Pat: French toast is one of my greatest loves. I like mine made with thick slices of white bread and a rich egg-and-milk batter with a kiss of cinnamon, and topped with lots of maple syrup. I also love to have a couple of over-easy eggs alongside. Gina is always saying to me, “Why you gotta fry eggs? There are eggs in the batter!” Gina: I’m not sure if the French were the ones who made this toast famous, but I’m sure they would love what I’ve done to it: turned it into a sandwich! Everyone knows two pieces of French toast are better than one, and the only thing better than two pieces of French toast is two pieces with something sweet sandwiched in between! How about bananas? Then you take the whole thing and cook it on a panini press. The hot grill makes for an irresistibly crispy version of a morning classic, and it creates grooves that collect plenty of butter and maple syrup. You love peanut butter? Consider making a peanut-butter-banana French-toast sandwich. (Peanut butter was my protein staple during both my pregnancies.) The possibilities, girl, are endless. Bread that is a day or two old works best for this recipe, because it holds up better on the grill.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.
This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.