These are some of my favorite recipes from 2014, and the ones that I make the most often for my family.Â
So I know it’s January and everybody’s all like “Oh let’s be super healthy and eat salad all day on the treadmill” and I’m over here hiding ice cream in a paper bag in the freezer so my kids can’t see what I’m stealing bites of. I’m pathetic.
Eating healthy should definitely be somewhere on my goal list this year, but if I’m being honest it’s not at the top. My main resolution is learning about generosity. It’s something I’ve been thinking about lately. I want to be more generous with my time, with my kids, with my money, with my thoughts, with my service. I want to give people the benefit of the doubt. One of my favorite quotes is from Camilla Kimball, “Never suppress a generous thought.”
So what about you guys? What are you working on? Probably “cook more” is at the top of your list, right? :)
I really do have some healthy recipes coming up for you guys this week, but until then I wanted to share our top 10 personal favorites from 2014. Â These are the recipes that I have found myself making again and again this year. Here they are in no particular order (click the link or the photo to get to the recipe):
Easy Cheddar Cauliflower Soup:
I make this soup all the time, it truly is one of my most-made recipes I think. I almost always have everything on hand to make it except the cauliflower, so sometimes I throw one in the cart at the store just so that I have an easy dinner up my sleeve. This soup takes 45 minutes, tops.
I pretty much always have a jar of marshmallow cream stashed in my cupboard these days just in case these start calling my name. They are a go-to around here.
Easy Caramelized Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella:
The gnocchi is fried in butter until brown and crisped. I know basil is out of season, but I would totally pay the $3 for a bit of summer fresh basil right now. Also, anything served with little nuggets of fresh mozzarella has got to be a good choice.
No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Caramelized Peaches:
I really don’t feel like I need to explain this one. Summer peaches can’t come soon enough.
Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs:
This is the lovechild of two of my favorite things: comforting meatballs with spicy Indian sauce. You can use ground chicken or ground turkey.
Coconut Frosted Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Hearts:
My favorite sugar cookies. I’m not a huge fan of cut-out sugar cookies. They taste like cardboard most of the time. But these are soft and supple and are smothered in coconut cream cheese frosting. Plus, strawberry hearts, how cute is that?
Who needs gravy when you have brown butter? Really though.
No-Bake Cheesecake Parfait Bar
I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this since I posted it. It’s become a regular for entertaining. Easy, make-ahead, self-serve. Boom.
Throw some cheap meat in the slow cooker for a few hours and smother it with mangos and peanut sauce. And some greens. I guess. Soooo good.
Nutella Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies:
I know, I know, I won’t shut up about these cookies. Well guys there’s a reason.
Here’s the Top 5 Recipes on The Food Charlatan in 2014 according to traffic.
A few more top recipe posts:
10 Most Popular Gluten-Free Recipes of 2014 from My Gluten Free Kitchen
Top 25 Recipes of 2014 from The Reluctant Entertainer
The Best of 2014 from TidyMom
Don’t feel bad about your hidden ice cream, I’ve got two bags of Cherry Cordial Hershey Kisses stashed in the pantry that I sneak from hourly. It’s all about survival.
I freaking love those cherry ones.
NEVER EVER shut up about those cookies! MMMMmmmm.
Happy New Year! I can see why these are your faves- each and every one looks amazing! Your Peanut Butter S’mores Bars look insanely good!!!
You totally forgot about the Honey Salmon with Browned Butter Lime Sauce. Just so you know. . . THAT is my favorite. Maybe it wasn’t 2014? But it should be. On your top every year list. Just saying. . . .
I need that soup! And the s’mores bars, obvi!!
Oh my goodness! You have the most amazing recipes! How can I get anything else done when there are sooo many tasty recipes to Pin from your blog?
Haha, thank you Stephanie! Food blogs are hard to leave sometimes, right? At least they are for me! Allll day long. :)
I feel you–I started the New Year with chocolate cupcakes instead of something healthy. Anyway, your idea to focus on generosity is such a beautiful idea! It can be so easy to get wrapped up in our own lives that we forget to take a step back. Thanks for sharing, both that and these awesome looking recipes!
Focusing on generosity is a great resolution! I don’t diet or drastically change my diet in the new year, but rather focus on eating in moderation all year. Then I can enjoy all of these delicious treats in this post. Those cookies with the hearts are too cute!
Love the moderation idea Ashley! It really is the best way to go :)
What a fantastic resolution! Mine is to stop being wasteful! I love that cauliflower soup, the cold has finally set in here and I am always looking for good comfort soups!
Great idea Annie! I’ve been thinking about the waste thing lately since CA is in such a terrible drought.
Oh geez. Brown butter potatoes? PB s’mores bars! That gnocchi?! I am totally in love.
Thanks Victoria! I don’t think i’ll ever make potatoes without browning the butter again :)
All of these look so good, Karen! I can’t believe I haven’t made any of these yet! Those browned butter mashed potatoes look utterly dreamy. And so does the cheesecake.
Thanks Claire! It was really hard to pick favorites, but these really are the ones we make most often. Scary how many of them are desserts…
Love ALL of these incredible creations, but I think those S’mores bars top the list. I go nuts for s’more anything. And I’d totally be hiding in the freezer with my ice cream stash if my kids didn’t nap and go to bed early — that’s definitely when I’m sneaking my treats!
Glad I’m not the only one getting my fix in!! Although if I’m being honest, my kids go to bed pretty early too…yikes!
These all look so tasty, I can see why they are your families favorites from the year. I think I want to try the gnocchi or the cauliflower soup asap!
Good choices Aimee! I am totally craving that gnocchi. Where is my huge basil plant from last summer??
Yum! Everything looks delicious, Karen. And I love your resolution because it’s focused outward and not necessarily inward. You are one cool cat. XO!
Thanks Liz! That’s an interesting point, I guess I hadn’t thought about that. Now I’m off to revise the other things on my list to see if they are in or out! Happy New Year!!
The cauliflower soup looks so yummy! It must do because it’s so hot here in Aus and I’m thinking about cooking it – I normally leave soup for the cooler months! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Stephanie! I’m with you, sometimes I totally crave soup in the summer. Especially this one! Hope you love it as much as I do!