Gerard - Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: More Than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, Meal-prepped and Easy Comfort Foods

Acknowledgments

Having an idea for a super simple book is one thing; actually making it into a reality is another. Thank you to my village for all of your support.

An enormous thank-you to everyone at Clarkson Potter for all of the time-consuming back and forth, compromise, and attention to details that were so important to me. To my editor, Amanda Englander, thank you for all of the hours you put into this book. You were as important in getting this book completed as I was. I cant thank you enough for always believing in my vision, responding to my many texts (even into the latest hours of the night), and somehow always knowing exactly what I was trying to sayeven when what I actually wrote may have made zero sense. You know me and the way I think more than I do sometimes. To Erica Gelbard and Stephanie Davis, thank you for coming up with fun ideas that allowed readers to get to know me. To Stephanie Huntwork and Jen Wang, thank you for your countless hours of work and beautiful details you added to every page of this cookbook. Its gorgeous and you two are to thank for that! To Terry Deal, thank you for reading these pages again and again to catch my mistakes. And to Derek Gullino and Neil Spitkovsky, thank you for your help in producing such a stunning book!

Thank you to the amazing lifestyle photographer Kristen Kilpatrick. You are truly one of the kindest souls Ive ever met and I am so thankful to be able to call you a friend. Your photos capture a person beyond where I can see, and you have the ability to make even the most camera-shy person come to life through your lens. Thank you for being a part of the book!

Thank you to my dedicated recipe tester, Grace Rosanova. You put your life on hold to test these recipes, and your comments and suggestions made the book into the much-improved version we have today.

To my very large family of recipe testers, most related in name, and others who became special along the way. Your honest feedback was essential in creating this book, and your company is always highly cherished.

Thank you to my grocery shopper, prop procurer, end-of-day cleaner, prop swapper, goat and chicken handler, and, most important, the best all-around dad a girl could ask for. I couldnt do all that I do without you.

And, finally, to my mom. There arent enough words to describe how youve helped with this cookbook. From hours of reading and rereading each and every page, to tasting recipes, to late-night phone calls. I could not have done it without you.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Heres what you need to know: Within this cookbook Im sharing some of my favorite recipes. They are flavorful, colorful, and easy. Some of them are healthyand some have a good amount of cheese. Its all about balance.

Just because these recipes are super simple does not mean they lack flavor. While these recipes are straightforward enough for everyday cooking, they do not fall exclusively into the ten-ingredients-or-fewer and made-in-under-thirty-minutes categoriesthough there are plenty of both! Flavor has always been and will always be paramount to me. Of course, I want to share the easiest version of a recipe, but I will not sacrifice taste to make a dish with only five ingredients. That said, some of the recipes included here have more than ten ingredients and some take longer than thirty minutes, but that doesnt mean the recipe is not super simple. If you can throw ingredients into a slow cooker, use an Instant Pot, dump them all in one skillet, or simply pick up a few items from the grocery store to assemble something quick, you can handle these recipes. Youll definitely be adding these recipes to your weeknight lineup.

You can, of course, still expect all my special Tieghan touches, which can range from including an unexpected ingredient or garnishing with herbs or edible flowers. Im still meIm just shorter on time! The extra flourishes not working for you? Skip em! Really, you have my permission. Making recipes beautiful and pleasing to the eye is what Im all aboutits a priority for mebut, please, take or leave these extras as you wish! (I will say, though, if you are looking to up your Instagram game, an edible flower or two is always a good start.)

Ive organized the book by types of meals and popular main ingredients: breakfast, appetizers and sides, salad and soup, pizza and pasta, vegetarian, poultry and pork, meat, seafood, and last (but certainly not least, not here!) dessert. So, all your basic and most loved food groups, right? I have also included a chapter on my favorite super simple basic recipes because homemade still tastes betterand making meals from scratch doesnt have to be difficult or a time suck. On these pages, youll find slow cooker dinners, Instant Pot recipes, one pan goodness, recipes made with exclusively pantry staple ingredients, recipes with fewer than ten ingredients (not including salt, pepper, or olive oil), recipes that take thirty minutes or less, and some of my best tips and tricks for easy cooking. Whenever possible, I have given slow cooker, pressure cooker, and stovetop options to make the recipes completely adaptable for your needs. Look for the icons at the right throughout the recipe pages.

There is something for everyone hereand a photo to go along with it, too.

INSTANT POT/MULTI-COOKER/SLOW COOKER

<10

10 INGREDIENTS OR LESS

STAPLES

30 MINUTES OR LESS

1 PAN

Stock Up and Set Up for Success

Step one to super simple cooking is to keep a well-stocked pantry. Its something my mom taught me years ago when wed bake chocolate chip cookies together after school. Of course, my moms pantry was mostly full of Nestl Toll House Chocolate Morsels and pastashe obviously had her priorities straight.

Some of my favorite meals are composed of pantry staples, so, naturally, my pantry is stocked with the items I use most often: lots of Asian sauces, spices, canned tomatoes, nuts, seeds, anything that I can use to quickly throw together a delicious meal in minutes. Its important to have the ingredients that you use most often always on hand. When your pantry is stocked, you can make an incredible soup (see my Butter-Roasted Tomato Soup with Honeyd Brie Grilled Cheese, are life changing) without stressing or having to make a run to the store.

When it comes to grocery shopping, I never go without a list. My best tip? Use the notes app on your phone (Isnt your phone your number one accessory?) to keep a running list of the things you need to keep your pantry fully loaded. Youll always know exactly what you need when you pop into the store after workno lost or forgotten slips of paper.

Meal planning takes a bit more organization, but its completely worth the effort. Set aside some time on Sat-urday or Sunday morning to map out your meals for the week before hitting the grocery store. I like to get this out of the way first thing in the morning before the crowds surge later in the afternoon. Then spend a couple of hours on Sunday prepping food and doing any cooking you can before your busy workweek starts. Once you get into the habit, putting dinner on the table every night of the week is a piece of cake. (And, yes, I recommend making sure you have a piece of cake each night, too!)