11 Recipes We Actually Tried And Loved This Month

"This Irish soda bread recipe originated with my (very Irish Catholic) Girl Scout troop when I was 6 or 7, and I've been making it every year for almost 20 years since. Man, it still holds up.

It's moist (because lots of butter) and a little tangy and crusty but not crumbly in a way a lot of other soda breads are. You can also choose your own adventure with the raisins or caraway seeds (or leave them out altogether), and it'll be just as delicious. I usually separate my dough to make two smaller loaves, but this recipe also yields a pretty great soda bread scone. Bake until golden brown. Slather in Kerry Gold Irish butter. Repeat." —Megan Paolone

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons butter (Kerry Gold/European butter tastes best, IMO)

2 cups seedless raisins (or less, depending on preference)

1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

3. Cut in the butter and mix until coarse and grainy.

4. Add the raisins, caraway seeds, buttermilk, and egg.

5. Stir until blended and then knead into a loaf (or into two loaves, scones, etc.).

6. Place on greased baking sheet (or parchment paper) and cut an X into the top of the loaf (this will help the middle cook).

7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

"I made Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk (wait, keep reading — despite the name, it's really really good, I promise) after hearing rave reviews from three friends. And you guys, it sounds awful, but it is so delicious and it's super easy.

Basically you fry a whole chicken in a little olive oil in a Dutch oven or another big pot to get the skin all crispy, and then you pour in milk, lemon zest, sage, and cinnamon and toss it in the oven. The result is the moistest chicken I've ever had with an amazing creamy lemon sauce to spoon all over it.

I just roasted up a bunch of veggies in olive oil to serve with it all week long and some arugula in case I decide to turn some of it into a salad. I rarely roast a whole chicken because it's usually just me eating it, but I think this one might not make it through the week." —Sarah Mimms

Get a step-by-step here and the detailed recipe here.

"I can admit that I might be a little obsessed with my Instant Pot, but I can't help it — it makes cooking too easy! The latest (and greatest) recipe I've come across is this recipe for a dairy-free cheese sauce that's perfect for macaroni, potatoes, dips, nacho sauce...the list goes on and on. As a lactose-intolerant person, I've had to do without cheese for the past seven years — and any honest vegan will admit how hard it is to replicate the taste and texture of cheese.

Not this recipe! I swear it's the most cheese-like vegan cheese sauce I've ever made, and the consistency is perfection. It is a HUGE hit in my house and has quickly become a new go-to recipe that we make at least once a week. The recipe makes about 32 ounces or so of cheese, so you can make it once and eat it for days. I can't say enough good things, so definitely try this recipe if you have an Instant Pot!" —Whitney Jefferson

Get the recipe here.

"I love coconut macaroons, but have never tried to make them at home. One night at 10 p.m., my friend somewhat jokingly asked what was for dessert. I was up for the task, looked at what we had in the pantry, and found that I had everything to make this macaroon recipe.

I put a little less sugar in it and made a chocolate drizzle out of cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and Greek yogurt since we didn't have chocolate chips. They were easy to make and tasted just as good as the ones you get from the store!" —Tiffany Lo

Get the recipe here.

"I absolutely LOVED this egg-in-the-hole breakfast! I never thought about having acorn squash in the morning, let alone with eggs, but this was so bomb. The yolk of the egg balances really well with the squash, and the touch of crushed walnuts and dates is perfection. If you are a salty/sweet fan like myself, you should definitely give this a try." —Arielle Calderon

Get the recipe here.

"Anchovies in spaghetti — I know how it sounds. But you guys. Between the umami-ness from the anchovies and the deep caramelized tomato paste flavors, this pasta sauce recipe really is everything it claims to be. When I had a taste, I was a believer.

About those little fishes... I didn't quite see the anchovies ~melt away~ the way the original recipe claims. They required a bit of crushing into smaller pieces with my spoon. But by the time I added the wine, they were nowhere to be seen, and the final sauce did not taste like fish whatsoever. Also, although the original directions revel in crushing tomatoes by hand, I believe that there are some shortcuts always worth taking, so I made mine with 28 oz of crushed tomatoes.

It's a cheap AF dinner to make for a crowd (I fed four people for about $24 in ingredients at New York grocery store prices, and that's including the $6 bottle of wine). Next time, I'll probably merge this with my family's favorite sauce recipe by adding cooked, crumbled Italian sausage right before the hourlong simmer, and serving with shredded fresh basil as well as cheese. But the sauce is definitely mind-blowing just as it is...and the leftovers make for a jealousy-inducing desk lunch." —Natalie Brown

Get the recipe here.

"This was so good that I made it twice in one week! I love it because it's easy to make and the thighs were so juicy and tasty. The first time I made it, I had everything except the brown sugar, but that was fine since you get some sweetness from the honey.

The second I made it was while I was meal prepping with some friends. We didn't have the dry mustard, which was also fine since there is a mustard mixture at the end. The recipe calls for bone-in thighs, but I used skinless, boneless thighs both times and that worked well." — Tiffany Lo

Get the recipe here.

"Cinnamon rolls bring me so much joy and comfort, I could eat them every day. I had never made them myself before, though — they seemed intimidating and easy to mess up. But this Tasty recipe was super straightforward and looked easy enough, so I decided to give it a try.

The process was surprisingly easy and took me only a few hours, which made for the perfect Sunday afternoon activity. The cinnamon rolls were warm, pillowy, with just the right amount of sweetness. I didn't make the frosting, because I hate frosting (don't @ me) and feel like it's an overkill on top of an already sweet pastry.

The recipe yielded about 18 rolls. I shared them with a few friends who all enjoyed them. If you don't eat the whole batch right out of the oven, make sure to warm up the rolls again to achieve peak softness." —Marie Telling

Get the recipe here.

"I recently became aware of the nutty goodness that is tahini. I started putting it in everything from salad dressings to roasted cauliflower, but never in a dessert. This tahini fudge recipe from Food & Wine was nutty, rich, and indulgent. The dusting of salt on top added a nice contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate. Don't skimp on the toasted sesame oil either; it added a depth of flavor that took this fudge to a whole new level." —Jesse Szewczyk

Get the recipe here.