Recipes

For a festive occasion, few treats can match the celebratory spirit of a classic birthday cake—and this easy-to-follow formula is the only one you’ll ever need. Our birthday cake recipe yields two dense layers of buttery, vanilla-forward white cake wrapped in classically rich buttercream frosting. For the signature, picture perfect birthday cake look, don’t forget to garnish your frosted cake with rainbow sprinkles. You can also stir a handful of colored sprinkles right into the cake batter to create a funfetti effect.

This platter of goodness represents the lowest-effort end of the homemade nachos spectrum. That said, “low-effort”—by no stretch of the imagination—means a low YUM-factor here. Although this game day-perfect platter of beefy, cheesy nachos comes together quickly and relies largely on store-bought shortcuts, it delivers the classic meld of flavors and textures that you want from everyone’s favorite appetizer. For this nachos recipe, we combine the meat and nacho cheese elements to create a Ro*Tel Dip-inspired, beefy cheese sauce. This guarantees an even distribution of the hearty toppings and keeps you from having to crank up the oven. However, if you prefer melted, shredded cheese over a nacho cheese sauce, simply cook your ground beef in a skillet on the stovetop, drain, and distribute over the nachos on a sheet pan. Then, top the platter with shredded cheese and pop it under the broiler until melty and glorious (no Ro*Tel required).

This chicken potato soup is perfect for ushering in fall: It's hearty enough for the beginning of soup season, yet brothy and veggie-packed so it doesn't feel too heavy. This recipe is ideal for a weekend, when you can check on the slow cooker after just a few hours. Although you can’t leave it unattended all day, this chicken potato soup still offers the benefit of hands-free, fuss-free cooking. Baby red, Yukon Gold, or fingerling potatoes will all work well here, as they'll maintain their shape nicely during cooking. Pair this easy chicken and potato soup with a slaw or kale side salad and crusty whole-grain bread for a healthy, satisfying dinner.

Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

If you’ve got a rimmed baking sheet and an oven, you’ve got a foolproof way to cook crab legs for a crowd. Use the pre-cooked and flash-frozen crab legs you can find at the grocery store for the best quality meat. The sheet pan guarantees easy cooking and cleanup, so all you have to focus on is eating. Serve straight from the pan and set out a large bowl for empty shells.

The name says it all—this pot pie is damn delicious! This crowd-winning chicken pot pie recipe comes from Julie Grimes's $10 Dinners: Delicious Meals for a Family of 4 that Don't Break the Bank; grab a copy today for more budget-friendly recipes that taste like a million bucks.

Exciting news—you’re just three ingredients away from a magnificently meaty main dish! This crispy, oven-baked pork chop recipe works just as well for boneless, center-cut pork chops, simply check them after 10-15 minutes and be sure not to let them overcook.

Try classic Mississippi pot roast with pork for a juicier, less expensive twist. It’s comforting, super savory, rich, and delicious, and the juicy, tender meat falls apart just like a good pot roast should. It makes a great dinner, especially paired with dinner rolls, mashed potatoes or rice. This recipe will also work with a bone-in pork butt. Best of all, the opportunities to utilize the leftovers are endless—try them in tacos, barbecue sandwiches, stews, and more.

This top-rated chocolate cake recipe calls for store-bought ingredients, including cake mix, whipped topping, and chocolate bars, to speed the prep along. Our users rave that it's a hit at birthday parties and nails that "just right" sweetness.

The fiesta will never end with this 7-Layer Mexican Dip.

Make this easy dessert a day before serving, as you'll have to refrigerate it overnight. 

How can such a simple recipe for grilled chicken thighs taste so flavorful and satisfying? Once you sink your teeth into the super-crispy skin and find rich, tasty dark meat waiting underneath, you’ll understand. This low and slow cooking method yields tender, succulent meat with carefully developed flavors. Make grilled chicken thighs the simple way, because juicy, decadent chicken doesn’t have to be so complicated.

This is an incredibly easy Crock-Pot recipe that's loaded with flavor. Super tender and moist. Perfect for those days you don't want to mess with dinner.

Smoked Turkey Breast is a winning choice for your Thanksgiving table or any dining occasion. This turkey breast is bursting with smoky flavor, incredibly moist, and super tender too.

Don't let your cucumbers go bad or freeze in the fridge. Refrigerator pickles are easy to make, and there's no need for kettle steamers, special jars, and vacuum-tight lids. Make an extra batch to top off grilled burgers, diced for fresh tartar sauce, as the perfect side to a simple sandwich or just a quick, tangy snack. The pickling liquid can be used with other vegetables as well such as beets, onions and carrots depending on the season. Plus, unlike store-bought pickles, these scrumptious homemade pickles are low in sodium.

Inspired by the classic Greek comfort dish known as pastitsio, this pasta casserole uses fresh and flavorful ingredients.

This creamy, crowd-pleasing casserole delivers generously on cheesy, savory flavor—but requires a fraction of the fuss of classic chicken cordon bleu. The key to this chicken cordon bleu casserole's incredible, bubbly richness is the stovetop cheese sauce made with Swiss and Gruyère. (If you have trouble finding Gruyère, simply substitute the same amount of Swiss.) Additionally, toasting the breadcrumb topping on the stovetop will keep them exceptionally crispy during baking; so while it may seem like an unnecessary extra step in the casserole's assembly, it does make for a tastier final product. We call for shredded rotisserie chicken here, but rest assured—this is a great casserole recipe for using leftover cooked chicken. In fact, you can even cut the recipe in half and bake the chicken cordon bleu casserole in an 8-x8-inch square pan for a smaller crowd. One final pro-tip from our test kitchens: You can finely chop the chicken and ham and turn this recipe into an awesome dip for a party.

If a nice, even crispiness is your priority when it comes to grilled cheese, skip the stove and try the air fryer. You'll get a uniform texture and lovely melt without having to worry about burning your sandwich or any flipping mishaps.

Sweet, tangy, and a little spicy—just like your favorite signature sauce from Arby’s, but with ingredients you can actually pronounce.

The secret to your favorite soup, salad, and breadsticks combo is yours for the taking—and enjoying at home, anytime you want. 

Cool, herbaceous, and refreshing, this creamy cucumber salad is the perfect accompaniment to any number of summer entrees, including barbecue pulled pork, grilled chicken, smoked brisket, and more. If you can’t find English cucumbers, simply use regular cukes, but peel them first.

It doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying: a complete dinner in one pan in half an hour. Lemon brightens this hearty chicken and potatoes dinner.

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

A traditional creamy chicken casserole can have more than 800 calories per serving! Try our lightened up version that offers great flavor without all the calories.