A little inspiration for your everyday
Practical recipes for home cooks
A personal collection of recipes I have made or want to make. Sources are credited and linked where known; not every recipe has been tested.
From the recipe box
Simple ideas, ready for your kitchen.
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51 recipes
Sauce Tex-Mex
South Texas / Tex-Mex–style BBQ sauce — smoky, spicy, and deep, with bold heat from chipotles in adobo and a bright finish of lime. A perfect contrast against a sweet, boozy sauce like the 🥃 Whiskey BBQ Sauce. Excellent on brisket and even better on leftover brisket tacos.
Ketchup / Chipotles in Adobo / Brown Sugar / Lime
Sauce American
East Texas–style BBQ sauce — sweet, sticky, and smoky with a deep, oaky backbone from the whiskey. Simmering blends the whiskey with the molasses and brown sugar; the sauce retains an alcohol-containing ingredient. A crowd-pleasing sauce that's perfect slathered on brisket.
Ketchup / Whiskey / Brown Sugar / Molasses
Bread European
Crackly crust, flaky salt on top, dramatic ear. Built around a 475°F home oven and a Dutch oven. Makes one boule.
Bread Flour / Sourdough Starter / Salt
Dessert French
Two small chocolate cakes use the saved butter-and-chocolate formula, with a fully baked center rather than deliberately underdone batter.
Bittersweet Chocolate / Butter / Eggs / Sugar / Flour
Main Dish American
Ground beef and egg noodles simmer together in a savory one-pan sauce finished with sour cream.
Ground Beef / Egg Noodles / Onion / Beef Broth / Sour Cream
Main Dish Mexican
A dried-chile beef braise supplies both the taco filling and a broth to serve alongside the crisped tortillas.
Chuck Roast / Dried Guajillo Chiles / Dried Ancho Chiles / Dried Arbol Chiles / Oaxaca Cheese
Main Dish Italian
Cream cheese and a little cream bind the pasta, broccoli and a generous amount of sun-dried tomatoes.
Bucatini / Pancetta / Broccoli / Heavy Cream / Sun-Dried Tomatoes / Parmesan
Main Dish Mexican
A hearty Mexican-style dinner with deeply browned beef, tender potatoes,
Ground Beef / Potatoes / Jalapeno / Tomato Sauce
Side Dish Mexican-Inspired
A crisp, inexpensive slaw with lime and cilantro. The acidity balances rich
Cabbage / Lime / Cilantro
Side Dish Mexican
A quick Mexican-style vegetable side with browned zucchini, sweet corn, onion,
Zucchini / Corn / Onion
Main Dish American
Warm a fully cooked spiral ham over apple juice, then add a cherry, orange and mustard glaze near the end.
Spiral-Sliced Ham / Cherry Preserves / Brown Sugar / Dijon Mustard / Orange
Main Dish Mexican
Juicy shredded chicken, black beans, and melty cheese rolled in corn tortillas and smothered in a homemade red enchilada sauce. Full cook night — worth the effort.
Chicken Thighs / Corn Tortillas / Enchilada Sauce / Mexican Blend Cheese / Black Beans
Soup Tex-Mex
Smoky, bright, loaded Tex-Mex soup using a rotisserie chicken shortcut. Charred tortilla strips, creamy avocado, lime crema. This is the soup that tricks people into thinking you cooked all day.
Rotisserie Chicken / Fire-Roasted Tomatoes / Black Beans / Chicken Broth / Lime
Main Dish Mexican
Spicy, crumbly Mexican chorizo meets caramelized sweet potato cubes — sweet, savory, smoky all in one bite. The sweet potato mellows the heat, the pickled onions cut through the richness, and the crema ties it all together.
Mexican Chorizo / Sweet Potatoes / Corn Tortillas / Cotija Cheese / Pickled Red Onions
Sauce Argentine
A bright, garlicky Argentine herb sauce for grilled steak, chicken, pork, fish, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread. Chop it by hand for the best loose, rustic texture.
Flat-Leaf Parsley / Garlic / Red Wine Vinegar / Olive Oil / Oregano
Sauce American
Marsala-reduced dried cherries, frozen dark cherries, and fresh cranberries in a warmly-spiced holiday sauce. Make it 3-4 days ahead and keep refrigerated.
Cranberries / Marsala Wine / Dried Tart Cherries / Frozen Dark Cherries / Brown Sugar
Main Dish Italian-American
This cream-based pasta keeps the saved pancetta, yolk and Parmesan proportions, with careful heating for a finished egg sauce.
Spaghetti / Pancetta / Heavy Cream / Eggs / Parmesan
Main Dish Italian
A classic, creamy risotto made with Arborio rice, Parmesan, and white wine.
Arborio Rice / Parmesan Cheese / White Wine / Butter / Chicken Broth
Main Dish Mexican
Tender, citrus-braised pork shoulder finished under the broiler for crisp, caramelized edges. This home-oven method delivers juicy carnitas without needing a pot full of lard.
Pork Shoulder / Orange / Lime / Chicken Stock / Cumin
Sauce Mexican
A deeply flavored, Mexican-style dried-chile barbacoa sauce perfect for beef cheeks, chuck roast, short ribs, lamb, or goat.
Dried Chiles / Beef Broth / Vinegar / Spices
Soup Chinese
Light, warm soup with ginger and silky egg ribbons. The 15-minute estimate assumes the rice is already cooked.
Chicken Broth / Eggs / Ginger / Soy Sauce / Sesame Oil
Bread Asian-Inspired
A soft, flavorful everyday sandwich loaf made with honey, butter, milk powder, and the tangzhong method. The cooked flour paste helps the bread retain moisture and stale more slowly while keeping the crumb sturdy enough for sandwiches.
Bread Flour / Whole Milk / Honey / Butter / Yeast
Side Dish American
Give the carrots a head start in the oven before adding garlic and cheese so the topping browns later.
Carrots / Parmesan Cheese / Garlic / Olive Oil
Condiment International
Hot vinegar brine softens sliced onions into a sharp refrigerated condiment for tacos and sandwiches.
Red Onions / Red Wine Vinegar / Garlic / Peppercorns
Soup Italian
Rustic Tuscan one-pot soup. Browned sausage, creamy beans, wilted greens, Parmesan broth. A hearty soup with a short simmer and plenty of texture.
Italian Sausage / Cannellini Beans / Diced Tomatoes / Baby Spinach / Chicken Broth
Main Dish Korean
Sweet, savory, spicy ground beef in crisp butter lettuce cups. One skillet, 20 minutes, zero leftovers because everyone inhales them.
Ground Beef / Gochujang / Soy Sauce / Sesame Oil / Butter Lettuce
Main Dish Polish
Pronounced "wah-ZAHN-kee." A rustic Polish comfort dish — smoky kielbasa, golden onions, sautéed cabbage, and tangy sauerkraut tossed with square noodles. Almost no sauce, huge flavor from cheap ingredients, and it's even better as leftovers on day 2-3. Pasta shape and parallel cooking affect the total time.
Kielbasa / Cabbage / Sauerkraut / Pasta / Onion
Side Dish American
Briefly blanched beans get a warm garlic-butter finish and a separate lemon-scented breadcrumb topping.
Green Beans / Lemon / Garlic / Panko Breadcrumbs / Sage
Main Dish American
Fixed for maximum creaminess and stretch — the common "dry, not gooey" version fails from too little dairy, no emulsifying cheese, and adding cheese while the sauce is boiling. This version corrects all three.
Elbow Macaroni / Cheddar Cheese / Gruyere or Monterey Jack / American Cheese
Main Dish Asian-Fusion
Cook the seasoned thighs in the air fryer and make a separate garlic-maple glaze on the stove.
Chicken Thighs / Maple Syrup / Soy Sauce / Garlic / Chili Oil
Main Dish Mediterranean
Crispy skin-on chicken thighs with olives, artichoke hearts, capers, and a bright lemon-herb sauce. Mediterranean vibes, one pan, minimal effort — maximum flavor.
Chicken Thighs / Artichoke Hearts / Kalamata Olives / Lemon / Capers
Main Dish American
Perfectly seared bone-in pork chops with a quick mustard-herb pan sauce made from the fond in the skillet. Classic comfort food, pairs with any side you've got — mashed potatoes, roasted veg, rice, whatever's in the fridge.
Bone-In Pork Chops / Dijon Mustard / Chicken Broth / Shallot / Thyme
Side Dish American
A dry roasting stage browns thick beet slices before broth and balsamic vinegar finish softening them.
Beets / Goat Cheese / Olive Oil / Dill / Balsamic Vinegar
Main Dish Mexican
Charred poblano, zucchini, and sweet potato folded with black beans and melty cheese, rolled in corn tortillas and smothered in red enchilada sauce. Hearty enough that nobody misses the meat. Allow time for both roasting the filling and baking the assembled enchiladas.
Corn Tortillas / Black Beans / Sweet Potato / Zucchini / Poblano Pepper / Mexican Blend Cheese
Soup American
Classic comfort soup with a shortcut: a rotisserie chicken provides deep, seasoned flavor in a fraction of the time. A butter-and-flour roux thickens the broth into something closer to a gravy-style soup than a thin broth.
Rotisserie Chicken / Egg Noodles / Carrots / Celery / Chicken Broth
Side Dish Asian-Inspired
Crisp-tender broccoli with toasted sesame, garlic, and a bright splash of rice vinegar. A quick stovetop side for sweet or savory glazed meats.
Broccoli / Sesame Seeds / Garlic / Sesame Oil / Rice Vinegar
Main Dish Italian-American
The ultimate hands-off weeknight dinner. Everything on one pan, 10 minutes of actual work, oven does the rest. Sausages get crispy, peppers go sweet, onions caramelize. Serve on a hoagie with provolone or over creamy polenta.
Italian Sausage / Bell Peppers / Red Onion / Cherry Tomatoes / Garlic
Main Dish Russian
A mushroom and sour-cream sauce turns sliced sirloin and egg noodles into a substantial skillet dinner.
Top Sirloin / Dry Sherry / Mushrooms / Sour Cream / Egg Noodles
Main Dish Middle Eastern
Seasoned ground beef patties cook without skewers and can be tucked into warm pita with cucumber and yogurt sauce.
Ground Beef / Cumin / Coriander / Smoked Paprika / Pita Bread
Main Dish Italian
Tender chicken meatballs, pillowy gnocchi, and a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with spinach. Hands-off slow-cooker dinner that tastes like hours of work.
Ground Chicken / Gnocchi / Sun-Dried Tomatoes / Heavy Cream / Parmesan / Spinach
Dairy International
Use a quart of pasteurized milk and plain live-culture yogurt for a small refrigerated batch; results depend on the culture and temperature control.
Whole Milk / Plain Yogurt Starter
Main Dish American
Two thin patties, crispy lacey edges, American cheese melted over the top. Special sauce, pickles, soft bun. Stupid simple, insanely good — better than any drive-through, allow about 15-20 minutes or longer if cooking in several batches.
Ground Beef / American Cheese / Brioche Buns / Pickles
Baking Component European
A wild-yeast sourdough starter you grow yourself from just flour and water. No store-bought yeast or packets needed — you're capturing the wild yeast and bacteria already living on the flour and in your kitchen. Takes about 7 days to get bubbly and bake-ready (sometimes 10–14 in cold kitchens).
Flour / Water
Side Dish Southern
Tender Southern-style collard greens simmered with a smoked ham hock, aromatics, vinegar, and a little heat. Save the flavorful pot liquor for serving with cornbread.
Collard Greens / Smoked Ham Hock / Chicken Broth / Apple Cider Vinegar / Onion
Main Dish Mexican
Crispy-edged soy chorizo browned with tender potato and onion, rolled in corn tortillas and smothered in red sauce. The chorizo does the heavy lifting — smoky, spiced, and meaty enough that it eats like the real thing. Allow time for cooking the filling and baking the assembled enchiladas.
Soy Chorizo / Potatoes / Corn Tortillas / Mexican Blend Cheese / Enchilada Sauce
Main Dish Italian
An egg-and-cheese sauce coats the pasta without cream; a thermometer check replaces assumptions about residual heat.
Spaghetti / Guanciale / Eggs / Pecorino Romano / Black Pepper
Side Dish Thai
Fluffy, fragrant stovetop jasmine rice that is ideal for soaking up sauces from stir-fries, glazed meats, and curries.
Jasmine Rice / Water / Salt
Side Dish Mexican
Toast long-grain rice before a covered simmer in vegetable broth, then rest it off the heat before fluffing.
Long-Grain White Rice / Vegetable Broth / Tomato Paste / Onion / Cumin
Main Dish American
Store-bought corned beef transformed into legit homemade pastrami on the Traeger. Peppery bark, smoky, melt-in-your-mouth tender. The soak is the step people skip and regret — do it. Everything else is patience and a good thermometer.
Corned Beef / Black Pepper / Smoked Paprika / Garlic Powder / Coriander
Beverage American
A stirred New Orleans cocktail combining rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine and two bitters.
Rye Whiskey / Cognac / Sweet Vermouth / Bénédictine / Bitters
Soup Italian-American
Creamy, hearty Tuscan soup with spicy Italian sausage, tender potatoes, and wilted kale in a Parmesan cream broth. A home-kitchen sausage and potato soup with a creamy finish.
Italian Sausage / Russet Potatoes / Kale / Heavy Cream / Bacon
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