Weeknight-friendly recipes from Sarah Mitchell — a home cook in Austin, Texas, who’s been feeding a family of five on a weekly meal plan since 2018. Every recipe has been cooked in her own kitchen, usually more than once, and tested on a picky audience that includes three kids with strong opinions about dinner. You’ll find 30-minute dinners, sheet-pan meals, Instant Pot shortcuts, Texas-style BBQ recipes, family-friendly chicken and seafood mains, easy desserts, and the kind of straightforward cooking that works on a Tuesday. Short ingredient lists, everyday pantry staples, clear instructions — no culinary-school jargon. Browse the latest easy recipes below.
This is one of the most creative commissary recipes out there — a prison-style pad thai that uses ramen noodles as the base and peanut butter as the sauce. It sounds weird until you think about it: pad thai sauce is basically peanuts, soy, sugar, and acid. Peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, and hot sauce … Read more
Once you make your own tortilla chips in the air fryer, you will never — and I mean never — buy a bag from the store again. These are on a completely different level. Salty, crunchy, perfectly golden chips that shatter when you bite them and taste like they came from the best Mexican restaurant … Read more
These sheet pan shrimp fajitas are the laziest, most delicious dinner hack I know. Toss seasoned shrimp, peppers, and onions on a baking sheet, roast for 15 minutes, and you’ve got sizzling fajitas with caramelized edges and zero stovetop babysitting. One pan, minimal prep, maximum flavor. The high oven heat is the real secret here … Read more
Imagine if a warm churro and a slice of New York cheesecake had a baby — that’s exactly what these bars are. A buttery, cinnamon-sugar crescent roll crust on top and bottom with the creamiest cheesecake filling sandwiched in between. I first made these for a potluck and came home with an empty pan and … Read more
When a chocolate craving hits at 10 PM and baking a whole cake is absolutely not happening, this microwave mug cake is the answer. It’s rich, fudgy, and ready in literally two minutes. Mix it right in the mug, pop it in the microwave, and you’ve got a warm chocolate cake that’s all yours — … Read more
This milkshake is pure fantasy in a glass. It’s pink, it’s blue, it’s topped with a cloud of cotton candy, and it tastes like a carnival dream. If you’re looking for a milkshake that makes people stop scrolling and say “I need that,” this is it. The secret is cotton candy flavoring or actual cotton … Read more
Breakfast in prison is usually the worst meal of the day — runny eggs, cold oatmeal, and mystery bread. That’s why commissary breakfast burritos are so popular. Inmates heat up whatever they can get, wrap it in a tortilla, and suddenly breakfast is worth waking up for. The combination of ramen noodles (yes, for breakfast), … Read more
Rack of lamb is the ultimate Easter dinner showstopper, and this herb-crusted version is surprisingly simple to pull off. The outside gets a gorgeous golden crust of fresh herbs, garlic, Dijon mustard, and breadcrumbs, while the inside stays perfectly pink and juicy. I used to be intimidated by cooking lamb, but once you realize it’s … Read more
This garlic butter shrimp is one of those recipes that feels fancy but is secretly ridiculously easy. Plump shrimp seared in a pool of sizzling garlic butter with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of fresh parsley — it’s restaurant-quality food in fifteen minutes flat. The trick is cooking the garlic low and slow … Read more
These skewers are the reason our neighbors keep inviting themselves over once the weather turns warm. The chicken soaks in a sticky honey-garlic marinade until every cube is glossy and golden, then gets charred over open flames until the edges caramelize into crispy, sweet-salty bites. One taste and you understand why I always make a … Read more
