This recipe recreates those same rich flavors—the tang and caramelized depth of cooked tomatoes and the light milky sweetness of the cheese, all balanced by starchy pasta—but it requires far less work and has become a quick weeknight staple at my house. A True 30-Minute Pasta Recipe This dish, like many of the best foods, was invented out of necessity. I first made it when a friend and former co-worker, Ben, gifted me a container of fresh, homemade ricotta a few years ago....

Now if you start with nutty roasted cauliflower, and add some Parmesan, some chopped prosciutto, a few roasted tomatoes, some garlic, and stir in some tender greens like baby arugula or spinach, and some pasta, you are firing on all taste cylinders. Tomatoes for the sweet and acid, greens for the bitter, and Parmesan and prosciutto for the salt and umami make this pasta dish almost impossible to put down once you start....

Aged tequila adds a caramel and toffee background to complement the fruit. Peach schnapps in place of the traditional triple sec amplifies the stone fruit even more. Lime zest brightens up the salt rim for a burst of citrus with each sip. Whether you’re by the pool, at a backyard BBQ, or running the grill, this summertime sipper will beat the heat no matter where you are. What’s a Margarita?...

Make Sangria for a Holiday Party Sangria is one of my favorite drinks to make for a party because it’s such a crowd pleaser. Plus, you can make it ahead of time. This means that during the party itself there’s no work for you at all. You can impress your friends with a drink that feels fancy, but still have time to actually enjoy your guests—and this drink! The Ingredients for This White Wine Sangria This sangria pairs white wine with pear nectar, diced pears, and some of the traditional spices that we associate with the holiday season—cinnamon, anise, and clove....

Yes! Pie crust can be used for savory fillings like these Pepperoni Pizza Pockets! The crispy, browned crust paired with creamy mozzarella and tangy pizza sauce is a winner. It’s like a portable pizza, or a mini-calzone, or even those store-bought Hot Pockets—except flakier! These are easy to make and great as a dinner served with a salad, or you can serve them for a hearty game day appetizer. Any way you serve them, they will be a hit....

Because of the natural sweetness of the pulp from ripe hachiya persimmons, this recipe uses only half a cup of added sugar! What Are Persimmons? Persimmons are a fruit of fall, displaying their bright orange orbs right around the time a chill sets in and trees begin to lose their leaves. They come in two varieties — Fuyu and Hachiya — with very different properties. Fuyu persimmons are short and squat, looking a bit like tomatoes; they are meant to be peeled, sliced, and eaten like apples....

This my friends is my happy accident. I had a fresh batch of quinoa and just a little bit of leftover succotash; I put them together, and WOW. That was good. So good I set out to make it intentionally, all in one pot. You see, succotash is essentially boiled corn and shell beans (in fact, the word “succotash” comes from a Narragansett word for boiled corn.) To cook quinoa, you have to boil it....

The bad news? If you have little kids, it’s especially messy. Do you even know how far a 2-year-old can launch a spoon of broth?! You don’t want to know! How to Make Easy Homemade Chicken Soup Making an all-day chicken noodle soup is one of my favorite ways to spend a lazy and chilly Saturday, but honestly, who has the time? (I used to have the time. But now I spend my time researching how to get Nutella out of the couch....

The problem was that he just couldn’t get them right. He had a hard time getting them browned, and more often than not, they were overcooked. So when the-man-who-knows-more-about-seafood-than-I-ever-hope-to Hank Shaw was here the other day cooking scallops, both dad and I circled Hank like hawks, watching to see how he did it. Here’s what we learned. Sear Scallops in a Hot Pan You need a screaming hot pan! Scallops have a lot of moisture in them, which means you have to get the pan really hot to dry the outer edge of that moist scallop so that it can actually get hot enough to brown....

I love grilled pork chops most because it’s the least messy way to prepare them. You don’t have to deal with splattering hot oil from the pan and no messy sheet pans to clean up after baking. I simply brine the pork chops and then I pop them onto a hot grill. That’s it! Best Pork Chops for Grilling A rib chop, sometimes called a center-cut rib chop, is my go-to cut....

Actually, you had me at the cover of this new cookbook from food writer Shauna Sever, Midwest Made: Big Bold Baking from the Heartland, before I even knew something snickerdoodle was included. The book is inviting and filled with gorgeous baked goods you want to make right now. Procrastibaking, here we come! What’s It Mean to Be Midwest Made? I love regional cookbooks—heck I just wrote one!—because they give you a glimpse of how people live and eat elsewhere....

But let’s get real here: sometimes it’s just for myself because it’s the holidays and I will absolutely treat myself. What’s in a Popcorn Cluster? These spicy popcorn clusters are my latest crave-worthy snack, and they’re great in a big bowl. The combo of spicy chili and cayenne with sweet and chewy caramel is about as good as it gets. Once you have your popcorn popped, make the spicy caramel sauce and toss everything together....

According to Sara Sabo, “It is a lot of work but the Swedish tomte that lives under the floorboards helps, and you better do your part or the Jul goat will butt you. This is the day all distant relatives and many friends decide they want to be Swedish.” With that kind of intro, wouldn’t you be intrigued? Sara sent me her 40-year-old recipe for making this cardamom spiced yeast bread and I’ve now made three batches (with some recipe tweaking on my part)....

As we head into colder months, I wanted to translate this summer classic into a side dish for fall meals, featuring cauliflower, carrots, and golden beets. The salad is herby and bright, and it’s a great way to eat fresh foods, even in the fall and winter. To make this salad, I thinly shave cauliflower, then mix in with julienned carrots and golden beets. Tossing these vegetables with lemon juice and salt works like a simple marinade, rendering the vegetables supple with just a bit of crunch....

And inevitably, the meal plan changes the week of execution. Our moods change and we switch up the order, or a meal gets bumped because of unforeseen events and I get a late start. But you know what? It’s okay. We cook the food eventually. We sit down to some form of dinner every night. That’s success in my book. It’s all worth it, because I know we’re covered. We hope our meal plans give you a little peace of mind, too....

A lot of dehydrators are extremely easy to use and they have some great features that make them fun to use as well. Some of these features include overheat protection, digital touch settings, and auto shut off. There are also options to expand the number of trays. Looking for your next dehydrator? The Nesco FD-1018A Gardenmaster is our top choice. Here’s our list of the best food dehydrators on the market....

You’ll likely be mixing cocktails in smaller batches and on less of an assembly line than they do in an actual bar. But, it still helps to have the best bar tools. To help get you there, I took my expertise and checked it out against the talents of four top-shelf cocktail professionals from around the country. They were all in agreement about the best bar tools, and that starts with a high-quality cocktail shaker....

Think about a past situation where you’ve been in need of some slightly softened butter that wasn’t solid from the fridge or freezer, and didn’t have the patience to thaw things out or the desire to eat a firm pat of butter on your toast. Butter dishes might just be the solution to your problem! Our favorite one: the DOWAN Porcelain Butter Dish, because it has an effective, airtight seal, as well as ample width and depth that mean you’ll be able to store quite a bit of butter....

Casserole carriers are typically insulated bags with an aluminized lining that keeps hot food hot or cold food cold, all while storing your food upright in a secure bag. Whether you’re bringing a breakfast bake out for brunch with your friends or need to transport a tasty dinner to feed a crowd, carriers will help get your food there safely. To help you find your perfect match, I took home and tested some of the best casserole carriers available on the market, looking at factors such as capacity, material, shape, and durability....