Confort

Try something new for your tailgating: make a smoked meatloaf and score big! Using ThermaQ will ensure a perfect end result.

One great joy of bulgogi, marinated grilled beef that translates to “fire meat,” is that you can prepare it in advance and, when you’re ready to eat, have dinner on the table in under 10 minutes This stovetop chicken variation, dak bulgogi, provides the same workday convenience and savory-sweet flavors, thanks to soju, an alcohol which tenderizes the meat, and maple syrup, which caramelizes beautifully without burning Apple juice extends those ingredients and allows room for the subtle umami — known in Korean as gamchil mat — from garlic, ginger and scallions to gently season the chicken

To make a halved sweet potato into a more substantial side, load it with black beans and sharp Cheddar, then send it back into the oven until the cheese melts and sizzles Pair it with something a bit lighter, like fish tacos or a green salad, or build it into its own meal by adding sliced avocado, torn cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, or even a fried egg.

This cleverly named dish, which gets its moniker from the spiky grains of rice that protrude from the meatballs, became popular during the Great Depression, when rice was often added to expensive ground meat as a way to “stretch” it It’s still a useful budget tip — or an easy way to eat a little less meat — and you might find you like these lighter meatballs even better than the traditional sort Some recipes call for uncooked rice, but using cooked rice ensures that you won’t end up with crunchy grains in an otherwise tender meatball

These rice bowls are both a comfort and a thrill to eat They star chickpeas sizzled in chile crisp, a Chinese condiment made of oil, chiles and a variety of textural and umami-packed ingredients, such as fried shallots and garlic, sesame seeds, and preserved black beans You could snack on the electrifyingly tingly chickpeas solo, or make them into a meal with rice and a juicy mixture of tomatoes, celery, cilantro and soy sauce

This hearty vegetarian mash-up of burritos and seven-layer dip is a crowd favorite for good reason: It’s easy, it’s fast and it encourages diners to gather around the table and fill their tortillas however they wish Canned refried beans seasoned with a dash of cayenne are heated through on the stovetop, then topped with a generous sprinkling of cheese Before serving, lots of cool, crunchy toppings like avocado, grated Cotija cheese, snap peas, radishes and romaine lettuce are piled on top

Originally printed on the Rice Krispies box in the 1960s, Scotcheroos are Rice Krispies treats minus the marshmallow but with gobs of peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch chips Use either natural, unsweetened peanut butter or the more conventional stuff Either will work just fine, with the natural version tasting a tad less sweet

What’s better than a pan full of freshly made, just-gooey-enough Rice Krispies treats A core memory for many, it continues to be a fan favorite, whether a packaged gas station treat or a high-end bakery grab like this one Perfectly balanced with an additional layer of texture from the pistachio and halvah, this recipe comes from Shilpa and Miro Uskokovic, the supertalented pastry chef duo that opened Hani’s Bakery + Café in New York’s East Village in 2024

Yakisoba is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish with a rich Worcestershire-flavored sauce This veggie-packed version combines carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and kale for a fun mix of textures and flavors The key in this dish is to sauté the yakisoba noodles first, creating a dryer, firmer noodle that won’t fall apart in the sauce

Atole is often thought of as a sweet, drinkable corn-based beverage, but in parts of Mexico, it also refers to this hearty, savory porridge made with masa harina and hominy This version, inspired by the traditional atole de grano, is thick, creamy and deeply comforting — perfect for showcasing the variety of textures and flavors that different forms of corn can bring Here, sweet corn kernels and chewy hominy add dimension to the velvety base, while a topping of roasted chicken and caramelized poblanos brings savory depth

Frijoles refritos are a satiny purée of well-fried beans that are cooked with fat and their liquid In Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines, they’re usually made with pinto or black beans and lard, but they don’t have to be This recipe uses canned white beans because their extra-starchy liquid expedites cooking time, and ample olive oil and browned onions guarantee deeply flavored beans

Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines) Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names Thus the dish was born, along with inevitable variations

Every family has its own way of making chickpea fatteh, but the layers of toasted pita, chickpeas and yogurt sauce always deliver a contrast of creamy and crunchy, warm and cool, sharp and earthy This version, adapted from Sawsan Daana, the Palestinian chef of Matbakhi restaurant in Kuwait City, includes a layer of hummus in addition to the whole chickpeas, as is typical in Amman as well as Jerusalem, where she was born Lebanese and Syrian versions skip the hummus and lean more heavily on tahini in the yogurt sauce (see Tip)

Inspired by blanquette de veau, a classic French veal stew, this comforting braise unites pork, leeks, mushrooms and carrots in a creamy, rosemary-infused broth In this simple braise, nicely seared pork and softened veggies are combined with the broth and aromatics and simmered until the pork is tender and juicy The dish is finished with a beurre manié — a mixture of equal parts butter and flour — that gets whisked into the stew at the end of cooking to create a smooth, thickened sauce

Make smoked baked potatoes that will please your family and friendds! Get the key temps and tools for success in this post.

I’ve made salsa my whole life. These tips changed everything.

This is a simple salsa with a bright acidity, one that you could temper with some diced mango if you like I’ve called for a single jalapeño You could use two if you like

This fiery, minimalist salsa proves that even humble kitchen staples — like garlic powder and fresh jalapeños — can surprise you Simmered until tender, then mashed by hand or blended to a coarse purée, the chiles become the perfect backdrop for garlic powder, which deepens as it sits, taking on a warm, almost toasty edge you’d never get from raw garlic A short fermentation (if you let it) softens the salsa’s heat and introduces a subtle, tangy complexity (see Tip)

Inspired by traditional South Asian malai chicken, a warmly spiced, yogurt-marinated dish that’s usually tandoor-grilled or served as a creamy curry, this sheet-pan meal comes together in under an hour Here, the cream, or malai, is added just before serving, combining with lemon juice and water to create a silky, tangy sauce The yogurt marinade acts as a powerful tenderizer for the chicken, so  even a quick rest will enhance the flavors (if you have time for an overnight marinade, all the better)

Julia Turshen, the author of the cookbook “Small Victories” (Chronicle Books, 2016), cracked the code on turkey meatballs: Ricotta adds milky creaminess and acts as a binder Taking her lead, the first two steps of this recipe produce all-purpose turkey meatballs that are light in texture and rich in flavor, and the final step of basting the meatballs with an herb-and-garlic-infused butter turns them into a weekday luxury Eat with mashed or roasted potatoes or other root vegetables, polenta, whole grains, or a mustardy salad

When dining out or ordering in, a vegetarian pad Thai can be hard to come by, as fish sauce is often used to attain the signature salty, savory flavors of this popular dish While the complex umami of fish sauce can be difficult to replicate, this combination of lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, miso and tamarind creates a comparable sauce that effectively delivers pad Thai’s balance of sour, sweet and salty notes The seasoning sauce keeps well, too, so it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days

You don’t need a thermometer to know when these chicken thighs are done You just need your ears In this recipe, chicken thighs are slow seared using a technique from the chef Paul Bertolli called “bottom-up cooking” where the chicken cooks almost entirely on the skin side over moderate heat, resulting in shatteringly crisp skin

Fans of garlic noodles and soy sauce noodles rejoice: Here is a new, weeknight-friendly noodle dish for your repertoire A staple Cantonese ingredient, thick and fragrant hoisin sauce is often used as a glaze for meat, but also serves as a robust, sweet and salty seasoning for these noodles The garlic is bloomed briefly in oil, which tames its pungency and unlocks a rich, nutty flavor

The key to achieving the signature sweet-smoky-salty flavor of Indonesian stir-fried noodles is to let the noodles cook, undisturbed, over high heat until you see small wisps of smoke Javanese sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, can be very sweet, so giving it a good cook will bring just enough of a bitter edge to its sweetness If you’re making this dish for a crowd, don’t prepare more than two servings at a time, otherwise the noodles will crowd the pan and not brown properly, and you won’t get that smoky wok hei flavor

In this weeknight recipe, perfectly browned chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy spinach sauce that comes together with ease, all in one skillet The highlight of this recipe is the buttery white-wine sauce, which is enriched and thickened with a secret ingredient: cream cheese The sauce nicely coats the wilted spinach, though you can use sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms or canned artichokes instead of, or in addition to, the spinach.  A side of mashed or roasted potatoes would round out this dish well, but some crusty bread to sop up every last bit is a must.

In this cozy, easy dinner, store-bought gnocchi, broccoli and little meatballs (made by pinching pieces of Italian sausage) roast together on a sheet pan When everything comes out of the oven bronzed and crisp, sprinkle it with Parmesan and stir: The heat from the sheet pan will help the cheese gloss the gnocchi Some lemon juice lightens the mix; for a little heat to balance the richness, use hot Italian sausage or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

This classic carrot cake recipe is not overly spiced, and it has texture from the grated carrots, shredded coconut, chopped nuts and raisins. Discover more ideas for the big day at NYT Cooking.

Lu rou fan—braised minced pork belly over rice—is a comforting and deeply flavorful Taiwanese classic. Traditionally, lu rou fan requires hours of simmering; this recipe from bestselling cookbook author Clarissa Wei reimagines it for a pressure cooker, making it possible to have dinner ready in half the time.

Baking fish and chips is not only easier and less messy than frying, but it also has the distinct advantage of allowing you to cook both fish and potatoes at the same time in your oven The key to getting the crunchiest fries is to cut them thin (leave the skin on for extra flavor) and spread them out in one layer onto a preheated sheet pan to jump-start the crisping (If you want to save a few minutes, start the potatoes in the oven while you prepare the fish.) We’ve paired this dish with a piquant horseradish tartar sauce, but ketchup works well, too, particularly for the grade-school set.

Crackly on top and fudgy yet tender in the center, this cake tastes like a complex restaurant dessert, but comes together effortlessly in one bowl Chocolate chips save you the messy step of chopping chocolate bars and deliver deep flavor along with cocoa powder If you don’t have a springform pan, a regular cake pan lined with foil all around makes it easy to lift out the delicate cake, which melts in your mouth when served warm or at room temperature