We were laying tile in our home all day, and I didn't want to cook dinner, so started this in the morning and cooked some curly noodles to go with it at dinnertime. I took note of other reviewers who commented on the saltiness and used Italian spices instead of the salad dressing. After tasting it, I thought it was still salty, so didn't salt the noodles during cooking. That took care of the salt problem. I didn't feel like making a salad, so I nuked some mixed veg and added them to the sauce. It is certainly easy and filling, but nothing to write home about. Hubs said it reminded him of chicken pot pie. I thought it tasted like dressed-up canned cream of chicken soup.

5 Stars for re-purposing leftover buns, which is genius (why didn't *I* think of it?), and very tasty. -1 star for the basil, which didn't strike the right note for me. Next time I'll double the butter and use fresh parsley instead. That should elevate this lovely recipe to 5 stars. Still, simply brilliant, KYCooky, thanks!

Finally, Sloppy Joes that are as easy to make as they are to eat! I admit I was skeptical, but it was a long day and I really didn't want to do all my usual prep work for Sloppy Joes. Alissa to the rescue! I made this exactly as written, and OMG, it was good. I admit to liberal sampling while I waited for the liquid to simmer down. I wouldn't change a thing, except perhaps adding some diced peppers next time. But really, that would just be showing off. The recipe was a hit as written, and in about an hour from now I'll clean the kitchen by licking the leftovers from the skillet!

I've been making my own tortilla chips this way for almost 20 years. Everyone agrees, they're the best! I usually make these for a crowd, using 3-6 dozen tortillas. When they're done, I dump them into a paper grocery bag, add salt and shake, shake, shake! They're labor-intensive, for sure, but so very worth the effort. If making ahead, undercook them just a bit, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 300º oven for 10 minutes. One tip; add a small amount of salt and taste them with the salsa you'll be serving. Salty salsa + salty chips can be too much!

Junk food as it was meant to be! If you've ever had queso dip at Chili's, this is pretty much it. This has been my go to Fritos dip for many years. I sub fresh salsa for the picante or make the picante from scratch (don't like jarred salsas). Ro-Tel will also work, but it's not quite the same. It can be made in the microwave or on the stovetop, too, and its all good. Try it with Fritos or Tostitos Scoops, most tortilla chips won't stand up to it.

Finally, a traditional meatloaf that's oh-so-GOOD! This is the recipe I've waited 30 years to find. I didn't have the soup mix, so faked it with dried minced onions and some beef bouillon. Because I'm gluten free, I used corn flake crumbs for the crackers. Everything else as written. I made 2 mini-loaves on a foil-lined pan and baked it in my toaster oven at 350º for 45 minutes. So very, very tasty, especially with the beef gravy I made and Chef John's mashed potatoes. With fresh peas for green stuff, this was the ideal comfort meal for a cold spring evening. If you've given up on ever finding a traditional meatloaf that wasn't bland, bland, bland, well baby, your ship has come in!

To the "reviewers" who complain about tilapia based not on this recipe but on it's diet, let me give you some other garbage eaters to avoid - catfish, shrimp, all the bivalves, abalone... getting the idea? Anyway, on to the recipe. I drizzled olive oil into the crumb coating and let the fish rest for about 15 minutes to make sure the crumbs would adhere during baking (I always do this, it really helps!). Wonderful!

Where has this been all my life? 4 ears of corn cooked perfectly in 12 minutes in my 1100w microwave. I laid them side by side on the turntable, cooked for 6 minutes, then swapped inner and outer ears for the remaining 6 minutes. The next night we had 3 ears left, cooked them for 12 minutes also, and once again achieved perfection. What a great way to free up space on the grill!

Taco night or pizza night? Stand your ground and have BOTH! I've made this twice and liked it both times. The first time I followed the recipe exactly, using Seasoning For Tacos (AR recipe) and an Against The Grain pizza shell. It was very good, but I thought the beans could be a little more saucy, so the next time I used the same seasoning and crust, but mixed some of my homemade picante sauce with the beans, then spread them together on the crust, omitting the extra work of prepping the sauce. Faster and even better!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways - shredded for tacos, sliced for fajitas, served whole over rice. No matter how it's served, picante chicken is the bomb! I rub the chicken with Seasoning for Tacos (found here on AR) for a lot of extra flavor (and a 5th star). It can be made spicier with the addition of diced fresh jalapeños, so yummy. I make it in the slow cooker with frozen chicken, nothing could be simpler. Pork loin or tenderloin is a delicious alternative.

I've never had a cottage pie that I liked, they're always too bland, but made this one tonight on a whim, just because CJ hardly ever disappoints. I used ground beef and mixed veg, omitting rosemary and cinnamon, as they seemed more suited to lamb than beef. After tasting the beef mix, I wanted to boost the beefy flavor, so added 2 teaspoons beef base. Perfect flavor! I was worried that the beef mix was too thick, but after baking it was just right. I might add more cheese to the potatoes next time, or even toss some in with the beef. The bones of this recipe are great, producing a perfect pie that holds together but isn't dry at all. It could be easily adapted to other cuisines, using Mexican spices and topping with cornbread, or using soy sauce, Hoisin sauce and wasabi mashed potatoes for Asian flair. Finally, a really, really good gluten-free casserole! Thanks, Chef. And thanks for a new trick to remove oil from ground meat. I'll never try to drain hot oil again!

Not a hit. The ham was dry, and we really couldn't taste the glaze at all. This would need a lot of tweaking to make it work for us.

Easy, sure, but not all that quick. With 3 microwave cycles plus grilling, that's a lot of tending for potatoes. They came out too dry and very bland. Perhaps a heavier hand with the salt would have helped. Quartering small potatoes, tossing in evoo, salt, pepper and herbs of choice then roasting in a grill basket is just as fast/easy and yields better results. It seems like a good concept, but I won't be making these again.

This was good, and close to authentic jerk flavor. I used habaneros, as written, but think it would be better with scotch bonnet peppers. Served with simple baked sweet potatoes topped with butter, salt and pepper, and a classic carrot-pineapple raisin salad with a pineapple-maple vinaigrette. Our pork cooked up just a tiny bit dry (we normally grill the tenderloin whole) so I spooned a bit of the vinaigrette over it. Nice!

First, let me state that I hate oven fries. Most are a pale imitation of french fries and just not worth the effort. These are not like the others. They're super easy and quite tasty. I'm a french fry purist so only used salt to season, along with the oil and sugar. The flavor is spot-on french fry, no sugar flavor at all. I cut mine into batons and some came out tough on the outside. All of them were creamy on the inside, like a good fry should be. I'll keep playing with the cooking time to get the outside perfect. If I can do that consistently, I'll rate this 5 stars. I served them alongside Crispy Fish Filets (AR recipe). The fish cook so fast that there isn't time to mind another dish at the same time. I really appreciated being able to stick these fries in the oven and set the time. Fish, fries and no stress, it doesn't get much better!

I made this for the Redskins vs Seahawks wildcard game, and it did come together nicely, but it was deemed a bit bland. Most of my guests added some of the fresh diced jalapeño I had sitting beside it. It was nice and creamy when freshly made right before the game, but by half-time it was grainy and just awful, after sitting in a 2-qt slow cooker on "warm". Not one I'll make again, a rare miss from Chef John.

Very good as written, better than most restaurant fare, yet still needed a little something to really make it sing. I added 1/8 teaspoon cumin to increase the Mexican profile, and a splash of lime juice for zing. The cilantro went in right before serving to keep it's flavor bright. I garnished each serving with queso fresco for flair. Result? The Best Black Beans!

This is my husband's must-have-it holiday dish. I thought to omit it this year in my attempt to pare down the menu and was told NO! Perfect as written and keeps well in the fridge right up to Christmas. Even though we love cooked cranberry sauce, we always make this one, too. So good as a salsa with turkey. Do yourself a favor and try it!

Love, love, love it! I served this as a side with beef enchiladas and a salad. I was shocked to find just before dinner that I was out of masa harina, so took a chance and used GF Bisquik. No worries! It was perfect. I followed MCKARIN's method and nuked it. My microwave may have higher wattage (or maybe it was the Bisquik) but I did have to add more milk to keep it from getting too dry. So simple, so tasty, even with my major error. Winner!

Delicious! Made as written, only reserving one can of beans and pureeing the rest of the ingredients in the pot with my immersion blender. This could not be a more simple recipe. I used salsa from a jar that my husband bought for (gag!) $9 at a local produce stand. Nasty stuff with chips, but I knew I could use it in a recipe. It worked perfectly in this one. I cranked the heat to medium-high and it was all ready in 10 minutes, start to finish. Served with cheese quesadillas for a complete meal. I'm on the fence about adding sautéed onions/garlic next time. I'm not sure they're necessary, given the extra work. I'm also considering amping up the nutrition with the addition of diced red peppers and jalapeños. Delicious as is, and easy to play with, too. Try it!