Add these 6 incredible, easy Tastemade recipes to your dinner rotation today

If you are one of Tastemade’s over 1.65 million global subscribers and 300 million monthly viewers, you may be familiar with French fry-wrapped corn dogs oozing out cheese or bacon-wrapped potato volcanoes overflowing with creamy goodness.

Enjoying these visceral delights online can be akin to a treasure hunt — an exciting dive into the unknown. To provide a more tangible Tastemade experience and easy recipes, the global cooking community released its first physical guide, Make This Tonight. This essential cookbook lays out a dynamic mix of 100 of Tastemade’s best recipes all easily accessible at the end of flour-covered fingertips.

Here at The Manual, we’ve got the inside scoop for our readers — six of the best Tastemade recipes in Make This Tonight.

Any-greens Caesar salad

Tastemade claims that this Caesar has the ability to claim the heart of even the most hardcore carnivores.

“If there is a person in your life who claims to hate salad, we recommend trying out this recipe on them,” Tastemade writes in Make This Tonight.

Towards tempting these meat-eaters, the global food community begins with lettuce as its canvas, dolloping on a generous layer of homemade Caesar dressing and dashing in hard-boiled yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon for acid, and a generous serving of chopped anchovies for umami depth. Tastemade even gives the option to swap out healthier kale and other greens if Romaine lettuce doesn’t do the trick.

Ingredients

• 6 oil-packed anchovy filets, drained, plus more, chopped, for serving (optional)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
• 1 hard-boiled egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• Garlic toasts, for serving

Method

1. In a food processor, combine the anchovies, garlic, and egg yolk and process until a smooth paste forms.
2. Add vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, the ½ cup of Parmesan, salt, and pepper and pulse to combine. With the machine running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.
3. Place the lettuce in a large serving bowl, pour the dressing over the top, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with half a cup of Parmesan cheese and crumbled garlic toasts. Add an optional chopped anchovy garnish.
4. Serve in salad bowls.

Cast-iron chicken thighs with crispy kale

If perfectly crisped chicken sounds like a perfect dinner, it’s time to break out the cast-iron skillet. This straightforward dish offers a straight shot of protein and greens. Creative cooks can feel free to dress it up, down, or any way they like, based on what mood strikes. Before you begin, make sure that a meat thermometer is also on hand to test the chicken’s inside temp.

Worried about kale in the oven? This Tastemade recipe not only asserts that the sturdy green maintains in the oven, but makes cooking easier — leave in the veggie’s thick, central ribs as they’ll keep kale’s structure and add a nice crunch to the finished dish.

Serve this cast-iron chicken over any grain for a well-rounded meal, boldly checking the boxes for protein, veggies, and carbs. Diners down with dairy can even add a dash of hot sauce and a dollop of yogurt for a nice contrast of taste and texture.

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
• 1 head garlic, separated into cloves, smashed, and peeled
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Fresh lemon juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro or chives, for serving (optional)
• Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, for serving (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
• In a cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, undisturbed, until the skin is crispy and browned — about 10 minutes.
• Flip chicken thighs. Add kale to the skillet, arranging it around the chicken. Nestle in the garlic cloves and shallots. Sprinkle everything with pepper flakes.
• Transfer to the oven and roast until the kale is crispy and the juices in the thickest part of the chicken run clear — about 20 minutes and registering at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer.
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken. If desired, top with cilantro and Greek yogurt.

Curry shrimp

Feel like a bit of Caribbean flavor in your dinner? Tastemade’s curry shrimp sprouts from Jamaican roots to deliver a flavorful and easy-to-make dish indicative of the tropical island. Tossed with curry powder, these skillet-fried shellfish might just become a dinner favorite with their wonderful balance of spice and bright color. Multi-colored bell peppers, crisped tender, add to this melange, which pops over white rice.

This complete and filling dinner treat comes together with ease for at-home cooks.

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• 3 cups cooked rice, for serving

Method

1. In a resealable, zip-top bag or medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.
2. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent — about five minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add shrimp, thyme, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is opaque and pink, about 5 minutes.
4. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of rice.

Late-night anchovy spaghetti

When hunger strikes, stores are dark, and restaurants are closed, don’t make a regretful fast food run. Instead, fire up this easy pasta dish. Bursting with flavor, anchovy spaghetti can be enjoyed alone in the dark or side-by-side with an intimate partner.

This late-night pasta dish can help satisfy with just a few convenient (and substitutable) items from the pantry.

“We’re willing to bet you have the makings of this savory, salty pasta dish already there,” Tastemade writes. “This recipe might just be the epitome of what we mean when we say Make This Tonight…”

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (2-ounce) tin oil-packed anchovy, drained (10 to 12 filets)
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or thinly sliced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
• Pitted Kalamata or other black olives, sliced
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
• Fresh parsley, for serving

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until slightly softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the spaghetti continue to cook in the water until al dente, 4 to 5 minutes more. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add anchovies and cook, breaking them down a bit with a wooden spoon — about 2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and stir into the anchovies until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
3. Add wine and continue to cook, stirring until the anchovies melt into a paste and the wine is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Stir in olives and remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Divide the pasta among bowls and sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley. Serve.

Spanish tortilla

One of Spain’s signature dishes, a Spanish tortilla is a subtly challenging dish made using only eggs, thinly sliced potatoes, diced onions, and a sprinkling of salt. The addition of onion in the tortilla, however, might strike purists as controversial. Diehards may insist that a true tortilla solely contains eggs and potatoes, “sin cebollitas” (the “without the little onions”). Nada mas. Home cooks can decide for themselves, but Tastemade is firmly on the side of cebollitas.

“We think more is more.”

In that spirit, this Spanish tortilla recipe has the potential to be a great canvas for myriad add-ins and/or leftovers — Spanish peppers, tuna, eggplant, and more. Eggs, of course, are a delicate delicacy. Cook longer to set firm or leave a little runny. Either way, serve this up as an appetizer for six to eight people.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 6 large eggs

Method

1. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat. Add potatoes, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are slightly softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Add onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and onion to the eggs and stir to combine. Drain the skillet and wipe clean.
4. In the same skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring gently to keep the potatoes intact and creating large curds like scrambled eggs. As the edges set, pull them in to let the raw egg run underneath to the skillet’s surface, continuing to stir in the center. Once the center is mostly set (5 to 7 minutes), remove the skillet from heat.
5. Cover the skillet with a large plate or upside-down baking sheet. Return to medium-low heat and carefully slide the now upside-down tortilla back into the skillet. Cook until the center is set and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Transfer to a serving plate and let cool for about 30 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.

Vegan chocolate cake

For vegans, desserts can be limited without the option of eggs. Fortunately, Tastemade is here with an easy plan based on a midcentury “ration cake,” using pantry staples sans yolks. Leavening this vegan chocolate cake depends instead on baking soda combined with two acidic ingredients: natural cocoa powder and vinegar. A critical note: make sure not to substitute alkalized Dutch process cocoa for the more acidic natural cocoa powder. Also, don’t use vinegar with less than 5% acidity.

Bakers that want to level up to layer cake, bake two versions in two pans, and stack ‘em high.

Ingredients (for one, 8-inch cake)

• Vegetable oil, for greasing
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with oil.
2. Sift together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In a liquid measuring cup, combine oil, vinegar, vanilla, and 1 cup of cold water. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth.
3. Pour batter into the baking dish and bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean — 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the dish after 25 minutes.
4. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve.

This is just a taste of Tastemade’s delicious, simple, step-by-step guide to the homecooked side. Get all 100 mouth-watering, approachable dishes in Make This Tonight, now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.

Learn More

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