Customize by adding protein or greens

This baked gnocchi recipe is a delicious vegetarian main dish or side dish as is. To add even more protein, you can also add 1 pound cooked ground sausage, beef or chicken to the pan with the gnocchi and bake for added protein.

Another idea is adding greens: add a few handfuls of baby or chopped spinach to the marinara sauce and allow it to wilt before adding the gnocchi and baking.

Use any skillet, like non-stick or cast iron

You can use any type of skillet to make these fried potatoes! It’s easier to use a non-stick skillet, though of course a cast-iron skillet feels more sturdy and rustic. If you’re using cast iron or aluminum, make sure that potatoes are fully browned before you flip them. When they brown, they release better from the pan.

Bake in the oven until crispy

Here’s another nice thing about these seasoned fries: they’re baked, not fried! That makes them a healthy seasoned fries option (more on that, below). You’ll cook at high temperature (425 degrees) to get just the right golden exterior. There are only a few tricks to getting them perfectly crisp. Here’s what to know:

• Space out the oven racks. Make sure your oven racks are evenly spaced for the most even cooking. You’ll also want to reverse the trays in the oven after you pull them out to flip.
• Spread the fries in an even layer. Having air between each fry is very important to getting them crispy. If you overcrowd the tray, you’ll get soggy fries.
• Bake 20 minutes, then flip and bake 10 minutes. Flip each fry individually to make sure it crisps up on both sides. This bake time is perfect for the 3/8-inch cut fry, but you may need to adjust based on how even you cut them and your specific oven.

The best way to chop broccoli

One final tip for boiled broccoli: a nice way to cut it is to keep the stems as long as possible, which makes for the best look on the plate. If you cut the stems short and stubby, you’ll end up with tiny florets that make a mess on the plate and look less than appetizing. Here’s how to chop broccoli so it looks the best:

• Keep the stems as long as possible. When you chop the floret, cut it at the base of where the floret attaches to the main stem. This makes for the best shape.
• Make the florets medium sized, as similar in size as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but keeping the florets similar sized helps them to cook at the same rate.

Ways to season boiled broccoli

The key to great-tasting boiled broccoli: the seasonings! First and foremost, make sure to salt it perfectly to taste, using the recipe below as a guide. If you’re looking for some adders, here are some tasty ways to take it over the top:

• Feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles
• Shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
• A shake or two of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds
• Slivered toasted almonds or toasted pine nuts
• Grated garlic or fresh ginger
• Panko and dried herbs

More broccoli recipes

Aside from our basic broccoli recipes, we’ve got lots of other great ways to cook it! Here are some favorites:

• This broccoli potato soup is creamy, satisfying, and 100% plant based!
• Broccoli and cheese is the best fast and easy side dish! A fan favorite.
• This shrimp and broccoli comes together in minutes for a fast and easy healthy dinner.
• A broccoli stir fry makes this green vegetable taste irresistible!
• Here’s how to steam broccoli in microwave: it tastes just as good as stovetop!

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Broccoli Stir Fry

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Quick Broccoli and Cheese

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Roasted Broccoli

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20 Tasty Broccoli Recipes

More corn recipes

There are so many fun ways to enjoy corn in the summer! Here are a few more of our favorite corn recipes to enjoy:

• Learn how to grill corn, or make zingy and creamy elote.
• Make oven roasted corn on the cob instead.
• Go for corn fritters, corn salsa or creamed corn.
• Boil up corn Soup, corn chowder or chicken corn chowder.

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Easy Corn Fritters

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Corn Salsa

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Creamed Corn

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21 Tasty Corn Recipes

Ingredients in this romaine salad

No matter how many salad recipes we make, we’re always on the lookout for those easy, go-to recipes that are versatile enough to pair with loads of meals. This romaine lettuce salad is that: a quick 5 minute dressing and a handful of components make salad magic. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Romaine lettuce hearts, or a mix of the hearts and dark green leaves
• Radishes
• Shallot
• Green Goddess Dressing
• Italian panko
• Parmesan shavings

For the dressing: a lighter Green Goddess

This Green Goddess dressing is a revelation: once you try it, it will become one of those go-to recipes you keep in your back pocket. This deliciously creamy dressing features loads of fresh herbs and optional anchovies for savory notes (just like a good Caesar dressing). Here are a few things that stand out about this dressing:

• Uses Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Classic Green Goddess dressing is made with sour cream, but this one uses Greek yogurt as a great stand in! It has less calories than the standard, making it a solid healthy dressing for your repertoire. It also brings in extra tangy notes.
• It takes just 5 minutes! Throw it all in a blender and whiz it up. It’s quick and easy for big flavor that’s loads better than store-bought.

Italian Panko stands in for croutons

The best innovation for replacing croutons? Breadcrumbs on a salad! Lately we’ve been topping all our salads with a sprinkle of panko. It brings a crunchy texture that spreads out into every bite, and it’s so easy (and very shelf stable). Here are some notes on panko and Italian panko:

• Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb mixture that is airier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs. It has a crunchy texture which is more satisfying on salads (breadcrumbs are much finer with almost a sand-like texture).
• “Italian” means herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or panko easily at your local grocery store.
• Only have plain panko? Mix ½ cup panko with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).

More salad recipes

This romaine salad is one of our top salad recipes to pair with meals because it’s so versatile! Here are a few more favorites:

• Try our fan favorite chopped salad or arugula salad.
• Go for grain salads like quinoa salad or farro salad.
• Grab deliciously easy Green Goddess salad, butter lettuce salad with parmesan peppercorn dressing.
• Go for elegant endive salad, frisee salad or watercress salad.
• Opt for vegetable salad, pear salad, sweet potato salad or avocado salad.

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Favorite Chopped Salad

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Endive Salad with Parmesan & Orange

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Frisee Salad

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Easy Arugula Salad

How to make roasted yellow squash

Yellow squash roasts up in just 20 minutes in a hot oven! It’s very easy to do, and you likely don’t even need a recipe. Here’s the outline of the steps, or you can jump right to the recipe below:

• Slice into ¼ inch-thick slices. This width is just right for tender bites of yellow squash. It takes longer to roast if you cut it thicker…and it’s not as tasty.
• Roast about 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit: just until tender! You don’t want to overcook summer squash, or it tastes limp and stringy.
• Add the Parmesan cheese at the 8 minute mark: and rotate the trays! This makes so that it doesn’t burn or become too browned in the oven. Rotating the trays is helpful for even browning.

More seasoning variations

You can make all sorts of variations on roasted summer squash by varying the seasonings you use. Here are a few ideas to use instead of the seasoning blend in this recipe (and use a hair less kosher salt):

• Greek seasoning: Use 1 tablespoon Greek Seasoning for even more Mediterranean flair
• Cajun seasoning: Opt 2 teaspoons for Cajun Seasoning (spicy) or Blackened Seasoning (medium)
• Ranch seasoning: Try 1 tablespoon Ranch Seasoning to add intrigue
• Old Bay seasoning: Add 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning for a zesty addition
• Taco seasoning: Add 1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning or Fajita Seasoning for a Mexican-style vibe

More yellow squash recipes

Ready to make more than just roasted summer squash? Here are a few more of our favorite yellow squash recipes:

• Bake up cozy Squash and Zucchini Casserole
• Throw it on the grill for Grilled Yellow Squash or Grilled Squash & Zucchini
• Add zucchini to make Roasted Yellow Squash & Zucchini

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Squash and Zucchini Casserole

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Grilled Zucchini and Squash

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Roasted Zucchini and Squash

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15 Tasty Yellow Squash Recipes

Ingredients in butter lettuce salad

Butter lettuce is a variety of green lettuce that also includes Bibb lettuce and Boston lettuce. It has a soft, delicate texture and a mild flavor, ideal for simple salads. It’s often sold as a small head with the roots still attached to keep it from wilting. You can often find this type of lettuce at farmers markets, especially in the spring when tender greens are in season. Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a quick salad with this tasty lettuce:

• Butter lettuce (like Bibb or Boston)
• Shallot
• Cherry tomatoes or radishes
• Fresh chives
• Italian panko
• Parmesan Dressing (see below)
• Parmesan shavings, for garnish (optional)

For the creamy Parmesan dressing

This Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing is ideal for a butter lettuce salad: it’s just light enough in texture to coat the delicate leaves but doesn’t overwhelm them. It also has the most irresistible, creamy flavor that you’ll want to bathe in (sorry not sorry!). Here are a few things to note about the dressing:

• The dressing is like a simpler form of Caesar dressing. Lose the anchovies and swap in red wine vinegar for lemon, and you’ve got this dressing! It’s one of our favorite salad dressings to date.
• It Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to make it creamy. Using Greek yogurt makes for less calories than a standard creamy dressing, but still keeps the rich, smooth texture. It’s a solid healthy dressing for your repertoire!

Use breadcrumbs instead of croutons

Ever tried breadcrumbs on a salad? As an alternative to croutons, we’ve topping salads with a sprinkle of panko. It brings a crunchy texture that spreads out into every bite, and it’s so simple (not to mention shelf stable). Here are some notes on panko and Italian panko to use in this butter lettuce salad:

• Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb mixture that is airier and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs. It has a crunchy texture which is more satisfying on salads (breadcrumbs are much finer with almost a sand-like texture).
• “Italian” means herbs and salt are added. You should be able to find Italian panko or panko easily at your local grocery store.
• Only have plain panko? Mix ½ cup panko with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon each dried basil and thyme).

More ways to cook a sweet potato

Got more time? Or want to cook more than 2 sweet potatoes at once? There are a few other great ways to cook a sweet potato to try, listed in order of timing:

• Boiled Sweet Potatoes (20 minutes)
• Steamed Whole Sweet Potatoes (30 minutes)
• Quick Baked Sweet Potato (35 minutes)
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes (35 minutes)
• Sweet Potato Wedges (40 minutes)
• Baked Whole Sweet Potato (1 hour)

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Steamed Sweet Potatoes

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Baked Sweet Potato

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Easy Sweet Potato Wedges

Flavor makers in this Brussels sprout casserole

This Brussels sprout casserole has three basic elements that make its magic: sauteed Brussels sprouts with shallots and garlic, a white cheddar cheese sauce, and a crunchy breadcrumb topping. It’s a great side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive fall or winter meal. It also works as a vegetarian main dish, similar to mac and cheese. Here’s what you need:

• Brussels sprouts, shallots and garlic make the powerhouse vegetable flavor.
• Butter, flour, and milk create a creamy roux to thicken the sauce.
• Onion powder and garlic powder add savory seasonings.
• White cheddar cheese brings a sharp, savory flavor.
• Pecorino Romano cheese is the key: it’s an aged cheese that’s like a saltier version of Parmesan. If desired, you can substitute Parmesan cheese and another pinch of salt. but Pecorino brings a unique flavor.
• Panko bread crumbs add a crunchy topping.

Tips for the white cheddar cheese sauce

This Brussels sprout casserole features a white cheddar cheese sauce that’s made like a traditional mac and cheese sauce using a roux. A roux (pronounced “roo“) is a way to thicken sauces by cooking equal parts flour and butter. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making the sauce:

• Measure out your ingredients first (mise en place). The cooking process goes fast, so you don’t want to be distracted by measuring. The French way to say this is mise en place, which “means everything in its place”.
• Don’t leave the stove, and watch closely. The flour and butter can burn easily! Stand by the stove and start adding milk right when the flour turns golden brown.
• Add the milk gradually. Pour in the milk and constantly whisk, adding it little by little, until it forms a smooth sauce. Then add the cheese and stir until it melts.

A few more Brussels sprouts recipes

This cruciferous vegetable is one of our top favorite vegetables to cook. Here are a few Brussels sprouts recipes to enjoy them:

• Make delicious crispy brussels sprouts or balsamic brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze
• Try a feathery and delicious Brussels sprout salad paired with cranberries and almonds.
• Make fan favorite smashed Brussels sprouts.
• Opt for fried Brussels sprouts or add some heat with spicy Brussels sprouts.

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Crispy Brussels Sprouts

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Brussels Sprout Salad

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Smashed Brussels Sprouts

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Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Tips for making roasted beets and carrots

Of course, you don’t have to take the “fancy” serving suggestions: these roasted beets and carrots are just as good on their own! The serving suggestions make it like a restaurant-style dish. (For kids, you might want to deconstruct a little bit based on their tastes!) Here are a few things to keep in mind for this recipe:

• Use thin carrots if possible. We were able to find long thin carrots for this recipe, which is a nice size contrast to the beets. If you can’t find them, simply slice your carrots into thinner pieces.
• Consider rainbow carrots or golden beets. The more colors the merrier, so feel free to mix it up color-wise. Farmers markets often have even more varieties of these root vegetables, like candy stripe beets (Chioggia beets).
• Plate just before serving. The color of the beets can bleed easily, so plate this dish immediately before serving. If you like, add a drizzle of honey to bring out the sweet flavors!

This recipe works well as a side dish for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It also could be a weeknight meal if you serve it with a protein and grain, like seared chicken or chickpeas and cooked farro.

Ways to serve mango salad

Mango salad is so versatile and works with many styles and types of dishes! Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning:

• It’s ideal with seafood. Try it with grilled salmon, grilled marinated salmon, pan fried cod, sauteed shrimp, grilled shrimp skewers, grilled shrimp or pan seared scallops.
• Add to bowl meals. Try it in a power bowls, rice bowls, shrimp bowls, burrito bowls or a salmon bowl.
• Serve with tacos. Serve with salmon tacos, mushroom tacos, vegan tacos, black bean tacos, fish tacos or shrimp tacos.
• Serve at a picnic or potluck. Or, make a summer salad meal and pair it with quinoa salad, three bean salad and elote salad.

More mango recipes

Craving more recipes with this sweet fruit? Here are a few more to try:

• Try zingy Easy Mango Salsa
• Opt for a Mango Quinoa Bowl
• Blend up a frosty Mango Smoothie or Easy Mango Sorbet
• Make a pot of Mango Black Bean Chili
• Fire up the grill for Grilled Teriyaki Mango Skewers

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Easy Mango Salsa

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Mango Smoothie

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Grilled Teriyaki Mango Skewers

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Easy Mango Sorbet

How to make sauteed broccolini: some tips

Sauteed broccolini is quick and simple: the cooking goes fast! Once you’ve tried it once, you won’t need to follow a recipe. But for the first time, here are some tips for cooking and seasoning it to perfection:

• Chop off the tough lower portions of the stems. Slice any very large florets in half lengthwise, which makes them easier to eat.
• Sauté the broccolini 3 to 4 minutes in olive oil. Stir occasionally and cook until just starting to brown at the edges. At this point, the pan will be starting to get dry.
• Add a bit of water, salt and garlic powder and cook 2 to 3 minutes. This last part of cooking gently steams the broccolini (it’s a technique we use for broccoli as well). It cooks it the rest of the way so that it’s bright green and tender.
• Add any remaining seasonings. We like to add lemon juice at the end for a little brightness, but it’s not required!

Ways to serve sauteed broccolini

Sautéed broccolini is the ideal quick side dish for fast meals! We love to pair it with easy main dishes to make for a quick weeknight meals. But of course it’s also great for entertaining because it comes together so easily. It’s especially nice to pair with main dishes you make in the oven, since the stovetop is free. Here’s how we’d pair it:

• Pasta like asparagus pasta, lemon ricotta pasta, truffle mac and cheese or shrimp fra diavolo.
• Seafood like tuna steak, baked tilapia, or shrimp scampi.
• Veggie mains like BBQ tofu or tofu crumbles.

More broccolini recipes

Love broccolini? This unique vegetable is ideal for cooking in many different ways! Try simple roasted broccolini, fire up the grill for grilled broccolini, or go raw with a broccolini salad.

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Simple Roasted Broccolini

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Grilled Broccolini

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Broccolini Salad

Top salad bar ideas

The key to making a salad bar into a filling meal is to offer good protein options. If you’re making a vegetarian or vegan salad bar, use ingredients with plant based protein like beans, legumes, and nuts. Here are our top salad bar ideas for building your own at home (or jump to the recipe):

1. Greens: Romaine lettuce, spinach, and mixed baby greens.
2. Hard boiled eggs: With 6 grams of protein each, eggs are also one of the most nutrient-filled vegetarian protein sources around.
3. Chicken: Make a recipe of pan seared chicken and slice it into strips of cubes.
4. Cheese: Cheese is a great vegetarian protein: try shredded cheese, cheese cubes, or cottage cheese.
5. Legumes: Try green peas, cooked lentils (like brown lentils or French lentils), black-eyed peas, and beans, like chickpeas, black beans, lima beans, white beans, or kidney beans.
6. Whole grains: Try cooked quinoa, barley, farro, bulgur wheat, brown rice, or wild rice.
7. Nuts and seeds: Try almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
8. Raw veggies: Chop raw vegetables for toppings like carrots, broccoli, green onions, cauliflower, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers.
9. Bacon bits or ham: Bacon bits and cubed ham are classic (for vegan, use coconut bacon).
10. Salad dressing: Try our list of top homemade salad dressing recipes.
11. Croutons: Top it all off with crunchy homemade croutons.

Salad dressings for a salad bar

Another key to salad bar dinner is a good salad dressing! We have a whole collection of delicious homemade salad dressings that are perfect for salad bar ideas. Often, we like leaning into classic salad bar nostalgia with ideas like Thousand Island and Blue Cheese! Here are some of our favorite salad dressing recipes to use on salad bar night:

• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Homemade Ranch Dressing (or Vegan Ranch)
• Caesar Dressing
• Blue Cheese Dressing
• Italian Dressing
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing

Balsamic VinaigretteRanch DressingCaesar DressingThousand Island DressingItalian DressingBlue Cheese Dressing