Recipes

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Named for its core ingredient, Ro*Tel, a Texan brand of canned tomatoes and chiles, this dip is a variation of chile con queso that often includes ground beef. It’s a pantry-friendly appetizer made in one skillet, and cooks up in just 15 minutes. While the recipe title refers to the spicy tomatoes, the key ingredient is the processed cheese, typically Velveeta, which gives the dip a luxuriously creamy texture. If you prefer not to use processed cheese, a combination of cream cheese and mild Cheddar may be used instead (see Tip). The flavor and texture will be slightly different, but the tomatoes and chiles will still shine through. And there’s a mild heat, even with the addition of chili powder. For more of a kick, use a “hot” variation of canned tomatoes and chiles, up the chili powder to taste or add a pinch of cayenne to the dip as it cooks.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Next time you’re thinking of boiling water for corn on the cob, consider this flavorful oven method instead. Ears of corn are brushed with a garlicky herb butter, then wrapped in foil and roasted until tender and just starting to brown. The butter flavors the corn as it roasts, and a spoonful spread on each ear just before serving delivers a little extra richness. For corn on the cob with a kick, consider adding a pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne to the butter mixture.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This simple chicken salad makes great use of leftover chicken, though you can certainly use a rotisserie chicken or roast or boil chicken breasts for this recipe. The recipe calls for classic crunchy mix-ins such as grapes, celery and pecans, but feel free to make it your own: Use a diced tart apple in place of the grapes, or toss in a handful of dried cranberries. Chicken salad gets better as it sits, so make this at least a few hours in advance if you can, or make it on Monday to have on hand for lunches all week long.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

In this simple recipe for Italian-American style chicken cutlets, chicken breasts are sliced thinly, pounded even thinner, then breaded with a mixture of panko, Parmesan, garlic and Italian herbs. The breaded cutlets are wonderful served simply with a few lemon wedges, topped with a vinegary, green salad, or even used to make chicken Parm. The trick to ensuring your cutlets come out perfectly crunchy is to wait until the oil is very hot before adding them to the pan. Doing so will prevent the chicken from sticking and the bread crumbs from becoming soggy. Take your time cooking the cutlets, moving them around in the hot oil with tongs and pressing them gently for evenly browned, perfectly golden results.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

These meatballs are inspired by keftedes, a traditional Greek meatball made with beef and sometimes pork or lamb and seasoned with a mix of herbs and spices. While variations of keftedes abound, many include fresh bread crumbs, grated onion and tomato, along with lots of fresh mint and parsley. The tomato lends the meatballs a hint of sweetness and acidity, and also helps make them incredibly moist and tender. While not traditional, this recipe opts for panko instead of fresh bread crumbs, for ease. Rather than being softened with milk to form a panade, the bread crumbs go into the meatball mix on their own and soak up the flavorful juices from the onion and tomato. Serve these meatballs with homemade tzatziki, a simple salad and pita on the side, or in tomato sauce for a hearty, comforting dinner.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Dress up roasted zucchini with this playful, comforting recipe. The hearty sausage filling is made with zucchini, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, for a burst of summery flavor no matter the time of year. Bread crumbs add crunch to the top of each zucchini and also help absorb any moisture released during roasting. Use whatever kind of sausage you like, just note that you may need to use additional olive oil if using chicken sausage. While this may not be a recipe for busy weeknights, none of the steps is difficult, and it feeds a crowd. The zucchini can also be fully assembled 8 hours in advance and baked before serving. For smaller gatherings, this recipe halves beautifully.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Due to its high water content, zucchini takes well to high- and direct-heat cooking methods like sautéing and grilling. Using these methods, color (a.k.a. flavor) can develop before the squash releases too much moisture. This recipe for roasted zucchini employs a few tricks to combat sogginess. First, the oven is cranked up to 450 degrees, so the zucchini browns in a matter of minutes. Second, the zucchini is diced into 1-inch cubes, so the pieces are large enough to withstand the high oven temperature without breaking down. Finally, the sheet pan is preheated, giving the zucchini a headstart on browning when it hits the sizzling-hot pan. For best results, use small to medium zucchini and wait to salt the squash until just before it goes into the oven. You can season simply with salt and pepper, or toss the zucchini with hardy herbs like oregano or thyme before roasting, and finish with fresh lemon and tender herbs such as basil or mint.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This simple salad works well as a side for almost any main dish and is an excellent way to use up whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. You’ll end up with a delicious, well-balanced salad as long as you combine mild, crunchy items, like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, with more intensely flavored ones, like radishes and raw onion. Homemade balsamic, ranch or your favorite bottled dressing will all work well here, but do wait to dress the salad until right before serving for best results.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Roasted eggplant takes the place of pasta in this veggie-heavy riff on traditional lasagna. All the other lasagna elements are here, including a spinach, herb and ricotta filling; marinara sauce; and plenty of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The result is a completely gluten-free dish that tastes every bit as hearty and comforting as a true lasagna, with a welcome brightness from the addition of lemon zest. This is by no means a difficult recipe, but there are several steps. To save time, you can roast the eggplant slices in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before assembling the lasagna.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

These crunchy, cheesy breaded chicken breasts are baked, not fried, making for hands-off cooking and easy cleanup. Instead of relying on a typical three-part dredge — with flour, eggs and bread crumbs — this recipe uses mayonnaise to help the bread crumbs adhere to the chicken. The mayonnaise does the job beautifully, adding flavor and moisture in the process. Tossing the panko-Parmesan mixture in olive oil helps the bread crumbs brown in the oven, mimicking the crisp texture of a fried cutlet but with way less oil. Serve with a simple green salad or your favorite sauce for dipping, as these breaded chicken cutlets are essentially large-format, dinner-friendly chicken tenders.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

These crispy breaded eggplant rounds make a delicious appetizer served with marinara sauce for dipping. The key to tender, creamy eggplant with a crisp, crunchy coating is slicing the eggplant thinly and salting it to draw out excess moisture before breading. Coated in seasoned panko, the eggplant rounds cook in under 3 minutes, meaning you can fry the whole batch in under 15 minutes and serve the rounds piping hot. If you’re planning ahead, you can also bread the eggplant slices and refrigerate them on a paper towel lined plate for several hours before frying.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Of all the ways to cook eggplant, roasting it in large cubes is one of the easiest and most delicious. Eggplant browns beautifully in a hot oven, becoming crisp and golden at the edges, and tender and soft in the center. Because it will absorb the olive oil quickly, giving the eggplant a good toss with your hands is the best way to make sure it’s evenly coated before it goes into the oven. And don’t skip the parchment paper: It makes for easy cleanup and prevents any crispy eggplant bits from sticking to the pan. Serve roasted eggplant with a scattering of fresh herbs, or dress it up with a drizzle of tahini sauce or herb salsa.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This autumnal spin on traditional British bangers and mash is cooked almost entirely on one sheet pan, which makes it a hands-off, weeknight-friendly dinner. The butternut squash roasts alongside the sausages before getting mashed with maple syrup, a pinch of cayenne and a drizzle of brown butter flavored with fried sage and garlic. The butternut mash makes a delicious, savory-and-sweet base for the roasted sausages — with a little bit of extra brown butter drizzled on top. Any sausages will work here, though cooking time may vary.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Fresh tomato soup is a treat best enjoyed with juicy, end-of-season tomatoes, but this versatile recipe is delicious all year long. Both the shallots and tomatoes are caramelized along with tomato paste, which gives the soup deeper flavor. Take your time and let the tomatoes reduce, because the more they caramelize, the more delicious the soup will be. While this recipe does take a little bit of time, it’s mostly hands-off simmering. Make it when the weather turns cool and a big pot of soup simmering on the stove sounds just right.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Any dish with an “assemble-your-own” component is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and these loaded baked sweet potatoes are no exception. The usual suspects — sour cream, scallions and shredded cheese — are here, along with crispy, spice-roasted chickpeas, which add a satisfying crunch and enough protein to boost this recipe into the dinner category. The sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast on one pan, making this dish a breeze for weeknights. On that note, lining half the pan might seem fussy, but it’s worth the extra step — the chickpeas need contact with the hot pan to get nice and crisp, and the foil or parchment under the potatoes makes for easy cleanup.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

While there’s nothing wrong with a pan of classic cornbread, this recipe makes for a fun twist when the occasion calls for something a little bit more festive. Jarred roasted red peppers not only add a pop of color, but also a juicy, vinegary tang that balances the richness of the cornbread and helps keep it moist and tender. The feta softens but doesn’t melt, leading to satisfying little pockets of cheese in each piece. Finally, thanks to the sour cream in the batter, this cornbread won’t dry out overnight. To make in advance, fully cool the cornbread, then cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours before serving.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This is a very simple method for baking cod, with an ingredient list both short and mighty. Minced herbs, garlic and scallions give the mild, flaky fish lots of flavor -— but you can feel free to substitute whatever fresh or dried herbs you happen to have on hand, since cod takes well to a range of herbs and flavors. As the fish bakes, the lemon juice mixes with the olive oil and seasonings, resulting in a bright and savory sauce. Spoon it over the hot fish and serve directly from the baking dish, with roasted potatoes and a green salad on the side.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of bread crumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping, or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Baked egg muffins are an ideal weekday breakfast: They’re portable, easy to make in advance and endlessly adaptable to what’s in the fridge. This recipe calls for a colorful mix of spinach, tomatoes, bacon, Cheddar and feta, but feel free to experiment with your own combinations. Aim to keep roughly the same ratio of ingredients that contain more water, such as tomatoes and spinach, to less wet ones like cheese and bacon. For a vegetarian version, replace the bacon with chopped steamed broccoli or sautéed mushrooms.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Chicken breasts and thighs are perennial favorites when it comes to weeknight dinner recipes, but for another quick-cooking and flavorful chicken dinner, consider these baked drumsticks. Coated with a mix of everyday pantry spices and roasted until browned and tender, they are reliably delicious with very little effort. Like chicken thighs, drumsticks are forgiving to cook: While technically cooked through at 165 degrees, they remain juicy and moist at even 175 degrees and higher. Serve them with your favorite weeknight side dishes, such as rice pilaf and lemony steamed broccoli, or a big plate of crudités and ranch dressing for dipping. Finally, if you like things on the spicier side, add a pinch of ground cayenne to the spice mixture, or sprinkle with a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce when the chicken comes out of the oven.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This speedy dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes and relies on pantry staples like honey and soy sauce for easy weeknight flavor. The honey-garlic sauce works double-time, serving as a sweet-and-savory marinade and as a pan sauce for the crustaceans. While large shrimp work best for this recipe (and are the most forgiving when it comes to cooking time), smaller shrimp will work, too. If your shrimp cook through before it’s time to add the sauce to the skillet, transfer them to a serving dish and reduce the sauce on its own before pouring it over the shrimp. Serve with steamed rice, and a simply cooked green vegetable or cucumber salad.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

In this classic French restaurant dish, Yukon Gold potatoes are given the steak treatment: Seared in a hot pan, basted and then baked, they become creamy and fall-apart tender. (The name, fondant, refers to the French word for melting). To achieve their signature cylindrical shape, you can use a round cookie or biscuit cutter, or a paring knife, to shave down the sides of the potato. Choosing potatoes that are long and tube-like, rather than round, will also help. But you can also feel free to skip this step; the potatoes won’t be strikingly uniform, but they will still be delicious! Serve alongside steak, or roast beef or chicken for a show-stopping and comforting dinner.

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

This large-format pancake puffs up at the perimeter, creating light airy edges, while the center remains denser and almost custard-like. It’s the combination of these two textures that makes the German pancake special — that, and the ease of being able to whip up pancakes for six without being tethered to the griddle. What’s the difference between a Dutch baby and a German pancake, you may wonder? Semantics, really. The origin of this giant baked pancake is commonly attributed not to a Dutch or German dish, but to a Seattle restaurant called Manca’s that began serving the dish in the 1940s. The inspiration and name for this uniquely puffy pancake may have come from some variation of pfannkuchen (the German word for pancakes) and the word Deutsch (German) pronounced in American English eventually morphing into “Dutch.” While many German pancake recipes call for a cast-iron skillet, this recipe uses a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan to create one gargantuan pancake with plenty of cri

Lidey Heuck · NYT Cooking

Often referred to simply as pastina, which means “little pasta” in Italian, this is Italy’s answer to the comforting cure-all chicken soup. Variations of pastina soup abound, but most include chicken broth, vegetables (in the form of sautéed onions, carrots and celery) and tiny pasta. The miniature star-shaped pasta most commonly used in this dish is sold as “stelline” — or “tiny stars” — in Italy, and simply as “pastina” in the United States. Acini de pepe works well, too, if pastina is unavailable. A tiny shape is key here, as the pasta continues to absorb broth after it cooks, giving the soup an almost creamy, porridge-like consistency. Some versions even call for puréeing the cooked vegetables and stirring them back into the soup to further thicken the broth. Homemade chicken broth would be an excellent choice here, but for those who need comfort in a hurry, this recipe uses the handy shortcut of reducing store-bought chicken broth and adding a Parmesan rind to the pot, to enrich a