and rise it for the right amount of time, but I may also just give up on it.

    • sosayi on May 16, 2018

      This was... fine. I like dense, grainy breads, but something about the flavor of this wasn't for me. Maybe the beer like stockholm28 suggested? I like beer bread, but I think maybe not in this context. I'll eat it, as it makes a lot and I've saved it sliced in the freezer as suggested, but I doubt I'd go out of my way to make it again.

    • stockholm28 on March 09, 2018

      I liked the concept of this bread, but felt the beer taste was too dominant; it overpowered the grains. I used Bob’s Red Mill 10 grain cereal, whole wheat flour, and topped with a mix of sesame and poppy seeds. Since I have some of the cereal left, I might try it again with a substitute for the beer.

    • Frogcake on February 10, 2019

      Agree with others - this is a slow rise bread, really dense dough, which is a bit tricky to handle. I was ok with the taste of the bread. It’s great toasted with butter and marmalade (my favourite). However, I pinched a handful of dough off and transformed it into a super-delicious “hippy” pizza. Pressed thin onto parchment, brushed with garlic oil and pizza sauce, then topped with stuff: thinly sliced eggplant, red onion, red pepper, shredded radicchio and loads of cheese - sprinkled with pepitas and sunflower seeds - well, this was the best pizza I’ve had in awhile. Sadly, my family was not as optimistic about this bread as I was - so the loaf has been transformed into amazing breadcrumbs.

    • rionafaith on April 17, 2020

      Had to make some substitutions due to COVID-19 pantry cooking. I was a touch short of the multigrain mix (I used Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain cereal and only had 388g left) so I supplemented with 87g of blitzed white rice (which is also one of the ingredients in the mix), and I substituted hard cider for beer. I thought this might be a total fail due to my swaps but I think it turned out more or less how it was supposed to? It is definitely dense and hearty, though it's moist and almost spongey as well. There's a prominent beery sourdough flavor. The dough was very unlike any I've worked with before. I allowed it to proof for nearly a full 48 hours but it did not rise as much as I expected in that time, and there is no second rise. This definitely feels wholesome to eat, and it's a bit odd, but something about it is very satisfying as well? Makes a great base for avocado toast except that the slices are quite small due to the short loaf.

  • Smoky sheet pan chicken with cauliflower

    • Jane on January 31, 2018

      I’m hesitant to give this a review as I was missing two ingredients - green olives and red peppers. I found this dish rather bland and I’m sure the extra ingredients would help. This is a perfectly OK and easy weeknight dinner- I just feel I have other similar recipes I like more (like Melissa Clark’s Harissa chicken with leeks potatoes and yogurt).

    • FJT on May 16, 2018

      This was ok but nothing special even with the optional chorizo.

    • Rutabaga on January 15, 2020

      This is a good one pan dinner, and even worked with boneless skinless chicken thighs. My one disappointment was that the potatoes didn't brown much. Perhaps baking them directly on the pan, with out a baking mat, would have helped, or just keeping them in the oven ten minutes longer. And while my older son likes green olives, he didn't really appreciate the cooked ones, so I may set those aside to be added after baking in the future. Finally, don't dip the red pepper. It adds some welcome vibrancy and acid to the dish after briefly marinating in the vinegar.

    • Zosia on January 27, 2018

      Vinegar, olives and red peppers lifted the flavour of what at first appeared to be a fairly standard smoked paprika flavoured chicken sheet pan meal. My favourite (so far) of all the ones I've tried. The only change I made was to add the cauliflower about 10 minutes into the roasting so it wouldn't scorch.

    • Frogcake on March 10, 2018

      I got distracted and added an extra tablespoon of vinegar to the marinade. Too late to turn back, I went ahead and slathered the marinade on the chicken. Worked out well -it was tangy and delicious. This is a nice pan dinner to pack into portions for kids at university as a break from residence food. Also a great, quick recipe for students cooking for themselves. Definitely worth repeating.

    • lenode on March 11, 2018

      Made with the chorizo as recommended, and that really took it to the next level for a chicken sheet pan dish.

    • Dannausc on January 06, 2018

      It was fairly quick and easy and quite tasty. Worth a repeat.

    • sdeathe on April 26, 2021

      My husband made this last night - not a Wow, but good food, good flavour (although he did forget the green olives, which I think would have made a significant difference). Easy and quick to make apparently, and a nice dinner of comfort food. We'll make it again, with olives.

    • scotchbonnetpepper on November 13, 2020

      Skipped the olives and red pepper as I didn't have any. Used skinless thighs and dried thyme. Used soy chorizo from Trader Joe's. Perfectly cooked in 30 mins. A lot of liquid in the pan and delicious.

    • Soulkitchenjen on June 03, 2024

      This was…fine. I think we were expecting too much of smoked paprika. This probably would have benefited from a sauce. Perhaps the garlic aioli she mentions and then says it doesn’t need. It does. Not a repeat.

    • Ishie1013 on July 11, 2025

      This was decent. Not a big wow meal, but not bad for a weeknight.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This felt like a riff on Melissa Clark's sheet pan harissa chicken with potatoes and leeks, but not as good. It wasn't bad by any means, just not exciting enough to make again.

  • Crispy tofu and broccoli with sesame-peanut pesto

    • westminstr on March 12, 2018

      I really liked the crispy tofu and think it can go on a single sheet pan with the broccoli. O tried one bite and E wouldn't eat it. E wouldn't eat the roasted broccoli either. Sauce was thick and salty as written but I thinned w some water and added another 1/4 tsp brown sugar and in the end was happy with it. I blended in the nuts and seeds but some use them as toppings instead and I may try that. Served w rice - I didn't need it but T definitely did. So it needs some tweaks to really work for us, but was a good veg meal, one that is worth tweaking.

    • hirsheys on May 13, 2018

      I made a few quick edits to the recipe based on Chowhound/EYB feedback and ended up enjoying it. My main difference was that I added a bit more sweetener (I used some of the honey powder I bought for Koreatown a few months back) and a few splashes of boiling water after I'd ground up the pesto a bit to help puree/thin it out even more. I far prefer it cold - in the future I'll definitely plan to eat it this way on purpose.

    • Bryan on February 10, 2018

      https://cookbookreview.blog/2017/12/30/crispy-tofu-and-broccoli-with-sesame-peanut-pesto-by-deb-perelman/

    • Lepa on October 28, 2017

      This was pretty good. We ate it over brown rice. My son liked the broccoli in this dish. My pesto was drier than the pesto in the picture. I think a thicker sauce like the picture might be better so I might tweak the recipe to make it more saucy next time.

    • stef on December 08, 2017

      This was good. Nice and quick to make. It was the first time ever I've made tofu at home. Dh liked it and said it's a repeat.

    • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

      Well, we thought this was excellent. Per a comment I saw on CH, I omitted both the peanuts and sesame seeds from my pesto and used them as a mix-in instead. I also pan-fried the tofu just because my baking sheet was getting too crowded. Yum. We were both so pleased with the result and I would make this again.

    • rionafaith on October 31, 2017

      I ignored the fact that this calls specifically for low-sodium soy sauce and used regular, and it ended up quite salty. So yeah, be sure to use low-sodium and/or don't season the broccoli too aggressively. Other than that, this is a far cry from the cold sesame noodles Deb cites as inspiration, but it's pretty good. Vegan, too.

    • lizbot2000 on April 02, 2018

      This was a nice weeknight meal. I watered down the sauce some and added medium-boiled eggs and multigrain rice to make a bowl out of it. It ended up being super filling.

    • ksg518 on March 20, 2018

      I'm in the minority because I thought this was barely OK. I wonder if I just needed more sauce although I didn't skimp on the amounts. It was fairly bland - enough that I kept thinking chicken would have been better than the tofu but obviously that would defeat the purpose. This won't be a repeat.

    • sosayi on May 11, 2018

      We really enjoyed this dish and prepped in advance this is a ridiculously quick weeknight dinner. Served over black rice noodles (I was fine without, but the husband needs a starch) and they combined beautifully with the sauce. I’d definitely make this again; this sauce would taste good on anything.

    • BeckyLeJ on February 25, 2018

      This is really good. The sauce is what makes it, honestly, but it’s tasty and hearty enough to satisfy a non vegetarian for sure! One note, and I was fortunate enough to make this for a girls’ night with a vegetarian friend, do not buy silken tofu even if it is labeled “firm.” Because you have to press the liquid out of the tofu and then bake it crispy, the silken stuff just won’t work at all.

    • milgwimper on October 06, 2019

      This was delicious and now added to the rotation. We had it with rice. It was easy. personally I would double the recipe depending on appetite and how much people love broccoli and tofu. I would also make more sauce, it doesn't make a super wet sauce, but that could be because I did not peel the skins off the peanuts.

    • TrishaCP on July 01, 2020

      This worked really well for us, though I would love to find a way to cut down on the oil needed. (Not on the veggies though, because the char is wonderful.) We used a combination of broccoli and purple cauliflower because we didn’t have quite enough broccoli. Once everything got mixed together, I didn’t think it was too salty. I would happily make this again.

    • mindyb on January 08, 2019

      Good weeknight dinner served with brown rice. Didn't have peanuts and subbed peanut butter and tweaked ingredients to make sauce wet enough. I didn't press the extra firm tofu and it was fine.

    • Mrs. L on December 07, 2019

      For non tofu fans, we loved the tofu done this way.

    • Rutabaga on December 21, 2019

      This worked great for my family. Since they're not big tofu fans, I pan-sauteed chicken breast instead. To accommodate the kids, I served the sauce and green onions on the side. The kids were happy to just eat stir-fried chicken and broccoli with soy sauce and rice, while my husband and I enjoyed the peanutty sauce. I also like adding additional chili sauce to taste.

    • sgpinson on November 22, 2021

      Yum! I added a whole Thai pepper and subbed chili crisp for half the sesame oil to give the pesto some kick. I also reduced the soy sauce a bit. Next time I would serve it with rice or another grain to make it more filling, but this is amazing as is.

    • anya_sf on May 27, 2022

      I made half the tofu but the full amount of broccoli and pesto, which served 2 over rice. My tofu got nice and crispy (pressed for 30 min). Like some others, I thought the pesto lacked enough sweetness and I ended up adding 1.5 tsp brown sugar. I would try making the sauce with peanut butter and tahini, in which case I suspect less sugar would be okay.

    • thefritschkitchen on January 12, 2026

      I doubled the recipe and went with chicken instead of tofu. Next time I would pan fry the chicken instead of roast in the oven. This is a solid recipe, nice change of pace but not an absolute favorite. I did up the brown sugar to 1 tsp. Kids all ate well - Served over soy and sesame noodles from Trader Joe’s.

    • tmitra on March 11, 2023

      I made this as written and used all of the pesto, but it seemed to disappear, which yielded a very generic tofu recipe. With brown rice, it served two.

    • hbakke on June 20, 2021

      I added a red bell pepper for some extra veg. We both liked this recipe, especially the pesto. I halved all the oil amounts as it seemed like too much oil, and I think that worked out well.

    • cariashley on March 01, 2020

      Delicious, better than expected and so easy!

    • Skamper on March 13, 2025

      Not amazing but a solid weeknight meal. I used Hetty Lui McKinnon's method of boiling the tofu rather than pressing it, which worked well. I also put the broccoli in the oven for 10 minutes while I prepped the tofu, rather than letting it roast for an additional 10 minutes at the end. Based on other reviews I doubled the amount of honey.

    • lholtzman on August 07, 2020

      Make sure you use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari as indicated. I learned the hard way that it will come out way too salty. I also recommend using unsalted peanuts even though Deb says it’s fine. This recipe is one of my favorites. I probably make it more than any other recipe.

    • rach3190 on May 11, 2026

      This certainly wasn’t bad, but the sauce was just decent and we’ve liked other dishes in this vein more before. The broccoli and tofu cooked up great though.

    • julia_mk94cn on February 06, 2026

      We make this all the time!

    • nick_o0o1ib on March 15, 2026

      A go-to weeknight meal.

    • lily_z5lwe7 on March 03, 2026

      Perfect! Too salty with full sodium soy, make sure you use sow sodium (as directed)

    • bridget_1h9ihe on April 30, 2026

      Great way to get the kids to eat broccoli. Serve with rice to make it a vegetarian entree.

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      Very tasty and versatile - can serve with any grain or Asian noodle. Not a cloying or super heavy peanut sauce, still satisfying and vegan Deb’s fussy steps: roasting tofu and broccoli separately with different times, the tofu pressed and coated in corn flour. Uses peanuts and sesame seeds instead of peanut butter (I just use PB). The extra steps do make a difference, but not needed if you don’t have time.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This was a decent weeknight meal. The tofu never actually got crispy for me but we still enjoyed it. Instead of the sesame-peanut pesto, I used the miso sesame dressing from Deb's miso sweet potato and broccoli bowls, which we love.

  • One-pan farro with tomatoes

    • westminstr on January 09, 2018

      This recipe seems like such a good idea, but I have tried it on my family twice, and they just don't like it.

    • southerncooker on March 18, 2018

      This can be served as a main or as a side. We served it as a side to some chicken. Daughter and I loved, son not so much and the others wouldn't try it. My first time eating farro. I thought it tasted similar to barley.

    • hirsheys on May 06, 2018

      Tasty. This is nice and substantial and has a good chew to it. This worked with Trader Joe's 10 min farro (I cooked it for a little less than 30 mins - just until the water was absorbed.)

    • julesamomof2 on July 18, 2024

      This was excellent. I was skeptical, and re-read the directions closely to make sure I was supposed to drop everything in the pot raw but it worked great. I used Trader Joes 10 minute Farro like a few of the other reviewers and that worked well as well. In the book, this dish is listed under Vegetable Mains, and while I would happily have this as a main, I served it as a side with grilled chicken for the carnivores. I should also add that I have grown to dislike grape tomatoes as I find their skins to be tough, so I chopped up a regular ripe tomato and that worked.

    • ksg518 on March 05, 2019

      We thought this was just OK. It would probably help if we had summer tomatoes and maybe more tomatoes than the recipe calls for (although that might require an adjustment to the amount of water). But given how easy and quick this was I can definitely see trying it again in the summer when I always have tomatoes and basil on hand.

    • bwhip on December 31, 2017

      This was really good, and quite simple to throw together. Nice depth of flavor, and the farro gives it a really substantial texture. Could be used as a side or a main.

    • Zosia on November 30, 2017

      Remarkably good for how few ingredients and little effort it took. I used previously caramelized onions instead of raw but otherwise followed the recipe as written. This will definitely be made again.

    • anya_sf on July 04, 2019

      This was a nice side dish for relatively little work. A large handful of basil and shower of parmesan cheese boosted the flavor. I made 1.5x the recipe using an 8-oz bag of Trader Joe's 10 minute farro and 16 oz grape tomatoes. I omitted the red pepper flakes since my son doesn't like them.

    • averythingcooks on January 12, 2024

      I actually did cook the onions, garlic + some diced sweet peppers a little 1st before adding the farro + soaking water which seemed to work fine. I felt it needed the extra 5 minutes to be cooked but still have that "chew" that I like about farro. A pretty hefty dose of basil & parmesan was needed and I also stirred in some cooked hot Italian sausage meat to make it a heartier main...but next time, if I include my add-ins, I would cut the recipe in 1/2 because it made a lot!

    • clcorbi on December 07, 2018

      Excellent. I'll definitely be doubling the recipe next time. I added a tablespoon or so of tomato paste because I was a little short on tomatoes, and it worked perfectly. The basil adds a really nice touch. If anything I found this a touch too salty, but the leftovers had mellowed out perfectly.

    • Jviney on August 05, 2019

      My husband, extremely skeptical when looking in the pan and a confirmed onion-hater, said “that was excellent, honey.” The two-year-old ate half of my serving even after he had already eaten his lunch. I added chopped mozzarella for a little variety. A perfect summer lunch with basil from the garden and a candy onion + Sungolds from the farm stand.

    • Skamper on February 18, 2026

      Flavor to effort ratio is very high. See book for mods.

    • purrviciouz on July 25, 2018

      I am always hesitant to put everything in the pot and start boiling. I'm so used to browning onions, adding garlic, de-glazing, etc but this really turned out wonderful and was so super easy and fast. I used chicken stock instead of water and added cooked shredded chicken in the last 5 minutes.

    • spatterson88 on July 16, 2021

      I used pearled barley instead of farro, and added chili-infused oil and basil & mint-infused oil at the end. It was delicious. I also like the small size - it was perfect for just the two of us.

    • CheesyKranskyLove on October 04, 2022

      This was extremely low effort and easy but the end result was pretty bland.

    • charlotte_f68q3x on February 06, 2026

      Over the past few years this has become a go-to summer lunchbox recipe for me. Prep is easy, it’s quick to make, it lasts all week in the fridge, and it holds up well in a lunchbox. The flavor is fairly mild so I sometimes add capers or some diced sun-dried tomatoes to pack a bit more punch.

    • Beck001 on May 19, 2026

      Easy weeknight side farro dish. I seasoned aggressively which helped. It was a little liquidity so I would do less liquid next time

    • babyapricot on April 08, 2026

      Made for dinner and was fine, but not as flavorful as most of the reviews suggest. Might try it again with better than bouillon instead of water. Leftovers were probably better than the original, added balsamic and garlic powder when reheating on the stove, but I think it’s that flavors had longer to meld. Didn’t add cheese this time, and found it wasn’t necessary.

  • Chicken and rice, street cart style

    • westminstr on May 10, 2018

      Like everyone else, we really enjoyed this. I did 1.5 pounds of boneless thighs with the full amount of marinade (marinated overnight), otherwise followed instructions, and the chicken was delicious! We skipped the rice and served w pita. I made my own garlic yogurt sauce instead of the one in the book, and my own salad (romaine w cucumber & tomato, dressed w olive oil & lemon juice). I did follow instructions for the easy hot sauce. Everything together made a great meal. O loved it, E would have preferred her chicken plain (but loved the salad). I don't think anyone missed the rice.

    • hirsheys on May 19, 2018

      I give this version the slight edge to the very similar and yummy Halal chicken from Serious Eats, though the rice from the Serious Eats recipe is far superior, in my opinion. I didn't love the flavor of this one and it came out mushy. Next time I will use that recipe for the rice (and use a rice cooker to make it.) The rest of the dish is pretty similar, honestly, though this marinade is easier (no blending involved) and I preferred this white sauce. I may add a small amount of garlic next time (per chowhound). I also thought that the mixture of harissa and hot sauce really made the dish.

    • Dannausc on January 21, 2018

      Sooo good! My wife and I both loved this dish! Too much food for 4 people, easily feeds 6.

    • sosayi on May 03, 2018

      Chiming in to say this dish was also a hit in our house. A few changes: rice cooked in rice cooker (with brown basmati), which worked well; used 1.25 lbs chicken breast, but with same amount of marinade; doubled both sauces; combined chopped tomato, onion and cilantro into a quasi salsa, and used to top the lettuce. Pita seems superfluous here, but maybe if you cut down on rice amounts, it would be needed.

    • ddenker on February 12, 2018

      We loved this dish and want to make it again. We halved the rice (which was a good move), but made the mistake of making too much chicken (2.5 lbs) and think we should only do 1-1.5 lbs in the future. We would also like to make half the sauce. Then again, we have a three year old and one year old who aren’t really helping us tackle the amount of food we cook up every night! Flavors of the chicken were great and the sauce was delicious.

    • stef on May 03, 2018

      We loved it. Two changes. Marinated chicken thighs went on a sheet pan and baked in a 400f oven for 20 minutes, nice and tender. I sauteed the olive oil and spices in my instant pot, then put in 1 cup of rice and 2 1/4 cups stock, 8 minutes on pressure cook quick release, rice came out well and just the right amount for us. Will be repeated often.

    • clcorbi on November 13, 2017

      Yum. Deb has hit the nail on the head with this one. In fact, the result was better than any street cart chicken I've ever had. I was so pleasantly surprised that the white sauce really tasted like the kind I've had on my street cart gyros before! I let my chicken marinate for three hours and the flavor was very nicely developed. This recipe makes a large amount of rice. I chose not to wipe my pan out before cooking the rice, and instead incorporated the chicken fat and little crispy bits into the rice grains as they toasted. I would do that again because the result was super chicken-y and rich tasting. I agree with Deb's head note that this would be a good dish to serve at a party, since you can heap the components on a platter and it's virtually guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

    • EmilyR on January 28, 2018

      Brought me back home to NYC. The amount of rice is massive and could likely be halved. Although the quantity was very plentiful, it wasn't a heavy meal. I appreciate how it's flexible and adaptable to whomever is mixing it together and their individual preferences. The white sauce is deceptive, because it seems like there's cheese somewhere, which is a good thing. I used chicken breast as preference.

    • stockholm28 on March 09, 2018

      I loved this dish and it will definitely be repeated. It takes a bit too long for a weeknight dinner as you cook the chicken and rice in the same pan, but not at the same time. I agree that it makes a massive amount of rice and I would cut the rice down next time.

    • Rutabaga on September 30, 2018

      As others have said, this is pretty great. I made it with homemade pita, doubled the amount of rice, and tripled the amount of chicken, as I was feeding about eight people, and was hoping to have leftovers. Yes, this makes a massive amount of rice! Because of the pita, I really didn't need to double the rice, but it will be easy to use it for other purposes later in the week. The flavors are subtle, but work together really well, and I love the tangy yogurt sauce. While I didn't have harissa, any kind of hot sauce is a welcome addition if you like it spicy. This is one of those ideal meals for a family or other group that always everyone to customize their food.

    • TrishaCP on March 15, 2020

      I found this recipe through a recipe search of my collection (most buzzed about chicken recipes) and I am glad that I did. This was great! I marinated the chicken for two nights due to my schedule and it was very flavorful. For the rice, I had leftover rice (maybe two cups) that I cooked in the chicken pan with the spices. This was tasty, but I’m looking forward to cooking the rice per the recipe next time.

    • julesamomof2 on February 19, 2020

      Delicious, and a fun dinner to make and serve. I marinated the meat for about 3 hours which was fine, and I did make my rice separately to save time. As others have said, the recipe as written makes way too much rice, but that's easy to halve in the future. The two sauces (esp. the harissa) make the dish complete. I bought pita, but with all that rice I didn't even serve it.

    • Rachaelsb on June 13, 2019

      Strong dinner! Chicken is delicious, loved the yogurt sauce, rice perfect complement. Really lives up to its name. Will definitely be making again

    • mrsmadam on August 27, 2018

      This was spot on! Even the chicken-averse SO raved. He devoured the salad. Well, actually he devoured everything. I made a half recipe for the two of us and yes, there was more rice leftover than chicken but I won't change a thing next time.

    • Devons on January 03, 2021

      Excellent. Good for casual supper and good for guests as well. Note: double the marinade. Also, to quickly cook chicken without mess / spatter, put the chicken on sheet pan into oven at 450 convection for 20 min.

    • Bloominanglophile on October 22, 2019

      I noticed this recipe had been getting a lot of good reviews, so I did a google search and found a recipe. This is a nice all-in-one meal. I did use a smaller lemon, so would increase the amount of juice I use next time. The chicken also needed a slight increase in salt--maybe a 1/4 teaspoon more next time. Otherwise, a very good meal for a weeknight.

    • jenmacgregor18 on October 16, 2019

      This is really amazing. It's a straightforward prep with delicious results. The marinade on chicken is fantastic. I And for such simple ingredients, the rice is killer too. I did have to increase the olive oil to 1/4 cup and use a whole lemon so the marinade would cover all my chicken. I agree with others--tons of rice. Next time, either 1/2 the rice or double the chicken.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      My favorite recipe in this cookbook. As everyone has already said, it's delicious and much better than the chicken you get at most halal carts. It does take a little more time for a weeknight meal than I would like, but makes enough to have plenty of yummy leftovers. Definitely one we repeat again and again

    • ldyndiuk on August 23, 2023

      This makes way more than 4 servings, and as written it takes far too long as you cook the chicken in the pan, then the rice, then the chicken again. It took forever! If I were to make this again, I will try to cook the rice in my rice cooker at the same time as making the chicken.

    • SKidd on October 21, 2022

      We make this chicken ALL the time, with all or some of the accompaniments (rice is also good and easy). Fast weeknight dish especially if you marinate the chicken ahead of time. I’ve been adding red peppers to the skillet with the chicken and that’s extra good.

    • kimdube17 on January 26, 2026

      I like try new foods so I rarely repeat recipes, but this one is an exception! I’ve made it several times now and am always happy to eat the results.

    • BrendaD1962 on December 14, 2025

      We loved this! We thought the recipe was perfect. We eat a lot of rice and thought it was just the right amount. The chicken was tender and juicy (I marinated it all day). I doubled the white sauce recipe and would do so again. I used Greek yogurt so the sauce was a bit thicker and didn’t drizzle well, but so good! We served it with naan. I will be making this again and again. Way better than takeout. Delicious!

    • sydlikestocook on February 20, 2024

      Delicious! Like the other commenters have noted, there is sooo much rice. I should have halved the recipe. Made the white sauce with 2/3 cup Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup milk, added a crushed glove of garlic, with all other ingredients as directed. Marinated for 3-4 hours. Would definitely make again!

    • Pandan on October 19, 2024

      Finally tried this recipe. Thought it was going to be more work, but the steps are actually quite easy. I cooked the rice in the rice cooker after frying in the pan. The combination is perfect with all the different components. Would definitely do again. I used both thighs and chicken breast. Would have also tasted good with breasts only. Also I didn’t think it was that much rice, just a normal amount for four portions (but I’m half Indian and used to huge portions of rice :) ).

    • lisari on July 12, 2025

      Loved it.

    • GinaRhodes on June 26, 2025

      A solid but not spectacular weeknight recipe. Rice was a bit al dente which we enjoy but some might not. Made plenty of leftovers.

    • lily_z5lwe7 on March 03, 2026

      SO GOOOOOOD

    • kathryn_j0zox4 on March 08, 2026

      Delicious easy dish! Loved the leftovers too.

    • tate_2agj8g on May 27, 2026

      This recipe is excellent, I’ve made it probably 20 times and will make it 20 more times

    • arl8058 on May 27, 2023

      For those of you with an instant pot, I found a great shortcut using my IP. I wanted to make this, but my bone in, skin on chicken thighs were frozen solid. So I put the IP to saute, and sauted a shallot, jalapeno, scallion, and garlic cloves for a few minutes, then dumped in my lump of frozen thighs and about two cups of water. I pressure cooked on high for 12 minutes, and let NR for about 5. I took the chicken out of the liquid, and once it cooled, I took off the skin and cut out the bones, and put the remaining meat into the marinade and let it sit. I quick seared the chicken at dinner time and it was delicious. As an added bonus, I used the liquid left behind (a delicious flavorful chicken broth) to make the rice! (The skin and bones went into the freezer bag to use for future broth).

    • Dms02 on June 20, 2020

      Incredibly flavorful. I had bone-in thighs and so I cut the skin off then marinated them and grilled them. This marinade was perfect. The rice was super tasty. LOVED this recipe and will make it again for sure. It would be great for a crowd.

    • Dms02 on June 20, 2020

      This was a perfect dish. Used bone-in thighs and grilled them. Would be perfect to scale up for entertaining a crowd. Used fresh cilantro and oregano in the marinade as I had it on hand.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      My most frequent repeat recipe. The marinade is perfect and it's such an easy flavorful and low maintenance dish to make. Love it.

    • Running_with_Wools on May 25, 2021

      This is really good. I had a whole chicken that I ended up marinating and then put it on a sheet pan to roast with cauliflower and butternut squash. I made the rice, too. My kids loved it. I also made a little tzatziki to go with it, instead of the yogurt sauce and fresh veggies. This is a keeper.

    • mamacrumbcake on October 14, 2020

      Delicious! Everyone who eats it loves it. A family favorite.

    • mirsaidi007 on January 22, 2021

      As everyone says, this is excellent. Way better than the halal trucks here in DC. The only change is that I grill the thighs (meaning the rice can cook as the chicken does) and I triple the marinade so I can baste the chicken as it grills. I also add grated garlic to the yogurt. And Tapatio instead of harissa is *chef's kiss*

    • Lepa on December 31, 2022

      After all these years I finally got around to trying this and it is crazy delicious. Everyone in my family loved it, including my sometimes picky younger son. I made the recipe exactly as noted in the book since it was my first time and am not sure I would change anything next time.

    • anya_sf on September 11, 2018

      My family loved this so much, they ate *all* the chicken. I made extra rice, but we didn't end up needing it, even though we didn't have pita bread. We could have used more sauce, which we poured on everything. I used 2 pans: one for rice, one for chicken. Next time I'll try the rice cooker for the rice and use less broth so it's fluffier. I added cucumber to the salad and omitted the onion. Everything benefited from extra salt.

    • averythingcooks on August 23, 2018

      We really enjoyed this and I will definitely make it again. I halved the amount of rice and, after toasting the rice & spices in the chicken pan, added the broth and poured it all into my rice cooker. I also halved the white sauce and added minced garlic. My only issue (or question I guess) is how "around 6 boneless chicken thighs" weigh 2 pounds? I had 4 thighs to use up and added a chicken breast to bring the meat to JUST over 1 pound. I also used the full amount of marinade for this quantity. I've made a note in the book (yes - I do write in my books :) so it's not a huge deal for the future but still curious re: this notation in the ingredient list.

    • KaraCooks on February 14, 2020

      This was voted #1 repeat recipe on the Food52 cookbook club so I had to try it. I LOVED the simplicity of this dish and it was YUMMO!! This would be a great make-ahead dish for a crowd. Wouldn't change a thing except I didn't cook the rice right in the chicken pot the first time (because I didn't read the entire recipe) but I would try it next time.

  • Caramelized cabbage risotto

    • southerncooker on March 28, 2018

      Hubs and I loved this. I used chicken broth.

    • hirsheys on May 20, 2018

      I made this for lunch today and felt a little ambivalent about it. I love the taste of cabbage and onions, so I appreciate that overall flavor, but I felt that it was missing something in terms of acid. (This may be because I used sherry rather than wine, though?) Will add lemon to the leftovers. Also, given the fact that the taste of this is so fully affected by the broth, I wish I had used a homemade broth - in the future, I need to remember that about risottos...

    • Zosia on March 26, 2018

      Incredibly good! I used two pans, cooking the risotto in one while the cabbage caramelized in another.

    • julesamomof2 on January 21, 2018

      So delicious-a perfect dinner for a night home alone. Next time I'll try farro so I can avoid all the white rice.

    • Lepa on November 20, 2017

      This is comfort food at its finest. I loved it!

    • Lmocooks on January 15, 2018

      Delicious! My cabbage despising husband declared “wow, this is GOOD!”. My 7,6 and 4 year old willingly ate their entire portions. I used chicken broth, so not quite vegetarian.

    • Astrid5555 on April 20, 2025

      This is basically a variation on the Austrian pasta dish Krautfleckerl, and a very good one actually. Will definitely be repeated in fall!

    • angela_gnbj4y on March 14, 2026

      Used a leek instead of onion and upped the white wine to about 1 cup. Used chicken broth. Sautéed some asparagus to serve on top. We loved this and absolutely smashed it. Would recommend.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      I really wanted to like this because I love cabbage, but it felt one-note and not tasty enough to repeat especially considering how much more work it is to make than my standard mushroom risotto.

    • Hannaha100 on April 02, 2020

      A rare win! Liked by everybody! I swapped the onion for a leek because DD1 doesn't like onions and she ate it all. Method otherwise followed as written. No need to do the rice after the cabbage if you have two big pans - I did both at the same time. I added quarter of a cup of nooch instead of cheese to make it vegan. I would make this again in a heartbeat, good enough to make for company.

    • Frenchfoodie on March 14, 2021

      I enjoyed this deeply comforting savoury risotto. The various stages took a bit longer than suggested. Perhaps not my favourite risotto but a nice idea when you have lots of cabbage in.

    • Lsblackburn1 on October 06, 2018

      I used Savoy cabbage for this and loved it. It reminded me of French onion soup. Perfect for a fall night.

  • Broccoli melts

    • southerncooker on March 11, 2018

      I loved these and was surprised since I usually don't care for broccoli and cheese. The provolone worked great on these. I subbed Parmigiano Reggiano for the Pecorino since I didn't have Pecorino on hand. I used sourdough for the toasts. I'd make these again.

    • clcorbi on January 09, 2018

      These were tasty and very speedy to throw together. We actually ran out of pecorino while making these, so I threw in a handful of grated emmentaler to the broccoli mixture, which tasted good as well. Nothing earth-shattering here, just a tasty vegetarian comfort-food type of sandwich.

    • Zosia on June 10, 2018

      Delicious made with asparagus too.

    • jend725 on January 15, 2018

      Just okay. Wouldn't make again.

    • BeckyLeJ on March 08, 2018

      I thought these were really good! I did change it up a bit by roasting the broccoli - I prefer the texture. These were a tasty and satisfying lighter dinner.

    • bernalgirl on March 18, 2026

      I made this per the recipe with broccolini but with sliced goat cheddar melted on top, which was delicious. My teen surprised me by asking for seconds! Deb’s usually good about streamlining, but I don’t see why it’s necessary to drain and dry the broccolini, instead I allowed it to dry completely on the heat and proceeded with the recipe. So easy!

    • Devons on January 03, 2021

      Excellent; we enjoyed them. Couple notes: cut the broccoli into small florets and microwaved on high 2 min. Much faster and just as good as blanching them in boiling water. Also used left over garlic butter (recipe p. 144) and that really added! Used LaBrea Bakery 3 Cheese Semolina bread.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      These are delicious. The final result does depend on the quality of your bread, but one time my bread went moldy and we ended up serving it on waffles which was surprisingly good! Even the broccoli mixture on its own is great.

    • taste24 on June 12, 2020

      These were very good - I used colby jack on some toasts and provolone on the others and most preferred the colby jack. It was saltier and gave it more flavor. Great use of day old bread.

  • Broccoli, cheddar, and wild rice fritters

    • southerncooker on March 11, 2018

      I didn't have any problems frying these since I followed Deb's instructions of frying slow before flipping. I used the wild rice blend suggested. These were just ok to me though. I probably wouldn't make again.

    • westminstr on December 26, 2025

      I made these because I had the perfect amount of leftover wild rice. Everybody seemed to like them.

    • Zosia on November 28, 2017

      A tasty way to use up leftover baked brown rice and roasted broccoli. As warned by Deb, the mixture was quite loose but packing it firmly into an ice cream scoop then flattening the mound gently once it was in the fry pan worked well for me.

    • bookcrawler on June 10, 2024

      Definitely a loose 'batter'. Maybe add a little something, maybe some panko? Bumped up some spices, which makes it nice because depending on spices - can go in a few directions depending on what is being served with this. This time went a bit cajun.

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      Just OK, don’t particularly need to make again.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      It's a pain to fry but such a good recipe. The crispy rice was excellent. I didn't have wild rice so I used brown and it still worked!

    • taste24 on June 12, 2020

      The end result was tasty. I wasn't expecting to them to have as much of an 'eggy' texture, but it didn't turn out to be a bad thing. Good way to use up the items involved.

    • jenburkholder on July 07, 2021

      Tasty. They held together just fine for us. I felt like they needed a sauce, though, personally.

    • averythingcooks on March 04, 2026

      I considered scaling this to 1/2 but settled on 1/3 (+ a simple salad) for "dinner for 1 night" which was lots for me. I added hot sauce + minced garlic while beating the egg & had no trouble with the batter/turning etc, following her advice re: low heat/patience to set the egg before flipping. I combined plain yogurt & a cherry tomato chipotle relish for a quick sauce (very good) & enjoyed my simple dinner. I am also freezing cooked rice for another 1/3 recipe...we'll see how that works.

  • Dry-rub sweet potato steaks with green bean slaw

    • southerncooker on March 18, 2018

      I usually don't care for extra sweetness added to my sweet potatoes but the small amount of brown sugar added to the spice rub wasn't a hindrance to me in this dish. I loved the addition of the tasty green bean salad that topped the sweet potato. I will be making this again.

    • ksg518 on March 22, 2018

      I thought this was wonderful but my daughter thought it was just OK. I made it as directed except I peeled the potatoes before I realized the recipe doesn't call for peeling. I also added more rub to each potato than called for; the recipe makes a lot more rub than you need in any event. I had a little trouble making the crosshatch cuts but it was worth it to encourage the rub to sink into the potatoes. The green beans perfectly complement the potatoes.

    • tmatthey on November 19, 2019

      Not (yet) a huge sweet potato fan since I did not grow up eating it (nor winter squash) but man did I like this spice rub on what is, essentially, a crosshatched baked sweet potato. I have a little refining to do - overcooked these potatoes, think I crosshatched them more closely than needed - but am stoked that there was plenty of dry rub left for me to use up soon! Bagged the rub and am already dreaming. Did not try making the green bean slaw. Yet.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      I made the sweet potatoes without the green bean slaw (my husband hates mayo) and served it as a side dish. It was pretty good but I think I actually prefer my regular way of roasting sweet potatoes.

    • shoffmann on July 23, 2018

      I just made the green bean slaw, but really enjoyed that piece of this dish. I will try again with the sweet potatoes some day.

  • Wild mushroom shepherd's pie

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      I was afraid hubby and son might not like this dish even though we are all big mushroom fans. Shouldn't have worried since we all loved it. Hubby said best taters every and the mushrooms were delicious too. Son enjoyed it as well even though normally he's not a big fan of casseroles, pot pies and such. My potatoes were a bit thin even though I used the max amount of potatoes and followed amounts of all the other ingredients for the topping. This definitely didn't affect the taste. I used the options of sour cream instead of creme fraiche, milk instead of buttermilk, and smoked paprika and not parsley for the potatoes. My fresh mushrooms were a mix of shittake, baby bella, and white button mushroom and the dried mushrooms were shiitake. My choice for broth was vegetable. This was baked in a deep cast iron skillet some people call a chicken fryer.

    • rionafaith on November 01, 2017

      Delicious, hearty comfort food that just happens to be vegetarian. I used a combination of cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms and dried porcinis. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x6" pyrex dish (which fit perfectly) but I wish I had made the whole batch! It was a fair bit of prep for a weeknight though, so next time I might assemble the night before. Definitely use the larger amount of potatoes or even more; I used about 1 lb for my half-portion and wish there had been a slightly thicker layer. Possible error: the headnote mentions sherry vinegar in addition to the sherry, but vinegar isn't called for in the ingredients list or otherwise mentioned in the recipe? In any case, this was super good and I will definitely be making it again.

    • stef on March 13, 2018

      This was such great comfort food. No sherry so I used vermouth and my top never turned golden. Will make it again

    • Bryan on February 10, 2018

      http://wgntv.com/2017/12/21/lunchbreak-4/

    • anya_sf on July 16, 2019

      Since I couldn't leave well enough alone, I added thyme and rosemary to the mushrooms, stirred in some frozen peas at the end, and grated Parmesan cheese on top of the potatoes. I used cremini mushrooms and beef broth. The liquid seemed like it would be too thin, so I added a few tablespoons of flour to thicken the mixture and would do that again. I cooked the vegetables in a 14" braiser, but that ended up being too wide for the potatoes so there was about a 1" edge of uncovered filling, but it baked up fine. My family loved this version of shepherd's pie.

    • Lsblackburn1 on October 14, 2020

      Loved the flavors, but it came out pretty soupy. Should have cut back on the liquid or read these notes first and also added flour to thicken it up.

    • Ishie1013 on June 21, 2022

      This recipe was incredible. I saw the comments about a thin broth, but I used a cast iron skillet for my final bake (did the veggies and mushrooms in a larger pan first) and it was exquisite. This is going in my long term recipe files.

  • Tomato and gigante bean bake/pizza beans

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      I used dried giant limas for the beans and cooked them on Sunday in my IP. I also prepped my veggies and put them in the fridge so when I came home from work today I just had to continue with the recipe. We loved the pizza beans. Like someone else said I don't use a recipe for garlic bread usually but this version was delicious.

    • Rutabaga on January 16, 2018

      Calling these "pizza beans" was not enough to encourage my children to eat them, although the six-year-old was coerced into eating his portion with the kale removed. I agree with Zosia that the kale was very noticeable here (maybe one whole bunch was a little much?), which isn't an issue for me personally, but doesn't endear it to those who are apprehensive about kale. Because I couldn't find gigante beans in any local stores I visited, I used cannellini, which did the trick, although I imagine gigantic beans would be more fun. It's very easy to prepare in advance, so I can see turning to it again, but probably leaving out the kale or substituting something my family prefers, such as mushrooms.

    • Zosia on October 31, 2017

      This is a delicious alternative to a baked pasta dish that everyone in my family enjoyed. The kale wasn't as well hidden as I'd hoped and though there wasn't enough to offend anyone, I do think I'll replace it with spinach next time. I assembled the dish the night before and baked from the refrigerator for 30 min at 375F to make sure it was heated through, then finished under the broiler to brown.

    • Lepa on March 03, 2018

      These are fine. They were well received with accompanying hunks of garlic bread but they didn't wow me and I'm not sure I'll make them again. I love beans but I would always choose lasagna or some other cheesy pasta dish over these beans.

    • Rinshin on January 24, 2023

      As written it is surprisingly bland baked beans dish with catchy name made more visually appealing with cheesy topping much like Tex Mex pinto beans. Going in I knew I had to up the flavor by adding more herbs and small splash of fish sauce but wished I did not add the full amount of tomato called for in this recipe. The cooked taste of Marcella beans with sofrito were already very good, but adding this much canned tomato ruined the wonderful bean flavor. I much prefer charro, bbq, cowboy or simple baked beans than this one. I normally like Smitten Kitchen recipes but this one was disappointing. Even though i love Marcella beans in other applications, I ended up throwing out the leftovers.

    • VineTomato on May 17, 2020

      I'll come clean and admit to x4 the greens in this dish, so I don't recommend you try that! I live in the UK and through a rather complicated route got my hands on a selection of Rancho Gordo beans (the joy!) I used my precious royal corona beans and it came out as more of a soup than a bake. I used swiss chard in place of kale for Mr VT, and even then he could not eat them - he hated this dish (unusual for him to refuse to eat a dish) - I thought they were nice enough but not amazing. Maybe if I followed the recipe ...

    • Dannausc on February 12, 2023

      Fine but not great.

    • patioweather on May 10, 2024

      Agree with everyone that this needs the pizza spices like oregano to really give a pizza vibe.

    • Frenchfoodie on July 18, 2018

      Made with spinach rather than kale. Was ok but didn’t wow me, needed more garlic, more herbs, more something...

    • Skamper on August 01, 2025

      We both liked this. I made a half batch using the full amounts of onion and kale. Thanks to EYB reviews, I amped up the garlic and added dried oregano and penzeys pizza spice when I added it to the aromatics. It also used the white wine, and added maybe 1/2 c BTB (didn't measure) to keep it from being to dry. It was nicely browned after 13 minutes in the oven.

    • lholtzman on November 06, 2024

      I think I’ll use canned beans in the future. Both times I’ve made this, my beans take too long to cook. This is a nice pantry recipe and a great way to use up vegetables that have been lingering in your fridge. Save yourself more time and hassle by using pre-shredded mozzarella. Also, don’t skip the garlic bread. It is sooooo good.

    • CheesyKranskyLove on October 04, 2022

      This was fine but no where near as good as an actual pizza

    • Ajammies on February 09, 2023

      agree, these are pretty mellow in flavor, I would definitely bump up the garlic and maybe add some other spices to make it more "pizza" flavor

    • morleigh10 on May 08, 2024

      Made this and didn't love it. It definitely needed more seasoning, maybe would add some oregano or garlic powder or something next time. Not going to rush to make this one again though.

    • Soulkitchenjen on June 03, 2024

      This was…fine as is. It actually was better put on top of the garlic bread. I think it needs oregano and maybe some pepperoni to make it taste more like pizza and less like some kinda vegetable soup.

    • abigayle_d5od7q on January 26, 2026

      Pizza beans - a magical way to get my spouse to eat a bean!

    • Pandan on July 21, 2024

      This was quite nice. I added dried oregano and fresh basil at the end. Also added fresh mozzarella instead of grated and two canned giant beans instead of dried. Still not totally pizza-y, but nice semi-healthy dish with some hidden kale (used really finely chopped frozen kale). I used two small (400g) cans of chopped tomatoes with herbs, because I didn’t want to have leftover tomatoes and omitted the broth. Put in a pinch of MSG instead. Next time I will use a different pan: didn’t want to use my cast iron pan because of the tomatoes and used a non stick skillet instead not thinking about the high oven temperature. Served it today with some leftover couscous, will make the garlic bread with it tomorrow.

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      So tasty! When you want pasta but had pasta yesterday. I use canned cannellini or butter beans and add thyme. I have made this many times, always delicious.

    • lynette_27j6kb on February 25, 2026

      We love this recipe. I made the meaty version with Italian sausage. Very yummy. And used canned butter beans for the size and texture. Perfect

    • Salviocooks on April 04, 2026

      Another family fave. We can’t always get the large beans (no Gigante where we live but we’ve been able to get Corona beans or lima beans too), and have used canned small white beans, but the large beans do really add to the recipe.

    • theya_9njwyi on June 04, 2026

      Delicious weeknight meal.

  • Brick hens with charred lemon

    • southerncooker on January 24, 2018

      Very tasty and the charred lemon juice is a perfect addition to the chicken.

  • Artichoke and Parmesan galette

    • hirsheys on May 20, 2018

      I only made the filling, because I had a leftover all-butter crust from a pie in my fridge. I really enjoyed this and didn't find it terribly soggy. I baked it in a thin cake pan. The filling tastes like artichoke filling but a little brighter from the lemon zest.

    • Rutabaga on November 15, 2018

      My husband and I both enjoyed this, but it was too much artichoke for the kids. It's definitely a dish for the artichoke lover, and the vinegary flavor of the brine really came through even though my chokes were well drained. I also dredged them in a little flour before putting them in the tart shell, and the crust wasn't soggy at all. The crust itself it quite tasty and tender, and the filling set very nicely.

    • shoffmann on December 27, 2018

      Made this along with a spinach salad for a lighter dinner over the holidays. The galette definitely looked like a sad soggy mess at the end of the cook time (even though the filling was set). However, I running it under the broiler for a few minutes as the recipe suggests crisped the top up nicely. Bottom crust was a bit soggy but we all still enjoyed. I would make this again.

    • ksg518 on April 09, 2018

      Not sure what to say about this. It sounded like a good concept - essentially artichoke dip as a galette filling. To avoid leakage, Perelman has you place the dough in a tart pan but she notes that even then the bottom will be soggy. She's right but I'm not sure why you wouldn't just turn it into a quiche at that point and par-bake the crust. In addition, we all agreed that this was too much artichoke - I would cut it by a third if I make it again. However, the dough is very good and very easy to work with.

  • Parmesan Dutch baby with creamed mushrooms

    • hirsheys on October 31, 2017

      I made this for dinner the other night. The pan I used had rounded sides (and was larger than 12-inches) which was a mistake, since the dutch baby didn't climb up the sides of the pan like they should have to make it poof. Still, the taste was amazing and I will definitely try it again.

    • Yildiz100 on August 16, 2018

      The dutch baby itself was good, not a surprise since it is pretty much the same recipe as a Bobby Flay recipe we already make and like. For me, the mushroom topping needs tweaked though. First, I would have liked at least 50% more mushrooms, I thought the topping was a little sparse. Also, there was only enough cream to make them a bit oily. I would add more cream so it is more of a sauce, and maybe thicken it with a bit of parm.

    • bernalgirl on March 15, 2022

      The pancake is extremely eggy which one child disliked but the rest of us enjoyed this for a lazy brunch

    • Zosia on November 20, 2017

      Quick and very tasty; the mushrooms were a particularly delicious addition. I replaced the butter with 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for the mushrooms, the second for the pancake).

    • ksg518 on December 04, 2017

      Very good and reasonably quick for a weeknight. I essentially doubled the amount of mushrooms since I had a lot that needed to be used up. I used half and half instead of cream for the mushrooms and it worked fine. I also used five eggs instead of four since I wasn't sure it would be substantial enough with just four eggs. Next time I'll just use four -- this easily feed two people for a main course with some left over.

    • pistachiopeas on May 01, 2018

      We both loved it. Mushrooms can be made ahead.

    • stef on November 17, 2017

      This was an easy quick supper. I used 6 eggs and about quarter cup more milk. Will make again

    • Bryan on February 10, 2018

      http://people.com/food/smitten-kitchen-parmesan-dutch-baby-creamed-mushrooms-recipe/

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This was absolutely delicious but very decadent, and I felt like it was too much for two people so I haven't made it since. I think it'd be perfect for a family with small kids.

    • adellel on March 13, 2026

      This was so good! Loved the “egginess” of it.

    • Pandan on January 04, 2026

      Easy and cheap dinner. Looked impressive and easier to make than I thought. Mine just needed way less time in the oven

    • abigayle_d5od7q on January 26, 2026

      Brunch favorite.

    • trmarvin on December 02, 2018

      My cast-iron skillet is 10 1/4", so my Dutch baby didn't puff up or crawl as nicely up the sides as it's supposed to, but it was still great. Will add to our brunch lineup - also nice for a weeknight dinner.

    • gamulholland on July 25, 2021

      Delicious, very popular with the family, will definitely make again.

    • gamulholland on June 30, 2019

      This was amazing. Husband and kids devoured it. No one missed the meat.

    • pattyatbryce on August 12, 2023

      Nice back pocket recipe. Fairly easy to make (chopping is longest task). We very much enjoyed.

  • Magical two-ingredient oat brittle

    • Rutabaga on May 15, 2018

      Simple and sweet, this is a good and very easy topping to make for yogurt, etc. I doubled the recipe and found it took a good 20 minutes to bake, probably in part because it was a larger batch and in part because I used a silicone baking mat rather than parchment paper.

  • Cauliflower wedge

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Easy and tasty. Would do again.

    • lholtzman on December 25, 2025

      This was good, but not my favorite. I would like the cauliflower roasted more.

    • kbrooks on March 31, 2023

      This combo works well as a warm salad. Omit the cheese. Break the cauliflower into florets,toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast,stirring halfway through. Then combine with the rest of the ingredients prepared as per the recipe. Substituting white balsamic vinegar is nice as well.

  • Whitefish and pickled cucumber salad

    • lholtzman on March 25, 2025

      This is a more refined and heartier version of the whitefish salad you find in the deli. I’m here for it. The recipe makes a good amount, so I halved. Also, I found that I needed only 1/4 (instead of 1/2) the pickle recipe. I served over the Mestemacher Natural Pumpernickel bread.

  • Red lentil soup, dal style

    • lholtzman on March 19, 2024

      I used 1/4 tsp cayenne and felt it was perfectly spicy; however, my 6 year old found it too spicy.

    • ksg518 on December 07, 2024

      I thought this was fine but nothing special. However given that it's mostly pantry ingredients, I can see making it again. I made it as written except used a whole can of diced tomatoes and adjusted the water accordingly. I used the full amount of cayenne and probably would reduce that slightly if I make it again.

  • Mini-matzo ball soup with horseradish and herbs

    • Pandan on April 17, 2024

      This was really nice! I made the broth without the turnips and added some MSG and gelatine in the end. I could only make half of the matzo balls and only had ground matzen cracker on hand (you can't get matzo meal in Germany). I had to add a bit flour and shaped them with spoons because the dough was still quite wet. They tasted really good though with the horseradish! I only cooked them for a few minutes after they came to the top. 20 minutes sounded really long to me for small dumplings.

  • Spiced carrot and pepper soup with a couscous swirl

    • ksg518 on January 24, 2018

      I thought this was just OK and I'm not sure I'll make it again. I made it strictly by the recipe except I didn't add the parsley garnish. It absolutely needs the lemon wedge to perk it up a bit. I think I would prefer Israeli couscous, instead of the fine couscous she calls for if I do make it again.

    • shoffmann on January 28, 2018

      We really enjoyed this. I subbed in sriracha sauce for the harissa paste, but otherwise made as directed.

    • naomiscookbookchallenge on October 07, 2019

      We loved this. I used a couple of tablespoons of rose harissa and subbed quinoa for the couscous. I also pan-fried some of the quinoa to use as a crispy topping.

    • Hannaha100 on January 03, 2022

      There were tears and tantrums with this one but 6yo eventually ate several bowlfuls without the couscous. 3yo eventually ate some of hers by dipping crackers in (refused to do this with toast). It was a little sweet for me but the harissa and lemon helped a lot (didn't give that to young ones). Overall we liked it but I'm not sure it'll be a repeat.

    • Ishie1013 on July 11, 2025

      This was a delicious and easy soup.

    • Pandan on May 03, 2024

      This was surprisingly good! I only made half the recipe but used the same amount of garlic and onions. My 1,5 year old toddler loved this without the harissa paste

  • Leek, feta, and greens spiral pie

    • Zosia on March 30, 2018

      I loved the addition of leeks to the filling; they added an extra dimension to the flavour and really set this recipe apart from others I've made and/or eaten. And of course the spiral shape makes them quite special too. But don't do as I did and coil them too tightly or they'll split as they expand during baking.

    • lholtzman on January 20, 2024

      I used a variety of greens (kale, chard, and baby spinach) because I had a lot that needed to be used up. The result was delicious. I made this on a weeknight with a hungry 6 year old and fussy baby, which I would 100% not recommend. Because I just wanted to be done making the spirals I made only 9 stuffing the last three a bit more.

    • tmitra on March 17, 2024

      These were tasty but frustrating. No matter how loosely I rolled them, they cracked when I made them into spirals...if not before! This was my first time working with phyllo. For this much time and effort, I wish they looked nicer, but at least they didn't leak in the oven.

    • snackbaby on November 25, 2023

      the filling in here is super tasty, I've also used it in quiches etc.!

  • Grilled yogurt flatbreads

    • Rutabaga on April 22, 2020

      These are fantastic flatbreads, possibly the best I've made. They are so tender, and just a tad tangy from the yogurt. I added a little garlic to the dough and cooked them in a cast iron skillet on the stove. They're very easy to shape, but watch the temperature when baking them, as they really puff up and can be doughy if you don't give them enough time to bake thoroughly without scorching.

    • hirsheys on April 25, 2020

      These were easy and quite good. I used a bit of whole wheat flour (to save my AP) and now I’m curious about how they would be with all white. Next time, I’d do them in a flat cast iron pan, rather than a grill pan.

    • kari500 on May 03, 2020

      Yep, this works! I did them in a cast iron skillet, and felt like a goddess (when the truth is, they are really easy). I put in one clove of garlic, and I think I'd prefer more, since I didn't taste it at all. And this makes a LOT, so next time I'll do as she suggests and maybe only use half for one time, and save the other half for later in the week. Thanks to Rutabaga for the warning about making sure they are cooked inside.

    • tate_2agj8g on May 27, 2026

      I cooked it like a tortilla on the stovetop and it was excellent

    • averythingcooks on December 12, 2023

      These are lovely but be warned, it may seem like too much flour (stick with it...it will incorporate). I used a regular cast iron pan as they ended up too long to fit my grill pan (realized too late & could change how I shape for next time). I sprinkled them with za'atar as they came out of the pan, served them with chicken souvlaki, tzatziki etc and did wish I had added some garlic to the dough. She is right in that this makes 4 LARGE flat breads...the 2 of us split 1 for our dinner.

    • Running_with_Wools on January 18, 2022

      Super easy and really good fresh and warm with the Street Cart Chicken and rice.

  • Corn, bacon, and arugula pizza

    • Zosia on August 08, 2018

      Delicious combination of flavours. I'll definitely make this again. I used the no-knead pizza dough from the Bread Bible and Lidia Bastianich's Neapolitan (no-cook) pizza sauce.

    • Rutabaga on August 06, 2018

      This is a great summer pizza topping. Even though my older son initially complained about the corn, he ended up eating two slices. I used a mix of sharp cheddar and pepper Jack since I had no Parmesan, and baked it on a half sheet baking pan.

    • Lsblackburn1 on July 11, 2018

      I used Trader joe’s Dough and sauce, so totally feel like a slacker, but this was absolutely delicious!

    • lholtzman on March 27, 2026

      The pecorino was way to strong for me. If making in the future I would use mostly another cheese with 1/4 cup of pecorino. I used Trader Joe’s pizza dough because it’s really good and easy. I also made this vegetarian by omitting the bacon. I used defrosted frozen corn kernels which worked just fine. Finally, I only used 100 grams of cheese and that was way more than a cup, even after packing it down.

    • clcorbi on July 27, 2018

      This is a super tasty pizza combination, and one I'll definitely be making again during the summer months. I also used premade pizza dough, but we did make the sauce following Deb's instructions. Yum!

    • Frogcake on August 11, 2018

      Like others, we loved this taste combination. I used double-smoked prosciutto and have omitted the egg on occasion. Have also made the pizza in reverse order, which means the arugula gets baked and loses its pepperyness. It is best as written.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      This is a yummy pizza combination! I don't always add the egg. And I use Mark Bittman's pizza dough recipe. It's my go to recipe for all our pizzas.

  • Roasted tomato picnic sandwich

    • Rutabaga on September 22, 2018

      We ate this sandwich warm from the oven rather than bringing it on a picnic. The filling is delicious when made as written, but I can imagine a number of other fillings that would be wonderful, too (pesto, prosciutto, caramelized onions, roast vegetables, etc). The dough was very thin when stretched to fit a half sheet pan. This wasn't a problem, but I think I'd prefer a somewhat thicker layer of bread for a little more chew, which could be managed by either making a smaller sandwich or by making additional dough.

    • Jane on August 03, 2018

      Although this is called a picnic sandwich I think it is better warm so maybe only for picnics nearby! Of course it can also be eaten at home - it would be good with pre-dinner drinks. I used pre-roasted tomatoes so that cut down the prep time and subbed well-drained feta for pecorino romano. It will be a repeat - tomatoes, olives, feta and oregano will always be good for me.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      The flavors were yummy but I agree with Rutabaga that the pizza dough is too thin. It was very hard to get both pieces of dough to the right dimensions, and the final result was a little disappointing, like a sad thin calzone.

  • Halloumi roast with eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes

    • Jane on August 28, 2021

      This was a great recipe for clearing out the vegetable drawer. In addition to zucchini, eggplants and tomatoes I added a couple of red peppers. I felt it was a bit too salty (and I love salt) since the halloumi is salty too so I would half that next time. But it's a definite repeat for me.

    • bernalgirl on October 13, 2020

      Use parchment rather than foil, and don’t overcrowd, mine took 30-40 minutes. I used dried oregano but next time will try fresh.

    • EmilyR on July 19, 2023

      I should have read the previous reviews and added the halloumi a little after the roasting... and paid attention to those last 10 minutes, because things went from the cusp of finished to well done very quickly. I didn't add the entire salt amount either. This is a bit like a pizza variation that is lighter on the carbs. I'd gladly eat this plain or serve it to guests.

    • ksg518 on August 06, 2021

      I've made this a couple of times. It's very good. Agree with bernalgirl about not crowding the pan which may mean not being lazy and digging out an extra pan. The recipe says you can also use fresh oregano which is a very nice choice if you have it.

    • thefritschkitchen on June 10, 2024

      Very good - I threw everything on the griddle for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally and served with some grilled bread. Fantastic summer dinner. We're not fans of eggplant, so I doubled the zucchini and added a red bell pepper. I also had some fresh garlic scrapes from the garden, so those went in too. The only change I will make next time is to double the halloumi!

    • mjes on September 09, 2021

      This is a well-seasoned mixed vegetable roast with crispy halloumi - it went over very well in our family.

    • lholtzman on October 12, 2024

      If you use Morton’s kosher salt, make sure you only use 1/2-1 tsp. Otherwise this will be way too salty. I learned the hard way the first time, but enjoyed much more the second and third. I would also consider upping the amount of halloumi especially if you want to make this a meal. I used Japanese eggplants as I find their uniformity easier to work with.

    • Ileana on May 12, 2021

      No zucchini so used onion and yellow pepper, doubled the lemon zest and juice. Yum.

    • Jviney on August 21, 2022

      Served over spaghetti. It felt so virtuous to use much of the weekly farm share. I liked it and James ate the tomatoes and halloumi. It did benefit from a dollop of pesto although the marinade is lovely and flavorful.

    • Lsblackburn1 on August 25, 2019

      Who needs a recipe for roast veg, right? But the garlic, lemon and oregano were nice. I feel like I wanted the halloumi to be softer... but I don’t cook it enough to know what’s correct...

    • Pandan on July 19, 2024

      Simple and delicious side dish or vegetarian main dish. Served this with lemon couscous and slow cooker chicken & chickpeas. I roasted mine in my Ninja grill in two batches, because it’s faster and roasts better than my oven.

    • jessica_iia7a3 on January 22, 2026

      Next time, add halloumi halfway through cooking. Added some zataar and served with pita and hummus.

    • aisy on May 20, 2021

      We totally loved this! The roasted halloumi turned out great--crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and not squeaky. The marinade made for great flavour, and it's hard to go wrong with roasted tomatoes. We served it over couscous.

    • snoozermoose on September 03, 2022

      Absolutely delicious. I recommend adding the halloumi a little bit after the veggies (they were a bit overdone), but even so they tasted great. In order to avoid crowding the pan, we used two pans. My one complaint was that we were expecting this to make more food than it did. It fed two of us as a main with some bread alongside. I'll try to 1.5x it next time.

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      Easy and delicious. The marinade puts it over the top. A great way to use up summer squashes and eggplant. Too bad halloumi’s has gotten so expensive!

  • Spring fried barley with a sesame sizzled egg

    • afterdharma on November 21, 2020

      So easy and delicious it has become a weeknight staple in our house!

    • Dannausc on October 10, 2018

      Really good. Smelled so good My co-worker wanted to steal it for herself.

  • Zucchini-stuffed zucchini with sorta salsa verde

    • mrsmadam on October 24, 2019

      I found these to be very good. The lemon zest is essential, as is the salsa verde. I had mozzarella on hand so subbed that. I didn’t have a problem with my breadcrumbs staying crispy, but I was careful to sauté long enough to allow the zucchini to lose its moisture. They are a stretch for a weeknight if you need to prepare anything else but I had a main dish casserole pre-prepared and oven ready so that made this doable.

    • Zosia on November 24, 2017

      The flavour was very good thanks to the salsa verde but I didn't care for the texture of the filling. I wasn't keen on the really soft zucchini and the panko crumbs were on the mushy side too. However, the zucchini boats were good, retaining much of their texture and the crumb topping was crisp and tasty. I will make these again but with either quinoa as Deb suggests or perhaps farro in place of the panko crumbs.

    • EmilyR on April 21, 2018

      These were a nice dinner paired with a baguette and some good quality butter. I made sure I got as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible - using the vitamix for a few pulses, giving it a salt rinse, squeezing it out, and then putting it in a skillet. Make sure you have extra crispy panko. For the salsa verde I used an immersion blender. The rest of it came together quickly and even picky eaters ate it. We sprinkled shredded red wine bellevitano instead of Comte / Gruyere. I'd recommend 2-3 zucchinis per person. It's a light meal since it's mainly vegetables.

    • loveyournoms on July 22, 2019

      The flavors of this are very good, but it just took too long for a weeknight and for the outcome. I used more garlic, as is my habit, but otherwise I followed the recipe pretty closely. I didn't like how mushy the filling got, and the breadcrumbs didn't retain their crisp. The salsa verde was excellent. Next time I'll just roast or saute zucchini, and some shallot, add some of the salsa verde, then top with crispy breadcrumbs, cheese, and more salsa verde.

    • intrepidfox on July 23, 2022

      I really liked these, though they're a bit fussy for a weeknight. My stuffing did get kind of mushy but I don't think I did a good job with getting all the water out of the zucchini. I think I will try to squeeze it out before sautéing next time. I wasn't a big fan of the salsa verde raw on top, I preferred how it tasted mixed into the filling and baked.

  • Romesco, chickpea, and smashed egg bowl

    • clcorbi on February 03, 2018

      I can't believe I'm saying this about a Deb recipe, but... this was a total fail. And really fussy to make, to boot! I had already decided to serve these bowls on a bed of quinoa, because I found it odd that there were multiple sauces involved (romesco and a yogurt garnish), but only chickpeas, and spinach to soak them up. So I made all the components, as well as quinoa, which took a while. The romesco took the longest, though, and here's the kicker: IT DIDN'T TASTE GOOD. I think the proportion of red bell peppers was way too high compared to all the other ingredients, because before I added them to the blender, the sauce actually tasted nice and kicky. I tried adding extra salt, red pepper flakes, etc to salvage it, but it still tasted watery and sad. I think the only thing that would have helped was simmering it down in a saucepan until it thickened up, but I had already spent so long on the recipe that I just couldn't do that. Would not repeat.

    • intrepidfox on July 23, 2022

      This was extremely fussy and took way too long. It had like four separate components that needed to be made. For what's essentially a lunch dish, this is way too much effort. Plus the result was quite lackluster compared to the amount of work involved. Like clcorbi mentioned, the romesco turned out extremely watery. I actually had to simmer it down to make it workable as a sauce. I have leftover sauce so I might attempt something similar again but otherwise will not repeat.

  • My go-to garlic bread

    • clcorbi on December 12, 2017

      What's not to love about bread slathered in garlic butter and cheese, then broiled? This was delicious, and so quick and easy.

    • Lepa on March 03, 2018

      Today I realized that I have inexplicably failed to introduce my kids to the pleasure of garlic bread. I made this bread tonight and they LOVE it. The recipe is simple and delicious. I plan to make it regularly.

    • Pandan on July 22, 2024

      I made this with partially pre-baked baguette. My garlic already got quite browned in the butter and burned a bit. Maybe next time I would just sprinkle in the raw garlic in the butter and let it bake afterwards. I also would reduce the salt next time as it was quite salty with the Parmesan. Besides that, quite nice with the beans. My toddler son also loved his first garlic bread.

    • Soulkitchenjen on June 03, 2024

      It’s garlic bread.

    • lholtzman on November 06, 2024

      Amazing recipe. This was gone quite quickly at our table.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      This is my go to recipe as well! I use Aleppo pepper flakes and oregano Indio. Asiago makes a nice change from the parmesan or pecorino romano; or use a combination. Chives and parsley.

    • Dannausc on February 12, 2023

      Quite good.

    • tmitra on January 20, 2026

      I wouldn't repeat this. It burned in under two minutes and what was left was very salty. I didn't use the cheese, if that makes a difference.

    • averythingcooks on October 22, 2023

      It always seems weird to look up a recipe for garlic bread but I will say that this was really good. I used both optional ingredients (dried oregano & parmesan), parsley for the fresh herb & 1/2 recipe was the perfect amount for 2 Costco triangle ciabatta buns. This is definitely worth repeating.

  • Cacio e pepe potatoes Anna

    • Rutabaga on January 08, 2018

      This didn't quite turn out as I'd hoped, but to be fair that was likely due to my not following all the directions exactly. First, my pan was 11 inches, so I increased the amounts by roughly 50%. Unsurprisingly, this required more baking time - 40 minutes covered, then 40 uncovered. While the potatoes were fully cooked, they were still completely pale on the bottom, and slid apart when I inverted the dish onto a cutting board. I had used a lid instead of foil as Perelman directs, so I was not able to press down firmly on the potatoes as apparently needed. I also think the pan should have been preheated in order for the potatoes on the bottom to brown properly. I'd like to try it again with those changes, as the flavor was nice, and the potatoes were buttery without being overly rich.

    • Rutabaga on January 13, 2018

      I discovered that if you have leftovers, these potatoes are delicious when pan-fried for breakfast - or any meal, for that matter.

    • averythingcooks on October 29, 2023

      We loved these potatoes! I cut this in 1/2 but kept the bake time the same. I used melted butter and was generous with the salt & pepper as suggested. We ate these beside some thinly sliced grilled ribeye & green salad. Note: scaling recipes does not always mean you have the "obvious" pan choice. I chose from 3 candidates after "mandolining" the potatoes & dumping the pile into the pans...easy decision.

    • rionafaith on April 14, 2020

      This was very good and pretty simple, especially since I actually dragged out the mandoline to slice the potatoes. I only used about 1.5 lbs of yukon golds but the full amount of cheese mixture, and I baked in a slightly smaller pan (I think it's a 7 or 8" skillet?) Did not make the salad.

    • bookcrawler on June 10, 2024

      Simple and tasty. Fam requested to up the cheese next time. Using the mandolin made the cook time printed match reality which is always a plus.

    • snackbaby on November 25, 2023

      I loved this and it turned out beautifully! very cute dish. prefer this with a bright green salad on the side instead of rucola.

  • Mujadara-stuffed cabbage with minted tomato sauce

    • Cheri on December 25, 2018

      This is weekend cooking, several pots, a couple of hours. These are fabulous, especially leftover, so worth the effort. I did modify. Recipe calls for 4.5 cups of water, with 1/2 cup basmati rice, spices and par cooked lentils. I had fully cooked lentils, but increased rice to 1 cup and reduced water to 2 cups. This worked great. Next time I would increase spices, especially peppers for a bit more heat. Great cozy wintertime lunch.

    • ksg518 on November 09, 2020

      Definitely not worth the work. My onions took about 45 minutes to reach the crispy stage not the 15 the recipe calls for. I wish I had seen Cheri's note about the water. The 4+ cups of water must be a typo. The final rice and lentil component had to be drained to continue the recipe and that meant all the spices disappeared leaving a mush that even Oliver Twist would reject. We added lots of curry and lemon pepper which saved the dish but overall this is a rare Smitten Kitchen fail.

    • mooo42 on October 20, 2023

      I took some reviews to heart and cooked the lentils and rice with less water. (1:1 for rice 4:1 for lentils). Keep on eye on the lentils as they go from firm to mush in about 30 seconds. :) Really appreciate how Deb tries to make this a one pot recipe. Due to my time constraints, I did it in two pots, and it's definitely a process. Enjoyed it for Rosh Hashanah dinner with our vegetarian friends.

  • Brussels and three cheese pasta bake

    • kprovost on May 15, 2018

      Just made this dish for a friend who's a somewhat picky eater when it comes to vegetables. I didn't tell him that there were brussels sprouts in it until the very end. Everyone loved it! And surprisingly there were no leftovers. Perfect with just a salad.

    • Rutabaga on January 14, 2018

      I thought this was delicious. The cheese combination is especially tasty, and there were enough Brussels sprouts that I felt I could get away without an additional veg side dish. It's easy to size up for more people, and a good winter dish I plan to revisit during the colder months.

    • Lepa on January 14, 2018

      This is pretty good. It feels decadent- and not too healthy. Still, it's not my favorite mac and cheese.

    • Nishibun on March 14, 2018

      I made this on a snow day (highly recommended) and loved it. The lemon brightens up the whole dish and keeps it from feeling too rich and heavy. I used whole wheat pasta (it happened to be what I had on hand), and I liked the extra nuttiness it provided.

    • bernalgirl on December 29, 2020

      Made it on a cold winter night, appreciate the cheesy decadence but my family thought the flavors needed a boost and wanted less lemon. I added a sautéed onion, would consider adding smoked paprika or oregano.

    • Zosia on December 30, 2020

      Family and I really enjoyed this. The combination of cheeses was delicious and I really liked the use of broth in place of milk to make a lighter sauce. The only change I made was to bake it in the oven-proof skillet I used to cook the sprouts and sauce to save a little on the washing up.

    • JimCampbell on January 10, 2024

      This is decent. We had a bunch of Brussels and were looking for a way to use them. It's a tad rich. We likely used more Brussels than called for in the recipe. In that regard I should have added a touch more lemon. Not a bunch more. We added a pound of bulk Italian sausage for some protein. Decent, not great.

    • anniecc on September 15, 2025

      Made a variation of this with Savoy cabbage and breadcrumbs on top. The whole family thought it was fantastic, and it was really easy and quick to make. It's important to use a flavourful combination of cheeses, preferably including Gruyere or a close cousin. The only pasta I had was trofie, which is a short noodle with a dense chewy texture. This turned out to be ideal, the texture really enhanced the dish.

    • yaleksly on January 09, 2025

      Just okay, not our favorite. Not sure what it was as we enjoy carbs + cheese + brussels sprouts in other forms, and thought this would be a hit. Made exactly as recipe called for, no additions or swaps.

    • anya_sf on November 15, 2022

      I won't rate this since I used cooked cauliflower florets and peas, different cheeses, and chicken broth, plus sprinkled bread crumbs on top. Nevertheless, the result was delicious. I loved being able to make mac & cheese without milk. The lemon also brightened the flavor without making it overly lemony.

  • Crispy short rib carnitas with sunset slaw

    • Rachaelsb on April 27, 2018

      I wasn't sure about this...but it was surprisingly really good! Pork had delicious flavor to it and slaw was great accompaniment

    • clcorbi on April 09, 2018

      We only made the slaw component of this recipe, not the carnitas, but the slaw was delicious.

    • Bessp on March 08, 2023

      Delicious! Takes a bit of time, but definitely worth it. I made it with beef short ribs. I cooked the meat in a pan after roasting, as I like it extra crispy. Will definitely make again.

    • GinaRhodes on September 10, 2025

      Other than needing time, this recipe is simple and pretty hands off. A solid, simple meal that I suspect would freeze well, but it isn't blowing my mind with delicousness the way so many of Deb's recipes do.

  • Quick sausage, kale, and crouton sauté

    • mfranklin125 on February 14, 2018

      I didn’t do the vinegar. Used black bread for bread from Ukrainian store and it was good. Def need to take out if want them chewy or crunchy or it gets a bit mushy. Otherwise also added tomatoes.

    • Rutabaga on January 13, 2018

      This is an easy dish to throw together for a one-dish winter meal. In future, I would change a few things, however. The croutons became soft when left in the pan while everything else cooked. I think I'd prefer them crunchier, so would remove them and add them back again at the end. Also, the beans were quite dry, and the taste of the red wine vinegar disappeared in the mix. Adding more vinegar and several good glugs of olive oil before tossing in the croutons would probably help.

    • kari500 on October 07, 2018

      Delicious. Like others, I removed the breadcrumbs before cooking the rest. Used turkey sausage. Makes a tasty and easy dinner when it is just L and me. Amounts can easily be varied.

    • intrepidfox on July 23, 2022

      Pretty good even as a salad and kale hater. I didn't remove the croutons like others did and they definitely got mushy, so I would do that next time. Otherwise I liked and would make again to force myself to eat more leafy greens.

    • carlah on June 08, 2021

      Next time I might toast the breadcrumbs in the oven instead of pan-frying them. They developed a slight taste of burned oil in the skillet.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Adaptable and quick recipe. Great for weeknight.

    • alex9179 on August 11, 2018

      Toasted the bread and removed from the pan before continuing with the recipe. Using day old cheese or garlic artisan bread from the store is great. Doubled everything and no leftovers x3. The kids love it.

  • Meatballs Marsala with egg noodles and chives

    • hirsheys on May 06, 2018

      This one was less successful for me, though it wasn't bad - just a little boring. I followed Deb's advice pretty closely, despite *hating* pan-frying meatballs. These are also particularly annoying to pan fry because they are super wet. (To be fair, she warns about that they will be, though this doesn't improve the process!) The head note for this emphasizes that Deb was really focusing on buttered noodles when she created this and she really nails and heightens that flavor. That said, while I really wanted to love this recipe, this one isn't going to rise to the top of the pile for me.

    • mrsmadam on December 24, 2018

      Lacking Marsala I used sherry and these totally worked. To combat the super soft meat problem I chilled the meatballs for a while before frying and that helped some. Since there are only two of us I halved the recipe but kept the sauce as written in anticipation of his constant pleas for “more sauce please”. This was not necessary but may come in handy for the leftovers. These will go in rotation. 8/5/2020. Can’t believe I waited this long to make it again. I halved the sauce recipe and SO was satisfied with the amount. Made the entire meatball recipe and froze half.

    • Rachaelsb on June 11, 2019

      I agree with many of others. I was expecting a rich Marsala flavor to sauce and instead it felt heavy and somewhat bland. Meatballs did not have much flavor either. I would make again...just would need several months in between.

    • bernalgirl on December 10, 2021

      Adults liked this more than the kids did, this scratched a comfort food itch that they are more likely to satisfy with tacos or ramen. Our bad, but I would make these again.

    • stef on December 07, 2021

      We enjoyed this meal. I added hot pepper flakes to my meatballs and used ground pork. They were very tender. To the sauce I added 1 tablespoon honey mustard and that was good.

    • sarahwitt3 on September 24, 2018

      I won't make it again. Not terrible, just bland and for that reason, not worth the calories.

    • dianev on December 04, 2022

      I was pleased with this dish--made exactly as written except I added Aleppo pepper and garlic powder to the meatballs. Mushrooms seem to go well with Marsala, and could be added and cooked after the onions but before the meatballs. Will probably make again.

    • Rutabaga on January 04, 2018

      These are delicious chicken meatballs, something the whole family could enjoy. I increased the amount by 50%, giving us enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. As usual, my meatballs ended up vaguely triangular and flattened, but fortunately that doesn't affect the taste.

    • Frenchfoodie on July 18, 2018

      The meatballs were okay but the sauce was fairly bland. It all got eaten, no complaints but I’ve had (and made) better.

    • BeckyLeJ on March 12, 2018

      So good! The chicken meatballs are very wet when you first work with them, but Perelman is right, as you cook them they do hold form. Next time around, I'll do Half Baked Harvest's browned butter and garlic egg noodles to go with this!

    • alex9179 on August 11, 2018

      I ground chicken thighs and baby bellas, at the same time, for the mixture. Hid the mushrooms from the young family members and added flavor. I double it, at least, for growing kids. They're flattened by the end, since they're so loose, but manage to hold enough shape while cooking to resemble meatballs.

    • rionafaith on November 06, 2017

      Yummy! I somewhat hesitantly substituted unsweetened almond milk for both the milk and the cream as I was trying to avoid a last-minute trip to the store, and it worked totally fine -- the gravy was rich and creamy. As Deb warns, the balls are very soft which makes shaping them difficult, and mine flattened a bit while frying so they ended up distinctly un-spherical. But who cares once they're covered in sauce?

    • danielle_s1qyh9 on March 29, 2026

      A family favorite!

    • Ishie1013 on January 09, 2024

      Really nice sort of lighter Swedish meatballs kind of recipe. Used rigatoni since that was all I had, but a really nice quick dish that made good use of the pound of ground chicken I needed to go through. I’ll save this one for the weeknight archives.

    • Plumberful on January 30, 2026

      This is the second time I’ve made this and each time I have forgotten to chill the meatballs before pan frying, so they are shaped a bit like little hockey pucks. Having said that though, they are flavorful, very tender and perfectly cooked through — a true bowl of comfort food. We served them over orzo. I like the idea of adding sherry to the sauce, but it is also good as is.

    • Wichakati on September 29, 2024

      I've made this twice. Key to chill the meatballs as others have pointed out. I messed up this time but it turned out fine. I chilled the sautéed onions and forgot to add them to meatballs. Added to sauce and was fine. Also added 8 ounces sautéed sliced mushrooms to sauce. Used sweet marsala which is what had on hand. added small amount of cayenne to meatballs. Next time would consider adding some diced rendered pancetta to sauce as well - likely render that and then cook the onions and mushrooms in it.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      I've made this several times and agree with previous comments re bland sauce and soft meatballs. Have had best results making the meatballs ahead and refrigerating a few hours to firm up and using a good medium dry sherry for a more flavorful sauce. Ground turkey also works in this recipe.

    • MKBGeorgi on June 04, 2022

      This is a dish we make quite often with one major change - we don't bother making the meatballs into meatballs and make it a ground chicken marsala sauce, which takes out the frustrating step of destroying beautiful meatballs. My kids love this sauce though (I never have Marsala, I always use Sherry) and will happily eat this whenever I serve it.

  • Beefsteak skirt steak salad with blue cheese and parsley basil vinaigrette

    • southerncooker on March 29, 2018

      Delicious. I couldn't find skirt steak so I used sirloin. I thought I had a red onion but didn't so I used a sweet one. Son, daughter and I loved it but hubby didn't care that much for it. Son-in-law ate his steak with mashed potatoes and green beans instead of the salad.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      My husband loves this! Works with flank steak or flatiron steak as well.

    • averythingcooks on August 24, 2019

      I am reviewing the dressing only as my steak salad was my mix of usual suspects with thinly sliced grilled sirloin. I did have to estimate a bit throughout as I was piling basil leaves onto my digital scale and getting nowhere near the mass given! The mix of the 2 fresh herbs with the garlic, white wine vinegar , Dijon and olive oil is delicious. Full disclosure means admitting that I like a touch sweet offsetting the sharpness in a vinaigrette so a drizzle of honey went in at the end. I used feta in my salad but I am positive that the blue cheese Deb called for would also be awesome with this dressing.

    • Lsblackburn1 on May 27, 2020

      Loved this. Used Valdeon cheese, which was amazing! Thought it’d last 2 nights, but 2 of us basically polished it all off in one.

  • Pork tenderloin agrodolce with squash rings

    • bernalgirl on November 14, 2022

      As good as everyone says, and a gorgeous presentation. I found the onion mixture a bit bitter (need to check my vinegar) so I melted in a tablespoon of butter and it was perfectly luscious over the lean pork.

    • TrishaCP on December 20, 2020

      This was easy and tasty to pull together. I agree that the half moon squash rings are just fine.

    • westminstr on January 02, 2020

      I also did half moons for the squash and cooked two tenderloins (but just one recipe of sauce). The pork needed a bit more time than stated to get to temp, but the rub was good and it was perfectly cooked. I would definitely use this technique for pork tenderloin again.

    • ksg518 on September 12, 2020

      Just delicious. We followed the recipe except, like others, we made half moons from the squash. You can get by with using one skillet for this recipe. Simply make the sauce, pour it into a measuring cup and then wipe out the skillet to use for the pork. While the pork is resting, pour the sauce back into the skillet and re-heat. Also, as others have noted, watch that the squash doesn't over-cook.

    • Lsblackburn1 on October 29, 2018

      The pork turned out perfectly following the recipe but my squash only needed about 20 minutes, so it got kind of cold sitting around. Nice classic meal!

    • BeckyLeJ on January 11, 2018

      I really liked the fennel on the pork! Couple of notes, I cut my squash in half moons after fighting the seeds. I think I sliced them too thin and they were close to being over cooked so I’ll watch that next time. Also, I would double the sauce!

    • Dannausc on October 10, 2018

      Pretty decent.

    • thefritschkitchen on March 23, 2026

      This was fine - easy and tasty. I just have a few other tenderloin recipes I prefer more. I doubled the recipe and pouring 1 cup of red wine vinegar into the sauce was hard… again, tasty, but don’t think I’ll make again

    • averythingcooks on April 14, 2026

      I made 1/2 the sauce for a 10 oz piece of pork tenderloin (the perfect amt) but I will try bernalgirl's idea of adding butter to finish the sauce next time. In place of the squash, I roasted little potatoes (also at 425) adding broccoli to that pan when the pork tenderloin went in. This was an easy prep, tasty little dinner for 2.

    • curtisca on November 10, 2025

      This was really good! The squash did not take as long as the pork so I would start it 10 minutes later next time. I did not use fennel in the rub and didn't have any rosemary left, so I substituted Herbes de Provence which contains rosemary and some other herbs, and it was still delicious.

    • Plumberful on September 08, 2025

      Another terrific recipe from Deb Perelman! The sweet-tart sauce is a delicious complement to the pork and squash. Easy to make for two or for a crowd!

    • jmohart on March 06, 2026

      Flavor was great but next time I would double the sauce and double the squash. I would also roast the tenderloin in a covered dish instead of pan searing and then the oven, I don't think much was gained by the technique.

    • snoozermoose on October 12, 2022

      A perfect fall dish! Easier than it looks, but fancy and pretty enough to serve to company. The fennel and rosemary rub on the pork was particularly wonderful.

  • Sizzling beef bulgogi tacos

    • Rutabaga on January 08, 2018

      My husband and I both loved these tacos. The flavors of the seasoned meat and kimchi, together with the fresh toppings, are simply amazing. Rather than mixing it in with the meat, we sprinkled our own Korean chile flakes on the tacos to taste. We also used ground chicken thigh instead of beef, which worked great with these flavors.

    • stef on November 27, 2020

      These were very good and made under 30 minutes. I didn't have kimchi. Not as greasy as another recipe I make.

    • kari500 on August 20, 2022

      I’ve had this on my “want to make” list for ages, and finally got to it last night. Now I want to make it again immediately. These tacos are fantastic, and so easy. The most time consuming thing is chopping the toppings.

    • stockholm28 on February 20, 2021

      These were good and very quick and easy to make. I served mine in lettuce cups and used gochujang for the heat (alternatives are sriracha or red pepper flakes). They were a little salty, but that is probably my fault; she calls for low sodium soy sauce and I only had regular soy sauce. I topped mine with ”kicky kimchi” from a vendor at my local farmers market. I enjoyed these and would make them again.

    • Zosia on March 23, 2018

      Flavourful and very quick to make. I didn't have kimchi on hand and though they were delicious without, I'll make sure to have it for next time.

    • EmilyR on February 19, 2021

      Quick and simple. After living in LA and NYC, I have to say I've had better bulgogi tacos, but these are easy to doctor up and amend to suit your preferences.

    • hirsheys on January 09, 2018

      This dish was extremely easy - definitely took less than 30 mins as promised. It was tasty, but not necessarily better than normal homemade tacos. (I do have a bit of congestion, though, so I might have been missing some of the flavor...)

    • jenmacgregor18 on August 04, 2022

      I'm so glad I made these. Great flavor for a quick, 30-minute meal. I didn't have any gochujang, so I subbed 1 T of Thai Chili paste, 1 T Sriracha, and some Korean chili flake. This is going into regular rotation.

    • KATHCOOKS on December 12, 2020

      TYhis is a great fast recipe with loads of flavor!

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      I enjoyed these. I've made a lot of similar recipes from food blogs over the years, and this one was pretty similar to others though a bit more gingery. My husband prefers regular tacos but I don't think he'd mind having them again.

    • TinyCitiKitchen on July 25, 2023

      A surprising hit with a wide array of eaters. I also use it to make a rice bowl (adding a few grilled or roasted veggies)

    • averythingcooks on July 03, 2024

      I finally (!) made this...and we really enjoyed it. I had a fridge jar of sriracha to empty but I'll try gochujang next. I pickled matchsticked carrots, cabbage & radishes in a scoop of pickled red onions + brine (to use in place of kimchi). We tried 1 as just a romaine lettuce wrap with the beef, pickled veg & sour cream and while great tasting, it was super messy so our 2nd ones used a small flour torilla lined with lettuce. We ate these beside some spicy noodles for a great, fun dinner.

    • Ishie1013 on July 11, 2025

      Quick, easy and flavorful.

    • Soulkitchenjen on June 05, 2024

      These ARE a little too salty if you use regular soy sauce. The appropriate amount of gochujang is two plops off a soup spoon. They need extra lime. Pretty good, but I might make as rice bowls instead of tacos.

    • sydlikestocook on June 11, 2024

      A hit for a 30 minute meal! I made a bowl out of it and my husband enjoyed as tacos. You likely have all the ingredients for this in your home already.

    • anya_sf on June 29, 2019

      Quick, easy, and flavorful. I used ground turkey and made sure to buy low-sodium soy sauce so it wasn't too salty. I made extra lettuce and had mine salad-style, while the boys had tacos.

    • lizbot2000 on April 01, 2018

      I ended up making taco rice out of this recipe, instead of putting everything in a tortilla. It was easy and delicious.

    • clcorbi on May 01, 2018

      SO good. New favorite alert! The flavor on these is awesome with so little effort. I'm pretty sure these would be awesome made with other proteins too; I might try them with seitan crumbles next time.

    • mamacrumbcake on November 04, 2020

      These were very good and easy and made with pantry staples. I thought the beef was a touch salty, but when combined with all of the toppings, it’s was fine. We didn’t have kimchi but we did have some Vietnamese red cabbage pickle. It was pefect with this—and beautiful as well.

    • tarae1204 on December 18, 2021

      Agree with all prior comments! Great, flavorful pantry recipe that kids will like. Would be great just on rice or converted to Korean bulgogi nachos!

    • Running_with_Wools on July 30, 2021

      These were great and very quick to make. Another keeper. Entire family and picky kids loved this.

  • Miso maple ribs with roasted scallions

    • nadiam1000 on May 26, 2018

      baked these in a large roaster covered with foil - not individual packets for 3 hours - I had 3 racks. I drained off the liquid before brushing with the reduced glaze and baking for another half hour. delicious flavor and tender ribs.

    • southerncooker on March 25, 2018

      My family loved these. I was afraid that since they really love bbq ribs they might not like these but they were a hit. Even my daughter who doesn't care that much for ribs loved them. I did cook mine for about a half hour longer in the foil packets since my racks each weighted almost a pound more than what the recipe said. They were perfectly tender and delicious. My first time cooking with miso.

    • ksg518 on May 15, 2019

      Very good. We should have drained off more of the liquid before adding the last bit of glaze at the end. I can see using this with chicken - perhaps marinating the chicken and then brushing more on at the end of grilling. Our scallions turned somewhat mushy so we won't be doing that part again.

    • Running_with_Wools on May 24, 2021

      These were easy and beautiful. The meat was falling off of the bone. I liked the miso flavor in the sauce. However, personally I think it carmelized too-sweet at the end of the day. Though my teen-age daughter thought these were one of the best things I've ever made. Next time, I may put a little less maple.

    • Lsblackburn1 on May 17, 2020

      These are so amazing - basically meat candy! My racks were pretty small so 2 hours did the trick. Also the sauce took way less time to reduce than she said.

    • anya_sf on September 19, 2018

      My racks were larger (3 lbs each). They finished cooking on the grill instead of the broiler, over a low flame for about 30 minutes. They were very tender. However, I should have made more glaze and used more salt. I thought the miso would leave them salty enough, but no. And there was only enough reduced glaze for the tops, not the bottoms, so the flavor was lacking. I would definitely make these again, but with way more glaze. I didn't make the scallions.

    • Frenchfoodie on April 02, 2018

      Seriously good and nice change from bbq. Worth reducing the sauce a fair bit before the ribs come out as they give up lots of juice that can be added back in.

    • LPlume01845 on October 07, 2023

      I made these on a maple miso themed dinner. I really enjoyed them. Great for a crowd

    • stef on March 17, 2024

      These ribs came out fall of the bone. Roasted for 3 hrs. Under broiler about 7 minutes. Nice recipe to have when BBQ hasn't been open for the season. Will repeat.

    • kbrooks on May 22, 2024

      These are terrific. I baked the foil wrapped ribs meaty side down.Then,when done, put them meaty side up; raised the oven temperature to 450 degrees, brushed with the sauce and baked another 20 minutes or so, brushing with the sauce 2 more times.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      Maybe I'm alone in saying this, but I thought they were good, not great. I love miso, and the sauce tasted amazing on its own but somehow it didn't translate to amazing ribs for me. I appreciate the change from a more traditional bbq sauce, but I've made better oven-baked ribs with other recipes. My husband didn't want more than one helping, which was telling.

  • Bacony baked pintos with the works

    • Rutabaga on November 10, 2020

      These beans were really tasty. Perhaps the fact that I used dried beans recently purhased from the farmer's market helped. I used turkey bacon, but also a little real bacon fat for flavor. The homemade tortilla chips were nice, but you could also use store bought chips or tortillas. We added cheese because, well, we all like cheese! It made for a nice, fuss-free family meal.

    • VineTomato on September 10, 2022

      Enjoyable, although it's not my favourite flavour profile. Mr VT loved it! Used This Isn't vegan lardons in place of the bacon. It kept well in the freezer and we served it over baked potato this week which was divine - even more enjoyable than the first time round. I think this has sparked a jacket potato phase in our lives!

    • intrepidfox on July 26, 2022

      This was delicious. One of my favorite bean recipes so far. I made this for my boyfriend and we were both shocked that it didn't contain any meat.

    • lholtzman on October 31, 2023

      1. Used canned beans and bagged tortillas chips to cut down on time. 2. Made vegetarian because I don’t eat meat and my partner doesn’t like bacon. He did suggest adding ground beef. 3. The addition of shredded cheese was nice, but not necessary. 4. This was pretty spicy, which we liked; however, it was too spicy for my son. If feeding a spice averse person, omit the cayenne pepper. The chili powder is enough.

    • Lsblackburn1 on November 04, 2018

      Tasty but probably would up the liquid and cooking time. These were a bit too al dente for me.

  • Two thick, chewy oatmeal raisin chocolate chip mega-cookies

    • westminstr on November 14, 2018

      i actually made three cookies rather than two. and i omitted the raisins and just used chocolate chips. i think raisins would have been good though! really appreciated how quick and easy these were to make, and next time i will make everything even quicker and easier by using the whole egg. they did take an extra couple of minutes to bake as per usual with my oven.

    • Lmocooks on January 31, 2018

      Why would you only make two? Because sometimes you “need” a treat but you don’t need to eat an entire full batch! They’re crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle, perfect.

    • BeckyLeJ on January 11, 2018

      I have raved about these since making them, earning a somewhat flummoxed response questioning why I’d make two big cookies rather than a whole batch. Whatever! These were the perfect size and the perfect amount of sweet. I had everything on hand and they took very little effort, which was exactly the amount of effort I wanted to put into a dessert/snack. Plus, the cleanup was minimal!

    • Running_with_Wools on May 25, 2021

      What a fun recipe! Genius! I made these with my 9-year old and we had so much fun making just two cookies. Later that night, I made them with gluten free flour for my spouse. She loved being able to enjoy some chewy-gooey chocolate chip cookies as a midnight snack. The texture held up with the GF flour - they did not become too crisp. We will have these on heavy rotation.

    • mpo on February 14, 2021

      This was so easy, I couldn’t believe it! I used a half cup size measuring cup to scoop out, and that gave me two equal cookies.

    • anya_sf on January 23, 2022

      Perhaps not my favorite cookies, but close to instant gratification, so I could definitely see making these again. They were so huge, my son called them "cookie scones". With the large volume of mix-ins, they weren't as chewy/gooey as I like, but we weren't complaining.

    • Lepa on April 19, 2018

      My family was moaning with delight while eating these big, melty cookies. I felt like the oats were a bit too chewy but then I noticed that I had used "extra thick rolled oats". I guess this is a good reason to try again tomorrow with regular rolled oats(!) Having a recipe for two big cookies is brilliant and this just might transform me into the kind of mom who regularly bakes cookies after school.

    • Jviney on February 27, 2024

      As there are no raisin lovers at my house, I substituted King Arthur orange jammy bits for them. I thought the oats were a bit chewy but we ate them nonetheless and enjoyed them thoroughly.

    • averythingcooks on April 19, 2026

      What a great idea for a "last minute after dinner" cookie fix. I had everything measured out (replacing the raisins with butterscotch chips) & mixed the dough while T plated dinner. I baked for the full 17 minutes, they came out while we were eating (but stayed soft/chewy as they waited) & this is an idea worth repeating.

    • ljl1989 on February 13, 2026

      These are very good for what they are. Flavorwise, I thought they were good, not great (base is a little..bland? for me to make it a go-to recipe). But the method was so simple and they were perfect for a quick treat! We don't like raisins in cookies so just did some dark chocolate chips. Very tasty.

  • Double coconut meltaways

    • Rutabaga on November 13, 2018

      These have a nice coconut flavor and shortbread-like texture. Unfortunately, mine did not retain their round shape, but spread out on the pan. The thin edges were very delicate as a result, and crumbled away when I removed them from the pan. The result was pretty unattractive, even if they did taste good. My guess is they weren't cold enough when I put them in the oven, even though I did put them in the freezer for fifteen minutes first, slightly longer than Perelman suggests. They are very easy to make, so I'd like to tray again, and maybe freeze them for a full half hour prior to baking.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Perfection! Such an unexpected and great cookie. Made a few times and it's a huge hit every time.

    • Frenchfoodie on December 22, 2022

      These are a fantastic biscuit, great coconut flavour, one bowl mixing and beautiful texture. A few spread a bit, suggesting hotspots in my oven, so I’ll freeze for longer than the 15 I left them for today.

  • Olive oil shortbread with rosemary and chocolate chunks

    • Tatiana131 on March 23, 2018

      I used half grapeseed oil and half olive oil, and for me it was probably a good call. These are very adult cookies, with olive oil mingling with rosemary, chocolate and salt. The first bite was not amazing, but they really grew on me with each bite until I polished off too many. Sneaky shortbread.

    • kari500 on September 11, 2019

      I had to take a few bites to decide on this, and in the end, it is a no for us. A friend tried it and said "It's not bad, but it's not good either."

    • bernalgirl on October 13, 2020

      Easy, comes together quickly; variation: orange zest, 1 T OJ for olive oil, 1/4 c almond meal for a-p flour

    • caitmcg on May 24, 2018

      I liked the flavor of these, but I anticipated that because I've enjoyed an olive oil cake with rosemary and chocolate before. I used bittersweet chocolate in place of semisweet, and cut back the powdered sugar a smidge. The process of rolling the dough out and cutting it after baking makes it a simple recipe, but the freshly baked cookie is very fragile. I'll probably just add the extras to my usual shortbread recipe in future.

    • Lepa on February 01, 2022

      This dough was a bit crumbly so I wasn't sure it would stick together but it did- and the resulting shortbread were good. This is a great recipe when you want to make cookies but don't have much time.

    • lourdesj on May 19, 2026

      Very crumbly, hard to keep in individual pieces. I like the addition of rosemary for a change.

    • tmitra on December 21, 2023

      I'm not sure how I feel about these. I like the flavors well enough, and the recipe works, but I can't see myself craving them. I doubt I'll repeat them.

    • lholtzman on August 17, 2024

      These are very good, but the rosemary flavor is strong. They are very easy and I could see these being dessert or served with cheese. They’re sweet, but also slightly savory with the grassy olive oil and rosemary. They’re also kind of addictive. I used bittersweet chocolate (60%) and didn’t do the egg wash (mostly due to laziness).

  • Pretzel Linzers with salted caramel

    • Zosia on November 04, 2017

      Fabulous cookies with a shortbread-like cookie and wonderful balance of sweet and salt. My dough didn't come together in the food processor and required quite a bit of kneading on a pastry board before it finally did. It was tricky to roll out since it was still a little crumbly, probably because my pretzels weren't completely powdery, and re-rolling scraps didn't work at all. I did get 25 sandwiches (50 cookies) from the first rolling (and the leftover dough is in the freezer to be baked off as a crumb topping for something).

    • hirsheys on December 29, 2019

      Lizzy made these - the dough was a bit fiddly, but they are extremely tasty and a nice combination of salty and sweet. Also, VERY attractive with the shiny caramel. ETA: Next time, make them smaller and perhaps don't cut out middles - won't be as pretty, but will be easier to make. Smaller size better because these are very sweet and rich.

    • Rutabaga on December 20, 2017

      These are addictively delicious! I love the salty and sweet combination. I did have some minor issues with the dough, however. I used the weight measurements to determine how many pretzels to use, but after grinding the pretzels in my Vitamix, I didn't have enough pretzel dust to meet the 1 1/2 cups Deb says you should have (or 3 cups in my case, as I was doubling the recipe - I was a full cup short!). I added more pretzels accordingly, but then the dough was too dry, so I also added an extra egg and four tablespoons of butter. That did the trick. I also had difficulty rolling the dough out as thinly as recommended, but the thicker cookies still turned out well, they just had to bake a couple of extra minutes. They're pretty messy to put together, but when they taste this good, no one seems to mind. But since they are a little more involved than many cookie recipes, they're something I'll probably only make once or twice a year.

    • dbuhler on March 05, 2026

      All the comments here were so very helpful! I also just weighed my pretzels and ground them and then continued to fill the processor with the rest of the ingredients. With rolling out the dough to 1/8" thickness, and with re rolling the scraps, I had enough dough to make 44 sandwich cookies (was I only supposed to re roll once?), but only enough caramel for 36 sandwiches. For me, that was too thin and the cookie to caramel ratio was off, so if I make these again I will roll my dough to 1/6" thick or thicker to get a ratio that suits my taste. Even though I wasn't wild about these, the rest of my family loved them.

    • Kinhawaii on January 20, 2021

      I am so glad for all of the helpful comments- so measured the pretzel weight directly in the food processor bowl, ground it well, used an extra large egg, mixed it all well. Pressed out a rectangle after smearing it a bit, than rolled it as thin as I had the space for, which wasn’t quite 1/8 inch, cut out the cookies then froze them while the oven heated. My dough was easy to roll & not dry- maybe because the butter was cool but not melted? I only have round cutters so did a less pretty sandwich & it took longer to cook. An absolutely delicious cookie! My caramel was pretty stiff by the time I sandwiched the last cookie but oozed slightly later & keeps its shape better stored in my refrigerator instead of my warm kitchen.

    • taste24 on December 14, 2020

      These cookies are outstanding, but I had a lot of trouble rolling out the dough. I took hirshey's advice and did not cut out a hole in the cookie tops.. that seemed to work out well when putting together.

  • Wintry apple bake with double ginger crumble

    • hirsheys on October 30, 2017

      Made this last night for dessert - it was yummy and a nice alternative to other crumbles/crisps. I cut the apples thin so they'd be soft enough (I like them on the mushier side). The ginger taste is relatively subtle, but definitely apparent. A higher ratio of fruit would also work - I used 4 apples (she called for 3), but I think up to 6 would work, for a much larger dessert.

    • southerncooker on February 21, 2018

      I agree with others could use more apples in the pan size. I did add one more apple and would have been even better with more. I also used Granny Smith.

    • Lmocooks on January 27, 2018

      Definitely add another apple or two. I used Granny Smith apples. The only member of my house that didn’t find it that awesome was my 21 month old.

    • bwhip on January 24, 2018

      The crumble turned out crispy and tasty, but I thought that the ratio of fruit to topping was off. The apple quantity could have been doubled - that's the way I'll do it next time.

    • Lepa on February 12, 2020

      I used five large apples instead of three and that seemed about right. We ate this with whipped cream and it was very good, especially the ginger flavor, but it's still not my favorite apple crisp.

    • thefritschkitchen on March 12, 2025

      Agreed with all the others - up your apple content. But, otherwise, this is fantastic. I made it for my husband's birthday and served with vanilla ice cream. It was dreamy (also, what I snuck for breakfast the next morning was amazing as well!)

    • kbrooks on January 11, 2025

      This is a delicious crumble! I used 5 apples after reading the previous comments and that was perfect. The zing of ginger in the crumble topping takes it to a new level.

    • Jhein12 on May 07, 2026

      Yummmm

  • Caramelized plum tartlets

    • westminstr on November 20, 2019

      I used apples and pears; the apple ones were more successful. I don't know whether to blame this on my slow oven, the switch-up of fruit, or what, but it took much longer to bake than the directions stated: 30 minutes to reach the "golden" stage and then another 15-20 for the glaze to bronze and thicken. But when finally done they were delicious! Used Dufour's all-butter puff pastry.

    • Lsblackburn1 on July 25, 2022

      These were lovely and relatively simple to make. My plums were pretty small so I used about 10 and just piled the fruit on - end result still pretty!

  • Bake sale winning-est gooey oat bars

    • westminstr on October 16, 2018

      Made these bars for a scouts potluck using semi-sweet chocolate chips (and no nuts or fruit). They were extremely good (though sweet!) and went fast. I loved them. I baked the crust for 20 minutes. It was fully baked but on the pale side - in retrospect I think I could have baked it a little more.

    • mlbatt on May 24, 2022

      always a favorite!

    • mlbatt on May 24, 2022

      I began baking these for a last-minute party 2 hours in advance. My butter was still frozen. Not a problem because the crust used cold butter and the filling used melted butter. I preheated my toaster oven while I whizzed up the mostly frozen butter chunks with flour and sugar for the crust. The instructions said to keep it running until the mixture formed large clumps. Easy! Spread it into a prepared pan and into the toaster oven. While that baked, I made the brown butter, and mixed in the rest of the ingredients. Another 15 minutes or so in the oven and it was done. I felt like a contestant on the Great British Baking Show trying to get the pan to cool off enough to cut into bars. First I fanned it with a cookie sheet... then stuck it in the freezer to cool. The bottom was still quite warm, so I put it on top of a couple of freezer packs and finally was able to get the bars cut, sugared and onto a serving plate just in time for the party. Big big hit!

    • Rutabaga on February 20, 2018

      My boys loved these bars. The six-year-old even said they were the best bars he'd ever had. I did have some trouble with the baking process, however. After removing the finished bars from the oven and letting them cool, I discovered that the crust was completely underbaked. Even though it seemed quite pale after 20 minutes of pre-baking, I figured it was probably done enough and continued on. In retrospect, I should probably have baked it at least ten more minutes. I'm not sure if this is because I was using a Pyrex pan, or what the issue was, but I ended up putting the cooled cookie bars back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. The crust was still pale and soft, but at least it held together, and the oats miraculously weren't overdone. Next time, however, I will make sure the crust is baked through before adding the topping. As a final note, I used a little less than 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, and they were extremely chocolatey (not that that's a bad thing).

    • JessElisabeth on February 27, 2026

      Delicious! Made with white chocolate and dried apricots, great combo

    • Beth891 on August 16, 2024

      I made 2/3rd quantities so it would fit my 20cm square pan. I used a mix of chopped nuts (almond/peanut/walnut) cranberries, currants and dark chocolate chips and reduced the sugar a little (125g total for the topping and my 2/3rd amount) The base needed an extra 5mins to get golden and the topping needed 20 mins. Really tasty although the base is still a little soft- if I made them again I might try them with a short crust or shortbread base. Reducing the sugar a little worked great though as they are sweet but not overly. 2/3rd quantities made 18 nicely sized bars. Definitely one to make again with some little tweaks.

    • anniecc on October 31, 2024

      We thought these were amazing. I used dark chocolate chips and dried apricots.

    • Pandan on May 09, 2024

      These were quite nice, I wasn’t totally crazy about them, but I got asked for the recipe after serving it. I used a mixture of bounty bars and dark chocolate. The bars were a perfect way to get rid of the bounty bars that no one on my household wanted to eat. Easy recipe to prepare in advance

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      Not my usual type of dessert and came together easier than I thought. Such a delicious treat. Great name. Great sweet treat!

    • Lmocooks on February 25, 2018

      I made these with a mix of chocolate chips, white chips and toffee bits. The crust took longer in the food pro than written in the instructions but turned into a nice dough ball with some time. I took these to book club and they were a massive hit. “Oh my gosh, who made these? They’re amazing!” Said by several people. I’ll definitely make these again.

    • Frogcake on December 15, 2017

      We loved these bars! I used equal amounts of dried cherries, butterscotch and chocolate chips. Also threw in about three tablespoons of brown flax seeds. These are a huge improvement in taste and nutrition over the magic bars I used to make.

    • Lepa on December 02, 2017

      These are pretty good. I especially like the shortbread- like crust. I made it with one cup of chocolate chips and half a cup of dried cherries. It's sweet but a nice mixture.

  • Sour cream coffee cake (Smeteneh küchen)

    • Rutabaga on February 09, 2019

      My husband really loved this coffee cake. My reaction is more measured; it's good, but I feel like it's missing something. Maybe berries, nuts, or even just a little lemon juice. Or, for something more decadent, a drizzle of burnt caramel. As is, it's very mild, almost to the point of being bland. The cake is soft and light, and the crumb topping is good, but it needs a little something extra to really make it shine. Also, you really have to plan in advance, as it takes at least two and half hours to produce, including rising and baking times.

  • Banana bread rolls

    • Zosia on August 28, 2018

      It may taste like banana bread, but the texture is that of a very moist, airy sponge cake. The cream cheese filling is lightly sweetened and tangy, a great pairing with the banana cake. This was surprisingly easy to make and quite delicious.

    • PiaOC on January 21, 2018

      I had never attempted a rolled cake but this cake, I made several times over the holiday season with great success. Quick to prepare and to cook, easy to assemble and perfect to put together in the morning for evening event. Converts beautifully for a gluten free treat too. Delicious.

    • Toomanybooks88 on February 04, 2018

      Easy and tasted great

  • Marzipan petit four cake

    • hirsheys on May 12, 2018

      This is a sort of fiddly cake that is basically a jumbo-size Italian rainbow cookie - just like the ones you can get in bakeries in NYC. The base cake is made with almond paste, and Deb recommends using either a food processor or a mixer to make the batter. I used the latter, so that I could whip air into the butter, but I'm not sure it matters all that much. (I folded the flour in by hand so that I didn't overmix). There's one confusing sentence about flipping the cake over and putting it back in the pan that I had to puzzle over with my sister - we realized that it's a typo and that it should read that you flip the used parchment over...) ended up with a little excess ganache I didn't use, but next time I'd just make sure to paint it on thicker - I'm not sure these can have too much chocolate! My favorite aspect of this cake is that it improved with age. A showstopper and it's delicious. Worth doing again.

    • Lsblackburn1 on December 17, 2021

      Very delicious but quite a process to make (but I’m not a frequent baker!). Mine was not very beautiful- cakes were too rounded which meant they sloped up when cut in half. And, of course, my ganache was messy. But yum - everyone loved it.

  • Coconut cake

    • yaxattax on February 04, 2023

      Not much of a coconut flavor- maybe try subbing half coconut oil for butter or find another recipe. I like the texture with dried coconut in there. Needs to be room temp!

    • dana_ku6cap on May 12, 2026

      This was delicious! Used a 9” square pan and baked for 20 min.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This made a tasty coconut cake. It's more on the dense side rather than fluffy but the coconut flavor was nice, and it was the right level of sweetness for a frosting. Paired with the coconut frosting, it was a crowdpleaser.

  • Fudgy chocolate cake

    • shoffmann on December 09, 2018

      Solid chocolate cake recipe, but nothing overly special. Followed the recipe as written for a single 9" round cake. This was small enough I think I'd go ahead and double for two layers if I ever repeat or try with the other types of cake.

    • Rutabaga on January 01, 2019

      For such an easy cake, this one has great flavor and texture. I doubled the batch and made cupcakes (it only made 20 cupcakes), and they were very moist and full of chocolate flavor. The batter was also easy to work with.

  • Golden vanilla cake

    • Rutabaga on January 01, 2019

      This recipe didn't turn out as well as the chocolate one did for me. Perhaps I baked the cupcakes just a minute too long, as they were not quite as moist as I'd prefer. They were still good, and this is a good one-bowl cake recipe, so I would try it again and be a little more cautious when mixing and baking.

    • stef on May 12, 2018

      Took my cake about 10 minutes longer to turn golden. I used vanilla yogurt instead of buttermilk. It was nice and moisted, iced with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. Will repeat when I need something fast and it used 1 bowl only.

    • westminstr on April 30, 2018

      I used this recipe to make a dozen cupcakes (with the chocolate buttercream frosting also from this book). They turned out great! Basically exactly what you would want yellow cake w chocolate frosting to be. Baked for 18 minutes in my slow oven.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      I agree with everything mamacrumbcake said. It's got a dense, coarse crumb instead of the soft fluffy yellow cakes you'd expect to get from a good bakery. It's easy to throw together and serves as a good vehicle for frosting but there are definitely better yellow cake recipes out there.

    • Jviney on October 03, 2019

      Poor planning - I found myself looking for a cake recipe for my three-year-old’s birthday cake at 1:30 on the day of. This was perfect. Simple, easy, lovely vanilla flavor, paired it with cream cheese frosting and he decorated it with sprinkles himself.

    • mamacrumbcake on April 26, 2020

      This would be a good cake for someone who needs something easy and is not extremely particular about taste/texture. This was an easy cake to make, but I thought it was just average. The crumb was fairly coarse and a bit heavy, instead of fine grained, soft, and tender. Though it had, what seems like the appropriate amount of butter and vanilla for a cake of this type, the flavor was a bit flat.

  • Chocolate buttercream frosting

    • westminstr on April 30, 2018

      I think this is the first time I ever made buttercream frosting. I don't usually like frosting (often scrape it off my cake) but found this one to be delicious. I have half the batch leftover for more cupcakes.

    • Rutabaga on January 01, 2019

      This is a very good easy chocolate frosting. I think the use of melted chocolate lends it a more pleasing texture than using cocoa powder. I like the fact that the frosting recipes make just the right amount for the cake recipes, and can easily be multiplied as needed.

    • anya_sf on August 17, 2021

      Easy to make in the stand mixer. The cream was cold from the fridge so bits of chocolate ended up hardening and creating flecks in the frosting (my fault), although we couldn't taste them. Easy to spread, more than enough for one 9" layer, but we used it all anyway and it wasn't too rich or overwhelming - nice, medium chocolate flavor.

    • Nkrieda78 on March 01, 2020

      This frosting is fantastic! It went perfectly with the Devil’s Food Layer Cake from Bravetart.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This is my husband's favorite frosting of all time. When I make it, I have to swat him away or else he tries to eat the whole bowl. It's really amazing how chocolatey it tastes and how the sweet/salty balance is just perfect.

  • Vanilla buttercream frosting

    • Rutabaga on January 01, 2019

      Nice - this is just what you want from a simple vanilla buttercream. I particularly like it atop chocolate cupcakes.

    • stef on June 18, 2019

      Nice icing. I added raspberry flavoring. Not enough icing for my need had to make another batch.

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This is a very good vanilla frosting recipe with just the right level of sweetness for me. I don't normally like American buttercream but I do enjoy this.

  • Herb and garlic baked Camembert

    • Rutabaga on January 21, 2018

      I thought this would be great to try with a couple small wheels of French goat cheese I came across. At 3.6 ounces each, these cheese were on the small side, so I checked on them after 10 minutes in the oven. The cheese had thoroughly melted and oozed out of the wood basket into a puddle on the sheet pan. Oops! Fortunately, it wasn't scorched, so I scooped it into a bowl for serving. Not the prettiest presentation, but it still tasted good. In this case, I think the cheese, particular the rind, was too soft for this treatment. It would be good to try again with actual Camembert.

    • anniecc on December 24, 2023

      Good, but we found the garlic flavour a bit strong. Next time I would use less and crush it into the oil rather than cut it in slices.

    • BeckyLeJ on January 11, 2018

      This is going to be a go to party snacketizer from now on! I used Brie (because that’s what I had) but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was yummy and garlicky and gooey - so good!

  • Crushed olives with almonds, celery, and Parmesan

    • Rutabaga on January 01, 2019

      This is very tasty and easy. The celery helps keep it fresh. I served it at a party where it didn't get all eaten, probably because it was part of a large spread and people were more interested in the hot chicken leek dip.

    • BeckyLeJ on January 11, 2018

      This was super easy and tasty. In fact, my husband (who hates olives) ate it and liked it! We served it as part of a tapas like dinner - I was especially drawn to it because I had everything on hand. Will definitely make again!

  • Garden gin and tonic with cucumber, lime, and mint

    • Jane on July 29, 2018

      I've recently started using cucumber slices in G&Ts since getting into Hendrick's gin. This is a lovely extension of that - the combination of mint, cucumber and lime is very summery and refreshing.

    • caitmcg on May 24, 2018

      This is a delicious and refreshing gin and tonic, and one I'll keep making through the warm months. I didn't assemble it in quite the order written, adding the gin to the muddled cucumber and mint and returning to add the ice, tonic, and lime around 10 minutes later, and this small break allowed the fresh flavors to infuse the gin to good effect, so I'll repeat it.

  • Pomegranate and orange peel fizz

    • Zosia on November 23, 2017

      Refreshing and very festive. I started with 2/3 the recommended amount of syrup per serving (I thought it was very sweet with the full amount) with the extra on offer but there were no requests for more. Though the orange flavour was reduced, it was still noticeable.

    • lholtzman on October 21, 2025

      This was a good mocktail recipe for a fall dinner party. Easy to batch the recipe for multiple people.

    • Jviney on July 19, 2025

      Big hit as a mocktail, even in the middle of summer.

  • Cucumber yogurt gazpacho with mint, almonds, and grapes

    • Suitsme on August 03, 2023

      The only cucumber soup I will make. Perfect balance between cucumbers, dairy, and acid.

    • Twysbeek on September 02, 2021

      Delicious, chop everything up and toss in the blender. Great to make on a Sunday night to have a cool refreshing dinner Monday.

  • A very simple pizza dough

    • averythingcooks on April 20, 2020

      This was very simple but the end result did not have the texture or flavour of my usual traditional yeast dough (which does not take much time to make at all). I always wonder why some recipes don't include any sugar/honey to get even instant yeast started and the room temp water surprised me. After 3 hours I guess it was "maybe double" in size (and we were basically out of time). The "1 minute knead around the bowl" step clearly does not give you a smooth looking dough. It did roll out (needed the rolling pin) for calzones and baked up crispy so perhaps I'm missing the point that what I got WAS the expected result.

  • Winter squash flatbread with hummus and za'atar

    • snackbaby on November 25, 2023

      do not make without a mandoline! although, despite those efforts, still very good with a salad on the side. I may like it a little more with spiced yoghurt instead of humus.

  • Fried green plantains with avocado black bean salsa

    • Jhein12 on March 25, 2026

      I regularly make the salad part of this dish

  • Grilled squid with chickpeas, chiles, and lemon

    • Wrluedke on January 01, 2020

      Made as directed. Was even better cold for lunch the next day!

    • Wrluedke on December 15, 2019

      This is a quick, light & easy to make recipe. Great with a halloumi, cucumber & tomato salad. May have been even better the day after eating cold for lunch.

    • mpo on August 09, 2021

      I made this with Smitten Kitchen’s halloumi roast with eggplant and zucchini, and no chickpeas because of the cheese salad. Used half shrimp too. Fun flavors to work with.

  • Strawberry cloud cookies

    • danlaik on June 16, 2023

      These were good but we had a hard time telling if they were done or not. They seemed golden brown but still a little raw on the inside. Oh well.

    • Peachpit23 on February 15, 2018

      I really enjoyed the flavor of these cookies, but had issues with baking them. When I checked them at 30 minutes, they were browned on the top, but still raw in the middle. I didn't want them to bake longer, since they were already too browned. If you make these, definitely make the very small (perhaps mine were too big, which is why they didn't cook through) and check them after about 15 minutes or so.

    • Lmocooks on February 01, 2018

      Easily one of the most expensive cookies I’ve ever made. The freeze dried strawberries totaled $5!!! And then it only made 13 cookies. Cooked for the lowest time listed, mine were overcooked. They are tasty, and would definitely be more so had I not overcooked them, but not worth the price tag for the ingredients.

  • Apricot pistachio squares

    • Lsblackburn1 on June 27, 2020

      Delicious - just as nice as you’d find in a patisserie! And they were pretty easy to make too. Next time I’d try to stuff in more apricot slices on the top.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      An unexpected delight. It was so delicious. Would make it again in a heartbeat. Also went over well with friends.

    • kbrooks on January 11, 2025

      Oh my delicious! Made it exactly as written. Made me wish fresh apricots didn't have such a short season.

    • ndiane on September 18, 2025

      Made it with figs like the original recipe she mentioned since that is what I had. Sliced the figs into thirds and laid on top. Delicious. Will make it again.

  • Marble bundt cake

    • Lepa on February 11, 2018

      This is a really good version of the genre but it's still not my favorite kind of cake. If this kind of cake is your thing, you will probably love it.

    • bwhip on October 29, 2017

      Best marble cake ever! Perfect crumb, great flavor. Love this one.

    • leilx on February 02, 2020

      This is very good and the ganache helps it but not my favorite.

    • sofull on November 16, 2020

      I did not expect this cake to be as good as it was. The chocolate part was good in and of itself. One of my favorite cakes. And was a big hit with the family (who aren't so into sweets) and friends.

    • thefritschkitchen on January 25, 2026

      This is a great version of a marble Bundt cake. Bitter and flour liberally, also I can never eyeball half, so next time I will weigh and divide

  • Chocolate peanut butter icebox cake

    • Jviney on September 22, 2019

      This cake was way less work to bake and assemble than I expected. It was already in process when I saw the note than I should bake it a day ahead of serving it, and I had planned it for guests that evening, so into the fridge it went and it cut and served well. Everyone loved it.

    • dbuhler on May 13, 2026

      This was just okay for us. I used her instructions to use about a half cup of whipped cream between each layer, and that resulted in no whipped cream left over for the top, so I had to make a smaller batch of plain whipped cream. I don't think the peanut butter flavor is very pronounced and it got lost between the dark chocolate cookies. I love the idea of this icebox cake, but the flavor just wasn't there for me.

  • Coconut buttercream frosting

    • snoozermoose on December 07, 2021

      This was heavenly. My friend described it as tasting just like her grandmother's coconut cream pie but in frosting form. It's a bit looser than the other frostings in the book but I almost like it that way? It spreads easily and melts quickly on your tongue from the coconut oil.

  • Lemon meringue pie smash

    • Lmocooks on February 05, 2018

      Messy, tart, crunchy, sweet, creamy. So darn good. The only thing I changed was to add a tiny bit of sugar to the whipping cream. DeB tries to convince you to not add it, but I think it benefitted from it. That change is the only reason I didn’t give this a full 5/5 stars.

  • Peach Melba popsicles

    • gamulholland on August 09, 2025

      This is a very messy recipe to make— and not just because my sous chefs were two 12-year-old boys. :) But they are DELICIOUS. I mean, peach melba popsicles— what’s not to love? I had 3 peaches and that definitely makes a big double batch— we’re going to use the remaining raspberry and peach puree with some additional vanilla ice cream to make some no-churn ice cream in a loaf pan.

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Reviews about this book

  • Everyday Annie

    ...I am not a fan of the page layout. I prefer the ingredient list and recipe instructions on the same page or at least the same flat...it has something for everyone and...every occasion.

    Full review
  • Food52

    These recipes are unfussy and are meant to bring the joy back into cooking for busy families. But make no mistake...unfussy does not mean dumbed down.

    Full review
  • Food52

    Picked for Food52's March 2018 Cookbook Club.

    Full review
  • Eat Your Books by Jenny Hartin

    The wait was worth it - Deb Perelman's second cookbook is just as lovely if not better than her debut offering.

    Full review
  • The Candid Appetite

    ...is beautiful, well written, and so inspiring. If you’re a fan of Deb and her blog as well, then you need this book.

    Full review
  • Eat the Love

    Her first cookbook...ended up being one of my favorites, with a few go-to recipes that I adore. Her follow up...is packed with even more recipes that I know will become favorites.

    Full review
  • Ms Marmite Lover

    The recipes are very much those of a busy mother of young children...I've cooked similar dishes, but everything works perfectly, which is more than you can say for most cookbooks.

    Full review
  • Smitten Kitchen

    Author announces her new book and suggests recipes to to try.

    Full review
  • Joy the Baker

    Deb is the most approachable, and her recipes are so well thought and tested. She’s just the best and I can’t wait to make all the cake in this book.

    Full review
  • Smitten Kitchen

    Preview and recipe from the book.

    Full review
  • ISBN 10 1101874821
  • ISBN 13 9781101874820
  • Published Oct 23 2017
  • Format eBook
  • Page Count 316
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Knopf

Publishers Text

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the best-selling author of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook—this everyday cookbook is “filled with fun and easy ... recipes that will have you actually looking forward to hitting the kitchen at the end of a long work day” (Bustle).

A happy discovery in the kitchen has the ability to completely change the course of your day. Whether we’re cooking for ourselves, for a date night in, for a Sunday supper with friends, or for family on a busy weeknight, we all want recipes that are unfussy to make with triumphant results.

Deb Perelman, award-winning blogger, thinks that cooking should be an escape from drudgery. Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites presents more than one hundred impossible-to-resist recipes—almost all of them brand-new, plus a few favorites from her website—that will make you want to stop what you’re doing right now and cook. These are real recipes for real people—people with busy lives who don’t want to sacrifice flavor or quality to eat meals they’re really excited about.

You’ll want to put these recipes in your Forever Files: Sticky Toffee Waffles (sticky toffee pudding you can eat for breakfast), Everything Drop Biscuits with Cream Cheese, and Magical Two-Ingredient Oat Brittle (a happy accident). There’s a (hopelessly, unapologetically inauthentic) Kale Caesar with Broken Eggs and Crushed Croutons, a Mango Apple Ceviche with Sunflower Seeds, and a Grandma-Style Chicken Noodle Soup that fixes everything. You can make Leek, Feta, and Greens Spiral Pie, crunchy Brussels and Three Cheese Pasta Bake that tastes better with brussels sprouts than without, Beefsteak Skirt Steak Salad, and Bacony Baked Pintos with the Works (as in, giant bowls of beans that you can dip into like nachos).

And, of course, no meal is complete without cake (and cookies and pies and puddings): Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake (the icebox cake to end all icebox cakes), Pretzel Linzers with Salted Caramel, Strawberry Cloud Cookies, Bake Sale Winning-est Gooey Oat Bars, as well as the ultimate Party Cake Builder—four one-bowl cakes for all occasions with mix-and-match frostings (bonus: less time spent doing dishes means everybody wins).

Written with Deb’s trademark humor and gorgeously illustrated with her own photographs, Smitten Kitchen Every Day is filled with what are sure to be your new favorite things to cook.



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