A few years ago, I got into a total smoothie kick and stocked our pantry with every kind of nut, seed, and super powder. I filled our freezer with a rainbow of fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, mangos, and pineapple, and fancied myself a smoothie artist. From a sunshine Carrot Smoothie to a Blueberry Spinach Smoothie that would fit right into Picasso’s blue period, I had a smoothie for every color on the wheel and lots of variations....

My love for pad Thai runs deep. So much so, that when Ben and I visited Thailand, we split a plate of pad Thai every single day of the trip, both at lunch and at dinner. It was so tasty and such a bargain, we couldn’t resist! Back on this side of the Pacific Ocean, pad Thai is still a dish I love to cook at home. It’s fast, easy, and hits the spot every time I’m feeling tempted by takeout (this recipe is a better choice!...

IT’S TIME for the Well Plated 2019 Holiday Gift Guide! After much careful thought and consideration, this list has my favorite items for everyone on your list. Whether you’ve been shopping for months (teach me your ways), or if this is your first dive into the holiday shopping game, I hope these ideas inspire you and give you a head start on planning. As someone who’s waited until the last minute, I’ve learned that it’s much better to order ahead so that you aren’t rushing around at the last minute, madly looking for items that are in stock....

As the primary household meal planner and cook, I feel a personal responsibility to sneak vegetables into my husband’s food. I regard this practice as a warm-up in the event Ben and my hypothetical future children inherit their father’s distaste of all that is green. I plan to serve my family these golden, glorious zucchini waffles every weekend, then rub my palms together in secret, subtly evil glee as our toddlers wolf them down, then beg for more....

When it comes to the Popular Protein Awards, you can’t beat boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’re easy to find, endlessly versatile, and one of the most approved proteins by picky eaters.Low in calories, high in protein, and with zero carbohydrates and saturated fat, you can’t deny that chicken breast is very healthy. It is a wholesome addition to a balanced diet. Making Better Baked Chicken Breast While chicken breast is great in theory—a lean protein I can flavor anyway I like, enjoy on its own, or add to pastas, salads, casseroles, sandwiches, and more, AND it’s good for me?...

Inspired by the Healthy Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole that was a fixture on our childhood dinner menus, today’s elevated vegetarian version keeps the spirit of the casseroles I remember my mom cooking. Like hers, it’s creamy, cheesy, and comforting. From there, I’ve taken a number of liberties to lighten it up and give it extra flair, like roasting the broccoli and using real-deal, fully-flavored cheese. In line with the classic Midwestern casserole spirit, you’ll find a crunchy casserole “lid” (mandatory!...

Despite their omnipresence, scalloped potatoes have always been my least favorite side (unless we’re talking about these goat cheese studded Homemade Scalloped Potatoes). I don’t find them offensive; they just give me the all-around reaction of “meh.” I’ll pile a few on my plate because they are, you know, there, but my heart is never really in it. Until today. These crockpot scalloped potatoes taste of home cooking, pure comfort, and their texture is tender perfection....

If you’re someone who believes they’re not a baker, then let me introduce you to the perfect beginner baking recipe. These easy drop biscuits will leave you impressed with your baking abilities, and everyone dining with you will be too. Unlike many butter-and-flour centric baking recipes (ahem, pie crust), making an amazing batch of homemade drop biscuits doesn’t require grandma-level expertise. There’s no kneading, proofing, rolling, shaping, or (if your baking exploits go anything as mine do at times) four-letter words....

Whatever pushed me down the crock pot sloppy joe recipe path, I am forever grateful. In keeping with life’s reliable sense of humor, a recipe I feared would turn out to be ho-hum at best—or a re-creation of childhood dinners I tried to hide in my napkin at worst—turned out to be the biggest dinner hit at our house in weeks. In place of the soggy ketchup and bland ground beef affair that I suspect turned me off to sloppy joes in the first place, this healthier crock pot sloppy joe recipe uses:...

And if you do have aspirations to be a smoothie person, here’s the perfect easy smoothie recipe to get you started! Made with strawberry, banana, and protein-rich ingredients like Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and oatmeal, this wholesome smoothie will keep you full for hours. It’s thick and creamy, pleasingly fruity, and tastes absolutely delicious. Whether this recipe is your first smoothie or your 500th, I am confident you’ll adore every sip....

Mastering the art of preparing a perfectly grilled chicken breast will make you feel like a has-her-life-together grown-up. Lean, healthy, and versatile, grilled chicken breasts are full of potential (hello, BBQ Chicken Salad and Balsamic Chicken Salad!). Sadly, they often turn out dry, bland, and rubbery. However, with a few easy tips and techniques, you can cook flavorful, tender grilled chicken breasts that are fit for adding to other recipes (like Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad or Chicken Tortilla Casserole) AND are worthy of enjoyment as a stand-alone main....

Mushroom risotto tastes decadently creamy with nutty notes from Parmesan, a floral hint of saffron, and the salty bacon and earthy mushrooms round out the umami factor. In other words, it tastes amazing. Homemade Risotto is Easier Than You Think I spent years avoiding cooking risotto because it has a reputation for being difficult. Risotto has even been called the death dish on the popular cooking competition Masterchef, because it is (allegedly) so hard to get right....

I first baked this coffee cake a few weeks ago, when two good friends and their young children visited us in Milwaukee. I served big slices for breakfast, with a quiet aside to Mom that it happened to be a healthy coffee cake made with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt (no need to mention this to the kiddos, of course). After devouring their slices, both kids went in for another, and the youngest did what I suspect many of us have wanted to do when facing a slice of coffee cake: he ate all of the streusel right off the top in two great, big forkfuls....

Every year, we crunch the numbers to figure out which 11—among the 155+ NEW recipes and ones from the archives we spruced up with new photos this year—were the most popular based on website traffic. So, what were you loving in 2022? This year, chicken was king. From crispy chicken thighs in the air fryer to flavor-packed, healthy chicken Parmesan, you loved discovering new ways to prepare this easy, crowd-pleasing protein....

We’re 1 week away from The Well Plated Cookbook (so many feelings!!! so many exclamation points!!!!!). That means those of you who preordered will receive your copies on August 25th, publication day. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment for years, and I know many of you have too. To celebrate, I’m thrilled to be partnering with Boswell Books, a fantastic local bookstore right here in Milwaukee, though you certainly don’t have to live in Milwaukee to participate....

Last year, we booked a last-minute trip to Europe, where I lived out my dream to eat beef Bourguignon (or as it is called in French “Boeuf Bourguignon“) in the region where it was created, Burgundy, France. And I even had a glass (or more) of Burgundy wine to pair with it. How lucky am I?! If you’re not familiar with this classic French beef stew, here’s what you need to know:...

A rich, creamy blend of frozen blueberries, spinach, Greek yogurt, and oatmeal, this filling smoothie is thick, fruity, and packs a full cup of spinach. All you’ll taste? Sweet blueberry goodness! I’m guilty of getting into a serious breakfast rut. I’ll eat the same breakfast almost every day for a month, until I hit a point when I never want to look at it again. Smoothies are a different story....

If you haven’t tried burrata cheese yet, it’s sure to be your sweet siren song too. Like Ricotta Pizza, it’s rich and creamy, and if you can stop yourself from inhaling the entire ball for long enough to scatter it over a pizza crust and pop it into an oven, it makes the most fantastic pizza pie. This burrata pizza is part recipe/part frame of mind. I’ve included my favorite toppings, which you can stick with or ignore....

Although cabbage is a common ingredient in Asian main dishes (both vegetarian and meat-based), the idea of using cabbage to make a healthy stir fry didn’t occur to me until recently. I usually think of cabbage as an “on-the-side” situation. Sautéed Cabbage. Cabbage Steaks. Asian Cabbage Salad. All are tasty, but none are a traditional main event. Cabbage’s long shelf life (it can last several weeks in the refrigerator) and budget-friendly price tag have made it a popular ingredient in our home as of late, so I decided to see what more I could do with it....

Pasta doesn’t have to mean dry, packaged noodles that you smother with jarred sauce (which had been my concept of pasta since childhood). After a trip to Italy, my eyes were opened and I learned that pasta can also mean light, fresh, simple, and healthy (like this Pasta Primavera). Looking to recreate some of the magic I experienced abroad, I took it upon myself to add extra veggies to a package of store-bought tortellini to make a healthy and colorful Caprese pasta salad....