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    Bright moments, baked in tradition

    Whether you're looking for trusty weeknight dinners or planning the perfect holiday menu, you'll find recipes here that celebrate Italian-American flavors with a fresh, approachable twist. Discover time-tested classics and new family favorites, all with detailed recipe steps to set you up for success.

    • Pasta
    • Chicken
    • Instant Pot
    • Cookies
    • Soups
    • Sides

    Warming Winter Pasta Recipes

    • A large baking dish filled with four cheese stuffed shells.
      Four Cheese Stuffed Shells
    • A wooden serving spoon scooping risotto from the Dutch oven.
      Baked Risotto with Pancetta and Peas
    • A serving spoon in a large dish of baked ziti.
      Baked Ziti with Meatballs
    • Gnocchi and spinach in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce in a stainless steel saucepan.
      Creamy Gorgonzola Gnocchi

    Need a new idea?

    Italian-American Flavors

    Olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, mozzarella...how can you go wrong? These easy, flavorful recipes have earned their places as family favorites.

    • A shallow bowl of spaghetti and sausage meatballs with garlic bread.
      Italian Sausage Meatballs
    • A shallow bowl of brothy escarole and beans with a soup spoon.
      Escarole and Beans
    • A serving of spaghetti squash bolognese in a shallow bowl.
      Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
    • A platter of chicken marsala covered in mushrooms and sauce.
      Chicken Marsala

    Find your next recipe:

    Browse full recipe index →

    Soup Season

    • A ladle lifting a heaping serving of vegetable beef soup out of a pot.
      Vegetable Beef Soup with Orzo
    • A ceramic bowl of soup topped with tortilla strips, cheese, and lime wedges
      Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rice
    • A bowl of sausage, potato, and white bean soup with a slice of baguette dunked into it.
      Smoked Sausage Potato Soup with Kale
    • Minestrone soup in a round pot ready to serve.
      Minestrone Soup
    • A bowl of Italian lentil soup with sausage with a piece of bread in it.
      Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage
    • A shallow bowl of chicken and Bisquick dumplings.
      Bisquick Chicken and Dumplings
    • Thick white chicken chili in bowls ready to serve.
      Stovetop White Chicken Chili
    • A bowl of Italian wedding soup with turkey meatballs.
      Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs
    The blog author holding a cup of coffee.

    hey how ya doin!

    I'm Alyssa.

    Love Italian American flavors, sneakily lightened-up recipes, and fun seasonal fare? You're in the right place. I'm a home cook who's been sharing low-fuss (no agita, promise!) food and drink recipes here since 2013. From my shiny and bright kitchen to yours.

    More about Alyssa
    Baked salmon patties on a plate with tartar sauce and lemon wedges in front of a plate of salad.

    Spotlight on:

    Baked Salmon Patties

    This recipe for salmon patties leans on canned salmon for a convenient and cost-effective weeknight dinner option. These feature an all-purpose flavor and crisp up nicely without frying!

    Get the recipe

    Reader Favorites

    A steak sandwich on a plate with a salad.

    ★★★★★

    The Best Leftover Steak Sandwich

    "I made this the other night with leftover flank steak. All I can say is Wow! This was better than any steak sandwich I’ve ever had." - Cathy

    Get the recipe
    Cooked eggplant stacks in a baking dish topped with fresh basil.

    ★★★★★

    Baked Eggplant Stacks

    "I followed this recipe to the letter and it was so delicious! I loved not having to fry the eggplant. Nothing I would change at all. Definitely will make this again and again." - Donna

    Get the recipe
    • A bowl of Sunday sauce with meatballs and sausage served over penne pasta and garnished with Parmesan
      Sunday Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage
    • Sliced meatloaf on a baking sheet
      Balsamic Meatloaf with Vegetables
    • A platter of raspberry thumbprint cookies dusted with powdered sugar.
      Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies

    Speedy Side Dishes

    • An overhead picture of roasted skillet corn on a plate
      Easy Skillet Roasted Corn
    • A small bowl of mashed potatoes topped with gravy.
      How to Make Better Instant Mashed Potatoes
    • Creamy polenta made from a tube in a serving bowl.
      Creamy Polenta from a Tube
    • A serving bowl of collard greens.
      Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens

    our favorite

    Italian Cookie Recipes

    Don't have nonna's recipe? Enjoy this variety of classic (and not-so-classic) Italian cookie recipes.

    Browse all cookies
    • Pignoli cookies on a marble serving board.
      Pignoli Cookies
    • Sesame cookies on a marble serving plate.
      Italian Sesame Cookies
    • Italian anise cookies on a round marble serving board.
      Italian Anise Cookies
    • Golden-brown pizzelle dusted with powdered sugar on a wooden board.
      Classic Italian Pizzelle

    Trending Recipes

    Here are the recipes readers are loving lately.

    • A bowl of pastina
      Classic Italian Pastina
    • A baked cod fillet cut in half to show the flaky opaque fish.
      Baked Panko Crusted Cod
    • Cake batter in a baking dish topped with crumb topping.
      How to Make Crumb Topping
    • Pan-fried slices of polenta arranged on a serving plate.
      Pan-Fried Polenta Slices
    • Sliced beef shoulder roast, carrots, celery, onions, and rosemary sprigs on a plate.
      Slow Cooker Beef Shoulder Roast
    • A roasted poblano pepper on a baking sheet.
      How to Roast Poblano Peppers in the Oven
    • A bowl of healthy alfredo sauce coating fettuccine.
      Healthy Alfredo Sauce
    • Italian sausage and peppers in sauce in a skillet with a wooden spoon
      Italian Sausage and Peppers

    Latest Recipes

    Here's what's hot and fresh from my kitchen.

    • Fiber-rich turkey meatballs served on a plate of pasta and marinara sauce.
      Higher Fiber Turkey Meatballs
    • Three golden-brown chocolate chip cookies made with olive oil.
      Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • A large Italian sub salad in a serving bowl with serving spoon.
      Loaded Italian Sub Salad
    • Text graphic with images of food stating "good luck recipes for the New Year".
      New Year's Recipes for Good Luck
    • A stack of gingerbread pizzelle next to a santa mug.
      Gingerbread Pizzelle
    • A pan of penne alla vodka with sausage and tomatoes in a large pan with a serving spoon.
      Penne alla Vodka with Sausage
    • A big bowl of lettuce and coleslaw mix topped with burger bowl elements - beef, pickles, tomatoes, cheese, onion, and burger sauce.
      Weeknight Burger Bowls
    • A bowl of lemon aioli surrounded by toasted bread, prosciutto, arugula, olives and balsamic.
      Easy Lemon Aioli

    Recently Updated Recipes

    With step-by-step photos, extra detail, reader feedback, and answers to frequently asked recipe questions, these posts have been updated to be even better than before.

    • Gingerbread waffles on a plate served with pecan halves and maple syrup.
      Gingerbread Waffles
    • A plate of brown butter oatmeal raisin cookies.
      Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • A serving bowl of roasted garlic creamed corn.
      Roasted Garlic Creamed Corn
    • Wreaths, trees, and various other shapes of chocolate spritz cookies, some topped with sprinkles.
      Chocolate Spritz Cookies
    My Sequined Life profile image.

    Hi there!

    I'm Alyssa, and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • An overhead picture of roasted skillet corn on a plate
      Easy Skillet Roasted Corn
    • A serving bowl of collard greens.
      Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens
    • Sliced beef shoulder roast, carrots, celery, onions, and rosemary sprigs on a plate.
      Slow Cooker Beef Shoulder Roast
    • A bowl of pastina
      Classic Italian Pastina
    • Creamy polenta made from a tube in a serving bowl.
      Creamy Polenta from a Tube
    • Golden-brown cooked Italian sausages on an air fryer basket.
      Air Fryer Sausage

    Cozy Winter Favorites

    • A skillet of chicken Parmesan gnocchi with a wooden serving spoon in it.
      Chicken Parmesan Gnocchi Skillet
    • Two halves of an air fried grilled cheese stacked on top of one another.
      Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
    • A small bowl of mashed potatoes topped with gravy.
      How to Make Better Instant Mashed Potatoes
    • A wooden spoon lifting out a scoop of mac and cheese from the pan.
      High Protein Mac and Cheese
    • A shallow bowl of chicken and Bisquick dumplings.
      Bisquick Chicken and Dumplings
    • A bowl of turkey chili topped with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.
      Instant Pot Turkey Chili

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