Recipes on LB

Roasted "Tiny Chickens"

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lucas calls Cornish hens “tiny chickens,” which is objectively better branding and the main reason they stay in rotation around here. There is something about putting a whole half-bird on a plate that feels festive, even if it’s just a Thursday and everyone is slightly feral. The reality is far less dramatic. You split them, pat them dry like you mean it, rub them with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and enough salt to matter, and roast them cut side down until the skin turns properly golden. They cook evenly, they crisp reliably, and they feel far more impressive than the actual effort involved. If you dry the birds well and salt confidently, the oven does the rest and you get a lean, satisfying dinner that reads like you tried much harder than you did.

Baked Ziti with Beef Ragu

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lasagna was a staple family dinner for me growing up. Thanksgiving or Christmas? Sure, we’d have a turkey or a ham, but you better believe there’d also be a lasagna on the table.

As an adult I make lasagna pretty frequently, but honestly, sometimes I really want the lasagna vibes without quite as much effort. Hence this baked ziti/lasagna hybrid. You’re using pretty much all the same elements as you would for a lasagna, but the layers are way more forgiving, and the volume is easier to dial in for my family of three who doesn’t want to eat lasagna every other day for two weeks.

Schmaltzy Potato Cakes

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Leftover mashed potatoes deserve better than microwaved mediocrity. These potato cakes turn that mash into something worth planning for: schmaltz-fried patties with shallot and green onion. Schmaltz brings depth, garlic confit (already in the mash) brings background richness, and the sriracha mayo bridges heat and acid.

Snapshot

Implements: skillet; slotted spoon; mixing bowl; small bowl
Stove setting: medium heat for shallot infusion and potato cake frying (about 10–12 minutes total frying time)
Batch size: 3–4 servings
Notes: Uses leftover mash from Ultra-Concentrated Baked Potato Mashed Potatoes with garlic confit already mixed in.

Ingredients

Potato cakes

about 2 cups leftover baked potato mash (with garlic confit already mixed in)
1 egg
¼–⅓ cup flour
1 small shallot, very finely minced
2–3 green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
Chicken schmaltz
1 small knob butter
Freeze-dried chives (optional)

Sriracha mayo

½ cup mayonnaise
1–2 Tsp sriracha (to taste)
Squeeze of lemon or splash of rice vinegar
Pinch of salt

Method

Shallot infusion

Soft, Rich, Egg-like Polenta

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It was two years ago, summer, in Kansas City of all places. I’d been attending a trade show, and I’d brought my family along, because this particular show draws a group of friends who long ago also became family. On our last night in town we decided fancy dinner was in order (one can one feed one’s six-year-old so much BBQ, even KC BBQ).

We hit up Pierpont’s at Union Station, where I was served a polenta that has haunted my dreams ever since. I’d never before seen polenta appear gently curd-y, like soft scrambled eggs. Rich with (probably too much0 butter, it was divine. This recipe is my attempt to recreate it.

Potato Skin Chips With Garlic Avocado Oil

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The leftover baked russet potato skins from Ultra-Concentrated Baked Potato Mashed Potatoes are a goldmine, not waste.

Since the potato flesh has already lost a lot of moisture in the oven and been riced, the skins are already dry, flavorful, and just begging for a crisp finish.

Why garlic avocado oil is ideal here

High smoke point: you can push heat without bitter edges.
Neutral base: garlic reads clean, not muddy.
Already infused: flavor is in the fat, not sitting on the surface.
Skins are dry (because baked, not boiled): they crisp instead of steaming.

This is exactly where garlic oil should be loud.

Garlic in Oil: Confit vs. Roasted (Two Methods, One Decision)

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A choose-your-own-adventure garlic recipe: low-and-slow avocado oil confit for pure garlic flavor, or oven-roasted garlic in olive oil for a richer, more aromatic result. Both are useful. The difference is intention.

Snapshot

Implements: small lidded oven-safe crock or ramekin; toaster oven or oven
Oven setting: 250°F (120°C) for confit, 250–275°F (120–135°C) for roasted (40–50 minutes)
Batch size: about 1 to 1½ cups garlic oil with cloves
Notes: short-term storage only (see safety note)

Ingredients

20–30 peeled garlic cloves
1 to 1½ cups oil (enough to fully submerge garlic)

Choose your oil based on outcome

Sous Vide Eye of Round (From Frozen)

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sous vide overnight from frozen is exactly what eye of round wants. Eye of round is a lean, well behaved hunk of beef that only turns tender if you refuse to bully it with heat. Sous vide is how you win that standoff.

The quiet truth: eye of round is not trying to be luxurious. It wants to be precise. Sous vide gives you control, salt gives you depth, and the sear gives you drama. The rest is just not getting in its way.

Simple Sautéed Cabbage and Onions

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My Grandma Yola made cabbage and onions for Grandpa Joe for lunch all the time when I was very young, but after I stopped spending every day at their house it wasn’t a vegetable I had very often. By the time I became an adult with her own kitchen, cabbage wasn’t somethig I knew what to do with, or even knew I liked.

Enter Sakkio Japan at the Belden Village Mall Food Court in Canton, Ohio. It was a super standard mall chicken teriyaki joint, with awesome stiry fried veg, including cabbage. I was OBSESSED. Fast forward to today, and cabbage is in the rotation for my family just as often it was for my grandparents so long ago. This prep is super simple, and lends itself to pretty much any dinner vibe you’re going for. It cooks up crunchy and salty and pretty much perfect for any dinner, any time.

Leftover Steak, Egg, and Black Bean Bowls

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Leftovers are fine. But leftovers that become something new are better. Last week we did picanha steaks for dinner. Today that leftover steak is becoming these breakfast-for-dinner bowls that my family always devours.

Beef and eggs are a classic fat-protein pairing. Black beans add structure and bulk so the bowl eats like a real dinner, not just an indulgent scramble. Avocado smooths the edges. Salsa supplies acid and brightness so the whole thing does not drift into beige. Chips give you crunch and a way better delivery system than that boring old fork.

Ultra-Concentrated Baked Potato Mashed Potatoes

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I could probably make mashed potatoes 3-4 nights a week and my family would love it. But they’re a ton of work, I HATE peeling potatoes, and my six-year-old will not eat a potato skin to save his life.

Thus, I’ve been testing a baked potato version that both simplifies and improves upon my previous method. Baking the potatoes first means they lose moisture and concentrate flavor. I then rice them while they’re still hot, and add fat in an order that protects starch instead of turning it into glue. Butter goes in first, dairy goes in warm, and you stop once they’re cohesive, creamy, and clean-tasting.

German-Inspired Carrot Almond Torte-Loaf

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

So, my kid eats a lot of carrots. Probably 1-2 a day. Last weekend, my local Safeway was out of carrots in every format, except for 5lb bags, so of course I bought a 5lb bag, He’s six, so I have a real fear that a week without carrots might mean he decides he hates carrots now. If you’re thinking that makes no logical sense, you’re right, and also you’ve clearly never tried to feed a six-year-old.

Schmaltzy Chicken Thighs

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t know why everyone was conspiring to hide chicken schmaltz from me, but now that I know it exists, there’s no going back. Schmaltz is just rendered chicken fat (usually from skin and trimmings), and it turns out it’s the missing piece in every “why isn’t this as good as I expected” chicken recipe I’ve ever made. This recipe is what happens when you stop fighting chicken thighs and let them do what they want: render their fat slowly in a hot cast iron pan, crisp the skin properly, then finish in the oven. No vegetables, no sauce, no distractions. Just schmaltz, thighs, and enough patience to let the pan handle the hard part.

Sheet-Pan Sausage and Vegetables

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A low-effort, high-reward sheet-pan dinner: whole sausages roast alongside tiny potatoes and sturdy vegetables until everything is browned, juicy, and meant to be served from a big platter. The potatoes go in first so they turn creamy inside, then everything else rides the sausage fat to the finish line. Sriracha mayo makes the whole situation dangerously dippable.

Snapshot

Implements: rimmed sheet pan; large mixing bowl; small bowl; knife + cutting board; tongs; optional instant-read thermometer
Oven setting: 425°F (220°C)
Batch size: 3–4 servings
Total time: about 1 hour 10 minutes (about 15 minutes active, about 55 minutes mostly hands-off)

Ingredients

For the sheet pan

1½ lb tiny Yukon Gold potatoes (or fingerlings; see note if larger)
5 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 Tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 lb uncooked sausage links (any variety), left whole
12 oz green beans, trimmed
2 medium zucchini, sliced into ½-inch thick half-moons
1 large yellow or sweet onion, cut into thick wedges (or half a bag of frozen pearl onions; or 2 shallots, peeled and halved)
Optional: a few whole cloves of garlic
½ Tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 Tsp dried oregano and/or ½ Tsp fennel seed
Optional: ¼–½ Tsp red pepper flakes

For the sriracha mayo

½ cup mayonnaise
1–2 Tbsp sriracha (to taste)
½–1 Tsp lemon juice or vinegar
Optional: ½ small clove garlic, finely grated
Pinch of kosher salt

Method

Heat the oven

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions Over Rice

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is one of the first meals Alex and I ever cooked together. Not a “date-night” dish, not a flex, just Italian sausage, peppers, and onions in a skillet because it was affordable, forgiving, and got food on the table quickly. Years later, it’s still in regular rotation for the same reason: it’s the dinner you make when you don’t want to think, but also don’t want to give up and Doordash.

Herb Roasted Chicken with Garlic-Pepper Potatoes

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This recipe started the way a lot of weeknight dinners do: chicken thighs in the freezer, potatoes on the counter, and the need to feed people without turning it into a whole thing. What I ended up with was a fast, bright herb marinade and some crowd-pleasing simple af garlic potatoes. Fresh herbs can make the marinade greener and louder, but dried work just fine when that’s what you have.

Weeknight Sausage "Risotto"

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is risotto in spirit, not doctrine. You add the broth all at once, stir occasionally, and let the sausage fat and rice starch do the work. The result is rich, savory, and comforting without requiring constant attention.

Snapshot

Implements: large saucepan or shallow pot; wooden spoon or spatula
Stove setting: medium-high for browning, then medium-low simmer
Batch size: about 4 generous bowls

Ingredients

4 Tbsp salted butter, divided
1 lb Italian sausage (sweet preferred; hot optional), casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
Pinch of saffron threads
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
⅓ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Brown the sausage

Sous Vide Pulled Pork With Arby's-Leaning BBQ Sauce

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I used to own a smoker. I wanted to love it, the ritual, the smoke, the promise of perfect pulled pork, but in practice it meant babysitting temperatures for hours and canceling cooks when a Spare the Air day rolled in and ruined the plan. Sous vide fits my life better. This method that I’ve tested a few times now gives you a tender, shreddable pulled pork without hovering, without smoke, and without reworking your schedule around weather or air-quality alerts.

Marinated Bavette Steak with Chimichurri, Crispy Yukon Golds, and Hard-Roasted Asparagus

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’m always trying to take recipes I find online more in the direction of what a restaurant chef would do. There are often simple tricks or ingredients that will materially uplevel whatever a home cook suggests (read: butter). In this case, a bavette steak gets a short, intentional marinade that builds flavor without demanding all day, and the chimichurri, intentionally cilantro-free, brings bright, herbal freshness that pairs beautifully with juicy beef. If you make any part of this recipe, try the chimichurri. It’s the best I’ve ever made.

Same-Day Oven-Fried Buffalo Wings (Mild, Frank's-Forward)

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I make wings a lot, they’re one of my faves, but most oven-baked versions I’ve tried either come out soggy or demand an overnight dry-out. There has never been a day that I’ve been that organized about my personal life. So this recipe has become my same-day method for crispy, blistered Buffalo wings that hit the sweet spot between crunch, juice, and sauce without needing a deep fryer or hours of prep.

Egg Salad with Pickle Relish

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In my opinion, there are two acceptable ways to make egg salad. The first is the standard method that I’ve had to adapt to as a Californian: the mayo–mustard–relish route. The second is the Midwest shortcut I employ when I’m back home: Marzetti Slaw Dressing. Both work. Both are good. I prefer Marzetti’s, so here’s hoping they one day decide to sell their product anywhere near where I live.

Either way you choose, you end up boiling eggs. I let the whites stay in large, irregular chunks. The yolks become sauce. You fold, you stop early, and you do not apologize for texture.

Steak Bites with Crispy Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien and Buttered Peas

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Some nights call for a dinner that feels familiar, cooks fast, and doesn’t turn into a negotiation with a six-year-old.

On those nights, steak bites, frozen potatoes, and peas get the job done. Cutting the steak into quick-cooking pieces keeps things moving, the potatoes do their thing straight from the freezer, and the peas add something green without complaints. It’s a meal everyone recognizes, everyone eats, and no one argues about (exactly what a weeknight dinner should be).

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ever

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

So, here’s the thing about chocolate chip cookies: most recipes are fine. Perfectly serviceable. They make cookies. They’re just as good as the one that comes on the back of the package of chocolate chips.

But if you want the cookie that stops conversation, the one that makes people forget they were supposed to just have one, the one that makes other moms stop and ask you for the recipe, this is it.

Chicken Legs with Leftover Onion Bits

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My mom used to make the best chicken legs in her Crock-Pot in the ’90s — the kind that fell off the bone, soaked up whatever flavors were around, and never, ever made it to the next day. This recipe is a direct descendant of that era: the same deep tenderness, the same low-effort generosity, just updated with a little more intention around texture.

It’s a forgiving method that works with whatever onion scraps and fat situation your fridge is currently offering. Covered cooking keeps the meat juicy and relaxed, the way slow cookers always did. Uncovered finishing tightens the skin and concentrates flavor, giving you the best of both worlds.

Italian American Spaghetti and Meatballs

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is my big-batch, two–sheet-pan version of classic spaghetti and meatballs, built for feeding people without stress. The meatballs are a mix of 75/25 beef and ground pork or veal, so the method is designed to keep them tender and flavorful without turning your sauce into an oil slick. You can certainly use leaner beef, I often do, this is just what happened to be in my freezer this week.

Sous Vide Rack of Lamb with Lemon Thyme and Garlic

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Rack of lamb is one of those cuts that’s expensive enough to make you nervous and lean enough to punish mistakes. Traditional roasting works, but the margin for error is narrow, and it’s very easy to end up with the classic bullseye situation: nicely pink in the middle, increasingly gray toward the edges. Sous vide takes that stress off the table. Credit also goes to Costco here, whose pricing is the only reason rack of lamb became something I was willing to experiment with at home instead of reserving it for restaurants and special occasions.

Espresso-Caramel and Lebkuchen Chocolate Swirl Blondies

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’m lucky in life to have well-travelled foodie friends, one of whom brought me two gorgeous sweet spreads from Bremen, Germany: one caramel with espresso, one chocolate with lebkuchen (gingerbread) spices. Both were too good to waste on toast, and both wanted to be the star. So I built a blondie recipe that gives them a proper stage.

The two spreads that started it all: caramel with espresso and chocolate with lebkuchen spices.

Extra Protein-y Pasta e Fagioli

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

For as long as I can remember, pasta e fagioli has been my mom’s favorite soup. When I was little it grossed me out, but as an adult it’s one of my faves too. This version ups the protein with added Italian sausage, because I, like everyone, am chasing that daily protein intake.

The recipe is built from my pantry staples to feel like a meal, but still comes together simply. And OMG, it’s so freaking good the next day…

Honey Mustard Pretzel Crunchies

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

These pretzels started as a saved Insta reel and turned into one of those quietly excellent party snacks (crunchy, savory, lightly sweet, and designed to sit happily next to your cheese board rather than overpower it). Also, hella easy to make.

The original inspiration came from an Instagram post by Sally’s Baking Addiction. This version is adapted for cheese boards and grazing: a little less sweet, a little less oily, and split into two mustard paths so you get contrast without complication.

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes (the Courtney Cook Method)

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We’re all eating sweet potatoes right now, with cheese stuffed into the center, right? That’s not just me? I wasn’t seeing things when my local Safeway had suspiciously fewer sweet potatoes in the bin today that usual?

Color me influenced… I have a sweet potato in the air fryer right now and a block of havarti in the fridge. (Dratted Safeway didn’t have butterkase!)

I’m following the recipe of Courtney Cook, whose general approach to cooking tends to look low effort until you realize it produces consistently better results than most optimized techniques. The key to this sweet potato is the air fryer, yes, but more importantly, the refusal to rush the ending.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Candied Carrots (Restaurant-Style)

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Who wants to eat healthy carrots anyway? These are the carrots you feed a kid who says they hate carrots. (Not my kid, of course, who loves raw carrots straight from the ground but spat these out in 10 seconds, but like, probably other kids…) They’re modeled on the carrots that show up all glossy and smug in a restaurant: tender all the way through, lacquered with butter + brown sugar, and gone in seconds even when everyone swore they weren’t really hungry.

Easy Oven Bacon

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I love stovetop bacon in theory for its speed, and perceived simplicity. In practice, I find that it’s a tiny grease-based weather event that coats your entire kitchen in “breakfast essence.” If you regularly make your bacon on the stovetop, I encourage you to join me in oven bacon land. (And I also encourage you to try Dawn PowerShot on your vent hood, because you know it needs it…)

Oven bacon is the calm, grown‑up solution: hands‑off, even rendering, and you don’t end up having to Google how to get bacon grease stains out of a t-shirt.

Simple, Classic Almond Biscotti

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Inspired by a Unicorns in the Kitchen TikTok, this is the almond biscotti that accidentally turned into the star of my holiday cookie plate last year. The dough is simple, the slices are sturdy enough to ship in cookie boxes, and the double‑bake turns them into the crisp, dunkable kind of cookie that actually wants to be dropped into your mug.

The secret move from last year’s notes: use both almond extract and vanilla extract. Vanilla keeps everything cozy; almond makes the whole kitchen smell like an Italian bakery.

Deep and Cozy Pantry Chili

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OK, I’m not too proud to admit it… I really really love Wendy’s chili. It’s absolute comfort food, especially when piled on the most perfect of vessels, a Wendy’s baked potato, or even better, Wendy’s fries. But I digress…

This week I set out to make a pot of chili at home with Wendy’s vibes and just ingredients I already had on hand. My good bud Chatty G helped me make it work with my freezer and pantry staples (San Marzanos, hatch chiles, duck fat, smoked salt… be jealous). It leans into slow simmered flavor without being fussy. It is hearty, rich, a little smoky, and very very IYKYK. Serves 6 to 8.

Holiday Crunch Casserole

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I was in high school my mom had pretty major surgery and as midwesterners do, immediately after a family friend showed up at our door with this casserole. It was not glamorous. There were no heirloom vegetables. There was a can of cream-of-something soup and a heroic amount of crispy fried onions.

We LOVED it. In the middle of a weird, scary time, this was hot, salty, crunchy, and comforting. It’s been in the family rotation ever since, and it still tastes like being taken care of.

Cream Cheese Mints That Actually Set

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I tried to make these dang mints almost exactly one year ago for Christmas and they LITERALLY. NEVER. SET. UP. I had no idea that was possible, and let me tell you, it ticked me off. These silly little pastel squares that show up on cookie trays and at church weddings are one of my absolute faves: soft‑minty, creamy, and just firm enough to stack in a jar without merging into one mega‑mint. Or, that’s what they’re supposed to be.

Grandma Yola's Pizzelles

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

If you didn’t grow up in an Italian American family, I’m sorry. And also, you probably don’t have context on how seriously my people take our cookies. For as long as I can remember, my Grandma Yola’s pizzelles (at least 12 dozen of them) have been a holiday staple. An electric pizzelle iron from the Italian store is a coming of age gift in my culture. I treasure my grandma’s antique irons, the manual kind meant to be held over a gas burner, though I don’t have the first clue how to use them without starting a fire.

Duck Fat Roasted Turkey Legs and Thighs

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I love Thanksgiving flavors, but I do not always love managing a whole turkey the size of a small meteor. Thawing it for a dang month. Splashing raw poultry liquids all over my kitchen. Locating and cleaning that one roasting pan buried in the depths of my garage. Too much work to then end up with dry, tasteless leftovers.

Here’s the thing… dark meat never sucks as leftovers. So why not just make that? I grabbed some turkey legs and thighs from my butcher and dry brined for deep seasoning. After an uncovered fridge nap for paper-thin crisp skin, and a final gloss of duck fat, the oven did most of the work. I ended up with the Thanksgiving vibes I wanted, without trussing anything or panic-basting every 20 minutes.

Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake Loaf

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I was testing a new recipe last weekend for Fluffy BBQ-Style Sweet Potato Casserole, and it turns out I planned for way more pecan topping than I needed. Like, double what I needed. This is what happens when Midwestern mom energy and maximalism combine. Or maybe those were already synonyms?

Once I had a bowl of extra pecan topping staring me down, the answer was obvious: coffee cake. This version borrows from a classic cinnamon crumb loaf, then pushes it one notch further. The crumb is soft and plush thanks to heavy cream and Greek yogurt, the cinnamon stays front and center, and the pecan topping shows up twice because moderation is overrated.

Roasted Squash Ditalini with Crispy Guanciale

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is one of those recipes that started as a “use what I have” situation and very quickly turned into a repeat request. The first time I made it, I was trying to solve two problems at once: a container of butternut squash that didn’t have room to save in the freezer, and a chunk of guanciale I impulse-bought without a plan. Pasta felt inevitable. Ditalini was chosen by my six-year-old.

Thanksgiving Turkey Wellington Sausage Roll

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’m starting to prep for Thanksgiving 2025, but I literally cannot be convinced to roast a turkey this year. So instead I’m doing a mashed up hybrid of classic British sausage rolls, holiday turkey flavors, and the architecture of a Wellington that can be dunked into a vat of gravy. Because of course.

Alongside the turkey Wellington Franken-rolls, I’m also making:

Turkey gravy
Sweet potato casserole
Duck fat roasted potatoes
Roasted asparagus and Brussels sprouts
Classic cranberry sauce

So, let’s get started!

Sheet-Pan Döner Kebab, No Vertical Spit Required

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OK, I had to try it, the TikTok‑famous “Nefi’s Kebab.” One of my besties is a German native who came of age eating Berlin döner, and has missed it every day since he moved to the US. With this recipe to attempted to recreate something close enough to his beloved college staple. Instead of a giant rotating cone of meat, you build thin sheets of spiced lamb‑and‑beef mixture on parchment, roll them into logs, and roast them on a sheet pan.

Fluffy BBQ-Style Sweet Potato Casserole

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I am extremely picky about sweet potato casserole. Most versions are either dessert pretending to be a side dish or a dense, gluey situation that nobody actually wants seconds of. This one is neither. It’s modeled after the version from Sauced BBQ in Lafayette, which gets the balance exactly right: a savory, buttery, lightly salted sweet potato base that stays fluffy and scoopable, with all the sweetness and crunch living up top where it belongs.

Pressure-Cooked Bachan's Pulled Pork

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been trying to use the pressure cooker more, which mostly means trying to remember that I own one. Pulled pork is one of the few things where it’s genuinely the right tool. On Sundays we usually make one batch-cook thing that can turn into several weeknight dinners, and last week it was this Bachan-style pulled pork.

This started as a mash-up of a few TikTok recipes, plus what’s worked for me before, and then got tightened up with some help from ChatGPT. In this version, the sauce is thin, soy-forward, and interesting. Per standard, I sauced the pork after shredding, and very lightly, reserving most of the sauce to be applied when served. That keeps the meat juicy without getting soupy.

Not Pie, Not Buckle, It's Peaches-and-Cream Crisp

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Inspired by dinner at a friend’s house this past weekend, and some jars of peaches that were edging toward expiration in the back of my pantry, I set out to build my own recipe for a peaches and cream crisp.

I’m gonna be honest: I LOVE pie, but I HATE making pie crust. It’s too fiddly. I’m a cook, not a baker, I’m just not great at the perfection that baked goods require. Buckle, cobbler, crisp, these are the pastry-adjacent desserts that are right up my alley: most of the elements I love about pie, but way more forgiving for a lazy home cook.

90s Mom Sausage and Rice Bake

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is the kind of recipe that shows up in church cookbooks and gets passed around on index cards. It’s not trying to be clever. It’s trying to be dinner. Hands-off oven rice with sweet Italian sausage, where the rice stays neutral and buttery, and the sausage does all the talking.

Snapshot

Implements: 9×13 glass or ceramic casserole, aluminum foil
Oven: 350°F (177°C)
Batch size: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups long-grain white rice
3½ to 4 cups water
2 Tbsp salted butter or olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, sliced into thick coins
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
½ Tsp fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: small pinch kosher salt

Method

Heat oven to 350°F (177°C).

Recipe Index

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000