12 Tomatoes

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team In summer, I generally have a few summer bucket list items to check off and one of them is to eat as many ripe, juicy peaches as possible. While I am no stranger to eating one whole while standing over the sink with the juice dripping down my arms, I also love to tuck them into easy desserts and salads and more. These simple Upside Down Tarts are one of my favorite ways to use them.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team Maybe when you think coleslaw, you think creamy, but that’s not the only way to go about it. In Pennsylvania Dutch country, you’ll find a style of coleslaw that uses a warm (!!) sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing that helps keep the slaw crisp and bright for days, gets better the longer it sits, and is as good on a pulled pork sandwich as it is eaten straight out of a bowl.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team Don’t let the name fool you — there is not an ounce of chocolate in this recipe, but once you taste it you won’t be thinking about “normal” fudge at all. Texas Fudge is one of those beloved regional dishes that has been quietly making the rounds at Lone Star State gatherings for a long while, beloved by anyone lucky enough to have stumbled across it.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team They’ve been called Hello Dolly Bars, Magic Bars, Seven Layer Bars, and Congo Bars depending on where you grew up and who taught you to make them, but no matter what name they go by in your family, the reaction they get is always exactly the same. These bars have been showing up at church potlucks, holiday cookie exchanges, and family gatherings since at least the 1960s, when Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk popularized the recipe on their label.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team If you’re looking for a breakfast that’s filling enough to keep you going all morning, these High-Protein Breakfast Biscuits are just the thing. Packed with Greek yogurt, eggs, ham, and plenty of cheddar cheese, each biscuit is hearty and satisfying. They’re easy to make ahead so your busy mornings are a little less stressful. Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team The dough comes together in just one bowl with simple pantry staples.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken is one of those simple recipes that delivers big flavor with very little effort. The marinade is made with pantry staples like soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger, creating the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and just a little bit spicy.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team Everything you love about a summer blackberry cobbler — the jammy, bubbling fruit, the golden, buttery crust, that perfect crumble on top — is now in sliceable, portable bar form, and it is a very good day. These Blackberry Cobbler Bars are the kind of dessert that fits in everywhere. Make them for a bake sale, a backyard party, or just on your average Tuesday, and they’ll always disappear.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team If you went to school in America anytime between the 1970s and the 1990s, there is a good chance you remember these. Not by this name necessarily, and maybe not this exact recipe, but from a cafeteria tray slid across a lunch counter by someone in a hairnet who knew exactly what she was doing. Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars are one of those nostalgic school lunch legends that people remember long after their school days have ended.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team Old-Fashioned Baked Beans are one of those timeless side dishes that never seem to go out of style. Whether they’re served at a summer barbecue, holiday potluck, or Sunday family dinner, a big pan of baked beans always finds a way to disappear. This version keeps things simple by starting with canned beans, then dressing them up with a sweet and tangy sauce, smoky bacon, and plenty of onion for a dish that tastes like it’s been cooking all day.

Photo: 12 Tomatoes Creative Team If you’re a fan of coleslaw but ready to try something with a little more depth, this Spanish Cabbage Salad is the perfect place to start. It has the same crisp, crunchy cabbage base you know and love, but instead of a creamy dressing, it’s tossed with warm olive oil, garlic, smoky paprika, and sherry vinegar. The result is a simple salad that’s packed with bold flavor and proves that cabbage doesn’t need mayonnaise to shine.