I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but everyone’s favorite vegetable is currently being recalled over E.coli concerns. According to USA Today, a California farm that was connected to the recent romaine lettuce recall is now recalling red-leaf lettuce, green-leaf lettuce, and cauliflower.

In a statement released by Adam Bros. Farms of Santa Maria, CA, the farm explained that they were issuing the recall “out of an abundance of caution” and that no illnesses have been reported thus far in connection with these vegetables. “The recall was initiated after it was discovered that sediment from a reservoir near where the produce was grown tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Filtered and treated water from the reservoir may have come in contact with the produce after it was harvested,” the farm goes on to explain.

Better safe than sorry, right?

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Between busy days at work, school, or home, we know just how difficult it can be to get balanced, satisfying meals on the table. That’s why we’re big on meal prep. We strongly believe that setting aside time to plan and prepare your meals in advance can make a big difference — and set you up for the best possible week ahead.

And that’s why we’re launching Kitchn’s Meal Prep newsletter!

You told us how much you loved our limited-run Power Hour newsletter earlier this year — so we’ve built something even bigger and better for you. Our new ongoing Meal Prep newsletter will set you up with everything you need to cook well for the days ahead.

That’ll include brand-new start-to-finish meal plans in the format you already know and love, with step-by-step instructions, easy-to-follow photos, a full grocery list, and (of course) fast, easy, and delicious recipes. We’ll also share our newest gear essentials, supermarket shortcuts, and our very best cooking tips — all to help you master all things meal prep.

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A bowl of Puppy Chow is like a bag of classic potato chips: Once you start snacking, it’s impossible to stop. Every time I say I’m going in for my last bite, my hand, as if I no longer have control over it, finds its way back into the mix.

I know I’m not alone in this obsession. Put Puppy Chow out at any holiday gathering and it will always be the first thing to go. Pack it up as a party favor and you’ll be crowned hostess of the year. But the very best Puppy chow has a few tricks up its sleeve that you won’t find on the back of the Chex cereal box. Here’s how to make the very best batch that I guarantee will impress even the most discerning Midwesterner.

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Help from kids in the kitchen has so many benefits: It includes the whole family in meal prep, teaches useful skills, develops early interests in food and healthy eating, and eases the stress of keeping little ones entertained while you work (the work is the entertainment!).

While the ol’ kitchen-chair-turned-backward setup worked just fine for me in the ’70s, today there are a slew of helpful platforms specially made to bring small children to kitchen counter height. And don’t worry — they’re as cute as they are safe.

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There’s often a lot happening on Christmas Day, which makes it really tough for the designated cook to get Christmas dinner ready. More often than not, they have to forgo at least part of the gift-giving, carol-singing, and brisk-walk-in-the-snow-ing that everyone else is merrily enjoying. Unless, of course, they plan carefully and get the bulk of the meal done ahead of time. Here are several recipes to help with that, from beet-pickled deviled egg appetizers to creamy panna cotta for dessert.

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Martha Stewart’s entire existence seems like a fairy tale. She rides around her farm on her horse snapping pictures of her pet peacocks like the queen that she is, presumably in between sending texts to Snoop Dogg. I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but aspire to her level of carefree bossiness.

Of course, Stewart’s power only grows during the holiday season, when she can truly flex her cookie-decorating and table-setting skills. When she recently posted a picture sitting on Santa’s lap in what looks like a fur stole, holding a glass of wine, I knew that the Christmas vibe had officially been set. This holiday season, we need to all try to enjoy ourselves as much as Martha Stewart clearly is.

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If you only associate hummus with the classic beige variety, here’s one that is sure to surprise you. This fun version, with its bright-pink hue, is sweet and spicy and totally unexpected, thanks to one colorful ingredient: beets!

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There are lots of reasons my omnivious family eats vegetarian meals throughout the month. We include at least one or two meatless days each week to encourage our kids to eat more vegetables, to cut down on our food costs, and to keep dinner interesting.

This week’s meal plan is vegetarian purely out of utility — we need to eat up things in our pantry and freezer and stick to our grocery budget this week so there are more dollars for fun dinners out, hosting holiday parties, and festivities over the holiday break. Here are the five easy vegetarian meals my family is eating this week.

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When I’m in charge of hosting holiday dinners, I have two requirements for all the side dishes on the table: Since it’s more of a special occasion than a regular weeknight dinner, I want the sides to feel elevated and impressive alongside the main course, but they must not be fussy or especially time-consuming to pull off. Here are 10 of my favorites. They’re fast and fancy, and easy to pair with a variety of mains.

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I have high standards when it comes to macaroni and cheese. Everyone in my family knows my sister’s version — made with three types of cheese and a buttery Panko topping — by heart. At least once a week you can find one of us whipping it up, whether for ourselves, a potluck, or to bring to a friend (often by request).

Her version, now dubbed “Maddie’s Mac and Cheese,” is straightforward and easy to make, yet results in the cheesiest, creamiest casserole that tastes, to me, like home. So this month, when I tested four of the most popular mac and cheese recipes out there — from Ina Garten, Ree Drummond, Alton Brown, and Sunny Anderson — I knew wasn’t going to give out a perfect rating that easily. These recipes would have to tick all the boxes: easy to make, impossibly creamy (with, ideally, some type of crunch on top), and deliciously cheesy without being too rich.

For consistency’s sake, I tested all four of the recipes with elbow macaroni (the shape they all call for, although Ina offers the option of cavatappi, too), boiled the pasta in a pot of water seasoned with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and used Cabot cheese when possible (Gruyère being the exception).

Here’s how they ranked, from my least favorite to the very best.

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