20 Favorite Childhood Meals with Adult Twists
Too old for chicken nuggets, fish sticks and macaroni and cheese? Not once you try these childhood favorites updated for adult palettes.
Cheesy Hamburger Hash
Cheesy Hamburger Hash brings together all the warm foods of home—beef, potatoes, tomatoes and cheese—to make a dish that's grown up enough for adults yet still pleasing to the whole family.
Get the recipe for Cheesy Hamburger Hash
Recipe created by Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier
Cranberry French Toast with Mascarpone
A bright way to wake up on a dreary winter morning: French toast topped with a dollop of mascarpone and a scattering of cranberries. Cranberries, high in antioxidants and vitamin C (among other good things), are a brilliant addition.
Get the recipe for Cranberry French Toast with Mascarpone
Tastes great with: Hash Browns with Leeks and Bell Peppers
Recipe from Now Eat This! by Rocco DiSpirito
Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin' Chicken
These tender vittles are flash fried—which means 20 grams of fat and at least 250 calories less than traditional fried chicken without leaving behind the great taste.
Get the recipe for Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin' Chicken
Tastes great with: Easy Garlic-Cheese Biscuits
Recipe from Food & Wine's Reinventing the Classics
Macaroni and Many Cheeses
This update to the classic mac 'n' cheese will work with any semi-hard cheese but is particularly good with an international blend of French Mimolette, aged Dutch Gouda and American Vella dry Jack.
Get the recipe for Macaroni and Many Cheeses
Turkey Cheeseburger
Nothing is more American than a good old-fashioned cheeseburger, but this one proves that it doesn't have to be heavy to be delicious.
Get the recipe for Turkey Cheeseburgers
Tastes great with: Crispy French Fries
Recipe created by Laura Pensiero; Photo by Gentl & Hyers
Chicken, Mushroom and Radicchio Lasagna
This elevated lasagna uses a low-fat version of béchamel as its base sauce. Made with low-fat Parmesan cheese, it's creamy and bubbly—and so perfect for healthy cooking.
Get the recipe for Chicken, Mushroom and Radicchio Lasagna
Recipe courtesy of Francine and Jamie Alba
Jamie's Famous Meatballs Recipe
Trade your Spaghetti Os for this adult alternative. Fresh from California's Sisley Italian Kitchen, this secret recipe for Jamie's Famous Meatballs is so good, you may not want to share!
Get the recipe for Jamie's Famous Meatballs
Tastes great with: Spaghetti Carbonara
Recipe created by Susan Feniger
Tatsutage Fried Chicken with Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce
Marinated and baked before being battered and fried, crispy tatsutage chicken is easy to prepare.
Get the recipe for Tatsutage Fried Chicken with Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce
Another not-your-average chicken nugget option: Deceptively Delicious Chicken Nuggets
Low-Cal Pizza
Want to slim down a seemingly sinful dish? Let Art Smith help with this delectable pizza recipe that proves big taste really can be low calorie.
Get the recipe for Low-Cal Pizza
Recipe from Food & Wine's Reinventing the Classics
Italian-Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach
Create a new, flavorful twist on the classic cheeseburger by using Italian sausage and provolone. The meat is preseasoned, so dinner will be served in 30 minutes.
Get the recipe for Italian-Sausage Burgers with Garlicky Spinach
Tastes great with: Crisp Goat Cheese Bites
Created by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger
Poblano Quesadillas
These amazingly flavorful quesadillas have always been a favorite at Border Grill restaurants, and now they've gone mobile on the Border Grill Truck!
Get the recipe for Poblano Quesadillas
Recipe from Food & Wine's Reinventing the Classics
Skillet Chicken & Mushroom Potpie
This one-skillet chicken potpie recipe is made even easier by using store-bought rotisserie chicken and replacing the standard puff pastry crust with buttered white bread.
Get the recipe for Skillet Chicken & Mushroom Potpie
Recipe created by Cathal Armstrong
Fish and Chips
Perhaps the most ubiquitous of all UK comfort foods, crisp, tender fish and chips are traditionally accompanied by sea salt and vinegar.
Get the recipe for Fish and Chips
Tastes great with: Zucchini Fritters
Recipe created by Traci Des Jardins
Pigs in a Blanket
Caramelized onions and hot dogs are finger-food ready when wrapped in rich butter pastry. Serve them for game day or just Tuesday night!
Get the recipe for Pigs in a Blanket
Another can't miss recipe: Hot Dogs with Jalapeños and Cheese
Tastes great with: Rosemary, Parmesan and Black Pepper Popcorn
Breaded Pork Chops
The Bisquick®-and-cracker coating makes these skillet-cooked chops absolutely delicious!
Get the recipe for Breaded Pork Chops
Tastes great with: Brown Sugar Cinnamon Applesauce
Recipe created by Adam Perry Lang
Sticky Drumsticks
Filled with bright, warm aromas—chilies, fresh punches of basil, browning chicken and garlic—intensified by the heat of the grill, this dish is the perfect starter and one of the best ways there is to treat yourself to the drumsticks you loved as a kid.
Get the recipe for Sticky Drumsticks
Tastes great with: Perfectly Grilled Corn
Recipe created by Tyler Florence
Crispy Chicken Drumsticks with Ranch Dressing
Crispy Chicken Drumsticks with Ranch Dressing is a crowd-pleasing entrée perfect for any day of the week.
Get the recipe for Crispy Chicken Drumsticks with Ranch
Tastes great with: Spike's Village Fries with Sriracha Mayonnaise
Recipe created by Laura Pensiero
Portobello Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sloppy Joes
This sloppy joe is no nutritional slouch, filled as it is with sautéed peppers (for carotenoids, plus vitamins A and C) and portobello mushrooms (selenium).
Get the recipe for Portobello Mushroom and Bell Pepper Sloppy Joes
Another can't miss recipe: Catfish Sloppy Joe
Tastes great with: Spiced-Up Sweet Potato Fries
Grilled Cheese with Soup
American cheese on white bread is the classic combination, but your adult tastebuds may crave international cheese, hearty bread or even meat. No matter how old you are, we think dunking your grilled cheese in a cup of homemade soup is half the fun!
Get recipes for the best Grilled Cheese sandwiches
Tastes great with:' '
Savory winter soups
Published 03/07/2011
