• Lnbrittain on June 10, 2024

  So far, I’m liking the quantities made of recipes. They are big enough for two with some extra for lunch tomorrow or large servings. The recipes are basic and well-written. I’ll be using a heavier hand with spices and seasonings than the recipes call for.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Refried beans

  • Foodiewife on January 17, 2016

    I prefer to grate the onion, instead of chopping it. I don't like the texture of onion with my refried beans. Not a bad recipe, but not like authentic Mexican restaurant style.

• Beef and barley soup

  • jbuchman on October 29, 2025

    If blade steak is not available, sirloin tips work really well.

• Potato and leek soup with kielbasa

  • Liz_Young on October 04, 2022

    This is out-of-this-world delicious! I used cajun sausage and golden potatoes; worked out great!

• Tortellini Florentine soup

  • Sbilinski on August 30, 2021

    Very good and easy weeknight dinner.

• Creamy butternut squash soup

  • LEKcookbooks on December 07, 2020

    simple and excellent!

• Weeknight beef stew

  • lekan_jlebaa on May 06, 2026

    I picked the wrong meat. I got stew meat instead of steak tips

• Brazilian-style pork and black bean stew

  • Nancith on July 27, 2017

    Rave reviews from my meat-eaters! Husband described a savory-rich flavor with enough heat to keep him happy (it did have an enticing aroma). I did not have a tomato or linguiça sausage, but I added a bit of tomato puree for the flavor, & threw in some diced carrot & corn to fill it out a bit. Fairly quick & easy to prepare, and different way to utilize country-style pork ribs.

  • chawkins on August 22, 2021

    Very flavorful stew. Could not find linguica in the store, substituted with kielbasa. Instead of canned black beans, I used dried beans, cooked in the instant pot for 24 minutes.

• Chicken tagine

  • Ishie1013 on March 09, 2023

    Very nice recipe. I did use boneless skinless thighs rather than breasts and doubled the quantity of the chicken so I'd have lunches. I feel like a single 8 oz chicken breast the recipe calls for might not be quite enough to balance out the other flavors, but as I did it, it tasted great and came together quickly. Served it over long-grain rice.

• Fish stew with chorizo and fennel

  • Rinshin on August 12, 2021

    Really liked the richness and background smokiness the addition of chorizo adds to this soup. Used fresh garden tomatoes and homemade crab and shrimp shell stock. Needed more cooking time to develop full flavor and added small amount of saffron and Aleppo pepper to boost flavor. Used Pacific cod and rockfish, but cod was a total miss with bland taste and spongy texture. Rockfish by comparison was great for this soup. I would recommend either rockfish or flounder/sole for their softer texture and sweeter flavor profile.

  • dc151 on February 24, 2022

    This was an easy weeknight meal. Cod is not my favorite, but the broth was so flavorful, it really went well together. I could see using other seafood in this dish. I've had to rethink my cooking since recently becoming an empty-nester, this is a meal I wouldn't have made for the whole family, but the two of us enjoyed it. Great with crusty bread as recommended.

• Thai-style red curry with shrimp, bell pepper, and snap peas

  • chawkins on July 10, 2022

    Delicious, simple, easy and quick dinner. Not at all spicy, the coconut milk tamed the curry well. I used sugar snap peas and Thai basil from the garden.

• Thai-style red curry with shrimp, asparagus, and carrots

  • mharriman on January 16, 2018

    My husband loves the ingredients in this recipe and so do I. He thought tonight’s version needed more coconut milk but I thought the amount was perfect ( I used 3/4cup as usual). I’ve adapted the recipe to look a bit more like an old Weight Watchers recipe I have: I sauté the shrimp first and plate it. I substitute orange bell pepper for the carrots, I use light coconut milk, and I skip adding cornstarch ( the sauce doesn’t really need thickening). I serve it on a bed of white rice. I don’t find that the basil adds anything to the flavor- the red curry paste and coconut milk are the main flavors and don’t need any help. If I prep everything ahead of cooking, like tonight, it serves up pretty quickly. Very tasty!

• Texas chili

  • sabriya_3imrx9 on March 31, 2026

    It tastes great and once everything is chopped/blended it’s a nice hands-off recipe. The chipotle and adobo suace adds a really nice heat and flavor without overpowering the dish. Also, I ended up adding cornmeal and flour to the canned tomatoes because I didn’t have any tortillas or tortilla chips and it seems to still have worked out

• Turkey chili

  • hourlongshower on October 17, 2016

    Love this! The spicing is perfect and I appreciate the flexibility to use whatever beans are on hand. I also enjoy throwing in whatever veggies need to be used up like the last few leaves of kale and half a large sweet potato. Great with cornbread or over spaghetti, Cincinnati style.

• White chicken chili

  • MeganGarcia on September 23, 2017

    This was delicious and so easy to make. I used a chicken breast that I'd already roasted, adding in the pieces in the last 5 minutes of simmering. I had it with avocado, sour cream, and shredded cheese on top. The hominy makes this taste so much better than white chicken chili recipes that call for beans, and I did add extra hominy.

• Wilted spinach salad with radishes, feta, and pistachios

  • Lnbrittain on June 10, 2024

    Easy to overcook the spinach. It doesn’t need long. I liked everything about this dish but felt it needed a little more zest—spices, salt, pickled onion—I’m not sure. Will make again.

• Cucumber salad with ginger, sesame, and scallions

  • djnielsen64 on February 01, 2024

    Simple and refreshing.

• Cherry tomato salad with basil and fresh mozzarella

  • djnielsen64 on January 13, 2024

    Yummy! I got this book to try to start actually cooking for 2 instead of a household of 6 like it was for so many years lol. This is the first recipe I’ve made and it was the perfect size for 2.

• Fennel, apple, and chicken chopped salad

  • mharriman on August 23, 2018

    Just okay. Recommended if you’re watching your weight. I made the salad using leftover breast meat from roasted chicken (Thomas Keller recipe) for a quick dinner after a long day. It was indeed light as tagged. Not all that exciting. My husband and I thought it might have been enhanced with fresh tarragon instead of the dried I used. Fresh tarragon won’t grow in northern Virginia and has been absent all summer from any local grocer I’ve tried. Note: Photo in cookbook prominently shows celery in salad. Celery is not a listed ingredient for this recipe in my cookbook!

• Poached shrimp salad with avocado and grapefruit

  • mharriman on July 24, 2023

    Directions were easy to follow, and the salad didn't take more than 30 minutes to make from prep to serving bowls. I cut my grapefruit segments a little differently than the instructions, though. Sometimes ATK makes prep work more involved than it needs to be for simple tasks. Bottom line: We liked the refreshing citrus flavors. This is a good summer meal for lunch or dinner. I served it with a fresh pea soup and baguette.

• Classic potato salad

  • khopkins1012 on July 08, 2020

    Tastes good with Dill relish as well as sweet

  • chawkins on April 06, 2021

    Very good but it was a little bit much for two people. We have leftovers even though my husband loves potatoes in all forms. I skipped the vinegar because my husband is averse to it.

  • BrendaD1962 on April 01, 2022

    Very good. This is our favourite potato salad.

• Lamb pita sandwiches with tzatziki

  • TaffyDeb on May 21, 2017

    We enjoy this meal-it takes us back to our years in Turkey. We don't use store bought pita but make a flat bread ahead of time.

• Basic pizza dough

  • chawkins on April 08, 2022

    All done in the food processor. I used the dough for the calzone in the same book and it was great, very crispy on the outside.

• Easy skillet pizza with ricotta, bacon, and scallions

  • chawkins on March 21, 2016

    My biggest skillet is 12" on top, but with an 81/2" base, so I had to use a 10" square cast iron skillet. Area-wise, that work out very well, but unfortunately, I did not preheat the oven early enough, after the prescribed time on top of the stove, I had to wait for the oven to come up to temp, as a result, the bottom of the pizza was somewhat burnt. Other than the burnt, we like the pizza, it will be made again.

• Sausage and broccoli rabe calzone

  • chawkins on April 08, 2022

    Great recipe, perfect dough and filling ratio. The crust is crispy and not doughy. I have made the same recipe from Cooks Illustrated that was regular size and made 6 individual calzones. This is relatively a lot easier. The dough here is made in the food processor whereas the regular size recipe uses the stand mixer, the sausage and broccoli rabe is cooked in the microwave here versus the skillet in the regular size recipe. I had problem closing the individual calzones but not here. Such a pleasure to make and eat.

• Chicken saltimbocca

  • chawkins on January 01, 2015

    Very easy and very flavorful. I used lime juice instead of lemon because I was making a salad dressing with lime juice so I just reserved on teaspoon for the chicken.

• Sautéed chicken breasts with white wine and herb pan sauce

  • chawkins on March 25, 2019

    This is a quick and delicious dish with simple pantry ingredients. I used vermouth which is suggested as an alternative to the dry white wine.

• Sautéed chicken breasts with oranges and feta

  • chawkins on March 14, 2016

    Simple, quick and healthy dish for a week night dinner. The fennel seed added interest to the orange relish. Most time consuming part of the dish was prepping the oranges.

  • mharriman on June 08, 2018

    My husband really liked this dish. Me- not so much. It IS healthy, light, and quick as described, but I thought the flavor combination —freshly sliced oranges, one minced garlic clove, and fennel seeds— topped with a sprinkling of feta, was surprisingly ho hum. Served with tabouleh.

• Chicken Marsala

  • chawkins on February 06, 2015

    It was good, nothing exceptional, I doubled up on the mushroom because my carton of mushrooms need to be used up.

• Crispy chicken breasts

  • Nancith on April 11, 2017

    A big hit with husband--brown & crispy outside, juicy inside. Quick and simple. I probably should have pounded the pieces as suggested, but didn't & they still turned out well.

• Chicken Parmesan

  • chawkins on October 28, 2014

    Very nice crisp crust on the chicken. My chicken breasts were huge, I had to finish cooking them in the oven to reach the correct internal temperature, I should have pounded them thin so make for quicker cooking. No fontina, so used comte instead. Also, basil in the garden is long gone, so used dried basil in the sauce made from frozen tomato from the garden.

• Chicken tikka masala

  • chawkins on January 19, 2024

    This was an adequate tikka masala.

• Moroccan chicken with green olives

  • mpo on February 13, 2021

    This is an easy quick way to make Moroccan chicken. Next time I might marinate the chicken, but this dish is more about the sauce. I doubled the broth, and upped the quantity of spices as I had more than 4 chicken thighs. I don’t think a half cup of broth would have been nearly enough regardless.

• Chicken teriyaki

  • SnowDog9846 on January 14, 2021

    Really enjoyed the flavor of this sauce. Ended up cooking pounded/tenderized chicken breast (the recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs), so the cooking process was very fast.

  • Churchim808 on March 01, 2024

    My daughter is learning to cook and made herself some very bland chicken. She came back to me asking if we had any teriyaki sauce. Eat Your Books to the rescue! We whipped this up with ingredients we had on hand and it was a big success.

• Roasted chicken breasts with lemon and thyme

  • evilmissmonkey on February 23, 2015

    Great weeknight recipe, easy and delicious.

• Pan-roasted chicken breasts with garlic and sherry sauce

  • pvia on April 21, 2015

    Sauce was perfect.

• Weeknight roast chicken

  • TaffyDeb on January 13, 2019

    This version calls for chicken pieces, whereas the version of the recipe in the 2013 America's Test Kitchen, Cooking for Two, ISBN 978 1 936493 43 2, DOES use a whole 3-3.5 pound chicken.

• Chicken fajitas

  • chawkins on February 25, 2015

    Great fajita recipe for the winter when you didn't want to grill your chicken in the sub-zero temperature as the chicken breasts were cooked in a skillet on the stove top. The chicken breasts were then sliced and dressed with a lime dressing which brought a note of freshness to the dish.

• Sichuan orange chicken with broccoli

  • BethNH on March 18, 2019

    A very average stir fry with a sauce that should have been more flavorful. It was fine but I wouldn't bother making it again.

• Chicken and orzo with spinach and feta

  • chawkins on March 09, 2024

    Won’t repeat. Chicken was shoe leather. Orzo was good.

  • lynette_27j6kb on March 06, 2026

    Delicious and easy. You have to love a 1-pan meal. This was the first toasted orzo I’ve ever made. My husband doesn’t prefer feta so I used an extra garlic clove and added the zest of one lemon. Usually orzo is kind of meh. But this was really good! I used larger chicken breasts, pounded them to an even thickness, added 3 minutes to the cooking time and they were juicy ad perfectly cooked. Definitely will make this one again.

• Chicken and rice

  • Nancith on August 09, 2017

    Husband & son agreed that this was a flavorful dish. I will say that the finished dish did not match up with the book photo/description. The rice was almost too soft & the chicken skin, despite being nicely browned initially, did not stay crisp or brown after steaming in the oven with the rice. Despite that, this is a nice dish when you want something tasty, but uncomplicated.

• Braised chicken thighs with potatoes, fennel, and tarragon

  • Nancith on May 17, 2018

    My omnivores said this meal was tasty , but not outstanding. For myself, I just prepared the vegetables & threw in some faux meat strips. This requires an hour of simmering plus 10 more min. The problem with that is the potatoes & carrots were very mushy because they are to be cut in small pieces. The plus is that the disintegrating potatoes actually thickened the liquid into a nice gravy, rather than having to boil down excess liquid. While not a fan of tarragon, I actually found it quite appealing in this dish.

• Roasted chicken breasts with red potatoes and Brussels sprouts

  • selena__rhea on September 13, 2021

    Nice, easy sheet pan meal with lots of fresh thyme and veg!

• Steak au poivre with brandied cream sauce

  • mharriman on December 17, 2019

    Deliciously decadent. Devilishly so. This recipe is special occasion worthy. The French-based sauce is what makes the steak mouth watering. I used an 11 oz. New York boneless steak, cut in half; steaks were medium and juicy at 5 minutes total pan- searing time. I followed the ingredients and instructions to the T and found only one issue: the time given for cooking the brandy sauce was way too long on my stove. At medium, my sauce was thick and bubbling at 45 seconds rather than 6-8 minutes. Had I not taken it off the burner, I would not have had a sauce, but a paste. I used a cast iron Le Creuset skillet, which does hold heat well, so perhaps that’s why the sauce formed so quickly. Made way more sauce than needed because I reduced steak portions. Will repeat when craving a decadent steak dinner. Tips: Mini brandy bottle works well for two person recipe. Recipe also in ATK Comfort Food Makeover cookbook (reduces fat) and ATK Cooking for Two special occasion collector’s magazine.

• Perfect filets mignons with horseradish sauce

  • BethNH on October 01, 2017

    The filet mignons are oiled and cooked for a few minutes on each side in a hot pan. They are then finished in a hot even for just a few more minutes. Using this method, I got two perfectly cooked medium rare filet mignons with a delicious brown crust on both sides and a juicy red interior.

  • mharriman on December 24, 2017

    I agree with BethNH. This is an easy recipe that produces delicious steaks. I used six ounce beef tenderloin steaks and low fat sour cream- still very tasty. This would be a great protein dish for meat eating company because kitchen time is short. I served with roasted red potatoes and a green salad.

• Seared steak with crispy potatoes and herb sauce

  • mharriman on October 29, 2021

    Quite a few steps for a fairly good but nothing exceptional steak and sauce recipe. The typical ATK longish ingredient list is incomplete- mostly from cupboard- on EYB ingredient list. We did eat everything up. I used one 12 ounce strip steak that I trimmed fat rind from after cooking. The Microwaved potatoes that were crisped up on stove resulted in a creamier texture than my usual potatoes I bake in oven. I added French green beans to the potatoes on the stove.

• Sirloin steak with Boursin mashed potatoes

  • mharriman on September 05, 2017

    I couldn't find a sirloin steak at Whole Foods under 1.30 lbs, so went with that size and it worked out well for two nights of dinners for the two of us. My husband rubbed the steak with a Williams Sonoma smokehouse steak rub and grilled it (instead of cook in pan directions) while I made the mashed potatoes. The Boursin gives the potatoes a rich, decadent flavor. The steak was thick, juicy and tender. This traditional steakhouse meal was very easy to make and tasted better than most restaurant takes on it.

• All-American mini meatloaves

  • DJM on December 01, 2017

    Excellent recipe.

• Skillet-glazed pork chops

  • Graceclaw on February 07, 2019

    If you do these correctly, they turn out amazing. The easiest part to mess up is the last step; do NOT put the chops in the glaze before the glaze is properly ready, or you will end up with hard bits of maple candy on your chops.

• Crispy sesame pork chops with wilted napa cabbage salad

  • Nancith on March 04, 2019

    Hubby loved the pork chop. The Napa salad was pretty good, although it tasted a little too bitter-cabbagey to me. Not sure if that was because it the wilting brought out the bitterness, or we just unfortunately got a strong Napa cabbage. I think next time I would use less rice vinegar & more sesame oil.

• Smothered pork chops

  • chawkins on November 17, 2014

    Very flavorful, but I'll cut down on the the cayenne next time. I Like spicy food but it does not seem appropriate on smothered pork chops. I do the entire cooking on the stove top and I did not skim the sauce as I had all the fat trimmed off before cooking, so there was hardly any fat in the sauce.

  • chawkins on September 13, 2016

    Made this again using the instant pot, timing based on the pressire cooker pork chops and applesauce recipe from pressurecookerrecipes.com: high pressure for 1 minute, natural release for 10 minutes, perfect.

  • PytnPlace on August 25, 2020

    I followed the recipe to a T, however my onions came out really mushy and unappetizing. The pork chops tasted good. Not sure how to solve the issue re complete breakdown of the onions. I used a med/large size yellow onion.

• Bacon-wrapped pork chops with roasted potatoes

  • chawkins on January 19, 2015

    Quick and easy, very little hands-on time. It was quite good, even though I forgot to rub fennel powder on the chops before baking. Anything wrapped in bacon couldn't be too bad.

• Stir-fried pork with shiitakes and snow peas

  • mharriman on July 28, 2021

    We liked this healthy recipe. The hoisin sauce and fresh grated ginger helped add a lot of flavor.

• Skillet-braised cod Provençal

  • mpo on September 22, 2021

    Nice, simple dish. I like that this book doesn’t skimp on size of dishes even though it is intended for only two people.

• Lemon-herb cod with crispy garlic potatoes

  • mharriman on November 07, 2018

    The best thing about this recipe is that it’s all easy bake once you’ve prepped the potatoes. We couldn’t taste the minced garlic and thought it was a pretty bland dish, overall. Okay but nothing special.

  • BethNH on November 07, 2018

    We've had this twice now. The potatoes are the best part. I prefer it without the garlic and with lemon zest on the fish in addition to the lemon slices. It's an easy hands off meal.

  • chawkins on May 07, 2020

    Quite good for the amount of effort put in. I had a bit of problem moving the portions from the baking tray to the platters as the potato shingles did not stay as a cohesive mass, may be it was the Yukon gold I used rather than the russet called for.

  • Lnbrittain on June 10, 2024

    Liked this a lot. Would cut the potatoes a little smaller next time and just watch the time carefully. Definitely needs color on the plate since potatoes and fish make a white meal. A dark green veggie for me.

• Pan-roasted thick-cut fish fillets with green olive, almond, and orange relish

  • mharriman on November 26, 2020

    My husband liked this dish better than I did. I used haddock instead of cod; I liked the unusual combined flavors of green olives, almonds, and orange juice but the texture of the relish was too mushy for me and it looked like oatmeal, which, to my personal preference, was off-putting on top of the fish. The directions for browning and then baking the fish were spot on.

• Spiced swordfish with avocado-grapefruit salsa

  • BethNH on February 19, 2017

    Fresh swordfish needs so little to make it wonderful. This recipe has just a tiny bit of spice from chili powder and cayenne. We grilled it instead of broiling and it was wonderful. The avocado-grapefruit salsa was very good and went perfectly with the swordfish. p.176

• Sesame-crusted tuna with ginger-soy sauce

  • chawkins on June 13, 2017

    Wow, that ginger-soy dressing was to die for. The instruction for cooking the tuna was quite confusing. My steaks were at least an inch thick if not more, I wound up cooking the first side for 3 minutes, the other side for about a minute and a half and about half a second for each edge.

• Salmon with asparagus and herb dressing

  • Cheri on April 21, 2023

    Easy, Very nice. Served with cauliflower rice. Quick.

• Miso-glazed salmon fillets

  • mharriman on August 26, 2018

    Wonderful! Easy to mix marinade and easy to roast. I opted to bake at 500 degrees for 9 minutes instead of broiling, and the fillets turned out great. I liked the helpful photo instructions of how to make cuts in salmon skin before marinating. Served with steamed broccoli, white rice, and a simple iceberg salad with ginger salad dressing. A nice alternative to sometimes overly sauced Asian restaurant entrees.

• Salmon fillets with soy-mustard glaze

  • peaceoutdesign on October 04, 2023

    Love the glaze.

• Broiled salmon with pineapple salsa

  • mharriman on April 27, 2018

    Excellent! My husband and I loved this salmon recipe. Instead of broiling, I baked the ( king) salmon in a 500 degree oven for 10 minutes on a skinny grill pan. It turned out moist and delicious. I’ll make the salsa from a whole pineapple again. I found the fresh fruit and juices helped the overall flavor of the salsa. Served this with jasmine rice sprinkled with petite peas.

• Crispy salmon cakes with sweet and tangy tartar sauce

  • Liz_Young on January 17, 2024

    This was tasty, but the salmon cakes did not hold together.

• Shrimp saganaki

  • peaceoutdesign on October 11, 2023

    This turned out good. Next time I would sear the shrimp first a bit and then remove and keep warm until ready to finish in the sauce. I served this over Israeli couscous and they went well together.

• South Carolina shrimp boil

  • chawkins on March 07, 2021

    Very good. The addition of tomato paste seemed odd, but it was just a tiny dab and was not noticeable in the end result but probably added umami to the broth. I used Yukon golds because that was what I had on hand and more than doubled the amount of shrimp by weight because I used head-on shrimp. I increased the shrimp cooking and sitting times by a minute because they were bigger that those specified in the recipe and they were perfect.

• Seared scallops with butternut squash

  • kayanelson on October 06, 2014

    I love Cooks Illustrated but this scallops and butternut squash combo wasn't good. Not a good pairing of ingredients. I suppose some could argue that the sweetness of scallops and butternut squash would meld well together, but it didn't. The scallops on their own were quite good and I will try some of the variations.

• Moroccan-style quinoa and kale with raisins and pine nuts

  • Nancith on January 23, 2019

    Nice combination of flavors in this dish: tangy lemon, salty feta, earthy kale, sweet raisins, a little crunch from pine nuts. My only complaint is that the quinoa was somewhat mushy, more like porridge than separate grains. That will be easily rectified next time by using less liquid than called for. Good as a main dish for me & a side for hubby.

• Black bean burgers

  • Lmastriaco on July 21, 2020

    Used dried black turtle beans instead of canned beans.

• Pasta with creamy tomato sauce

  • Acarroll on December 24, 2023

    Omitted the cream because we served this with a rich mushroom/cheese/truffle ravioli. The flavors in the sauce itself were divine.

• Pasta with mushroom ragu

  • mariam287420 on January 03, 2026

    The ingredients in the book are a little bit different than what is listed here, but I think this is the recipe. It's is easy to make, but I feel like it's missing something. My husband gave it 3/5 stars, I give it 3.5/5 stars

• Pasta with roasted cauliflower, garlic, and walnuts

  • mariam287420 on January 18, 2026

    I have mixed feelings about it. The garlic had just started to sprout, but I didn't have another head. I think that's what threw off the taste. I will try to make it again.

• Orecchiette with broccoli rabe and Italian sausage

  • mharriman on January 28, 2022

    Other than substituting broccoli florets for the rabe, I followed the ingredients and directions as written. Husband and I enjoyed this dish- hearty, tasty, and comforting on a cold snowy night. We thought it made two big servings- more like 2 1/2 servings for us. We don’t routinely eat sausage, so this was a treat. Montepulciano D’abruzzo wine went well with the sausage and pasta.

• Spaghetti with lemon, basil, and shrimp

  • lynette_27j6kb on March 14, 2026

    Simple to make and very tasty.

• Baked manicotti

  • TaffyDeb on February 04, 2017

    So easy to put together, just remember to allot 55 minutes for the baking... so yummy, enough for three people if one includes a salad and and some crunchy bread! the sauce is a good one to remember for other dishes, easy, very commonly had ingredients and nice bright taste! Will be making again. Also very open to additions, spinach, and other veggies. Will be a go-to for Lent and all Fridays.

  • chawkins on November 03, 2020

    Quite good, not at all heavy. I used fresh tomatoes from the garden instead of canned. Enough to feed three.

• Skillet pasta with fresh tomato sauce

  • maasr on December 10, 2016

    One of my favorite quick tomato sauce recipes. Use the best canned whole tomatoes you can, plus high quality EVOO and fresh basil. With quality ingredients this is impossible to mess up.

  • chawkins on August 08, 2020

    Excellent. I added sweet Italian sausages, used garden fresh tomatoes, spaghetti instead of campanelle and increased the amount of pasta and water both by a third. I browned the sausages in the skillet, then added the onion and proceeded with the rest of the recipe with the sausages in the pan.

  • Wokmom on September 11, 2023

    Bland as written. Be liberal with basil and parm. I also added cayenne and vegetarian chicken bouillon

• Skillet pasta quattro formaggi

  • Foodiewife on January 22, 2017

    The beauty of this recipe is that it's really easy to make. Just saute shallots with white wine. Add pasta, add water and heavy cream and cook for a self-made sauce. Only problem is, 4 cups of water is too much. My pasta cooked, but the sauce did not thicken. I added some cooked Texas Gulf Shrimp, since it was on hand and I had to use it, that gave some protein. I'd add some finely chopped Parsley for color, too. OR, next time I'd add some steamed broccoli. It's really a "cheater" type of Al Fredo sauce, without the butter and reduced heavy cream. We liked it, and it was a low-maintenance recipe.

• Skillet penne with chicken, mushrooms, and Gorgonzola

  • Liz_Young on July 08, 2022

    Made with ziti instead of penne and doubled the recipe. This was so-so. The gorgonzola definitely gives it a punch of flavor; the rest of the dish is rather bland. Not terrible, but not delicious either. I'll move on to other new recipes.

• Skillet ravioli with meat sauce

  • maasr on December 10, 2016

    Simple and fast recipe, just make sure you are happy with the cheese ravioli you use. Also look for un-wrapped raw sausage meat from a butcher or in the super market.

• Meaty skillet lasagna

  • chawkins on February 27, 2015

    Very good for the amount of effort put in, also a lot lighter than a regular lasagne even after I double the amount of mozzarella. Instead of the 28 oz can of tomatoes called for in the recipe, I used 1 1/2 pint of my own canned tomato sauce.

  • katenolan on March 25, 2019

    You know how you go to the store for one specific thing and then get distracted? That was me and lasagne noodles, so we had to use the no-boil noodles we had on hand. Because of that, I can't vouch that the texture of the noodles was what it should be. Even if we had gotten the correct noodle, I think we'd prefer this with a smaller noodle such as penne. I also couldn't find fresh basil, so dried oregano it was. I think the flavor was good but could be enhanced by a pat or two of butter (a la Marcella's butter and onion sauce) prior to adding the cheese. And make sure to let it sit covered so the ricotta gets good and melty!

• Grilled chicken fajitas

  • taste24 on August 12, 2020

    These fajitas are outstanding. I marinated for longer than the 15 minutes - probably 1-2 hours, and also cut the chicken into strips. Will be making these over and over.

• Grilled beef and vegetable kebabs with lemon-rosemary marinade

  • mharriman on August 25, 2018

    Delicious! I marinated the beef and the vegetables separately for an hour and both were wonderful. My herb garden didn’t yield any Rosemary this summer so used dried Rosemary. I’m sure this would have been even better with fresh Rosemary. A good prep ahead and grill later meal.

• Grilled shrimp masala

  • Ishie1013 on February 21, 2023

    Excellent if SPICY recipe! Came together really quickly and I was amazed by how flavorful and hot the shrimp were from a brief toss in the marinade.

• Slow-cooker Moroccan chicken stew

  • Nancith on December 11, 2017

    Husband & son both enjoyed this meal, although son rated it higher. Very easy to put together & doesn't require much time in the slow cooker. Canned fava beans substituted nicely for the garbanzos & I didn't have dried apricots, which probably would have given it a nice touch of sweetness. Would be a simple recipe to double.

  • mharriman on August 08, 2019

    I liked this better than my husband did. He thought it was good but “fairly bland.” I loved the mild but tasty spices and apricots. I used all of the designated ingredients and only changed up the chicken thighs. I used bone-in thighs and decided to serve them whole surrounded by the chickpea sauce and atop the couscous. The entree was easy and fast to prep and done cooking and ready to serve after 3 and a half hours.

• Slow-cooker hearty beef stew

  • mariam287420 on January 12, 2026

    Not the best beef stew I've ever had, but it was fast to make, so it was good enough for me.

• Pan-roasted asparagus with toasted garlic and Parmesan

  • Analyze on March 12, 2019

    This is a delicious recipe! I've made it four times and we've loved it every time. My husband doesn't care for the garlic, so I get it all :)

• Parmesan-crusted asparagus

  • BethNH on October 01, 2017

    This recipe uses a lot of dishes for roasted asparagus but it's well worth it. Asparagus are coated in egg whites and then tossed in a panko/parmesan mixture. Finally, they are roasted in a hot oven. The end result is nicely cooked asparagus with a crunchy, cheesy exterior. Delicious!

• Skillet broccoli with olive oil and garlic

  • kayanelson on January 17, 2015

    Good and quick and yummy. I love this cookbook.

• Roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan

  • chawkins on April 05, 2021

    Very good and could not be easier.

• Braised Brussels sprouts

  • chawkins on January 03, 2022

    Quick and easy. Couldn’t be too bad when you used chicken stock as the braising liquid. I braised them whole as I used frozen sprouts.

• Roasted carrots and shallots with lemon and thyme

  • jenmacgregor18 on February 14, 2023

    Simple and good. I made a little less than the 1.5 #. whatever I could fit into my 8-inch pan and cooked it in the toaster oven for 25 min. I omitted shallots and subbed avocado oil for butter.

• Cauliflower gratin

  • peaceoutdesign on October 04, 2023

    Very fast and easy. The recipe utilizes the microwave for much of the recipe.

• Sautéed mushrooms

  • mharriman on April 08, 2020

    On impulse I purchased shiitake and oyster mushrooms 5 days ago and decided I better do something with them today. Using this recipe, I made a nice side dish. These would be best as a steak or beef roast topping. This is an easy recipe with straightforward instructions. I think the dish really needs the cremini mushrooms. My delicate shiitakes and oyster mushrooms, without them, got a little lost in all the butter, shallots, and wine going on.

• Cheesy scalloped potatoes

  • chawkins on April 18, 2019

    Very good, cheesy and saucy, but like most recipes in this book, it made two very, very generous portions. I used Yukon gold rather than russet and 2% milk for the cream. I prefer the potato gratin from the same book to this as the gratin is not as rich.

• Potato gratin

  • chawkins on May 02, 2016

    Solid recipe even though I made a lot of substitutions: Yukon gold for the russet, 2% milk for the cream and Swiss for the Gruyere. As with some of the recipes in these book, the portions were quite large, we had leftovers even though my husband is a potato fiend. Made again 3/13/21 with Yukon gold again but with cream and Gruyere, it was decadent.

  • ginger2212 on April 10, 2023

    Delicious! I made no substitutions and it worked out great! I prefer yukon golds for flavor but I had a russet and it worked out well and was so creamy! Enjoyed with ham and asparagus. Like chawkins mentioned, there as one more helping of leftovers.

• Perfect baked potatoes

  • mharriman on December 28, 2018

    Sometimes simplest is best and for russet baked potatoes, all you need is 75 minutes and an oven. I hadn’t planned the needed time for old fashioned baked potatoes in a long time, so I needed to actually consult a cookbook. The result of my time effort is captured in the recipe’s title: perfect!

• Roasted red potatoes

  • mharriman on January 29, 2019

    My husband and I liked the way these turned out better than the usual way I roast the potatoes. Roasting with foil covering the pan and then taking off the foil the final 8 minutes made the potatoes soft and moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. The only thing I’d change would be to spray the aluminum foil lining with cooking spray because my potatoes stuck like glue to the foil without that extra moisture. Served with cole slaw and crab cakes.

• Butternut squash puree

  • rpepper on November 02, 2019

    Very good if you have the time (40-50 minutes). Cooking the squash in butter and cream gives it a nice flavor. The cayenne adds a nice kick.

• Roasted sweet potato wedges

  • TaffyDeb on November 15, 2015

    pg 312 also in a monthly Cook's Mag, but can't find it

  • khopkins1012 on February 08, 2019

    Cutting them into 3/4 inch medallions really did lead to a sweet, tender potato. Will be my go to roasting method from now on. Also makes it easier to portion out or snack on compared to Whole potatoes.

• Toasted orzo with chives and lemon

  • mharriman on April 28, 2020

    I closely followed the instructions and timing and the orzo was cooked to a creamy finish. We really liked the toasted flavor and aroma of the orzo; the lemon zest and chives added a nice added flavor component. Went well with pesto chicken and tomato kebabs.

• Quinoa salad with red bell pepper and cilantro

  • Nancith on March 09, 2019

    Enjoyed this salad--dressing is nicely flavorful. Subbed scallions for shallots, didn't have jalapeno pepper or cilantro (unfortunately for the latter). Since it lacked cilantro, I threw in some goat cheese that needed a home & it actually worked very well. A keeper.

• Southwestern black bean salad

  • Lmastriaco on July 22, 2020

    Used dried black turtle beans instead of canned beans.

• Perfect fried eggs

  • Lnbrittain on June 10, 2024

    Like the title says: perfect. The only thing better is cooking them in loads of olive oil and drizzling the hot oil on the eggs as they fry. But these worked great.

• Ham and Swiss quiche

  • chawkins on December 04, 2020

    This is perfection, the crust was crispy and the filling creamy. I used Gruyere instead of Swiss, I also don’t have a 6-inch pie plate, so I used a 6-inch push pan. Too bad this is so small, I still have leftover ham to use up.

• Buttermilk pancakes

  • taste24 on September 17, 2020

    These were excellent and simple to put together. Nice and fluffy with unique tang from the sour cream and buttermilk. Made 6 pancakes - perfect for two of us.

• Chocolate frosting

  • TrishaCP on April 25, 2020

    This is a great frosting that you make in the food processor. I used bittersweet chocolate and it was not too sweet. This recipe made more than enough for the six inch layer cake that I made for my husband’s birthday.

• Tiramisù

  • chawkins on April 14, 2016

    Excellent! I made the cooked egg version where the yolk mixture was heated to 160 degree F. It was supposed to make 2 servings, but they must be extremely generous servings (each with 6 4x1" lady fingers in it). You can easily get 3 to 4 servings out of it.

• Multigrain pancakes

  • Wanahca on September 10, 2016

    Nice texture and good flavor. Served it with butter, maple cream, bananas and bacon.

• Buttermilk waffles

  • mariam287420 on January 02, 2026

    The waffles are great. I don't have buttermilk powder, so I used ¼ cup of Bulgarian yogurt and ½ cup of seltzer water instead of 2/3 cup. They were very crisp.

• Breakfast smoothies with strawberries and banana

  • hbakke on March 01, 2022

    Thick and delicious! I love this simple smoothie.

• Banana bread

  • khopkins1012 on June 21, 2019

    Good banana bread. I ate the entire thing before it had completely cooled.

  • chawkins on September 05, 2020

    Good bread. Great for times when you only have one over-ripe banana to use up.

• Crêpes with sugar and lemon

  • MarciK on September 18, 2022

    I used the basic crepes recipe and instructions but used caramel instead of sugar and lemons. It’s a good set of instructions for a beginner like me. My first two didn’t turn out because I didn’t follow directions, but the second two were edible, although probably thicker in the middle than they should be. Practice makes perfect, and I definitely need more, but this is a good place to start if you’ve never made crepes before.

• Easy strawberry shortcakes

  • Ishie1013 on March 09, 2023

    This was wonderful and really easy!!!! Do allow 30 minutes-2 hours for the berries to sit in the sugar. The biscuits were extremely tender (needed to leave them in the full 12 minutes) and flavorful with perfect texture. The whipped cream is simple but wonderfully flavorful with the vanilla notes. For a baked dish, minus the time for the fruit, this only took me about 30 minutes.

• Quick apple strudel

  • chawkins on December 30, 2021

    I had a few sheets of phyllo left over from another dish perfect for this dish. It is relatively quick, considering having to brush the butter/oil mixture over each sheet. Tasted great, I used dark raisins because that was what I had. We two servings each with ice cream over two nights, it did not get soggy and reheated pretty well the second night.

• Easy apple galette

  • chawkins on November 02, 2020

    Wonderful galette and couldn’t be easier. I used honey crisp apples and puff pastry from Trader Joe’s. It took 50% more apple than called for to fill the pastry, so I upped the sugar by 50% as well but I doubled the amount of butter. Did not have apple jelly, so glazed with a bit of apricot butter. Would be making this a lot since it takes no time at all, just have to stock up on TJ’s puff pastry since it is a seasonal item.

• Chewy chocolate chip cookies

  • khopkins1012 on November 13, 2019

    Used 6 oz of chopped chocolate from bars instead of chips. Everyone really liked these and I had no leftovers. Also works with 6 oz. of M&Ms.

• Fudgy brownies

  • Londonyankee on March 22, 2019

    Good fudgie brownie with the shiny top! My new favorite. Incredibly easy. I wonder if the extra egg yolk is the secret to fudgy and shiny?

• Glazed lemon bundt cakes

  • cynthia_lx08f9 on February 07, 2026

    Awesome but a bit spongy. I’ll try again.

• Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

  • Londonyankee on March 11, 2019

    Used a 7 inch square pan and it work well. The frosting was not really stiff enough for my liking, maybe more sugar would help? But it was yummy and easy. Made 4 large servings or 6 smaller ones.

• Chocolate pots de crème

  • Nancith on July 20, 2019

    Wow, is this ever a rich dessert! Well-received by those at my dinner party. The only issue encountered was because I tried to increase the recipe by half, which in the end did work, BUT instead of stirring on the stove for 10-12 minutes, it took almost 45 minutes (of constant stirring) to get to the correct temperature. I guess the success of the dish was worth the extra effort!

• Chickpea and vegetable soup with warm spices

  • mariam287420 on January 04, 2026

    Very flavorful and easy to make. Will make again!

• Pan-seared thick-cut bone-in pork chop with creamy apple-mustard sauce

  • lynette_27j6kb on April 22, 2026

    Winning way to cook a bone-in pork chop.

• Hands-off spaghetti and meatballs

  • mariam287420 on June 03, 2026

    It was easy to make, not bad but not very good either. I will make it again if I'm in a hurry and have some minced meat.

• Ultracreamy spaghetti with zucchini

  • elizabeth_qe5381 on February 04, 2026

    I liked it but I felt like it was missing something. Not a very exciting dish. Zucchini was nice but I feel like I could have done 1.5x or 2x. On its own, kind of boring. As a vehicle for a protein, it could work better.

  • JulianaBB on September 06, 2025

    Add 2 tablespoons of ricotta, 2 handfuls Asiago/parmesan/romano blended shredded cheese (uncle Giuseppe’s), cook zucchini w a little butter - 1 cup Parmesan - makes enough for 4 - 5 good size portions

• Lemongrass beef and rice noodle bowl

  • marisamuller_eplk81 on April 28, 2026

    Certainly Healthy with the vegetables. I forgot the bean sprouts. Used stew meat instead of flank steak. The fish sauce is very dominant. The lime juice gives it a weird sour taste. I would definitely try lemon or orange juice next time. Added onion powder & a little soy sauce. I would also like to see what the Thai Basil taste like instead of Mint. I couldn’t find Thai Basil in the store. Mint in Asian dishes isn’t for me. I use Mint for teas and baked goods. Not really a fan of cucumbers either. Zucchini Squash would be an interesting substitute.

• Air-fryer turkey-zucchini meatballs with orzo, spiced tomato sauce, and feta

  • mariam287420 on March 22, 2026

    Low effort, but kind of bland.

• Air-fryer kale, roasted red pepper, and goat cheese frittata

  • mariam287420 on December 29, 2025

    I used spinach instead of kale and feta cheese instead of goat cheese. It was done in 20 minutes, but halfway through the cooking I had to cover the tin so it wouldn't burn. I liked the taste and it was fast to make.

  • Acarroll on August 31, 2024

    Husband thought it was ok, I thought it was very bland and spongy. I doubled the salt since the amount didn't seem like enough. Needed more veggies or something - not my jam.

• Strawberry shortcakes

  • Lnbrittain on June 10, 2024

    Tastes perfect. But there was a problem with heat and time. I think 475 for the length of time given is way too hot—the shortcakes started to burn. Would make it again and lower the heat. It tasted like Mom’s—like springtime.

• Lemon-poppy seed mug cakes

  • mariam287420 on February 07, 2026

    It was delicious! This will be a go-to recipe for when I crave cake. I topped it with some sour cream and blueberry jam. I cooked it at 600 watts for almost 2 minutes, but I stopped it before the timer was up.