Catherine Cassidy's 15 Favorite Recipes

Catherine Cassidy's 15 Favorite Recipes


I'm asked a lot if I have favorite Taste of Home recipes. Of course, I have the unique advantage of having an entire staff of food professionals available to consult when I need a great potluck dish or weeknight meal idea. But mostly I do just what you all do—I head to tasteofhome.com, plug in an ingredient, cooking style or food type, and see what comes up. I've found many delicious dishes this way, and it truly was difficult narrowing down to 15. But the following recipes have been standouts for me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Enjoy!
—Catherine Cassidy


See Catherine on The Daily Meal's list of America's 50 Most Powerful People in Food for 2012 >



Appetizers


Buffalo Chicken DipRecipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Just five ingredients, this is—incredibly quick and easy and, oh lord, how tasty! Definitely not for those looking to cut calories. It calls for canned chicken, but we eat of lot of rotisserie chicken at my house and I use the leftovers for this dip—I think it gives it more chicken-y flavor.



Marinated ShrimpRecipe: Marinated Shrimp

I demo-ed this recipe dozens of times on television to promote the very first Taste of Home Cookbook, and I cannot tell you how many TV production crews devoured shrimp for breakfast! The garlicky aroma of the marinade would bring people literally running onto the set as soon as the cameras were off.



Savory Party BreadRecipe: Savory Party Bread

Take sourdough bread, douse with butter, smother with cheese and onions, bake. Whatever could be wrong with that? Enough said.




Entrees


Asian Turkey Lettuce WrapsRecipe: Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These are every bit as good as anything you could get at a restaurant. This was one of nine dishes on the set at QVC recently, where we launched the new Taste of Home Cookbook, 3rd Edition; of all the dishes we featured, these wraps got the most rave reviews, and from food stylists, no less! I add chopped water chestnuts for crunch and fresh cilantro for extra flavor.



Citrus-Scented Brined TurkeyRecipe: Citrus-Scented Brined Turkey

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite cooking day. I start thinking about the menu weeks in advance, but the official kickoff of the kitchen fun is brining the turkey. Brining takes some planning—including making enough room in the fridge to store it!—but it produces a deliciously moist bird and is well worth the extra effort.



Can-Can ChickenRecipe: Can-Can Chicken

This is TOH's version of beer-can chicken; the savory rub makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The recipe was submitted to us by Steve Bath of Lincoln, Nebraska; his suggestion to spritz the chicken during cooking with apple cider and balsamic vinegar results in even moister meat.



Honey Grilled ShrimpRecipe: Honey Grilled Shrimp

I love these kinds of recipes, where three simple, very common ingredients that you have right on hand combine for fantastic flavor. My kids love shrimp, and this is so easy you can make it for a weeknight meal. I always add more garlic and some red pepper sauce for a little kick.



Italian Beef SandwichesRecipe: Italian Beef Sandwiches

At my house, we call this slow-cooker recipe "Where's the Beef?" It's a potluck and party staple for me all year round, and it freezes beautifully, too. It's just so easy to throw together, and after simmering all day in the slow cooker, the beef just melts in your mouth.




Side Dishes


Cherry Brie Tossed SaladRecipe: Cherry Brie Tossed Salad

I prepared this salad for a church dinner last winter, and I thought people were going to lick the bowl clean! Here in Wisconsin, cherry trees abound, and you can always find dried cherries at the supermarket. If you can't find them where you live, just substitute dried cranberries or even raisins. The sugared pecans are to die for...



Bacon Almond Green BeansRecipe: Bacon Almond Green Beans

This actually is from Simple & Delicious magazine, and it's just the best recipe; it's so fast and the results are so tasty. The beans are fabulous, but I've also made broccoli, Brussels sprouts and snap peas this way, too, and my family just loves them.



Pumpkin SoupRecipe: Pumpkin Soup

My husband thought this sounded gross, but he changed his tune after just one spoonful. It's just heavenly—and not too pumpkin-y either. And it's really quick. I might try replacing some of the chicken broth with dry sherry for more complex flavor.



Hearty Chicken Noodle SoupRecipe: Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

I've made gallons and gallons of this soup—my kids love it, and when a good friend of mine was going through chemotherapy, this soup was a meal she requested often. There's just something about chicken noodle soup that's so comforting, and this recipe is one of the best I've come across. I make up big batches and freeze it for those cold winter days when a bowl of hot soup is the only thing that will do.




Desserts


Five Fruit PieRecipe: Five Fruit Pie

I made two of these for my father's birthday party last summer. There was a huge cake, but everyone fought over the pie! It calls for apples, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb; while it sounds like summer, you can use frozen fruit (even rhubarb) and make it in winter, too. I used refrigerated pie crust—always do—to make the prep easier.



Ultimate Double Chocolate BrowniesRecipe: Ultimate Double Chocolate Brownies

If you're going to go to the trouble of baking brownies from scratch, this is the recipe to use. Hands down, the most sinful brownie I've ever made—and why even bother with 'em if they're not sinful? I've used both pecans and walnuts, and have made them nut-less as well, with great results.



William Tell's Never-Miss Apple CakeRecipe: William Tell's Never-Miss Apple Cake

Jamie Jones of Madison, Georgia, thank you SO much for this recipe! I baked this cake just recently, and honestly, I thought my husband was going to eat the whole thing by himself! We love coconut, so I mixed some into the frosting along with pecan chips—it was just heavenly. One of the moistest cakes I've ever made.