Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Additional Time: 6 hrs Total Time: 6 hrs 35 mins Servings: 20
My daughter renamed this ice cream sandwich cake “The Best Dessert I’ve Ever Eaten” for Memorial Day. It had been prepared in advance, but before she could taste it, my husband consumed it all! While I carry this desert to an enormous social occasion, my significant other could do without it since he will not have any extras!
Ingredients
5 pounds red potatoes, chopped
3 cups mayonnaise
2 cups finely chopped pickles
5 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to the empty pot to dry and cool.
2. Stir together mayonnaise, pickles, hard-cooked eggs, red onion, celery, mustard, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in cooled potatoes until well combined.
3. Chill potato salad in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.
Prep Time: 30 mins Additional Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Servings: 12 Yield: 1 9×13-inch cake
This Memorial Day, my daughter renamed this ice cream sandwich cake “The Best Dessert I’ve Ever Eaten.” I had previously prepared it, but my husband consumed it all before she could taste it! When I bring this desert to a large gathering, my husband doesn’t like it because he won’t have any leftovers!
1 (12 ounce) jar hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
¼ cup chopped pecans, or to taste
Directions
1. Arrange a layer of ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a 9×13-inch dish; top with a layer of whipped topping, hot fudge topping, and caramel topping. Repeat layering with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping, hot fudge topping, and caramel topping, ending with a top layer of whipped topping. Sprinkle with pecans.
2. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
Featuring some of the deliciously sweet and delicate produce available around Easter, this delicate, luscious pasta is the epitome of spring. Remembered to have been devised in America at some point during the 70s, we gave this retro recipe a few present day changes, and, TBH, we can’t get enough of it.
There’s a reason why this veggie-packed pasta is a classic. It’s the perfect dish to make in the spring or summer to celebrate fresh flavors and produce because it’s easy to make and can be adapted to what you have on hand. Or, make this for a Valentine’s Day dinner that’s extra special and give them a homemade present they’ll always remember.
We gave this old recipe some modern tweaks that we believe really take it to the next level. It is thought to have been created in America sometime in the 1970s. The following are our top recommendations for making this pasta, as well as information about what makes it so special:
Which pasta ought to I use?
Although penne or spaghetti can be used in this pasta dish as well, we chose to use egg-based pappardelle instead. The ideal surface for sweet sautéed vegetables is its rich flavor and fresh-pasta-like texture. Tagliatelle or fettuccine would also work well to change things up.
Vegetables are everything.
— Cooking from roots to leaves. Two items that are frequently discarded are used in this dish: the “tough” dark green tops of leeks, which take a little longer to cook than the pale and white parts but taste just as delicious, and the radish greens, which have a slight peppery flavor and cook down quickly.
The radishes Red radishes are typically spicy, but when roasted or sautéed, they become extremely sweet and tender.
— Mushrooms with meat. Maitake mushrooms, also known as hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, are a real treat if you’ve never tried them. They have a pleasant, slightly chewy texture and a super savory pop of flavor. Oyster mushrooms, shiitakes, or cremini mushrooms are all excellent substitutes if you want to try a different kind of fungus.
Want to try something new with your veggies? No problem! This dish can be made with any roasted vegetables you have on hand: Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli are all excellent substitutes.
Can any meat be added?
Absolutely! Shrimp or chicken breasts would be excellent additions if you want more protein.
Who made it? Please share your thoughts in the section below!
Ingredients
1/2 (8.8-oz) bag pappardelle
1 (8 to 9-oz) bunch red radishes, with tops
1 medium leek
2tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
2oz. maitake mushrooms, torn into bite-sized pieces
4oz. (about 1 heaping cup) sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into thirds on the bias
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4c. white wine
3/4c. heavy cream or half & half
1/2c. freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon zest, for serving
Directions
Step 1
Boil pappardelle in salted water according to directions on bag, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
Step 2
Meanwhile, prep vegetables: separate radish tops from radishes and rinse and dry both. Quarter radishes, and roughly chop their greens. Transfer each to separate bowls. Halve leek lengthwise and rinse thoroughly. Remove root and slice into ¼” pieces, keeping dark green parts separate from light green and white parts.
Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add radishes and shake pan so that all radishes are cut-side down. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, or until undersides are golden. Stir, and cook 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Transfer radishes to a medium bowl, add more oil if necessary, and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with radishes.
Step 4
Return skillet to medium heat and add remaining oil. Add dark green leeks and cook for 2 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Add light green leeks and snap peas, season with salt, and cook 2 minutes more. Add garlic and radish greens and cook 1 minute more, until garlic is fragrant and greens are wilted.
Step 5
Add radishes and mushrooms back to skillet, stir to combine, then add wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wine has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream, bring up to a simmer, and cook until thickened slightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat, add pasta, toss, then add parmesan and toss gently until everything is well combined and cheese is melted. If sauce is too thick, add pasta water little by little, stirring after each addition, until sauce is smooth and velvety.
Step 6
Once plated, zest pasta with lemon and season with black pepper. Serve with additional parmesan on the side.
This largely hands-off recipe can take more than a day to complete due to the need to make the lengthy bolognese sauce separately. The sauce can also be cooked ahead of time. But don’t let the amount of time required discourage you. The effort put into making lasagna is well worth it, and the end result can feed a large group or keep your family fed for days with easy-to-reheat leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
1lb.lasagna noodles
1(16-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1large egg
1/4c.fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4tsp.grated nutmeg
4oz.Parmesan, grated (about 1 cup), divided
Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper
7c.(1 recipe) Bolognese Sauce
12oz.fresh mozzarella, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Lay noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet, separated by sheets of parchment paper.
Step 2
Stir together ricotta, egg, parsley, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup Parmesan in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Spread 1/3 cup Bolognese sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles (cutting to fit if necessary), one-third of ricotta mixture, and one-third of mozzarella. Repeat three more times until pan is full, ending with ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Step 4
Cover with foil and bake until sauce and cheese begins to bubble around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. (If Bolognese is cold from the fridge, add an additional 5 to 10 minutes.) Uncover and bake until cheese is brown and bubbly, 24 to 26 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving
The only thing better than a good recipe? When something’s so easy that you don’t even need one. Welcome toIt’s That Simple, a column where we talk you through the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed. This edition: a corn casserole dubbed “that creamy, cheesy corn thing” by those in the know.
Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday—the parade on TV, friends and family joining forces in the kitchen, and bottles of wine opened a little too early in the day. But the truth is, I didn’t grow up celebrating the holiday: I was adopted into the Turkey Day fun after moving to the US from Australia in 2000.
Over the years, I’ve squeezed tons of guests into various tiny New York apartments and tried to master heaps of turkey recipes, sides, and pies. I once cooked a 24-lb. turkey that ended up being the only thing I could fit in my oven (due to time and space constraints; thankfully, my upstairs neighbors let me cook the sides in theirs). I’ve made countless iterations of classic green bean casserole—my favorite has haricots verts, wild mushrooms, and a Parmesan béchamel. And I’ve done my fair share of riffing on my grandma’s stuffing.
But one particularly perfect side dish has stood the test of time more than any other. It’s the one that repeat visitors to my Thanksgiving soirees request year after year—a few friends go so far as to request it anytime I host them for dinner or venture out to a potluck.
What’s the comfort food in question? It’s an easy corn casserole recipe that’s an unparalleled combo of creamy and salty, and it’s easy to put together. Is it fancy? Nope. Is it absolutely delicious? Of course. Is it something you’ll want to reheat and eat straight from the Pyrex while wearing your pj’s, binge-watching holiday movies, and nursing that post-Thanksgiving hangover? Hell yes. And it doesn’t even require a box of regionally available cornbread mix to put together.
Everything you’ll need to make “that creamy, cheesy thing.”
My friends call it the “creamy, cheesy, corn thing,” which fits in nicely with all the usual stars of the Thanksgiving show. Once it hits the table, and that first gooey spoonful hits their plates, everyone’s suddenly very thankful for good friends and even better carbohydrates.
How to make Cheesy Corn Casserole:
Start by sautéing 1 jalapeño, chopped (take out the seeds if you don’t want the green chile’s heat), and 2 cloves garlic, chopped, in a medium saucepan until they’re fragrant and just starting to soften. Add two 15-oz. cans whole-kernel corn (not creamed corn), 8 oz. cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, a large handful of grated cheddar cheese (½–¾ cup), and about ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until it’s melty. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. At this point, I can’t help but taste-test—if I determine it needs more cheese, it gets more cheese. Pour the corn kernel mixture into a buttered 13×9″ casserole dish, then sprinkle the top with ½ cup breadcrumbs (fresh or dried), another ½ cup finely shredded parm, and a handful of chopped fresh herbs (I usually use a mix of thyme and sage, or whatever I have on hand after cooking the turkey). Bake at 375° until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the breadcrumbs are a crispy golden brown—cook time, about 15 minutes. If you are feeling extra fancy, you could toss a handful of chopped green onions or chives on top to garnish, but it doesn’t need it.
You can totally prep this ahead of time: Choose a baking dish with a lid (or cover the dish with plastic wrap) and refrigerate the casserole for up to three days, so it’s lying in wait for bake time. But do hold the breadcrumb topping until you’re ready for the oven.
It’s not the only corn casserole out there. If you’re in it for the version found on the back of a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, which one BA staffer thought was a treasured family secret, we’ve got the deets on that too. (Spoiler alert: Hers has a ton of extra melted butter.) We also have a hominy-bolstered corn pudding enriched with sour cream and laced with poblano chiles and Cotija cheese, and a creamed corn soufflé made with grated ears of fresh corn. All this to say: options abound. Still, I keep coming back to this creamy, cheesy corn thing.
Scare your friends and serve delicious brains on Halloween. This no-bake strawberry cheesecake made from plastic molds looks real. Add “blood” fruit syrup and you’ve got the spookiest dessert in town.
Level: Intermediate Total: 5 hr (includes chilling and freezing times) Active: 40 min Yield: 8 servings
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin (from two and a half 1/4-ounce packages)
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch fine salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups heavy cream
Bright red gel food coloring, for coloring the cheesecake
Strawberry Syrup:
1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Nonstick cooking spray, for the mold
Directions:
Special equipment: a plastic 9.75-by-8.5-by-4-inch (7-cup) brain-shaped gelatin mold
1. For the graham cracker crust: Pulse the graham crackers, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor until crumbs form. Drizzle in the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out the food processor.
2. For the cheesecake: Whisk the gelatin into 1/3 cup warm water and let sit until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Pulse the cream cheese in the food processor until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Then add the granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, lemon juice and softened gelatin. Pulse until completely smooth. With the food processor running, add the heavy cream and enough food coloring to make the batter a light pink. Process until combined.
4. For the strawberry syrup: Combine the strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer and simmer until the berries are very soft but still holding their shape. Strain the syrup, transfer the berries to a small bowl and chill. Return the syrup to the saucepan and continue cooking until thickened, about 10 minutes. Chill the syrup until ready to use.
5. Coat a plastic 9.75-by-8.5-by-4-inch (7-cup) brain-shaped gelatin mold generously with nonstick cooking spray. Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the mold, swirling the batter to cover all sides of the mold. Freeze for 5 minutes to let the batter thicken. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter up the sides so there is a 1/2-inch-thick coating around the entire mold. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the batter.
6. Add the strawberries to the center of the mold. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the strawberry syrup over the strawberries. Evenly spread the remaining batter over the berries, pressing the batter into the mold to fill any gaps. Top with the graham cracker crumbs, pressing to create a firm crust. Place the cheesecake in the freezer until the sides are very firm and almost frozen, about 2 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours before serving.
7. To unmold the cheesecake: First, carefully place the mold briefly into a bowl of hot water, then run a small offset spatula around the edge of the mold to help release the cheesecake from the sides. Invert onto a plate and poke small holes in the mold with a paring knife to help release the cheesecake from the mold. Carefully pull off the mold. Top the brain with the remaining strawberry syrup.
