Christmas Salad

Brighten up your holiday table with this Christmas salad! It's fresh and colorful, made with juicy pomegranates, roasted squash, and winter greens.

This Christmas salad is a fresh, festive addition to a holiday table! It features ruby red pomegranates, candied pecans, shaved pecorino, and roasted squash over a bed of winter greens. My go-to apple cider vinegar dressing ties it all together. I make a version of this Christmas salad recipe every single year. I love the mix of tangy, sweet, and bitter flavors and creamy and crunchy textures. The jeweled tones of the winter produce are so pretty too. If you want to add a pop of color to your spread of Christmas side dishes, this stunning salad is the best…

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30 Best Christmas Side Dishes

Our best Christmas side dishes! From fresh vegetable sides to crowd-pleasing casseroles, they'll all be hits on your holiday dinner table.

These Christmas side dishes include everything you need for a delicious holiday feast! They range from fan-favorite potato recipes to stunning winter vegetables, fresh salads, make-ahead casseroles, and more. No matter what main you’re making, you’ll find Christmas side dishes to love. I don’t know about you, but the side dishes are always my favorite part of Christmas dinner. It doesn’t matter whether my family is having lasagna or prime rib—I’ll be more excited about the vegetables, potatoes, and homemade dinner rolls on the table. I hope these Christmas side dishes are the highlight of your holiday dinner too. Our…

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Stuffed Mushrooms

This stuffed mushrooms recipe is a delicious, easy party appetizer! The filling is a crispy, savory combo of breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs, and cheese.

stuffed mushrooms

This stuffed mushrooms recipe is one of my favorite party appetizers, especially for the holidays. Instead of making a typical cream cheese filling, I stuff the tender mushroom caps with a crispy, garlicky breadcrumb mixture. Sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese make it rich and savory, pine nuts add crunch, and parsley adds freshness. Grab two while you’re at the snack table—these bite-sized apps disappear fast. Another reason to love these stuffed mushrooms: they’re easy to make! They come together with 10 simple ingredients and about 15 minutes of hands-on prep. If you’re looking for a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer for your next party, I…

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50 Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Whether you're seeking classic Thanksgiving recipes or something totally new, you're sure to love one (or more!) of these 50 Thanksgiving side dishes.

Can we agree that Thanksgiving side dishes are the best part of the holiday meal? No offense to roast turkey and pumpkin pie, but the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and other sides are what I look forward to most. I’m sharing 50 of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes below. They include all the classics (think green bean casserole and dinner rolls) as well as inventive veggie sides, crowd-pleasing potatoes, and more. If you’re still planning you holiday menu, check them out! You’re sure to find some recipes you love. Our Best Classic Thanksgiving Sides Best Stuffing Based on my mom’s classic recipe,…

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Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole recipe is a delicious holiday side dish! It's made from scratch with fresh green beans and a creamy mushroom sauce.

Green bean casserole is always on my family’s Thanksgiving menu. We, like many folks, made the classic version with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, french fried onions, and canned green beans for years…until I set myself the task of making a homemade green bean casserole from scratch. Let me introduce you to the results: this green bean casserole recipe. It stars fresh green beans, crispy onions, and a creamy mushroom sauce that blows the canned soup out of the water. Once I tried it, I couldn’t go back to the Campbell’s version, and I don’t think you’ll be able to…

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Best Stuffing Recipe

The BEST Thanksgiving stuffing! Based on my family's classic recipe, it's rich and savory, made with fresh herbs, celery, butter, and leeks.

This stuffing recipe is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Based on my grandma’s homemade stuffing, it’s buttery and flavorful, made with celery, leeks (or onions), fresh herbs, and dried bread cubes. As it bakes, it gets crisp and golden on top but stays moist and gooey in the middle. If you’re looking for a traditional stuffing to complete your Thanksgiving menu, I think you’ll love this recipe. Simple, classic, and SO delicious, it’s hands down the best stuffing recipe I’ve tried. Find make-ahead tips and variations below! Stuffing Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade stuffing recipe: Bread, of…

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Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

These roasted fingerling potatoes are an easy, delicious side dish! Lightly crisp and seasoned with garlic and herbs, they're perfect for the holidays.

Have you ever cooked fingerling potatoes? These oblong, finger-shaped potatoes are small and waxy. They have thin skins and firm, buttery flesh that almost reminds me of chestnuts. I love to make roasted fingerling potatoes for special occasions. With their unique shape and earthy, nutty taste, they feel a touch fancier than humble Yukon Golds or russets. With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to share my roasted fingerling potatoes recipe. It’s easy to make with 8 ingredients, but it’s still elegant and flavorful enough for a celebration. I hope you love it as much…

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35 Best Friendsgiving Food Ideas

Our best Friendsgiving food ideas! Find easy recipes for a festive fall gathering—crowd-pleasing appetizers, fun drinks, desserts, and more.

If you’re celebrating Friendsgiving this year, you’re in the right place! Below, I’ve rounded up my best Friendsgiving food ideas—bite-size appetizers, batch cocktails, classic side dishes, and easy desserts. Whether you’re hosting or just bringing a dish to pass, you’ll find Friendsgiving recipes to try. Back in the day, Jack and I celebrated Friendsgiving on Thanksgiving, because we lived far from our families and didn’t always travel for the holiday. Now, it’s more common to do both—a Friendsgiving earlier in November and a traditional Thanksgiving feast with family later on. I’m all for this, because it turns Friendsgiving into an opportunity to…

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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

These cauliflower mashed potatoes are just as smooth and creamy as classic ones! Ready in 20 minutes, they're a delicious, easy low carb side dish.

Don’t tell Jack, but we probably won’t have classic mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving this year. I’m planning to make these cauliflower mashed potatoes instead! That’s because we’re celebrating with his parents, who eat a low carb diet. I wanted to create a rich, creamy alternative to mashed potatoes that everyone at the table would enjoy, and after testing and tweaking this recipe, I think it’s going to be perfect. These cauliflower mashed potatoes are smooth, creamy, and flavorful, made with Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, and sour cream. I won’t tell you that they taste exactly like potatoes (they do have a…

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Cranberry Sauce

This easy cranberry sauce recipe is tart, lightly sweet, and scented with orange. Ready in 15 minutes, it's a classic, delicious holiday side dish!

Meet my best cranberry sauce recipe! Easy to make with 5 ingredients in under 15 minutes, it’s delectably tart, not too sweet, and studded with whole cranberries. I’m not a turkey eater, and I still spoon this sauce all over my Thanksgiving plate—it’s just that good. This homemade cranberry sauce is an updated version of a recipe I shared a few years ago. I’ve added more orange juice and zest for bright, fruity depth of flavor and shortened the cook time, which is 1) convenient and 2) means that more cranberries stay intact. If you ask me, their bursty texture…

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How to Cook Turnips

Learn how to cook turnips! Roasted with salt and pepper, this underrated veggie becomes sweet, tender, and nutty. It's a delicious, healthy side dish!

Turnips are one of the vegetables I buy most often in the fall. I can never resist them at the farmers market—bright white, pink, or tinged with purple, with lush green tops attached. They often look more humble in the grocery store, but they’re still worth reaching for. Turnips have a lightly sweet, peppery flavor with delicious nutty, mustardy undertones. Why not add them to your root vegetable rotation? I’m sharing a guide to how to cook turnips below, complete with my favorite roasted turnips recipe. It’s easy to make with 4 ingredients, and it cooks in right around 30 minutes. If…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.