If you want to make a mac and cheese that people will rave about, look no further. Every Thanksgiving table obviously needs mac and cheese, and it’s arguably the most important side dish.

This mac and cheese is my tried-and-true, consistent recipe that I’ve adapted with crab over the last few years. However, if crab isn’t your thing or you have a shellfish allergy, you can absolutely make this without the crab meat. Just skip those steps altogether and start with making the roux.

Without it, you still have a classic, deeply cheesy mac with real flavor and depth, and I promise everyone will be raving about it. True story: I made 4 pans' worth for my cousin’s baby shower a few weeks ago, and everyone was asking who made the mac & cheese because they loved it so much.

So welcome to the first of my Thanksgiving sides series, where new ones will land in your inbox every week leading up to the big day. Some are classics, some are twists on classics, but all of them are meant to make your table drool-worthy.

Serves 10-12 as a side

Crab Filling

• 1 lb lump crab meat

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

Mac and Cheese

• 1 lb medium eggshell noodles

• 3 tbsp butter

• 3 tbsp flour

• 8 oz evaporated milk

• 8 oz buttermilk or milk

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp paprika

• ½ tbsp Lawry’s seasoning salt (see note below if skipping the crab)

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp rubbed sage

• 1 tsp ground thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)

Cheese (buy blocks, not bags)

• 1 lb Colby Jack, ½ lb shredded for the topping and ½ lb cut into small cubes

• 1 lb sharp cheddar, ½ lb shredded for the topping and ½ lb cut into small cubes

• ½ lb Gouda, diced

• ½ lb Gruyère, diced (or swap for sharp white cheddar, since Gruyere can be pricey or hard to find)

Garnish

• Chopped parsley (optional)

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Prep the cheese

1. Shred ½ lb Colby Jack and ½ lb sharp cheddar for the topping. Set aside.

2. Cut the remaining Colby Jack and cheddar into small cubes, and dice the Gouda and Gruyère. Add these to the sauce; they'll melt right into it.

Shred your own cheese from a block. Pre-shredded bags are coated with anti-caking starch, which keeps the cheese from melting smoothly and is the number one reason cheese sauces turn grainy.

Cook the pasta

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the eggshell noodles until al dente.

4. Drain and set aside. Don’t cook them past al dente, because they keep softening in the oven.

Warm the crab (skip if making without crab)

5. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.

6. Stir in the Old Bay and let it bloom for about 30 seconds.

7. Gently fold in the lump crab meat and warm it through, about 2 to 3 minutes. The crab is already cooked, so you’re only warming it and coating it in seasoned butter. Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce

8. Melt the butter in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat.

9. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until it smells slightly nutty. This is your roux.

10. Whisk in the evaporated milk first. Adding the warmest dairy to the hot roux first keeps the sauce smooth and prevents curdling.

11. Once it’s smooth, whisk in the buttermilk (or milk) and the heavy cream.

12. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cubed and diced cheeses a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next. Keep the heat low so the sauce doesn’t split and turn greasy.

13. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Lawry’s, black pepper, sage, and thyme. Whisk to combine.

14. Once the sauce is smooth and glossy, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Combine

15. Fold the al dente pasta into the cheese sauce until every noodle is coated.

16. Gently fold in the warm crab, butter, and all. Use a light hand so the lumps stay whole. If you’re skipping the crab, go straight to the next step.

Bake

17. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

18. Transfer the mac and cheese to the dish and spread it into an even layer.

19. Top with the shredded Colby Jack and cheddar.

20. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.

21. Garnish with chopped parsley if using. Then let it set for 10 minutes before serving.

Making it ahead

If you’re assembling it in advance and storing it in the fridge or freezer, bake it at 350°F for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes to heat all the way through.

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I’ve been on Substack for a year and a half now, and if there’s one season I’ve put the most intentional work into building recipes for, it’s fall. Home cooking picks up, people start baking again, and something about the cooler weather makes everyone want to spend time in the kitchen. I wanted to meet that energy with recipes worth making.

If you’re new here, my name is Henna, and I cook through mostly a Latin and fusion lens. It’s a mix of Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Lebanese heritage, an East Coast upbringing, and a genuine obsession with culinary exploration. What that means practically is that you won’t find a basic apple crisp or a standard pot roast in this roundup. Instead, you will find a Caribbean shepherd’s pie, a pumpkin flan de queso, a short rib ragu, and a brown sugar plantain latte that will change your fall coffee situation entirely.

Some of these are 30-minute weeknight dinners. Some are labors of love worth clearing your weekend for. But all of them are genuinely worth trying, especially if any of them are unfamiliar to you. That’s the whole point of being here.

So without further ado, here’s everything I’d cook this fall/ already have.

Savory Eats

Pollo Guisado
A braised chicken stew that is the definition of a cozy fall dinner. Sofrito base, tomato sauce, and chicken so tender it falls off the bone. Serve it over white rice, and that’s the whole meal.

Rabo Guisado
Oxtail stew, slow-braised until the collagen breaks down and the meat falls off the bone into a rich, deeply savory sauce. This is a labor of love, but it is absolutely worth it.

Carne Guisada
A Caribbean beef stew that is everything you want on a cold night. The browning technique gives the beef incredible color and depth.

Short Rib Ragu
Braised short ribs slow-cooked into a rich, hearty ragu served over pasta. This one looks incredibly impressive and tastes even better. Perfect for a special occasion.

Plantain Soup
A comforting, hearty soup built on green plantains and a sofrito base. Warming, filling, and deeply flavorful. If you’ve never cooked green plantains in soup, this is a great place to start.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Creamy, cozy, and the “better than Olive Garden” dupe. This soup makes your whole house smell incredible while it simmers.

Caribbean Shepherd’s Pie
Everything you love about shepherd’s pie reimagined through a Caribbean lens. The filling is built on a sofrito base, and the topping is mashed plantains instead of mashed potatoes. It’s delicious and great for big-batch cooking, with plenty of leftovers.

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Fig Crostinis
The easiest thing on this list and one of the most impressive. Creamy goat cheese, sweet caramelized figs, crunchy crostini. Great as an appetizer, a snack, or an excuse to open a bottle of wine.

Fall Sweet Treats

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Bourbon Caramelized Pears
This dessert screams fall and elegance. It's surprisingly simple to make; the taste is so elevated and sophisticated for how easy it is to throw together.

Pumpkin Flan de Queso
A cream cheese flan infused with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice, topped with glossy caramel. This is the fall dessert you bring to Thanksgiving when you want to show up with something nobody else thought of. This is a newer recipe that just went up!

Chocolate Flan
Rich, creamy, chocolate in two ways, with that signature caramel on top. Such a fun twist on a classic flan - add a little peppermint extract and it’ll be amazing for the holidays.

Espresso Flan
For the coffee lover in your life or honestly just for yourself. Deep espresso flavor running through a silky custard. As you can tell from the list, I love flan. But this is probably one of my favorite flans I’ve ever made.

Pumpkin Spice Tres Leches
A tres leches cake soaked in a spiced three-milk mixture. Light, airy, and absolutely indulgent. This is also one of my most popular recipes, and very easy to make!

Pumpkin Spice Arroz con Leche
The coziest bowl of rice pudding you will ever have. Warm spices, creamy texture, and a pumpkin twist on a Latin classic.

Salvadoran Empanadas de Plátano
Sweet plantain dough wrapped around a vanilla milk custard, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar. These are a labor of love, and they are worth every single minute.

Cinnabon Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake
Just posted this one, and it’s already one of my favorites from the Cheesecake Factory recreation series. If you know, you know.

Brown Sugar Plantain Latte
A homemade plantain syrup made with overripe plantains, brown sugar, cinnamon, and warm spices that turns your morning coffee into a special treat. Great in an iced latte, but even better hot. Makes enough for two weeks of lattes.

That’s the list. Some of these will become regulars in your kitchen, some are special-occasion recipes worth bookmarking for the holidays, and all of them are a little different from what you’d find in a standard fall recipe roundup. I hope you enjoy!

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Since the start of 2026, I’ve been on a journey to recreate every single cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, which is no small feat. After my move in August, I took a bit of a break, but we’re back at it, aiming to create at least one cheesecake a month. With fall in full swing, I decided tackling the Cinnabon Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake would be most fitting.

The Cheesecake Factory describes this one as layers of Cinnabon cinnamon cheesecake and vanilla crunch cake, topped with cream cheese frosting and caramel. A collab between two of America's most beloved dessert brands that sounds incredible on paper. And it is conceptually sound. In practice, reviews of the original consistently flag the same issue: the layers don’t hold together, the structure is precarious, and it can end up a droopy, overly sweet mess on the plate.

My version fixes that by omitting the cream cheese frosting and adding a white chocolate coating and caramel drizzle for texture and depth without pushing the sweetness into overwhelming territory. I baked each cake and cheesecake layer in the same pan, so I did as little stacking and assembly as possible, giving you a structurally sound build that holds clean slices. The candied pecan crunch pressed into the sides adds texture to every bite.

One note from testing: don't use melting chocolate for the coating. It sets too fast, and you won’t have time to press the nuts into the sides before it hardens. Use a real white chocolate bar, melt it down, and you’ll have a much more workable window.

A note on scaling: this recipe as written makes the full four-layer cake. For a more approachable cake that’s easier to assemble and serve, halve all the listed quantities. You’ll still get a stunning two-layer cake.

Serves 12-14

Cheesecake Batter

• 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnabon Swirl

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 2½ tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

Vanilla Crunch Cake

• ⅔ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1½ cups granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• ¾ tsp salt

• 1 cup whole milk

Candied Pecans

• ½ cup pecans

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 tbsp butter

• ½ tsp cinnamon

Caramel

• ½ cup sugar

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• 1 tsp vanilla

• Pinch of salt

Cake Coating

• 2 cups white chocolate, melted (use a real white chocolate bar, not melting wafers)

• Remaining candied pecan crumbs

• 1 cup slivered almonds

Finishing

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

• Whipped cream, piped in rosettes

• Cinnamon, for dusting over the whipped cream

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

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Fall dessert season is here, and while everyone is reaching for pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread, might I draw your attention to a third option? This is a pumpkin flan de queso. It’s creamy and silky, spiced with cinnamon and pumpkin spice, with a glossy caramel topping that makes flan one of the most visually stunning desserts you can put on a table. It’s a Caribbean classic meets your favorite fall flavor.

Flan de queso is a cream cheese flan, with a richer, denser texture than traditional flan and a subtle tang that plays well against the caramel's sweetness and the warmth of the pumpkin spice. The pumpkin puree folds right into the custard, adding both flavor and that beautiful orange color. The result is a dessert that truly tastes like a hybrid of flan and pumpkin pie.

One note on technique before you start: the blender method gets a great result quickly and easily, but for the smoothest, most restaurant-quality texture, dissolve the cream cheese in the warm evaporated milk first, let it cool, then hand-whisk everything together before straining. It’s a tiny bit more effort, but the result is noticeably silkier.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 50-55 minutes

Chill time: at least 6 hours

Total time: ~9 hours (including chill)

Yield: 9’ round pan (8–10 servings)

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened

• 8 oz pumpkin puree

• 5 eggs, room temperature

• 1 12 oz can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 14 oz can evaporated milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Make the caramel

1. Add sugar to a light colored saucepan over medium heat.

2. Let it melt undisturbed until the edges start to liquefy, then gently swirl the pan to encourage even melting.

3. Once it turns deep amber, immediately pour into your 9-inch pan and tilt to coat the bottom evenly. Work fast because the caramel sets quickly.

4. Set aside and let the caramel harden completely before adding the custard.

Make the custard

Blender method (quick):

5. Add cream cheese, pumpkin puree, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon to a blender.

6. Blend until completely smooth.

7. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into the caramel-lined pan to catch any unblended bits and ensure a silky texture.

Upscale method (smoothest result):

5. Warm the evaporated milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the cream cheese and whisk until fully dissolved and smooth. Let cool completely.

6. In a large bowl, combine the cooled cream cheese mixture with pumpkin puree, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Hand whisk until fully combined.

7. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into the caramel-lined pan.

Bake

8. Place the flan pan inside a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan pan.

9. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly.

10. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

11. Run a thin knife around the edge, place your serving plate on top, and flip in one confident motion. The caramel will pour down over the sides.

I hope you try this recipe! Please tag me if you do!

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We are nine empanadas deep into exploring every empanada across Latin America, and today is such a treat - a sweet treat, if you will. Every empanada we’ve done so far has been savory, with a chicken or beef filling. Peru’s did have some sweetness from the powdered sugar on top (super delicious btw if you haven’t checked those out yet).

These, however, are much more like a dessert. Sweet plantains are boiled and turned into a “dough” that encases a sweet cinnamon vanilla custard filling. They’re shaped into oval balls, fried until caramelized, then dropped into cinnamon sugar. They are exactly as delicious as they sound. I had these for the first time a few years ago and was hooked, so I’m excited to revisit them for this series!

Now, as much as I love eating them, I do want to give a heads-up that they’re actually quite a pain to form because you have to be very delicate and apply light pressure when closing them up. These could give a classically trained French pastry artist a run for their money, but they’re still kinda worth making.

Makes approximately 12 empanadas

Plantain Dough

• 4 ripe plantains

• 4 cups water

• 3 cinnamon sticks

• ¼ cup sugar

• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• Water for assembly

Milk Custard Filling

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup water

• ⅓ cup white sugar

• ¼ cup cornstarch

• ½ tsp vanilla

• 3 cinnamon sticks

For Frying

• 2 cups neutral oil

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• ½ cup sugar

• 3 tbsp cinnamon

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If you’re anything like me, then you’re a little obsessed with plantains. Which you must be, because you clicked on this post. And this is exactly the recipe that you think it is.

You probably saw banana bread lattes everywhere last year (as did I), which inspired this beverage concoction. If warm, caramelized banana flavor works in a coffee drink, why couldn’t plantains? I'm always looking for new ways to experiment with them, and the result is this brown sugar plantain latte that’s better than I expected.

It makes enough to last you two weeks in the fridge, so you're essentially setting yourself up for two weeks of really good iced lattes at home for the price of one plantain.

Makes 1¼ cups of syrup

Plantain Syrup

• 1 cup water

• 1 overripe plantain, mashed

• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed

• ¼ cup granulated sugar (or monkfruit for reduced sugar)

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 cardamom pod

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Per Latte

• 2 shots espresso, cooled

• 6 oz milk of choice

• 2-4 tbsp plantain syrup, to taste

• Ice (optional)

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Make the plantain syrup

1. Add water, mashed plantain, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cardamom pod, and salt. Stir to combine.

3. Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The plantain will break down further into the liquid, and the sugars will thicken into a syrup. Your kitchen will smell incredible.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar, pressing the plantain solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.

6. Let cool completely before using. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Build the latte

7. Fill a glass with ice.

8. Add 2-3 tablespoons of plantain syrup

9. Pour in the cooled espresso shots.

10. Top with 6 oz of your milk of choice and stir gently to combine.

I hope you try this recipe! Please tag me if you do!

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You've probably had a flauta or a taquito, but have you had a Nicaraguan taco?? Nicaraguan food is one of the most underrepresented cuisines in food media, and I think that's a crime (in my completely unbiased Nicaraguan opinion). So what are they? They’re corn tortillas rolled tight around seasoned shredded chicken, shallow-fried until crispy, topped with shredded cabbage and your desired sauces/ toppings.

Let’s talk toppings. Many traditional recipes top them off with ketchup and mayo (which I’m sure tastes good), but my family has always eaten them with crema and hot sauce. My go-to is Cholula for this one.

A note on crema: it varies more than you'd think depending on where you buy it. I used Salvadoran crema for these, which is thicker and richer, closer to sour cream in texture. Mexican crema is thinner and more pourable. Sour cream works too. Use whatever you have access to and don't stress it.

These are one of my favorite things my grandmother makes, and my cousins will fight over the last one - that’s how good they are. I also got my husband hooked on them, so this is definitely a recipe worth trying.

These can be a labor of love if you make tortillas from scratch, but you can absolutely use store-bought ones for a quick dinner. You can also air-fry instead of shallow-frying for a lower-calorie option.

Makes 12 tacos

Chicken Filling

• 2 lbs chicken breasts

• 2 onions, 1 for the broth and 1 diced

• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon

• 1 whole green bell pepper, diced

• ½ red bell pepper, diced

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

• 1 cup reserved chicken broth

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp yellow mustard

• 1/2 tbsp annatto powder (or achiote paste)

• 1½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp onion powder

Homemade Corn Tortillas (optional)

• 2 cups masa harina

• 1¾ cups water

• 2 tsp salt

• Tortilla press

Assembly

• 12 corn tortillas

• Toothpicks

• Oil for shallow frying

Toppings

• Green cabbage, finely shredded

• Roma tomato, diced (optional)

• Crema or mayo

• Ketchup (traditional)

• Hot sauce (optional)

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Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup has such a cult following. People go crazy for the endless soup and salad lunch special. Now, I’m not huge on most soups because, to me, a soup is a side - not a meal - unless it has protein. That’s why I love this one and make it every Fall. It’s creamy, comforting, and loaded with just enough vegetables to feel healthy.

But the restaurant version leans heavily on shortcuts. Thin on chicken, light on vegetables, and a broth that’s more cream and roux and a little underseasoned. This version fixes all of that. More chicken, more vegetables, a broth built from the chicken itself instead of a base, and plenty of gnocchi that soak up all that flavor instead of just floating in it. It’s the soup you already love, but homemade, filling, and delicious.

Ingredients (yields 6 servings)

• 3 large carrots, sliced

• 4 celery stalks, sliced

• 1 white onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1/4 cup flour

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 lb chicken, shredded

• 16 oz prepackaged gnocchi

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1 & 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 cups baby spinach

• Shredded parmesan cheese, for topping

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1. Cook the chicken using either method: for the pressure cooker, add the chicken with 6 cups of water and 2 tbsp chicken bouillon and cook according to your pressure cooker’s settings. To boil instead, add the chicken to a pot with the same 6 cups of water and 2 tbsp chicken bouillon and simmer until fully cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Shred the chicken once done and reserve the cooking liquid to use as broth instead of store-bought stock.

3. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

4. Add the sliced carrots, celery, and diced onion, and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

5. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

6. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

7. Slowly pour in the chicken broth (or reserved cooking liquid), stirring continuously to prevent lumps.

8. Add the onion powder, salt, black pepper, thyme, and paprika.

9. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes, allowing it to thicken slightly and the carrots to cook thoroughly.

10. Stir in the shredded chicken and gnocchi.

11. Simmer until the gnocchi are cooked through, following the package instructions for timing.

12. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.

13. Add the chopped spinach and stir until wilted.

14. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

15. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan before serving.

If you’re short on time, store-bought rotisserie chicken works well in place of cooking your own. If you’d rather not pressure cook, boiling the chicken in the same 6 cups water and 2 tbsp bouillon mixture works just as well, just budget more time.

If you recreate this recipe at home, I would love to hear your feedback! 🫶🏼

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So far, my mission to make every empanada in Latin America has taken me to eight countries, and the Peruvian empanada is my 5th stop in South America. While researching them, I found similarities to their Chilean counterpart, but also distinct differences, like the use of aji (a Peruvian staple) and a dusting of powdered sugar on top of the golden, flaky baked crust.

Peru is ranked #3 for best cuisine in the world by Taste Atlas, so I was excited to dive into these with high expectations.

What makes them unique

Aji amarillo and aji panca are the backbone of the filling. These two peppers, one bright and fruity, one smoky and mild, are what make a Peruvian beef filling taste distinctly Peruvian.

The beef is finely chopped, not ground. Peru traditionally chops the steak by hand into small pieces, which gives the filling a completely different texture, closer to a fine dice than a crumble.

Optional add-ins vary by household. Hard-boiled egg quarters, olives, and raisins are all traditional additions, similar to what you’ll see in Chilean and Argentine empanadas. I left the egg out of mine- not my favorite- but olives and raisins are worth trying if you like that sweet-savory contrast throughout the filling.

What Are Aji Amarillo and Aji Panca?

If you’ve never cooked with Peruvian peppers before, these two are worth understanding because they are not interchangeable, and much of this dish's flavor comes from using both.

Aji amarillo is a bright yellow-orange pepper with a fruity, slightly floral heat. It’s often described as the backbone of Peruvian cuisine, showing up in everything from ceviche to causa. It’s usually sold as a paste. I couldn’t find the paste for this recipe, only whole aji amarillo peppers packed in a can, so I used two whole peppers, diced them finely, and added them in place of the paste.

Aji panca is a dried, dark red pepper with a smoky, mild, almost raisin-like depth. It’s much milder than aji amarillo and adds color and richness rather than spice. Amarillo brings the heat and brightness, panca brings the smoke and body, and using only one instead of both will give you a noticeably flatter filling.

For the dough:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tbsp salt

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 3 oz cold butter

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 large egg yolk

For the filling:

• 1.5 lb top sirloin steak, finely chopped

• 1 small red onion, diced

• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp aji amarillo paste (or 2 whole canned aji amarillo peppers, finely diced)

• 1 1/2 tbsp aji panca

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 handful parsley, chopped

For assembly:

• 1 egg, for egg wash

• 3-4 Limes, for garnish

• 1 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting

Optional additions to the filling: hard-boiled egg quarters, olives, raisins

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There’s a specific kind of guilt that comes with having a parent who lives somewhere incredible and still not having tried a local specialty. My mom lives in Costa Rica; I’ve visited her more than once, and somehow, through all that pura vida, I have never once had an empanada arreglada.

So for this stop on the empanadas around the world series, I’m fixing that from my own kitchen first. Empanadas arreglada translates to “dressed up” empanada, and once you see what’s going on here, you’ll understand why. This isn’t simple dough and single filling meal. It’s a whole experience. The masa (dough) is made from cornmeal instead of wheat flour, with a shredded chicken filling built on achiote and Salsa Lizano, then cut open and stuffed with cabbage, mayo, ketchup, and a spicy pickled chilera piled right on top of the fried empanada like a taco. There’s so much flavor stacked into one dish, and wow oh wow is it fantastic.

What makes them different

A few things set empanadas arregladas apart from the empanadas we’ve covered elsewhere in this series:

• Salsa Lizano is non-negotiable. This tangy, slightly sweet, vegetable-based condiment shows up in both the dough and the filling. It’s Costa Rica’s answer to Worcestershire sauce, and it’s the ingredient that makes this dish unmistakably tico.

• The toppings are the point. Most empanadas are a self-contained bite. These get “arreglada” (dressed up) with cabbage slaw and a mayo-ketchup sauce piled on top after frying, so every bite has texture, acidity, and heat that contrast with the warm masa and chicken.

• The chilera. A quick-pickled mix of habanero, carrot, and onion in vinegar brings the heat and acid that cuts through the richness of everything else. It’s traditionally kept on the table in Costa Rican households.

The weeknight shortcut

If the idea of shaping and frying a dozen empanadas feels like a lot for a Tuesday, you don’t have to skip this one. The chicken filling and the chilera are good enough to eat on their own. Just make the filling, skip the masa entirely, and serve it over rice with a spoonful of the chilera on top.

Makes about 12 empanadas (2-inch dough balls)

For the dough

• 3 cups white pre-cooked cornmeal (masarepa)

• 2 1/2 cups water (reserved chicken broth, if you have it — see notes)

• Chicken bouillon, to taste

• Salt, to taste

• 1 tbsp salsa lizano

For the filling

• 2 lbs chicken breasts

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 white onion, diced

• 2 roma tomatoes, diced

• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp achiote paste (or 1 tbsp anatto powder)

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 4 tbsp salsa Lizano

• 1/2 cup reserved chicken broth

For the toppings

• 2 cups shredded cabbage

• 1/2 cup mayo mixed with 1/2 cup ketchup

• Optional: 1 tbsp chilera

For the chilera (spicy pickled vegetables)

• 1 whole carrot, thinly sliced

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 3–4 habanero peppers, tops cut off

• 2 cups vinegar (white or apple cider)

• 1 tsp oregano

• 2 bay leaves

• 4 garlic cloves, whole

• 1/2 tbsp salt

• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar

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I went out to eat recently and ordered a blackened chicken red curry alfredo off the menu, and walked away thinking the concept was genius BUT…the execution, unfortunately, left something to be desired. So naturally, I went home and made my own version, because the idea of red curry and Alfredo combined was too good not to redeem.

Quick note before we get into it: this is a decently spicy recipe (2.5/5 🌶️). If you can’t handle spice, this one is probably not for you. The blackening seasoning brings heat on its own and the red curry paste adds another layer on top of that. You can dial it back, but if heat genuinely isn’t your thing, skip this one.

For the curry side of this, I pulled from traditional red curry techniques but intentionally subdued it so it plays well with the cream and parmesan rather than fighting them. For example, there’s no fish sauce here because the parmesan is already bringing umami, and I didn’t want to overload the sauce. No lime leaves, no coconut milk; heavy cream takes its place instead. If you want to go explore an actually traditional Thai curry, I’ve got a full post on that, and you should absolutely check it out. This dish, though, is fusion done the way I think it should be done.

Serves 4

Blackened Chicken

• 2 lbs chicken breasts

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground thyme

• ½ tsp cayenne (omit for less heat)

Red Curry Alfredo

• 6 oz fettuccine noodles

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 1/4 cup diced white onion

• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

• 1/4 cup diced celery

• 1 tbsp garlic paste

• 1 tbsp ginger paste

• 3 tbsp red curry paste

• 1½ cups heavy cream

• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish

• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar

• reserved pasta water

• Thai basil, for garnish (optional)

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If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been on a run of easy weeknight dinners that don’t sacrifice flavor, and this one is simply impressive looking for the amount of effort it actually takes. This meal is harissa-spiced chicken quarters, baked until the skin is golden and caramelized, served over turmeric butter rice with an optional white garlic sauce, served family-style.

Harissa is a North African chili paste that I didn’t cook with until Cava got me hooked on it ages ago. If you’ve had their harissa chicken bowl, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s got this smoky, slightly floral heat that plays really well with Middle Eastern spices like cumin and coriander, and when you mix it into a butter-based marinade and rub it over chicken skin, it caramelizes in the oven into something so delicious. It’s become one of my favorite pastes to cook with, and this recipe is a great entry point if you’ve never used it before.

The rice is a simple turmeric butter rice that soaks up all the pan drippings when you serve everything together, and the white garlic sauce ties the whole plate together with a cool, tangy contrast to the heat of the harissa.

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Serves 4

Harissa Chicken

• 4 bone-in skin-on chicken leg quarters

• 3 tbsp harissa paste

• 1 tbsp Knorr chicken granulated bouillon

• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp dried parsley

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• Lemon slices, for topping

Turmeric Butter Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed

• 2½ cups water

• 1 tbsp Knorr chicken granulated bouillon

• ¾ tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

White Garlic Sauce

• 1 cup plain yogurt

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp dried mint (optional)

Garnish

• Fresh parsley, chopped

• Lemon wedges

Make the marinade

1. Pat your chicken quarters dry and season with salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin on all sides.

2. Combine harissa paste, chicken bouillon, lemon juice, and softened butter in a bowl. Mix until it comes together into a cohesive paste.

   The butter is helps the marinade adhere to the skin and it bastes the chicken from the outside as it melts in the oven, keeping the meat underneath moist while the skin crisps and caramelizes above it.

3. Rub the marinade generously all over the skin of each chicken quarter, making sure every surface is coated.

4. Lay lemon slices on top of each piece.

5. Let the chicken marinate for up to one hour for maximum flavor, or cook immediately if you’re short on time.

Bake the chicken

5. Preheat oven to 400°F.

6. Place the chicken quarters, skin-side up, in a greased baking dish or on a sheet pan, with the lemon slices on top.

7. Bake for 55 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and caramelized and the chicken is cooked through. The harissa butter will render and pool in the pan as it bakes. That sauce goes over everything when you serve.

Make the turmeric butter rice

8. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

9. Add the rinsed basmati rice and stir to coat in the butter. Toast for about 2 minutes until the rice smells slightly nutty.

10. Add water, bouillon, and turmeric. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

11. Drop to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Don’t lift the lid.

12. Remove from the heat and let the steamed dish cover for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Make the white garlic sauce

13. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add dried mint if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve

14. Spread the turmeric rice across a large serving platter. Lay the chicken quarters on top. Spoon the harissa butter pan drippings over the chicken and rice.

15. Drizzle white garlic sauce over your plate when serving. Finish with fresh parsley.

16. Serve family style straight from the platter.

My chicken skin isn’t caramelizing, it’s just browning. Make sure the chicken is skin-side up the entire bake and the oven is fully preheated before it goes in. If the skin still isn’t getting that deep color, switch to broil for the last 3-4 minutes and watch it closely.

My marinade isn’t sticking to the skin. Pat the chicken dry before rubbing the marinade on. Any surface moisture creates a barrier between the skin and the paste and prevents it from adhering properly.

My rice is mushy. It was either too much water or the lid came off during cooking. Stick to the 2½ cups for 2 cups of rice ratio and resist lifting the lid until the 20 minutes are up.

My white garlic sauce is too sharp. The garlic is overpowering the yogurt. Either reduce to one clove, let the sauce sit for 30 minutes so the lemon mellows the raw garlic, or use roasted garlic instead for a sweeter, softer flavor.

My pan drippings burned in the dish. The oven was too hot or the pan was too dry. If the drippings start to burn before the chicken is done, add a small splash of water to the pan to loosen them.

If you recreate this recipe at home, I would love to hear your feedback! 🫶🏼

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Welcome back to the 6th installment of making every empanada across Latin America, and today we’re doing a deep dive on Cubaaa. 🇨🇺 If you’ve been following this series, you already know every country brings something completely different to the table, and Cuba is no exception.

Cuban empanadas are fried, flaky, and stuffed with picadillo, a seasoned ground beef filling that is among the most beloved dishes in Latin American and Caribbean cooking. Picadillo originates in Spain, and versions of it can be found across Latin America, the Caribbean, and as far as the Philippines. The Cuban version is distinct for its combination of olives, olive juice, and raisins running through the beef, which gives you this layered flavor that’s savory, briny, slightly spiced, and a little sweet all at once.

Now…are the raisins optional? With my family growing up in Miami, I had Cuban empanadas constantly, and there is genuinely a divide between people who add raisins and people who absolutely do not. I was in the no-raisins camp for most of my life. I thought I just preferred the straight savory filling. But somewhere along the way, my palate caught up, and now I fully appreciate those little sweet bites against all that briny olive and spiced beef. I included them here because I think they make the filling more interesting, but you can leave them out, and it’s still a really excellent empanada.

Miami’s Little Havana has been turning out millions of these little pies for decades, and growing up around that food shaped how I understand Cuban flavors. This recipe is my version of what I grew up eating.

The dough here is different from the Chilean empanada we made in Part 5. With cold butter worked into the flour and fried instead of baked. The result is a flaky, crispy, golden shell that shatters a little when you bite into it.

Makes 12 empanadas

Empanada Dough

• 3 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1¼ tsp salt

• 2½ tsp cane sugar

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1⅔ cups water

Picadillo Filling

• 2 lbs ground beef

• ½ onion, diced

• ½ green bell pepper, diced

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1¾ tsp salt

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp oregano

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 4 tbsp tomato paste

• ¼ cup beef stock or water

• 6 green olives, chopped

• ¼ cup olive juice

• ½ cup raisins

For Frying

• 3 cups neutral oil

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Make the picadillo filling

1. Heat oil in a caldero or wide pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant.

4. Add the ground beef and break it up as it cooks until browned all over.

5. Add salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. Stir well to evenly coat the meat with the spices.

6. Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down.

7. Add the tomato paste and stir until fully incorporated into the beef mixture.

8. Pour in the beef stock or water and stir to bring everything together.

9. Let the filling simmer over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until the liquid has mostly absorbed and the filling is cohesive but not dry.

10. Fold in the chopped olives, olive juice, and raisins, then remove from the heat.

11. Let the filling cool completely before assembling. Hot filling will steam the dough from the inside, preventing it from frying up crispy.

Make the dough

12. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl, whisking until well combined.

13. Add the butter and work it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

    This is the same technique as making a pie crust. The small pieces of butter distributed throughout the flour create those flaky layers when the dough hits the hot oil.

14. Add the water gradually and mix until a dough comes together. It should be smooth and pliable but not sticky.

15. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

16. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, each about 70 grams.

Shape and fill

17. Working one at a time, roll each dough ball into as even a circle as possible, about ⅛ inch thick. If you want perfectly round circles, use a large cup or bowl to cut the shape.

18. Add 2½ tbsp of picadillo filling in the center of the circle.

19. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape.

20. Press the edges firmly together to seal. Then crimp all the way around with a fork, pressing down firmly at each point. The crimped seal is the traditional Cuban closure, and it also ensures no filling escapes into the oil.

Fry

21. Heat oil in a deep pan to 350°F.

22. Fry empanadas in batches of 3-4, leaving space between each one.

23. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway through, until deeply golden and crispy all over.

24. Drain on a wire rack and serve immediately.

My filling is too wet for assembling. It needed more time to reduce. The filling should hold its shape when scooped. If it’s still loose and saucy, keep simmering uncovered until the liquid has absorbed.

My empanadas are opening up in the oil. The seal wasn’t tight enough. Press the edges firmly together before crimping, and make sure the fork presses through both layers of dough at every point.

My dough is tough instead of flaky. The butter wasn’t worked in well enough, or the dough was overworked after the water was added. Work the butter in until you see coarse crumbs, then add any liquid and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.

My empanadas are greasy instead of crispy. The oil wasn’t hot enough. If the temperature drops too low between batches, the dough absorbs oil rather than crisping quickly. Let the oil return to 350°F between rounds, and fry in smaller batches.

I hope you try this recipe! Please tag me if you do!

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Welcome back to another installment of Empanadas Around Latin America, and today we are headed to Chile. 🇨🇱

If you’ve been following along, then you know every Latin American country has its own version, and every version tells you something about where it came from. Chile’s version might be the most historically interesting one yet.

A Brief History

The empanada made its way to Chile through Spanish colonizers, but the name “pino” actually comes from the Mapuche people, the indigenous community of Chile whose roots go back 2,000 years. The word pino is derived from the Mapuche word “pinu”, meaning pieces of cooked meat, and Mapuche cooks started making these empanadas during the Spanish conquest with the introduction of wheat and beef. So this dish is genuinely a collision of two cultures on one plate, and by the 1600s it was already mainstream in both communities. There is even a record of a Spanish soldier captured by the Mapuche in 1620 writing about being fed empanadas during his captivity. They were that embedded in daily life.

Today, empanadas de pino are the centerpiece of Fiestas Patrias, Chile’s Independence Day celebrations, and many Chilean families eat them every Sunday.

Now, Chile actually has two main styles of empanada. The empanada de pino is the baked version, made with wheat-flour dough, beef filling, hard-boiled egg, olives, and optional raisins, sealed with a distinctive folded closure and baked until golden. This is the version I’m covering today.

Then there’s the fried version, typically filled with cheese or seafood, and that one gets the crimped edge you might be more familiar with seeing on other Latin empanadas.

The closure on mine is that classic squared-off rectangular fold you can see in the photos. It’s a completely different technique from every other empanada we’ve made in this series.

Makes 12 empanadas

Filling (Pino)

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 whole onion, diced

• 2 tbsp oil

• ½ tsp cumin

• ½ tsp oregano

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1 cup beef stock

• 3 tbsp flour

Empanada Dough

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup water

• 3½ oz butter, melted

• ½ tbsp salt

• 1 egg

Assembly

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

• Black olives (optional)

• Raisins (optional)

• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

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I love working smarter, not harder, and this recipe is just that. One marinade, two completely different tacos, and dinner is handled in under 30 minutes. These chipotle chicken tacos came out of a partnership I did with Taco Bell for an IG reel, and the whole concept was bringing that Taco Bell flavor home with a from-scratch spin. The reel is on my page if you want to see it in action, but the full recipe lives here.

Two ways to eat this chicken. The first is a smashed cheesy street taco with a flour tortilla brushed with chipotle sauce, filled with cheese, pressed, and seared until the outside is golden and the cheese is melted into the chicken. Open it up and fill it with fresh pico. The second is a classic hard-shell taco, with Taco Bell’s crunchy, seasoned shells loaded with everything. Both are good. Having both on the table at once?? Even better for a full-fledged taco night.

This post is not sponsored. Just a recipe I made, loved, and wanted to share properly.

Serves 4

Chipotle Chicken

• 2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced thin

• ¼ cup chipotle sauce

• ¼ cup plain yogurt

• ¼ cup Taco Bell Fire Sauce

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

Pico de Gallo

• 3 roma tomatoes, diced

• ½ red onion, diced

• 1 handful cilantro, chopped

• 2 limes, juiced

• Pinch of salt

Smashed Cheesy Street Tacos

• Flour tortillas

• Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, shredded

• Chipotle sauce, for brushing

• Pico de gallo

Hard Shell Tacos

• Hard taco shells

• Shredded lettuce

• Pico de gallo

• Taco Bell Chipotle Creamy Sauce (or chipotle mayo)

• Lime

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Make the pico de gallo

1. Combine diced tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro in a bowl.

2. Squeeze in lime juice and add a pinch of salt.

3. Toss well and set aside. The longer it sits, the better it gets, so make this first.

Marinate and cook the chicken

4. Slice chicken breasts in half.

5. In a bowl, combine chipotle sauce, yogurt, fire sauce, and all the seasonings. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is fully coated.

6. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes while you prep everything else. If you have more time, 30 minutes gets you a deeper flavor.

7. Heat a pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, drizzling in a little oil until it shimmers.

8. Sear the chicken in batches; don’t crowd the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and slightly charred at the edges.

9. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before cubing. Resting lets the juices redistribute back into the meat instead of running out the second you cut into it.

10. Cube the chicken and set aside. This same chicken goes into both tacos.

Make the smashed cheesy street tacos

11. Brush one side of a flour tortilla with chipotle sauce.

12. Place the tortilla sauce-side down in a hot pan over medium heat.

13. Add a handful of shredded cheese and a scoop of cubed chicken to one half of the tortilla.

14. Fold the tortilla over and press down firmly with a spatula.

15. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until the outside is golden and crispy and the cheese is fully melted.

16. Open the taco and fill with pico de gallo. Serve immediately.

Build the hard shell tacos

17. Fill each crunchy shell with cubed chicken.

18. Top with shredded lettuce and pico de gallo.

19. Drizzle with Taco Bell Chipotle Creamy Sauce or Chipotle Mayo, and a few dashes of hot sauce.

20. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.

My chicken is dry. It was either cooked too long or the slices were too thick. Thin slices cook fast, so 3-4 minutes per side is usually enough. Pull them as soon as they’re cooked through and always let them rest before cutting.

My smashed taco isn’t getting crispy. The pan wasn’t hot enough, or there wasn’t enough pressure when pressing. Make sure the pan is properly preheated before adding the tortilla, and press it down firmly with a flat spatula.

My cheese isn’t melting before the tortilla burns. Cover the pan with a lid for the first minute or two. The trapped steam melts the cheese faster without over-toasting the outside.

If you recreate this recipe at home, I would love to hear your feedback! 🫶🏼

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You all went crazy for the Lebanese Spiced Sticky Garlic Thighs, and that told me everything I needed to know. I need to be pumping out more easy, accessible, weeknight recipes that still bring real flavor and introduce you to something new. That’s what we’re doing here, so consider this the next installment.

This one came together completely by accident. I was throwing together ingredients I already had on hand and ended up with a stir-fry glaze that is genuinely one of the better things I’ve made recently.

The secret weapons are white miso paste and Chinese black vinegar. The miso brings this deep, savory umami backbone that makes the sauce taste like it took way longer than it did. The black vinegar adds a mellow tartness and a slight smokiness, rounding out all that soy and honey. Together, they make a glaze that is sticky, complex, and delicious.

So enjoy this one-pan, thirty-minute meal with ingredients that are affordable pantry staples worth keeping stocked.

Serves 4

Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

• White pepper

Spicy Soy Glaze

• ⅓ cup soy sauce

• ¼ cup oyster sauce

• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (optional but recommended)

• ½ tbsp garlic paste

• ½ tbsp ginger paste

• 2 tbsp white miso paste

• 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar

• ¼ cup honey

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 3 tbsp water

Noodles

• 8 oz stir-fry noodles of choice

• Green onion, for garnish

On the noodles

I used Momofuku Goods Spicy Soy Noodles. A pack of 4 runs about $10, which works out to $2.50 a serving, and they are worth every penny. But you have options here. Any stir-fry egg noodles work great. And if you want the most budget-friendly version possible, a $1 box of spaghetti tossed in the leftover pan sauce after you remove the chicken is genuinely delicious. There will be plenty of sauce left in the pan to coat a full portion of pasta.

You can also turn this into a full stir-fry. Slice the raw chicken, cook it in a wok, add your cooked noodles, pour in the glaze with the cornstarch slurry, and toss everything together over high heat until the sauce clings to every strand. Either way works.

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Make the glaze

1. Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, garlic paste, ginger paste, miso paste, black vinegar, and honey in a bowl until fully combined.

2. In a small, separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with water into a slurry and set aside. This goes in at the end, not now.

Sear the chicken

3. Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with white pepper only.

4. Heat oil in a pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

5. Place thighs presentation-side down and leave them alone for 6.5 minutes. Don’t move them. The chicken releases naturally from the pan once the crust has set. If it pulls when you try to lift it, it’s not ready.

6. Flip the thighs. Pour the glaze around the chicken, not directly over it, so the crust stays intact.

7. Cook for another 6.5 minutes, letting the glaze reduce and caramelize around the chicken.

8. In the last minute, pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir it into the sauce around the chicken. The sauce will thicken quickly into a glossy, sticky glaze. Pull it off the heat as soon as it coats the back of a spoon. Cornstarch continues to thicken as it cools, and you don’t want it gummy.

9. Remove the chicken and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Cook the noodles

10. Cook your noodles according to the package instructions, then drain.

To serve

11. Plate noodles and lay sliced chicken on top. Spoon any remaining pan sauce over everything. Finish with sliced green onion.

My sauce burned before the chicken cooked through. The heat was too high once the glaze went in. The honey and miso both have sugar content that scorches fast. Drop to medium as soon as the glaze hits the pan.

My cornstarch sauce is gummy. It over-reduced, or too much cornstarch was added. Add a splash of water and stir over low heat to loosen it.

My chicken isn’t browning, it’s steaming. The thighs weren’t dry enough before hitting the pan, or the pan wasn’t hot enough. Pat them until the surface feels almost tacky and make sure the oil is shimmering before anything goes in.

My glaze is too salty. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and miso are all high in sodium on their own. If the balance feels off, add a little more honey to pull the sweetness forward and balance it out.

If you recreate this recipe at home, I would love to hear your feedback! 🫶🏼

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Ropa vieja is one of my all-time favorite meals, and I genuinely cannot believe I don’t already have a recipe up for it here. So here it is, finally. This is a Cuban classic made my way, from years of my family living in Miami, and how my mom likes to prepare it. It’s flank steak braised low and slow with sofrito, citrus, tomato sauce, and enough seasoning to make your whole kitchen smell amazinggg.

And then I wanted to do something fun with it. I was at a restaurant recently and had chorizo mac and cheese egg rolls, and they were incredible. It really solidified for me that you can stuff anything into an egg roll wrapper and deep-fry it into something indulgent and delicious. So naturally, ropa vieja with melty mozzarella was a no-brainer.

So this post is two things. A proper ropa vieja recipe that stands completely on its own, that you can serve over white rice, and that’s dinner for the week. And a fun, crispy, cheesy egg roll situation with a cilantro ranch that you’ll want to put on everything.

Also, the ropa vieja recipe is available as a downloadable PDF recipe card at the bottom of this post, so you can save it and come back to it whenever.

Ropa Vieja (Serves 6)

• 2 lbs flank steak

• 1 onion, ½ for broth and ½ sliced for stew

• ½ red bell pepper, sliced

• ½ green bell pepper, sliced

• 1 beef bouillon cube

• 10 garlic cloves, 7 for broth and 3 minced for stew

• 1 1/2 tbsp adobo, 1 tbsp for broth, and 1/2 tbsp for stew

• 1 tbsp sazón

• 3 tbsp sofrito

• 16 oz tomato sauce

• 16 oz water

• ½ tsp oregano

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp onion powder

• Juice of 1 orange

• Juice of 1 lime

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Egg Rolls — Makes 12

• 12 egg roll wrappers

• Shredded ropa vieja

• Mozzarella cheese, shredded

• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

• 3 cups neutral oil for frying

Cilantro Ranch

• ½ cup mayo

• ⅔ cup sour cream

• ¼ cup buttermilk

• 2 tbsp ranch seasoning

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 cup cilantro

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This year, I’ve been making a whole lot of cheesecakes as part of a personal challenge to make every single cheesecake flavor from the Cheesecake Factory. I’ve done three so far, all of which are in the recipe archive. Today, I'll be taking you through how to tackle the Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake.

My version is quite the success in comparison to the real deal, and the fun thing about this dessert is that you don’t have to assemble the whole thing. Per the Cheesecake Factory website, this cake is described as raspberry-vanilla Cake, creamy lemon cheesecake, raspberry lady fingers, and lemon mousse. These are prepped as three distinct layers that can be enjoyed on their own or stacked to make the Ultimate Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake.

I, for one, will be making this vanilla-raspberry cake again, on its own as a sheet cake, with lemon cream cheese frosting. Either way, whether you choose to enjoy components separately or put them all together, you’ll have a yummy spring dessert to dig into.

Raspberry Sauce

• 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 4 tbsp water

Raspberry Simple Syrup

• 1/4 cup reserved raspberry sauce

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 12 lady fingers

Vanilla Raspberry Cake Layer

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• ¾ tbsp vanilla extract

• 1⅞ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ tbsp baking powder

• ¾ tsp salt

• ¾ cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup raspberry sauce

Lemon Cheesecake

• 16oz cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 3 tbsp sour cream

• ½ tbsp vanilla extract

• ⅛ tsp salt

• 2 whole eggs

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 lemon, juiced

Lemon Mousse

• 2 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 10g gelatin bloomed with 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 lemon, zested

Whipped Cream

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

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Make the raspberry sauce

1. Blend raspberries into a puree, then add to a pot with sugar and lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Stir and cook down until the berries have broken apart and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 8-10 minutes.

3. Add the corn starch slurry and let it thicken for 2-3 more minutes.

4. Press through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

5. Set aside ¼ cup of the strained sauce for the simple syrup. Let the rest cool completely before using.

Make the raspberry simple syrup

5. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.

6. Remove from heat and stir in the reserved ¼ cup of raspberry sauce.

7. Let cool completely before using. The syrup needs to be fully cooled so the ladyfingers absorb it without going soggy on contact.

Make the vanilla raspberry cake

8. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

9. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

10. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.

11. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

12. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

13. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

14. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of raspberry sauce over the top and swirl gently with a skewer or toothpick. Keep the swirls loose with distinct raspberry ribbons.

15. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean. Avoid testing in the swirled areas since the sauce stays wet.

16. Cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate overnight.

Make the lemon cheesecake with raspberry ladyfingers

17. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom.

18. Dip each ladyfinger into the cooled raspberry simple syrup, about 2-3 seconds per side. You want them soaked through but not falling apart.

19. Arrange ladyfingers in a single layer across the bottom of the pan.

20. Beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until completely smooth with no lumps.

21. Add sour cream, vanilla, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.

22. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each one disappears into the batter. Once the eggs are in, stop mixing. Overworking the batter after the eggs go in incorporates too much air, which causes cracking and a sunken top as the cheesecake cools.

23. Pour the batter over the ladyfingers.

24. Swirl a few spoonfuls of raspberry sauce over the top. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.

25. Bake in a water bath at 325°F for 50 minutes until the edges are set, and the center has a gentle jiggle.

26. Turn the oven off, crack the door, and let the cheesecake cool inside for one hour.

27. Transfer to the counter to cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Make the lemon mousse

28. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and a splash of vanilla together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.

29. Whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 90°F, thickens slightly, and turns pale yellow.

30. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved.

31. Set aside to cool until just barely warm to the touch.

32. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with lemon zest to soft peaks.

33. Gently fold the cooled egg yolk mixture into the whipped cream in 2 or 3 additions, until just combined. Work gently to keep as much air in the cream as possible.

34. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Assemble

35. Release the vanilla cake from its springform pan and peel off the parchment paper. Place it on your serving plate or cake board.

36. Remove the cheesecake from its springform pan and peel off the parchment paper from the bottom.

37. Carefully flip the cheesecake onto one hand so the ladyfingers face up, then flip it again to place it right-side down on the vanilla cake. The ladyfingers go down, so the smooth top of the cheesecake faces up, giving you a clean surface for the mousse.

38. Place the springform ring back around the assembled cake, lining it up as closely as possible. Leave the top open. This is your mold. Without a pastry ring, the mousse won't slide off the sides as it sets.

39. Spoon the lemon mousse in and smooth to the brim with an offset spatula.

40. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the mousse is fully set.

41. Release and remove the springform ring. The mousse should hold its shape cleanly along the sides.

Make the whipped cream

42. Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until firm peaks form. Pipe or dollop alongside each slice when serving.

43. Add a generous spoonful of reserved raspberry sauce drizzled over the top.

My ladyfingers turned to mush. Quick dip only — 2-3 seconds per side is all they need. The cheesecake batter continues to hydrate them from above as it bakes so they don’t need to be fully saturated going in.

My cheesecake cracked. Three usual culprits: the oven was too hot, the batter was overmixed after the eggs went in, or it cooled too fast. Make sure the water bath has enough water throughout the bake, mix minimally once the eggs are added, and always let it cool gradually in the oven with the door cracked before moving it.

My mousse slid off the sides during assembly. Either the springform ring wasn’t snug enough around the cake, or the mousse wasn’t cold enough before you added it. Make sure the ring is secured as tightly as possible and that the mousse has been refrigerated and is thick before spooning it in.

My raspberry sauce is too thin. Cook it down longer before straining. It should coat the back of a spoon before you pull it off the heat.

My gelatin set unevenly in the mousse, leaving rubbery streaks. The gelatin was still too warm or too cold when it hit the whipped cream. It needs to be just barely warm and fluid enough to fold in smoothly, but not hot enough to deflate the cream or cold enough to seize on contact.

I hope you try this recipe! Please tag me if you do!

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So in Latin America, there’s flan. The traditional sweet, jiggly custard with glossy caramel on top we all know and love. And then there’s the chocoflan, a.k.a. “The Impossible Cake,” which is a layer of flan baked on top of a chocolate cake. But I have quite literally never in my life seen chocolate flavor baked INTO a flan. At least not until now, because I’ve just made it.

This is a bonus recipe of the week because it was kind of out of my content and recipe plan, but I was so intrigued by this dessert idea that I had to bring it to life. And spoiler alert - it was a success!

Which is why this recipe is now in your inbox. This is a creamy flan de queso infused with chocolate in two ways. It’s still very much true to the traditional dessert, but the chocolate flavor profile absolutely comes through.

• 1 cup sugar

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 4 oz of chocolate, melted

• 4 whole large eggs, room temp

• 12 oz sweetened condensed milk

• 16 oz evaporated milk

• 2 tbsp dutch-processed cocoa powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Here’s a link to the pan I baked it in.

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Bloom the cocoa

1. Pour the evaporated milk into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the Dutch-process cocoa powder and heat, stirring constantly, just until the cocoa is fully dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and uniform. Cocoa powder is hydrophobic, meaning it actively resists absorbing liquid at room temperature. A little heat breaks that resistance and allows the cocoa to fully incorporate into the milk the same way it does when you make chocolate milk on the stovetop. Don’t bring it to a boil, just warm enough to combine. Set aside and let it cool completely before it goes into the blender.

Melt the chocolate

2. Melt your chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler or in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. You want it fluid enough to blend but not warm enough to scramble the eggs when everything comes together.

Make the caramel

3. Add the sugar to a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt undisturbed until the edges start to liquefy, then gently swirl the pan to encourage even melting. Once it turns a deep amber color, immediately pour it into your 9-inch pan and tilt to coat the bottom evenly. Work fast because the caramel sets quickly.

Blend and strain

4. Add the cream cheese, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cooled cocoa-infused evaporated milk, melted chocolate, and vanilla to a blender. Blend until completely smooth with no cream cheese lumps remaining. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve directly into the caramel-lined pan. The sieve catches any bits of unblended egg or cream cheese that made it through, giving you that silky, clean flan texture.

Bake

5. Place the flan pan inside a larger roasting pan. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the flan pan. The water bath keeps the oven environment humid and regulates the heat around the flan so the eggs set gently and evenly rather than curdling from direct heat. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle to it.

6. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight if you can. The flan needs to be fully chilled before you flip it or the caramel won’t release cleanly. Run a thin knife around the edge, place your serving plate on top, and flip in one confident motion.

My flan has bubbles on the surface. The blender incorporated too much air into the batter. Let the blended mixture rest for 10 minutes before straining and pouring, so the bubbles can settle out. Running it through the sieve also helps.

My caramel hardened before I could coat the pan. It set too fast. Next time lower the heat on the pan to keep it warm enough to not melt until you’re ready to pour. You can always re-heat the pan or baking pan to melt the sugar again.

My flan cracked on top. The oven was too hot or the water bath ran dry. Check the water level halfway through baking and add more hot water if needed.

My flan didn’t release cleanly when I flipped it. It wasn’t chilled long enough. Give it the full overnight in the fridge and make sure you run the knife all the way around the edge before flipping.

If you recreate this recipe at home, I would love to hear your feedback! 🫶🏼

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If you’ve been following my Platano 101 series, you already know I’m on a mission to show you every single way to cook a plantain, and tostones rellenos is a classic we’ve yet to dive into. Tostones rellenos translates to “stuffed tostones,” so we’re taking classic tostones and turning them into crispy little cups stuffed with chicken ropa vieja, and the whole thing comes together simpler than you’d think.

This is technically two recipes in one post, and the chicken ropa vieja alone is worth making on repeat. High protein, macro-friendly, genuinely flavorful, and the leftovers go crazy over white rice. I love it when I can just make dinner once, and be set up for the rest of the week, don’t you?? So definitely feel free to double-batch this recipe!

Caribbean cooking is where I live, and this dish is exactly that. Sofrito base, triple citrus, and plantains done right.

Tostones (Makes 12 cups)

• 4 green plantains

• Oil for frying

• Salt, for finishing

• Muffin pan

• Parchment paper, cut into small squares

• Molcajete smasher or something similar to press

Chicken Ropa Vieja

• 2 lbs chicken breasts

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• ½ white onion, sliced

• 1 bell pepper, sliced

• 2 tbsp sofrito

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tbsp sazón

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tbsp adobo

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp cumin

• 12 oz tomato sauce

• ½ cup reserved chicken broth

• 1 orange, juiced

• 1 lime, juiced

• 1 lemon, juiced

• Cilantro, for garnish

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