When I think of comfort food, I think of the dishes I grew up eating in the Southwest. Bold, savory flavors in any form will always have a special place in my heart, but I have a soft spot for anything in soup form. Whether you’re feeling under the weather or it’s especially chilly outside, a cozy pot of soup is guaranteed to make you feel better. So I decided to infuse the smoky, Southwestern flavors of my childhood with one of my favorite Italian soups: Italian wedding soup.

This Southwestern wedding soup has many of the same ingredients you’d expect from the source material, like meatballs, pasta, and plenty of vegetables. My version, however, uses many of the aromatics and seasonings you’d typically find in Tex-Mex food for a fun spin on a cozy classic.

The meatballs:
The homemade meatballs are brimming with spices like oregano, cumin, and chili powder. But what gives them even more Southwestern flair is the use of crushed tortilla chips instead of breadcrumbs. Not only do the chips help bind the meatballs together, they also impart some delicious corn flavor. Making meatballs from scratch may sound too involved, but the rest of this soup comes together really quickly thanks to canned ingredients.

The soup:
Since we want this recipe to come together in less than an hour, we lean on some canned ingredients to add some more depth. A can of diced green chiles and the sauce from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo are bursting with smoky, peppery flavor, which will make your soup taste like it’s been simmering for hours. This recipe has a subtle, mild heat, but feel free to adjust the amount of adobo sauce you use depending on your spice tolerance.

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If you’re like me, your social feeds are filled with girlies throwing creative themed dinner parties at a rate that almost seems unbelievable. I love entertaining friends and family, but I’m only human, and the idea of presenting a spread (especially with recipes I’ve never made before) to loved ones fills me with a healthy amount of fear. That’s why, when hosting, I need a foolproof recipe that I know will have my family and friends raving while I stay cool as a cucumber—that’s where these 20 recipes come in. Each of these recipes is not only delicious and exciting enough to stand apart from weeknight rotations, but they are surprisingly easy to master, whether you’re an experienced or novice home cook. From restaurant-level dinners to crowd-pleasing apps to big-batch drinks, there is an idea for you here that will impress your guests and leave your night stress free, so you can get back to what’s important: sharing a meal with those you love.

Need more dinner party inspo? Check out all of our side dishes, cocktails, and potluck desserts to fuel your next party theme.

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Caesar salad is at the top of our list of favorite sides, and adding protein-packed marinated shrimp upgrades it from side-dish status to a must-make dinner main. Just like our OG recipe, this has crunchy romaine, salty shaved Parm, and homemade sourdough croutons tossed in a creamy, cheesy, umami-packed dressing. Quick to prepare yet full of flavor, this shrimp Caesar salad recipe is your answer to a simple yet satisfying meal. Read on for everything you need to know about the recipe.

How To Make Shrimp Caesar Salad

INGREDIENTS

• Shrimp: Shrimp is a protein powerhouse, turning this salad into a filling dinner. I recommend taking the tails off so this salad is easier to eat.
• Lemon Zest + Juice: You should only need 1 lemon for this recipe, but it’ll be used in 2 ways. The zest goes into the shrimp marinade, and the juice goes into the dressing.
• Horseradish: That tangy, pungent punch of prepared horseradish is the perfect pairing for slightly sweet shrimp.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Adding red pepper flakes to the marinade brings a pop of heat and color to the shrimp.
• Sourdough Bread: Homemade croutons are worth the effort, especially if you’re already making the dressing. Sourdough bread toasts up beautifully and soaks in the dressing while staying crunchy.
• Caesar Dressing: My best-ever Caesar dressing is the only one I’ll use with a Caesar salad. With lemon, garlic, Dijon, egg yolks, anchovies, oil, and Parm, it’s perfectly flavorful and creamy.
• Parmesan: A classic component in Caesar salad, Parmesan adds a salty, nutty bite.
• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine is the ultimate base, providing big, bold crunch and a little bit of bitterness to create a well-rounded salad.

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Summer trip planning is starting to happen, but truthfully, my eyes are a bit bigger than my wallet right now. Instead of shelling out for a trip to the Italian Riviera, I’ll be making the most of my staycation with Under The Tuscan Sun rewatches, plenty of Aperol spritzes, and these Tuscan-inspired recipes.

Wondering what makes a dish Tuscan? We’ve experimented with the flavor profile over the years, but at its core, a Tuscan-inspired sauce will most often include sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, Parmesan, and heavy cream. That being said, we’ve also turned the creamy sauce into a Tuscan compound butter, which is a great place to start if you’re looking for a versatile flavor-booster for any (and every) meal.

Ever since its creation, our creamy Tuscan chicken has been one of our most-loved recipes, year after year. The Delish team can’t get enough of it either, which has inspired these many creative variations. From date night stars (Tuscan butter scallops) to BBQ side dish royalty (Tuscan tortellini salad) to cozy season staples (looking at you, creamy Tuscan chicken soup), this flavorful creation can do it all. Our Tuscan butter gnocchi, creamy Tuscan white bean skillet, and Tuscan orzo are vegetarian spins on the classic, while our creamy Tuscan vegan pasta has all of the richness, but none of the dairy. There are countless ways that we’ve turned this combination of Tuscan-inspired flavors into weeknight dinners, sides, soups, and apps. So pick out your favorite, pour yourself a glass, and get ready for the staycation of a lifetime.

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Party dips are practically a complete food group for team Delish, no matter what season it is. Come summer especially, you’ll find us turning classics like queso and hummus, or wilder options like whipped cheeses and fruity salsas into full meals (though they’re incredible as snacks too, ofc!). What are you waiting for? Check out these 40 summer dips, then join us in whipping them up all season long.

The best part about these dips? How versatile they are! They can be cheesy and indulgent, like our spinach artichoke dip, our skillet beer cheese, or our jalapeño popper dip, or full of veggies and refreshing, like our muhammara, our Greek feta dip, and our tzatziki. They can be light and fruity and celebrate the best parts of summer, like our baked feta & blueberries, our mango salsa, or our whipped feta with balsamic roasted strawberries. They can even be hearty enough for a meal, like our Nashville hot chicken dip, our cheesy mini meatball skillet dip, our hot crab dip, and our taco dip. Whether you’re turning these into an epic party spread, just enjoying them as a light casual snack, or using these to top a sandwich, chicken, or roasted vegetables), these are all the dips you’ll need for any and every summer occasion.

Have leftovers? Lucky you! We love adding leftover dips to all of our favorite main dishes and sides. Turn that cheesy bacon spinach dip into our spinach-artichoke stuffed chicken breasts or our one-pot creamy spinach artichoke chicken pasta; our Buffalo chicken dip into a Buffalo chicken wrap, mac & cheese, or even Buffalo chicken stuffed peppers; or use our guacamole or avocado salsa for tacos and burritos too. Have fun with it!

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Not that we don’t love all the seasons of the year..but summer is arguably our not-so-secret favorite (if not for the fresh produce alone). Since it’s just around the corner, and you know what that means—we’re going to start trying to take ALL our meals outside. This means tons of hamburgers, hot dogs, and grilled meat, of course, but that’s not all. As every true grill-master master knows, it’s not enough to just have the perfect proteins. You’ve got to fill out your meal with perfect side dishes and salads too. Check out our 77 summer salad recipes for ideas you can make all season long.

When it comes to summertime, the word “salad” isn’t so cut and dry. It means leafy greens, sure, but also potato salads, pasta salads, and bean and corn salads too. We’ve got tons of options for them all here, from the classic to the somewhat unusual. For example, we’ve got your classic fruit salad (with a killer honey-lime dressing), but also a kitschy coconut and Cool Whip ambrosia salad if you wanna get weirder. We’ve included our solid macaroni salad recipe, as well as tons of more creative options, like our cowboy pasta salad, our Thai peanut chicken pasta salad, or our Greek orzo salad. We’ve got our classic potato salad that’ll fit in on any summertime spread here, as well as some wilder ones if you want your dish to stand out (in the best way) at the potluck. Check out our tzatziki potato salad, our watermelon Caprese, or our gnocchi antipasto salad to see what we mean.

You could also go with a simple spinach or arugula salad, or jazz them up, like in our strawberry spinach salad, our grilled steak salad, or our chicken-avocado Caprese salad. The other great thing about a summer salad? They’re RIPE for a mashup. Take our jalapeño popper potato salad, our Cobb egg salad, our lobster roll pasta salad, or our TK—they all combine two delicious recipes into one new fave.

Want more summertime inspiration? Check out our top summer dinner ideas, our best summer cocktails, and our fave summer BBQ sides too.

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Introducing a fresh new take on pasta salad that’s much more exciting than a lot of the traditional options you see at potlucks. It’s bright green with a zesty green goddess dressing and some extra veggies mixed in to make it feel more like a salad than a pasta dish. Don’t worry though, there is still plenty of pasta. This pasta salad is great as a side, served alongside some grilled chicken or a baked salmon, but it also has enough going on you could turn this into the main for a vegetarian dinner.

Leftovers would make an incredible lunch that’s easy to take with you. Simply store the pasta salad in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Similarly, both the dressing and pasta salad can be made ahead of time. The dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead, while the pasta salad should be limited to 1 day ahead.

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In the summer, fresh and easy salads are always calling my name, and this avocado chicken salad is one I turn to again and again. This isn’t your mom’s chicken salad—this recipe is packed with diced avocado, corn, fresh cherry tomatoes, red onion, mango, and a simple herby dressing that ties everything together. It comes together in 30 minutes, and will please at any potluck or picnic you bring it to. Or, will outshine every desk lunch it stands against.

I love this salad served on top of greens as much as I love it between two slices of sourdough bread. However you enjoy it, one thing is for certain: this bright and fresh salad is summer in a bowl.

Tip: If you can’t find a good ripe mango, pineapple would be delicious as well!

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Chickpeas and peanut sauce are two of my current obsessions, so these peanut chickpea protein bowls are my idea of paradise for dinner. Crispy chickpeas, cabbage slaw, and brown rice are topped with more veggies and herbs and drizzled with creamy peanut sauce for a satisfying dinner that’s both hearty and healthy. Here’s what you need to know.

The crispy chickpeas:
Just a few minutes in hot oil transforms canned chickpeas into crispy browned nuggets that are perfect for topping any salad or bowl you like—or just eating as a snack. Make sure to drain, rinse, and dry the chickpeas as thoroughly as possible before adding them to the hot oil; any moisture left might make the oil spit!

The peanut sauce:
For me, the secret to the best creamy peanut sauce is freshly grated garlic and ginger. The sharp fresh aromatics really balance the deep savory quality of the peanut butter and the soy sauce and completely transform the flavor of the sauce. While you can finely chop the garlic and ginger in a pinch, I prefer to grate with a microplane: This helps to release the flavor of the aromatics more, as well as helping them meld into the sauce more seamlessly.

Make ahead and storage:
The peanut sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead; cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Both the red cabbage slaw and crispy chickpeas are best fresh, but if you’d like to meal-prep these bowls, you can fry the chickpeas and cut the cabbage and store both separately in airtight containers until you’re ready to build your bowls. I recommend waiting to add salt to the cabbage until just before eating. The chickpeas will lose a lot of their initial crispness once covered and stored, but they’ll still taste delicious—and if you have time (and access to a stove-top), you can try tossing them in a dry pan over medium heat to reheat and try to regain some of that crisp texture.

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