A simple staple to whip up when you need something quick or to pack for a picnic. Perfect for crackers, wraps, sandwiches or plain.
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3 Layer Chocolate Custard Cake
While not a favorite dessert at our house, the fact that one batter creates a 3 layer cake earns its a spot on the site. When serving to guests, it looks like it took considerably more time than it actually does.
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Merrick Family Chili
There have been minor tweaks to this chili over the years, however this is the chili that has consistently placed me in the top 3 at many chili contests, including a few wins.
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Pasta with Garlic and Oil
A surprisingly simple and quick dish that produces a flavorful take on spaghetti. It has a little bit of heat and quite a bit of garlic, both friends of mine.
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Buttermilk Biscuits
The biscuit is the perfect pair for breakfasts, snacks and dinners. Top if with gravy, butter, jelly or even use it with chicken and dumplings.
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Bouchon Brownies
My wife the expert of all brownies has declared these the greatest brownies in the world. Rich and chocolatey, like a mini chocolate lava cake right in your hand.
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Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
This recipe has generated a huge amount of discussion on the internet, claiming to be a better "chocolate chip cookie". I would have to say that I agree if it wasn't for the soft gooey centers of traditional style cookies.
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Madeleines
These little french cakes are the perfect snack size and have a similar texture to the top of a traditional muffin.
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Fried Potatoes and Onions
One of the few dishes I remember my grandpa making, however I wasn't brave enough to try them back then.
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Zucchini Tian (Tian de Courgettes au Riz)
My favorite way so far to eat zucchini, shredded zucchini casserole with cheese and rice. The only thing missing is an episode of Julia Child making it in the background.
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Chicken Pot Pie
The base of this recipe is good enough to eat on its own as a soup. If you add a crust you have pot pie, toss in some biscuits and now you have chicken and dumplings. Don't be afraid to simplify and use a rotisserie chicken and pre-made pie crusts from the grocery store.
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Scalloped Potatoes (Gratin Dauphinoise)
Scalloped potatoes remind me more of holiday meals, probably because it is a little more involved than what most would take on for a week day meal. Add it to your list for a fancy Sunday dinner for the family.
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Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Chicken parm is one of our favorite hot sandwiches as well as one of my favorites to order at Italian restaurants. This recipe is much easier than pounding out chicken breasts and produces an excellent crisp meatball.
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Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
A friend bought me a small jar of Jerk paste to try out one time and we were really excited to have another way to spice up chicken. This recipe is the closest to date that produces a thick paste for seasoning and marinades.
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Chicken Tikka Masala
For many people Chicken Tikka is the first dish they are introduced to for Indian food, and for good reason. It is flavorful and has a lot of familiar tastes. It isn't usually spicy and doesn't have ingredients people haven't heard of. For me, it continues to be my favorite Indian food and this recipe is my favorite to date.
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Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
With some time and practice you can have crispy diner style potatoes at home. Duck fat has a higher smoke point and allows for the potatoes to cook hotter and increases the browning.
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Sous Vide Egg Bites
No more excuses for skipping breakfast during the workweek, these portable (Starbucks Inspired) egg bites are very rich and have a wonderful texture. Customize and change-up your toppings to add variety every day.
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Chocolate Scones
A significantly healthier option compared to most of the recipes on the site, these scones are moist with a light crunch on top.
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Smoked – Pulled Pork
Pork shoulder is a very forgiving and cheap meat to start with if you are new to smoking. During a long cook it slowly transforms to an incredible tender feast for many people to enjoy.
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Ultimate Granola
This is less of a complete recipe and more of an excellent foundation to build a granola with all of your favorite ingredients. Combinations and add-ins are endless, you may find yourself sneaking some before bed as a treat, seriously.
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Sous Vide Pork Carnitas
This recipe doesn't get much easier. Super tender carnitas that can be started the night before and ready within 20 minutes for dinner. Add guacamole, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, rice and salsa and you have a full Chipotle bowl at home.
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Seared Brussel Sprouts
It wasn't until I tried some roasted brussel sprouts and bacon at a local restaurant that they started to get on radar for a new vegetable to add to my diet. We have made this quite a few times and I am always quite pleased with the results.
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These cookies are one of my all time favorites: rich, sweet and a soft chewy texture. Don't worry you can make them all year and not just around the holidays.
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Baked Beans
Baked beans are a relatively new addition to my menu, but I found this recipe and it has way more flavor than the cans or any restaurant ones I have tried.
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Yeast Pretzels
Everyone loves a fresh soft pretzel, the possibilities are endless for mix-ins, dips and toppings. These smell amazing and are up there with the best pretzels I have ever had.
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Apple Crisp
A classic childhood favorite combines my favorite fruit and a crumbly sweet topping. Great by itself or with a scoop of ice cream on top.
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Sous Vide & Smoked Beef Brisket
My love for brisket has only recently come about. A local BBQ restaurant started to offer a full-cut brisket option so I decided to give it a try. It is so tender and juicy, reheats well and is probably my favorite smoked meat to date.
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Pumpkin Cake Donuts
We love donuts at our house, I finally broke down a bought a donut pan. Our first attempt were these moist pumpkin donuts, there will be more on the way like chocolate chip or apple cider.
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Pork Belly Bacon
Bacon is a hero on its own, or add it to a number of meals to take it up to the next level. This is a great way to save some money and have some delicious treats in the fridge/freezer.
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Breakfast Granola Tart
Our family eats a lot of granola and yogurt, this was a simple recipe to make eating and serving it a little more exciting.
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Chocolate Souffle
This souffle is really easy and is very very good. Texture comes out like a gooey rich brownie and is fun to watch rise in the oven while it bakes. Save the $8 at the restaurant and make one at home.
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Pomme Rosti – Hash browns
The bags of frozen hash browns never turned out well for me. This recipe takes a little time, but produces the best hash browns I have had to date.
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French Toast
Next time you see a nice Challah bread at the store, think about picking one up to try out this great french toast recipe. It's simple, but a great way to have a restaurant style meal at home and save some big money.
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Glazed Sweet Potatoes
My glazed carrots recipe is one of the more popular recipes on the blog so I looked at adding some more options. These glazed sweet potatoes are much easier and reheat well the next day.
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Steamed Hard Boiled Eggs
Surprisingly enough, we struggled to get consistent results when making hard boiled eggs. Using this steam method has made this a foolproof recipe.
