We Don’t Pick Favorites, but These Are the 17 Recipes Our Editors Couldn’t Get Enough of This Year

Too many recipes, not enough time!

By
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Associate Editor
Yasmine is an Associate Editor at Serious Eats. Her work has been featured in Women’s Health and on L’Officiel USA, and she recently graduated from New York University with a master's in journalism. You can find her at Bleecker Street Pizza on any given weekend.
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and
The Serious Eats Team
At Serious Eats, we’re a team of self-proclaimed food nerds who are ever-curious about the “why” behind cooking. The staff has worked in restaurants, test kitchens, bakeries, and other notable publications, bringing extensive culinary and editorial expertise to the table.
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Published December 26, 2024
Favorite Recipes Graphic

Not a day goes by where we publish a recipe on this very site and I don't say "I want to make that!" I'm probably biased, but I also know how much goes in to taking a recipe from idea to reality here before we send it out into the world. Between testing (and testing and testing) and development to cross-testing, editing, and shooting, publishing each one is no small feat. In fact, everyone on this team will likely always have a list of new Serious Eats recipes they want to cook their ways through. To be clear, this is a good problem to have.

All of this is to say, it's hard to have favorites when we work with such talented recipe developers. But there are more than a few recipes we've published this year that we keep coming back to, despite our seemingly endless "recipes to make" lists. Here are 17 recipes that our editors called out as having easily become some of their instant go-tos.

  • Mushroom Pot Pie

    Serving of Mushroom Pot Pie on a muted pink plate,with full pot pie in a skillet on the side. 2 glasses of sparkling water, and a rust colored napkin

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

    "I brought this to a potluck recently and jokingly called it 'forest floor pot pie,' a reference to its deep autumnal flavors of mushroom, root vegetable, and woodsy herbs. It's a dish that scratches every itch—so satisfying, so filling, so utterly delicious, and not a speck of meat in sight." Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

    "I'm seconding Daniel on this incredibly flavorful, deeply satisfying pot pie." Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

  • Fried Pickle Dip

    Bowl of pickle dip garnished with panko, dill and pickles, surrounded by a wooden plate full of potato chips, on a green tabeltop

    Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

    "While I usually shy away from most food trends, I am all for the pickle-juice-in-everything craze that occured this past year. My favorite among them is this pickle dip recipe. The breadcrumbs toasted in butter and pickle juice are a moment of culinary brilliance. I want them on everything now!" Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

    "I love a crunchy, punchy frickle. I love a creamy, dreamy dip. Put the two together, pair it with a bag of chips, and you've pretty much created my dream app. The pickle juice-soaked crunchy panko topping makes the dish (and clearly another SE editor agrees—hi Leah!)" Grace Kelly, editor

    "Add my name to the list of people shouting out this recipe. It's everything I could want a dip to be—creamy, punchy, tangy, delicious. I mean, it's dill pickle flavor!" —Daniel Gritzer

  • Caesar Roasted Broccoli

    Side view of Caesar breadcrumb broccoli

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "I love roasted broccoli. I love Caesar salad. The flavor and texture the Caesar breadcrumbs add to the caramelized broccoli here is so delicious. It gives you the punch of Caesar salad and the earthy goodness of roasted broccoli. This recipe is now a forever side in our house." —Haley Scarpino, newsletter editor

  • Caesared Spaghetti

    Side view of caesar pasta

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "I just love the (audience-generated!) idea and very wonky energy behind Daniel's Caesared spaghetti. What a time, what a joy." Tess Koman, executive editorial director

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  • Italian Pressure-Cooker Chickpea and Pork Rib Stew

    Overhead view of stew

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "A late comer in the season, but this Italian chickpea and pork rib stew is all I've been talking about since Daniel made it in December. It's so good—like so good. I genuinely don't understand how. (I mean, I do. It's a Daniel recipe and I also had the luck of also tasting the version he cooked). Anyway, if I haven't already told you to make this stew, please go make this stew. You will not be disappointed." Amanda Suarez, associate director, visuals

  • Soy Sauce–Braised Chicken Thighs

    Overhead view of soy braised chicken

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "Not only is Genevieve a master baker, but she also knows how to put together a mean dinner. This recipe is her weeknight-friendly version of classic Cantonese soy sauce chicken, and it's practically exploding with flavor. I happened to be in the test kitchen when she first made it, and I happily went back for seconds (and thirds!). I highly recommend cooking it to make the forthcoming bleak winter days a little more exciting." Yasmine Maggio, associate editor

  • Classic Pound Cake

    Overhead view of classic pound cake

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "Leah's pound cake is rich and tender, with just the right amount of sweetness. It truly is the best pound cake I've ever made and eaten—it's now our family's go-to recipe!" Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

  • Lemon Ricotta Cake

    Side view of Lemon Ricotta Cake

    Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

    "My favorite time of day to eat cake is at breakfast. But in the name of restraint, I prefer a cake that's on the austere side of sweet. This one hits the mark: It's bright and zippy from the lemon, and pairs perfectly with a spoonful of thick yogurt (if you're feeling responsible) or a cloud of whipped cream (if you're feeling fun). I've made it a handful of times since it was published, and it hasn't failed me yet." Rochelle Bilow, editor

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  • Black Forest Icebox Cake

    Overhead view of black forest icebox cake

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "My husband's family is German and he got to file for his dual citzenship this year, so we've been making more and more German food at home. He loves Black Forest cake, and I was excited to see this icebox version published on the site. The homemade cherry compote, the kirsch-soaked chocolate cookies, the creamy mousse—it's all perfect." Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, associate editorial director

  • S'mores Icebox Cake

    Overhead view of smores icebox cake

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "I was lucky to be in the studio when we shot the photos and videos for all four of Genevieve’s epic icebox cakes this summer. They were all beautifully layered, expertly tested desserts with just enough sweetness, but the s’mores cake was my favorite. If s’mores had ever tasted like that when I was a kid, maybe I would have let my parents send me to camp." Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

  • Lemon Meringue Icebox Cake

    Overhead angle of 2 slices of Lemon Meringue Icebox cake on a marble plate. In the top right corner, there is a spoon with a bite of lemon meringue pie on it

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "The one where Genevieve made lemon Starburst-like magic!!" —Tess Koman

  • Sticky Toffee Pudding

    Side view of pouring sauce on sticky toffee pudding

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "Confession: I hate tiered cakes. They’re often saccharine and dry, and I’d rather just be eating something molten and gooey, thankyouverymuch. So, for years, sticky toffee pudding has been my “birthday cake” of choice. It’s fudgy and warm, and the date and toffee sauce give it a molasses-like sweetness without being cloying. Topped with an (untraditional) dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream, a slice of this is basically a hug on a plate." —Grace Kelly

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  • Millionaire's Shortbread

    Side view of millionaires shortbread

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "Everything Genevieve makes is amazing, but her tender shortbread layered with rich caramel and dark chocolate is the best version of millionaire's shortbread I've ever made at home (and I've made many versions before)." —Leah Colins

  • Philly Roast Pork Sandwich

    Side view of Philly Roast Pork

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "Leah's roast pork sandwich is a masterpiece that pays proper homage to this undersung Philly classic. It's rich and meaty, but balanced by all that wonderful rabe, making it something of a gut-bomb (in the best way) with benefits. Eat one of these, or even just half, and you will want for nothing after." —Daniel Gritzer

  • British Chips

    Overhead view of chips

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "The only thing better than watching Genevieve (sporting a shower cap to keep the oil odor out of her hair) fry these British-style chips was eating them hot out of the fryer. They're super crispy outside, tender inside, and delicious throughout." —Megan Steintrager

  • Schmaltz Krispies Treats

    Pile of schmaltz rice krispies

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "This is one of those recipes you're either going to instantly get, or you're just not—not everyone can wrap their minds, or palates, around the combination of savory chicken fat, fried onion, and marshmallow. And that's okay—not everyone has to. But for those of us who do, oh man are these good. It's a master-stroke in sweet-savory creativity." —Daniel Gritzer

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  • Brown Butter Bananarama Cookies

    Overhead view of banana cookies

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    "I try to cook through a good chunk of newly published Serious Eats recipes in real time, and because we're publishing so many of them, that usually means I don't have time for repeats. That said, I probably made Leah's brown butter banana cookies at least eight times this past year. They are easy, they are luxurious, they are creative, and they make your kitchen—nay, your whole house—smell like a realtor's dream for hours and hours after. I will never not be grateful for these cookies (and for Leah!!)." —Tess Koman

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