This year was the second full year of my column, Extra Good, and in my humble opinion, it was the most delicious one yet. The goal of this column has always been to offer simple recipes that do more with less—dishes that come together easily and allow you to actually enjoy the time you spend in the kitchen. For a recipe developer, creating doable, delicious dishes like these is the dream; I’m constantly adding new meals to my own weeknight repertoire. So as 2025 comes to a close, I wanted to take the time to reflect on my favorite recipes of the year, the ones that have become staples in my own household.   

I’m not going to beat around the bush: Nutella Pie has my vote for the best Extra Good recipe of the year (duh!), but several other recipes have found their way into my heart (and my weekly rotation) as well. Homemade strawberry soda kept me cool and refreshed all summer long—I stocked a jar of the bright red syrup in my fridge for whenever the craving struck. The ultra-comforting poblano-potato soup gave me something green to look forward to when the Seattle weather turned gray and damp. And when life got busy, a freezer stash of creamy mushroom hand pies guaranteed an easy, nutritious breakfast each morning.

Writing this column is truly the coolest thing I get to do, and I’d like to extend a huge thank you to TASTE readers everywhere—and especially to anyone who cooked along with us in 2025. While I hope you loved each and every recipe, here are eight in particular that are worth revisiting in the new year: