The 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2011

I can hardly believe that 2011 is winding down so quickly.  In just two days I will have to start writing “2012” on everything. However, if past years are any indication, remembering to actually write 2012 instead of 2011 will probably not happen for at least 3 months.  Am I the only one who has that problem?  Please tell me I’m not.  It’ll make me feel better.

On a more serious note, 2011 has been an eventful year.  It started off with an ER visit in February after I wrapped my hand around a 400 degree skillet handle – serious ouchies.  April brought a new job and the excitement and adjustment that comes with going back to work full-time after a couple of years of part-timing it while going to grad school.  Things settled down for a while after that, but it was back to the hospital again in September for some non-emergency, but definitely needed, surgery.  Between the surgery and an allergic reaction to the antibiotic they gave me at the hospital, I was pretty much out of commission through October. 

I’m back at full speed now, but this has certainly not been a great year for blogging with any regularity. I am so appreciative of those of you who have stuck with me through the posting droughts and kept coming back even when I didn’t have anything new to say.  I’m hoping for a healthier, injury-free 2012 that will be full of new recipes and regular posting.  Most of all, I am hoping for a happy, healthy new year for everyone.  May 2012 be a great year for all of us – and full of great food to boot!

Speaking of great food, 2011 did manage to bring some recipes that you guys loved.  Interestingly, some of the most popular recipes of the past year were actually posted in 2009 and 2010. Thank you to Pinterest for helping get the word out!  Below you will find the 10 most popular recipes of 2011 based on viewer page loads.  Did your favorites make the list?  Let me know!

The 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2011

1.) Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2.) Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

3.) Pasta with Artichokes, Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach

4.) Tortellini Soup

5.) Queso Chicken Pasta

6.) Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole

7.) Strawberries with Cannoli Cream Dip

8.) French Dip Sandwiches au Jus

9.) Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

10.) Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

Easy No-Peel Apple Cake

Happy holidays!  Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, or just the fact that you have a long weekend away from the office, I hope you are enjoying your time off and spending it with family and friends.  Stan and I are in Nashville this weekend, hanging out with my parents, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and having a little Hanukkah celebration. 

One of the many ways we’ve been celebrating is with cake – sweet, delicious, ridiculously moist, crunchy-topped cake.  Cake filled with so many apples there seems to be more apples than batter.  Cake my family cannot stop eating – despite the fact that 50 percent of us are on a diet and 25 percent of us are not supposed to eat gluten.  Oops… but hey, that must mean it’s good, right?

In addition to being good, this apple cake is easy to make.  I had 10 minutes to spare yesterday before my parents got back from an errand, and I wanted to make something sweet.  In terms of the prep work, I’m not sure what I liked better – the fact that you add all of the ingredient to the mixing bowl at one time (no need to measure your dry and wet ingredients separately) or the fact that you do not have to peel the apples.  Ok, that’s a lie. I don’t like peeling apples.  I love that this recipe specifically calls for unpeeled apples. 

Most of all I love this cake because my family loved it – and that’s the most important thing of all.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Onions and Bacon

I was all set to tell you about my new favorite dessert today – a dessert that is fast, easy, and perfect for a weeknight treat.  So why, I’m sure you are asking, am I telling you about Brussels sprouts?  Because I made this recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Apples, Onions, and Bacon last night, and it rocked my world.  So much so that it jumped right to the head of the line.  You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.  (And trust that the dessert recipe won’t remain a mystery for long.)

But I digress.  Back to my new favorite veggie recipe… It all starts with a little bacon – just enough to make the whole dish smoky and incredible tasting.  Diced granny smith apples and red onion come next, cooked in the bacon drippings until they are softened and sweet.  Finally, shredded Brussels sprouts are mixed in, along with some great flavor from apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard.  All in all, the combination of flavors and textures is, as I said, kind of world-rocking.  At least for a vegetable recipe.