Creamy, comforting and cheesy: Salon Food's 10 most popular recipes of 2022

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Food is, as often noted, quite subjective. However, in 2022 readers of Salon Food definitely seemed to gravitate towards certain kinds of food. Dishes that are creamy, comforting, cheesy, quick and easy reign supreme on the list of our most popular recipes for the year.

As such, we hope this roundup of our ten most popular recipes will inspire you — giving you ideas for what to make tonight, what to make on your birthday, what to make for your significant other or, maybe, what to send to a friend and say, “Hey, want to make this for me?”

Who knows, whipping up one of these recipes, either alone or with family, friends or loved ones, might even boost your mental health. No matter how you utilize this list, though, we can guarantee that these recipes are really, really fantastic.

While some still get spooked about making steak at home, it really couldn’t be easier. There’s no need to be intimidated and here, Mary Elizabeth Williams shows us exactly how and why.

Don’t schlep to a steakhouse and dole out inexplicable amounts of money when you can just dole out (a still considerable amount of money) for a steak, bring it home and cook it yourself. Here, Williams opts for a stovetop steak meal and gives you all the tips and tricks to make sure that this technique serves you well, including an easy-as-pie pan sauce to really elevate the meal.

Pair this steak with some of the other Williams’ recipes on this list and you’ll have an amazing meal on the table before you know it.

As columnist Maggie Hennessy notes, this dish represents a “savory, stewed comfort” which is “the perfect companion on a bitter winter night.” As she states, her grandmother’s recipe actually went “viral” back in 2013 and it’s no surprise as to why.

Hennessy’s German grandmother’s ingenuity clearly comes through in this quintessential comfort dish. The cabbage is stuffed with rice, beef, bacon and some other ingredients; the assembled leaves are then gently cooked in a bubbling mixture of sauerkraut and tomato sauce — to which I can personally attest is a particularly exquisite combination.

Wondering what to make on an especially cold night? You may have just found it.

Developed by yours truly, this recipe is in line with the classic tetrazzinis of yore. Nothing special is going on here, but you wind up with a sizable dish that you pull out of the oven, bubbling and piping hot and offering something for everyone. No matter if you go for chicken or turkey, Parmesan or pecorino, or baby bellas or white button, this dish is a winner.

There’s some kind of synchronicity when it comes to a recipe like this, which is comprised of many different components that all eventually fuse together to make a terrific, filling comfort food that can fill up the whole family — and still leave lots of leftovers.

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This dish is arguably lighter than anything else on this list, but perhaps the most outright craveable?

Comprised of nuts, ramen noodles, lettuce, broccoli, a sweet and sour dressing and some other welcome inclusions, this crispy-crunchy salad is a perfect amalgamation of textures, consistencies, flavors and colors. Columnist Bibi Hutchings notes that her Grammy made this dish, which Hutchings calls an “avant grade salad.” Hutchings notes that this dressing “makes the salad … but it’s strong,” so be sure to use sparingly if you’re not a fan of more aggressively dressed salads.

Clearly, it’s been a hit in the writer’s family for over 30 years for a good reason.

As she discuses here, Mary Elizabeth Williams is not a fan of “vegetarian meats,” and when she has a hankering to eat a plant-based meal, she’ll almost always opt for a gussied up whole vegetable than any sort of frozen soy patty.

In this recipe, Williams goes simple, making a sweet potato for one that is dressed up with nothing but olive oil, salt, pepper and crispy, crunchy coconut chips. The cook time might seem a bit much, but that just helps the sweet potato itself get dense, rich and velvety. There may be nothing better to make on a cold night when you think there is “nothing in the house” to cook.

You’ll be stunned by what you’re able to accomplish with nothing more than heat, time and a sweet potato.

Fun fact about me: I will always and forever opt for onion rings over French fries. Here, Mary Elizabeth Williams’ truly superb onion ring rendition shows precisely why. Piping hot, crispy as all get out and with a tender ring of onion inside, this simple recipe embodies all that is good about a properly made onion ring. Williams uses pancake mix and beer to bolster the crispness of the rings, along with some additional flavor notes like paprika, chili powder, chipotle powder and, if you like, hot sauce.

Read more What Temp Is Lasagna Done?

Forget serving as a side or an accompaniment — these are too good to be relegated to the side dish status.

This headline alone might make you hungry and ready for a hot potato instantaneously. Deputy Food Editor Ashlie Stevens’ hot, oven-baked potatoes are scooped out, mixed with a mix of mascarpone, cheddar, chives and salt and pepper, before being added back into the potato skins (or “jackets,” as she calls them) before being finished in the oven. If you’re not familiar with mascarpone, prepare to meet your new favorite ingredient; it’s a decadent Italian cream cheese that is equally at home in a savory dish like this or in a sweet dessert, such as the Italian classic tiramisu.

An incredible side dish — or, conversely, an amazing vegetarian main dish — this recipe produces arguably the best baked potato dish you’ve ever had. The best part? It requires minimal ingredients and is super simple. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Ashlie Stevens’ genius combination of three unexpected ingredients make for a terrific quick marinade that you’ll make again and again. No matter if you’re grilling, roasting, sautéing, or broiling, any chicken marinaded with this flavor bomb will be an absolute hit. Beyond that, you don’t need to only use chicken; as Stevens notes, “salmon, extra-firm tofu, spicy Italian sausage and crispy chickpeas” could also all work.

She continues to say that the beer helps to “break down tough fibers in meat and prevent them from drying out.” Feel free to use a non-alcoholic option if you’re not consuming alcohol and of course, feel comfortable swapping ingredients (or adding others) for extra bursts of flavor or color.

This dish swaps egg noodles — the standard casserole noodle — for rigatoni, which is then mixed with shredded rotisserie chicken, a rich sauce made without any “canned cream-of-whatever soup,” and finished with a crispy Panko topping. Casseroles are an automatic go-to for so many in the colder months and Ashlie Stevens capitalizes on that inherent caving with this rich, heavy casserole that is equal parts filling and comforting. She also includes some frozen vegetables for color, convenience and flavor.

The victor! This fragrant, crispy, classic accouterment — which is welcome alongside anything from lasagna to something entirely non-Italian or Italian American — takes the number-one spot. Garlic bread can be tricky; it can get soggy, overpowered by garlic, or burnt in an intense broiler, but when it’s made properly — it’s unbeatable. Here, senior writer Mary Elizabeth Williams amps up the classic with an unexpected ingredient that adds a sharp, bright note that will both mystify and satisfy.

Not consuming dairy? Feel free to swap with a fruity, slightly bitter high-quality extra virgin olive oil and don’t forget lots of chopped parsley for color and flavor. Also, let’s be honest: if you are eating dairy, a host of mozzarella is also always welcome. You can also use various breads for a proper vehicle, including baguettes, Italian bread, French bread or any sort of long, crusty loaf.

Curious about the secret ingredient? No spoilers here: you’re going to have to read the original recipe to find that one out.

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Brian Danny Max

I’m Brian Danny Max, a chef and a writer at cookingtom.com. I’m here to talk about food and cooking, and to share some of my favorite recipes with you all! I’ve been interested in food and cooking since I was a child. My parents are both great cooks, and they taught me a lot about the kitchen. I’ve been cooking professionally for about 10 years now, and I’ve loved every minute of it! I specialize in healthy, flavorful recipes that are easy to make at home. I believe that anyone can cook a delicious meal, no matter their skill level. I’m here to help you learn how to cook, and to show you that it’s not as difficult as you might think! I hope you’ll check out my blog and my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!