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I know everyone has an opinion on what makes the best potato salad, and (I might be in the minority on this) I think most of them are wrong. With the exception of vinaigrette-based potato salads and Pesto Potato Salad, just above every potato salad I’ve tried has been drowned in mayo, the texture is monotone and mushy, and the taste beyond bland. I would wonder why we even bother with potato salad, except that it doesn’t quite feel like a real summer cookout without one (or without a 7 Layer Salad)....

Packed with whole-grain goodness in the form of oatmeal and happy-life goodness in the form of warm fall spices and dark chocolate chips, these healthy pumpkin oatmeal cookies belong in your cache of repeat-worthy fall desserts (right aside Sweet Potato Cookies). Every fall, I feel a moment of hesitation around the inaugural can of pumpkin. The weather is usually still fairly warm, and I worry that I’m rushing sweater weather....

What this lady should do to make proper, non-cheating Turkey Bolognese: Painstakingly chop all vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, garlic).Simmer the sauce on the stove for a minimum of two hours, all day if you are going for bonafide nonna status.Make the pasta from scratch.Use heavy cream.Use some wine in the sauce. Drink the rest with dinner. Oh, and she probably shouldn’t be using turkey. What this lady actually did:...

That said, when I set a plate of the healthy, whole wheat oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip bars before my sister, brother-in-law, and husband—all of whom are highly opinionated about their desserts—I held my breath for the table’s first reaction. Worth affirmed. Every single person had second helpings! My brother-in-law had thirds, then refused to believe me when I informed him that these chewy, ooey-gooey, peanut-butter-loaded oatmeal chocolate chip bars are:...

One summer morning, my mom taught my sisters and I how to open a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and bake them in a round pie plate all by ourselves. It was a great day and a terrible day. The great part was spending every Monday through Friday in June rotating through the orange, regular, and “grand” varieties (if only there had been a Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting flavor)....

The trick to cooking perfect, crispy Brussels sprouts is roasting them in the oven. This foolproof recipe will ensure you cook up a scrumptious pan of Brussels sprouts every single time. These Brussels sprouts make the perfect side dish for so many different recipes, plus they’re impressive (and delicious) enough to serve for a special occasion! Despite the unfortunate childhood associations, I’ve found that even the pickiest of vegetable eaters still enjoy this recipe (they also love this Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Cabbage....

Like the cute former-nerd-turned-CEO you are kicking yourself for ignoring in high school, these sweet and spicy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots are having the last laugh. I’d call them smug, but they deserve the recognition. We eat roasted vegetables four to five nights a week at home. Whether I’m cooking classic Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Parmesan or sweet Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash, my favorite roasted vegetables are tender on the inside, crispy on the outside, and so tantalizingly caramelized, my signature move is to eat one-third of the pan before the vegetables ever make it to our plates....

Even my sister who roasts sweet potatoes for her family almost nightly declared these the best sweet potato recipe she’s ever eaten. She wanted to know my secret. WHY are these particular sweet potatoes so darn good, we couldn’t keep ourselves from inhaling them right off of the sheet pan? HOW do you make the most magnificent roasted sweet potatoes that are, seemingly inexplicably, more sublime than any that have come before?...

When the weather gets chilly and the days turn grey I find myself frequently turning to rich dishes like Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and Homemade Hamburger Helper for warmth and comfort. This sweet potato pasta with Brussel sprouts that cold-weather comfort food doesn’t have to be heavy or involve copious amounts of cheese. This veggie-filled weeknight pasta recipe: Is a dynamite One-Pan Dinner cooked in a single pot (including the pasta)....

Now, I’m not saying that the occasional dinner trifecta of wine, cheese, and pita chips doesn’t have its place or moment of necessity, but for health reasons, I’ve recently had to start paying closer attention to my diet, specifically the amount of protein I eat on a daily basis. While I might be perfectly content to munch a PB&J in between errands or scoop fresh avocado right from its peel and call it lunch, I’ve learned that making a meal of these quick bites hasn’t been nourishing my body as completely I need....

After you’ve spent meaningful time with people you love. After you’ve enjoyed a spread worthy of kings (don’t forget Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole, Crockpot Green Bean Casserole, and Homemade Scalloped Potatoes!). After you’ve washed the dishes. There’s one more task to tackle… What to do with all of the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers?? Don’t send that turkey away in Tupperware just yet! And don’t use it all for Turkey Tetrazzini. You need that juicy turkey for today’s holiday twist on my reader-favorite Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad....

From the ages of approximately 4 to 14, chicken tenders (and their first cousin, chicken nuggets) were, to me, the pinnacle of culinary perfection. I ordered them at every drive-through, tugged the end of my mom’s grocery cart towards the freezer aisle hoping she’d grab a box, and if we ate out for a “fancy” dinner (ahem, Chili’s) I’d order them off the appetizer menu as my main dish. These days, I rarely stop for fast food, but on a recent road trip, we pulled through a drive-through and for whatever reason, I HAD to have chicken fingers....

These easy Andes cookies are perfectly chewy, packed with just right amount of melty mint chocolate chunks, and the exact cookie I imagine us sitting around my coffee table eating with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Lights will twinkle on the tree, I’ll play Michael Bublé’s Christmas album for the fifth time, and we’ll all help ourselves to a third cookie. Doesn’t that sound festive? My Christmas season never feels complete until I’ve made at least one mint chocolate baked good....

Using avocado for healthy desserts and baked goods has been a favorite trick of mine ever since making Avocado Chocolate Mousse, avocado Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, and more recently, this Avocado Ice Cream. Avocado is high in (good) fat and has a creamy, velvety texture. In baking, avocado can replace butter, shortening, and sometimes even eggs. It makes desserts incredibly moist and rich while contributing to their overall health benefits. In the taste department, avocado is mild, meaning that by the time you’ve loaded up these fudgy Avocado Brownies with cocoa and chocolate chips, you’ll hardly detect it....

Avocado egg salad is one of the oldest, dearest dishes in my journey towards learning to cook wholesome food for myself. These glorious green sammies were one of the earliest meals I cooked for Ben after we were married (as was this Whole30 Chicken Salad), back when my blog was still a casual hobby. Ben is sometimes skeptical of weird modern twists (see this Avocado Grilled Cheese), and he definitely questioned me when I first made these sandwiches....

You can always find a butternut squash hanging out in my pantry. Many a fall weeknight, I default to my simple (though certainly not ho-hum), cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash. It’s a good last-minute option for a holiday gathering as well. When it’s time to prepare something Extra Super Special, however, this healthy butternut squash casserole will be a star. It’s easy to prep in advance, making it a busy cook’s BFF....

Sit down to eat this healthy meal at the table, or enjoy it in true takeaway style—in front of a rom-com. No matter the setting, this easy chicken chow mein fits right in. We eat stir fry almost weekly here, for good reason: Stir fries can serve as a complete meal with servings of veggies, protein, and whole grains. One and done.You can throw just about anything you have in the refrigerator at them....

Although I grew up watching Martha Stewart religiously with my Grammy, I’ve never internalized Martha’s passion for time-consuming flourishes. It’s admirable that Martha hand makes intricate origami valentine cards and festoons her four-layer Triple Chocolate Easter Cake with delicately spun sugar, but I’m more of a smear-the-icing-on-the-cake-and-hide-the-ugliest-part-in-the-back kind of gal. I’m not proud; I’m not ashamed. It’s just me. Thus, when I spotted a recipe for homemade heart-shaped Crunch bars in Martha Stewart Living, I surprised myself the most when I immediately stuck the page under Ben’s nose with an emphatic, “I have to make these....

I spoil the surprises every time. It doesn’t matter what the occasion is. I just become so darn excited, the surprise bursts out before I can stop it. For example, today’s homemade bread recipe. On the outside, it looks like your standard loaf: attractive, lightly golden (like this English Muffin Bread), but on the inside, it has a secret surprise. I’m not going to tell you what it is either…IT’S A SECRETLY CINNAMON SWIRL BREAD ON THE INSIDE!...

These sky-high muffins are moist, healthy, and an ideal bridge between the fall that is still here and the holidays that are to come. Made with molasses, whole wheat flour, and a heap of holiday spices, their flavor is rich, warm, and even tempted me to turn on the Christmas music (too soon?). At the same time that these muffins ring a holiday bell, however, they also honor fall. I squeezed every bit of sweet, crisp apple into the batter that it could possibly hold....