Do you know what I love more than food? Recipes and cookbooks.
When I want to relax, I sit down with a good or colorful cookbook. I know that sounds weird (and hilariously enough, Sadie does it now too!), but it really does calm me down. Some people read magazines... I read cookbooks. No biggie. Oh, and I forgot to mention I do follow some food bloggers as well (Mel is my absolute fave).. Anyways, what happens with me reading cookbooks all the time? I try new recipes all of the time. I don't repeat a lot of recipes, unless I like them... a lot. Part of my schooling as a Dietitian was planning menus for cafeterias, which relied heavily on monthly menu cycles. I know some moms that do monthly meal rotations at home.. but not me. I think it might be related to my upbringing where my parents would ask us what we want to eat for dinner, so it was always spaghetti, bean burritos, milk gravy, taquitos, fish sticks, etc. So I ate the same things again and again and again as a kid/teenager. As a grown-up now, I really like trying new recipes, but I do have a few trusty dinners that I bust out from time to time.
Here are our household favorites:
Japanese Curry
Picture from pressure cooker Japanese curry
I know this isn't even a recipe because I just use whatever is in the box. But, I first tasted it during my days as a Hogi Yogi/Teriyaki Stix employee during my college days, and I've loved it ever since. I usually add onions, potatoes, carrots, and some sort of protein (chicken or tofu). The kids love it most of the time.
Cooks Illustrated Skillet Macaroni & Cheese
Photo from What We're Cooking blog
Easy-peasy less than 30-minute recipe that only gets one pan dirty. Need I say more? I grew up eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and I will literally never allow it in my house because of this recipe (and the fact that I think the blue box stuff is gross).
Mel's Kitchen Cafe Perfect Spaghetti Sauce
Photo from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Let me preface this by saying that I ate spaghetti so much growing up that I did not make it again until I found this recipe 4 years ago. I make the huge batch and freeze it in smaller batches for dinner portions. It is amazing and will change your life. No jarred spaghetti sauce for us.
Martha Stewart Tostadas
Picture from Martha Stewart Living
This is an old one from 2008. I just make this dish vegetarian with the bell peppers, onions, salsa and corn. I also add homemade refried beans to it as well.
Cooks Illustrated Classic Beef Stew
Picture from Serious Eats
I grew up eating Dinty Moore canned beef stew, and I never once had stew freshly made. I made a half batch of this recipe when Graham and I were first married, and it was like my beloved childhood beef stew, but 100 times better. I don't make it that often because I try to limit red meat, but man.. it is delicious!
Cooks Illustrated Pasta e Fagioli
Photo from Eat it and Weep
This soup is so full of flavor it's hard to understand. It starts out with simple ingredients but is elevated with anchovy paste. Carter ate a TON of this soup when he was little.
King Arthur Flour Pizza Dough
Photo from King Arthur Flour
It took me a long time to find a pizza dough that I love. I've tried recipes from Alton Brown, America's Test Kitchen, Pioneer Woman, etc with success but were not easy to stretch out to proper pizza size. This dough is the easiest to work with, thereby making it my top pizza dough recipe. Some other honorable mentions are: Cooks Illustrated Deep Dish Chicago Pizza and Foodie with Family No-Knead Pizza.
Our Best Bites Sweet Pulled Pork Salad
Picture from Dinner for Everyone
If you have ever been to Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, then you know this salad. This homemade version is just as good as the restaurant.. and in the slow cooker, almost as easy! And do not skip the dressing, especially if you like cilantro. It is phenomenal.
Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Shepherd's Pie
Picture from Brownie Bites
This is another oldie but goodie. I've been making this for years. It's quick, but you will dirty about 4 pans in the process. I have yet to find a vegetarian version of shepherd's pie, so I'll keep making this one a couple times per year.
I have lots of repeat recipes for breakfasts, desserts, and side dishes, but not a ton for dinner. What are your family's favorites? Where do you get your recipes?
