Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: More Than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, Meal-Prepped, and Easy Comfort Foods

Half Baked Harvest

by Tieghan Gerard

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - There's something for everyone in these 125 easy, show-stopping recipes: fewer ingredients, foolproof meal-prepping, effortless entertaining, and everything in between, including vegan and vegetarian options!

We all want to make and serve our loved ones beautiful food--but we shouldn't have to work so hard to do it. With Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, Tieghan Gerard has solved that problem.

On her blog and in her debut cookbook, Tieghan is beloved for her freshly sourced, comfort-food-forward recipes that taste even better than they look. Half Baked Harvest Super Simple takes what fans loved most about Half Baked Harvest Cookbook and distills it into quicker, more manageable dishes, including options for one-pot meals, night-before meal prep, and even some Instant Pot(R) or slow cooker recipes. Using the most important cooking basics, you'll whip up everyday dishes like Cardamom Apple Fritters, Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese, and Lobster Tacos to share with your family, or plan stress-free dinner parties with options like Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon and Fresh Corn and Zucchini Summer Lasagna.

Especially for home cooks who are pressed for time or just starting out, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple is your go-to for hassle-free meals that never sacrifice taste.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary, Contemporary

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Tieghan Gerard is a food photographer, stylist, recipe developer, and author of the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook and Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, a New York Times bestseller. Her blog, Half Baked Harvest, features a hearty mix of savory, sweet, healthy, and indulgent recipes. She believes every diet should include a little bit of chocolate because balance is the key to life!

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Physician Moms Cook group chose this book as our latest to cook through from start to finish. Our world changed so much from when we started this challenge. We adapted, dug into our pantries, bookmarked recipes we want to go back to once ingredients are available but between us we cooked 80% of the recipes. Less than in past challenges because we are living in the world of corona.
Thanks @halfbakedharvest for allowing 4,906 front line physicians to do what we love- feed our families.
No misses, some recipes more popular than others- the lemon chicken, the spaghetti with corn, the avocado breakfast tacos, the apple tarts, the tomato soup were amongst my family’s favorites.

[Rachael Hodson (still skiing) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have decided to clear out some of my zillions of cookbooks and in doing so, I feel the need to go cover to cover. Next up on my toss list was Tieghan Gerard’s Super Simple. I already tossed her other book but after a thorough look through and recipes dog eared, this one is staying on the shelf. For now. The soup section was almost entirely dog eared. I have made several of the dishes in here, from her instagram, and know enough that Tieghan is as talented on her social media as she is at creating recipes. Insta faves are her marinated heirloom tomato and nectarine salad, honeycrisp apple bourbon smash (sorry mom) and her spicy poblano tacos. Not my favorite book ever but not useless enough to give away.
Btw, if you only purchase cookbooks with photos, this one has about 80% of the recipes photographed. It is a pretty book.

[Aditi]

Tieghan is a great photographer and really knows how to make every single recipe look delicious. Even the recipes that have strange ingredients or combinations sound great the way she describes them. But when it comes to taste, her recipes are very white. I don't mean any offense, but I'm used to a decent amount of flavor and seasoning in every meal. And this is not it.

Most of her recipes are very bland, heavy on dairy and bacon, unhealthy, and use ingredients that are expensive or difficult to find. If I want to cook her recipes on a regular, I need a special grocery trip just for the fancy ingredients. I appreciate the unique, out-of-the-box twists that she adds to traditional recipes, but that just takes away the taste and flavor.

I also don't like how some "Middle Eastern inspired" dishes are just grouped under "Indian" - if she wants to cook our food, the least she can do is write a line or two about the original, traditional recipe/technique for the sake of credit and cultural appreciation. But maybe it was my own fault for having any expectations from someone like her.

Overall, these recipes are suited for those who like bland, unseasoned food and want to try whitewashed "eastern" dishes. But this book is still a waste of money. Most of these recipes can be found free of cost on her website and/or Instagram page. I did not give it any stars because it's a 0/5 for me. It's the exact same case with her first book.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love her recipes, follow her on social media, and often eat her dishes!

[Veronica Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Tieghan Gerard on Instagram and was so excited she came out with this cookbook. She’s an awesome food photographer. I love cookbooks with beautiful pictures because it helps me to visualize what the dish should look like - and this is one of them! It also has simple, approachable and delicious recipes for every meal. I can’t wait to try some of these out! This would also make a great gift for the home cook.

[Sammie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING recipes! I love love love that there are pictures for every recipe!

[Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know that I would call these recipes “super simple.”

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start with 4 stars as I enjoyed this cookbook and every recipe as a photo, total time, total servings, everything I love in a cookbook and surprisingly don't find in every cookbook! I've cooked a handful of recipes so far, I've owned the book for over a year, but I finally sat down with it, read it cover-to-cover, and tabbed the other recipes I want to create. I will update as I make and I will update soon with what I've already made.

[Libby · Rating 1 out of 5]

The recipes seem untested. At least the one I made this afternoon for Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies. It was a pan of sludge, impossible to cut, messy even to scrape into the garbage. Im actually writing this review to avoid going back into the kitchen and clean up the sludgey mess.

I should have known better! I've baked a lot of brownies in my life, and I know that a 9x13 pan with a layer of brownie batter PLUS a second layer of blondies batter is going to need more than 20-22 minutes at 350! (Brownies alone would have needed 26-28 minutes.) I went back and checked the directions, to see if maybe I missed her saying to bake that brownie layer FIRST, and THEN add the blondie batter and bake for 20-22 more minutes. But no. And I used good Ghirardelli milk chocolate on top too! And expensive Maldon flaky sea salt! What a waste.

A few days ago I made the Roasted Chicken with Creamy Potatoes and Sage. It was good, but my chicken was absolutely swimming in (drowning in) the wine and cream sauce. I tried propping the chicken up on some potatoes while it roasted, so the pretty brown skin wouldn't drown in cream and wine. When the chicken was done, I took it out and kept it covered with foil, and put the sauce and potatoes back in the oven at a higher temp for 15 more minutes, because they weren't done yet. I adjusted when this happened, but I'm older and I've been cooking a long time. A new cook, a young person, might be more thrown by this, blame themselves, and think they did something wrong.

[Mary Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. I know a cookbook is not literature. But I have made eight dishes out of this book and only one I probably will not make again. Two have already joined the rotation of family meals and my family is picky. So far this book has proven to be used as much as my Ina Garten books, and if you know me, you know I cook her recipes all the time. Just sayin'.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is fantastic! A large variety of dishes, including vegetarian (YAY!), but the best sections are the breakfast and dessert ones. I love that there are little codes above the recipes to let you know if it is one pan, or pantry staples, or less than 10 ingredients. I also really love all of Tieghan's little stories and tidbits. These definitely all seem like super-simple recipes and I can't wait to start going through what the pages I have marked with post-its (soooo many post-its!)!

Edit 11/9/19: Made the Butter Pecan Bars with Chocolate and Coconut and oh my word...heaven on a plate!!! And so easy to make!!! The instructions were super simple to follow and I loved that this absolute DELIGHT of a dessert didn't have a whole lot of ingredients!

[Elizabeth Sund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent weeknight cookbook. Everything I've tried so far has been great and super easy. I love the bread/pizza dough, buffalo cauliflower bites, chicken tikka masala, French onion soup, and roasted tomato soup. Everything basically tastes like it came from Panera, which is honestly exactly what I want. We do a lot of time-consuming cooking, but we needed some quick and solid weeknight options where we can still manage to make everything from scratch.

[Reannon Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great family cookbook with gorgeous photos that make you want to make everything!!

[Jake Van Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pomegranate shortribs were bomb, love this cookbook.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cookbook author, blogger, and food photographer Tieghan Gerard has put together a "Super Simple" cookbook.

Most recipes are doable but do I have them as everyday ingredients in the pantry...maybe not. However, I'd be happy to pull up a chair and sample with you.

Gerard does amazing food photography that makes you want to lick the page and help eat with your eyes.

[Ada-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buzzed through this and can’t wait to try every recipe. Tieghan never disappoints. 🙌🏻

[Anne Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4✨ Beautiful pictures and some good recipes!! My favorites included: black pepper buffalo cauliflower bites, white wine braised chicken with artichoke and orzo, pumpkin butter crème fraiche pancakes, and Cacio e Pepe Brussels sprouts

[Rita L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love to update the menus when the season’s are changing, and these recipes are both delicious and inspiring.

[Hailey Strother · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby’s first Julie and Julia project! Learned a lot while cooking my way through this book. (Also spent countless hours at Kroger looking for niche ingredients)

[Amy Noe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half Baked Harvest is my all time favorite food blog for recipes packed with flavor bombs that you'll crave again and again. I bought her first cookbook, but only made a few things from it because most of the recipes were fairly intimidating. Her creativity in the kitchen continues to amaze me, but most recipes are definitely a time and ingredient commitment. I was so happy to go through this newest cookbook and bookmark almost every single recipe of something delicious I can definitely see myself making and loving in the very near future. I'm betting this will be one of my most used cookbooks of all time.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

[x] No-Knead Bread & Pizza Dough
[x] Three Ingredient Blue Cheese Bites
[x] Homemade Creole Seasoning
[x] Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts
[x] Broccoli Cheddar Soup
[x] Spinach & Artichoke Mac and Cheese Bake
[x] Black Pepper Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
[x] Chicken Mostaccioli
[x] Sesame Orange Chicken
[x] Quick Philippino Adobo
[x] Lemon Butter Cod with Orzo & Asparagus
[x] One Pot Spanish Chorizo, Shrimp, and Rice Pilaf
[x] Five Ingredient Hazelnut Brownies

[S Vanorse · Rating 2 out of 5]

The binding of this beautifully photographed book is so poorly constructed it is separating already, I have cookbooks over 100 years old that will outlast this by a long shot. This a library copy, I find better to see before purchasing, honestly, nothing I care to make or have not seen before, but with a Tiegan twist and better photographed. Worth the read for the photos.

[Dsm Jsm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank goodness for this cookbook! I brought it home from the library where I work when we shut down for the COVID19 outbreak. Ive been cooking from it almost every day, and will buy the Kindle version. Cooking and eating these delicious, beautiful, easy recipes has definitely kept me sane and much happier.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, once again, this just didn't really work for me for the most part. I mean, there is a vegetarian section, but it's fairly small, and there were really only two recipes in it that I was at all interested in. But one of them is a spinach and artichoke mac & cheese bake, which sounds amazing, so if it's super good and super easy I might just change my mind!

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have enjoyed her since she started blogging, love her photography, so happy she has made a career for herself with her talents. I always use the library, when I want to go the extra mile I purchase a hardcopy to support the authors, ok, so I can eat well too!

[Jonborke]

I’m really sorry. But please do not eat this food. I’m a sous chef of 25 years. My wife has made 10 of these dishes. Please do not try the same. Im sorry Tieghan. But who do you serve this too? Eat one of your dishes yourself.then get back to me

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
I don't think I define super simple the same way the author does
Not a fan of her flavor combos

[Kelsey Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already made a few things from this book and it’s all so delish. I can’t wait to make so much more!!!

[Carrie Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve made four recipes from this book. So far no success. Very disappointed because they look marvelous in the pictures.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rockies Mountains, Colorado. Present day. Tieghan Gerard’s Super Simple Half Baked Harvest: More Than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, Meal-Prepped, and Easy Comfort Foods is her second cookbook. “Fast. Flavorful. Foolproof” These three words are are printed on the back of the front cover so as one opens this cookbook, the first words one sees are these three in alliterative sequence. The author also has the Half Baked Harvest blog. The author’s photography of her creative recipes are striking, and these recipes are “straightforward yet delicious”. In addition, these recipes hopefully will make mealtime or snack times easier. The author has included directions for using a slow cooker
(my favorite), pressure cooker, instant pot, and oven roasting to make many of these yummy looking dishes. Being an eat dessert first person, I went immediately to the dessert section and found my very favorite-Chocolate Chip Cookies (Chewy Browned Butter), Hazelnut Brownies made with only five ingredients-Nutella being one.😉 The author starts her cookbook explaining how to set up one’s kitchen-the pantry, shelf “stable” liquids such as honey, sauces, and canned and jarred condiments along with suggestions for the fridge and freezer. Then there are basic recipes for Everyday Bread Dough and Everyday Pancake Mix. I am looking forward to the No Knead Bread and Pizza Dough, Brioche French Toast, French Onion Soup, Walnut Crusted Chicken, Maple Cinnamon Acorn Sguash, and Cajun Fries! Of course, there are lots of other goodies in this beautifully photographed book. I would have liked more lamb recipes, but that is my preference. Well done and in the Colorado mountains too! 4.5 stars.