The food lovers at Netlify wanted to share a taste of their favorite recipes ranging from main courses to cocktails and desserts. We asked our team members to provide their most tried-and-true dishes they make over and over again for family meals, parties or just to treat themselves. The recipes they offered up span a variety of cuisines and dietary needs, but they all have one thing in common - they've been vetted by our Netlify foodies.

Main Courses

When it comes to main courses, our team has some go-to food classics and originals that keep dinner interesting. Whether you're cooking for your family or yourself on a busy weeknight, or hosting a gathering and need a impressive but achievable entrée, you'll find something sure to satisfy here.

Butter Chicken

By: Ritesh Kewlani

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

• 28 oz (800g) boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger (or finely grated)
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ghee (or 1 tbs butter + 1 tbs oil)
• 1 large onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced or finely grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 14 oz (400 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to your taste preference)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 1 cup of heavy or thickened cream (or evaporated milk to save calories)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kasoori methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)

Directions

• In a bowl, combine chicken with all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade; let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or overnight if time allows).
• Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. When sizzling, add chicken pieces in batches of two or three, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until browned for only 3 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm. (You will finish cooking the chicken in the sauce.)
• Heat butter or ghee in the same pan. Fry the onions until they start to sweat (about 6 minutes) while scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. 
• Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add ground coriander, cumin and garam masala. Let cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
• Add crushed tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
• Remove from heat, scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water to help it blend (up to 1/4 cup). Work in batches depending on the size of your blender.
• Pour the puréed sauce back into the pan. Stir the cream, sugar and crushed kasoori methi (or fenugreek leaves) through the sauce. Add the chicken with juices back into the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with fresh, hot garlic butter rice and fresh homemade Naan bread!

Lobster Pasta

By: Woody Selick

The is a recipe I enjoy from Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

• Kosher salt (pinch)
• 2 1½-lb. lobsters
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
• 2 sprigs basil or tarragon
• 4 cups heavy cream
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. bucatini or spaghetti
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus more for serving
• 3 Tbsp. chopped chives
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Fill a large pot with a tight-fitting lid with 2" of cold water. Generously season with salt and bring to a boil. Add lobsters to pot, cover, and steam until shells are bright red, about 8 minutes. (Better to slightly undercook the lobsters since you will be reheating the meat before serving.) Transfer lobsters to a large rimmed baking sheet and let sit until cool enough to handle.

Step 2

Break down those lobsters! (Never picked lobster meat before? That’s what YouTube is for!) Cut or tear off small legs and eat them (they make for a great snack). Remove tail meat, cut tail meat in half lengthwise, and cut each half into bite-size pieces; transfer to a medium bowl. Remove meat from knuckles and claws, doing your best to keep the meat as intact as possible (it’s nice to have a whole claw for each person); add knuckle and claw meat to bowl with tail meat and chill until ready to serve.

Step 3

With a sturdy knife, hack carapace and shells into 1" pieces and transfer to a large Dutch oven or pot. Add onion, celery, garlic, basil, cream, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until cream is reduced by half, about 45 minutes.

Step 4

Strain lobster cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing on solids to get as much liquid out as possible; discard solids. (If cream isn’t reduced to about 2 cups, don’t sweat it—you can always reduce it a bit more before adding the pasta.)Step 5Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. (You don’t want it to be too al dente, as it’s not going to spend that much time in the sauce.) Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid.

Step 6

Meanwhile, return lobster cream to Dutch oven or a wide deep skillet. Heat over medium and bring to a simmer; taste and season with salt. Add reserved lobster meat and butter to cream sauce and stir to combine.

Step 7

Add pasta to Dutch oven and toss gently to combine (you don’t want to break up the lobster meat too much), adding 1 cup Parmesan a handful at a time until sauce is thick and cheese is incorporated. If sauce looks too thick, add a splash or two of reserved pasta cooking liquid to loosen it up. Remember: Cream sauces always thicken as they cool, so it’s best to err on the side of loose.

Step 8

Transfer lobster pasta to a platter. Top with chives and a few cranks of black pepper. Serve with more grated Parmesan alongside.

Step 9

Do Ahead: Lobster cream sauce can be made 24 hours ahead. Strain and transfer to a reasealable container and chill. Gently rewarm sauce in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Lobster meat can be picked 24 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff

By: Chris “fool” Mccraw

Directions

Start with:

• A sweet onion, chopped and sauteed in half a stick of butter
• Garlic, maybe half a head chopped and added to the sautee
  and cooked for a few more minutes.

Then, add the following:

• 1 package (12 oz or a pound) of faux beef, whatever kind you prefer.
• I use smart ground, but you could do TVP, quorn, or even a hearty grain like quinoa.
• 2 portabello caps chopped into bite-size pieces
• About a cup of veggie broth and maybe the rest of the stick of butter to keep things fluid while you simmer.

Finally, add some spices:

A generous helping of dill, and some black pepper, basil and salt.

Cook this until you are salivating, at least 10 minutes, but 30 would be fine too.

Right at the end, stir in about 2 cups of sour cream and cook for another couple of minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley or more dill, if you like!

Serve over egg noodles.

If you’re not vegetarian, you might also try using chicken broth, and consider adding a tbsp or so of Worcestershire sauce especially if missing the dill/basil.

Side Dishes

Our team has side dishes dialed in, from creamy scalloped potatoes to crispy garlic brussel sprouts. These sides will go with many different main dishes.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes from Betty Crocker's 1969 Red Cookbook

By: Michelle Denomme

This is a recipe from my childhood that brings me back to my family holiday get togethers! I can still smell the red cookbook from the bottom drawer of my childhood home in Canada. Pairs well with ham and peas!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2-1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into thin slices (about 4 cups).

Heat 3 tbsp margarine in saucepan over low heat until melted.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.  Slowly stir in milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2-quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each of the first two layers with 1/2 of the onion and 1/3 of the white sauce.  Top with remaining potatoes and sauce.  Dot with 1 tbsp butter cubes.  Cover and cook in 325 F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook until potatoes are tender, 60-70 minutes longer. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.  (6 servings)

Garlic Brussel Sprouts

By: Brittany Givens

This is my favorite recipe from The Little Spice Jar!

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs of Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 Tablespoons, Olive Oil (divided)
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 3-4 Teaspoons Honey
• 1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (or more to taste)
• 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a piece of foil (sprayed with cooking spray.) Add the Brussels sprouts to a bowl and toss with the olive oil and a ½ teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 18-20 minutes or until they crisp up, tossing about halfway through.

2. GARLIC HONEY BUTTER: When the sprouts are about 5 minutes from being done, add the butter, garlic, honey, and cayenne to a microwave safe bowl. Zap the mixture for about 30 seconds - 1 minute or until the butter melts completely. Stir to combine. When the Brussels sprouts are done, toss them in the prepared garlic honey butter and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

3. FINISH: Toss to combine and pop them back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve warm!

Cranberry Salsa

By: Sam Kapila

Ingredients

• 1 bag of fresh cranberries (about 12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup of sugar (some recipes call to go up to 1cup but this is more savory so adjust to taste)
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cloves of peeled garlic
• 1 jalapeño (or preferred pepper with some heat)
• 1 onion (tennis ball size)
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 tbsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of coriander
• 2 tbsp of salt
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 1 bag of tortilla chips or something to eat the salsa with

Directions

Bring water and sugar to boil. Add cranberries. When it returns to a gentle boil, stir and occasionally help break up the cranberries once the skin starts to tear. Once it gets to a sticker and chunkier consistency and there isn’t as much liquid, let it cool. While it cools, work on the rest. Dice the onions. Chop the garlic into small pieces. Also chop the jalapeño, only keeping the seeds if you want heat. Otherwise cut the jalapeño in half length wise, remove the seeds, and then chop. Chop half of the cilantro into smaller pieces cutting half inch cuts while holding the bunch at the base. Set aside the rest of the bunch for garnishing later. Once the cranberries have cooled add the garlic, onions, jalapeños, and chopped cilantro in along with the spices. Stir well, and taste, and adjust spices such as salt and cumin as needed. Move the mix into a bowl, and garnish with additional cilantro leaves on top. Serve with tortilla chips. If any is left over, its great in a turkey sandwich, too.

Lemon Bars

By: Joanna Mecko

Ingredients

• 2 cups, plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (not bottled)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Place 2 cups of flour in food processor. Add butter and powered sugar and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes.
3. Beat eggs with a mixer. Add sugar and blend well. Add lemon juice and grind, blend well. Add baking powder and the remaining flour, blend well. Pour over a hot curst (do not let cool).
4. Bake 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

Specialty Drinks

To accompany the recipes, we’ve included a selection of our team’s go-to specialty drinks. The drinks match the food in their versatility - mixed drinks that work for everyday unwinding or elevating a party.

The Balm

By: Kristy Marcinova

Ingredients

• Peppermint tea blend with lavender and lemon balm
• Pukka Cleanse tea
• Honey
• Italicus (or any bergamot aperitivo liqueur)
• Cocchi Americano Bianco (or any white vermouth)
• Peppermint tincture
• Boston Bittahs bitters
• Absinthe

Directions

• Brew a batch of the teas together and add a touch of honey to sweeten, let it cool to room temperature
• Place a couple of ice cubes into mixing glass
• Using a jigger, put equal parts of the spirits into a mixing glass and a few drops of the peppermint tincture and bitters, stir
• Put fresh ice in a long glass, and strain the drink from the mixing glass
• Top the drinking glass with the tea after it cooled down
• Final touch is to add a spray of absinthe on top, optionally garnish with a star anise

Notes: Experiment with more flavours, like adding a bit of gin, and / or adding a bit of Suze (herbal liqueur)!

Unbeatable Hot Chocolate

By: Rob Stanford

Ingredients

• 200g the best dark chocolate you can get your hands on
• 100g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 100g icing/powdered sugar
• 50g cornflour/cornstarch
• 50g Horlicks (malted milk drink powder)

**Directions **

Blitz the chocolate in a food processor (or grate it) then mix in the rest of the ingredients with a pinch of salt. Stick it in an airtight jar and, anytime you want a chocolate hug, put 2 heaped tablespoons of the mixture in a pan over a medium heat, grab a mug of cold milk, stir some into the pan to make a paste, then pour the rest in and whisk regularly until you have a thickened, velvety, frothy cup of choco magic - it’s the best.