The Best of Created by Diane: My Most-Loved Recipes

We all have those go-to recipes, the ones we crave… can’t stop making, and happily come back to again and again. Today, I’m letting you in on my personal favorites, and trust me, you’ll want to add these to your regular lineup too! I’m celebrating my blog-anniversary, I started this recipe website in 2009. Thanks so much for visiting…

I hope you’ll sign up for my emails here!

MY FAVORITE RECIPES I make again and again createdbydiane.com

These recipes never fail to make family and friends happy!

Today, I’m sharing some of my all-time favorite recipes that have stood the test of time and always earn rave reviews.

This food blog actually started back in 2009 with one simple recipe. I brought a dish to a party, and it was such a hit that everyone wanted the recipe. At first, I wrote it out by hand (yes, pen and paper!). But after being asked multiple times, someone finally said, “You should start a food blog!”

So that’s exactly what I did. With very little planning, I picked a name, opened my laptop, and launched what would become a place to share easy, delicious recipes you’ll want to make again and again. I’m definitely more of a “jump in and figure it out later” kind of person. (Strangely, I’ll overthink the small stuff but dive headfirst into the big things—go figure!)

And that leap has turned into something amazing… 
I hope you enjoy this collection of recipes:

I broke it up into a few groups: round 1, 2, 3, and some other don’t miss recipes. 

A fun read is this post on Relationship Advice and Comfort Food!

In round 1, these are the recipes that come to mind, with little thinking… they popped into my head right away!

This post is LONG… and full of lots of recipes and such, and there are some fun photos of me at the end too!

dianes favorite cake, cookie, chicken, pasta, drink, appetizer at createdbydiane food blogger anniversary 

My all time favorite pasta salad: Feta Basil Balsamic Pasta Salad

Now onto round 2…

cake, cookies, chicken, beef, the favorites from food blogger createdbydiane

  • Cake- Vanilla Filled Cake a tender vanilla cake with creamy filling, berries, simple, classic, and absolutely irresistible for any celebration.
  • Cookie- Pecan Lassies Chewy, nutty, and sweet, these pecan cookies are a bite of cozy comfort in every piece.
  • Scone- Pumpkin Scones Velvety, lightly spiced pumpkin scones topped with a drizzle of glaze, perfect for year-round, especially fall.
  • Chicken- Chicken Francaise Golden chicken cutlets simmered in a lemon-butter wine sauce, this Italian-American favorite is both elegant and easy.
  • Beef- Meatballs- Juicy, flavorful beef meatballs—perfect on pasta, tucked in a sandwich, or enjoyed all on their own.
  • Pasta- Jalapeno Bacon Mac and Cheese- Creamy mac and cheese gets a bold upgrade with smoky bacon and a kick of jalapeño heat.
  • Drink- Whipped coffee- A frothy coffee drink that’s as fun to make as it is to sip, creamy, strong, and a little bit indulgent.
  • Appetizer- Crab Dip-  wait until you see how cute it is!
  • Soup- Corn Soup- which is really like a loaded, thick, delicious chowder!
  • Salad- Chinese Chicken Salad- Crispy, crunchy, and full of color—this salad mixes tender chicken, fresh veggies, and a zesty sesame dressing that’s anything but boring. It’s the kind of salad you’ll actually crave!

and here is round 3:

food blog favorite recipes from Diane at createdbydiane

Another great pasta salad I make on repeat: Pesto Pasta Salad 

Here are three more recipes I think you should take a look at:

Always a favorite this Whiped Coffee

 

It might sound simple, but it took a lot of time to learn all aspects of blogging. Photography, writing, and learning how to operate a website. How to organize the day-to-day of running a business as well as being the only person doing all the tasks. Especially when a job blogging wasn’t even a thing a couple of years prior. So it’s not like there were lots of people to ask. I started blogging about the same time Facebook started becoming familiar, Instagram wasn’t a thing yet, nor was Pinterest. Sharing sites were different; many have lost their mojo and dropped off the internet.

 So I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has visited… and those who have seen me through it all… And welcome new readers. The very best way to see my new recipes is to sign up for emails.

More about this wonderful business of mine…

  • I plan and prepare what I’ll be making.
  • Test the recipes; sometimes they get made multiple times before they get published. To ensure you’ll get the same results as I do. Recipe testing can be time-consuming… delicious but time-consuming.

food photography, food photographer, food photos, foodie, createdbydiane

  • Plate, set up, and photograph the recipes.
  • The tasting part is the most fun,
  • then comes the clean up… not necessarily the most fun. And oh, can I make a MESS!

the messy life of a food blogger createdbydiane, lots and lots of dirty dishes

  • Next comes the writing, editing, publishing, and maintaining the recipes on my site, updating things as needed to comply with the ever-changing internet. Sharing them to email followers and promoting them on social media to drive traffic to my blog to earn an income.

I’m super excited whenever anyone visits my website. You’ll not only find new recipes, there are over 1500 recipe posts in the recipe index that I’ve posted over the last 16 years. I cook and bake a lot. I really love spending time in the kitchen creating new recipes as well as making my favorites.

When my kids were younger, I made this Polynesian Meatball recipe all the time, it’s based on my husband’s grandmother’s meatloaf recipe. Which I fell in love with at first bite!

So many recipes I make on repeat! I hope you’ll find some new favorites as well.

my list of recipes on repeat, food blogger, meal prep, make ahead createdbydiane.com

More weekly favorites:

What do I bring to a party? If I’m bringing a snack, appetizer, ora  similar item, often I’ll make one of these:

Whenever my family needs something to bring to a potluck, cookout, or party… I make this mac and cheese, because this is the number one item they request. I typically double the recipe!

 

Easy Dinners with Cooked Chicken Created by Diane

These 4 are often on repeat!

The cake I make most often for a party?

1 hour Strawberry Shortcake, why? Even though I mentioned how much I love chocolate… when I’m having a party I go for this Chocolate Cake, but his shortcut chocolate cake if I’m in a hurry.

more favorite soup recipes

my BEST Recipes createdbydiane.com

A few years ago, we remodeled our kitchen (you can see more photos here). It was a ton of work, but I am so glad we did it. I love being in the kitchen, cooking, baking, creating new recipes…

white kitchen, food blogger, createdbydiane.com Now, while I wish my kitchen would look all pretty, cleaned up, and everything in its place…

Most of the time, my kitchen is a mess, as you can see by the photo above with all the dishes! Things can go haywire easily with everything all over the place, cabinets and drawers open, and tons of dirty dishes in the sink. But my fridge and freezer are always full of food, and I couldn’t be happier.

I do clean up the kitchen every night. I don’t like leaving a mess for the next day.

 

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