Carrot Sheet Cake and More Recipes We Made in May 2026

It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.

May 29

While I plan to make Test Kitchen editor Rebecca Firkser’s Big Bean Ceviche for cookouts all summer long, something about this past rainy weekend had me craving dip-for-dinner vibes and a movie marathon. I grabbed these Judión beans from my pantry (admittedly not huge, but so thin-skinned and creamy I didn’t care) and tipped them into an extra-large bowl with the blitzed tomato broth straight from the blender. My handy mandoline slicer made quick work of the jalapeño and onion, leaving me to leisurely slice avocados into chubby crescent moons while the beans marinated. Armed with some crushed tostadas for scooping and the Before Sunrise trilogy, I didn’t even mind that it was pouring over Memorial Day weekend. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor

I am an ice cream enthusiast; in fact, half of my camera roll captures me with a cone in hand. Because of this, I thought it was about time to start making it at home. After scouring the internet and talking to my colleagues in the Test Kitchen, I was repeatedly pointed toward Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook. The base recipe uses a special ingredient—cream cheese!—to create an especially luscious, stable texture. I made an oven-roasted strawberry-rhubarb jam, swirled it in, then tucked it in the back of my freezer to set properly (patience, Nina, patience). Once ready, I stuffed it into a sugar cone, snapped a pic, and made it disappear faster than Cookie Monster with a plate of chocolate chippers. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking

Not to toot my own horn, but lately I’ve been quite into my recipe for Super Seedy Power Cookies (co-authored with Jesse Szewczyk) as my 3 p.m. snack. We’re about to enter too-hot-to-turn-on-the-oven territory, so I’ve been power-baking, freezing the bulk of them, and sharing the rest with friends. You can tweak the kinds of seeds you use while maintaining the same ratio of small (like sesame and hemp) to large (like sunflower and pumpkin). Truthfully, I’ve been making them often enough that I keep a pre-batched seed mix in a quart container for easy access! —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager

When I entertain during the week, I look for simple, delicious meals that adhere to a variety of dietary restrictions. This Monday, I was cooking for a vegetarian friend, so this cherry tomato pasta from creator Tessa Sinatro checked the box. I started by slicing tomatoes, garlic, and shallots, the latter being my addition for extra punch. Everything mingled together in a pan over heat, until the tomatoes turned jammy. I then used an immersion blender (a gift I received for my birthday last year) to blend the sauce up, and for a silky finish, added butter and Parmesan. Total crowd pleaser. —Abi Lieff, assistant to the editor in chief

For a backyard cookout at our neighbors’ over the weekend, I was tasked with bringing dessert. Sheet cake is a no-brainer for a group—easy to make, easy to serve—and I knew just the recipe for spring: my coworker Shilpa Uskokovic’s Carrot Sheet Cake With Cream Cheese Whip, which I’ve made many (many) times. I omitted the mix-ins in case anyone was allergic to nuts, and added some candied carrots on top because why not? (Just thinly slice carrots, then simmer in a simple syrup until tender.) The cake was a hit, even with the kids, one of whom happily declared, “It doesn’t taste like carrots!” Respectfully, it does, but who am I to turn down a compliment? —Emma Laperruque, cooking director

May 22

I’m on a never-ending quest to find new ways of cooking chicken breasts at home. So when my fellow Test Kitchen buddy Rebecca Firkser started developing her Miso Chicken Soba Bowls, I was immediately a fan. The chicken breasts are gently poached in miso broth, which ensures they’re well seasoned and undeniably tender (not boring in the slightest). Sliced and snuggled alongside soba noodles, snap peas, and a zippy finish of lemon and sesame oil, the bowls satisfy like no other. Rebecca: I thank you for a fresh addition to my repertoire. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior Test Kitchen editor

This recipe for Gelatina de Mosaico has been on my must-make list for years. Truth is, I hadn’t made it yet because I could not secure the three flavors of Jell-O I wanted. Finally, I said: To hell with it! I also said to hell with the 13x9"-pan suggestion, opting to build my gelatina in a Bundt instead. And while some might say I should not have done that, I like the way the milky gelatin separated from the mosaic portion, giving the confection an appearance reminiscent of Chocoflan. Flavors of raspberry, orange, and cherry coalesced into a volatile cosmos of swirling clouds and fiery square planets of fruit flavor. Next time, I won’t wait so long to make something so delicious. —Joe Sevier, senior editor, cooking and SEO

I hosted a last-minute dinner party over the weekend and leaned on farmers market finds and longstanding go-to recipes to make the whole thing as fun as possible. This meant a leafy green salad, charred tomato and ricotta toasts, crispy smashed potatoes, whole grilled fish (easier than you’d think!), and my forever favorite grilled main for a crowd, Ali Slagle’s Grilled Chicken with Parsley-Olive Sauce from NYT Cooking. Season chicken thighs simply, throw them on the grill, then immediately transfer the hot chicken into a delectable sauce of parsley, Castelvetrano olives, chiles, olive oil, and lemon. It tastes even better after sitting for 30 minutes, which leaves me plenty of time to get the rest of the dishes to the finish line. Plus, chicken thighs are endlessly forgiving if I lose track of time yapping with friends. —Alaina Chou, commerce writer

Ask me what my idea of luxury is and I’ll tell you: It’s when you just so happen to have every ingredient you need to bake a recipe, right when you want to bake it. Such was the case for me this week when the mood struck to make senior Test Kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Pistachio Bundt Cake. Given that I live in a household of two, I couldn’t justify a whole Bundt, so I used the AI assistant on the recipe page to see how I’d modify the cake. (Left to our own devices, my husband and I could make the whole thing disappear in just a few days.) I ended up cutting all the ingredient measurements in half, then baking in a standard loaf pan for about 50 minutes. Worked great. —Carly Westerfield, associate manager, audience strategy

May 15

When I’m invited to dinner, like any good guest, I ask what I can bring. But last Sunday, when my host wrote “bring anything or nothing,” I’ll admit, I was at a loss. I racked my brain and, after a mini-brainstorm, I landed on a single-layer cake that would be impossible to mess up: senior Test Kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk’s Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. I liked that I already had most of the ingredients in my pantry, and that it would require only one bowl. Plus, no stand mixer required. The frosting is a delight: a swoopy chocolate ganache, spiked with olive oil for a subtle sheen. A finishing sprinkle of flaky salt left the host thoroughly impressed. —Sam Stone, staff writer

Last-minute weeknight dinner parties call for one-and-done menus, and Claire Saffitz’s One-Skillet Chicken With Buttery Orzo remains one of my go-tos. It features the best way to make orzo: toasting it, then slowly cooking it like risotto, adding ladles of warm stock until it’s toothsome and creamy. Plus foolproof crispy chicken thighs and tender fennel, all presented (and cooked) in a single pan that’s company-worthy and streamlined, so your sink isn’t filled with dishes. I served it with a dead-simple green salad and asked my guests to bring drinks and dessert. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor

Almost a year ago, for this same column, I wrote about poaching rhubarb in vanilla syrup. I had all sorts of plans for how I’d use it. No-churn ice cream, from-scratch biscuits. Little did I know I’d give birth less than a week later. Fortunately, the preserve was forgiving in the fridge, waiting until we were ready. Greek yogurt, jammy rhubarb, a fistful of granola. That was what I could manage. And that was what I did again this year. Roughly chopped rhubarb, simmered in equal parts sugar and water, plus a dab of vanilla paste, just until tender. Only now I get to feed the spoils to my baby, with his bread-dough arms and four-and-a-half teeth. I thought the tartness might deter him but, hungrily, messily, gleefully, he reached for more. —Emma Laperruque, cooking director

I’m convinced that the answer to dinner in a hurry is ground meat. Beef, chicken, pork, and lamb all cook in literal minutes while still offering that crispy Maillard reaction depth. Case in point: Contributor Ali Slagle’s 10-Minute Lamb and Asparagus Stir-Fry, which, yes, really does cook in 10 minutes. I’ve made this a few times now, occasionally trading snow or sugar snap peas for the asparagus. Other times I swap dill for mint or add a pinch of cumin to the mix. No matter what, I’ll always throw together a quick yogurt sauce to serve alongside. There’s no recipe for that—just mix about a cup of Greek yogurt, the juice of a lemon, a grated garlic clove (or two), salt and pepper, and a glug of olive oil. —Carly Westerfield, associate manager, audience strategy

May 8

When I’m craving pizza but don’t want to make it myself or shell out on takeout, it’s pepperoni pasta to the rescue. With just a sheet pan and a pot, I can channel the flavors of my favorite ’roni cup and pickled-pepper-topped pie—without needing an 800-degree oven to properly char dough. To serve, I just plunk the pan right on the table alongside a crunchy, vinegary salad like this iceberg number. A cold bottle of Lambrusco too please. —Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor

There is something so satisfying about big-plate-size pancakes. They not only fill up my plate, they fill up my heart. I particularly like the diner-style ones from former Epicurious food editor Katherine Sacks. The batter is made with buttermilk for tang and just enough sugar that I can top mine with berries macerated in syrup, my partner can have his with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and neither feels out of place. One other clever trick in these: a splash of seltzer aerates the batter, keeping the pancakes light despite their hefty size. —Joe Sevier, senior editor SEO & Cooking

Good ol’ noodles and cottage cheese has been a staple in my family for years. Our recipe is quite simple: Boil whatever noodle you like until al dente, add a scoop of cottage cheese, and finish with a pinch of salt and sugar. After browsing the internet to see if this recipe existed outside of my family, I found a version from blogger Brooklyn Farm Girl. It’s a touch elevated with butter for richness, sautéed onions (I used shallots), and a bit of sour cream. I forwent the latter to maintain some nostalgic integrity. I did, however, add thawed frozen peas for a charming spring vibe. —Abi Lieff, assistant to the editor in chief

I am, as I write this, on an airplane for a five-day trip to Japan. That’s a long enough time that I wanted to leave my wife and kids with some food to remember me by, so I spent Sunday and Monday prepping make-ahead options for them, including the Jammy Marble Tea Eggs from Salt, Sugar, MSG, chef Calvin Eng and journalist Phoebe Melnick’s debut cookbook. Eng’s tea eggs resemble the ones you may have eaten before, but with some sweet and savory accents that make them, well, better than those eggs: a tingle from a handful of Sichuan peppercorns along with the richness of dark soy sauce in the soak (as opposed to the standard Kikkoman I usually use). —Noah Kaufman, senior shopping editor

There is no soldier on this earth stronger than me, battling the desire to order takeout after a long workday instead of cooking dinner at home. This is why I’ve designated Tuesday as Stir-Fry Nights. A nice balance of protein and vegetables, it comes together by the time my rice finishes cooking. (I swear by Zojirushi.) My latest win was food director Chris Morocco’s Chicken and Cabbage Stir-Fry. A big pile of cabbage wilts into a crisp-tender tangle, ground chicken makes it especially quick, and a naughty little knob of butter provides a silky finish. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior Test Kitchen editor

May 1

Haven’t you heard? Cupcakes are back. Senior Test Kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic just dropped three new modern entries into the genre: cookie butter banana, lamington, Earl Grey–chocolate with blackberry frosting. Drool. And what perfect timing for me. When I asked my friend what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday, she didn’t skip a beat; “Anything Earl Grey.” She did specifically request a nine-inch round crowned with the tangy frosting, but next time? It’s cupcakes, no question. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking

In my household, we’re obsessed with our monthly Weee! order. We usually prioritize kimchi, dumplings, and noodle soup bases, with a vegetable or two thrown in. At the grocery store, you might opt for one or two heads of baby bok choy, but Weee! sends them in mass, which means we’re eating the veg every other night for a week straight. This recipe for Sheet-Pan Scallion Chicken With Bok Choy is an easy way to blow through the haul. The chicken pan juices imbue the tender stalks with wonderful savory oomph. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager

I have made so much progress with getting my kids to try new foods, but vegetables remain hit or miss. For years I played it safe, thinking that the simplest preparations, like steamed broccoli, blanched green beans, or just straight-up raw carrot sticks, were least likely to cause offense. But now the gloves are off. If you aren’t going to eat my vegetables anyway, there’s no sense in holding back. Case in point: my recipe for Blistered Green Beans With Garlic, featuring gloriously shriveled, chewy-tender pods. Lightly coated with oil and tossed occasionally in a searing hot skillet or wok, even tough beans turn silky, and ready to coat in a finishing blast of chiles. Unlike a barely cooked green bean that feels like work to crunch your way through, this approach turns them supple and easy to eat (or not) by the forkful. —Chris Morocco, food director

My cookbook club chose Nargisse Benkabbou’s Madaq for this month’s gathering. After sampling a few recipes while my colleague Nina Moskowitz was reviewing the book, I couldn’t wait to dive back in. After a feast of harissa beans on toast, crispy chicken thighs with chickpeas, freshly made cheese, tender potatoes strewn with onions, and a spicy Caesar that kept us going back for thirds, I sliced my contribution: Ras el Hanout Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. The technique is dead simple (all by hand) and takes a delightfully heavy hand with spices. Each bite is perfumed with heady cinnamon, floral vanilla, and earthy ras el hanout. Benkabbou offers a recipe for her own “top of the shop” blend but you can swap in a store-bought mix for ease. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior cooking editor

I would not call myself an orzo person. But Alison Roman’s recipe for Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo and a Pat of Butter called to me. I wanted the turmeric-glowing, mushroom-bolstered, fish-sauce-spiked broth. I wanted that pat of butter. It was slurpably good with a deep umami and just enough richness for a brisk spring night. Though it supposedly serves four, my husband and I emptied the pot ourselves. Now I just have to figure out what to make with the rest of the orzo. Broccoli Cheddar Orzotto? Spring Orzotto? One-Pot Orzo With Chickpeas? Choices, choices, choices! —Emma Laperruque, cooking director