Jen’s Incredible Baked Meatballs
These tender, flavorful baked meatballs have been a family and reader favorite for many years. Hundreds of readers have called them the best meatballs ever! Serve them with spaghetti and your favorite sauce, as an appetizer, in a meatball sandwich－or all by themselves. A perfect meal prep recipe that freezes well too! Perhaps you are like me…
Homemade Taco Seasoning
You likely have all the spices needed to make this classic seasoning blend, and it’ll taste fresher–and be more economical–than the store-bought packet. Early in our marriage, I discovered my husband’s fondness for taco salad. When I first served tacos, he piled all the filling ingredients on his plate and crumbled the shell over…
Walking Tacos
Walking Tacos offer a fun, portable way to enjoy the traditional taco salad and are perfect for kids’ parties and casual dinners. Those who prefer a plated taco salad may absolutely eat the meal that way. Both of my sons are swimmers and, like so many sports activities, the summer swim meets are always over…
Blue Cheese and Bacon Braised Trout
When we visit my in-laws’ cabin in Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania, the guys do a lot of fishing. (Usually, after I catch one fish, I say I am good for the year!) Some of the fishing is done from a row boat in the lake, but most is done casting from the shores of one of…
Foot Bridge Grilled Chicken (also known as A Third-A Third-A Third Chicken)
A flavor-packed marinade with just three basic ingredients makes this oldie-but-goodie ideal for both busy weeknights and casual backyard entertaining. I always prepare more than I need the first night, as leftovers are delicious cold, reheated, and as a leveled-up base for your favorite chicken salads. The marinade works beautifully with vegetables too. Over the…
Sausage, Mushroom & Pasta Bake (gluten-free option)
Possibly a bigger challenge than creating recipes is naming them! Sometimes, there are lots of delicious ingredients in one recipe, so I feel a need to include as many of them in the name, knowing that different people are grabbed by different ingredients. But then, a recipe name can get rather wordy! Sometimes, I go…
Strawberry Pesto Pasta Salad
This recipe came from Genevieve, an English teacher at Lancaster Country Day School. Another teacher told Genevieve she simply must share this recipe for the Summer Salad Challenge conducted by The Lancaster Sunday News and me. The recipe came from Genevieve’s sister and, conceptually, it caught my attention right away. Beyond offering a novel, seasonal…
Sesame Peanut Noodles
I have two favorite preparations for noodles in a peanut sauce so, before I chose one for this space, I made them both for dinner recently. My family declared a tie in the side-by-side comparison. They were no help! It almost came down to a coin toss, but ultimately, I chose this recipe because I…
Hoisin Beef Skewers (or Whole Flank Steak)
Prep-ahead convenience, versatility, and appealing flavor make this recipe a go-to for easy weeknight grilling and weekend entertaining. I’m the type of person who thinks about dinner as I am eating breakfast. So, it may not be surprising that I ponder what to cook for my newspaper column up to a month in advance!…
Chicken and Spinach Parmesan Pizza
When we eat this pizza, I feel as though we are enjoying a gourmet pizza that took minutes to prepare. It happens to be a favorite of my 14-year-old son, who is usually all about pepperoni pizza! Typically, I love a good saucy pizza–meaning the tomato version. This white sauce, however, is quick, easy and…
Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Everything Sauce
This recipe will make excellent use out of the spices that are likely in your cabinet－and as the name of the optional sauce implies, it’s quite versatile! When the first burst of warm weather arrives each spring, I get so excited to cook outside. There is something so relaxing and enjoyable about a meal…
Avocado Egg Salad
Enjoy this healthy egg salad in a wrap, as a salad, or serve with carrot and celery sticks for a chunky and super-satisfying dip! Lauren Kelly is a certified nutritionist, not to mention a dear foodie friend of mine. She recently published a comprehensive book on eating wheat-free and kindly shared it with me. It…
