17 Sleeper Hit Recipes You May Have Forgotten About—But We Didn’t
It’s like looking through an old high school yearbook, or a photo album that’s dedicated to only prom. All dressed up and yet where are you going?! Deep in the Bon Appétit recipe archives, photos are blurry and low-resolution, oddly cropped thanks to years of website redesign, or propped out with random toys and objets that must have seemed like a good idea...at the time. When readers search for recipes, they might pass up these as relics from another time. 2014—the stone ages! But according to my sources coming from inside the house, these recipes are sleeper hits: tried and true, delicious dishes that we still make today. And so should you.
1/17Pan-Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Almonds
Emma Wartzman was the first to respond. She was very eager to remind the world of this pixelated (on desktop) chicken recipe that’s got everything going for it: “The carrots get all glazed in honey and chicken fat, the almonds get oily and crunchy, and crispy chicken skin is crispy chicken skin.” We publish a LOT of chicken recipes (for a reason, they’re the best), so why would someone want to make this one from 2013? Because it’s FANTASTIC, she exclaimed.
2/17Creamy Tomato Soup
Now a forbidden photography angle, the 45 degree angled shot is on full glorious display in this 2012 tomato soup recipe that Emily Schultz swears by. “It’s so easy!” she said, and then pointed at the oozing, twisted cheese in the side sandwich that appears to be served on a sheet of parchment paper or a narrow napkin (plates were not popular in 2012). We’ve had at least three tomato soup recipes since, but this one skips any oven-roasting fancy business, and adds tomato paste for oomph. The measurements make it easy to double for a crowd, or to freeze for later.
Alex Lau3/17Fried Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich
HAUNTING. The soft shell crab appears to be about to hug or strangle you. Hard to tell. But that doesn’t deter Hilary Cadigan, who said: “This is the best picture that has ever been featured on BA.com,” and “it looks like it’s reaching out for a desperate hug.” Despite being an “underwater spider,” she prefers soft-shell crab over the hard-shelled brethren any day, and this recipe from an unknown year when the budget influenced this all-white minimalist look, is a simple Old Bay and panko fry batter with a tangy slaw and special sauce. “There is nothing more satisfying than crunching my teeth through that crispy little exoskeleton into the weird soft buttery flesh underneath.” Enticing.
Romulo Yanes4/17Chicken with Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Pan Sauce
“I was making dinner for my parents recently and of course my mom bought BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS,” complained Amanda Shapiro. She ended up making this 2012 chicken with herb roasted tomatoes recipe, photographed in a tomato juice puddle that tests the definition of appetizing. “It was so good I was shocked. Total winner, chicken dinner. 13/10, will make again, despite my bad attitude about BSCB.”
5/17French Yogurt Cake
You know those Renaissance paintings where the angels dropping down on earth nearly light up the room, they’re painted so luminously? This pound cake has the same effect. Art. Alyse Whitney came upon this recipe when she needed to use up some yogurt in her fridge, and it’s a new standby. “It’s easy, and it came out super tender inside and crunchy outside. It actually stayed moist for four days wrapped in plastic on the counter, so I ate this lightly sweet cake for breakfast all week,” she said.
Peden + Munk6/17Golden Potato Cake
Carla Lalli Music submitted a recipe that slides under the radar because it’s TOO BEAUTIFUL. “I don't understand why more people don’t make this,” she said. “Oh wait, maybe it’s because you have to perfectly slice a bunch of potatoes, par-cook them in batches with homemade clarified butter, then shingle them in a mesmerizing spiral pattern, working in layers and drizzling with more butter all the time. Once that’s accomplished, you have to cook it in stages, first on the stovetop and finally in the oven. But: My word. When this thing comes out of the oven it is a testament to everything holy about potatoes, butter, and salt, and why they belong together, forever.”
7/17Turkey Chili with White Beans
Let’s hop in the DeLorean and head to 1997 with Meryl Rothstein, who adores this throwback turkey chili with white beans. “I know I’m probably not supposed to be into turkey chili—Bon Appetit is more of a full-fat, beef-or-bust sort of place these days, but there are so many spices in this it could be made with tofu and it would still be delicious. I make a big batch of it (I typically double the meat and the spices, but only bump up the liquid by a small amount), stick some in the freezer, and eat it until the snow melts.”
8/17Garlic Shrimp and White Beans
“I still dream about this recipe from my shrimp-eating days,” reminisced Sarah Jampel about yet another 2012 recipe—though it only makes sense if you know that she no longer eats shrimp. Now you know! “Spicy, saucy, tomato-y beans with crispy broiled shrimp—what’s not to love?! I especially like the direction to ‘Serve with bread, if desired’ since... when is bread not desired?” And look at that heavenly bread lighting!
10/17Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Parsley-Garlic Butter
Jill Baughman was looking for something simple and garlicky to pair with steaks and came across this vintage Melissa Clark recipe. The low-res photo, the weird crop, it all made her LOL, which was even more incentive to try the recipe from who-knows-when. Cognac in butter? “Trust me, it’s delicious,” she said. Now she makes that butter all the time, especially for corn on the cob.
Ditte Isager11/17Chicken Khao Soi
In 2013, we snagged this Khao Soi-inspired recipe from Long Grain, a restaurant in Camden, Maine. Since then, Elyse Inamine has made it a few times. “I actually like the fuzzy look of the photo; it’s like the internet equivalent of turmeric smudges and dog-eared corners in cookbooks, the qualities of a well-worn, long-loved recipe. Which is what this is. Every winter, I make this soul-warming noodle soup, smoky and spicy from the dried chiles, vibrant and fresh from all the herbs and lime.”
Alex Lau13/17Campari Affogato with Lemon Sorbet
“People need to understand how good the affogatos from Summer 2016 are!!!” That’s Jesse Sparks with a passionate plea. “They’re inventive, whimsical, and make any casual gathering of friends feel like a little party.” This recipe spikes some lemon sorbet with Campari and orange juice and that’s it. Uncomplicated, yet so fancy.
17/17Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Chris Morocco sent me the link to this recipe with a one-word note: THIS. I’ll let that sink in. Mayonnaise cake? Chris sent me a follow-up email: “Oil-based cakes are the moistest since oil is still fluid at room temp (unlike butter), so mayonnaise makes a great fat to use for killer cake. The photo is so bad—but look at that frosting—just totally basic, like what you make off the back of the sugar box.” Also note the strict ingredient list entry for mayonnaise: “do not use reduced-fat or fat-free.”
