The Ultimate Baking Bucket List
The things everyone should bake before they die
Page 201 Originally posted 4/11/2020 Let me start off by warning anyone who thinks the provolone should be Cheese Whiz to not start anything in the comments. 😏 Mark gives this a 4.9 and it is really good so I’m going with it. I don’t eat these enough to have a comparison but will say […]
Page 199 How many ways can you make a basic Alfredo sauce magical? Let me count the ways! This one adds my favorite flavors of bacon (pancetta could not be found at any of the local markets yesterday), garlic, and shallots. The sauce is wonderfully creamy and the orecchiette pasta has these fantastic cups which […]
Page 237 Whenever I have a seafood recipe to tackle I have something as a backup for dinner because I mostly just taste the final product of the cookbook recipe and then actually eat the backup as my meal. Not this time! I happily cleaned my plate and didn’t need to go to the standby […]
Page 265 Do you know what you cannot find in August? Cranberries. Fresh or frozen. I had to settle for canned cranberries but even canned WHOLE cranberries can make a really good cranberry sauce. I have made fresh cranberry sauce before so can vouch for the recipe if you are using fresh ones when they […]
Page 227 If you are not a fan of seafood gumbo this is not going to convert you. I went old school with it and followed the recipe to make the shrimp stock instead of subbing in vegetable stock. So that may have something to do with it. Luckily I made only a half recipe […]
Page 235 Wow. Just, WOW! I don’t normally like fish, but this salmon dish is incredible. I mean, INCREDIBLE! There is enough spice and butter to give everything in the pan tons of flavor, and the Meyer lemons kick it up yet another notch. I was suspicious of the amount of dill, but it totally […]
Page 257 Well, well, well. This was better than I expected, and it wasn’t as much work as I expected either. But there are a couple of things that were a bit frustrating about it. For starters, you cannot find grape leaves in the store. I scoured every grocery store in a 15 mile radius. […]
Page 211 Until I made this one, I had exactly 1 crepe in my entire life. It was in 2004, and my best friend and I got one from a street vendor a couple of blocks from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. I cannot remember what it tasted like so I can’t […]
Page 263 Served with Coleslaw and Dinner Rolls At $10 a pound you need a pretty darn good brisket recipe to make it worth it. This one isn’t terrible but isn’t nearly as good as my recipe. It isn’t smokey, and the Worcestershire sauce and teriyaki give it an odd flavor. The recipe also refers […]
Page 264 Served with Pulled Brisket Like potato salad, if you like this stuff you probably have a recipe you use religiously and anything that doesn’t taste like your recipe is just a bit “off”. I have a recipe that closely approximates the KFC slaw, which is really wet and a bit sweet. So something […]
Page 241 Here’s a fun and tasty way to sneak veggies into your diet. They are hidden beneath layers of cheese and noodles and cheese. Did I mention there is an insane amount of cheese in this? Let me count the cheeses in this … Parmesan – mixed into the filling has a salty bite […]
Page 247 The corn “relish” (that’s my term, not hers) is really good and has a unique flavor that pairs well with the chicken. The sweetness of the corn, blend of spices, and cojito cheese is kicked up a notch by the pickled red onions and it all comes together with the chicken for a […]
Page 239 Ribs! Beef, not pork, but they are awesome. The long cooking time in liquid make these incredibly tender. You need either a slotted spoon or wide tongs to get these babies out of the pot. They fall to pieces and melt in your mouth like beefy flavored butter. The vegetable, herb, and wine […]
Page 209 If I were just scoring the chicken for flavor it would get above a 4. I made the dish for dinner and then had the leftovers with some pasta the next night and the chicken was still excellent. I don’t give it a higher score for a couple of reasons. The first step […]
Page 249 Served with Homemade Corn Tortillas. Word of advice, have the butcher trim the pork shoulder if you can. What. A. Mess. Once in the crockpot it’s a breeze to cook and serve but getting it in there was a major hassle. I am not a fan of sweet meat in tacos and the […]
Page 248 The real stars of this dish that put it up in the high 4s are not the steak or the seasonings, although the meat is tender and very flavorful mainly due to the fajita seasoning – so be sure you have a good one. What really puts this over the top is the […]
Page 207 Grits only – 4.95 stars mmmmmmmm. Yum-meee. I am not a big fan of seafood so this is probably a 4.9 or better with people who actually like shrimp. If you want me to eat shrimp, cooking it in bacon grease with garlic is the way to do it. The texture is still […]
Page 259 Unless you already love cabbage rolls this is not going to convert you into a fan. I like cooked cabbage but the tomato juice broth and bland meat filling just don’t work for me. And you will be smelling it for days to remind you how disappointing it was.
Page 231 If you love oregano you are going to love this one. However, it you are like me and think oregano is a bit overrated you are going to be a little overwhelmed by this dish. Between the Greek seasoning and the added oregano, it is an oregano-fest. Upsides to this is, number 1, […]
Page 255 Originally posted 5/31/2020 This has an interesting flavor that reminds me of SOMETHING but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s a decent meal but plan ahead if you are going to make it, there are several stages and the pastry has to thaw as well. It has a lot of onion […]
Page 221 Originally posted 5/29/2020 Uses Pesto and Pizza Dough Yeah, I left the chicken on the stove so it isn’t in the ingredients photo. And I didn’t have yellow peppers so subbed green. But the combination of the awesome pesto and the incredible butter-garlic cast iron cooked crust with the chicken, peppers, and two […]
Page 233 Originally posted 5/27/2020 Mmmmmm. If you like sweet and sour chicken you will love this dish. I messed up and did not get chicken thighs, which would be excellent and cheaper, but breast meat works as well. It is a sheet pan meal, which keeps the dirty dish count down, and since you […]
Page 243 Originally posted 5/24/2020 I made a half batch and it is plenty for the 2 of us. It’s got the expected ricotta filling, twist is it also has cream cheese in that layer which works well. Side bar – debate on whether cottage cheese instead of ricotta is acceptable rages in some circles. […]
Page 215 Originally posted 5/21/2020 It’s Italian night in our house! I subbed rotisserie chicken for grilled because I had meetings until 6pm so opted for precooked chicken to get dinner on the table by 7. Not disappointed with the chicken. The pasta “sauce” is basically nonexistent, with the cheese and pepper being the only […]
Page 219 Originally posted 5/21/2020 Uses Pizza Dough Bias alert – you could not get below a 4.5 on this one with me because this is my absolute favorite flavor combo on … the … planet. That said, 1/4 cup olive oil is a bit much. The dough is, as always, awesome and has some […]
Page 261 Originally posted 5/28/2020 Anything over a 2 is a really good score for seafood from me. But then what isn’t made delicious with butter, wine, and garlic? I have to admit that shrimp is my second least detested fishy food (crappie cooked by Mary Davis is my favorite fish, by far). But if […]
Page 229 Originally posted 5/8/2020 I LOVE this version of the classic chicken parm! I was skeptical of using cracker crumbs and NOT using mozzarella, but it really works. About the only thing keeping it from being a solid 5 is the texture of the cheese topping. It’s really good, but just a tiny bit […]
Page 205 Originally posted 5/4/2020 With gravy – 4.0 stars What this recipe gets right: cooked low and slow. Nothing transforms less-than-tender cuts of meat into fall apart succulent roast like a long hot bath in broth. My first roast back in the 80s was a disaster because I did not do that and I […]
Page 203 Originally posted 5/1/2020 Wow. I have a sink FULL of dishes, it took 2 hours to make, and THIS is the result?! Come on! First off, you have to cut it with a steak knife even after you get it on your plate because of the asparagus spears. Then the asparagus pears cause […]
Page 245 Originally posted 4/30/2020 uses Becki’s Herb Butter The problem with ribeye steaks in general is the amount of fat that is embedded in the meat. I am NOT a fan of the sensation I get when I encounter a big ole vein of chewy fat running through the bite I just popped in […]
Page 213 Originally posted 4/29/2020 The fried asparagus spears are a little odd but add an additional layer of flavor. This is tasty but Mark and I agree it has veered toward the highbrow as opposed to the straight up good food we prefer. I would make it again without the asparagus ribbons – a […]
Page 220 Originally posted 4/27/2020 Made with Homemade Pizza Dough This pizza is really good with just a little kick to the sauce, and all us “Fried Green Tomatoes” fans know that the secret’s in the sauce. We have homemade pizza religiously on Valentine’s Day and I will be pulling this out next February for […]
Page 217 Originally posted 4/24/2020 Served with Green Bean Casserole It’s fried meat with milk gravy so of COURSE it gets at least a 4. I had to add butter to make the roux hit the right consistency so someone who didn’t know what it should look like might not get good gravy from this […]
Page 267 Originally posted 4/22/2020 Do-over on 8/28/2020 with an updated score. I obviously did something wrong because this came out a soupy mess. A TASTY soupy mess, but a soupy mess none the less. I will have to give it another chance at some point when I have leftover chicken and see if it […]
Page 197 Originally posted 4/21/2020 Sheet pan meals are awesome, and I have to say, for a chicken NOT cooked in a clay pot this is pretty good. I love the wine/lemon/herb sauce. In fact, I am considering co-opting the sauce and cooking in a claypot instead of the sheet pan. The veggies get a […]
Page 253 Originally posted 4/19/2020 Yummy comfort food on a gray day. The cream cheese adds a bit of nuance to the sauce that I personally like but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The cut of meat is always a make-or-break on this one so don’t skimp, and take the time to trim […]
Page 251 Originally posted 4/18/2020 WOW! I have never had one of these before and I have spent 50-cough years missing out on this delectable sammich. If you find this on the menu somewhere give it a go! That said, it was a sloppy MESS to make. Found out the hard way you cannot slide […]
Page 269 Originally posted 4/15/2020 These were pretty quick and easy and made for a really nice entree. I LOVED the fresh sage! It made a huge difference in the taste as compared to when I have used rubbed sage in the past. Pro-tip – turn the pounded chicken over so the smooth side is […]
Page 225 Originally posted 4/12/2020 Originally posted with Homemade Noodles The Florentine is a pretty easy recipe so if you are usually intimidated by fancy cream sauces this is a good one to take on. I love the lemony tang and mellow wine flavor combo. If you have the book this is a must try […]
Page 223 Originally posted 4/10/2020 And we’re off! Originally posted with Onion Rings with Spicy Ranch Dressing Margherita – 4.5 starsTurkey and Roasted Red Pepper – 4.8 stars Made with Pesto. The onion rings were very tasty. Me and the oil temp were struggling for a bit, but when done and dipped in the ranch, […]
