Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Welcome to grilled cheese 101! Read on to learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich with a crisp, golden exterior and melty center every time.

If you’re wondering how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, Jack’s your guy. He makes one so often that we have a dedicated grilled cheese pan in our kitchen. It’s seen a million grilled cheese experiments in its day–mayo on the bread, or softened butter? American cheese or Swiss?–all of which have helped him work out what, in our opinion, is THE BEST grilled cheese recipe. It’s incredibly simple, but it yields an undeniably crave-able sandwich. This grilled cheese is crisp and golden on the outside and deliciously melty in the middle (see that cheese pull up there?!). Tomato soup…

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How to Fry An Egg

Learn how to fry an egg! This step-by-step guide will teach you how to cook a fried egg with crispy edges, firm whites, and yolks however you like them.

Cooking a perfect fried egg is easy…but it’s also easy to mess up. A fried egg might stick to the pan, it might come out closer to over-hard than over-easy, or–worst of all–its yolk might break as you attempt to flip it. I’ve made ALL these mistakes over the years. While they were disappointing in the moment, they paid off in the long run. Each one taught me a valuable lesson about how to fry an egg, and over time, I’ve worked out a foolproof fried egg recipe, which I’m sharing below. Follow it to make a quick and easy…

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Savory Oatmeal

This savory oatmeal recipe is just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner or lunch. Eggs, avocado, and garlicky greens top creamy steel-cut oats.

If you’re used to topping your morning oats with nut butter and fresh fruit, the concept of savory oatmeal might sound strange. But give it a chance, and I think you’ll be surprised. Oats (which, after all, are a whole grain like farro, brown rice, wheat berries, or any other) pair perfectly with savory fixings like avocado, sautéed greens, and soft boiled eggs. These hearty toppings make this savory oatmeal recipe a satisfying and nutritious breakfast, and they also carry oats beyond the breakfast zone, transforming them into a delicious option for a quick dinner or lunch. So even if…

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Sautéed Spinach

My go-to sautéed spinach recipe! Silky, garlicky, and bright with lemon, it's a delicious side dish or addition to pastas, eggs, grain bowls, and more.

When you do sautéed spinach right, it tastes so good that you want to eat it straight out of the skillet. The leaves are tender, silky, and bright with lemon, and they have a savory, garlicky bite. It makes a great standalone veggie side dish (and you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s quicker or easier!), but it can go into a frittata, a grain bowl, pasta, or a sandwich too. In short, if you haven’t already mastered the art of perfect sautéed spinach, now’s the time. This sautéed spinach recipe is simple, versatile, and flavorful. Learn how to…

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Sushi Bowl

This sushi bowl recipe is the easiest way to satisfy a sushi craving at home! Flavorful fixings like sliced avocado, nori, and spicy mayo top seasoned rice.

When I feel like eating sushi but I don’t feel like making sushi, I make this sushi bowl recipe instead. It’s easy to put together (no rolling required!), but it still captures all the tastes and textures I crave in a good veggie sushi roll. Creamy avocado plays off sticky seasoned rice, which in turn contrasts with crisp, cooling cucumbers and crackly nori. I add ripe mango for a hit of sweetness, baked tofu for protein, and big drizzles of spicy mayo for richness and heat. I like to prep the components ahead of time and enjoy this sushi bowl for…

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Spicy Mayo

You need this spicy mayo recipe in your life! Creamy and tangy, with a delicious kick, this simple condiment livens up sushi, tacos, and more.

It would be hard to overstate how much I love spicy mayo. Maybe you can relate? It’s creamy, it’s zingy, it’s full of fiery spice. How could you not want to eat it on sushi, let alone tacos, veggie burgers, or a side of French fries? Like many people, I first started eating spicy mayo at restaurants, but for years now, I’ve been making my own at home. It’s just too good to save for when you’re out to eat, and it also happens to be super easy to make! My recipe calls for four basic ingredients, ones you likely have…

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Green Smoothie

My favorite green smoothie recipe! This healthy, delicious drink is easy to make in the blender, and it's packed with leafy greens and fresh fruit.

New year, new green smoothie recipe! Ok, well actually, this recipe is not new new, but it’s new to the blog. Behind the scenes, it’s my favorite green smoothie recipe, the one that I make whenever I want to pack a bunch of fruits and vegetables into a single meal and have them taste like dessert. It’s thick and frosty, lightly sweet, and brimming with fresh produce like citrus, spinach, and banana. If you’re looking for a new healthy breakfast or snack to add to your rotation, I can’t recommend it enough. Green Smoothie Recipe Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to…

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Coffee Cake

This coffee cake recipe is a delicious treat for breakfast or brunch. It's moist and tender, with a cinnamon swirl in the middle and buttery crumble on top.

This coffee cake recipe is based on my grandmother’s. Her classic coffee cake was one of my favorite treats when I was growing up. It was moist, tender, rich, and buttery, and it had a delicious swirl of brown sugar and cinnamon through the middle. I didn’t pair it with a cup of coffee back then, but after enjoying many slices of this version with both coffee and tea, I can attest that it’ll be a perfect companion for your hot beverage of choice. In testing this cinnamon coffee cake, I only made a few small changes to my grandmother’s…

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Kale Caesar Salad

This kale Caesar salad features tender greens, garlic croutons, and a creamy homemade dressing. Serve it as a flavor-packed side or a meal all on its own.

If you think a traditional Caesar salad is good, wait until you try this kale Caesar salad! It features everything you love about a classic Caesar. It has crisp romaine, garlicky croutons, a creamy, savory dressing, and Parmesan cheese, but I throw leafy green kale into the mix too. The dark, curly leaves make the salad feel lush and abundant. Plus, once they’re massaged with olive oil and a little salt, they take on a tender texture that contrasts beautifully with the crunchy lettuce. This kale Caesar salad recipe would be a perfect side dish for any meal this season…

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Vegan Caesar Dressing

This 5-minute vegan Caesar dressing is just as good as the classic kind! Cashews make it creamy, and capers add delicious tangy, briny flavor.

You don’t need raw eggs, anchovies, or even Parmesan cheese to make a great Caesar dressing, and this vegan Caesar dressing recipe is here to prove it! I love this recipe because it delivers all the creamy, tangy, briny qualities you crave in a classic Caesar dressing, but it’s super simple to make at home. Grab the short list of ingredients and toss them in a blender, and this delicious dressing will be ready in under 5 minutes. Vegan Caesar Dressing Recipe Ingredients To make this vegan Caesar dressing recipe, you’ll need these simple ingredients: Raw cashews – They create…

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Snickerdoodle Cookies

The BEST snickerdoodle recipe! These easy cookies are crisp around the edges, chewy in the middle, and filled with sweet cinnamon flavor.

I’m kicking off cookie season with a new snickerdoodle recipe! It yields snickerdoodles just the way I like them. These classic cookies are crisp around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. They’re lightly sweet and warmly spiced with cinnamon, and they have a subtle tangy flavor that I find completely irresistible. Taste aside, I also love this snickerdoodle recipe because it’s so simple to make. You can mix up the dough, bake the cookies, and have them ready to eat in under 30 minutes, no chilling required! It’s a great recipe to make throughout the holiday season…

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A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.