Our Most Popular Recipes During Quarantine

We’ve published hundreds of recipes here at Eat This, Not That! over the years, ranging from easy recipes to hard recipes to healthy recipes to decadent recipes to incredibly tasty and quirky recipes that will have you covered for just about any occasion you can imagine. Given our boundless love of food and cooking—and given the fact that more Americans than ever have been cooking since the pandemic started—we couldn’t help but wonder: What are people actually making?

If you’ve thought the same thing, then good news! We’re here to tell you. We’ve been tracking our vast reservoir of recipes on our site since March 1st, 2020 (the date very loosely understood to be the “beginning” of quarantine), and we’ve isolated the specific recipes that our dear readers (thank you!) have been returning to over and over again—and we have to say, you all have wonderful taste!

So, without further ado, here are our most popular quarantine-era recipes—ranked from the most viewed first and in descending order of popularity after that.

It seems everyone in quarantine is about making this whipped coffee recipe, which is why we made it in three different flavors! To make the frothy coffee beverage, you whisk together equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water until the texture of the mix becomes creamy—almost like whipped cream. You then serve it over hot or iced milk.

Get our recipe for Whipped Coffee.

People are craving comfort food, which makes sense as to why our Cracker Barrel Meatloaf recipe is our second most popular recipe. While meatloaf can be made in all different types of ways, we decided to follow the ingredient list on Cracker Barrel’s website for the most authentic recipe experience. According to Cracker Barrel, their meatloaf recipe has tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Hence why this recipe has a whole can of tomatoes, as well as diced green peppers and onions.

Get our recipe for Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf.

Sick of cooking chicken the same old boring ways? Here are eight clever ways to marinate your chicken, giving them a unique new flavor for dinner and spicing up your dinner (or lunch!) routine.

Get our recipe for Chicken Marinades.

Sick of the usual meat sauce and meatballs on a weeknight? Our readers absolutely love this beef ragu recipe. Not only is it easy to make, but this dump-and-go Crock-Pot recipe is perfect to prep and freeze for later! The original recipe for beef ragu calls for 1 cup of beef stock. However, if you have any leftover red wine sitting in the fridge that needs to be used, use that instead! One cup of red wine will give the beef ragu a richer taste that can’t be beaten.

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Beef Ragu.

Now, you might be thinking that a goulash—which is a meat and veggies stew—would require a lot of time, but our recipe is made for your slow cooker. All you have to do is combine all of the ingredients into it, and let the time-saving appliance work its magic while you do whatever it is you need to do. It’s that easy and makes perfect sense why our readers love it so much.

Get our recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Goulash.

While we’ve been whipping up a lot of delicious recipes while at home, we can’t help but admit that along with our fancy meals, we’ve also been mixing up a few cocktails to go with it. And while we do love a good bottle of red or a pitcher of sangria, we can’t help but drool looking at some of the drinks bartenders are sharing over on Instagram. So we decided to tap their wisdom and see what quarantinis they’ve been sipping on.

Get our recipes for Quarantine Cocktails.

Nothing beats a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup, does it? Especially if it can be cooked with minimal effort! This Crock-Pot chicken noodle soup recipe is the perfect meal to warm your soul when you’re stuck at home.

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

This recipe is inspired by a Belgian dish called carbonnade, a hearty stew of beef and onions braised in beer. Take 10 minutes to prep in the morning, then set a slow cooker on low and go about your day. When it’s time for dinner, this bone-sticking beef stew will be ready.

Get our recipe for Slow Cooker Beef and Beer.

Have a craving for chicken tenders? You may not be able to get to your favorite restaurant or fast-food spot right now, but you can enjoy these delicious homemade chicken fingers—for fewer calories, no less! Our sweet and spicy sauce kicks the taste up a notch, too, so you’ll get a satisfying crunch from the panko bread crumbs, plus a mouthful of flavor.

Get our recipe for Oven-Baked Chicken Fingers with Chipotle-Honey Mustard.

People are stocking up on cans of tuna, so making a toasty tuna melt seems like the perfect quarantine lunch! Our version replaces the bulk of the mayo with a considerably healthier supporting cast that adds to the flavor without adding extra fat: pesto, lemon juice, olives, and onions.

Get our recipe for Italian Tuna Melt.

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Looking for an easy family dinner to throw together? Well, our readers are loving this chicken fajitas recipe! Sheet pan dinners are the real MVPs for weeknight meals. They have the convenience of a dump-and-go like a slow cooker meal, but only take around 30 minutes to cook (instead of waiting four to eight hours for a meal).

Get our recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas.

Our readers love finding new ways to cook up chicken breast and are loving this chicken scaloppine recipe in particular. Our lighter version wraps chicken and sage in a layer of prosciutto, which then becomes a crispy skin that keeps the chicken moist while it sautés. A splash of wine and chicken stock directly into the cooking pan becomes your 2-minute sauce. Just the latest proof of why simpler is so often better.

Get our recipe for Chicken Scaloppine.

Missing a hot plate of fish and chips from your favorite restaurant? Well, our readers are particularly interested in making this crispy cod recipe! This cod recipe, made with sweet potato fries, is made by baking the fish and chips in the oven instead of dipping them into a deep fryer. We promise, after taking a bite into this crispy cod recipe, you won’t even miss the deep-fried version.

Get our recipe for Crispy Cod with Sweet Potato Fries.

Craving your go-to Chinese takeout? This homemade Crock-Pot beef and broccoli will satisfy that craving. While most slow cooker recipes take longer to cook, this one is surprisingly short and sweet. In just two hours, you’ll have your favorite Chinese takeout dish ready to eat!

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Beef and Broccoli.

It seems our readers really have a craving for Chinese takeout! Our recipe turns fried rice on its head, relying on a ton of fresh vegetables, considerably less rice, and a bit of oil for crisping it up.

Get our recipe for Chicken Fried Rice.

Our readers are loving those simple dump-and-go Crock-Pot meals, especially this chicken enchilada casserole. The best part? You don’t need a ton of spices to make it! Let the spices and flavor from the enchilada sauce do the work for you.

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

This split pea soup is a classic for a reason and it is one of those few and far between comfort foods that are comforting, delicious, and healthy for you, too.

Get our recipe for Creamy Split Pea Soup.

Need a healthy breakfast to prep? This peanut butter overnight oats recipe takes less than five minutes to throw together, and it’s bound to become one of your go-to healthy breakfasts!

Get our recipe for Peanut Butter Overnight Oats.

Chicken pot pies are quintessential comfort food, so it makes sense that our readers are loving this recipe right now. Make it slightly healthier with our version, which cuts the calories by more than half.

Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.

This chicken and dumplings recipe has many of the same magical powers and core flavors of chicken noodle soup—like root vegetables, savory broth, and shredded chicken—but it is made more substantial by the addition of a roux to thicken the soup base and, you guessed it, fluffy dumplings instead of limp noodles.

Get our recipe for Chicken and Dumplings.

RELATED: Your ultimate supermarket survival guide is here!

Every culture has its version of pot roast, that amazing slow-cooked amalgamation of hearty meat and vegetable chunks and flavorful broth. When it comes to picking the best rendition, we have to side with Julia Child, who believed the French boeuf bourguignon was the world’s finest pot roast. Here’s an easy, healthy version to tackle the French pot roast.

Get our recipe for French Pot Roast.

Need a healthy pasta dish that you can feel good about eating? You can easily make this healthy baked ziti at home, and it won’t weigh you down. This is home-cooked comfort food at its finest.

Get our recipe for Baked Ziti.

Can you ever go wrong with a spaghetti and meatball dinner? If you’re looking for a meal you can prep and eat all week long, throwing together a large Crock-Pot of Italian meatballs is one of the easiest tricks of the trade.

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Italian Meatballs.

Nothing hits the spot like a bowl of spicy jambalaya. While you can make a faster jambalaya recipe, using a slow cooker helps to savor all of the flavors of the jambalaya. Between the sausage, tomatoes, and spicy cajun seasoning, this Crock-Pot jambalaya recipe is bursting with flavor.

Get our recipe for Jambalaya.

There are many reasons why this recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight—the active cooking time is reduced to a minimum, you can use this versatile pork in many different ways, and it’s one of the most delicious keto recipes we’ve ever tasted. You can wrap this pork with slaw in a low-carb tortilla and call it a keto taco or simply enjoy it as a high-protein, low-carb bowl.

Get our recipe for Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork.

Need something fun to throw together for your lazy weekend brunch? Our readers are absolutely obsessed with this Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancake recipe.

Get our recipe for Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes.

Miss digging into a big omelet at the local diner in town? It seems our readers are missing their favorite omelets, too. Make your own version of it at home with our popular black bean omelet recipe.

Get our recipe for Vegetarian Black Bean Omelet.

Boxed mac and cheese is good and all, but have you tried making your own version from scratch? It’s actually much easier than you think! To keep our version healthy, we keep returning to this formula: a béchamel base, laced with extra-sharp Cheddar cheese and finished with a bit of yogurt to give the sauce that perfect texture. Are there more decadent bowls of mac? Absolutely—but not for under 400 calories.

Get our recipe for Healthier Mac and Cheese.

While buying a box of instant oatmeal packets seems like an easy way to make breakfast, those packets probably don’t fill you up as much as you want them to. Plus, they’re typically packed with sugar! We solve both problems by using peanut butter and almonds to provide a rich base of healthy fats and bananas for natural sweetness and a shot of potassium. This is the kind of oatmeal you could—and should—eat five days a week.

Get our recipe for Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Banana.

Our readers are very much into comforting stews and soups, and this beef stew in red wine sauce is no exception. Use up that leftover bottle of red you opened up last night and make this stew. And maybe drink more vino while you cook; we won’t judge!

Get our recipe for Beef Stew.

There really is nothing like a bowl of homemade soup when you’re craving something that makes you feel all warm and toasty. We have a feeling our recipe for a classic Cuban tomato and black bean soup is one you will turn to again and again.

Get our recipe for Slow Cooker Cuban Tomato and Black Bean Soup.

Our readers love to make their own version of their favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes! This margarita chicken recipe is obviously a favorite. Our version of margarita chicken, a meal that you can have on the table in 20 minutes, contains all the same bells and whistles (Cheese! Salsa! Sizzle!), minus all the added calories and dollars spent on eating at a restaurant.

Get our recipe for Margarita Chicken.

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Nothing beats a classic dinner of salmon and asparagus, especially if you can smother it in butter! All you have to do is trim the ends off the asparagus, melt the butter, and let everything bake on a sheet pan as you put the dressing together. If you’re looking for a new go-to weeknight dinner, this baked salmon recipe has you covered.

Get our recipe for Keto Butter-Baked Salmon with Asparagus.

Are the shelves barren of ketchup? Our readers have taken a particular interest in our homemade ketchup recipe. Homemade ketchup really highlights the flavor of tomatoes rather than masking it with lots of vinegar, sugar, and salt. Want to get creative? Add a pinch or two of powdered ginger, curry powder, or some sriracha sauce for some extra spice to your ketchup.

Get our recipe for Homemade Ketchup.

Can’t find your favorite ice cream at the store? Why not make your own with our very easy no-churn homemade ice cream recipe! It seems our readers are scooping lots of homemade ice cream, too.

Get our recipe for Homemade Ice Cream.

Need a recipe to use up leftover chicken in the fridge? Our readers are prepping this chicken salad to put on sandwiches, salads, and more! We use a modest amount of olive-oil-based mayo, then punch up the flavor with plump golden raisins and the complex savory notes of curry powder in this chicken salad sandwich recipe. Make a big batch of the salad as part of your weekly meal planning and work it into other sandwiches, stuffed in pitas, or crowning a bowl of mixed greens.

Get our recipe for Chicken Salad Sandwich with Raisins and Curry Powder.

This vegetarian Crock-Pot chili recipe is made with two different kinds of beans: black and kidney beans. Add in the sweet corn, a sweet potato, onion, and a slice of homemade cornbread (which you can easily throw together using a baking mix), and this Crock-Pot meal will be a delicious, vegetarian alternative to the real thing.

Get our recipe for Vegetarian Chili.

Miss your favorite dumplings from that Chinese takeout place around the corner? Making your own version of this takeout classic is surprisingly easy—and our readers are loving it! Luckily, making them at home is a 10-minute project, and it allows you to cut calories and boost nutrition by spiking the dish with mushrooms and snap peas.

Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Stickers.

There’s nothing quite like the Instant Pot to get a delicious meal on the table in a minimal amount of time—no wonder our readers love this recipe so much. This Instant Pot recipe can make shrimp and broccoli in not three, not two, but in just one minute.

Get our recipe for Instant Pot Shrimp and Broccoli.