11 Readers Share Their Go-To Recipes

A reader named Sonia wrote in to share her go-to work lunch: a chopped salad. “The key is to eat this salad with a spoon so you taste all the ingredients and textures in each bite,” she says. “I buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco, cook some quinoa, and chop cabbage, snap peas, and cucumber at the start of the week. Then, I throw it all together — including citrus, cashews, sesame seeds, and fried onions — in a container with Asian sesame dressing before heading out the door.” Here, 10 more readers share their favorite recipes…

“The recipe I’ve made 100 times is pearl couscous with creamy feta and chickpeas. It’s a super easy vegetarian meal, and I usually have the ingredients on hand.” — Emma

“I make focaccia so often, I wrote the recipe on the inside of a kitchen cabinet! You can use different toppings, but the showstopper is a garden focaccia (pictured). There’s nothing like freshly baked bread when guests come over!” — Samantha

“This is more of a no-recipe recipe, but I love making totchos — tater tot nachos. I usually bake them until crispy, then top with chili, mozzarella, scallions, sour cream, avocado, and Fritos. I made this chili from scratch, but I also keep cans of chili on hand if I crave totchos at the last minute.” — Katie

“I’ve been a homemade granola fan for decades. The guy I’m seeing introduced me to Eleven Madison Park’s recipe and WOWZERS, it’s been on repeat here in double batches for months. It’s the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and like any good granola recipe, you can throw in any pantry additions and it still delivers.” — Kirsty

“Hands down, my go-to recipe is Melissa Clark’s za’atar chicken. Nearly everyone who tries it asks for the recipe, and it’s my family’s most requested dish. I usually make a double batch, then serve the leftovers over greens or in a wrap. Warm, or eaten cold straight from the fridge, it is a delight!” — Robin

“Once a week, we make a big kale salad that’s an amalgamation of several recipes. We make the baked tofu from Weekday Vegetarians and a dressing from Simply Julia, then add apples. Other common ingredients include sweet potato, feta, and a crunchy topping, like pepitas or sunflower seeds. I also learned that you should massage your kale with olive oil, and that’s been a game changer!” — Kathy

“My mom cooked pork milanese meal regularly. It’s the simplest of meals, and she often paired it with garlic-butter egg noodles, a side of peas, and lemon for garnish. My daughter Vivian, at the tender age of five, has mastered this recipe. My mom died before she could meet her, but may this recipe live on.” — Claire

“My sister and I always make Fanny’s Chicken (named for chef Alice Waters’s daughter Fanny). It’s roasted at high heat over leeks that melt down into a delicious, leek-y confit. It’s always comforting and makes us miss each other a little less — she’s in Australia, I’m in Paris.” — Lauren

“Our current supper rotation is quite small (we have young picky eaters), so lunch is my moment to eat things I really want to, like this warm salad with arugula, roasted beets and goat cheese. It takes 20 minutes to put together and makes enough for two salads, which means two lunches!” — Chloe

“My favorite recipe is one I discovered on your blog: Jenny Rosenstrach’s brothy lima beans with burrata. I’m obsessed. I even make it for all my friends during their postpartum seasons; it’s so satisfying. Thank you, Jenny!” — Erin

Now we’d love to know, what’s your go-to recipe?

P.S. Five recipes worth memorizing and a dinner that’s so good, it has a nickname.