Poultry
Arroz con Pollo
My wife, Jazmin, is of Honduran descent. When you walk into her mother's house, everything is Latin-inspired, especially the cooking. This dish is a Latin staple, and because Jazmin likes it so much, arroz con pollo has become a staple for us. You can throw in half a bag of frozen peas toward the end to up the nutritional content. We serve it with a bottle of hot sauce on the table and a bowl of yogurt.
By Richard Blais
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Prefer the big taste of beef in your Joes? Substitute lean ground beef. Or bison. Or a blend. Sloppy Joes are a total what-have-you recipe. Somebody in the family off carbs or gluten? These are awesome in lettuce wraps, too.
Don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients. This recipe comes together effortlessly in minutes.
Editor's note: This recipe makes 4 servings, plus more for leftovers. Please see "Next-Day Sloppy Joes" and "Sloppy Joes Chili" below for tips on how to enjoy the leftovers.
By J. M. Hirsch
Kiddie Cobb Salad
The Cobb is a protein-packed salad that will stick with your kids through the school day. This version relies on smoked turkey for the signature flavor that typically comes from bacon. Blue cheese is an optional add-in since its flavor is too strong for a lot of little ones. The assembly is more composed than chopped, which makes it as pretty as it is tasty.
By Katie Sullivan Morford
Fat Rice
If paella escaped from Spain, sailed to China, and did some soul-searching along the way, you'd have arroz gordo, the namesake dish at Chicago's Fat Rice. The generous pot of aromatic rice, curry-scented chicken, and (much) more can be traced back to Macau, the former Portuguese colony in China, where it's almost always served at home. Chefs Conlon and Lo took inspiration from foreign-language cookbooks; their version is a blend of Portuguese and Chinese cooking that Conlon calls "the original fusion."
By Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo
Extreme Makeover Chicken Salad Sammy
Chicken, Red Grapes, Walnuts, Dill, Scallions, Radishes and Arugula
When my mom comes to visit on a busy weekday, I want to make a quick yet nutritious lunch for the two of us. Chicken salad is a classic I can usually whip up using ingredients I have left over in my refrigerator. But this recipe is what I call a "basic made better." With less fat than traditional chicken salad, more protein and a lot more flavor, this luscious salad can be enjoyed on anything from a baguette to marbled rye or served in a pita or atop a bed of mixed greens with a side of cornbread. You can't go wrong! And it is all the better if you have cooked chicken on hand. Either way, you can make this satisfying lunch in a snap.
By Tina Ruggiero
Old-Fashioned Turkey Meat Loaf
I've got to admit that I was a little nervous taking on meat loaf because Jamie's wife, Brooke, has darn near perfected it. So all my tastings for this recipe were done in Jamie's kitchen. When I got the approval of these two toughest critics, I knew I had a keeper. A classic accompaniment to meat loaf is a scoop of fluffy mashed potatoes.
By Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark
Mexican Fiesta Casserole
My invites to tailgate parties usually come with a condition. I absolutely have to show up with this casserole in hand. Since I can whip it up in about twenty minutes flat using only a skillet and a baking dish, this is one condition I'm only too happy to comply with. Most of the time I make it with lean ground turkey. But you can also swap out the turkey and use lean ground beef. This cheesy baked casserole is packed with Mexican flavor, from the spice of the taco seasoning and tomato salsa right on down to the creamy black beans and sweet corn tortillas. It's seriously tasty, seriously easy, and seriously, it's good for you.
By Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark
Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken
The key to tender, delicious fried chicken is a good long soak in buttermilk. As it turns out, the same holds true for this roasted version of fried chicken. What you'll end up with is moist, delicious chicken on the inside, with a crunchy, crispy coating. That's exactly what I look for when I'm craving fried chicken.
By Bobby Deen and Melissa Clark
Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts, and Honey
This dish is inspired by a recipe from Claudia Roden's classic book, Tamarind and Saffron (Viking, 1999). It is one of our favorites: it is easy to make, yet looks stunning, and has the most delicate and fragrant combination of flavors (rose water, saffron, and cinnamon), which takes you straight to the famous Jemaa el Fna in Marrakech. Serve with rice or plain couscous.
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
White Chili
Chili is the perfect party food. Just keep a pot of it warm on the stove, put out the fixings, and let everyone help themselves.
By Ellie Krieger
Chicken Alfredo with Zucchini Ribbons
Fettuccine Alfredo, with its ribbons of pasta coasted in a luxurious cheese sauce, is the very definition of decadent comfort. This recipe is all that—redefined. Zucchini ribbons mingle harmoniously with the noodles, allowing a big serving, healthfully. The sauce is made creamy with thickened milk but kept full flavored with plenty of real, fresh grated cheese.
By Ellie Krieger
Shredded Chicken Tacos
For an easy, delicious taco night, try these Shredded Chicken Tacos. The chicken filling, also known as Tinga de Pollo in Mexico - especially the Puebla region - is made by slowly cooking chicken breasts a seasoned tomato sauce to make them super tender and extra tasty. Wrap the chicken tinga filling in warm corn tortillas and sprinkle on your favorite toppings for an easy, fun taco night.
Chopped Chicken Caesar Sammies
Traditional Caesar dressing can pack 17 grams of fat in a measly 2 tablespoons. We did much better by making light mayo, not oil, the primary ingredient.
By Marge Perry
Roasted Poultry, Wild Boar Bacon, and Mushroom Farro with Pan-Roasted Fennel and Carrots
This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of FOX's MasterChef. The recipe calls for making homemade stock—using bones from game hens, chickens, or pigeons—to cook the farro in, but if you're short on time, you can substitute purchased low-sodium chicken broth.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Finish these spicy, smoky, guacamole-topped tacos with crisp, thinly sliced radishes and bright lime, and get ready to watch them disappear.
Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad
Grilled peaches turn this simple chicken and arugula salad with mustard dressing into something worth swooning over.
By Kerri Conan
Chicken Salad with Herbs and Aleppo Pepper
This chicken feels light and summery. That's because there's no mayo, just lots of herbs and spiced pita chips.
By Rebecca Jurkevich