Chowdown

Beef Taco Loaded Potatoes

Talk about the best of both worlds: these spuds are one part loaded potato and one part taco fillings, which adds up to a food mashup that’s as genius as it is tasty. The most brilliant part of it might be where our chefs decided to skip the lengthy roasting usually used to make potatoes tender. Instead, they decided to zap them in the microwave to produce the same results in minutes. When the taters are filled with spiced ground beef, peppers, sour cream, and cheese, it’s pretty clear that this combo was truly meant to be.

Boursin Pasta

Breakfast Bell Peppers

Simple stuffed bell peppers with breakfast staples: eggs, bacon, and cheese. Serve with potatoes, salsa and sour cream.

Caesar Dressing

This dressing will keep, refrigerated, for up to 7 days.

Carbone Spicy Rigatoni

I’m cancelling my reservation at Carbone because I figured out how to make the spicy rigatoni pasta at home. All ingredients available at Whole Foods. Pasta is Organic Pipe Rigate.

Cauliflower Pancetta Mac & Cheese

Everyone has their own favorite spin on the classic mac and cheese, but prepare to make room on your roster for this one. When it comes to cooking, a little pancetta makes everything better. Reduced-fat milk and cauliflower make this comfort food winner just a bit more virtuous.

Ceviche Tostadas

Cheesy Beef Tostadas

We love a good ground-beef taco, but you don’t need us to tell you how to make one—there are kits for that. Instead, we’re here to show you how to take Tex-Mex night to the next level. So enter the tostada, featuring a flat tortilla baked until crisp, with lots of surface area for piling it on. Thankfully, there are plenty of toppings in this recipe, and not just warmly spiced ground beef—there’s also green pepper, tomato salsa, and a spicy sour cream.

Chicken Cheddar Fajitas

Fajitas are like a good friend—the one who never seems to change or age. Their combination of seared strips of meat, lightly charred veggies, and Tex-Mex-style toppings inside a soft tortilla is as reliable as can be; they’ll always be there for you when you don’t know what to do (about dinner, that is). Our chicken version is just as familiar and comforting as you expect, although we couldn’t help throwing in some pickled jalapeños to keep things interesting.