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Collette Reitz is an editor and writer based in Chicago. She was previously an editor at Elite Daily, covering trends, tech, social media, food, and travel. She was also a freelance journalist, producing lifestyle, entertainment, and health content for publications including StyleCaster, People, Best Products, and The Checkup. She loves em dashes and blasting anything by Taylor Swift during a run.
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Collette Reitz
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For many, including myself, pancakes are a weekend ritual. I’ve been whipping up a batch at my kids’ request every weekend for what feels like forever. And just like everyone else, I have my go-to recipe: It’s unfussy, one-bowl, and delivers the fluffiest pancakes without fail. While my kids will happily go to town on those pancakes each and every time, I sometimes like to mix it up by trying out another recipe.
That’s where Kelli Foster’s brilliant and super-delicious German apple pancake comes in. It was our most popular recipe of 2023. After reading all the rave reviews, I just had to make it myself — and the result was incredible. The pancake calls for basic pantry staples, comes together in about 30 minutes, and bakes in the oven — no flipped required! I’ll be making this on repeat and I’m absolutely positive that you will be too.
For starters, the recipe calls for ingredients you likely have on hand: eggs, milk, butter, sugar, and an apple, just to name a few. Most of the hands-on time revolves around caramelizing apple slices with some spices in a cast iron skillet. The batter, which comes together quickly in a high-speed blender, gets poured over the apples, and then the whole thing is slid into a hot oven. That’s it! Your kitchen will also smell amazing — trust me.
I’m not the only one who raved about this pancake as soon as I tasted it. Our cross-tester said it was “super easy and delicious.” Many of you wrote reviews, mentioning how “truly delicious,” “so delicious,” and “really good” it was. You even took photos and shared them with us! And, several commented on how easy it was to make and that they’ll definitely be making it again. With so many great reviews, this recipe is truly a keeper.
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Kristina Razon
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A good mug of hot cocoa is about balance. It should be sweet, but not headache-inducing. It should be thicker than a glass of milk, but not so thick that you feel like you should be eating it with a spoon. Its chocolate flavor should be deep and rich, not one-dimensional.
To make Jacques Torres’ Legendary Hot Chocolate, start by bringing milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the milk is just boiling, lower the heat to medium and whisk in 60% dark chocolate. When the chocolate has melted, add cornstarch and milk powder to the mixture and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick.
That’s it! Divide the cocoa into mugs and garnish with whipped cream or marshmallows if you like.
This is the best hot cocoa I’ve had in years. It’s a simple recipe that uses unconventional ingredients to achieve an elevated take on a classic winter treat. Cornstarch thickens the mixture to achieve a silky smooth texture and milk powder adds extra creamy flavor without relying on half-and-half or heavy cream for either.
I tested six hot cocoa recipes for our showdown and despite many different combinations of ingredients and flavor profiles, this un-fussy recipe came out on top.
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Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
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When it comes to French toast, I don’t mess around. No matter what time of day it is or what food I was craving in the first place, if I sit down at a restaurant and see French toast on the menu, I get tunnel vision until I black out. What usually happens next is I wake up sitting in front of a beautiful display of breakfast glory, and I happily start to dig in.
French toast can be prepared in a number of different ways, including the classics that are served up with a little mixed fruit and Nutella, or the lumberjack-themed options with bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns on the side. And while I will turn no plate away described in such a way, I also cannot deny how strong French toast with the simple addition of butter and maple syrup stands on its own.
As much as I enjoy having French toast from some of my favorite restaurants, I also love making it from scratch at home. And lately, the way the weather has been getting much colder, I can’t help but find myself craving a hearty stack of one of my favorite breakfast foods. After coming across Laura Allen’s recipe for an Easy French Toast, which comes together in just 15 minutes, I decided I had deprived myself of happiness for long enough. All I needed was a little bit of inspiration, and boy was Allen’s recipe exactly that.
To begin, preheat a skillet over medium heat and in a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and flour until no lumps remain. Add milk, granulated sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Once the skillet is hot, grease with butter or cooking spray before moving on to the next step.
Now that the batter is ready, dip the bread slices into the batter, soaking each side thoroughly, and place onto the hot skillet. Cook for a few minutes, or until the bottom of the bread slices starts to turn golden brown. When ready, flip and cook the other side similarly. Once the toast is ready, remove it from the skillet and plate it along with a coating of maple syrup and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Serve warm and dressed up with either some fruit or bacon and eggs on the side.
To me, this is the perfect French toast recipe for anyone who likes to experiment in the kitchen and personalize their favorite dishes to their own tastes. I love a short ingredients list and a simple step-by-step instruction because it not only helps me familiarize myself with the recipe, it also leaves room for my imagination to wander while I am cooking it up.
With a recipe like this I will certainly be making adjustments and trying out new seasonings and ingredients every time I make it in the future, even though it is already perfect just as it is. I more than recommend trying this recipe out for yourself, and encourage you to share it with your friends and family this Christmas.
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Nathan Hutsenpiller
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Grandma always knows best — especially Reese Witherspoon’s grandma. While my grandma taught me the art of making the proper Italian meatball (still iconic!), Reese’s grandmother was teaching her all of her superior baking tips (swoon). Her sour cream cake is certainly one for the books, and now I’m also a huge fan of Grandma Dorothea’s buttermilk biscuits.
It’s the kind of recipe that you always want to have stored away in your kitchen. With six simple ingredients, this small-batch biscuit recipe is perfect for a simple dinner at home, or a lazy breakfast on the weekend. Knowing how iconic Reese’s grandma’s recipes are, I couldn’t help but give this buttermilk biscuits recipe a try. And let me tell you — it’s one you’re going to want to make every single night.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. While the oven is preheating, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Slice cold butter into small cubes. With clean hands, work the butter into the flour mixture until the dollops of butter are pea-sized or smaller. Pour in buttermilk and mix together with a rubber spatula.
Once incorporated, empty the rough dough onto a floured surface. It may be slightly dry and not sticking together, but don’t worry — you’ll combine it with your hands. Knead the dough with clean hands until everything is sticking together and the dough is slightly smooth. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape.
With a 2.5-inch round cutter, cut out six to eight biscuits. You might not get all six in one go, so knead the dough back together and roll it out for another round, or until you have enough biscuits. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet.
Melt the rest of the butter. Using a pastry brush, brush the butter on top of each biscuit.
Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The biscuits should be slightly golden on top when done.
I didn’t grow up in a household that made biscuits often, so finding an easy recipe that works well kind of feels like dynamite. Plus, this recipe makes a smaller batch, which is perfect if I quickly want to throw together biscuits for just me and my husband on a weeknight.
While some biscuits are typically flaky and layered, this biscuit recipe is a little more crumbly — perfect for pairing with a brothy pot roast or a comforting bowl of soup. The biscuits would even work well as a side for a big breakfast with bacon and scrambled eggs. Butter and jam are always a staple when eating biscuits, but these are already so tasty that you could still enjoy them on their own. If you’re patient with cutting in the butter, these biscuits will be fatty and won’t get dried out, which is honestly ideal for the perfect biscuit, whether it has flaky layers or not.
I, of course, had to share these deliciously fluffy biscuits with some of my family, and one of them had a brilliant idea of slathering the top with butter and honey while the biscuit was still warm. Let’s just say it was an absolute winner.
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Kiersten Hickman
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Overall rating: 3/10
Get the recipe: Giada De Laurentiis’ Triple Chocolate Cocoa
When I read the ingredient list for this one, I had high hopes. This recipe incorporates chocolate hazelnut spread in addition to dark chocolate, and is the only one to include a pinch of salt. A little bit of salt with your sweet is terrific! This is also the only recipe to lead with non-dairy milk. The curveball for me was the cocoa nibs, which don’t melt and seemed like a possibly problematic texture-add. This recipe uses the blender in addition to the stovetop, putting it squarely in a higher-lift category than every other recipe I tested. Still, I was hopeful it would yield a good cocoa with some added depth of flavor.
Before heating the milk on the stovetop you add dark chocolate chips, chocolate hazelnut spread, cocoa nibs, and salt to a blender. Once the milk is warm, you carefully pour it over the ingredients in the blender and allow them to sit for 30 seconds. Then everything is blended until smooth. Unfortunately, despite blending for over 3 minutes (well over the 30 seconds the recipe called for), I could not get the mixture totally smooth. The cocoa nibs remained stubbornly “nibby” and resulted in a gritty cocoa.
While blending heated milk and a few other ingredients is not necessarily a lot of work, it was noticeably more (and created more dishes to clean) than every other recipe I tested. Grittiness aside, the flavor of the cocoa was a tad on the bitter side and while the use of almond milk is great for non-dairy folks, the cocoa itself had a distinctly thinner texture than other cocoas I tested.
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Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
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In my household, mac and cheese will always reign supreme. The go-to pasta dish for kids of all ages is literally still one of my favorite foods after 35 years on this planet. And I know I am not alone in sharing that sentiment. Mac and cheese is not only delicious, it’s wholesome because it reminds you of home. I believe that it will stand the test of time as being one of the all-time greatest foods.
Being the super fan that I am, I can admit that not all mac and cheese is created equal, and some people really have no business whipping up a serving of my favorite dish. However, one person who truly knows her way around a cheesy helping of macaroni is TikTok influencer and author of Cooking for my Boyfriend, Tineke Younger. In a recent viral video, Younger shares with her audience the mac and cheese recipe she prefers to make for the holiday season, a tutorial that quickly racked up millions of views.
Younger’s baked rendition uses a surprise ingredient that immediately caught my attention, which was truly all I needed to be convinced that I should just try this mac and cheese out for myself.
Younger recommends using corkscrew pasta due to its ability to trap all of that delicious and cheesy creaminess inside of each noodle. She also advises to shred your own cheese in lieu of using packaged shredded cheese, in which case you will need mozzarella, Colby Jack, and sharp cheddar.
Boil the pasta until al dente and set aside for later. While the pasta is cooking, heat a pan over medium heat and drop in 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, add salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Whisk until well combined, then add 3 tablespoons of flour, making sure to whisk even more until no clumps of flour remain.
As the sauce begins to thicken, add 1 can of evaporated milk and continue to cook until the sauce thickens again. Add two cups of heavy cream and then season the sauce with additional pinches of seasoning and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
Using half of your shredded cheese mix, stir a little bit of cheese at a time into the sauce, giving ample time between each addition to allow for the cheese to fully melt. At this point, the cheese sauce should be ready to incorporate with the pasta. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and mix until well combined.
In a prepared baking dish, pour a base layer of mac and cheese, then generously top with a layer of the shredded cheese mix. Pour the rest of the mac and cheese in next, making sure to distribute throughout the dish evenly, then top off with the final layer of shredded cheese mix.
Pop the baking dish into an oven that has been preheated to 350°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese has fully melted. For a nice crispy top layer, you can broil the mac and cheese for the last couple minutes that you have it in the oven before pulling it out and letting the dish cool down. When ready, top with chopped chives and serve immediately.
Younger keeps it simple, while still elevating the recipe. I love her standard of cheese choice and I especially loved the introduction of Dijon mustard to the cheese sauce. I’ve had a few times where an ingredient both surprised me and made sense at the same time, and this was exactly one of those occasions. You could taste the slight spice of Dijon mustard and paprika seasoning, both ingredients complimenting the natural creaminess of the recipe perfectly.
I will admit, in an attempt to cut the recipe in half, I ended up adding a little too much pasta to my cheese sauce, resulting in a little less creaminess than I desired. However, after baking the dish and getting all of that freshly shredded cheese melted throughout, I still thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I will definitely be making mac and cheese like this again, and would totally recommend it to anyone who shares my love for this wonderfully cheesy meal.
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Nathan Hutsenpiller
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If you’ve ever spent some time on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Instagram account, you have likely seen three different types of posts: The Rock working out, The Rock filming something for television, and The Rock eating coconut banana pancakes.
That’s right — Dwayne Johnson truly loves his famous coconut banana pancakes. The recipe is from his pal Chef Pattie and is famously known as his favorite island pancakes to eat during his recovery days. He slathers the pancakes with peanut butter and maple syrup.
So of course, with so many posts about these pancakes — and so many fans raving about how good they are — I decided to give this recipe a try.
Get the recipe: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Famous Coconut Banana Pancakes
Sift together 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 3 teaspoons of baking powder in a large bowl. Add in 3 tablespoons of cane sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and 10 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut. Mix to combine.
In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter for about 30 seconds until melted.
In another bowl, add 2 eggs, 1 cup of coconut water, 1 cup of coconut milk, 3/4 cup of whole milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Add in the melted coconut oil and butter and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients bowl and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix lightly until just combined; the mixture will be lumpy — that’s okay!
Dice two medium-sized bananas in small pieces. Add to the batter and mix in briefly until everything is combined evenly.
Heat up a griddle to 275 degrees, or a frying pan to medium heat. Melt butter on the pan or use a light cooking spray. For monster-sized pancakes (just like The Rock likes them!) ladle 1 cup of batter onto the pan. For smaller pancakes, ladle 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. This should make either 6 large pancakes, or 24 smaller pancakes. If you want somewhere in between, ladle 1/2 cup of batter instead.
Cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Continue the process until all the pancakes are cooked. Then serve with peanut butter, maple syrup, and extra sliced bananas if desired.
For someone who really, really doesn’t like coconut, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually did like these pancakes. I think the pairing with the banana and peanut butter really adds to the sweet, distinct flavor of the coconut with each bite. However, I also didn’t find the coconut in these pancakes to be overpowering. Despite the fact that the recipe calls for shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, and coconut water, it didn’t have a powerful coconut flavor that turned me away. I found myself taking bite after bite.
I also really like how Dwayne Johnson insists on serving his coconut banana pancakes with peanut butter instead of regular butter. Obviously it adds an extra boost of protein (he’s got to get all of those muscles somehow!) but it also is a great pairing with each bite of these pancakes. I’m also a big fan of pancakes with peanut butter (preferably a cold pancake, they make for a great snack), so the fact that he personally recommends serving them this way gives this recipe a few extra brownie points in my book. Or, er, pancake points, perhaps?
My only qualm with this recipe is how flat the pancakes turned out. I do love a good fluffy pancake, and would have liked to let the batter sit for a bit to let the baking powder activate properly. Needless to say, to stay true to the recipe, I placed the batter on the pan right away, and the pancakes were rather thin.
All in all, I would make these again. They may not be a go-to (I really am a sucker for a good ol’ classic buttermilk flapjack), but given that this recipe makes a lot of pancakes at once, they’re great for flipping when you have a large crowd to feed in the morning.
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Kiersten Hickman
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It doesn’t matter what anybody says, breakfast will always be the best meal of the day. It has the power to determine what kind of morning you’re going to have, therefore influencing your entire day. As someone who doesn’t really eat until it is well into lunchtime territory, I still stand by my statement as breakfast (or brunch) being all-around amazing.
For most people, the star ingredient of any breakfast is eggs. Eggs complement many different types of recipes and can be prepared in a wide variety of ways to accommodate a myriad of tastes. Personally, I love a good runny fried egg just as much as some silky scrambled eggs or an omelet. But there is just something about that warm runny yolk acting as a condiment to the rest of the meal that is exactly what I love about a properly prepared fried egg.
Recently, after stumbling across Wes Martin Cooks on Instagram and his post in which he shares a delicious looking recipe for Breadcrumb Fried Eggs, I hadn’t been able to get his unique egg dish out of my head. In his video, Wes describes the popular breakfast rendition as being the creation of the late Judy Rodgers, who was a longtime chef of Zuni Cafe, a landmark restaurant in San Francisco. The now iconic dish consists of toasted breadcrumbs with eggs cooked on top until sunny and runny, with Wes’s version making a few small substitutions. I’m already a big fan of one-pan recipes and this one seemed to check all of the boxes I was looking for in my search for something new. I was excited to try it out, so here’s how it went.
Start by adding 3/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs to a skillet, followed by a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Mix the cheese and bread crumbs together, then add dried thyme, smoked paprika, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and then warm up the pan over medium to high heat.
Flip the breadcrumbs while heating them up until they’re golden brown. Once you’ve reached a nice golden color, create four spaces for the eggs and coat each space with a splash of olive oil. Crack 1 egg into each of the 4 created spaces, then cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the egg whites turn white and the yolk is still runny. You’ll want to keep an eye on your eggs at this point, as the idea is for the yolk to not become overcooked.
When ready, remove the eggs from the heat and sprinkle with your desired amount of black pepper, kosher salt, and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with your favorite breakfast sides and enjoy!
I love a recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes, and this one is no exception. I did struggle a bit with time allocation, as I believe I had the breadcrumbs heating up for too long before I added the eggs. While waiting for an ideal color of golden brown, I definitely missed the window to add the eggs and in the end I almost burnt the bottom of some of the breadcrumbs.
However, this shortcoming did not ruin the recipe and I was still able to taste what all of the fuss was about. I thoroughly enjoyed learning a new way to prepare breakfast and I especially loved the idea of frying eggs on a crunchy bed of breadcrumbs. The overall taste was exceptional, despite some burnt bits underneath, and the runny eggs acted as the perfect complement to the crunchy nature of the breadcrumbs.
I’ll definitely be trying this recipe out again, as I am determined to perfect the process and experience breadcrumb fried eggs in all of their fantastic glory. If you’d like to try it out for yourself, consider the tips I leave below as a little guideline for first-timers. And for a list of the exact ingredient measurements, as well as an addition of spinach, you can find the full recipe detailed here.
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Nathan Hutsenpiller
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There are a lot of chicken and dumpling recipes out there, and if you look closely, you’ll notice that many of those recipes have a creamy base packed with vegetables. While these recipes are certainly hearty and delicious, truthfully, this isn’t the traditional old-fashioned Southern way of making chicken and dumplings. You may be surprised to learn that the Southern way of making chicken and dumplings is actually brothy with far fewer ingredients, and Dolly Parton’s Chicken and Dumplings recipe fits the bill.
Dolly Parton’s recipe is simple, despite taking a little extra time to make. Thankfully there’s no roux or cream sauce or even chopping that takes place with this recipe. Instead, to make the base, all you need is water, salt, a whole peeled onion, leftover celery leaves (yes, the part you usually throw away!) and an entire chicken. That’s right — a whole chicken.
Curious about what a traditional Southern chicken and dumplings recipe tastes like, I decided to give Dolly’s recipe a try. While it’s much different than any other chicken and dumplings recipe I’ve ever made, I do admit, I really liked how easy it was to throw together… and it may make an appearance in my regular weeknight rotation.
Get the recipe: Dolly Parton’s Chicken and Dumplings
Place a 3-pound chicken breast-side down in a Dutch oven, then add in two quarts of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add in 3/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1 whole onion peeled (yes, leave it whole), and 1/4 cup of chopped celery leaves.
Leave the chicken to boil until fully cooked through — this should take around 45 minutes to an hour. You may need to flip the chicken halfway through to cook both sides thoroughly.
Remove the chicken in a large bowl or onto a rimmed baking sheet and set it aside to cool. Strain the stock, and toss the onion and the celery leaves. Pour the stock back into the Dutch oven.
While the chicken is cooling, prepare the dumpling dough. Mix together 2 cups (240 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Measure out 3 tablespoons of vegetable shortening and cut small dollops into the flour mixture. Whisk together with a fork, making sure to break down the shortening to even smaller pieces.
Slowly pour in 3/4 cup of milk as you mix the dough (I did about 1/4 cup at a time and mixed) until the dough is fully incorporated. Using a spatula, knead the dough for about 5 minutes, then set aside.
Bring the chicken broth in the Dutch oven back to a boil. While this is happening, shred the chicken with clean hands and cut the large chunks into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chicken back to the broth. Rip off small chunks of dumpling dough and plop them into the broth. Cover the Dutch oven and let it cook for 10 minutes.
Mix the soup with a ladle so everything is incorporated evenly, then serve in bowls with an optional sprinkling of fresh parsley.
At first, I admittedly was a bit skeptical about boiling an entire chicken. Typically when I cook chicken I roast it in the oven (or if it’s smaller pieces, I sometimes fry it in a pan), so boiling an entire 3-pound chicken in water sort of freaked me out. I know this is a very common practice; I just haven’t done it before, so I was a bit nervous to try it. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was, and the chicken actually cooked really well. Plus, boiling an entire chicken with the skin results in a tasty homemade chicken broth, which made me feel like a Southern-cooking boss queen.
However, I did have two qualms with this recipe. The first had to do with the taste, I feel like it needs a little more oomph — some extra salt and pepper, maybe some poultry seasoning, and herbs like thyme. I’m also wondering what the stock would taste like if I added even more to it, like carrots, celery stalks instead of just the leaves, and maybe some garlic cloves.
My second qualm had to do with timing. While this recipe says it only takes 30 minutes, it ended up being more like two hours. Thankfully, it wasn’t two hours of being hands-on; the chicken has to boil for an hour or so to cook completely, and then you need time for it to cool so you don’t burn your hands trying to pull it apart. Between the boiling, waiting, making the dumplings, then throwing everything together again, two hours is a safer bet when thinking through how long this recipe will actually take.
All in all, I really enjoyed how easy this was to put together — even if the chicken did take a bit longer to cook. It felt really simple and used a few ingredients, which were mostly things I already had besides the chicken, of course.
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Kiersten Hickman
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Vegetarians, beware — because the following content is for bacon-lovers and all about preparing the absolute best strips one could ever dream of. At this point in our timeline, bacon is just as synonymous with breakfast as eggs or even orange juice, and with that popularity comes a plethora of opinions on what is the right way to cook it. In my experience, the right way will always be subjective, and it really just comes down to which version makes the most sense for your at-home breakfast needs.
Recently I was given a cookbook written by Snoop Dogg titled From Crook to Cook, and inside there’s an intriguing bacon recipe that Snoop refers to as Billionaire Bacon. With a title like that, I was instantly intrigued. So I sparked up my oven and prepared to eat like a billionaire.
For this recipe, all you’re going to need is a pound of thick-cut bacon, cooking spray, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh ground pepper. To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and placing a wire rack on top. Coat the wire rack with cooking spray and then arrange the bacon on top of the rack. You may have to make two batches depending on the size of your baking sheet. However, you can still fill the rack by placing the bacon side by side, with no space between each strip, as the bacon will shrink in the oven.
Next, combine brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and freshly ground pepper together in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture over top of the bacon and then place the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy. When ready, remove the bacon from the oven and let it cool on the wire rack before serving.
What all can be said about bacon that has not already been said? In his cookbook, Snoop refers to Billionaire Bacon as being for those moments when you’re really on your A game and you don’t have time for just regular ol’ bacon. Previously referred to as Millionaire Bacon, Snoop’s ingredients act as a way to spruce up an already-fantastic breakfast recipe. The award-winning rapper explains the name change by referencing Justin Timberlake’s role in The Social Network, stating that being a millionaire isn’t cool, but what’s really cool is being a billionaire.
As an avid fan of Snoop, as well as a fan of adding brown sugar to bacon, I had a feeling going into this recipe that I was going to really like it. I’ve tried preparing bacon a ton of different ways over the years, including using the oven, and using flour as an ingredient. Cooking bacon in the oven involves the least amount of cleanup, and there is almost no fuss involved besides that moment after you realize you’ve eaten it all. So if you’re trying to impress a loved one over breakfast, consider whipping up a batch of Billionaire Bacon and watch them enjoy the pure bacon bliss.
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Nathan Hutsenpiller
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My whole family looks forward to these more than the big meal.
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Faith Durand
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Texas sure knows how to dessert. Over the past few months alone, we’ve covered the Lone Star state’s fruity Texas Pie, crunchy Cowboy Cookies, decadent Texas Mayo Cake, and *heavenly* Banana Pecan Crunch Pudding. So of course, when I heard that Texas also has a dessert called Texas Trash Pie, I couldn’t help myself. Not only is it pie (which I never turn down), the filling is custardy, chocolatey, and full of all kinds of sweet and salty snacks. Essentially, it’s the pie of my dreams.
This beloved pie is actually a replica of a similar pie served at Royers Round Top Café, a family-owned restaurant based in the tiny town of Round Top, Texas. Known for being a “cross between a candy bar and a pie,” this recipe has that same feel as Kitchen Sink Cookies or Snack Drawer Bars. It’s a sweet treat made salty with beloved snacks, mixed together into a dessert that you can eat at once. It’s perfect for the kind of person who loves flaky sea salt on their chocolate chip cookies, aka, me (or everyone). With all of the promise of Texas Trash Pie being the dessert of my dreams, I decided to give this recipe a go.
Thankfully this recipe is super easy to remember — the measurements for all of the filling pieces are the exact same: 1 cup each!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt a stick of unsalted butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Crush up enough pretzels and graham crackers to get a cup of each. Then in that large bowl with the melted butter, toss in the crushed pretzels and graham crackers, as well as one cup of pecan pieces, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, and caramel bits. Pour a 14-ounce jar of sweet condensed milk then mix the filling until everything is evenly combined.
Pour the filling into a frozen pie crust. It will seem overfull, but don’t worry, it will reduce down when the chocolate and caramel pieces melt during the baking process. Just make sure to press down the filling so it’s even on the top and firmly in place inside the pie crust so nothing overflows while baking.
Bake the pie for 35 minutes in the oven. Once finished, remove the pie and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
While this pie had lots of elements to make it a salty dessert, I was actually surprised by how sweet it was. All of that added chocolate and caramel, mixed in with the shredded coconut and sweet condensed milk, overpowered the salty snacks that are also in the dish.
The original pie — which is still served at Royers Round Top Café today — actually does not have pecan pieces in it, according to their menu online. However, this recipe by Southern Living does add in the pecan pieces, and given how sweet this pie is, I think that was a great call.
I almost feel like I could have had less chocolate and caramel in there and really let the salty pretzels and pecans shine. However, this is also coming from a person who certainly would pick something salty over sweet, so super-sweet desserts aren’t typically my thing in the first place.
I was also hesitant when I saw that shredded coconut was one of the main pie ingredients because I’m not a huge fan of coconut. Typically coconut-flavored things turn me off, but thankfully, the coconut flavor is very subtle when comparing it to all of the other overpowering flavors in each bite.
Needless to say, if you’re a person who loves a sweet dessert and feels hesitant about trying the Texas Trash Pie because of all of the salty elements in it (as well as the coconut) don’t be fooled — you’re going to love every bite of this pie.
If you can’t find caramel bits, try chips: While caramel bits are a type of bagged candy you can buy for this pie, they may not be so easily accessible depending on what store you like to shop at. If you can’t find them, I recommend swapping them out with caramel chips, which are typically found with the other chocolate chips in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Can’t even find chips? You could also buy a bag of soft caramels and slice them into smaller pieces, which should make for an extra ooey-gooey consistency.
Blind bake the crust to make it flakier: While this recipe technically does not call for you to pre-bake your frozen pie crust, if you want an even flakier crust with your pie–and a less soggy bottom–you could blind bake the pie crust in the oven for 10 minutes before filling it. Just be sure to defrost slightly and prick the pie crust with a fork to avoid an uneven bake. Feeling extra ambitious? Make your pie crust from scratch!
Serve with vanilla ice cream: Seriously, don’t skimp out on this step. While whipped cream could be an option for topping this pie (kudos if it’s homemade whipped cream), I highly recommend going for a scoop of vanilla ice cream or even gelato instead. This pie is crunchy and savory making it the perfect pairing for that creamy scoop.
Get the recipe: Texas Trash Pie
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Kiersten Hickman
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There are a lot of ways to describe a pumpkin pie — spice-filled, custard-y, sweet — but fluffy isn’t usually one of them. So when I saw that Julia Child‘s version is called Aunt Helen’s Fluffy Pumpkin Pie, I was intrigued. Would I enjoy a mousse-like, air-filled pie filling, or would I miss the creamy and dense filling that I’ve grown used to?
But Julia Child taught me how to poach perfect eggs, whip up mayonnaise by hand, and to not be afraid of butter, so I had no doubt she could teach me how to make the best pumpkin pie (and a fluffy one, at that). I headed to the kitchen to see if I was right.
Get the recipe: Julia Child’s Aunt Helen’s Fluffy Pumpkin Pie (you’ll find the recipe towards the end of the article)
Julia’s recipe yields two 9-inch pies or one 11-inch pie, so if you’re working with a 9-inch pie dish (the standard size), and you only need one pie, you’ll need to halve the recipe. Luckily, the ingredient amounts make that pretty easy to do. Julia’s recipe doesn’t include instructions for a crust, so start by making it yourself or buying one, then roll it out into your pie plate.
For the filling, you’ll start by separating the egg yolks from the whites. Then you’ll place canned pumpkin, brown and white sugars, salt, molasses, a splash of bourbon or dark rum, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, heavy cream, and whole milk in a stand mixer, blender, or large bowl and mix well until smooth and combined.
Here’s where things get interesting.You’ll whip the egg whites in a bowl with a bit of sugar and salt until stiff peaks form, stir a quarter of the whipped whites into the pumpkin filling, then gently fold in the rest. The filling gets ladled into the unbaked pie shell and baked at 450°F for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust starts to brown. Then the temperature is reduced to 375°F and the pie is baked for another half hour until the filling is set. When the pie is done, rather than removing it from the oven straight away, you’ll turn the oven off but leave the pie inside for another half hour. Julia says this prevents the filling from becoming watery. The pie can then be served warm or cooled completely before slicing.
There are a few things about this pie that immediately stood out to me, even before I sliced into it. Julia uses molasses in the filling, which isn’t common, and she also spikes it with bourbon. She also asks you to separate the eggs (and then whip the egg whites) rather than whisking whole eggs into the filling. As I was making the pie, I kept thinking, this thing will have to be delicious for these extra steps to be worth it.
It was. This is a high-effort, high-reward pumpkin pie. To be honest, the flavor of the filling surprised me at first. The molasses and bourbon (or dark rum, if you so choose) are prominent, giving it robust, mildly smoky characteristics. Yet it’s still full of all the classic warm spices — cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves — so it’s not far off from the classic pumpkin pies you know and love. Each bite is complex, and better than the last.
The texture, though, is really where this pie shines. The added step of whipping the egg whites results in a pumpkin pie that is indeed fluffy. It’s so light, it’s almost soufflé-like. It’s a smart technique I could see applying to other pumpkin pie recipes, in order to make a pie that’s not too dense and heavy after a big meal.
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Sheela Prakash
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Barrymore’s episode was dedicated to decluttering — and Rachael’s recipe does exactly that for your fridge and pantry. It was a match made in celebrity-culinary heaven, and I was more than ready to give this one-pot soup a try to see if it’s worth adding to my regular soup repertoire.
Start by placing a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven-style pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and toss in diced pancetta. Cook until crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes, then add in diced onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, letting the onions sweat out. Add the Calabrian chile paste, or red pepper flakes if a substitute is needed, and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender.
Now you can add in the chopped escarole (I swapped in chopped kale due to my grocery store being out of escarole) and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. After giving everything a nice stir, add the chicken and vegetable stocks along with the rind from your block of Parmesan. Bring the pot to a boil, then add the ditalini and canned white beans; cook according to the instructions on the pasta package.
When ready, add lemon juice, stir, and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Ladle the contents of the pot into a shallow bowl and top with a healthy amount of freshly shaved Parmesan and enjoy!
From the very first taste, I was a major fan of this recipe. All it took was one little dunk of my tiny piece of French baguette and I knew that Rachael Ray had struck gold with this one. I loved the idea of using ingredients that I was likely to find already in my kitchen, and the addition of the dark, leafy greens was just like a breath of fresh air and brought everything together.
The simple yet impactful addition of lemon juice and a fresh topping of shaved Parmesan are probably my two favorite aspects of the recipe. I felt they both played a key role in the overall satisfaction of each bite, and I found myself going back for more shavings of Parmesan before I could even finish the bowl.
It’s very fitting that Barrymore featured this recipe in her episode dedicated to decluttering. This soup truly helps you get rid of those pesky leftovers in a hearty and delicious way. Barrymore wasn’t lying when she claimed Rachael Ray was coming with some “hot tips and a hot recipe,” and her description of the soup as being “so beautiful” is really beyond accurate. I’ll certainly be making this one again soon, and I am officially going to be on the lookout for future seasonal recipes from Rachael from now on, too.
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Nathan Hutsenpiller
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Lately the food world seems to be overtaken by recipes that draw inspiration from a surprising source: cowboys. From butter, to casseroles, to “caviar,” there appears to be some mystical draw to these hearty, almost nostalgic recipes. Although it’s hard to say whether any cowboy ever actually ate any of this stuff, we can’t deny the appeal.
The latest cowboy craze? Cowboy stew. Kathleen of Gonna Want Seconds has a version that is rapidly garnering five-star reviews, so we figured it was only natural we gave this Western-inspired recipe a shot. Although it’s quite different from the colorfully named cowboy stew of yore, which featured meat and organs from a calf, it’s still loaded with lots of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs ingredients.
Get the recipe: Cowboy Stew
Slice kielbasa sausages into 1/2-inch pieces and chop slices of bacon. Add bacon to a large pot over medium heat. Cook until crispy, then transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Add the sliced sausage to the pot and brown on both sides, then remove to another paper towel-lined plate. Add 80/20 ground beef to the pot, along with diced onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink. Add all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and chili powder, and cook for one minute more. Add canned petite diced tomatoes (with liquid), baked beans, chopped green chilies, canned sweet corn (with liquid), peeled and cubed russet potatoes, and water. Return bacon and sausage to pot, bring mixture up to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for an hour.
Serve garnished with chopped parsley. If the stew is too thick, loosen with additional water.
As someone who eats meat rather infrequently, I found the inclusion of ground beef and two types of pork to be somewhat intimidating. The resulting stew is a bit like chili, but even meatier. Incorporating all of this protein makes for an intensely savory dish, with baked beans and corn bringing some sweetness for balance. The addition of potatoes and flour creates a thick, ultra-rich broth imbued with tons of smoky flavor from the kielbasa. All this to say that this stew is about as hearty as it gets. If you’re a meat-lover, there’s a good chance you’ll be into this recipe, but for me it was a bit too intense.
If you need to feed a lot of hungry people fast, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Although the inclusion of lots of canned ingredients does lighten up prep time considerably, I couldn’t shake the subtle tinny flavor you sometimes taste in canned ingredients. I think swapping in a couple of non-canned ingredients (like fresh or frozen corn or chopped fresh tomatoes) would help mask this unpleasant flavor. Any canning liquid lost in these swaps could easily be replaced by water or broth, as the stew is already plenty thick — even more so after spending a night in the fridge.
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Lena Abraham
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When I was growing up, spaghetti and meatballs was a meal that regularly appeared in my family’s rotation. And while there are countless ways to prepare this tried-and-tested dish, as long as you stay true to the Italian roots, not much can go wrong when whipping up a batch of meatballs for dinner.
Recently, after discovering Giada De Laurentiis’ meatball salad recipe, I realized that it had been quite some time since I had enjoyed this meaty Italian dish. After my successful experience baking and devouring Giada’s lemon baked ziti, my arm required minimal twisting to give her meatball salad a try. While calling upon my years of childhood memories and countless meatball dinners, I was ready to tackle this tasty-looking Italian classic (with a twist).
Get the recipe: Meatball Salad
This is a really easy recipe that pairs delicious Italian meatballs with an arugula salad for a lighter alternative to the classic spaghetti and meatballs combo. Starting with the meatballs, combine freshly grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs with room-temperature milk and allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the liquid. Add egg and ricotta cheese and mix well until completely combined. Add ground pork, sweet Italian sausage (casings removed) and salt, then use clean hands to mix gently until well-combined.
Heat a medium straight-sided skillet over medium heat and add a healthy amount of olive oil to cover the entire bottom of the skillet. Roll your meatball mixture into heaping tablespoon-sized balls and place each inside the skillet once the oil is hot. Feel free to fill the skillet up with as many meatballs as will fit, making sure not to overcrowd. Heat until each side is golden-brown, rotating as needed, for about 8 to 10 minutes.
When ready, move the meatballs to a plate and pour out the excess oil remaining in the skillet. Add marinara sauce (which Giada has an excellent recipe for) and water to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Toss the meatballs back into the skillet and cover each with spoonfuls of sauce. Allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes before removing from the heat.
For the salad, toss fresh arugula, Parmesan shavings, olive oil, and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. Add any preferred seasonings, then place a bed of arugula salad into a bowl for serving. Spoon in a few meatballs, top with more Parmesan shavings, and enjoy!
I had a feeling going into this that I would have nothing bad to say about Giada’s meatball recipe, and my notion was correct. After eating two servings in one night, I can honestly say that I absolutely loved it. Right off the bat I was a fan of the minimal ingredients required, which made the cooking process pretty much a breeze. And although I decided to add in some chopped basil for a little extra flavor, I can’t say that I would do much differently next time I make this recipe. The arugula salad was a refreshing alternative to spaghetti, and the addition of lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmesan made the salad a standout feature in its own right.
I’ll definitely be keeping Giada’s take on Italian meatballs in my meal rotation. I would rate Giada’s recipe a 10/10 any day of the week — and now that I think about it, I’m going to go ahead and heat up some leftovers for lunch.
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Nathan Hutsenpiller
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The promise of a 5-ingredient chocolate chip cookie sounds too good to be true. But if anyone can do it, it’s Martha Stewart, and her gluten-free version is just that. Though the cookies contain no flour or butter, they do look impressively similar to classic chocolate chip cookies. Containing only eggs, almond butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar, and salt, it took me no time at all to gather the ingredients so I could see if this shortcut recipe really delivered.
Preheat your oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup almond butter, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Stir well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, place cookie dough mounds about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Optionally, press some more chocolate chips onto the surface of the cookies. Bake until cookies are puffed and tops are set, about 10 minutes, rotating tray halfway through.
Transfer cookies to the cooling rack and let cool completely.
Though these cookies couldn’t compete with a true, buttery, chewy chocolate chip cookie, they were surprisingly delicious when you consider the minimal amount of work required to make them. The brown sugar, along with the rich almond butter, made for a deceptively buttery cookie with a distinct caramelized flavor. Though not at all crisp or chewy, they were satisfyingly dense and moist in the center. And of course, the generous amount of melty chocolate chips doesn’t hurt their case.
If you’re craving something sweet, or need to make a homemade dessert in a short amount of time, these cookies are totally worth making. If you have a hankering for something more classic (and glutenous) go for a classic recipe instead.
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Lena Abraham
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If you’re craving a warm, comforting soup that’s also incredibly hearty, a good creamy potato soup is hard to beat. With countless 5-star reviews, Ree Drummond’s Perfect Potato Soup seems to be an internet-wide crowd favorite. Requiring a handful of simple ingredients and boasting a quick 55-minute cook time, I couldn’t think of a reason not to give this homey recipe a shot.
Get the recipe: Perfect Potato Soup
Start by cutting 6 slices of bacon into 1-inch thick pieces. Peel and dice 6 small russet potatoes. Add the bacon to a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Transfer bacon to a plate and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon bacon grease.
Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the 2 diced carrots, 3 diced stalks of celery, and one diced onion. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Pour in 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and bring mixture to a gentle boil. Cook until the potatoes are starting to get tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup milk and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. When potatoes are tender, pour the milk mixture into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove about half of the soup and blend in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir in the 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley. Serve garnished with grated cheddar cheese and crisp bacon pieces.
I love recipes like this because they show how simple ingredients can come together to create something incredibly delicious. With the rich, smoky flavor of bacon prominently featured, the soup tasted a bit like a loaded baked potato in soup form, in a very good way. Texturally, it reminded me a bit of pot pie filling, with a thick, creamy broth filled with tender pieces of potatoes, carrots, and celery. Typically when I make blended soups I blend the entire soup, but I liked this partial blending technique that yielded both smooth velvety broth and some pleasant texture.
As you might expect, 1/2 a teaspoon of Cajun spice gets completely lost in the 12 servings of soup this recipe yields, so adjust that amount to your liking. And if you don’t already have Cajun spice, I’d skip it. Adding a combination of spices that add some heat, like ground cayenne pepper or hot paprika, along with dried herbs like thyme or oregano, would certainly do the job. I also think this soup is particularly good with a splash of your favorite hot sauce, both for the heat and for the acidity, which will help cut through the richness of the soup. I like pairing a more vinegar-forward hot sauce with this recipe, like Texas Pete’s or Crystal.
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Lena Abraham
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Ann Taylor Pittman is an independent food writer and recipe developer. Prior to freelance life, she built a career of creating healthy recipes at Cooking Light magazine, where she worked for 20 years. She is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation Awards. Ann lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, their 15-year-old twin boys, one big dog, and one little dog.
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Ann Taylor Pittman
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