Baked Beef and Feta Meatballs

I’ve made these meatballs several times, and I become more and more obsessed with them every time I make them. The feta adds a nice saltiness that works well with the spices and aromatics. You’ll need a shawarma spice blend for these. If you sign up to test this recipe, please email kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com with your full name and mailing address so I can have the spice blend sent to you for testing.

I serve these with a harissa-maple sauce, but that is optional. I’ve enjoyed them with and without the sauce, so feel free to make the sauce with these meatballs if you like.

As a reminder, please make the recipe as written and snap a photo of the finished dish.

If you realize you cannot test the recipe after signing up, please remove your name from the list to open it up for others.

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Thank you, everyone! I look forward to your thoughts on these meatballs. I absolutely love them!

-kylie

Recipe 1: Slow Cooker Honey-Harissa Chicken

This one is really tremendous. I’ve made it multiple times and the sauce is just fantastic. It’s one of those recipes where you’re surprised it was made in a slow cooker (okay, technically the sauce is made in a saucepan, but STILL). I keep coming back to this recipe because the sauce is so velvety! I recommend making this with a side of roasted or mashed potatoes…the sauce works so well with potatoes.

If you sign up for this recipe, please email kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com to coordinate the delivery of the harissa paste, which is required for the broth.

Recipe 2: Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Tortellini

Ideally, you would make this with chopped Calabrian chilies, but I don’t think they are completely integral to the recipe. You can use them if your store has them; otherwise, use crushed red pepper to taste. This is a great autumnal take on tomato soup; cheese tortellini makes it extra filling.

Recipe 3: Calabrian Chicken with Mozzarella

Calabrian chilies are integral to this recipe, so email kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com to coordinate the delivery of the Calabrian chili peppers.

This recipe is currently live on my site but desperately needed a reshoot. As I remade it, I found a few opportunities to simplify it, which is always a plus! The chicken pairs well with risotto and buttered pasta with Parmesan or works well on a toasted sandwich roll with dressed arugula.

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As a reminder, enter your name on the spreadsheet under the recipe you wish to test. If your recipe requires a product, please email kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com to coordinate the delivery.

Please snap a photo of the dish after you make it and email it to me. You can also add your comments about the recipe in the spreadsheet or via email.

Thank you, and have a wonderful weekend!

-kylie

Lemony Chicken Tomato Pasta

Given all of that, I’d love to have Tasters take a second look at this recipe and see if modifications are needed. Please prepare the recipe exactly as written, and let me know what your experience is! You can sign up by clicking the button below and adding your name to the spreadsheet. Thank you in advance!

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Recipe Test Reminder

This is just a friendly reminder to include a photo of the finished recipe! You can email it to me by responding directly to this email, DM’ing me on Instagram, or emailing me at kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com.

Thank you all! If you have any feedback on the recipe testing program thus far, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m really excited to continue evolving this program!

-kylie

Hello, and happy Monday! I have added two new recipes to our spreadsheet for testing.

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Trout Amandine

The first is trout amandine. I’ve made this a few times, and I think I could eat it every week! It’s so easy to make, and the sweet vermouth adds lovely flavor to the sauce. You will need sweet potato starch, so if you sign up for this recipe, please email me your mailing address by responding to this newsletter or emailing me directly at kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com. Sweet potato starch is my go-to for all things crispy. I’ve used it on tofu and shrimp with amazing results every time! I think you’ll love it as a crisp coating for rainbow trout.

Butternut Squash Rice Pilaf

I served the trout with butternut squash rice pilaf, though this rice would be delicious with any protein. My challenge here is explaining the butternut squash in the recipe in a way that makes sense. I always buy pre-cut squash, which I measure and dice into smaller pieces. You can use a sweet potato instead if that’s easier, or frozen butternut squash would also work. A whole butternut squash wouldn’t be ideal because it would yield more than 8 ounces, but maybe I should revisit this recipe using a whole squash. I am open to your suggestions if you find a better way to explain this!

Happy cooking!

-kylie

Notes & Reminders

I updated the spreadsheet to move “completed recipes” to another tab. If you’re still working on a recipe, no rush. I just moved all the recipes that had at least one tester review them to keep the in-progress recipes uncluttered. Feel free to continue to leave feedback on recipes even if they’re in the completed tab.

Also, if you find you won’t have time to test a recipe you signed up for, please remove your name from the spreadsheet!

Finally, this is just a friendly reminder to include a photo of the finished recipe! You can email it to me by responding directly to this email, DM’ing me on Instagram, or emailing me at kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com.

Halloumi and Golden Beet Salad

I’ve made this multiple times and feel like I’ve struck a good balance of sweet, salty, tangy, and earthy. Most of all, I couldn’t stop eating the toasted bread cubes in the salad! The halloumi works really well with the earthy golden beets and sweet golden raisins; this is one salad I will continue to revisit throughout autumn.

I’ve made this with traditional golden beets and badger flame golden beets, and both are delicious. If you can find the badger flame beets, I highly recommend them–their color is stunning, and they look magnificent in the salad as they have more intense streaks of orange than the paler golden beets. As I said, both are delicious, and you could really use your favorite beet variety here; red or Chioggia beets would also be fantastic, or use a mix!

As a reminder, please include a photo of the finished dish when you test the recipe! Upon completion, you can email your pictures to kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com.

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Recipes in the vault

We are getting into the time of year when I begin to prepare for the big “T” day! I can’t believe it’s right around the corner. Do you have any special requests? I just tested a beautiful fennel-rubbed turkey breast yesterday, and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you all FIRST! I thinly sliced the meat and froze it for sandwiches next week.

I also made a delicious veggie pearl couscous recipe I want to make again before the tomato season wraps up. I’ll be sharing that one soon.

Happy cooking, everyone!

-kylie

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This week’s recipe to test is My Best Chicken Noodle Soup. I have made this so many times, and it never fails. I’ve made it for friends when they’re sick and given big batches to my neighbors. It’s always a hit with everyone who tries it.

This version is based on my Mom’s Chicken Corn Soup. The secret is adding a can of Campbell’s condensed cream of chicken soup. It adds body to the broth, becoming my go-to for all my chicken soups.

This recipe is laborious. While you can make it with chopped rotisserie chicken and store-bought broth, I ask that testers make it from scratch, as the recipe indicates. Make sure you give yourself a few hours. This soup is best made on the weekend!

Be sure to add a few shakes of black pepper when serving. It may not seem like much, but the black pepper works really well with the broth when added to the soup right before digging in!

Okay, that’s all. If you’d like to test this recipe, click the button below to snag your spot. Be sure to include a photo of the finished product by responding to this email or emailing kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com. Thank you, Tasters!

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As a note: If you can please snap a quick picture of the dish after you test it, that would be great! It does NOT have to be a perfect photo, but if the recipe turns out well, it’s great to include a picture alongside your remarks on the website. You can see how it shows up on the site below. Your photos add a bit more personal touch to the comment and lend a bit more authenticity to the review!

About This Week’s Recipes

Cream of Mushroom Soup

The first is a Cream of Mushroom Soup. This is based on a very popular recipe on my site that desperately needs a reshoot. I modified the recipe to “dry out” the mushrooms first. Essentially, you cook the mushrooms in a dry pot to cook out all of the water first. This creates a more robust flavor profile and keeps the mushrooms from becoming oily. It’s a time-intensive step, but I think the final result is worth it.

Slow Cooker Dijon Chicken Drumsticks

This recipe is also based on a recipe from my site. Multiple people have asked me to make a version for the slow cooker, and I finally did! I modified the ingredients a little to bolster the flavors since we aren’t browning everything in a pot. My husband said this was one of the best chicken meals I’ve made in a very long time. He couldn’t get enough of the chicken and actually ate 5 of the drumsticks in one sitting! I hope that will be your experience as well.

If you decide to make this recipe, please note that it must be recreated in a slow cooker. In addition, you’ll need a jar of sumac. If you sign up for this recipe, please email kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com or respond to this newsletter to coordinate delivery of the product. Thank you!

Happy Testing!

-kylie

We really enjoyed this recipe. The main challenge will be finding a skillet that is large enough for all 4 pork chops to cook over the pearl couscous.

I also added the first bit of feedback to the Taster-approved recipe!

I think this lends so much more authenticity to the recipes, and eventually, I’ll make it so that users can search for recipes by a “Taster-approved” category!

I have so many more ideas for how to build this out across the website and make Tried & True much more community-driven, so thank you for joining along for the ride!

I also just wanted to add that if you realize you won’t have time to test a recipe within the 2-week window, simply remove your name from the spreadsheet so I can get it over to someone else.

-kylie

Hello! Thank you so much for signing up for my pilot recipe testing program. This is just the first iteration, and I imagine it will evolve over time.

I’ve been writing my recipe blog almost exclusively by myself since 2016. While I test every recipe, I’ve realized that having independent testers would be beneficial not just to me but also to other (and ) readers. There’s nothing I hate more than getting a comment on a recipe that I forgot a step or that cooking time is way off. I’m hoping this will help perfect my recipes!

Eventually, I’ll develop a badge for the recipes you all test to help create an even stronger sense of trustworthiness on both of my websites. I’d love for all the recipes on Tried & True Recipes and Exploring Vegan to be independently tested, but that’s a lot, and I’m not there yet financially, hah!

How it works

I put together a spreadsheet that you can bookmark. I’ll be adding recipes as I develop them, or I may add existing recipes from my websites that I feel would benefit from an independent test. As a note, recipe testing will be for both Tried & True and Exploring Vegan, so if you’re looking for plant-based recipes, don’t worry…they’ll be coming too!

1. The sign up is on a first-come basis, so simply add your name to the Tester 1 or Tester 2 column.

2. From there, you can select yes or no to me using your comments along with your first name on the site or when I share the recipe with my readers. The attribution would be your first name and “Independent Tester” or something to that effect.

3. If I use an ingredient that I feel is integral to the recipe, I’ll send you that product free of charge. I’ll contact you directly to get your mailing address. For example, the “Chicken Meatball Pita” recipe would pay $25 in addition to a free jar of Villa Jerada Aleppo Pepper and Villa Jerada Kefta Rub.

4. After you’ve made the recipe, you can add your comments in the Tester 1 or Tester 2 column. You can also email me directly with recipe feedback by responding to one of the Taster emails or by emailing kylie@triedandtruerecipe.com.

5. The payment column is how much you can earn by testing the recipe. If a recipe is more complex or requires many specialty ingredients, the payment will be higher. Payment will be sent upon delivery of feedback.

6. The “redo” column is for me. After I receive feedback, I’ll determine whether the recipe needs to be reworked.

7. I’ll send these Taster emails as I add recipes to the spreadsheet, once a week or so.

Other notes

This is not super formal or intense, but if you sign up to test the recipe, please try not to sit on it forever. Ideally, I’d love for them to be turned around within two weeks of sign-up, but I know you all have lives that don’t revolve around my recipes!

If you have any feedback about this program, please let me know. I’d really love to make my recipe development a more communal effort that speaks more to the “Tried” part of my brand. We’ll see how it goes!

Also, please feel free to send this newsletter to ANY of your friends who may be interested in joining this testing program. This is absolutely open to anyone who wants to help out! You can use the button below to refer this publication to your friends.

Share Tasters

Lastly, this does not need to be a secretive process at all! It’s not required, but feel free to share on your socials about the recipe-testing process and please tag me! I’d love to hear about your experience as you’re working on them! :)

Thank you again so much for signing up to help me out. It really means a lot. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions, and I’ll continue to tweak this process as I get feedback!

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend, everyone!

-kylie

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