It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
July 24
Must-make chicken stir-fry
Another person writing about how good Shilpa Uskokovic’s Basil Chicken Stir-Fry is? Groundbreaking. But in all seriousness: I cannot stress enough how great this recipe is. It’s a staff favorite for good reason. It’s lightning fast, has a slim ingredient list, and packs a ton of flavor in a fussless, healthy-ish package. I usually serve it over rice, but have perched it atop chilled noodles and quinoa as well. I’ll continue to make it all summer as big bushels of basil are available at the market. It’s the kind of weeknight dinner that I look forward to making, even on the most hurried nights. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior Test Kitchen editor
Refreshing watermelon salad
Even before the recipe published, our staff became borderline obsessed with Jesse Szewczyk’s Watermelon Som Tam. So when I spied a honking melon at the supermarket the other day, I simply had no choice. Jesse has you combine ingredients—lime halves, brown sugar, sliced chiles—in a zip-top bag and whack them with a rolling pin, a step that made my baby laugh to no end. For full effect, I had to say “boom!” every time I hit the bag (something you could also try, or not!). After marinating in the fridge while we got the rest of dinner ready, the salad was so refreshing: citrusy, fish-saucy, a little spicy. (I couldn’t find a serrano and a jalapeño worked just fine.) We had it with grilled chicken and corn for a sunny Sunday spread. —Emma Laperruque, cooking director
Lime juice, fish sauce, peanuts, and plenty of herbs.
PB&J oatmeal
I’m typically a savory girl when it comes to breakfast. Lately however, I’ve been craving a sweet treat to start my day, specifically a PB&J. I had run out of bread and checked the pantry to find an unopened bag of old-fashioned oats. I immediately knew I needed to make Zaynab Issa’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal. I opted to use PB2’s original peanut butter powder instead of my usual Skippy’s, and added some homemade strawberry jam to top it off. Nostalgic and fast as can be. —Abi Lieff, assistant to the editor in chief
Use brown sugar to mimic the sweetness of soft white sandwich bread.
Grilling meal prep
After a week of 90-something temperatures and scattered thunderstorms, we had two short days of beautiful, low-humidity, and sunny weather. Perfect for grilling. My goal on Sunday nights is always to make enough for lunch at work the next day, so I paired a big, thick New York strip with Force of Nature beef sausages (I’d call it an elevated take on a pack of hot dogs), purple sweet potatoes, and lots of veggies. The best part of a grilled meal is how little prep and seasoning you have to do: salt, pepper, and oil on it all, followed by a punchy sauce of your choice (I can confidently recommend a chimichurri) to bring it all together. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
This colorful chimichurri recipe doubles as a marinade and works as an accompaniment to all cuts of beef—or anything else you want to gussy up.
Raspberry–brown butter cake
I take our annual Farmers Market Challenge seriously, determined to make each dish at least once before Labor Day. I have so far been rewarded with a spaghetti dinner that made me wish my zucchini haul had somehow been more abundant and fried stuffed hot peppers I really did mean to share. Next on my list was senior Test Kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Raspberry–Brown Butter Skillet Cake. It’s jam-packed with tart fruit and crumbly almond flour (which gives it a delightful blondie-like chew). The luscious brown butter doesn’t hurt either, lending a slow-cooked intensity to this quick bake. In the spirit of minimizing risk, I simply cooked all of the raspberries (instead of leaving any raw) and reserved a portion for topping. I ate it outside, spooned out of the skillet and paired with jumbo scoops of vanilla ice cream, as nature intended. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor
Assembled right in the skillet, no bowls needed.