Best of 2013: My Favorites

On Friday I brought you your favorite recipes from 2013 and today I'm bringing you my favorites. There were a few from your favorites that were also my favorites, which made coming up with this list more difficult. I tried a bunch of new recipes this year and a lot of them ended up being family favorites that I remake often.

13. Chicken with Prosciutto, Brie and Arugula

This is one meal I wish I could remake more often, but I've had a heck of a time finding arugula that doesn't spoil before I get it home from the store. This may have to be a summer-only dish when I can find arugula in my local farmers markets vs. the supermarket.

12. California Club Blue Cheese Chopped Salad

Whenever I want a dinner-size salad I turn to this recipe. We all love it and it's easy for me to prep all the ingredients ahead of time.

11. Grasshopper Mint Brownies

This is one of my top 3 favorite desserts. I made them for St. Patrick's in 2013 and I'll be doing the same this year. I love the minty flavor and the green color, plus they're insanely good.

10. Bang Bang Chicken Skewers

I've only been to Bonefish Grill a handful of times but we always get an order of their Bang Bang Shrimp. This version uses chicken instead, which is more economical for me, and grills them rather than fries them, which is much healthier. We had these quite a few times this summer.

9. Avocado and Cucumber Tartine

This tartine was one of my staple lunches in the spring and I can't wait to make it again. There's nothing like a crusty roll slathered with mashed avocado topped with sliced cucumber. It may sound like an odd lunch but it's positively delicious and surprisingly filling.

8. Broccoli Pesto Pasta

This is another family favorite. I love that it's meat-free but I also love how the broccoli is pureed to make a sauce rather than left whole. Very homey and satisfying.

7. Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I need to find a recipe for pickle juice so I can make this recipe more often. Soaking the chicken pieces in the juice and buttermilk before breading and frying them imparts such an intense, briny flavor. These are addictive, especially with the honey mustard sauce.

6. Grilled Chicken Caesar Flatbreads

I must have made these flatbreads a few dozen times this summer. It's a simple meal that I could throw together quickly and we all loved it. I'm looking forward to many more of these this summer.

5. Taco Rice

The beef mixture in this recipe is now my go-to for tacos of any kind, but I'm especially fond of this rice dish. It's all my favorite things about a taco in one bowl. There's something so satisfying about eating this and I especially love the contrasting flavors and textures.

4. Salted Fudge Brownies

Another of my favorite desserts, these brownies are special because of the sea salt mixed into the batter. I love that salty and sweet combo and these are fudgy, rich and delicious.

3. Citrus Chicken Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice

These are, hands down, my favorite burrito of all time. I took two of my favorite recipes and combined them to make these burritos. While all the various components make them very time-consuming, I have to make them at least once a month to satisfy my craving. Perfect in every way.

2. Sausage and Spinach Egg Bake

This egg bake has become my go-to weekday breakfast. I keep a batch of these in the freezer and just heat up a slice and serve it with mayo mixed with hot sauce. So satisfying and delicious, plus it's easy to make.

1. Flatbread Pizzas with Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Spinach

We ate these flatbreads (and another variation with sausage) almost every Friday from June to September. I couldn't get enough of the oven-roasted tomatoes with the spinach and the fresh mozzarella cheese. I'm counting down the days until tomatoes are in season again so I can bring these back to the meal plan.

Best of 2013: Your Favorites

I hope you all had a great New Year's. We rang in 2014 with Baby Girl by watching the countdown and fireworks in London at 7pm ET and drinking sparkling cider. Then, once she was in bed, SP and I finished watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We needed a long movie to keep us awake until midnight. I think this is the first year since before Baby Girl was born that we actually stayed up to watch the ball drop.

As always, I'm a few days late with these two recaps. Better late than never, right? Today I'm bringing you your favorites from 2013 and Monday will be my favorites from the year.

13. Hashbrown Waffle with a Fried Egg

This is an ingenious breakfast idea, especially for someone who prefers savory to sweet. I was a bit skeptical of the potatoes cooking properly but they were perfectly crispy and the fried egg gilds the lily. Delicious.

12. Baked Oatmeal

This was a staple in our house for quite a few months this year. I'm still not sold on the idea of oatmeal for breakfast but SP is a big fan. I love recipes like this that allow you to make something from scratch and portion it out just the way you would with a store-bought packet.

11. Southern-Style Mustard Potato Salad

This potato salad is similar to my all-time favorite version, but unlike that version, Baby Girl actually ate and enjoyed this one. It's tangy and creamy and perfect for a summer BBQ.

10. Cannoli Cupcakes

I was happy to see these cannoli cupcakes make the list. If they hadn't been on this one they most certainly would have been on mine. Cannoli is one of my favorite desserts and these cupcakes are a fun twist.

9. Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Buttery Pan Sauce

Seeing this post made me realize we haven't had pork tenderloin in awhile. That has to change and soon. This is a super simple but very flavorful recipe that requires a little advanced planning, but is well worth the effort.

8. Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo Pasta

I love when the pasta sauce takes less time to cook than the pasta. It always makes for easy weeknight meals. Unfortunately this is one of those dishes that includes artichokes, which SP doesn't like, so I haven't been able to remake it as often as I'd like.

7. BLT Spaghetti Carbonara

We eat a lot of carbonara in this house and I'm always looking for new veggies to add to make it a bit healthier. This version was one of our favorites this summer.

6. Copycat Chipotle's Chicken Burritos

I love a good burrito and these were no exception. I'd had a tough time finding a cilantro lime rice recipe I liked and this one hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't have thought to try basmati in Mexican food but it works so well.

5. Smothered Italian Chicken

This is another oft-repeated family favorite. You can't go wrong with crispy chicken smothered in a creamy sauce.

4. Shake Shack Burgers

I must have made these burgers a few dozen times this summer, they're that good. These definitely would have been close to the top of my favorites list if they weren't already on this one. In fact, seeing them on the list prompted me to put them on the meal plan again. The sauce is what does it for me - it elevates a plain burger to something extraordinary.

3. Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

I think it's safe to say that this is my favorite dessert of all time. It's incredibly dangerous for me to make because I could probably eat the whole pan myself. Looking at the photo again, I can almost taste them. I think another batch is in order soon.

2. Mini Apple Pies

These were a lot of fun to make. I love individual, mini desserts because everyone gets all the best bits.

1. Overnight Baked French Toast

I'm not surprised that this was the number one recipe from 2013. Everyone loves a good make-ahead breakfast casserole and this one is pretty awesome.

My Favorites from 2012

In the 6+ years I've been blogging I've never done a yearly recap/roundup post. I always think it's a good idea but I don't plan ahead and all of a sudden I find myself in early January looking at everyone else's roundup posts and thinking, "why didn't I do that?" Well this year I decided to hell with the fact that, once again, I forgot to plan ahead. So what if it's January, I'm doing a 2012 roundup post anyway.

Without further ado, here are my favorites from 2012. I tried to pick one recipe from each month and only ended up with three ties, which is pretty impressive since my original list had 23 recipes.

January 2012 - Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
This pork tenderloin was a surprise hit. The secret is the sauce, which doubles as the marinade. Lots of bright, vibrant flavors that are completely addictive.



February 2012 - Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Since we don't have a good Chinese restaurant near our house I've started making many of my favorite dishes at home. This was spot-on.



March 2012 - Bacon, Egg and Asparagus Salad
This salad was so good it became my spring and summer staple for lunch. I must have made it once or twice a week for months. Thank goodness they sell pine nuts in bulk at the wholesale club or I'd be broke.



April 2012 - Panera Mac and Cheese
I didn't really like Panera until I tried this make-at-home version of their delectable mac and cheese. I was hooked, tried the real thing, and now I'm a convert. I love the ease of this recipe.



May 2012 - Homemade Refried Beans
Try this recipe and I promise you'll never buy a can of refried beans again. Super simple and utterly delicious.



June 2012 Part 1 - Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream
I rediscovered my love of beans when I made a commitment to cook healthier meals for my family. These black bean patties go perfectly with the corn relish and avocado cream. Also sneaking in a plug for these fantastic black bean burgers. I make a big batch every few weeks and keep them in the freezer for quick lunches or dinners.



June 2012 Part 2 - Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
I can't say enough good things about this recipe. It went around my cooking board over the summer and I fell in love. It's so easy to make yet tastes outstanding. I think I made these once a week for a month. So, so good.



July 2012 Part 1 - Antipasti Pasta Salad
Whenever I make this recipe I can't get enough of it. And neither can my guests. SP and I fight over leftovers. And the best part is it's mostly chopping - all you have to do is cook the pasta.



July 2012 Part 2 - Artichoke and Salami Sandwiches
I discovered this sandwich one day when I had no idea what to make for lunch and needed to use up some ingredients in my fridge. It's since become one of my favorite go-to lunches.



August 2012 Part 1 - Chicken Souvlaki
Another sleeper hit. For a recipe with so few ingredients I was shocked by how delicious it is. I don't cook with dill often enough but this recipe changed that.



August 2012 Part 2 - Antipasto Salad
This recipe is exactly like the antipasto salad my mother-in-law used to get from a local pizza place for parties. Delicious and easy to make at home.



September 2012 - Philly Cheesesteaks
Living outside of Philly, I've eaten quite a few cheesesteaks in my life. Being able to make them at home is a beautiful thing.



October 2012 - Roast Beef and Cheddar Panini
The secret is in the sauce when it comes to these sandwiches. You can't go wrong with caramelized onions, roast beef and cheddar cheese. Yum!

November 2012 - Sweet Ham and Swiss Sliders
Another awesome sandwich recipe that's perfect for parties. These are addictive so make sure you have plenty on hand.

December 2012 - Chicken Tostadas with Avocado Salsa
Another simple meal that tastes like a million bucks. I always thought making a tostada would be difficult but these are so easy and delicious.

I'm already excited for 2013. Looking back through the last 12 months of recipes was a lot of fun. Here's to another wonderful year of cooking!