I've been on a mission to recreate these casseroles, starting with a hamburger stroganoff. In that recipe, I learned to use a flavorful cooking liquid, a bit of flour for thickening, and egg noodles for quick cooking. This recipe is a grownup creamy stovetop tuna casserole, with a from-scratch sauce and good-quality tuna. Simmer seared mushrooms, onion, and egg noodles in milk flavored with a bit of Dijon mustard. Stir in peas, cheddar cheese, tuna, and sour cream at the end, and if you feel a little nostalgic, sprinkle on some toasted breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs when serving. I love that this homey dish comes together in one pot quickly and that I usually have most of the ingredients in my pantry! (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
One of the first things I proudly learned to "cook" in my teens was the hamburger or tuna meals in a box. I was amazed that I could brown some meat, add noodles, a packet of seasoning, and water or milk, then watch turn into a salty, creamy, satisfying meal. And all made in one pan!
I've been on a mission to recreate these casseroles, starting with a hamburger stroganoff. In that recipe, I learned to use a flavorful cooking liquid, a bit of flour for thickening, and egg noodles for quick cooking. This recipe is a grownup creamy stovetop tuna casserole, with a from-scratch sauce and good-quality tuna. Simmer seared mushrooms, onion, and egg noodles in milk flavored with a bit of Dijon mustard. Stir in peas, cheddar cheese, tuna, and sour cream at the end, and if you feel a little nostalgic, sprinkle on some toasted breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs when serving. I love that this homey dish comes together in one pot quickly and that I usually have most of the ingredients in my pantry! (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
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I like the biscuit-y, buttery kind of strawberry shortcake, not the bland spongy ones. But here's my weird thing: instead of diving in right away, I like to let the strawberries sit on the shortcakes for awhile so the juices soak in. (I'm also the person whose favorite part of fruit pies is the juice-soaked crust.) So I set out to make an easy recipe that puts the essence of strawberry shortcake into one warm fruit cobbler.
The keys to this recipe are not overcooking the strawberries and having a thick but not gloppy sauce that the shortcakes can happily soak in. Make sure your strawberries are thoroughly dried, and keep them in relatively large pieces so they don't fall apart during baking. The easy shortcake dough is mixed by hand, then formed into cute little discs that sit on top of the fruit. While you can go the traditional route and serve this beautiful cobbler with whipped cream, I find the cream-based shortcake dough plenty rich to serve it as is. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.) I love making deviled eggs because you end up with fancy-looking bites without a lot of effort. Plus, they're a blank canvas for whatever flavors you're in the mood for, and no one ever seems to turn them down. This spring-inspired recipe mixes feta, lemon, mayo, and parsley into the yolks, with the salty cheese balancing out tangy lemon juice and zest. Keep these deviled eggs in mind when you're faced with a surplus of Easter eggs in a few weeks! (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
Even though we frequently ate at Chinese restaurants, my family only ordered scallion pancakes at Shanghainese or Taiwanese ones. You know, the restaurants that serve bowls of fresh soy milk and those addictive steamed, then pan-fried, pork and ginger buns. It was a rare treat when my mom made those flaky, salty pancakes at home, usually for a party or when family came over, and I remember being fascinated with the process. It's not a difficult recipe, just a quick hot water dough and some elbow grease to roll it out, and Serious Eats has a great version. Then I came across a recipe using pizza dough from the Flour, Too cookbook by Joanne Chang, who owns one of my favorite bakery chains in Boston.
After playing around with her recipe, I came up with my own easy version. The hardest part of it is the patience to wait for the dough to rest for 2 hours before the second and final roll. This comes from the fact that you're using pizza dough, where the gluten has already been developed a lot. When I didn't let it rest, the pancakes were hard to roll out and fried up tough and chewy, so just make sure you plan accordingly for that resting period. These pancakes are a great way to use store-bought pizza dough, and now you don't have to trek out to a restaurant when the craving hits. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.) I'm not much of a March Madness fan - in fact, sports are usually an excuse to eat junk food while ignoring the action going on in front of me. This week I channeled my non-athletic energies into making a warm, cheesy dip that probably contains so many calories your eyes would cross. Does it help that it includes spinach? This recipe is a spicy, baked rendition of the classic spinach dip sans the package of dried soup mix. After crisping up some smoky bacon, cook onions and chipotles in adobo in the fat, and finish by mixing in spinach, cheese, sour cream, and mayo. Bake until bubbly, then try to wait just a few minutes before diving in so that you don't burn the roof of your mouth with molten dip. Serve with ice-cold beer or my personal favorite, a perfect margarita. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
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I'm a food editor and professionally trained recipe developer and food stylist. You'll usually find me in the kitchen tinkering with new ideas and recipes to share with others. Archives
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