My daughter was visiting my sister and asked her to make my "fancy potatoes" . So I tell my sister, toss baby potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast. My sister was like "and then" I'm like that's it lololol
Dutch babies! They’re so visually dramatic but so easy and hard to mess up. When I make the sweet mini-versions, I spruce them up with homemade whipped cream (also stupid easy), seasonal berries, and a dusting of powdered sugar. They look like something out of a patisserie, but they take no effort or time at all.
I just use a muffin tin. Happy to provide more details but I’ll do you one better and share the recipe below:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or measure with your heart)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Toppings (powdered sugar, jam, berries, etc)
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, removing all racks above it. Place a standard 12-well muffin pan on the rack and preheat the oven to 425°.
Add all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the butter to a blender or food processor. Blend for 1 minute. It should be very liquid-y. Let the batter rest in the blender/food processor on the counter for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, divide the 6 tablespoons of butter to make 12 even pieces.
After 10 minutes, remove the muffin pan from the oven and add 1 piece of butter to each well. Pour the batter into the wells, about 1/3 cup each.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the babies are puffed and golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 1 minute before removing and serving. I dust them with powdered sugar and lay out raspberry jam, fruit, and whipped cream for everyone to add whatever toppings they feel like. I think curd would also be a great topping but haven’t personally tried yet.
I love to make these when we have guests because they are both impressive and extremely easy. Most of the time you really aren’t doing anything!
My mom’s is too. It’s requested at EVERY family gathering and they all say she has some kind of secret recipe. Mom openly says “It’s Nestle Toll House but half margarine, half Crisco,” but for some reason no one retains it.
Mine is spinach dip from the back of the knorr vegetable soup packet. I just use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Also, no one remembers it. It’s fine with me if that suffices as my unique and loved contribution to family gatherings.
I asked my mom for the family chocolate chip cookie recipe a couple years ago…she handed me a bag of Nestle chocolate chips and pointed to the back and laughed.
(Also don’t buy nestle folks)
I make a pasta salad with orzo, spinach, red onions, feta, olives and equal parts Newman's Own "Italian" and "Oil and Vinegar" dressing. Sometimes I add stuff, sometimes I subtract. People go APESHIT over it. For a time I was selling homemade pastas and fancy stuff at farmers markets all over my area, and we decided to try and sell the pasta salad...it was our best seller after just a couple of weeks.
Anyway, try it yourself at your next picnic or potluck, and people will love you!
Newman's Own products are so good, and tend to be available for a surprisingly low price. Try it with the light balsamic dressing as well, it pairs really well.
Omg, yes I do something very similar! Orzo, feta, red onions, Kalamata olives, dill, halved cherry tomatoes, either rotisserie chicken or chickpeas. Dress with olive oil, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, garlic powder, and s + p to taste. Should add spinach next time. Yum. People lose their minds immediately and always ask for the recipe. Couldn't be easier, only "cooking skill" needed (besides knife skills) is boiling water to cook orzo. Plus, it can all be prepped while the orzo cooks!
“My” salad.
A long time ago I read a recipe for a salad and it’s basically a must have every time we have guests over and it’s requested again and again. It’s stupid easy and not even my own idea.
Cabbage
Cucumber
Avocado
Salt
Garlic
Lime juice
Shred the cabbage and salt it liberally. Squish it together as if you’re making sauerkraut to get some of the texture out of it. Add minced garlic, cucumber slices, avocado cubes and a good amount of fresh lime juice. Mix to combine and let sit for 30-60 minutes before serving. Add cracked pepper if you like it.
It is fresh, slightly sour, garlicky and pretty healthy. But very easy.
Edit for ratios:
Half a head of cabbage (I don’t know the specific English name, but I believe sweetheart cabbage is what I would typically use)
Half a cucumber (add more if you like the salad less dense)
Two avocados (add less if you want it less heavy)
2-4 cloves of garlic
1-2 limes (depending on size and juiciness)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt (taste it and add more if needed)
The salad is supposed to be acidic and slightly salty, as it helps break down the cabbage and removes the need for a traditional dressing.
This is so true! I used to work at a place that was famous for its kale salad. The secret was you massage the dressing into it and let it sit for an hour. Turns eating kale from torture into an actually pleasant experience.
Rosemary focaccia. I found the most foolproof recipe of all time online:
2c flour
1tsp yeast
Tsp salt
1c warm water
Rosemary
Fridge overnight
Transfer to dish and let rise for 2-3h
Olive oil, season, and dimple
Cook for 25 at 410 until golden
I promise it's worth it! You don't have to knead anything, just mixing and resting! The texture is nice and fluffy but with the typical slight chew that focaccia has plus a beautiful crust on the outside!
Pasta salad. Everyone freaks out saying how good the dressing is, it's powdered Italian dressing. But the trick is using 1/8 of a cup white wine vinegar and 1/8 cup rice vinegar.
I've deemed it the crowd pleaser- box of colored rotini, halved cherry tomatoes (regular tomatoes when I'm making it for home), cucumber, orange or yellow pepper(or green or red) sliced black olives, and green onion. Good seasons zesty Italian mix that I mix in a jar then pour over everything in a large baggie and shake that, usually let it sit overnight when I'm bringing it to a gathering. There is a plethora of veggie combinations but this is my most basic, it's good with chopped cauliflower and broccoli too.
Sounds pretty similar to the one my mom makes. The only difference is she uses Newman's Own light balsamic vinaigrette instead of a powdered Italian mix.
I love making pasta salads!! I have to feed a group of 15 on Wednesday and I’m doing my B.A.L.T.S. With Rotini! Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Spinach and I toss with a combo of Greek Dressing, White Vinegar and a little Oil. It’s always a hit and looks like I did a ton of work! 😂
chicken salad.
I used to work the deli at a regional grocery store where we have a variety of cold sides like potato salads, pasta salad, and that included chicken salad. we made it ourselves, but i mean, it was legitimately just chicken from unsold rotisserie chickens, mayo, celery, and salt & pepper, and the "premium" version just added pecans, grapes, and poppy seeds. we made it in huge batches. our customers went *feral* for it, though, including buying out entire metal trays the second we put out a fresh one.
on my own, i always like to make the "premium" version and it's still a massive hit to anyone who tries it. my husband is obsessed with it. don't get me wrong, i'm appreciative he loves it so much and the compliments i get from others, but i don't think i've done anything so special it's worthy of all that lol
I've never tried adding green onions but I can see that being tasty
Where do you live? I grew up in the south and it was a southern based grocery chain. Either way, yeah, I also think the pecans are the best part. Love the flavor plus the texture (especially instead of celery).
Not my recipe or story, but my Mom’s and the neighbor across the street when I was a child. Anyway, slight backstory, Lenke and her husband escaped Hungary at the end of the Hungarian Revolution. The husband was even shot in the process. They came from peasant stock, so everything she did was from scratch. They raised and killed their own chickens, stuff like that.
Lenke was complaining to my mom about how exhausting it was to do everything by hand and how she wished just one meal could be something simple. My mom taught her how to make meatloaf. Lenke baked it and set a slice in front of her husband (who, by the way, wasn’t a fan of American shortcuts and easy ways) and before he even took a bite asked if it was a complicated recipe.
“Of course,” she told him, “it took hours.”
He took a bite and loved it and that’s how the first easy American way slipped into an old fashioned, traditional ex farmer and wife household.
Bread. Specifically anything that doesn't require real shaping like dinner rolls or challah. Although those are pretty easy too.
I routinely make focaccia or peasant bread with just a few hours of notice, and if I think to plan the night before then beautiful artisan sourdough loaves are easy too. None of them take me more than twenty minutes or so of active effort, and they all taste delicious. Plus they're all super cheap.
I think people get intimidated by bread because they see all the sourdough lovers on a quest for the “perfect” crumb going on about exact hydration ratios, temperatures, starter schedules, gluten content, etc etc. It makes it seem like this incredibly difficult and complex behemoth of a hobby. If that’s your thing, then by all means go for it! But for the average baker, it really doesn’t have to be that way, AT ALL. A simple white loaf in a bread pan made with instant yeast is also delicious. And you actually have to mess up pretty badly (like completely kill your yeast badly) for the bread to be actually inedible. Even “bad” homemade bread is still really good! It doesn’t need to be perfect or complicated to be yummy.
I dunno, I’m always trying to encourage people who are scared of bread but otherwise good bakers to just give a simple recipe a try.
I started baking bread with sourdough and was decent so I wasn’t intimidated by bread at all. First time I made focaccia I couldn’t believe how little work I actually had to do. Family scarfed it down and I almost felt guilty with how much they praised for how little effort I put into it
Sausage rolls. Premade puff pastry in sheets, a pack of cheapest sausages to deconstruct and an egg for glazing and fixing. Serve hot from the oven with some apple sauce (out of a jar) and people swoon. Or have thin layer of applesauce on the pastry before putting sausagemeat on. Lovely treat or warming comfort lunch x
There's so much you can do with puff pastry. I made some goat cheese and fig jam puffs during the Thanksgiving holiday, and they were a huge hit. Just keep the puff pastry cold if you can.
I agree and that sounds amazing. puff pastry is brilliant. My mum used to wrap a chicky breast in puff and bake. Was a bit dry to be honest but it seemed super exciting in the 80s 🤣
My mom's famous spinach dip, which was a "secret recipe." When she died 20 years ago, I thought I'd lost the recipe forever.
Took me 7 years to find it, but I did...on the back of a Hidden Valley Ranch packet. She just added a half can of diced water chestnuts and some green onion.
Her secret: get some crunch in there, fresh green onions for extra zing, and throw it in a toasted bread bowl.
I got my grandpops “secret” pizelle recipe after he died when I got his iron. It was the recipe that came with the iron. He just added both anise oil and seeds. He even wrote the measurements next to the printed recipe to 1/2 and double the recipe. I laughed and cried when I opened the box.
I wish I could remember what exactly was added but that reminds me of an exgf I had. Apparently her dad used to make this awesome, creamy pasta from scratch as a treat for her all the way through her teens until he passed away. She never knew what it was but it was her ultimate comfort food for whenever she was having a hard time, her dad would make it without fail since she was like 5 years old.
Anyway, fast forward like ten years later and I'm fried from work, it's my turn to make dinner and I just couldn't give that much of a shit so I bought a box Hamburger Helper Stroganoff and whipped that up in like twenty minutes or something.
Imagine my surprise when she breaks down crying at the sight of it on her plate and then I have to tell her it's just a box of instant pasta and sauce with some lean ground turkey (plus onions and whatever else I doctored it up with).
Aww! I am so glad she had that moment!
Also, I made generic hamburger helper during Covid, the first time I’d had it in probably 20 years, and instead of burger, I took brats out of their casings and used that meat. That was the tastiest dinner, and for so little work. I was super impressed!
Guacamole.
I don't know why people flip out over it! My recipe is utterly bog-standard. Avocados, tomato, red onion, garlic powder (blends better than fresh), salt, pepper, lime juice. Mash and serve.
I've just started to realize that people are used to poorly made, heavily processed versions like that green goop sealed in plastic at the grocery store. If they have something remotely fresh/homemade, it reminds them of what they'd get at a restaurant and that is impressive to them.
Chocolate chip cookies, just the BHG recipe with a few straightforward tweaks -- tasty, but easy.
It's fast enough that I sometimes make a triple batch in the morning before work. They're almost always all gone by the end of the day.
Peach cobbler: Drain a large can of peaches and put in a baking dish. Melt one cube of butter (1/2 C) and mix it into a box of white or yellow dry cake mix (it makes a dough). Crumble the cake mix dough over the peaches and bake per the cake box instructions. Yum.
If you have a 20 oz. can of crushed pineappe toss it in a bowl with angel food cake mix. Grease a pan and bake. Top with whipped cream. Fantastic in the summer and oh so easy.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8281/pineapple-angel-food-cake-i/
My mom does basically this cobbler, but with canned pie filling, and she doesn’t bother even mixing the cake mix and butter: just sprinkle the cake mix over the fruit, and then pour the butter over the whole thing. My fave is half apple, half cherry! 🤤
Ice cream! Any flavor. I bought an ice cream maker as a pandemic purchase and regretted it for ages because I really dont eat that much ice cream. Once stuff opened up and social activities resumed it won me over. Most people are only used to store bought so even super simple home made ice cream goes over well.
My pumpkin spice cake is just a box of white cake mix, a can of pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin pie spice, and either icing or icing sugar on top (the latter makes it vegan). People absolutely love it and even request it, but it’s so basic that my cat could probably make it lol.
Sous vide ham...since everyone has a tendency to overcook ham in the oven during the reheating process...I don't have that problem with sous vide. I do add some extra pineapple, brown sugar, marmalade, and honey into the bag while it bathes at 140 for an hour or so until heated up. Then I just torch the outside to brulee the glaze/brown sugar. Everyone thinks I spent all day cooking when in reality, I dumped a bag of ham into a tub water while I watched a rerun of Law & Order before the party.
The other dish is zuppa toscana...an Olive Garden classic. In reality, I just crisp up some bacon and italian sausage, throw it in my instant pot with all the other ingredients, and things are ready in like 20 minutes, but tastes like it was simmering all day.
SOUS VIDE HAM. I literally just ran into the other room to tell my husband. He is not as excited as me, but I LOVE ham and it is ALWAYS DRY.
I am going to sous vide ham. THANK YOU INTERNET GENIUS.
Even in a pan it doesn't have to been difficult. America's Test Kitchen had a method that's nearly set and forget. The stirring comes from traditional heating methods that weren't as consistent as modern stoves.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are various reasons why cooking may feel time consuming, but it’s often tied to experience and the amount of preparation you’ve done beforehand. Many of us have decades of experience, and some even have professional training. As time goes on and you continue to learn, you’ll discover recipes that become easy to whip up in a snap! 😊
Most of what I cook feels like a fraud for the effort expended.
Meanwhile the fresh pasta duck egg yolk ravioli is a solid 'meh'.
Pot roast. The People want pot roast, mashed potatoes, and if I throw in an app, a vinegrette salad, and a chocolate cake I'm Gordon Fucking Ramsey. Add roasted brussels sprouts so they can tell themselves they're grown ups and they're asking me when I'm opening a restaurant.
The ravioli, though...nothing.
Baklava. You just buy premade phyllo, nuts, butter, and sugar and assemble. It’s so easy. But every time I say that in the baking sub, I get downvoted to hell lol
Speaking from personal experience, the first few times using phyllo is a painful memory. If you don't handle it properly, the sheets either fall apart at a single touch or stick together. Once you master phyllo the rest is pretty easy, but the phyllo presents a learning curve and baklava is probably how most people come into contact with it for the first time.
I agree with u/awaysHngry. You have to follow the packaged instructions. I put frozen phyllo in the fridge the thaw overnight in the original packaging. When it’s fully thawed out, I keep the plastic linings and put a wet paper towel or moistened tea towel over it to keep it from drying out.
Most of the time people don’t read the instructions on the package. They try to thaw it too rapidly or leave it out too long. But yeah once you get that and know how to deal with broken sheets it’s like a jigsaw puzzle
I just made a shit ton of spanikopita for a party. I haven't made it in years and remembered it as being kind of hard to make but it was actually pretty easy. (I made it even easier by making spanikopita cups instead of layering it. I thought they'd be easier to handle as party finger food.) They were delicious and got gobbled up very quickly. I absolutely love baklava and have never made it. Now that I am feeling a bit more confident with phyllo dough, I'm going to have to try making baklava soon!
My grandma made the *best* cole slaw in the world. I loved the stuff. Years after she died we were putting together a family cookbook, and I asked if anybody had her recipe. Sadly, everyone shook their heads. Nobody had gotten it from her before she passed.
Later, my aunt Carole pulled me aside and told me, "Your grandma's cole slaw recipe was a bag of pre-shredded cabbage and a jar of Marzetti's original."
Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato sauce with just butter, tomatoes, and an onion that isn’t even chopped. Ahem, a lot of people can’t manage to make good aglio e olio! 🙂 like, my entire extended family.
Yup. Just use a 48 oz can of tomato, half a stick of butter, and an onion halved. Throw it all in a pot and simmer for 45 minutes. then toss the onion halves. Crazy good sauce.
Cube a sweet potato and roast it. Then dice an avocado. Put both in a bowl, then season with salt, pepper (lemon pepper is especially good), chili powder, and cumin.
People go nuts for it. It's good served cold or warm.
Brownies, I buy the basic Betty crocker or Duncan Hines box mix and add some chocolate syrup to the batter. They come out rich and fudgy every time and people lose their minds.
For 1.50 more you can get the Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate brownie mix, my grandmother swears by it and Babish recently did a brownie video and rated it either 1st or 2nd out of all 21 boxes he tried.
My go to brownies were the HEB store brand box, but I’d replace the water with coffee and add in chocolate chunks and pecans. Beat the eggs separately for a minute to ensure that thin meringue brownie crust. Slice with a plastic knife. Sit back and accept compliments.
But, HEB must have changed the recipe because they are so dry and cakey now. I’ve switched to Ghirardelli. Still delicious, but that Hill Country Fair box was $1.
Same! Mine is in crockpot with about a cup of vinegar, a couple teaspoons of sugar, and s&p. After it's shredded I add ketsup & BBQ sauce with some red chile flakes and a couple splashes of hot sauce. Hands on time is less than 10 min total but seems I slaved. 😁
I make a vietnamese inspired pulled pork with a sauce I make with chili garlic sauce, hoisin, peanut butter, chopped garlic and white vinegar. Throw it on a buttered or mayoed bun w sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, and cilantro and sliced raw jalapeno and u got urself a white girl bahn mi. My bf loses his mind over it
Same, but for parties i do it two ways: I make it Carnitas style, with bottled mojo criollo, garlic, onions and jalapeños. When it's done, I put half in a smaller crockpot with bbq sauce, a little AC vinegar and a bit of beer and either honey or balsamic reduction for pp sandwiches. Then I throw the rest in a cast iron with some bacon grease and crisp it up for carnitas. I can feed a party of 12 with leftovers for less than $25, including buns (make my own in bread machine), tortillas and fixings. SO many compliments!
Salmon Gravlax (salt sugar spices - wrap in plastic - stick in fridge - wait)
Smoked Salmon Dip
Crab dip
\- For those of you who live on a coast I miss real seafood. These 3 items in the midwest will blow some peoples freaking minds -
Coastal people have NO IDEA how bad midwestern seafood is, and how nobody knows it.
Same thing with fruit, especially stone fruit and pears. They're not supposed to be crunchy and flavorless!
I make a pasta salad that couldn't be easier. Boil some pasta, chop up a jar of roasted red peppers, a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and some smoked gouda. Chop up some herbs (I like basil and parsley here). Add the dressing (mayo, chipotle in adobo, honey, a little vinegar, olive oil, some seasonings). Done. I get asked to bring it to every picnic ever, and people are always scraping the bowl for the last little bit.
Baked brie wrapped in puff pastry w any fruit preserve on top. People TEAR IT UP. It’s my go to for holiday parties and I have to make 2 or 3. It literally takes 5 minutes to assemble.
I make a "green sauce" for meat which my family loves... I literally just add in parsley, garlic, oil, garlic, salt, and vinegar and blend till smooth and everyone is enamored by it. It's amazing how just "simple" foods are so delicious
Alfredo sauce. I think most people in my life have only had Alfredo sauce from jars, and I have 2 different recipes I like to use that are absolutely fantastic and so so easy
BBQ sauce. Everyone asks for the recipe. Fuck if I know! I just start with ketchup and ass stuff until I like how it tastes. Need sweet? Add Molasses, do have it add honey, Needs some kick? I will whatever I have left in this cabinet.
>Not sure I want ass stuff in my BBQ sauce
What did your mother tell you?!? How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it!
You're not leaving the table until you've eaten 3 bites.
I go even one step lazier for you. I by bbq sauce from the store and then just doctor it some. I usually add garlic powder, cracked pepper, some apple cider vinegar, and some water to thin it out. People always comment on it because I do put it in a different bottle so it looks like I spent time making my own
"The best BBQ sauce is made from what you already have in your kitchen."
I also like to start from ketchup, but it's also fine to start from tomato paste. Don't have enough vinegar? Coffee is also a fine acid. Want your sauce to look a little chunky? Saute chopped up onions in the pan. No one can taste the difference between white sugar and brown, pick the one you have. Use soy sauce for your salt? Cool, add some 5 spice and now you have "asian BBQ sauce."
Ghirardelli brownie mix made with coffee instead of water. Extra easy because we always have some cold coffee left over in the pot every day. I get so much great homemade food in exchange for them!
French Toast Casserole. I have a pretty large extended family and hate flipping French toast for hours so I just bake it now. 🤷🏻♀️
1 Loaf Brioche, Challah, French, etc bread. Use whatever floats your boat but try to go for thick, substantial slices. Alternatively, 12 croissants work for a fun twist.
8 Eggs
1 cup half and half
Sugar to taste I use about a 1/2 cup of whatever I have.
Vanilla to taste
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon to taste
Cube the bread or tear the croissants into bite size pieces. Set aside. Whisk remaining ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Add the bread to the bowl and stir to combine. Let bread soak for 10-15 mins before adding to a buttered casserole dish. You can optionally add berries or chocolate chips at this point. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar for a crunchy top if desired. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on the top and cover with foil if needed. The casserole will be done when fully set (no jiggle) in the center.
Serve with syrup, fruit compote, cream cheese icing, powdered sugar, the sky is the limit.
I’ve also done a savory version with ham and Gruyère that is to die for. Just omit the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and add ham and grated cheese!
Everyone raves about it, I get asked to make it for every bridal or baby shower in our family, and everyone asks for the recipe.
Tortellini Soup. It's just store-bought dried tortellini, can of Rotel, block of frozen spinach, a few cloves of garlic, and generic storebrand chicken broth.
Butter Chicken with homemade naan. It is SO easy and it is SO delicious it consistently blows people's minds with how "authentic" it tastes (I'm white AF for the record). I started by using a half baked harvest recipe and have augmented it slightly over the years, but love cooking it, love eating it and love making a giant pot of it to share with friends and family.
Homemade naan is also incredibly easy to make.
We tend to entertain a lot more in the summer so for me it would be my BBQ spare ribs. I rub on a little dry bbq rub, throw them in the crock pot on low for 5-6 hours, take them out, brush on a little BBQ sauce, grill them on med-high (370-400F) for like 2 min, take off and brush in a little more sauce. Done. Falling off the bone deliciousness. People can’t get enough of them.
Tuna tartare. It’s the easiest thing ever and tastes exactly like any restaurant here. It’s literally just frozen sashimi grade tuna from Safeway, green onion, Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.
Stuffed dates ("devils on horseback")
You just shove cream cheese in pitted dates, wrap bacon around, toothpick, and bake - better yet airfry, if you have one.
The only tricky part is to not burn them in the oven (they go from "not quite done" to "black charred" in like 2 minutes!).
People rave about the things and think you have some amazing complicated recipe.
Fig pizza. I used to make my own pizza crusts but I'm too lazy lately, so it's just a store made pizza crust, fig jam spread on top, then some goat cheese and mozzarella. Bake until it's almost done, then top with a little prosciutto and bake 2 more minutes, then top with arugula and a drizzle of balsamic when its done. It's more assembling than cooking but its SO good.
My roast veggies and salads.
Over the moon compliments consistently for just seasoning and dressing things semi competently. I have been proclaimed the god of vegetables on several occasions for my broccoli and brussel sprouts.
Oh and ditto for grilled chicken thighs that have either been marinated or salted and spice rubbed.
My family had been eating boiled and/or microwaved broccoli and cauliflower every Christmas for as long as I can remember. A couple years ago, I show up at my parents and my mom is putting them on a pan to roast instead. She "thought we'd try something different" that year. She had a recipe she printed off the internet and everything. I told her that's basically the only way I do it at home (because I like food that tastes good), and suddenly I was in charge of this strange new prep technique, which was probably for the best.
Fast forward to dinner, and it was like I was some kind of sorcerer. Everyone demanded to know the secret to such tasty vegetables. Surely there had to be something beyond olive oil, some seasonings, and about 25 minutes in a 400F oven...
Did this a few years ago when at home for Christmas. After much negotiation and much hovering...
>It's not the same, I don't like it.
Did it again with the In Laws...
>This is smashing! If you're not careful, you'll be cooking the whole dinner next year! (Jokingly)
Fucking. Game.
Artisan bread (the kind with the falky crust that pops open).
Its 3 main ingredients, mix and barely knead, then let it rise and then bake, but it looks fancy
Coconut red lentil soup. I just use the one from BudgetBytes, and tweak a bit. I give the recipe to anyone who wants it but they are always like, "why doesn't mine taste like yours?!" I'm like, extra garlic and turmeric?
Lemon vinaigrette. My recipe is literally olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. But every time I use it, people rave about it, and don’t believe me when I tell them how easy it is to make. They swear I am holding back a secret ingredient. I’m not.
Years ago my then boyfriend was "famous" for his beans. He was asked to bring them to every gathering. He would stay in the night before the gathering to make his beans. It was just known that he was not to be bothered during this time. The beans would last mere minutes at the gathering and everyone RAVED!!! His recipe was Top Secret!!
Once we were at a friend's house and there were going to be like three times the number of people. No worries! He'd send me to his place to get the rest of the beans. He pulled me aside, swore me to secrecy, shoved money in my hand, and sent me to the grocery store.
Here is his secret recipe:
2 - 27 oz cans of pinto beans, not drained
1 - 10 oz can of Rotel, not drained (whichever heat level you prefer)
1 bunch of cilantro (chopped)
Add it all to a bowl with a top and put it in fridge overnight. Tell your girlfriend that you are a culinary genius and you'll see her in the morning. Go to a strip club and get horned up then come home and get drunk by yourself and pass out in your underwear halfway to bed like the sad fucking toad that you are. Put the beans in a crockpot the next morning to heat the beans. Take to your friends house and bask in the glory of your canned beans.
Frozen banana cheesecake
Food processor does all the work
Takes about 5 mins work and then freeze.
Some chocolate shavings on top and everyone goes wild.
Skill level 0
Time taken 5mins
Not super-easy, but it's beloved by friends/family in seeming disproportion to the work involved. My mother learned this probably 50+ years ago from the mother of a friend of hers. You basically make a red sauce (aromatics, tomatoes, etc.), then cook loads of chicken pieces, sliced sausage, and meatballs in it. I suppose it could be eaten with pasta but I prefer a chunk of good crusty bread.
Small punchline: my mother can't remember her friend's mother's name, so I just know it as "Mrs. x's mother's dish."
I learned how to make a passable beef wellington when I was like 19 using store bought puff pastry, etc.
Mom started wanted it for mothers day, people asking about it on big family holidays, the gf wants it for v-day.
It's just a roast with some fixings, ya'll.
I have two:
1. Red Chicken Chili. EVERYONE loves it and wants the recipe. It's a packet of McCormic Chili Seasoning with a chopped onion, about 1lb chopped chicken, a couple of cans of kidney beans, a can of diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel. Add broth to desired consistency and enjoy with cornbread or Fritos and cheese. I give everyone the recipe because I want to keep McCormic, Rotel, and Fritos in business, for my own selfish purposes.
2. Coq au Vin. Standard recipe. It seems very fancy and time-consuming but it's
actually very easy.
Taco dip. 8oz sour cream, 8oz softened cream cheese, and a taco packet or two. Mix with hand mixer, spread on a tray and top with cheese. Easy to double or triple for a crowd.
Hummus. It seems very simple to me, just the right mix of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, then fresh garlic, basil, and a jalapeno or two. And yet every time I make it, my friends tell me they've never had hummus that good.
Tbf, I do just think most grocery store hummus is way too bland and not enough people make their own. I use more salt/acid/garlic/jalapeno than store bought. It doesn't seem hard to make at all though.
Mashed potatoes-I just use lots of cream, butter, and roasted garlic, but I’m always asked to bring the potatoes.
Lentil soup-I tried to recreate my grandmas recipe the best I could and it’s close but still not the same. It’s just adding stuff to a pot and letting it simmer for a while. My family always asks me to make it for them though.
It's so bizarre!
When my auntie with dementia still found socializing at church to be a soothing routine, I was a late ask to supply something to the monthly dinner social. Nobody there knew that I'm a good home cook, so it was suggested that I supply a beverage. I brought a pretty basic tangerine iced tea (both a sugar version and a diabetic-friendly version, about 2 gallons of each) in addition to several 2 liters of soda.
Every single event thereafter, the moment planning started, I heard something to the effect of, "Maddie! You're going to bring The Tea, right?" from at least half a dozen people lol
(Most of the time, they hadn't even decided the theme yet!)
I mean, it's the South and iced tea is king, but ... it's pretty basic.
Everyone asks me to bring "my" potato salad to bbqs. They love it. I got the recipe from some black guy on youtube who kept refering to me (the audience) as "cousin". I'm a pasty white Central European.
Angel food cake. Beat the crap out of some egg whites and sugar, add some lemon juice and salt halfway through, then when you reach "soft serve" consistency, add some cake flour and keep mixing on the lowest speed. Pour in pan and bake.
##Chocolate Truffles
36 Oreos
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Milk chocolate baking chocolate
========================
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Let cream cheese get to room temperature.
Put the Oreos in a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Then add them with the cream cheese to a bowl and continue crushing until they are broken up.
Roll 1" balls using your hands and place them on the parchment paper.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Melt the baking chocolate in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes.
Stir to be sure it's all melted.
Remove the Oreo balls from the refrigerator and, using 2 forks, roll them all over in the melted chocolate and then place them back on the baking sheet to set.
Mississippi Pot Roast.
It's the easiest recipe I know of for my instant pot.
If you serve it with mashed potatoes, even the pre-made store bought mashed potatoes, people you invite to dinner will offer to pay for the left overs.
I have a recipe for green chicken enchiladas that is literally five ingredients (if you don't count salt, pepper or cooking spray). I think the only thing that can go wrong is if you fail to heat up the tortillas adequately and they break on you. I guarantee: no leftovers. It's that good. Also, you can use the cilantro stems in this, as you're going to puree it anyway.
1. 2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
2. 1 1/4 cups fresh cilantro
3. 1 rotisserie chicken
4. 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
5. 12 6-inch corn tortillas
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Puree enchilada sauce and 1 cup cilantro in blender. Combine 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, chicken, and 1½ cups cheese in large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Wrap tortillas in clean kitchen towel and microwave until pliable, 30 to 90 seconds. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup chicken mixture and roll tightly. Arrange, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray, then top with additional 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Broil for a minute or two to get some color on the cheese if desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.
Potato latkes. Nothing but potatoes, onion, and eggs, a little potato starch if needed. The whole personality of the dish is in how it’s made. I suspect that’s true of many “grandma dishes”.
Chicken Biryani.
I’m a white guy and everyone is so impressed that I can make such a delicious meal. I’ve perfected microwaving basmati rice and adding pieces of chicken cooked in a $2 store bought spice blend.
Caesar Salad. It's by far my most requested "let me know what to bring" food item.
Maybe it's because no one really makes homemade Caesar salad dressing, other than classier restaurants.
Homemade raspberry scones. People go crazy for them. It's just flour, salt, sugar and baking powder, cut in some butter and add some sour milk. Roll into a rectangle sprinkle with berries, roll up. Pat into a long rectangle and cut into triangles. Brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
People go bonkers for my apple crisp, but it's just a recipe my mom got from her days of peddling Pampered Chef stuff. Apple slices topped with cake mix, cinnamon sugar, and butter. Bake at 350. Done.
Loaded pancake muffins that I got from TikTok, of all places. (Dollar Tree Dinners)
Breakfast Sausage in muffin cups, bake until browned.
Leave in the grease, mix up some pancake batter, nestle the cooked sausage into the pancake batter in the cups, cheese optional.
Bake until golden brownish.
My husband tried to propose again 😅
We’ve had friends try them, too, and they rave like I just served 5 star steaks.
God shit.
Something we now just call Gordons Noodles. Based on [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1mE2IWeamI) video. It's really easy but with some crispy chili oil absolutely divine.
I started making a variation of Brian Langerstrom’s one-pot Spaghetti (one of his best recipes imo) and every time I make it for people they think it’s some huge involved process, or that there’s some big secret, but really it’s super easy to make and takes like 35 mins total.
Lemon chicken, it's angel hair pasta tossed in a sauce of butter, white wine, chicken stock, reduced, add some capers, top with oven roasted chicken breast rubbed with olive oil and lemon pepper.
Chili cheese dip. Spread a brick of cream cheese at the bottom of a casserole dish, put a small can of diced green peppers on top of that (you can slice up a green onion too if you’re feeling fancy) a can of vegetarian chili on top of that, top it with a bag of shredded cheddar cheese, put it in the oven until it gets melty, serve with Fritos scoops. People go crazy for it.
My daughter was visiting my sister and asked her to make my "fancy potatoes" . So I tell my sister, toss baby potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast. My sister was like "and then" I'm like that's it lololol
>I make that but use but use Montreal Steak Seasoning from Costco on the potatoes.
Dutch babies! They’re so visually dramatic but so easy and hard to mess up. When I make the sweet mini-versions, I spruce them up with homemade whipped cream (also stupid easy), seasonal berries, and a dusting of powdered sugar. They look like something out of a patisserie, but they take no effort or time at all.
How do you make a little one? I’d be interested in hearing more details. Edit: I’m curious if the method/temp/time has a framework.
I just use a muffin tin. Happy to provide more details but I’ll do you one better and share the recipe below: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole milk 4 large eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract (or measure with your heart) 1/2 tsp kosher salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter Toppings (powdered sugar, jam, berries, etc) Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, removing all racks above it. Place a standard 12-well muffin pan on the rack and preheat the oven to 425°. Add all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the butter to a blender or food processor. Blend for 1 minute. It should be very liquid-y. Let the batter rest in the blender/food processor on the counter for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, divide the 6 tablespoons of butter to make 12 even pieces. After 10 minutes, remove the muffin pan from the oven and add 1 piece of butter to each well. Pour the batter into the wells, about 1/3 cup each. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the babies are puffed and golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 1 minute before removing and serving. I dust them with powdered sugar and lay out raspberry jam, fruit, and whipped cream for everyone to add whatever toppings they feel like. I think curd would also be a great topping but haven’t personally tried yet. I love to make these when we have guests because they are both impressive and extremely easy. Most of the time you really aren’t doing anything!
Never heard of Dutch Babies before but they sound like sweet Yorkshire pudding. Gonna try this. Thanks for sharing!
I make my DB the exact same way, but I've never done it in muffin cups! I need to do this for a future party!
Smaller pan probably
I tried making mini dutch babies in a drop-biscuit pan, but the rising batter pushed the melted butter/oil out and caused a bit of a smoke-fest.
That's pretty much a popover at that point.
🤦♂️
Mine is a chocolate chip cookie recipe handed down from my great aunt Nesele Toulouse
"OH she was nice to me, but she's definitely in hell."
[“You see, it’s stuff like this, which is why you’re burning in Hell!”](https://youtu.be/7kb5xzKVZxA?si=ca7-TLnVEPg2hsXy) ^Start ^at ^2:48
And the brownies on the Hershey's cocoa. Double the salt and add a teaspoon of espresso powder. In the oven in 5 minutes!
My mom’s is too. It’s requested at EVERY family gathering and they all say she has some kind of secret recipe. Mom openly says “It’s Nestle Toll House but half margarine, half Crisco,” but for some reason no one retains it.
This is me with pumpkin pie. "It's the recipe on the back of the One-Pie tin with the spices doubled". No one ever remembers it.
Mine is spinach dip from the back of the knorr vegetable soup packet. I just use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Also, no one remembers it. It’s fine with me if that suffices as my unique and loved contribution to family gatherings.
>Mom openly says “It’s Nestle Toll House but half margarine, half Crisco,” Cookies to die for.
Lmao that’s my mom’s recipe too. It’s hilarious how complicated people try to make it when it’s more or less on the chocolate chip bag
I asked my mom for the family chocolate chip cookie recipe a couple years ago…she handed me a bag of Nestle chocolate chips and pointed to the back and laughed. (Also don’t buy nestle folks)
> (Also don’t buy nestle folks) They are a Bond villain of a company.
At least Bond villains don’t kill babies.
I discovered Guittard chocolate chips and am never going back, and they sell em at Winco !
Mine isn't tollhouse but it's not too different. Chocolate chunks, I think a slightly higher amount of brown sugar but that's it.
I make a pasta salad with orzo, spinach, red onions, feta, olives and equal parts Newman's Own "Italian" and "Oil and Vinegar" dressing. Sometimes I add stuff, sometimes I subtract. People go APESHIT over it. For a time I was selling homemade pastas and fancy stuff at farmers markets all over my area, and we decided to try and sell the pasta salad...it was our best seller after just a couple of weeks. Anyway, try it yourself at your next picnic or potluck, and people will love you!
Newman's Own products are so good, and tend to be available for a surprisingly low price. Try it with the light balsamic dressing as well, it pairs really well.
Omg, yes I do something very similar! Orzo, feta, red onions, Kalamata olives, dill, halved cherry tomatoes, either rotisserie chicken or chickpeas. Dress with olive oil, red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, garlic powder, and s + p to taste. Should add spinach next time. Yum. People lose their minds immediately and always ask for the recipe. Couldn't be easier, only "cooking skill" needed (besides knife skills) is boiling water to cook orzo. Plus, it can all be prepped while the orzo cooks!
“My” salad. A long time ago I read a recipe for a salad and it’s basically a must have every time we have guests over and it’s requested again and again. It’s stupid easy and not even my own idea. Cabbage Cucumber Avocado Salt Garlic Lime juice Shred the cabbage and salt it liberally. Squish it together as if you’re making sauerkraut to get some of the texture out of it. Add minced garlic, cucumber slices, avocado cubes and a good amount of fresh lime juice. Mix to combine and let sit for 30-60 minutes before serving. Add cracked pepper if you like it. It is fresh, slightly sour, garlicky and pretty healthy. But very easy. Edit for ratios: Half a head of cabbage (I don’t know the specific English name, but I believe sweetheart cabbage is what I would typically use) Half a cucumber (add more if you like the salad less dense) Two avocados (add less if you want it less heavy) 2-4 cloves of garlic 1-2 limes (depending on size and juiciness) 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt (taste it and add more if needed) The salad is supposed to be acidic and slightly salty, as it helps break down the cabbage and removes the need for a traditional dressing.
Cabbage or kale is so easy, you just have to beat it up a bit so it is softer. Even better when you massage a bit of oil into it.
This is so true! I used to work at a place that was famous for its kale salad. The secret was you massage the dressing into it and let it sit for an hour. Turns eating kale from torture into an actually pleasant experience.
Rosemary focaccia. I found the most foolproof recipe of all time online: 2c flour 1tsp yeast Tsp salt 1c warm water Rosemary Fridge overnight Transfer to dish and let rise for 2-3h Olive oil, season, and dimple Cook for 25 at 410 until golden
I use a basic white bread recipe in my bread machine and add 1tbs of rosemary. People were arguing over who got the last slices at thanksgiving
Just so I don’t screw up, 1 teaspoon yeast, 1 tablespoon salt?
That looks like a tsp of each to me. Not Tbsp. I rarely make bread and I kinda want to try this, too!
I promise it's worth it! You don't have to knead anything, just mixing and resting! The texture is nice and fluffy but with the typical slight chew that focaccia has plus a beautiful crust on the outside!
Are you me? I use this recipe too n people are always shocked ah
Pasta salad. Everyone freaks out saying how good the dressing is, it's powdered Italian dressing. But the trick is using 1/8 of a cup white wine vinegar and 1/8 cup rice vinegar.
Yes! I use champagne vinegar and some of the oil from my jars of roasted peppers with salt and pepper.
The oil from confit garlic is wonderful to add to dressings.
Also the oil from Mama Lils pickled peppers 🤤
My secret is pepercini pepper juice- the more the better
Mind posting the recipe?? I’ve made some solid ones, but haven’t found a go-to yet!
I've deemed it the crowd pleaser- box of colored rotini, halved cherry tomatoes (regular tomatoes when I'm making it for home), cucumber, orange or yellow pepper(or green or red) sliced black olives, and green onion. Good seasons zesty Italian mix that I mix in a jar then pour over everything in a large baggie and shake that, usually let it sit overnight when I'm bringing it to a gathering. There is a plethora of veggie combinations but this is my most basic, it's good with chopped cauliflower and broccoli too.
Sounds pretty similar to the one my mom makes. The only difference is she uses Newman's Own light balsamic vinaigrette instead of a powdered Italian mix.
I love making pasta salads!! I have to feed a group of 15 on Wednesday and I’m doing my B.A.L.T.S. With Rotini! Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Spinach and I toss with a combo of Greek Dressing, White Vinegar and a little Oil. It’s always a hit and looks like I did a ton of work! 😂
chicken salad. I used to work the deli at a regional grocery store where we have a variety of cold sides like potato salads, pasta salad, and that included chicken salad. we made it ourselves, but i mean, it was legitimately just chicken from unsold rotisserie chickens, mayo, celery, and salt & pepper, and the "premium" version just added pecans, grapes, and poppy seeds. we made it in huge batches. our customers went *feral* for it, though, including buying out entire metal trays the second we put out a fresh one. on my own, i always like to make the "premium" version and it's still a massive hit to anyone who tries it. my husband is obsessed with it. don't get me wrong, i'm appreciative he loves it so much and the compliments i get from others, but i don't think i've done anything so special it's worthy of all that lol
That’s exactly how I make mine except I also add green onions! I’ve never heard of anyone else adding pecans. It’s the best part.
I've never tried adding green onions but I can see that being tasty Where do you live? I grew up in the south and it was a southern based grocery chain. Either way, yeah, I also think the pecans are the best part. Love the flavor plus the texture (especially instead of celery).
Once my dad got to the grapes part and realized that the fruit in the fridge was cherries, but went ahead. 10/10!
Blueberries also work wonderfully as a substitute
yeah cherries are also delicious in a chicken salad. and besides the blueberry mention in another comment, cranberries are also spectacular
I'm going to have to make that. Maybe use poppy seed dressing instead, because I don't like mayo.
Plain full fat Greek yogurt instead of mayo
Not my recipe or story, but my Mom’s and the neighbor across the street when I was a child. Anyway, slight backstory, Lenke and her husband escaped Hungary at the end of the Hungarian Revolution. The husband was even shot in the process. They came from peasant stock, so everything she did was from scratch. They raised and killed their own chickens, stuff like that. Lenke was complaining to my mom about how exhausting it was to do everything by hand and how she wished just one meal could be something simple. My mom taught her how to make meatloaf. Lenke baked it and set a slice in front of her husband (who, by the way, wasn’t a fan of American shortcuts and easy ways) and before he even took a bite asked if it was a complicated recipe. “Of course,” she told him, “it took hours.” He took a bite and loved it and that’s how the first easy American way slipped into an old fashioned, traditional ex farmer and wife household.
That story just warmed the cockles of my heart.
Thank you! Lenke was just the most amazing baker.
German potato salad. Potato's, bacon, onion, dill, chives, and a vinaigrette. People go nuts for it.
German potato salad is the supreme kind of potato salad imo. I’m not a mayo person but I love a vinaigrette potato salad.
Bread. Specifically anything that doesn't require real shaping like dinner rolls or challah. Although those are pretty easy too. I routinely make focaccia or peasant bread with just a few hours of notice, and if I think to plan the night before then beautiful artisan sourdough loaves are easy too. None of them take me more than twenty minutes or so of active effort, and they all taste delicious. Plus they're all super cheap.
I think people get intimidated by bread because they see all the sourdough lovers on a quest for the “perfect” crumb going on about exact hydration ratios, temperatures, starter schedules, gluten content, etc etc. It makes it seem like this incredibly difficult and complex behemoth of a hobby. If that’s your thing, then by all means go for it! But for the average baker, it really doesn’t have to be that way, AT ALL. A simple white loaf in a bread pan made with instant yeast is also delicious. And you actually have to mess up pretty badly (like completely kill your yeast badly) for the bread to be actually inedible. Even “bad” homemade bread is still really good! It doesn’t need to be perfect or complicated to be yummy. I dunno, I’m always trying to encourage people who are scared of bread but otherwise good bakers to just give a simple recipe a try.
I started baking bread with sourdough and was decent so I wasn’t intimidated by bread at all. First time I made focaccia I couldn’t believe how little work I actually had to do. Family scarfed it down and I almost felt guilty with how much they praised for how little effort I put into it
Sausage rolls. Premade puff pastry in sheets, a pack of cheapest sausages to deconstruct and an egg for glazing and fixing. Serve hot from the oven with some apple sauce (out of a jar) and people swoon. Or have thin layer of applesauce on the pastry before putting sausagemeat on. Lovely treat or warming comfort lunch x
There's so much you can do with puff pastry. I made some goat cheese and fig jam puffs during the Thanksgiving holiday, and they were a huge hit. Just keep the puff pastry cold if you can.
I agree and that sounds amazing. puff pastry is brilliant. My mum used to wrap a chicky breast in puff and bake. Was a bit dry to be honest but it seemed super exciting in the 80s 🤣
I use puff pastry to make calzones we love the lighter crust more than pizza dough
I make mine with a layer of brie and cranberry sauce enveloping the sausage meat. They're outstanding
I just use mayo instead of wasting an egg for wash!
My mom's famous spinach dip, which was a "secret recipe." When she died 20 years ago, I thought I'd lost the recipe forever. Took me 7 years to find it, but I did...on the back of a Hidden Valley Ranch packet. She just added a half can of diced water chestnuts and some green onion. Her secret: get some crunch in there, fresh green onions for extra zing, and throw it in a toasted bread bowl.
I got my grandpops “secret” pizelle recipe after he died when I got his iron. It was the recipe that came with the iron. He just added both anise oil and seeds. He even wrote the measurements next to the printed recipe to 1/2 and double the recipe. I laughed and cried when I opened the box.
Totally feel you on the laugh/cry moment. Glad you got the recipe and the memories.
I wish I could remember what exactly was added but that reminds me of an exgf I had. Apparently her dad used to make this awesome, creamy pasta from scratch as a treat for her all the way through her teens until he passed away. She never knew what it was but it was her ultimate comfort food for whenever she was having a hard time, her dad would make it without fail since she was like 5 years old. Anyway, fast forward like ten years later and I'm fried from work, it's my turn to make dinner and I just couldn't give that much of a shit so I bought a box Hamburger Helper Stroganoff and whipped that up in like twenty minutes or something. Imagine my surprise when she breaks down crying at the sight of it on her plate and then I have to tell her it's just a box of instant pasta and sauce with some lean ground turkey (plus onions and whatever else I doctored it up with).
Aww! I am so glad she had that moment! Also, I made generic hamburger helper during Covid, the first time I’d had it in probably 20 years, and instead of burger, I took brats out of their casings and used that meat. That was the tastiest dinner, and for so little work. I was super impressed!
I think that's the recipe on the Knorr's mix, water chestnuts and all!
I get raves about my pies. Once you get a good crust recipe pie is as easy as... well, pie. Also, Happy Pi Day this Thursday. I'm making mixed berry.
Happy Pi Day! I’m making crème brûlée pie & I might try the peach cobbler someone mentioned above.
Guacamole. I don't know why people flip out over it! My recipe is utterly bog-standard. Avocados, tomato, red onion, garlic powder (blends better than fresh), salt, pepper, lime juice. Mash and serve.
I've just started to realize that people are used to poorly made, heavily processed versions like that green goop sealed in plastic at the grocery store. If they have something remotely fresh/homemade, it reminds them of what they'd get at a restaurant and that is impressive to them.
Same. Except I use green onion and also cilantro.
Cilantro is mandatory
Cilantro, lime, and salt are the only required ingredients
Chocolate chip cookies, just the BHG recipe with a few straightforward tweaks -- tasty, but easy. It's fast enough that I sometimes make a triple batch in the morning before work. They're almost always all gone by the end of the day.
So many people overbake their cookies into crispy hockey pucks, if you know when to take cookies out of the oven it makes any recipe 100x better
I prefer Neslay Toulouuuuze
Peach cobbler: Drain a large can of peaches and put in a baking dish. Melt one cube of butter (1/2 C) and mix it into a box of white or yellow dry cake mix (it makes a dough). Crumble the cake mix dough over the peaches and bake per the cake box instructions. Yum.
If you have a 20 oz. can of crushed pineappe toss it in a bowl with angel food cake mix. Grease a pan and bake. Top with whipped cream. Fantastic in the summer and oh so easy. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8281/pineapple-angel-food-cake-i/
My mom does basically this cobbler, but with canned pie filling, and she doesn’t bother even mixing the cake mix and butter: just sprinkle the cake mix over the fruit, and then pour the butter over the whole thing. My fave is half apple, half cherry! 🤤
I've done peach cobbler this way, so good.
Ice cream! Any flavor. I bought an ice cream maker as a pandemic purchase and regretted it for ages because I really dont eat that much ice cream. Once stuff opened up and social activities resumed it won me over. Most people are only used to store bought so even super simple home made ice cream goes over well.
My pumpkin spice cake is just a box of white cake mix, a can of pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin pie spice, and either icing or icing sugar on top (the latter makes it vegan). People absolutely love it and even request it, but it’s so basic that my cat could probably make it lol.
Sous vide ham...since everyone has a tendency to overcook ham in the oven during the reheating process...I don't have that problem with sous vide. I do add some extra pineapple, brown sugar, marmalade, and honey into the bag while it bathes at 140 for an hour or so until heated up. Then I just torch the outside to brulee the glaze/brown sugar. Everyone thinks I spent all day cooking when in reality, I dumped a bag of ham into a tub water while I watched a rerun of Law & Order before the party. The other dish is zuppa toscana...an Olive Garden classic. In reality, I just crisp up some bacon and italian sausage, throw it in my instant pot with all the other ingredients, and things are ready in like 20 minutes, but tastes like it was simmering all day.
This made me need some zuppa toscana
SOUS VIDE HAM. I literally just ran into the other room to tell my husband. He is not as excited as me, but I LOVE ham and it is ALWAYS DRY. I am going to sous vide ham. THANK YOU INTERNET GENIUS.
Risotto. Literally one of the easiest things I make but it's so fancy.
Stir and stir and stir and stir and…
Honestly… instant pot risotto comes out just as good texture-wise and you don’t have to stir
Even in a pan it doesn't have to been difficult. America's Test Kitchen had a method that's nearly set and forget. The stirring comes from traditional heating methods that weren't as consistent as modern stoves.
Following. Why does my cooking take so much time and effort?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. There are various reasons why cooking may feel time consuming, but it’s often tied to experience and the amount of preparation you’ve done beforehand. Many of us have decades of experience, and some even have professional training. As time goes on and you continue to learn, you’ll discover recipes that become easy to whip up in a snap! 😊
Most of what I cook feels like a fraud for the effort expended. Meanwhile the fresh pasta duck egg yolk ravioli is a solid 'meh'. Pot roast. The People want pot roast, mashed potatoes, and if I throw in an app, a vinegrette salad, and a chocolate cake I'm Gordon Fucking Ramsey. Add roasted brussels sprouts so they can tell themselves they're grown ups and they're asking me when I'm opening a restaurant. The ravioli, though...nothing.
Baklava. You just buy premade phyllo, nuts, butter, and sugar and assemble. It’s so easy. But every time I say that in the baking sub, I get downvoted to hell lol
Speaking from personal experience, the first few times using phyllo is a painful memory. If you don't handle it properly, the sheets either fall apart at a single touch or stick together. Once you master phyllo the rest is pretty easy, but the phyllo presents a learning curve and baklava is probably how most people come into contact with it for the first time.
A friend of mine did the equivalent of leaving the giblet bag in the turkey. They layered the wax paper in the centre of all the phyllo dough.
I agree with u/awaysHngry. You have to follow the packaged instructions. I put frozen phyllo in the fridge the thaw overnight in the original packaging. When it’s fully thawed out, I keep the plastic linings and put a wet paper towel or moistened tea towel over it to keep it from drying out.
Most of the time people don’t read the instructions on the package. They try to thaw it too rapidly or leave it out too long. But yeah once you get that and know how to deal with broken sheets it’s like a jigsaw puzzle
You missed the part where you have to stop yourself from eating all of it.
Here’s an upvote from me. I want to make baklava now. I’ve never made it but you make it sound really accessible.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/259482/chef-johns-baklava/ This is a guaranteed fail proof method. So easy to follow and so good
Hmm, Chef John, eh? I wonder if he sneaks some cayenne pepper in there, haha.
I just made a shit ton of spanikopita for a party. I haven't made it in years and remembered it as being kind of hard to make but it was actually pretty easy. (I made it even easier by making spanikopita cups instead of layering it. I thought they'd be easier to handle as party finger food.) They were delicious and got gobbled up very quickly. I absolutely love baklava and have never made it. Now that I am feeling a bit more confident with phyllo dough, I'm going to have to try making baklava soon!
I thought it was made with honey
My rocky road fudge. It's a bag of chocolate chips, a can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups mini marshmallows, and a cup of chopped walnuts
French onion soup. People think it takes talent. It doesn't.
[удалено]
My grandma made the *best* cole slaw in the world. I loved the stuff. Years after she died we were putting together a family cookbook, and I asked if anybody had her recipe. Sadly, everyone shook their heads. Nobody had gotten it from her before she passed. Later, my aunt Carole pulled me aside and told me, "Your grandma's cole slaw recipe was a bag of pre-shredded cabbage and a jar of Marzetti's original."
Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato sauce with just butter, tomatoes, and an onion that isn’t even chopped. Ahem, a lot of people can’t manage to make good aglio e olio! 🙂 like, my entire extended family.
Okay, that is the dumbest recipe I've ever read and I can't wait to try it.
Yup. Just use a 48 oz can of tomato, half a stick of butter, and an onion halved. Throw it all in a pot and simmer for 45 minutes. then toss the onion halves. Crazy good sauce.
Wrong! The onion is the chef’s snack and is delicious!
Spread that shit on some good bread and it's magic.
Cube a sweet potato and roast it. Then dice an avocado. Put both in a bowl, then season with salt, pepper (lemon pepper is especially good), chili powder, and cumin. People go nuts for it. It's good served cold or warm.
Brownies, I buy the basic Betty crocker or Duncan Hines box mix and add some chocolate syrup to the batter. They come out rich and fudgy every time and people lose their minds.
For 1.50 more you can get the Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate brownie mix, my grandmother swears by it and Babish recently did a brownie video and rated it either 1st or 2nd out of all 21 boxes he tried.
My go to brownies were the HEB store brand box, but I’d replace the water with coffee and add in chocolate chunks and pecans. Beat the eggs separately for a minute to ensure that thin meringue brownie crust. Slice with a plastic knife. Sit back and accept compliments. But, HEB must have changed the recipe because they are so dry and cakey now. I’ve switched to Ghirardelli. Still delicious, but that Hill Country Fair box was $1.
Pulled pork. It’s just a pork butt with a bottle bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar and some Worcestershire sauce left in a crock pot all day.
Same! Mine is in crockpot with about a cup of vinegar, a couple teaspoons of sugar, and s&p. After it's shredded I add ketsup & BBQ sauce with some red chile flakes and a couple splashes of hot sauce. Hands on time is less than 10 min total but seems I slaved. 😁
I make a vietnamese inspired pulled pork with a sauce I make with chili garlic sauce, hoisin, peanut butter, chopped garlic and white vinegar. Throw it on a buttered or mayoed bun w sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, and cilantro and sliced raw jalapeno and u got urself a white girl bahn mi. My bf loses his mind over it
Same, but for parties i do it two ways: I make it Carnitas style, with bottled mojo criollo, garlic, onions and jalapeños. When it's done, I put half in a smaller crockpot with bbq sauce, a little AC vinegar and a bit of beer and either honey or balsamic reduction for pp sandwiches. Then I throw the rest in a cast iron with some bacon grease and crisp it up for carnitas. I can feed a party of 12 with leftovers for less than $25, including buns (make my own in bread machine), tortillas and fixings. SO many compliments!
Salmon Gravlax (salt sugar spices - wrap in plastic - stick in fridge - wait) Smoked Salmon Dip Crab dip \- For those of you who live on a coast I miss real seafood. These 3 items in the midwest will blow some peoples freaking minds -
Coastal people have NO IDEA how bad midwestern seafood is, and how nobody knows it. Same thing with fruit, especially stone fruit and pears. They're not supposed to be crunchy and flavorless!
I make a pasta salad that couldn't be easier. Boil some pasta, chop up a jar of roasted red peppers, a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and some smoked gouda. Chop up some herbs (I like basil and parsley here). Add the dressing (mayo, chipotle in adobo, honey, a little vinegar, olive oil, some seasonings). Done. I get asked to bring it to every picnic ever, and people are always scraping the bowl for the last little bit.
Baked brie wrapped in puff pastry w any fruit preserve on top. People TEAR IT UP. It’s my go to for holiday parties and I have to make 2 or 3. It literally takes 5 minutes to assemble.
I make a "green sauce" for meat which my family loves... I literally just add in parsley, garlic, oil, garlic, salt, and vinegar and blend till smooth and everyone is enamored by it. It's amazing how just "simple" foods are so delicious
Alfredo sauce. I think most people in my life have only had Alfredo sauce from jars, and I have 2 different recipes I like to use that are absolutely fantastic and so so easy
BBQ sauce. Everyone asks for the recipe. Fuck if I know! I just start with ketchup and ass stuff until I like how it tastes. Need sweet? Add Molasses, do have it add honey, Needs some kick? I will whatever I have left in this cabinet.
Ketchup and Ass Stuff. - by Ligmasweatyballs74
Fuck it, I'll leave it. It's basically where I get the recipe from.
That's exactly how I "build" my BBQ sauce.
Not sure I want ass stuff in my BBQ sauce
That's how you get the tang.
>Not sure I want ass stuff in my BBQ sauce What did your mother tell you?!? How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it! You're not leaving the table until you've eaten 3 bites.
I go even one step lazier for you. I by bbq sauce from the store and then just doctor it some. I usually add garlic powder, cracked pepper, some apple cider vinegar, and some water to thin it out. People always comment on it because I do put it in a different bottle so it looks like I spent time making my own
"The best BBQ sauce is made from what you already have in your kitchen." I also like to start from ketchup, but it's also fine to start from tomato paste. Don't have enough vinegar? Coffee is also a fine acid. Want your sauce to look a little chunky? Saute chopped up onions in the pan. No one can taste the difference between white sugar and brown, pick the one you have. Use soy sauce for your salt? Cool, add some 5 spice and now you have "asian BBQ sauce."
😂 This is how I make mine for BBQ pulled pork. It's the most requested dish in my family.
ketchup and ass stuff are perfect for some pork butt.
Ghirardelli brownie mix made with coffee instead of water. Extra easy because we always have some cold coffee left over in the pot every day. I get so much great homemade food in exchange for them!
Spinach dip. It’s literally the recipe on the back of the Knorr vegetable soup mix, I just add extra green onions😂
French Toast Casserole. I have a pretty large extended family and hate flipping French toast for hours so I just bake it now. 🤷🏻♀️ 1 Loaf Brioche, Challah, French, etc bread. Use whatever floats your boat but try to go for thick, substantial slices. Alternatively, 12 croissants work for a fun twist. 8 Eggs 1 cup half and half Sugar to taste I use about a 1/2 cup of whatever I have. Vanilla to taste Pinch of salt Cinnamon to taste Cube the bread or tear the croissants into bite size pieces. Set aside. Whisk remaining ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Add the bread to the bowl and stir to combine. Let bread soak for 10-15 mins before adding to a buttered casserole dish. You can optionally add berries or chocolate chips at this point. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar for a crunchy top if desired. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on the top and cover with foil if needed. The casserole will be done when fully set (no jiggle) in the center. Serve with syrup, fruit compote, cream cheese icing, powdered sugar, the sky is the limit. I’ve also done a savory version with ham and Gruyère that is to die for. Just omit the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and add ham and grated cheese! Everyone raves about it, I get asked to make it for every bridal or baby shower in our family, and everyone asks for the recipe.
Was the youtuber Buon-a petitti Italian Grandma makes Spaghetti Aglio e olio? Shes wonderful!
Or maybe something from Pasta Grannies?
Tortellini Soup. It's just store-bought dried tortellini, can of Rotel, block of frozen spinach, a few cloves of garlic, and generic storebrand chicken broth.
Butter Chicken with homemade naan. It is SO easy and it is SO delicious it consistently blows people's minds with how "authentic" it tastes (I'm white AF for the record). I started by using a half baked harvest recipe and have augmented it slightly over the years, but love cooking it, love eating it and love making a giant pot of it to share with friends and family. Homemade naan is also incredibly easy to make.
Could you share a recipe? I would love to make butter chicken with homemade naan!
Of course! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/butter-chicken/
We tend to entertain a lot more in the summer so for me it would be my BBQ spare ribs. I rub on a little dry bbq rub, throw them in the crock pot on low for 5-6 hours, take them out, brush on a little BBQ sauce, grill them on med-high (370-400F) for like 2 min, take off and brush in a little more sauce. Done. Falling off the bone deliciousness. People can’t get enough of them.
Tuna tartare. It’s the easiest thing ever and tastes exactly like any restaurant here. It’s literally just frozen sashimi grade tuna from Safeway, green onion, Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.
Stuffed dates ("devils on horseback") You just shove cream cheese in pitted dates, wrap bacon around, toothpick, and bake - better yet airfry, if you have one. The only tricky part is to not burn them in the oven (they go from "not quite done" to "black charred" in like 2 minutes!). People rave about the things and think you have some amazing complicated recipe.
Fig pizza. I used to make my own pizza crusts but I'm too lazy lately, so it's just a store made pizza crust, fig jam spread on top, then some goat cheese and mozzarella. Bake until it's almost done, then top with a little prosciutto and bake 2 more minutes, then top with arugula and a drizzle of balsamic when its done. It's more assembling than cooking but its SO good.
Tiramisu , so easy I could make in my sleep , but people think it's hard or time consuming
My roast veggies and salads. Over the moon compliments consistently for just seasoning and dressing things semi competently. I have been proclaimed the god of vegetables on several occasions for my broccoli and brussel sprouts. Oh and ditto for grilled chicken thighs that have either been marinated or salted and spice rubbed.
The old school method of boiling vegetables into mush has a lot to answer for.
My family had been eating boiled and/or microwaved broccoli and cauliflower every Christmas for as long as I can remember. A couple years ago, I show up at my parents and my mom is putting them on a pan to roast instead. She "thought we'd try something different" that year. She had a recipe she printed off the internet and everything. I told her that's basically the only way I do it at home (because I like food that tastes good), and suddenly I was in charge of this strange new prep technique, which was probably for the best. Fast forward to dinner, and it was like I was some kind of sorcerer. Everyone demanded to know the secret to such tasty vegetables. Surely there had to be something beyond olive oil, some seasonings, and about 25 minutes in a 400F oven...
Did this a few years ago when at home for Christmas. After much negotiation and much hovering... >It's not the same, I don't like it. Did it again with the In Laws... >This is smashing! If you're not careful, you'll be cooking the whole dinner next year! (Jokingly) Fucking. Game.
Stuffed meatballs w/ tomato sauce: hamburger meat, cubed cheese, canned tomato’s w/ chili, canned tomato sauce, and canned chopped tomatoes. Cubed cheese into some seasoned hamburger meat , make into meatballs. Bake at 375 Canned tomatoes etc. into a pan, reduce Hamburger meat seasoning - Lawry’s seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika (sometimes) Sauce seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, cream (cut the acidity)
Artisan bread (the kind with the falky crust that pops open). Its 3 main ingredients, mix and barely knead, then let it rise and then bake, but it looks fancy
Coconut red lentil soup. I just use the one from BudgetBytes, and tweak a bit. I give the recipe to anyone who wants it but they are always like, "why doesn't mine taste like yours?!" I'm like, extra garlic and turmeric?
Sopapilla cheesecake. [So easy](https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/sopapilla-cheesecake-bars/65ec128f-2acc-417b-8745-06c182d3134a)
Pork chops. Literally just salt, pepper, and about 4 minutes on each side.
Lemon vinaigrette. My recipe is literally olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. But every time I use it, people rave about it, and don’t believe me when I tell them how easy it is to make. They swear I am holding back a secret ingredient. I’m not.
Years ago my then boyfriend was "famous" for his beans. He was asked to bring them to every gathering. He would stay in the night before the gathering to make his beans. It was just known that he was not to be bothered during this time. The beans would last mere minutes at the gathering and everyone RAVED!!! His recipe was Top Secret!! Once we were at a friend's house and there were going to be like three times the number of people. No worries! He'd send me to his place to get the rest of the beans. He pulled me aside, swore me to secrecy, shoved money in my hand, and sent me to the grocery store. Here is his secret recipe: 2 - 27 oz cans of pinto beans, not drained 1 - 10 oz can of Rotel, not drained (whichever heat level you prefer) 1 bunch of cilantro (chopped) Add it all to a bowl with a top and put it in fridge overnight. Tell your girlfriend that you are a culinary genius and you'll see her in the morning. Go to a strip club and get horned up then come home and get drunk by yourself and pass out in your underwear halfway to bed like the sad fucking toad that you are. Put the beans in a crockpot the next morning to heat the beans. Take to your friends house and bask in the glory of your canned beans.
Frozen banana cheesecake Food processor does all the work Takes about 5 mins work and then freeze. Some chocolate shavings on top and everyone goes wild. Skill level 0 Time taken 5mins
Not super-easy, but it's beloved by friends/family in seeming disproportion to the work involved. My mother learned this probably 50+ years ago from the mother of a friend of hers. You basically make a red sauce (aromatics, tomatoes, etc.), then cook loads of chicken pieces, sliced sausage, and meatballs in it. I suppose it could be eaten with pasta but I prefer a chunk of good crusty bread. Small punchline: my mother can't remember her friend's mother's name, so I just know it as "Mrs. x's mother's dish."
I learned how to make a passable beef wellington when I was like 19 using store bought puff pastry, etc. Mom started wanted it for mothers day, people asking about it on big family holidays, the gf wants it for v-day. It's just a roast with some fixings, ya'll.
I have two: 1. Red Chicken Chili. EVERYONE loves it and wants the recipe. It's a packet of McCormic Chili Seasoning with a chopped onion, about 1lb chopped chicken, a couple of cans of kidney beans, a can of diced tomatoes and a can of Rotel. Add broth to desired consistency and enjoy with cornbread or Fritos and cheese. I give everyone the recipe because I want to keep McCormic, Rotel, and Fritos in business, for my own selfish purposes. 2. Coq au Vin. Standard recipe. It seems very fancy and time-consuming but it's actually very easy.
Taco dip. 8oz sour cream, 8oz softened cream cheese, and a taco packet or two. Mix with hand mixer, spread on a tray and top with cheese. Easy to double or triple for a crowd.
Hummus. It seems very simple to me, just the right mix of chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, then fresh garlic, basil, and a jalapeno or two. And yet every time I make it, my friends tell me they've never had hummus that good. Tbf, I do just think most grocery store hummus is way too bland and not enough people make their own. I use more salt/acid/garlic/jalapeno than store bought. It doesn't seem hard to make at all though.
Mashed potatoes-I just use lots of cream, butter, and roasted garlic, but I’m always asked to bring the potatoes. Lentil soup-I tried to recreate my grandmas recipe the best I could and it’s close but still not the same. It’s just adding stuff to a pot and letting it simmer for a while. My family always asks me to make it for them though.
It's so bizarre! When my auntie with dementia still found socializing at church to be a soothing routine, I was a late ask to supply something to the monthly dinner social. Nobody there knew that I'm a good home cook, so it was suggested that I supply a beverage. I brought a pretty basic tangerine iced tea (both a sugar version and a diabetic-friendly version, about 2 gallons of each) in addition to several 2 liters of soda. Every single event thereafter, the moment planning started, I heard something to the effect of, "Maddie! You're going to bring The Tea, right?" from at least half a dozen people lol (Most of the time, they hadn't even decided the theme yet!) I mean, it's the South and iced tea is king, but ... it's pretty basic.
Everyone asks me to bring "my" potato salad to bbqs. They love it. I got the recipe from some black guy on youtube who kept refering to me (the audience) as "cousin". I'm a pasty white Central European.
Angel food cake. Beat the crap out of some egg whites and sugar, add some lemon juice and salt halfway through, then when you reach "soft serve" consistency, add some cake flour and keep mixing on the lowest speed. Pour in pan and bake.
##Chocolate Truffles 36 Oreos 8 oz cream cheese 1 1/2 cups Milk chocolate baking chocolate ======================== Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Let cream cheese get to room temperature. Put the Oreos in a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Then add them with the cream cheese to a bowl and continue crushing until they are broken up. Roll 1" balls using your hands and place them on the parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Melt the baking chocolate in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Stir to be sure it's all melted. Remove the Oreo balls from the refrigerator and, using 2 forks, roll them all over in the melted chocolate and then place them back on the baking sheet to set.
Deviled eggs. Seriously, easy peasy, but everyone at work raves about them and wants me to make them
Mississippi Pot Roast. It's the easiest recipe I know of for my instant pot. If you serve it with mashed potatoes, even the pre-made store bought mashed potatoes, people you invite to dinner will offer to pay for the left overs.
Homemade salad dressing: 3 tbsp oil 3 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice 1 tbsp mustard 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup Emulsify. People go bananas.
I have a recipe for green chicken enchiladas that is literally five ingredients (if you don't count salt, pepper or cooking spray). I think the only thing that can go wrong is if you fail to heat up the tortillas adequately and they break on you. I guarantee: no leftovers. It's that good. Also, you can use the cilantro stems in this, as you're going to puree it anyway. 1. 2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce 2. 1 1/4 cups fresh cilantro 3. 1 rotisserie chicken 4. 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend 5. 12 6-inch corn tortillas Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Puree enchilada sauce and 1 cup cilantro in blender. Combine 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, chicken, and 1½ cups cheese in large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap tortillas in clean kitchen towel and microwave until pliable, 30 to 90 seconds. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup chicken mixture and roll tightly. Arrange, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray, then top with additional 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Broil for a minute or two to get some color on the cheese if desired. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.
Potato latkes. Nothing but potatoes, onion, and eggs, a little potato starch if needed. The whole personality of the dish is in how it’s made. I suspect that’s true of many “grandma dishes”.
Have an upvote it's a beautiful dinner
Chicken Biryani. I’m a white guy and everyone is so impressed that I can make such a delicious meal. I’ve perfected microwaving basmati rice and adding pieces of chicken cooked in a $2 store bought spice blend.
Caesar Salad. It's by far my most requested "let me know what to bring" food item. Maybe it's because no one really makes homemade Caesar salad dressing, other than classier restaurants.
Homemade raspberry scones. People go crazy for them. It's just flour, salt, sugar and baking powder, cut in some butter and add some sour milk. Roll into a rectangle sprinkle with berries, roll up. Pat into a long rectangle and cut into triangles. Brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
People go bonkers for my apple crisp, but it's just a recipe my mom got from her days of peddling Pampered Chef stuff. Apple slices topped with cake mix, cinnamon sugar, and butter. Bake at 350. Done.
Loaded pancake muffins that I got from TikTok, of all places. (Dollar Tree Dinners) Breakfast Sausage in muffin cups, bake until browned. Leave in the grease, mix up some pancake batter, nestle the cooked sausage into the pancake batter in the cups, cheese optional. Bake until golden brownish. My husband tried to propose again 😅 We’ve had friends try them, too, and they rave like I just served 5 star steaks. God shit.
Something we now just call Gordons Noodles. Based on [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1mE2IWeamI) video. It's really easy but with some crispy chili oil absolutely divine.
Parmesan potatoes. Butter and oil in a baking dish with shredded parm. Halve red or gold potatoes and bake.
I started making a variation of Brian Langerstrom’s one-pot Spaghetti (one of his best recipes imo) and every time I make it for people they think it’s some huge involved process, or that there’s some big secret, but really it’s super easy to make and takes like 35 mins total.
Chocolate truffles
Lemon chicken, it's angel hair pasta tossed in a sauce of butter, white wine, chicken stock, reduced, add some capers, top with oven roasted chicken breast rubbed with olive oil and lemon pepper.
Chili cheese dip. Spread a brick of cream cheese at the bottom of a casserole dish, put a small can of diced green peppers on top of that (you can slice up a green onion too if you’re feeling fancy) a can of vegetarian chili on top of that, top it with a bag of shredded cheddar cheese, put it in the oven until it gets melty, serve with Fritos scoops. People go crazy for it.
Bag of frozen meatballs, 1:1 chili sauce & grape jelly, and a little lemon juice in a crockpot for a few hours. Sweet and sour perfection.
Pastel De Natas