Crispy Quesadillas and More Recipes We Made This Week

It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.

December 19

A festive salad

I first made former Test Kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin’s Festive Red Cabbage and Radicchio Salad over Thanksgiving (I firmly believe there should be salad on the table, and I don’t want a boring bowl of “spring mix”.) It’s full of bright flavors that are often lacking in rich holiday fare, with tart citrus, juicy pomegranate seeds, and bitter leaves. In addition to sliced blood orange and grapefruit in the salad, more orange juice acts as the acid in the dressing—so much more special (dare I say festive) than the average weeknight vinaigrette. The salad has become a fixture on any winter dinner table that needs a little oomph. Sometimes I add sliced feta and crisped chickpeas for a little extra richness, and that becomes dinner. —Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor

Make-ahead gougères

I make cookbook author David Lebovitz’s gougères nearly every time I throw a party, but the winter holidays are really their time to shine. They’re easy to make ahead, pair perfectly with cocktails or bubbles, and perfume your home with the nutty scent of Gruyère. Per Lebovitz’s suggestion, I make and shape a large batch of the puffs and freeze them, unbaked, in a single layer. Just before folks are set to arrive, I pop them onto a sheet pan and into the oven. As people trickle in, they’re greeted with a hot and airy cheese puff, a glass of something festive, and a calm and happy host, free to mingle, and eat, alongside her guests. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor

Roasted sweet potatoes with sesame-soy butter

It’s that time of year when I use my oven primarily to cook dinner and secondly to warm up my apartment. This means I’m not afraid to roast a root vegetable for 40-plus minutes, like in this recipe for Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sesame-Soy Butter. Humble sweet potatoes are transformed with a savory, bittersweet condiment made with brown butter and cocoa powder (yes, cocoa powder) which tames the root vegetable’s sweetness. I made them with Japanese sweet potatoes and roasted an extra (sans the butter topping) to keep in the freezer as a gift to my future self. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager

Frittatas for the family

In theory I made the little frittatas for my son. But somewhere along the way, I have eaten most of them myself. Riffed on from 101 Before One: six eggs, a splash of milk or half-and-half or cream, a handful of minced cooked pick-your-own-vegetable (I did frozen broccoli), a slice or two of cheese, finely chopped (I did Muenster). Bake in a greased muffin tin—you’ll get six to eight, depending on how thick you want them—at 375° for about 15 minutes, until puffed. They’re wholly satisfying and keep in the fridge for days. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking

Easygoing quesadillas

These Crispy Chicken Quesadillas are easygoing. So easygoing that I made crispy bean quesadillas using the same recipe. You can swap in another melty cheese or type of pepper. Or go rogue like me and entirely change the main protein. I grabbed two cans of black beans from the pantry in place of chicken breasts, and loads of scallions stood in for the cilantro. The beans took on a rich, savory flavor from the homemade seasoning blend, and played very nicely with the onions and peppers. After mashing it all up with plenty of pepper jack and a few shreds of cheddar for good measure, I had dinner on the table in minutes. —K.J.Y

December 12

Sunday morning scones

I relish the ease of an all-cream scone. It can be whipped up half-asleep, perfect for a Sunday morning. Such was my mission last weekend, when we had the first snow of the year. I turned to this simple recipe and made a couple of tweaks—swapped in some buckwheat (40 grams) and cut the dough into six big triangles (instead of the 12 called for). Trader Joe’s 72% cacao chips excelled here. The scones were crusty and plush, with deep pockets of gooey chocolate. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking

Warming soup for a cold week

One of the greatest gifts you can give your future self is a bag full of chicken bones. I’ve made a habit of stashing the carcass in the freezer any time I roast a chicken, and after making two birds for Friendsgiving a couple weeks ago, I did just that. This week I combined the frozen bones with some celery, onion, and carrots, made a big batch of stock, and used that to riff on Rick Martinez’s Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup (Avgolemono). I puréed some of the cooked veg in with the stock, one of my favorite hacks for adding bonus body and flavor to a broth. Bright and warming, it was the perfect thing for a rainy week. —Alaina Chou, commerce writer

A bean salad that gets better with time

I’m fed up with salads that wilt the moment you dress them. I want ones that’ll last and even get better with time. In pursuit of some new staples, I tried out this Miso Edamame DBS (dense bean salad) from creator Violet Witchel’s Substack. You just chop up Persian cucs, scallions, red onion, herbs, and green cabbage (I used a fancy cone-headed one because that’s all my food coop had). Throw in a can of white beans, a bag of thawed edamame, and a vinegary miso dressing. This dressing acts like a marinade, imbuing the salad with savory oomph. And it tasted even better four days later. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking

Gochujang-butter-braised tofu

This week I found myself hopping from holiday party to holiday party. When I finally had a moment to pause, I found a new comfort meal: senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Gochujang-Butter-Braised Tofu, which features spongy slices of tofu in a tangy, savory sauce soothed by a few pats of butter. It comes together in under 30 minutes, delivering a warm umami-packed bowl that’ll fuel you until the next winter festivity. —Jaia Clingham-David, research fellow

December 5

Just-keeps-getting-better lentil salad

Sarah Jampel is a genius. If you’ve had the pleasure of baking her iconic No-Knead Focaccia, then you know. The Jampel-made recipe of the moment for me is her aptly named Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad. In it she combines kale with warm French lentils, which absorb the dressing as they cool. From there, infuse olive oil with crushed garlic, long strips of lemon peel, and chopped scallions. Eventually, cumin seeds and crushed red pepper flakes are added to the mix, which further round out the flavor. The result is a deeply savory, aromatic salad (that surely does keep getting better). —Carly Westerfield, associate manager, audience strategy

Wipe-the-plate-clean butter paneer

This week Bon Appétit’s best new cookbooks of the year went live—a project I had been working on for months. Alongside the meaningful blurbs from staff and contributors, we published a collection of recipes from the cookbooks featured. I had been eyeing this Baked Butter Paneer ever since dog-earring it in Meera Sodha’s Dinner, and this week I finally got around to making it. Cubes of salty paneer get coated in Greek yogurt, aromatics, and lemon juice before they’re scorched in the oven. Then, canned tomatoes along with spices like Kashmiri chile powder and garam masala join the paneer and form the base of a robust sauce. Finishing with a good amount of heavy cream, kasoori methi, and a knob of butter makes for a creamy curry; I scooped every last bit up with warm garlic naan (the plate was sparkly clean). —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking

Endlessly comforting brussels sprout pasta

As darkness in the Northeast falls at 4 p.m. and the constant chill in the air becomes unbearable, the only thing I want to eat is pasta. My latest go-to is former BA staffer Kendra Vaculin’s super simple and endlessly comforting Brussels Sprout Pasta. I had the joy of eating the pasta months back when Kendra started development (which was during the warmer summer months), and looked forward to making it once winter came around. Now that the cold weather is here, I can attest to the pasta’s ability to make even the darkest nights feel just a touch cozier. The buttery walnuts combined with tender-yet-slightly-crisp brussels sprouts and little nubbins of Italian sausage is pure comfort, and a flavor profile I can’t get enough of. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior test kitchen editor

Mushroom ragù that tastes slow-cooked

I agree with Jesse—this was a pasta week. After hours of holiday cooking, I wanted a warm and cozy, but not labor-intensive, weeknight dinner. Food director Chris Morocco’s Pasta With Creamy Mushroom Ragù, full of rich umami notes, satisfied that craving. Coarsely chopped creminis combine with a savory base of onions, garlic, and tomato paste to create a tender sauce that feels slow-cooked and complex but cooks in record time. I suggest leaving shiitakes in bigger pieces for a more meaty toothsome bite. Finishing with lots of ground black pepper adds a zingy finish. —Jaia Clingham-David, research fellow