365 Recipe Challenge: The Year in Review
Remember back in February when Tom jokingly challenged me to try 365 new recipes in 2025? Well, the year is wrapping up, and it’s time for the big reveal: I tried 124 new recipes this year!
Now, I know what you’re thinking—124 is nowhere near 365. But here’s the thing: that averages out to one new recipe every three days, and honestly, I’m pretty thrilled with that. Some weeks I’d plan a date night dinner with six new recipes on the menu. Other weeks, especially during my annual Christmas cookie marathon, I could barely think about trying anything new when I was already living in the kitchen.
The Mediterranean Love Affair Continues
If you’ve been following along, you know I fell hard for The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner by Suzy Karadsheh. That love affair only deepened this year, and I eventually added Milk Street Tuesday Night Mediterranean to my collection. The Mediterranean focus wasn’t intentional at first, but these recipes just kept delivering—simple, flavorful, and exactly what we wanted to eat.
The biggest lesson? A good meal doesn’t have to be complicated. These Mediterranean recipes are straightforward and unfussy, which kept me from getting overwhelmed by the challenge.
The Favorites (Because You Know You Want the List)
Out of 123 new recipes, these are the ones that made us both say “wow”:
- Pasta Rafael – A simple recipe from a runner friend featuring artichokes
- Spanokopita Skillet – All the flavor, none of the fussy phyllo folding
- Upside Down Pizza – Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like
- White Chicken Chili from the Mediterranean cookbook
- Sticky Swedish Chocolate Cake – Dangerously good
- Milk Street Rigatoni Zazzona – Simple perfection
- Banana Hazelnut Bread – A new favorite for breakfast
- Flourless Chocolate Cake with Cardamom – I made this one multiple times.
- Portuguese Style Sweet Potato Rolls – Soft, slightly sweet, absolutely worth the effort
- Georgian Cheese Bread – Speaking of Georgia…
The Winter Pivot
As the weather turned colder, I found myself gravitating toward Milk Street Bakes—the complete opposite of those simple Mediterranean dinners. These recipes are intricate, technical, and utterly satisfying when you nail them. Tom had a brilliant idea: pair regional breads with soups or stews from the same area. That’s how we ended up with Georgian cheese bread alongside a hearty Georgian stew. Our Foodie Map gained pins in Greece, Portugal, Sicily, and Georgia thanks to these culinary adventures.
The Reality Check
Let’s talk about what didn’t work. The Greek meatballs in tomato sauce? We weren’t fans of the sauce. The whoopie pies and those nutter butter copycat cookies I made for Carrie’s birthday? Way too sweet. But here’s the funny thing: there were surprisingly few recipes we wouldn’t eat again. Once I got rolling with this challenge, I just wanted to keep trying new things. It wasn’t until December that I started remaking favorites—well, except for that flourless chocolate cake. That one earned multiple encores.
The real challenge? Our grocery bill. Turns out, constantly buying new ingredients for unfamiliar recipes adds up fast. And then there were the leftovers. Since most of these recipes became our “cheat day” meals, we’d end up with days of delicious leftovers that made sticking to our healthy eating plan… let’s just say challenging.
The Takeaway
Did I hit 365? Nope. Am I disappointed? Not even a little bit. I explored new flavors, learned that good cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, discovered a love for both simple Mediterranean dishes and complex baking projects, and had a blast doing it. Tom was the ultimate taste-tester, and we both enjoyed this culinary adventure.
For 2026, I’m planning to keep the list going—just to see what we try—but without the pressure of a specific number. I also need to swing the pendulum back toward healthier recipes after a year of indulgence.
Your Turn
If you’re considering a similar challenge, here’s my advice: just go for it. I never thought I’d hit 365 (and I didn’t!), but I wanted to see what I could do. The journey was way more fun than the destination, and 123 new recipes is nothing to sneeze at.
What new recipes did you try this year? Any favorites you think I should add to my 2026 list? Share them in the comments—I’m always looking for my next culinary adventure!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have dinner to get on the table…
