The Staple: Cream Cheese
Jammy Pastries
It’s actually quite simple to make these nostalgic treats. Just top rectangles of ready-made pie crust with a layer of cream cheese and your favorite jam. You’ll finish each pastry off with a layer of icing for an indulgent treat that will take you back.
Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta
Here’s a pro-tip for a truly decadent pasta: stir in some cream cheese. Yes, cream cheese! Its meltable texture makes for the creamiest pasta sauce in this tasty comfort-food dish.
Creamy Smoked Fish Dip
Few snacks are as delicious as a bowl of extra-creamy smoked fish dip. This version is flexible according to your preferences—smoked trout is suggested, but smoked salmon would work, too. Unlike many similar recipes, this one lands just the right balance of creaminess to fish, since you’ll use equal parts cream cheese and trout, ensuring each bite has ample fish.
Five Easy Dinners
Instant Pot Lamb Tacos With Feta
You’ll start by cooking cubed lamb shoulder until tender, which then forms the base for tacos. Each is topped off with feta, pomegranate arils (aka “seeds”), yogurt, and mint. It’s an original and delicious recipe that comes together with just 20 minutes of hands-on time.
Harissa Salmon and Potatoes
It all comes together in a single dish: First, you’ll roast the potatoes before adding the salmon fillets, ensuring everything is done at the same time. Arugula brings peppery balance to each bite, while a garlicky lemon mayonnaise adds a bit of decadence to the finished plate.
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
This simple pasta dinner combines tender bites of chicken with hearty mushrooms in a decadent cream sauce. Unlike many creamy pasta dishes, this one stays on the side of balanced, not cloying, thanks to a glug of sherry vinegar stirred into the sauce and a sprinkle of herbaceous tarragon leaves at the end.
Black-Eyed Pea Ribollita
This ribollita recipe features collard greens and black-eyed peas alongside a broth that’s flavored with Parmesan rind and tomatoes. What makes it truly delicious is the final step, which features torn ciabatta croutons topped with a hefty portion of grated Parmesan.
Crispy Tofu Noodle Soup
Planks of crispy tofu nestle up alongside rice noodles and ribbons of Swiss chard in a spiced vegetable broth that’s spiked with ginger, garlic, tamari, and star anise. Think of it as a delicious, vegetable-rich dish that will warm you through to the core.
Plant Powered
Tofu and Mushroom Larb
Larb is a traditional Laotian dish (also eaten in Thailand), which features crispy ground meat that’s seasoned with fish sauce, lime juice, mint, scallions, and chiles. This plant-forward rendition swaps in tofu and mushroom for the meat, which you won’t miss.
Big Batch
One-Pot Chicken, Sausage, and Beans
Let this easy one-pot wonder transport you to the southwest of France without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen. Taking inspiration from cassoulet, this simple stew is a study in layered flavors, but without the hours-long work of the classic version.
