This was the only book that truly encompassed all types of pots and pans, including recipes for a skillet, sheet pan, casserole dish, Dutch oven, slow-cooker, and Instant Pot. This was also the only book that included scaled-down versions of several recipes to serve two, which was greatly appreciated from our fridge full of cookbook-testing leftovers. Michelle made the Classic Pasta Carbonara and found the recipe easy to follow. When it came to the results, Michelle thought it was an easy-to-make dish that was “cheesy, eggy, porky, and herby.” She had equal success with the Spring Mushroom & Pea Risotto, and was pleased because this was her first time making risotto. She was initially worried that the process would be “labor-intensive,” but found Snyder’s instructions to be clear and simple to follow. As always, were a handful of recipes that were tested more than 10 times each ( One Pan Pancakesand Dutch BabyI AM LOOKING AT YOU) where I just knew they could be SO GOOD but they took a while to get there. At a guess, between me, Anna, Debbie, Miranda, Hattie (my step-daughter) and our food stylist Pippa probably 650 dishes have been cooked for What’s for Dinner?All so we can be sure that they really do work for you! Who eats all of the food from the testing?! So, in each weekly meal plan, you’ll find two recipes that offer a no-cook side dish alongside the main.

I wanted to write the book so that home cooks, and people who aren’t confident in the kitchen, could get good food on that table with relative ease, so a good time could be had by everyone, including the cook.” —Diana Henry When we received the books to review, we were all drawn to her cookbook first. From the striking cover to the beautiful photographs, along with a well-organized and visually pleasing layout filled with helpful tips and techniques throughout, this cookbook received top marks for presentation, teachable moments, voice, and appearance/engagement. Each meal plan includes 6 dinners, one weekend breakfast and one weekend treat recipe. Do the meal plans have shopping lists? Jo-Anne made the Oven-Cooked Beet Risotto recipe, which promised to have a prep time of 10 minutes. It ended up taking much longer—and being a lot messier than expected, leaving the kitchen looking, as she put it, “like a crime scene.” While the risotto was visually pretty, it also was a quite bland dish, and the addition of raw hazelnuts didn’t add much. Her attempt at Fennel, Sausage & Cannellini Beans With Tomatoes & Conchigliette also resulted in her longing for a more descriptive ingredient list, like clarifying what size fennel bulb and onion to use. Judith made the Curry-Roasted Carrots & Lentils With Orange-Yogurt Sauce, and despite being pleased with the amount of curry powder used, found Snyder was not clear on what size to cut the shallots, which burned before the carrots fully cooked. For her second recipe, the Roasted Broccoli With Peanuts & Brown Rice, she appreciated the idea of using peanut sauce to entice kids to eat their vegetables, but would execute it differently if she were to make it again (by following her instincts and cutting broccoli into florets instead of lengthwise into slices, the directions for which she found slightly unclear).Michelle’s second dish was the Steamed Chocolate Cardamom Pudding. As with the other dishes tested, this one also resulted in confusion and frustration. The recipe calls for the seeds from 8 cardamom pods, without clarification on if the seeds should be ground. It also indicates that there should be enough batter for six 3/4-cup ramekins, but she only had enough batter for three 3/4-cup ramekins. When it came to the final product, though, Michelle enjoyed the dark flavor of the chocolate mixed with the cardamom, despite the occasional crunch on a seed. If carbs and vegetables aren’t included in the main cooking dish, you should be able to serve with a no-cook side dish (a salad, a bread or, at a push, microwaveable rice!).

Needing to give her sheet pans a rest, Judith decided to try out two of the skillet recipes. Using only one pan to cook the Pan-Seared Paprika Salmon With Spicy Green Beans, the recipe came together in minutes—and left a mess-free kitchen. It was clear that the recipe had been tested, with specific notes to use smashed garlic instead of minced so it wouldn’t burn, and to sauté the green beans first before adding water to steam them (charring the beans and preventing them from getting too mushy from over-steaming). She also enjoyed the Crispy Tofu With Warm Cabbage Salad, which to her delight was easy to adapt to one serving.Boasting 400 thoroughly tested and researched recipes by the staff of America’s Test Kitchen, this book gave us high expectations. While overwhelming at first glance, the organization helped ease us in when searching for recipes to test out in our kitchens. Divided up by types of meals, like soups, poultry, vegetarian, and pasta, each chapter was then further organized by the cooking vessel.