It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
November 1
Leftover noodle salad
In the past two weeks, the test kitchen has been cooking salmon for a very good forthcoming recipe. Lucky for me, that means I’ve been taking leftovers home. Last week, I turned my salmon scraps into a riff on this Hot-Smoked Salmon Noodle Salad. I love any salad where the base is soba (yes, there’s lettuce too), and the vinaigrette is made of toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Since I had leftover roast salmon instead of the hot-smoked variety, I flaked it up and tossed it in for an easy swap. If you’re cooking for one, like me, you can easily halve or quarter the recipe, or make extras for lunch the next day. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
A week of pancakes
The best weekday breakfasts are ones that I can prep on Sunday take to work and heat up in the microwave easily. This past week, I went down the rabbit hole that is pancake bowls. You prep a pancake batter in oven-safe bowls, add in pancake toppings like berries or chocolate chips, pop them in the oven, and voila, they’re ready to go for the week. The version I made this time was from social media creator Selma, but I swapped some of the all-purpose flour with a mix of millet and hazelnut flours. While I normally get tired of eating the same breakfast four days in a row, I found myself eagerly grabbing my container each morning. The bowls come out light and airy, even after a couple days in the fridge, and the berries offer bright sweetness. Add some whipped cream if you can make it ahead of time. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
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Herbaceous fried tofu
Lately I’ve been obsessed with H-Mart’s grab-and-go braised tofu. On nights where my husband and I are too tired to cook, one of us will grab a box of the stuff—rich in kimchi, gochujaru, and scallions—and serve it with rice and greens. Easiest dinner ever, and it still feels nourishing. This past week I felt like doing a bit more in the kitchen, so I made this Đâu Phu Rán Tâm Hành, or fried tofu with a scallion-oil sauce from chef Ni Nguyen of Sap Sua, a 2024 BA Best New Restaurant. It’s not as simple as grabbing a premade meal from the grocery store, but the minimal effort pays off. I’ll admit I didn’t want to shop for the recipe’s recommended dashi powder (one day), but I swapped in the equal amount of red miso paste to channel the umami vibes. The resulting dish is complex, all over the map with heat, spice, umami, and an uplifting herbaceousness thanks to the scallion oil. Our test kitchen editors advise doubling the batch, and I simply must agree—put this sauce on everything. —Joseph Hernandez, associate director of drinks
Just-right budino
Due to a delightful confluence of celebrations this past weekend (birthdays! reunions! cookbook club gatherings!), I made a triple batch of chef Nancy Silverton’s butterscotch budino. This particular budino holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons, not least of which is that I had one on my 21st birthday and haven’t forgotten it since. The custard is ethereally smooth, the caramel topping is neither sticky nor watery, instead perfectly saucy and thick. It’s bitter enough to be balanced and sweet enough to definitely be dessert. A generous dollop of salty, vanilla-speckled crème fraîche tops each cup to add tang and, well, freshness. It’s a real Goldilocks situation and one I couldn’t recommend highly enough. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor
Preserved lemon and tomato chicken
My colleague Kendra Vaculin and I stand proud as two lovers of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Sometimes they get a bad rap as being dry or flavorless, but Kendra’s bold, succulent ones prove otherwise. Here, chicken breasts are seared off before nestled into a tomato and preserved lemon sauce—a tangy, acidic match made in heaven. Kendra suggests serving the dish with steamed couscous, but I served mine with a chunk of crusty bread to sop everything up and was just as satisfied. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior test kitchen editor
