One-pot Bread

All of the intimidation of making homemade bread is tossed aside in this recipe that calls for four simple ingredients and roughly two minutes of active prep work. The loaf that easily drops from your pot might not be as visually appealing as trendier approaches, but your kitchen will be filled with the same aroma of freshly baked bread, and the toast it makes on day two rivals its more complex counterparts.

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Combine water, flour, yeast, and salt into an oven-safe pot; cover and let stand at room temperature for 75 minutes

You will need the following ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of warm (almost hot) water

4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of instant bread yeast

2 teaspoons of salt

Approximately 12 hours before baking (overnight works great), combine the four ingredients in an oven-safe pot and mix thoroughly. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 75 minutes, then turn once more, making sure to thoroughly scrape down dough accumulated on the sides of the pot. Place in refrigerator overnight (or for at least 12 hours). After 12 hours, heat oven to 425°, remove the cover from the pot, and bake on middle rack for one hour. When the bread is finished, cool briefly in the pot until it’s safe to handle, then place bread on a cooling rack for at least two hours before slicing.

White Bean Soup with Veggies

A simple, healthy soup that makes use of late-season root vegetables like parsnips and turnips, topped with gruyere and day-old bread (see above).

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Slice veggies.

You will need the following ingredients:

4 cups of water

2 tablespoons of good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 small leek split, rinsed, and finely chopped (1/2 small onion substitutes fine if a leeks aren’t at hand)

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped parsnips

1 cup chopped white turnips

1 cup chopped celery

1 can white beans, such as cannellini

Shredded gruyere cheese (for topping)

Day-0ld bread (for topping)

Combine water, olive oil, salt, leeks, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and celery in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 10–15 minutes, until vegetables are softened (dependent on how thickly they’ve been sliced). Add beans and boil gently for another 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and bread.

Grown-up Mac and Cheese

First, start by cooking your desired pasta. We generally use cavatappi, but other types of pasta will work just as well for this recipe. Then, combine butter and flour together, and gradually stir milk into the mixture. Cook this sauce until it thickens, and stir in the cheese once the sauce is thick. Gruyere and cheddar both work well in mac and cheese, but other types of cheese will also work well. Finally, combine the pasta with the cheese sauce, move the pasta into a pan, and add more shredded cheese of your choice on top of the pasta. Bake the pan of mac and cheese, and then you have a delicious meal!

Note: For toppings, feel free to get creative and add your favorite foods! This could include breadcrumbs, bacon, or other tasty ingredients!