My mother was a phenomenal cook, yet I once asked her if she ever got tired of cooking dinner. I vividly remember her reply, “No, but I get so tired of deciding what to cook!” With my then-17-year-old eyes, I stared blankly at her, not having a clue what she meant.
Oh, Mom, now I get it!
To help you clear the hurdle of “what to make for dinner–again?!,” we asked our team where they get their inspiration and recipes. Here’s a sheet-pan-full of their responses.
“Half Baked Harvest. Every recipe I’ve tried from this blog is so full of flavor! Fresh herbs are my weakness and there’s no replacement for them, and she uses them often and a wide variety. Fav recipe for when company comes over: Sheet Pan Greek Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes—fresh, bright Mediterranean flavors in one pan!” —Megan York, graphic designer
Megan with a kid-approved dinner
“Damn Delicious. The recipes aren’t dramatic (think tacos, pastas, grilled chicken) but that means no matter what I have in my fridge or pantry, I can usually find a recipe that will accommodate my ingredients. I especially love the Slow Cooker Corn Chowder–it’s a family favorite.” —Cathy Engstrom, newsletter editor
“Love and Lemons Every Day by Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews. This is a mostly vegan cookbook, and while I’m not a vegan, I am largely plant-based. There are so many easy and wonderful recipes in here! My go-to, bake-almost-every-week goodies are the banana bread breakfast cookies. I love having them on hand to grab and go. I also love their yellow squash tofu scramble.” —Amanda Loudin, podcast co-host
Amanda posing with her favorite cookbook
“Eating Bird Food is my new favorite recipe website! As I’ve started to look for healthier options, including more vegetarian ‘switches’ that are still high in protein and delicious, this site has kept delivering. Now I just browse and it’s all doable and easy!” —Jen Steele, TLAM Club 5K Programs Coach
“I love the Well Fed cookbooks by Melissa Joulwan—the original one and the Well Fed Weeknights are my favorites. The recipes are super simple, and my whole family loves them. We have been cooking with them for a number of years! The ‘balls and bangers’ are easy and tasty—lots of varieties—and the Vietnamese Lamb with Scallion Rice and Dan Dan Noodles are probably two of my family’s favorites!” —Jessica Hofheimer, Traditional TLAM Club Programs Coach
“My current fave is Sally’s Baking Addiction. Every recipe I’ve tried has been a home run, especially the bread recipes. If you have any interest in making homemade bread, I’d highly recommend this site—it’s very easy to follow, with clear, thorough explanations. And if you’re looking to make a nice dessert, or breakfast goodies (her scone recipe is the best I’ve found anywhere), this is the place to go – they’re all delicious! There are savory/meal recipes, as well, and those are good, too, but I mostly turn to the site for the baked goods.” —Michelle San Antonio, Community
Michelle always bakes some extra goodies each week
“Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky, although all of their cookbooks are great. The recipes are timesavers, and I generally have most of the ingredients on hand. The dishes all taste so good—my favorite is Honey Balsamic Grilled Chicken.” —Christy Diller, Many Happy Miles physical therapist
Christy shows off her grilling skills
The New York Times cooking app has been my right hand in the kitchen for the past couple of years. It rarely steers me wrong! It has recipes for almost everything including quick weeknight meals that can be made in under 30 min and good vegetarian options for my pescatarian pre-teen. And I love that you can save favorite recipes, or ones you want to try, and organize them in different folders.