Year 1: Top Ten Recipe Celebration!

One year ago today I published my very first post here on Bake. Eat. Repeat. It was full of corny humor, washed out photos, and a story about this guy.



A few days later I posted again and a week later, again.

Somewhere in that chain of posts some pretty cool things started happening. People actually started coming to Bake. Eat. Repeat. to read my posts. And then a few of you even commented on said posts (thank you!). And more people made their way here from Tasty Kitchen or Food Buzz or Facebook and I tried to make you stay with cookies and cupcakes and bacon.

Then the great, big, magical world of Pinterest was created, and some of my recipes found their way into this new world (and I actually didn't put them there! I promise). So more people came to read. and comment. and I was a very happy girl.

It's been a wonderful year, a sweet and savory and snacky year. There was bourbon for breakfast and worms for dessert. There was health in a glass and bacon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Here we are, 112 posts and 365 days later, and I'm trying to narrow a year full of so much goodness down to 10 must have, must make, must get in your face immediately recipes.

This was tough. It was real tough.  But I can say with certainty that the recipes below are the best of the best. These are the recipes we return to over and over again. The recipes that are requested and raved about. The recipes you'll want to keep in the very front of your recipe box.

And to you, my dear readers, commenters, pinners, and tweeters. Thank you! Thank you for putting up with my corny humor and washed out photos. Thank you for trying my recipes and for sharing feedback. I hope you've enjoyed this year as much as I have!

Year 1: Top Five Savory Recipes

Caramelized Mushroom and Chicken with Buttery Herb Bread- Imagine a thick, buttery slab of bread, then imagine that bread soaking up a wine flavored mushroom sauce. Try to stop drooling.



Harlem Meat Loaf- This is our staple meat loaf recipe. It's got a mix of ground beef and sausage (win!) and the perfect amount of heat. It also makes a fantastic meat loaf sandwich.





Balsamic Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms- I can't even count the number of times we've made this. Everywhere we've taken this (and let me tell you, these green beans have practically been on tour!), it's been a huge hit!





Beer Soaked Crock Pot Roast- Tender. Classic. Stress Free.





Cranberry and Pistachio Chicken Salad- I'll admit, this would not have been in The Mr's top 5. But Chicken salad is one of my all time favorite foods and this version is killer!



Year 1: Top 5 Sweet Recipes


Challah French Toast with Caramelized Bananas-First, Challah bread. Get some. It's amazing. And it's even better when it's covered in cinnamon sugar eggs and fried. And the brown sugar crusted bananas sure don't hurt either.



Honey Vanilla Pound Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream- This is the most versatile, simple, and dependable cake recipe I have. We've made it for multiple family gathering, adapting it to fit the mood and season. Try it with blackberries and cream, cinnamon baked apples and caramel sauce, or lemon glaze and blueberries. It's perfect every time.



Melt in Your Mouth Triple Chocolate Brownies- Warning: You'll never be satisfied with a box again!



The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie- After much experimentation and more tastings than I care to admit, this was declared our all time favorite chocolate chip cookie. These cookies are unbelievably buttery and stay chewy for daaaays. In my opinion, that's perfection.




Summertime Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting- Light, fluffy, and flecked with strawberries this is the quintessential summertime dessert. Eaten by many, loved by all.