5-Star Reviews: December 2015

Photo: Jean Allsopp

Rated best-of-the-best by the MyRecipes community, these recipes taste as good as their praise.

1 of 31

Flourless Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jamie Vespa

"This has always been a hit in our home. I used to make them before I found out I was allergic to gluten and wheat. I was actually worrying about how I would get my baking time in, and I remembered this recipe. These don't usually last longer than a day or two in our home." —carsonish

Flourless Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

2 of 31

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

"Fun and delicious! I loved the little melty bits of cheese that studded these little meatloaves, and I also liked the automatic portion control (and the fact that every piece had a nice glazed crust)." —Jessica Sophia

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis Recipe

3 of 31

Frosted Ginger Cookies

Leigh Beisch

"these cookies were amazing!!! Everyone loved them! They stayed moist and chewy. I frosted some and left some plain to compare and my crowd all said the plain were very good but preferred the frosted. Definitely going to make again!! "—swimfly

Frosted Ginger Cookies Recipe

4 of 31

Pan-Grilled Flank Steak

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

"this recipe is wonderful! It pleased not only my teenagers, my eleven year old son, and my husband. Which is nearly impossible. Just absolutely a cinch to make and just delicious. I grilled it and served with mashed potatoes and balsamic roasted vegetables." —benloch

Pan-Grilled Flank Steak Recipe

5 of 31

One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake

"Excellent, moist and chocolately-rich cake. The added crunch from the morsels is wonderful. Also, I loved the mocha creme taste as this is what sets it apart from other chocolate cake recipes. I plan to make this cake for family visiting for the holidays!" —Princess222

One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake Recipe

6 of 31

Cilantro-Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream

Cilantro-Jalapeno Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

"Just made these for the first night of Hanukkah, and they were fabulous. Not a speck left over. For the dip, I used a full cup container of sour cream and adjusted the other ingredients accordingly, so there is a little of that left over, but not much (and we discovered it makes a great dip for tortilla chips). This will definitely become a tradition in our house." —BCohen

Cilantro-Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream Recipe

7 of 31

Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

"i always make my green beans the same ....this was an added surprise!! loved it! used white mushrooms and regular onions. will make again." —stellacorona

Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms Recipe

8 of 31

North Woods Bean Soup

Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro

"For as easy as this one is, it tastes like it took all day! I made it even easier by using my immersion blender and blending it right in the pot. Great soup for a stormy fall/winter night."—daneanp

North Woods Bean Soup Recipe

9 of 31

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell

"Truly amazing, best cheesecake I've EVER eaten!" —Memphismomof3

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake Recipe

10 of 31

Extra-Easy Lasagna

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin

"This was indeed Extra Easy and Super Delicious.....I also put the 1/2c Parm and 1 egg in my ricotta, I love ricotta so much, so I would use a little more. Made this for Thanksgiving, went so quick I only got a taste, so making it again tonight, can't wait to have a large serving!!! :-)"—triveeah1

Extra-Easy Lasagna Recipe

11 of 31

Spice-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon-Garlic Spinach

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke

"I loved the flavors in this dish! The lemon added a nice tanginess to the spinach, which was a great contrast to the sweet caramelized onions." —icancookthat

Spice-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon-Garlic Spinach Recipe

12 of 31

Indian-Spiced Lentils and Lamb

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling; Leigh Ann Ross

"A great dish! I didn't have any lamb available so I just used lean ground meat and it still turned out great. I imagine it would be even better with lamb. I also used Indian curry powder as some others suggested. I loved the spiciness!" —kjane26

Indian-Spiced Lentils and Lamb Recipe

13 of 31

Best Carrot Cake

Photo: Tina Cornett; Styling: Leslie Byars Simpson

"Carrot cake is my husbands favorite cake, so I've had quite a few over the years. This cake blew all the rest out the water! I did reduce the sugar by 1/2c because some people said it was too sweet. DO NOT skip the buttermilk glaze, that stuff is like crack and is absolutely necessary. I brought 1/2 the cake to work because my husband was afraid he'd eat it all, and they destroyed it. lol" —TarynCar1

Best Carrot Cake Recipe

14 of 31

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas

Photo: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Deborah Williams

"This was one of the best vegetarian dishes I have ever made. Even my husband was very impressed. Great flavor. I halved the reciple and it was a perfect amount for 2 hungry people plus a little leftovers. Also used diced tomatoes and garam marsala, and added some bell pepper because I had it on hand. Served it with a side salad and it was delish!" —JuliaGulia529

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas Recipe

15 of 31

Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

Photo: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Sissy Lamberton

"Served this for Christmas. WOW! Made pecans and dressing a day ahead. Very simple to put together. Taste explosion,all ingredients worked so well together. I will be making this often." —ellie58

Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette Recipe

16 of 31

Citrus Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Photo: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Deborah Williams

"Wonderful light but tasty recipe to go with a rich holiday meal. The orange gives it a wonderful flavor. I used frozen green beans that I thawed and they worked nicely. My husband suggested we try it with asparagus and it is great that way too!" —ewyancy

Citrus Green Beans with Pine Nuts Recipe

17 of 31

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Cari South

"This cake is fabulous. I made it for my husband and he raved about it. Recipe was easy to put together and I used some cinnamon chips (like chocolate chips) with the chocolate. I am making this cake again tonight and this recipe will forever be in my repitoire!" —Sarah1960

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe

18 of 31

Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

"YUM! My husband adored this and asked me to make it again three days later. A perfect, easy and fast recipe for fall. Great with butternut squash and a crisp green salad." —SheilaNewell

Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples Recipe

19 of 31

Seared Scallops and Herb Butter Sauce

Photo: Johnny Autry and Randy Mayor

"Made this exactly as written; it was wonderful! I followed another reviewer's advice and let the scallops sit in refigerator uncovered for 20 minutes after I dried them with paper towels. They browned beautifully and were cooked to perfection after 3 minutes on each side. The sauce was delicious and easy to make. These were as good or better than any I've had at a restaurant." —JoyMarie

Seared Scallops and Herb Butter Sauce Recipe

20 of 31

Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin

Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro

"This dish was super simple and tasted GREAT. I used a blend of asiago, romano, and parmesan instead of the separate cheeses. I also made it the night before and cooked it right before dinner. Will definitelymake again."—najusm

Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin Recipe

21 of 31

White Christmas Dream Drops

Photo: Alex Farnum; Styling: Robyn Valarik

"These are easy and fun to make and look like you spent hours on them! I made a double recipe for a holiday party and everyone loved them. They were gone within an hour. My 5-year-old loves to help make these and we just made a batch to use up all the leftover candy canes from Christmas. I'll make these every year." —kristine95618

White Christmas Dream Drops Recipe

22 of 31

Turkey Sausage-Gnocchi Soup

Photo: Oxmoor House

"Yum! This soup was very easy and delicious... I added garbanzo beans and some chopped onion for extra flavor. I will definitely make this again!" —lawyerchick

Turkey Sausage-Gnocchi Soup Recipe

23 of 31

Praline Pull-Apart Bread

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Caroline Murphey

"Had family in town and made this for brunch. Delish! I made it exactly as the recipe indicated, but I did leave about a fourth of the dish free from pecans for my crazy kids who do not like pecan. Also, the rolls had been in the fridge for several hours instead of being in the freezer so they had thawed just a bit. Everyone loved it." —JohannaH

Praline Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

24 of 31

Italian Pot Roast

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Pursell

"This is a very good dish. Extremely easy to make and adds a twist to the normal Sunday roast. Will definitely make it again."—chef1greg

Italian Pot Roast Recipe

25 of 31

Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin

"This is a favorite for Christmas morning at our house, too. I used Ore-Ida's frozen Potatoes O'Brien - they come with the onions & peppers already in with the potatoes. One pound of sausage is plenty...I just get the bulk sausage at the butcher - crumbles so easily..."—katydid523

Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Recipe

26 of 31

Peanut Butter–Banana Bread

Oxmoor House

"Perfect balance of moisture, sweetness and texture. Not oily, super sweet and spongy like other recipes. I substituted Almond butter for Peanut butter - my daughter is allergic, and substituted Chia seeds for ground flax. Also added a few dark choc. chips! and omitted glaze. This recipe is a keeper."—finnegansgal

Peanut Butter–Banana Bread Recipe

27 of 31

Golden Winter Soup

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro

"Perfect! One of the best soups we've ever had! Great butternut flavor, creamy texture. Amazing recipe." —JessicJJM

Golden Winter Soup Recipe

28 of 31

Applejack-Spiked Hot Cider

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Mary Lyn Hill Jenkins

"I made this last night for a holiday party, and it went over very well. I made two big pots of it, and they were all gone by the end of the night. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used a bit more Calvados than called for. I will definitely make this again--deliciously sweet and slightly spicy!" —skspillman

Applejack-Spiked Hot Cider Recipe

29 of 31

Date, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Ball

Photo: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Deborah Williams

"This was so easy to make and such a hit. The flavour of the blue cheese with the sweet dates is excellent. Brought this to a party and the host told me that I'm not allowed coming back without it. He likes the cheeseball more than me!" —hotpsoup

Date, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Ball Recipe

30 of 31

Salted Caramel-Pecan Bars

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett

"Absolutely delicious! My husband, who claims he does not like sweets, has eaten half the batch. The caramel-pecan flavor is wonderful with the salt. The receipe is so easy and fairly cheap to make. Perfect for giving away." —Dunateo

Salted Caramel-Pecan Bars Recipe

31 of 31

Shrimp and Hoppin' John Salad

Photo: Jean Allsopp

"Excellent recipe! Enjoyed it for New Year's Day and my husband requested we add this to our meals throughout the year. Good enough for company!" —LF SCHWARZ

Shrimp and Hoppin' John Salad Recipe

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5-Star Reviews: December 2017

1 of 31

Flourless Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 of 31

2 of 31

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

2 of 31

3 of 31

Frosted Ginger Cookies

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Pan-Grilled Flank Steak

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5 of 31

One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake

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Cilantro-Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream

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Sherried Green Beans and Mushrooms

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North Woods Bean Soup

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Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

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Extra-Easy Lasagna

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Spice-Rubbed Roasted Salmon with Lemon-Garlic Spinach

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Indian-Spiced Lentils and Lamb

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Best Carrot Cake

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Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas

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Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

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Citrus Green Beans with Pine Nuts

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Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

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Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Apples

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Seared Scallops and Herb Butter Sauce

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Asiago, Potato, and Bacon Gratin

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White Christmas Dream Drops

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Turkey Sausage-Gnocchi Soup

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Praline Pull-Apart Bread

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Italian Pot Roast

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Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

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Peanut Butter–Banana Bread

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