The Best Recipes of 2015 + What's Ahead (2024)

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This has been a really exciting year for Natasha’s Kitchen. We welcomed a tiny new member to our family and added over 100 new recipes to the blog. Thank you so much for following along, sharing our recipes and even writing in to share your own! Yourencouragement and support have made this blogging “job” of mine nothing short of a dream job. Some days it’s exhausting but it is a labor of love.I enjoyreading each and every one of your comments and it’s so rewarding to hear that my recipes have blessed your families. Iam so grateful for you, my friends. Read on to see which recipes were the reader favorites this year!

2015 Recap:

Baby Dwas bornand becameone of our official taste testers :).
We hadover 18,000,000 people visitour blog in 2015. What, say what?! (totally overwhelmed and so thankful)
NKis now on Snapchat (username: natashaskitchen) #uncensored! ha ha
You’ve made#natashaskitchen a popular hashtag on Instagram. Thank you!
New blog designto make your experience on our blog mow betta.
Our Cooking Channel is almost as popular as Rachel Ray. Sike! I kid, I kid (Does anyone say “sike”anymore?) But itisgetting exciting!

For 2016we’re planning:

More videos and we’re so excited about it!(subscribe here to be the first to see them)
More of what you’ve been asking for (slow cooka, chickn’, family-friendly, quick…).

On to the most popular recipes on Natasha’s Kitchen for 2015. Some of these are even the most popular on the internet (like the world!). Here’s a countdown of reader favorites (based on google analytics and yourreviews):

#20: Raspberry Pretzel Jello (5.0 out of 5 stars, 45 reviews)

Crazy thing is, I posted this one in 2011 (you can tell by the randomuse of a tulip as a prop in the background). It’s been a reader favorite ever since. An oldie but a goodie.

#19: California Rolls Recipe (5.0 out of 5 stars, 14 reviews)

I could eat my weight in these.

#18: Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (4.6 out of 5 stars, 10 reviews)

Silky smooth and surprisingly easy to make. And it pipes beautifully on cakes and cupcakes!

#17: Baked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes (4.8 out of 5 stars, 19 reviews)

Just 4 ingredients!Easy, delicious and family friendly.

#16: Roasted Pork Tenderloin (4.9 out of 5 stars, 11 reviews)

Pork tenderloin is an inexpensive cut of meat andwhen prepared correctly, it’s juicy and absolutely delicious! This is also one of our family’s favorite recipes. No lengthy prep or marinating required!

#15: Spaghetti with Shrimp in Creamy Tomato Sauce (4.9 out of 5 stars, 48 reviews)

The light cream sauce on this pasta tastes gourmet and best of all, it’seasy to make!

#14: Sweet and Sour Chicken (4.8 out of 5 stars, 35 reviews)

This one satisfies even the fiercest takeout cravings. Just take a gander at it!

#13: Classic Borscht (4.8 out of 5 stars, 56 reviews)

I was so happyto see this one on the list. I love Ukrainian and Russian food to the core. I grew up on this delicious stuff! This recipe is well loved by anyone who is familiar with borscht; Ukrainian or not! You know what else is awesome – my borscht with meat was a close second to this in popularity!

#12: Oven Roasted Baby Red Potatoes (4.9 out of 5 stars, 18 reviews)

These are so simple and flavorful. A must try!

#11: Baklava (4.9 out of 5 stars, 30 reviews)

This honey baklava is flaky, crisp and tender and I love that it isn’t overly sweet. It’s waybetter than any store-bought version and this recipe has so many wonderful reviews fromreaders!

#10: Spinach and Artichoke Dip (5.0 out of 5 stars, 20 reviews)

Instructions: Add everything to the pot, heat and stir. #easy. My co-worker shared this with me when I was working as a nurse. This was also the very first recipe video I’ve ever filmed. I want to crawl under the table every time I watch it but it does make me laugh.

#9: Perfect Chocolate Ganache (4.8 out of 5 stars, 30 reviews)

Silky silky silky smooth and only 2 ingredients! That’s my kind of recipe! This ganache is perfect for pouring over a cake.

#8: Creamy Chicken and Rice (4.8 out of 5 stars, 113 reviews)

Three words: One-Pot-Meal! The flavors of this recipe are mmmmwaaa!

#7: Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes (4.6 out of 5 stars, 169 reviews)

Our go-to cupcake recipe, and apparently it’s the same for many of you! Be sure to make it with this cupcake frosting.

#6: Oven Baked Potato Wedges (4.9 out of 5 stars, 41 reviews)

I know you want to dunk one of those in dat der ketchup. Oh look I just helped you figure out what you’re making for the superbowl. You’re welcome ;).

#5: Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta (4.8 out of 5 stars, 64 reviews)

This one’s done in under 30 minutes. I get a little weak in the knees when I seea mountain of pasta in a creamy sauce studded with shrimp. Mmm.

#4: Chicken and Mushroom Casserole (4.8 out of 5 stars, 72 reviews)

How am I not surprised?! This casserole is seriously delicious. Lots of swooning, marriage proposals (seriously!) and happy kids over this recipe. A favorite for parties/potlucks/family dinners.

#3: Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon (4.9 out 5 stars, 129 reviews)

We can’t get enough of this salmon. It’s been in the top 3 for the second year in a row! Rave reviews; always.

#2: (4.9 out of 5 stars, 60 reviews)

So easy and delicious.You’ll feel good about servingthis to your family instead of takeout because it’sloaded with broccoliand made with real chicken breast.

#1: Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad(4.9 out of 5 stars, 47 reviews)

This salad is what we call a home run. I love everything about it. It’s simple to make. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers. it tastes just as good the next day!

Q:What are some of your favorites this year?

FAQs

Because when you read a recipe, you get a better idea of what the final product should look like and how it should taste. A good recipe can make your food delicious—but if you don't read it all the way through before starting to cook, you might miss some crucial information.

Read the recipe before you start.

“Read the recipe a few times before you make it,” she says, “and make sure it is something you are comfortable doing.” Then, lay out every ingredient you'll need before you begin to cook.

The White House executive chef made between $80,000 and $100,000 annually in 2005 ($110,997 to $138,746 in 2021 dollars).

After earning a vocational diploma in hotel management from North Oxon Technical College in 1987, he moved to London and began honing his culinary skills under chef Marco Pierre White at the restaurant Harvey's and under chef Albert Roux at La Gavroche.

The standard format begins with a list of ingredients listed in the order of use. Following that, the instructions are listed step by step.

Reading the entire recipe before cooking allows you to familiarize yourself with the dish. That way, you'll feel more confident when making it. If you merely skim the recipe without reading the instructions carefully, you may overlook one or more crucial steps. Take as much time as you need to look over the directions.

The other great reason to read a recipe before you start cooking is to make sure it makes sense. A good recipe should be methodical and approach the dish with steps in order. Most recipes list ingredients in the same order they are used in the instructions.

Please, read carefully before you do anything — even before you've decided to actually make the thing! Read the recipe all the way to the end. Ideally, you'll read it multiple times. The effort is well spent.

First, reading your recipe will give you a heads up on the tasks at hand and a chance to make sure you have the necessary ingredients and equipment on hand. (How can you get your mise en place in order without reading your recipe first?)