Our Top 100 Recipes of 2016

December 28, 2015
Jamie Vespa
To cap off a great year, we like to reflect on the recipes that made the biggest impact on our lives (and taste buds!) this year. From savory chicken dinners to mouth-watering chocolate desserts, we’ve rounded up our 100 best recipes from 2016. Whether you're looking for a great dish to serve for the remainder of the year or are just looking to get a leg up on next year, these great dishes are the perfect place to start. 
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Loaded Totchos

Styling: Rishon Hanners and Audrey Davis, Photo: Caitlin Bensel
Loaded Totchos Recipe

This sensational spud riff on nachos is an hommage to party food lovers everywhere. Loaded with toppings and drizzled with a hot cheese dip, these totchos are ready to rock and roll right onto your plate.

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BBQ Sandwich Salad

Photo: Alison Miksch, Food Styling: Blakeslee Giles, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
BBQ Sandwich Salad Recipe

This amazingly flavorful salad gives the full experience of a sauce-laden bbq sandwich, but without all of the extra bread (or the mess). Resting on a bed of hearty mixed greens and drizzled with a from-scratch buttermilk-ranch dressing, this salad is a bright and fresh cookout alternative that just might be the bbq experience that beats them all. 

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Chocolate Tiramisu Poke Cake

Photo: Daniel Agee
Chocolate Tiramisu Poke Cake Recipe

The poke cake technique is incredibly easy, but that doesn't mean that poke cakes have a simple flavor. Enjoy the irresistible textures of pudding, cake, and crushed espresso beans in each bite of with this chocoatey take on Tiramisu.

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Spicy Apple-Glazed Chick 'n' Grits Gorgonzola

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Spicy Apple-Glazed Chick 'n' Grits Gorgonzola Recipe

Cheesy, creamy grits pair perfectly with savory chicken that’s brushed in an apple butter and spicy brown mustard glaze. Spicy Apple-Glazed Chick 'n' Grits makes for a unique and impressive 30-minute meal, and at just 371 calories, you won’t have to feel bad about going in for seconds.

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Squash Casserole

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Amy Burke
Squash Casserole Recipe

Why limit French fried onions to green bean casserole?  We love them on this cheesy squash casserole, too.

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Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke
Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Whisk warm milk into the flour mixture to ensure a lump-free sauce. We also recommend shredding your own cheese for a creamier texture. We tested with Cracker Barrel Extra-Sharp Cheddar.
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Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

These easy, cheesy chicken enchiladas come together in a snap and are faster and way more delicious than fast food.

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Best Carrot Cake

Photo: Tina Cornett; Styling: Leslie Byars Simpson
Best Carrot Cake Recipe
Truly our best-ever carrot cake recipe, make this classic favorite for a crowd and you might not have any leftovers to bring home.

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White Chocolate and Bourbon Pecan Slab Pie with Caramel Sauce

Photo: Daniel Agee; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
White Chocolate and Bourbon Pecan Slab Pie with Caramel Sauce Recipe

It doesn't get much better than this decadent version of a Southern classic. White chocolate, bourbon, and caramel give this pecan pie a flavor much more dynamic than the original.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Whip sweet potatoes until they're smooth and top with a buttery brown sugar and pecan mixture for a satisfying cool-weather casserole.

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Classic Beef Pot Roast

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Classic Beef Pot Roast Recipe

If you're looking for a traditional pot roast recipe, try this 5-star, no-fail version. 

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Creamy Brioche and Egg Bake

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Creamy Brioche and Egg Bake Recipe

This stand alone breakfast dish is an upgrade from the usual breakfast casserole. Baking eggs in brioche and heavy cream allows for perfectly set, soft, and runny eggs. Fresh herbs and rich egg and meaty sausage flavors round out this bake and give it irresistable texture. Ask for brioche at your local grocery store or bakery and they are sure to have it. 

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Extra-Easy Lasagna

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin
Extra-Easy Lasagna Recipe

When we say easy, we mean easy. You don't even have to cook the noodles for this speedy yet impressive lasagna that always gets rave reviews. Lasagna is a family favorite, but this version is extra-special because it only requires 5 quick ingredients: ground beef, pasta sauce, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella (we don’t count the water!). It’s rated 5 stars for a reason. Pro tip: Make a double batch: Enjoy one now and freeze one for a quick meal on a busy weeknight.

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Overnight Oats

Image: Rebecca Longshore; Styling: Rebecca Longshore
Overnight Oats Recipe

These little jars filled with fiber, whole grains, and protein are a necessary solution to your busy weekday mornings. The best part is, they're extremely customizable. Feel free to experiment with any of these additions: A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or natural peanut butter, a handful of nuts (we prefer walnuts), some raisins or other dried fruit, or a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flax meal. Not a fan of cold oats? Simply place the glass jar in the microwave (without the metal lid!) and nuke for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner

Photo: Justin Walker; Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart
Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner Recipe
It doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying: a complete dinner in one pan in half an hour. Lemon brightens up this cozy meal.
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Fried Apple Spirals

Photo: Daniel Agee; Styling: Blakeslee Giles and Audrey Davis
Fried Apple Spirals Recipe

Serve sweet fried apples as a delicious snack, appetizer, or dessert for an impressive fall treat that comes together in just 25 minutes. In place of Fuji, you can also try Gala or Honeycrisp. For this peeling technique, you'll need to use an apple peeler similar like this or this.

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Classic Banana Bread

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski
Classic Banana Bread Recipe

This healthier take on banana bread uses yogurt instead of butter, but it's just as moist and indulgent as classic recipes. This banana bread recipe isn't just easy. It's also highly customizable and can adapt to a number of flavors and substitute ingredients. Banana bread should form a crack down the center as it bakes--a sign the baking soda is doing its job. Serve toasted with a smear of cream cheese, Greek yogurt, or peanut and top with mixed nuts, if desired. You can even customize your bread with a crunchy streusal topping that the kids will love.

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Orange-Sauced Chicken

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Orange-Sauced Chicken Recipe
Orange-sauced chicken is a super fast supper idea that is rich with flavor, yet only has around 200 calories per serving. Serve over rice or with mixed vegetables.
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Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Photo: Rebecca Longshore
Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs Recipe

Two appetizer favorites team up for one incredible bite in these pimiento cheese-loaded deviled eggs.

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Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Sang An; Styling: Philippa Brathwaite
Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup is classic American comfort food. Flavorful stock, fresh-cooked chicken, traditional vegetables, and egg noodles lend starchy body to the broth of this favorite soup.

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Loaded Potato Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
Make this reviewer favorite the star attraction of your next soup night. Kids of all ages will enjoy topping it with bacon and cheese.
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Easy Baked Fish Fillets

Photo: Randy Mayor
Easy Baked Fish Fillets Recipe
Looking for a simple fish dinner? Try this easy recipe for baked fish fillets. You can use any firm white fish: cod, haddock, or grouper work well.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
This Tex-Mex chicken enchilada casserole is a delicious dinner option when you're craving Southwestern-style comfort food.

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Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Top this lightened version of the classic sweet potato casserole with both marshmallows and toasted pecans. (For more classic dishes, visit our sweet potato recipes collection.)
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots

Photo: Charles Masters
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Shallots Recipe
Garlic, bacon and shallots are all you need to add intense flavor to the Brussels sprouts in this easy, 5-ingredient side-dish recipe.

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Easy Chili

Photography: Greg DuPree Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Prop Styling: Thom Driver
Easy Chili Recipe
Look no further for the ultimate classic, easy chili recipe. Made in a slow-cooker for simple a weekday meal. Top with shredded Cheddar cheese and corn chips.

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili Recipe
While meatless, this veggie three-bean chili is super hearty with cubed butternut squash.
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Hummingbird Cake

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Hummingbird Cake Recipe
The ultimate recipe for Hummingbird Cake. It's the most requested recipe in Southern Living magazine history and frequents covered dish dinners all across the South, always receiving rave reviews.

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Easy Blackberry Cobbler

Photo: John O'Hagan; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Easy Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
Make the easiest blackberry cobbler ever using fresh berries plus 5 more ingredients. To make it special, top with whipped cream and a mint garnish.

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Coconut Cream Pie

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
Coconut Cream Pie Recipe
When it comes to pie recipes, this classic coconut pie recipe takes the blue ribbon. The use of a refrigerated pie crust makes it easy and the whipped cream makes it stunning.
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Shepherd's Pie

Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Shepherd's Pie Recipe
This potato-topped shepherd’s pie gets extra flavor from the cheese and carrots that are added to the mashed potato crust. And you can take a shortcut with the crust because the recipe calls for frozen mashed potatoes.

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Shrimp Pad Thai

Photo: Lee Harrelson
Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe
Smother homemade Pad Thai with spicy shrimp, bean sprouts, peanuts and green onion for an Asian dish you will prepare again and again.

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Chicken Tetrazzini

Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

The simplicity of this dish is that it bakes in one pan and is a great use of any leftover chicken or turkey you may have. When coupled with pasta, this classic dish is truly a creamy and comforting dinner solution. A great thing about this recipe is that is involves enough ingredients to make two casseroles—one for now and one for later. This chicken recipe provides great freezing and baking instructions for prepping your second leftover casserole as well. This is the perfect family dinner dish.

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Layered Buffalo Chicken Dip

Photo: Daniel Agee, Food Styling: Blakeslee Giles, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Layered Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

This buffalo chicken dip is a completely homemade labor of love, and your guests will fall head over heels for this incredible appetizer. This dip offers the complete buffalo chicken experience all in one dish and combines layers of different ingredients and flavors along with a unique scratch-made carrot ranch dressing. There is a crunch, a richness, and a level of spice all mixed together in this wow-worthy dip that make it the perfect contributiion to any party or tailgate. This dish delivers intense flavor and an all-inclusive and truly delicious buffalo chicken experience. 

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BLT-Stuffed Baked Avocados

Photo: Jessica Snead
BLT-Stuffed Baked Avocados Recipe

Far from the traditional bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich, loaded out BLT-Stuffed Baked Avocados topped with Parmesan Breadcrumbs and Sriracha Mayo will blow your mind as an appetizer, lunch or even a dinner when served with a side salad.

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Louisiana Hot Crab Dip

Photo: Ryan Moriarty; Styling: Emma Crist
Louisiana Hot Crab Dip Recipe

Fresh crab meat is the star of this classic NOLA appetizer dip.

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Lemon Chicken