I’ve been cooking a TON in 2022, and absolutely loving it. It was one of my New Years resolutions this year to cook 52 NEW things. So far I’ve pretty much kept up, and a bunch of these food items have changed the game in our home. I’ve found recipes that are quick and easy, ones that will impress dinner party guests, and even a few that are slated to become major traditions for us. If you’re curious about all the dishes I’ve made this year, check out #JessMakes52 on Instagram!
Crab Rangoon by Taste of Home – I was shocked at how easy these were, and how cheap! Quite literally only 4 ingredients (minus seasonings), so quick, AND they taste even better than takeout!
BA’s Best Pesto – It sounds crazy that I’d never made pesto before this year, but for some reason I’ve always gravitated to a red sauce when making pasta. Not anymore! Basil and parmesan are some of my most favorite things, so this realization was bound to happen eventually. If you’re not making pesto from scratch… what are you doing? Storebought isn’t fine anymore y’all!
and that leads me to….Ina Garten’s Tuna Salad! This one isn’t part of my cooking challenge, but it is one of the best tuna salads I’ve had! Ina really stepped it up, and I love her for it.
Nigella Lawson’s Sticky Toffee Pudding – this cake is absolutely going to stick around forever. Now that I’ve made it, I can’t imagine a Christmas without it. This will be an heirloom recipe without a doubt.
NYT’s Pierogi Ruskie – The thought of making pierogi intimidated me at first, but they ended up being both more easy and more fun than I expected. This feels like a great dish to make with family, you get to use your hands, and you end up with a TON of delicious potato dumplings. Don’t forget the butter and onions!
Pistachio Baklava from Cleobuttera – This one is really special because my best friend Emily and I made it together on FaceTime! We’re both baklava obsessed, and this was another recipe that was easier than anticipated! Although we were both tired of babysitting super thin phyllo sheets by the end of it!
Chef John’s Scotch Eggs – It’s hard to go wrong with sausage and eggs, especially together, and deep fried! These were fantastic, and the fact that the egg stays jammy through all the cooking is definitely impressive. This was a recipe we’ve already repeated, and I’m sure it won’t be long before we make them yet again.
NYT’s Coq au Vin – Can I just say WOW? I made this as the main dish for a dinner party and it seriously impressed the most critical of palates (ME!) everyone else seemed to enjoy it too 😂 This is a recipe I’m definitely keeping in my back pocket for a rainy day. It just feels fancy, but the techniques are really quite basic!
What are your favorite recipes?
I’d absolutely love if you left one in the comments!
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