Best of 2012: My Favorites

Choosing my favorite recipes from the blog this year was exceptionally difficult, because I made so many delicious things that became instant family favorites. Here are a few of my very favorites, from among the many favorites I have from each month this year!

January: Honey-teriyaki chicken with bacon fried rice. I love the balance of flavors in this dish: the sweet and tangy chicken with the salty, smoky rice.

February: Cheesy sausage penne. I have made this casserole countless times since I first discovered it. I've made it just for us, for dinners with our family, for new parents, for a neighbor recovering from surgery...and absolutely everyone raves about it. It's one of the few dinners that my sons ask for on a regular basis!

March: Greek beef tacos. These tacos were a revelation for me. They're loaded with all of my favorite Greek flavors, but they're ready in just about 15 minutes, which is absolutely perfect for my lifestyle!

April: Pineapple quinoa. This recipe marked my first time cooking with quinoa (the beginning of a beautiful relationship) and also my first time intentionally cooking a vegan dish (for my cooking club's theme of the month). Months later, I still haven't stopped raving about this quinoa. It has the perfect balance of flavors and textures, and the squirt of lime juice at the end just takes it to an insanely delicious level. So, so good.

May: Fried pickle ranch burgers. In a moment of culinary genius, I topped a burger with fried pickles and drizzled the whole business with ranch dressing -- and my new favorite burger was born.

June: Grilled chicken Caesar flatbreads. Just looking at this photo is making me long for summer already.

July: Shrimp po boys. My whole family loves these, and if Joe were to pick his favorite recipe for 2012, this would most likely be it. The sweet, succulent shrimp has a crunchy, spicy breading, and it's doused with creamy remoulade. Such an awesome sandwich.

August:  Roasted cherry brownie cheesecake. This is one of the most involved cheesecakes I've ever made, but it's also one of the most delicious. Cherries and chocolate are such a natural pairing, anyway, and then when you add a layer of creamy cheesecake to the mix...forget about it.

September: Skillet penne with chicken and broccoli. This is one of those dishes that surprises you with how good it is, since the ingredient list is so humble. The pasta cooks in broth, so it soaks up all of those delicious flavors, and you just can't beat the convenience of a one-skillet dinner!

October: Fried egg tostadas with bacon-black bean mash. There is so much flavor loaded into these little tostadas. They're spicy and salty and smoky, and the velvety yolk, creamy avocado, and crispy tostada shells provide wonderful texture.

November: Scalloped sweet potato stacks. I love this savory version of sweet potatoes. They're a no-fuss side dish, and so cute too.

December: Cajun chicken fettuccine Alfredo. I love the way the kick of the Cajun seasoning pairs with the creamy Alfredo sauce in this dish. The Alfredo sauce is perfect.

Best of 2012: Your Favorites

It's that time of year again! It's time to re-cap the best of Cassie Craves for 2012. Every year I do these re-caps a little bit differently, and this year I thought I'd go through and highlight a recipe from each month. Today I'll share the most popular recipes, and tomorrow I'll share my favorites.

January: Crock pot ranch pork chops. Hopefully if you made these, you scaled back on the pile of mashed potatoes, because holy crap. I still laugh every time I look at this photo, because I can't get over that gigantic pile of potatoes. (The pork chops are delicious, though -- so tender that they melt in your mouth, and incredibly flavorful.)

February: Chicken broccoli bacon ranch foil packets. These are an entire dinner in one foil packet, so you can't beat the convenience -- or the taste. They're loaded with so many delicious flavors.

March: Cake batter cheesecake cupcakes. These individual-sized treats are a cross between cake and cheesecake, and they use those delicious birthday cake Oreos that were available for a limited time. Regular Oreos would work beautifully, but I really, really wish they'd bring back the birthday cake ones.

April: Cheddar bacon ranch chicken pasta. This is by far the most popular recipe on my entire blog, and I don't even know how many repins it's received. I can definitely see why you all love it so much; it's delicious and simple and ready in well under half an hour.

May: French dip crescents. All the yumminess of a French dip sandwich, wrapped up in a neat little crescent roll bundle. What's not to love?

June: Strawberry cake with thick strawberry glaze. This is one of the best cakes I've ever made. The sweet, sticky glaze is just to die for, and the cake is so moist and is loaded with strawberry flavor.

July: Tex Mex white cheddar chicken spaghetti. This dish is made entirely on the stovetop and contains no "cream of" soups whatsoever. It's insanely creamy, slightly spicy, and totally delicious!

August: Southwestern BBQ shredded chicken sandwiches. This is one of my favorites from August, too, and probably from the entire year. This sandwich and its toppings are perfectly balanced: spicy, smoky, sweet, creamy, crunchy, and tangy. I could eat these once a week.

September: Jalapeno popper wontons. You guys went nuts for these! Not that I blame you...they're so yummy and dangerously addictive.

October: Pesto chicken crescent pockets. I agree with this one too! These are so simple and delicious. The filling is composed of just a few ingredients, but it's so flavorful, and the creaminess is perfectly balanced by the crispy crouton-coated crescent shell (say that five times fast!).

November: Chicken cheddar bacon ranch rice bake. You guys seem to love the chicken/cheddar/bacon/ranch combination as much as I do! This is another good one -- a creamy, flavorful rice dish that is a perfect comfort food.

December: Foil-baked chicken parmesan sandwiches. These sandwiches became an instant favorite, and we're actually having them for dinner again tomorrow night!