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.
October 17
Feta and harissa meatballs
With the very last in-season tomatoes, I made Claire Saffitz’s harissa-kissed sheet pan meatballs with feta and chickpeas, but instead of chicken, I used pork. This recipe uses the salty brine from feta cheese, which I would typically dump down the drain, to flavor the meatballs. Harissa also does some heavy lifting, adding a subtly sweet heat. For a hearty accompaniment, I made farro in my rice cooker. It turned out to be a relatively low-lift dinner, with extra servings for the week. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
A celebration of fall produce
I dove into fall by returning to an old favorite, Paul Kahan’s marinated mixed roasted and charred vegetables. I had a random assortment of Hakurei turnips, red- and purple-skinned potatoes, and carrots, and even added in a fennel bulb, in an effort to do a fridge cleanout before leaving town for a few weeks. In the final 10 minutes of cooking, I threw some oiled mustard greens into the pan too. I piled it all on a platter, doused it with a lemony yogurt sauce, and topped the dish with store-bought pickled cauliflower. It was not only a great way to use up my bounty, but also a celebration of autumnal produce. —Joe Sevier, senior editor, SEO & Cooking
Creamy sweet potato gratin with no cream
I had the joy of cooking through Camélia’s Sweet Potato Gratin in the test kitchen before Bon Appétit’s restaurant issue was published, and let me tell you: it’s good. So good that I made it once more at home when I had some friends over. Japanese sweet potatoes are creamier, sweeter, and far more exciting than your typical orange variety, and they’re what gives this gratin its silky texture without having to use any cream at all. I served mine alongside a roasted chicken and everyone raved about it. If you’re looking for a fun autumnal side to serve at the holidays (or any day of the week), I highly recommend it. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior test kitchen editor
With salty-sweet miso butter, chives, and savory flakes of nori, this cheesy sweet potato gratin recipe bears little resemblance to traditional versions.
Weeknight white chicken chili
If you want unsolicited advice about which chili recipes you should have in your back pocket, you’ve come to the right place. Former BA staffer Kendra Vaculin’s White Chicken Chili is one such gem, a workhorse of a recipe great for busy weeknights. White chicken is, of course, its own subset in the chili-category and my favorite of them all. Kendra’s version features bouncy ground chicken, tender white beans, and pantry-friendly green chiles. It’s dairy-free, but I welcome a dollop of sour cream. And with football season upon us, you might just want to double the recipe for the perfect game day watch party contribution (it makes enough to fit a standard-sized slow cooker). —Hana Asbrink, deputy food editor
Lightly mash some of the white beans for a creamy, velvety texture without any added dairy.
October 10
Filipino spaghetti for FAHM
I’ve banned the word authentic from my personal lexicon (emphasis on personal!). Plenty of ink has been spilled on the subject as it relates to recipes and cuisine—the discourse is out there for those who want to engage in it. I’m writing this to get ahead of anyone dropping into my inbox to cast aspersions about something I am authentically (ahem), genuinely excited to cook and share: Filipino spaghetti. October is Filipino American History Month (FAHM), marking the first recorded arrival of Filipino immigrants to what is now the US in 1587. This recipe for an iconic Filipino celebration dish, from food writer Amelia Rampe, is an excellent rendition for those unfamiliar with the sweet-tangy classic. You can find me in the kitchen tweaking my own recipe, as I prefer a bit more spice and heat to balance out the banana ketchup (yes, banana ketchup) in the tomato sauce, but this dish will always taste of home and family. —Joseph Hernandez, associate director of drinks and lifestyle
Thick, tangy banana ketchup is key to this savory-sweet spaghetti, which features hot dogs, ground pork, and marinara as the base of a Bolognese-style sauce.
Game day tater tot chaat
I don’t know anything about football, but I do know a thing or two about making a good game day snack. In honor of the season, I whipped up my Tater Tot Chaat. Rather than using boiled potatoes like the ones you’ll find in traditional chaat, I opt for crisped up, seasoned tots. What you get is a snack bursting with flavor and texture. The chutney can be altered to your pleasing—if cilantro tastes like soap to you, double the mint. I like using both which serve as a bright and vibrant counterpart to the creamy yogurt and tangy tamarind. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
Chocolate chip olive oil cookies
These chewy, crispy, dare I say lightly savory Chocolate Chip Cookies With Olive Oil and Sea Salt have been calling my name since senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk started working on the recipe in the test kitchen several months ago. And since there are no more test batches of cookies for me to sneak home, I finally baked them for myself. (A quick note: I planned to share them with some vegan friends, so I made sure to use organic sugar and vegan dark chocolate, but they work equally well with standard sugar and bittersweet chocolate if desired.) They are so good. The cookies stay moist and tender for days without going greasy, are packed with grassy olive oil flavor that plays beautifully with fruity, rich dark chocolate, and the toasted flour lends each bite a warm, almost nutty taste. The best part? I didn’t even have to remember to soften butter the night before. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor
Olive oil gives these cookies robust, sophisticated flavor (and makes them secretly vegan).
This dish that won over beet skeptics
This week’s mission: turn my circle of beet-hating friends into beet lovers. You have to start the skeptics with roasted beets––not canned, cold, or raw––so senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Sheet-Pan Pierogies and Beets felt like a great choice. The oven helps bring out the natural sugars of the veg, which downplays any woody notes some people may dislike. Shilpa skillfully pairs the beets with warm pierogies, because who can say no to those precious pockets of fluffy potato. As they cook, the pierogies take on a softly crisp exterior. A dollop of sour cream, wisps of dill, and a light sprinkle of Everything Bagel Seasoning (because I was out of standalone poppy seeds) all elevate the dish. The result: a warm, salty-sweet meal that successfully won over my group. —Jaia Clingham-David, research fellow
A flavorful one-pan meal featuring baked pierogies, roasted beets, and a poppy seed dressing. Frozen pierogies and pre-cooked beets make this extra easy.
October 3
Fritters to cherish summer
This was the summer I became a person who likes summer. I don’t know if it’s because I spent a lot of it in air-conditioning, but for the first time summer didn’t feel like a soupy slog I simply had to endure. I embraced the sweat running down my back, relished the late sunsets, and enjoyed every farmers market. I am fully in denial that it’s over, and just this week bought four pounds of zucchini to make me feel better. I made zucchini keftedes for dinner to use up my hopefully-not-last-of-the-season stash. Eyeballing almost everything, I definitely skipped the mint (because I hate it so) and used olive oil instead of canola for frying. The breadcrumbs are a genius touch—the reason, I believe, these fritters are juicy and tender rather than gummy and soggy, the way fritters bound with flour tend to be. They were gone a little too soon, just like my first favorite summer. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor
Tomato tart
I sliced my last bunch (perhaps for the year?) of tiny heirloom tomatoes thinly to layer onto mascarpone-slicked puff pastry, a nod to a late-summer classic from The New York Times. My version had some tweaks, but I think the similarities are obvious. I layered in whisper-thin wedges from a quarter of a red onion, dusted it with ancho chile flakes, and drizzled the whole thing with olive oil that I’d infused with a grated garlic clove. When the tart emerged from the oven, edges puffed, I dolloped on mounds of cottage cheese, doused with more olive oil, and sprinkled it with a shower of chopped cilantro. Ah, summer. We barely knew ye. —Joe Sevier, senior editor, SEO and cooking
Branzino for Monday supper
When I cook fish at home, I usually default to salmon. It’s not too pricey and widely available (plus there are enough salmon recipes to fill up a whole year of meals). But I also love branzino. I’ll always order it at a restaurant, and every time I make it I’m reminded how delicious it can be with just salt, pepper, lemon, and some herbs. The branzino this week was extra special because it came from Seatopia, a sustainable seafood subscription box, and was incredibly high-quality. I crisped up the skin and served it simply with a salsa verde, the last of the season’s farmers market tomatoes, and farfalle pasta. Most definitely the best Monday night supper I could dream up. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
You don’t need a culinary school degree to cook fish with skin as crunchy as a potato chip.
Halloumi pasta salad
For the very first time in my life, I grew tomatoes. I watched a lot (I mean a lot) of YouTube videos, spoke to anyone I could at the community garden for advice, and got my hands dirty. The reward: plump beefsteak tomatoes. This is the gift that keeps on giving—even in the first week of October I’m still getting the love apple straight from the vine. I’ve eaten them straight up, on sandwiches, and the latest, in this Orechiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons from Yossy Arefi. Buttery fried cubes of Halloumi cheese get mixed with cooked pasta, Persian cucumbers, red onion, tender greens, and, of course, juicy tomato chunks. When tossed with a simple vinegary dressing, all of the flavors sing. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Cookies for any and all cravings
The best cookie hack? Make a double batch of dough, portion it out into balls on a sheet pan, freeze for about 10 minutes so they won’t stick together, then store in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer. This way they’re ready to be baked off whenever I get a hankering for sweets. I’ve been making a different cookie recipe each week in my quest to be a more confident baker. I’ve learned about dough hydration, melted butter versus softened, and so much more. This recipe has been on my want-to-make list for a while now—I’m toffee’s biggest fan. After making these, I’m not sure I’ll want to try another recipe. Skor bars are a nonnegotiable addition; the cookies have the perfect toffee-to-chocolate ratio and wonderful texture. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
Prepare for these toffee-and-chocolate-laced brown butter cookies to ruin you for all others.
