If your idea of cooking is whipping up a box of Annie’s Organic & Natural Mac and Cheese, we have some seriously good news for you: It doesn’t take a ton of time or effort to make something wholesome and delicious that will totally knock your socks off. In fact, that’s what Kelsey Nixon, star of the Cooking Channel show Kelsey’s Essentials, is all about: helping home cooks master basic recipes and techniques so they can up their kitchen savvy. (She shared some great tips with us about how to increase your kitchen confidence.)
Kelsey’s first cookbook, Kitchen Confidence, comes out February 11—and it’s packed with fun recipes that are simple enough for beginners (but still super tasty!). We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek. Here are three favorites—one for each meal of the day—you’ll want to try ASAP.
Baked Eggs with Smoked Bacon, Spinach, and Goat Cheese
Serves 4 • Prep 10 minutes • Cook 30 minutes
The best kind of recipe is one that is so simple, yet fools everyone into thinking that you’ve been working in the kitchen all morning. These baked eggs are just that sort of dish, and since you can easily adapt it for any number of servings (provided you have enough ramekins), it’s a great option for both a cozy breakfast for two, or a brunch for many guests. The smoky and salty flavor of the bacon infuses the eggs and the spinach, which gets sautéed in the drippings. With a hint of tanginess from the mustard, vinegar, and creamy goat cheese—and toasted baguette slices to take full advantage of the delicious runny yolk—this recipe will satisfy any breakfast craving.
6 slices applewood-smoked bacon
6 oz baby spinach (4 cups loosely packed)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp whole-grain mustard
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 large eggs
2 oz goat cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. In a large skillet set over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 8 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Once cooled, crumble.
3. Pour off and reserve all but 1 Tbsp of the drippings from the skillet. Add the spinach to the skillet, and sauté over medium heat until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and mustard, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until no liquid remains in the skillet, about 2 minutes.
4. Using the reserved drippings, lightly grease 4 (1-cup) ramekins. Carefully crack an egg into each ramekin, being careful to not break the yolks. Season each egg with pepper. Divide the spinach among the ramekins, and top with the crumbled bacon.
5. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Top each egg with goat cheese, and serve warm.
MORE: The Best Breakfast to Eat for Weigth Loss
Chopped Cobb Salad
Serves 4 to 6 • Prep 20 minutes • Cook 15 minutes
When I was going to culinary school in Los Angeles, I fell in love with a place called Toast that served the most delicious salads I’d ever had. They had a variety to choose from, and many of them were served chopped. Being in cooking school, I was in a frame of mind to really appreciate knife work, and I swear that having everything in those big salad bowls be uniform in size made the end result taste even better. Cobb salad is a classic, and serving it chopped and tossed in homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing ensures that every bite is balanced taste-wise, while still retaining its beautiful texture and crunch. And with the added protein from the roast turkey, crispy bacon, and hardboiled eggs, it’s also hearty enough to make a meal.
1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
1/2 head Boston lettuce, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 pound roast turkey breast, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 avocados, cut into ½-inch cubes
4 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes
3/4 cup (3 oz) crumbled blue cheese
2 hard-boiled large eggs, cut into ½-inch cubes
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
In a large bowl, combine the lettuces, and toss with the turkey, bacon, avocados, tomatoes, blue cheese, and eggs. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Garnish with fresh chives.
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp buttermilk
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp minced fresh chives
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Kosher salt
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, blue cheese, chives, garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper. Season to taste with salt. The dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
MORE: The Dressing That Makes Your Salad Healthier
Lemon-Scented Chicken Thighs with Crispy Croutons and Carrots
Serves 4 • Prep 15 minutes • Cook 50 minutes
Appearing on the Today show for the first time was like checking something off my bucket list. To embrace the opportunity to its fullest, I wanted to make something that really felt like a signature recipe, something that represented what my show, Kelsey’s Essentials, is all about: easy, delicious, comforting food. This was the recipe I made, and it was a huge hit. The best and most unusual part of this recipe is the croutons that soak up all of the flavor from the pan-roasted and baked chicken, lemon, and vegetables. You have never had croutons like these before! You can easily swap out the vegetables for whatever is in season. Parsnips, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts would all be fantastic substitutions or additions to this rustic weeknight meal.
1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound small red potatoes, halved
Canola oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1 large yellow onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, smashed
3/4 pound baby carrots
2 lemons, cut into wedges
Small bunch fresh thyme sprigs
1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Put the baguette cubes on a baking sheet. Bake until dried out, about 10 minutes. Remove the bread cubes, and let cool. Leave the oven on, and increase the temperature to 425° F.
3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until barely fork tender, 10 minutes. Drain, and let cool.
4. Set a 14-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat, and coat it with canola oil. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, if necessary, sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the second side for 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
5. Add the onion to the skillet, season with salt, and cook until translucent and softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic,and cook for 1 minute. Add the baguette cubes, potatoes, carrots, lemon wedges, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Toss everything in the fat (add an additional glug of oil if the pan looks dry). Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the vegetable and crouton mixture.
6. Bake until the thighs are cooked through and reach 160° F on a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, about 20 minutes.
7. To serve, divide the chicken and vegetables evenly among four plates, or serve the dish family-style at the table.
More From Women’s Health:
7 Beyond-Easy Chicken Recipes
9 Genius Tips to Make At-Home Salads Taste So Much More Amazing
50 Food Tips That Will Change Your Life!
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