3 cookbooks that make back to school easier

plus... summer's official cookbook (as far as I'm concerned, anyway!)

Author

Sarah McLoughlin
September 10, 2023

I Tried It So You Don’t Have To

👉️ Can you handle the heat? 🔥🤯

Tried, Tested, and Approved!

You all recommended Kelly Cooks Texas so I had to give it a test!

Kelly is a Tiktok creator and has some hysterical videos. Her fun personality came through in all her recipes. The cookbook was filled with easy family dinners that will take any weeknight meal up a notch!

Usually I allow fate to pick the recipe that I test, but there was one recipe in particular that caught my eye! How could I not make Mountain Dew Chicken Piccata? I was super suspicious over how soda could be turned into an Italian Classic Sauce!

This ended up being the most controversial recipe I’ve made to date! I did not like the sauce; it was too sweet for my taste. My family, on the other hand, was obsessed with it. My kids begged for me to add this to the weekly rotation. You need to make this and let me know your thoughts!

Try these 3 cookbooks if…..

you’re looking for an easy school night meal

Going back to school is not just for kids! It takes a village 🏘️

I Dream of Dinner (so you don’t have to): Low-Effort, High-Reward Recipes: A Cookbook By Ali Slagle

I love this cookbook because the ingredients are simple and easy to find (most I already have in my pantry). Yet, the author, brings the flavor in every recipe. Instructions are easy to follow and even the most beginner chef can be successful. Chapters are organized by main ingredient so it's easy to find something to make with whatever you have on hand.

One Pan, One Meal by Elena Silcock

I constantly hear that people are not even willing to attempt cooking merely because they hate doing the dishes. Listen, I get it and I get it. Especially on a school night. This fantastic cookbook makes magic happen in one pot! I was absolutely blown away by how delicious the Carbonara was.

The Instant Kitchen Cookbook: Fast and Easy Family Meals Using Your Instant Pot and Air Fryer By: Coco Mortante

I love my Instant Pot and Air Fryer so I was beyond thrilled to find a cookbook that utilizes both! The combined forces of both time saving tools drastically cuts back on active cook time. The added benefit of using these time saving machines is that I can do dinner prep in the morning, long before life gets me off schedule. Double bonus points to the fact that this cookbook cuts down on pots, pans and dishes!

Summer’s cookbook

Mediterranean Summer Table: Timeless, versatile recipes for every occasion & appetite

By: Kathy Kordalis

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Story: No personal stories about the author but there’s some great ingredient education tucked between recipes.

Photos: Literally the most beautiful food photography I’ve seen.

Recipes: Recipes are grouped by where they come from (ie the land, the sea, the garden) and are detailed and thorough.

Ingredients: Clear ingredient lists in both US standard and metric. Some of the produce is difficult to find if you don’t have a farmers market or robust produce section at your local grocery store.

Category: World Cuisine, Gourmet

More Thoughts: The first sign of a good cookbook is that the pictures make you hungry and Mediterranean Summer Table delivers on that! The photos are some of the most stunning food photography that I’ve seen in a long time. The majority of the recipes are vegetable forward but there are sections dedicated to meat and seafood. I really enjoyed how the recipes transformed vegetables into absolute flavor bombs. The Marinated Goat’s Cheese with Charred Sourdough is one of the best things I’ve made in quite some time.