You know that moment when you walk into a kitchen, and the air itself feels thick with flavor? The smell of onions caramelizing, peppers softening, and sausage browning until it’s just shy of crisp on the edges? Roasting sausage with peppers and onions isn’t complicated. It’s not trendy. But, it is 100% absolutely that dish.

Sausage and Peppers

If you haven’t tried it before, roasting onions and peppers brings out additional sweetness that is much more flavorful than their raw counterparts. My oldest and youngest have been hooked on onions since we started roasting them this way.

What I love most about this sausage and peppers recipe (and you will too!) is how real it feels. It’s a deeply sensory experience. The sizzle of the ingredients, the steam rising from the pan, the scents wafting through the kitchen, all of it draws you in. There’s nothing fussy here. It’s just a handful of ingredients that all pull their own weight.

If I’m being honest, food like this is why I started sharing my kitchen in the first place. Because, it’s not just about recipes. It’s about how good food can bring people together and create a sense of presence. With a meal like this on the table, people are more likely to put their phones away and dine together.

That’s the beauty of food. It breaks down the distance. It builds connection. Here on the blog, I find that what motivates me is often that I am connecting to readers all over the world, to feed our friends and family from the same shared space.

And, maybe that’s the lesson hidden in this dish. The things that resonate most, be it food, content, or connection, aren’t always the most complex. They’re the ones that feel the most true. So, this recipe was a reminder for me, that simple fare can be just as delicious as complicated food.

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There aren’t many things that can beat a big pot of pork chile verde simmering on the stove. It fills the house with the kind of aroma that makes you hungry long before it’s ready.

Made with pork shoulder, roasted tomatillos, poblano and jalapeno peppers, Pork Chile Verde is hearty, New Mexican comfort food. When it all comes together, the result is melt-in-your-mouth pork coated in the most delicious green chile sauce you can imagine.

Pork Chile Verde

It does take a little time, but that’s part of the beauty of chile verde. This is a recipe that rewards patience. It’s the kind of dish you make when you want your house to smell incredible all afternoon. Most of the time is hands-off, while the pork simmers in a broth infused with onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano until it’s fork-tender.

Towards the end of that simmering time, you’ll pop the tomatillos and peppers under the broiler to bring out their smoky, slightly sweet flavors. Toss those roasted vegetables into the blender along with the cilantro, and turn it into the chile verde sauce that is going to transform that tender pork.

Chile Verde Pork

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion
• 6 cloves garlic 
• 2 teaspoons ground
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 2 pounds fresh tomatillos 
• 4 fresh poblano chiles 
• 2 fresh jalapeno peppers 
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro

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The best green chile stew is loaded with bite-sized chunks of pork that are seasoned with onion and plenty of garlic. The pork is simmered in a green chile sauce until tender enough to almost fall apart when you bite it.

New Mexico Green Chile Stew

This is the ultimate comfort food.

Filled with that irresistible pork, potatoes, and roasted green chile, this stew is what I dream of when the weather starts cooling off each fall. And before any other native New Mexican can correct me, I am well aware of the ridiculousness of actually claiming the BEST NM Green Chile Stew, because technically, I do love them all.

That said, this is my family’s best green chile stew, and we love it more than all the others. Made with chunks of tender pork and potatoes, spicy hot green chile, and a savory broth that you’ll be dipping your tortillas into and scraping the bowl clean, this is it for me.

Green Chile Stew

Over the years, I’ve made Green Chile Stew with many different kinds of meat: pork, ground beef, steak, and chicken. However, this Green Chile Stew is hands-down our favorite.

Not that I won’t happily try YOUR green chile stew recipe if you send it to me! I don’t discriminate between green chile recipes. We love adding green chile to our enchiladas, burritos, tacos, soups, and scrambled egg skillets. If the dish includes green chile, my boys will dive straight into it.

As much as I do love a classic potato salad, (as evidenced by the fact there are over a dozen potato salad recipes on this website), sometimes you need something a little different.

As a result, I’ve really been enjoying the mayo-free salads this summer. This cranberry bacon broccoli salad has been such a hit, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve made it. Mayo-free salads are stress-free for potlucks and barbecues, with no need to rush and get things into the fridge as quickly as possible or to keep them as cold as possible.

Hot German Potato Salad

In addition to all the great flavors here, the beauty of German potato salad is in its versatility. For family dinners, I serve it warm, straight off the stove. For gatherings with friends, I let it cool to room temperature. However you serve and eat it, this potato salad recipe is a keeper.

The warm potatoes absorb so much flavor from the warm, tangy vinegar and bacon dressing that soaks right into the potatoes. It’s hearty, savory, and just the right amount of sweet.

Warm Potato Salad Recipe

Now, let’s talk about what makes this salad spectacular: it’s the bacon. I’ve added a whole pound of it. Cook it perfectly crispy and save the drippings, friends. You’ll use all that flavor to sauté the onions and build the base of the dressing.

Traditional German potato salads are known for being on the sweeter side, and the original recipe I found in an old cookbook called for ⅓ cup of sugar. I’ve tested this potato salad a couple of times and finally settled on about 2 tablespoons, which keeps the balance of flavors without tipping too far into sweetness for my tastes. Of course, if you love the extra sweetness in traditional recipes, feel free to add more.

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Crispy, pan-fried pork schnitzel is my kind of comfort food. I very rarely break out the oil in my kitchen for any kind of frying, so you know that when I do, it’s going to be worth it.

Pork Schnitzel

If you’ve never had pork schnitzel before, get ready for a completely and totally satisfying dinner. This is the kind of classic dish that makes you pause after the first bite, just to appreciate how good simple food can be.

And before I forget, here’s a tip for avoiding as much of the post-frying odor as possible: a small bowl of plain vinegar next to the stove will dramatically cut down on the lingering oil aroma. It really does work!

How to Make Pork Schnitzel

The key to great schnitzel is in the pounding—extra thin cutlets are the goal here. They’ll cook up quickly, with a beautifully crisp crust and tender inside. A quick run through the dishes you’ll set up with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs is all it takes to get that signature crunch. You don’t need a deep fryer, or a huge amount of oil to make this recipe—just a skillet and a generous slick of oil.

I like to prep all of the pork with the breading and set it on a tray next to the stove. Then, I just have to rotate the pieces through the hot oil and drain them on a wire rack while the rest of the meat is cooking.

You can serve your schnitzel with Read more