Editors cook real dinners

Bon Appétit staff share the recipes they actually made in September to solve everyday dinner problems, from travel hunger to leftover ingredients.

Pantry noodles save the day

After traveling, an editor made Hetty Lui McKinnon's Easy Peanut Noodles with soba, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and whatever vegetables were left in the fridge.

Shrimp swaps and scampi

A rained-out barbecue left an editor with two pounds of thawed shrimp. She made mango summer rolls with shrimp instead of chicken, then used the rest for Rick Martinez's Shrimp Scampi with a garlic marinade.

“Don't skip the marinating step; it seasons the shrimp from the inside out, so they stay plump after a quick sear.”

Pizza night pasta on a sheet pan

An editor customized Sheet-Pan Pepperoni Pasta with extra olives, mushrooms, and green peppers while skipping the meat, creating a pizza-like dinner without the work or cost.

Airport beans and rice

Before flying to North Carolina for a wedding, an editor packed black beans and rice with cilantro-avocado ají verde into a deli container, forgetting about TSA's liquid limit for the hot sauce.

Golden mushroom soup soothes

Recovering from back-to-back colds, an editor made Alison Roman's golden mushroom soup from her latest cookbook, swapping orzo for tofu that soaked up the umami broth.

Stunning marinated eggs

An editor bought heirloom eggs from an alpaca farm in Warwick, New York, then made Soy-Marinated Eggs and Chinese Tea Eggs with soft-boiled yolks that oozed soy-saucy colors.

Caviar pie for the big four-oh

For her fortieth birthday, an editor's mother and husband made her a retro Caviar Pie with extra Osetra caviar instead of a traditional sweet cake.

“Briny things always win out over sweets in my book, so this departure from standard birthday operating procedure made me feel particularly well seen and loved.”

Ground bison sweet potatoes

An editor made stuffed sweet potatoes with ground bison instead of turkey, flavored with tomato paste, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey, creating a saucy, meal-prep-friendly dinner.

Pizza oven pizza night

An editor with a new pizza oven hosted friends and made four pies: margarita with basil, lemon with habanero maple syrup, and two green pies with pesto made by blending Parmesan, garlic, and pine nuts first.

Chocolate chip cookies with love

An editor baked Chris Morocco's BA's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies for a friend needing extra care, adding extra dark chocolate and flaky salt to the easy, no-chill recipe.

“Crispy edges, chewy centers, and puddles of chocolate in every bite.”

Easiest mussels for weeknights

An editor learned from a colleague that mussels are low-prep and quick to cook, then made Mussels Dijonnaise with a mini food processor to make aromatic compound butter with fennel, shallots, and Dijon.

Peaches Foster in season

An editor revisited Peaches Foster when peaches were in season, serving the warm, boozy, black-pepper-touched dessert over vanilla ice cream to honor the fleeting moment.

Rotisserie chicken summer rolls

An editor tried Trader Joe's shredded rotisserie chicken in Shilpa Uskokovic's Mango Chicken Summer Rolls with farmers market vegetables and a peanut sauce good enough to eat straight.

Figs from the Camino

After walking part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain's Basque region, an editor spotted black Mission figs and made Shilpa Uskokovic's Vinegar Chicken With Figs using red wine and balsamic vinegar.

Tofu meatballs, simple dinner

An editor made Kendra Vaculin's tofu meatballs with spaghetti and jarred marinara, appreciating the one-bowl recipe that cooks in the oven and makes great leftovers.

Watermelon needs no recipe

When late-summer watermelon is perfect, an editor cut it into batons, salted them generously, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with torn basil flowers for a no-recipe salad.

So much zucchini pasta

An editor grated three pounds of zucchini into spaghetti loosely inspired by Amatriciana, using guanciale and garlic instead of tomatoes for a seasonal, affordable dinner.

Green sauce for everything

An editor made a cilantro-mint chutney inspired by an ex-boyfriend's recipe, adjusting for less spice and adding Greek yogurt, then used it all week as a dip and drizzle.

Veggie club sandwich marvel

An editor made Rebecca Firkser's Veggie Club Sandwich, a three-slice marvel that requires strategic placement of each component to keep fillings from slipping out the back.

“Rebecca makes the point that you hardly need a recipe to make a sandwich, but in this case you'll be glad to follow her direction.”