I have a lot of cookbooks.
Like…a lot.
And while I genuinely enjoy sitting down with a new cookbook and cooking my way through it, the reality of everyday life is a little different. On a random Tuesday night, I’m not usually looking for a project. I’m looking for something that sounds good, that my family will actually eat, and that I can get on the table without making dinner my entire evening.
That’s why I started thinking about which cookbooks I actually use the most.
Not the prettiest cookbooks on my shelf. Not necessarily the ones with the most impressive recipes. And not even the ones I’d tell someone to buy if they asked me for my “best” cookbook.
These are the books I reach for over and over again when I need to make dinner.
After thinking about what I actually cook, these five consistently come out on top:
- Two Peas and Their Pod
- Half Baked Harvest Super Simple
- Well Plated
- Simply Symon Dinners
- The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner
Here’s why these five have become my most-used cookbooks.
1. Two Peas and Their Pod
Of all the cookbooks on this list, Two Peas and Their Pod might be the one that best represents the kind of food I want to make on a regular basis.
The recipes are approachable, family-friendly, and full of the kind of flavors that make dinner feel like more than just something I have to check off the list.
I also appreciate that this is a cookbook I can turn to when I’m not quite sure what I want to make. There’s a good mix of pastas, soups, salads, bowls, chicken, and other everyday meals, so I’m not locked into one particular type of dinner.
And that’s important when you’re cooking for a family.
Some nights I have plenty of time and motivation. Other nights I’m standing in the kitchen at 5:30 wondering how we’re going to turn whatever is in the refrigerator into dinner.
This is one of the books I trust for both situations.
Why I use it so much: It’s dependable. When I want a recipe that feels fresh and flavorful but still realistic for a weeknight, this is one of the first places I look.
2. Half Baked Harvest Super Simple
The title really does tell you what I like about this cookbook.
Half Baked Harvest Super Simple is for those nights when I want dinner to feel a little more fun without putting in a ton of effort.
Half Baked Harvest recipes are known for being big on flavor, and that’s definitely part of the appeal here. But what makes this particular cookbook useful for me is that it takes that style of cooking and makes it more manageable for everyday life.
This is a cookbook I reach for when I’m willing to do a little more than “throw something together,” but I absolutely do not want to spend two hours in the kitchen.
It’s also one of those books where I’ll flip through it just looking for inspiration. Sometimes I don’t need a specific recipe—I just need someone to give me an idea for what dinner could be.
Why I use it so much: It makes weeknight dinner feel less boring without requiring a huge amount of effort.
3. Well Plated
Well Plated is one of those cookbooks that fits really nicely into the “I want to eat something good, but I also want to feel good after I eat it” category.
That’s particularly useful when I’m cooking for the family and don’t want every meal to revolve around something heavy.
I love having a cookbook I can turn to for meals that are flavorful and satisfying while still feeling relatively balanced. There are plenty of vegetables, lean proteins, grains, and other ingredients that make it easy to build a complete meal.
And because these are the kinds of recipes that work well for everyday cooking, I’m not saving the book for a special occasion.
That’s probably the biggest reason it gets used so often.
Why I use it so much: It’s my go-to when I want a dinner that feels wholesome and satisfying without feeling like “healthy food.”
4. Simply Symon Dinners
There’s something I really appreciate about Michael Symon’s approach to cooking: it feels like real food made by someone who genuinely loves food.
Simply Symon Dinners is one of the cookbooks I reach for when I want dinner to feel a little more special.
This isn’t necessarily the book I grab when I’m trying to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes. But when I have a little more time—or when I’m just tired of making the same meals over and over—it gives me ideas that shake things up.
I also like that the recipes don’t feel overly precious. They’re the kind of food that makes you want to sit down at the table and actually enjoy dinner.
And sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
Why I use it so much: It’s my antidote to dinner rut. When I’m bored with our usual rotation, this is one of the books I reach for.
5. The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner
This cookbook has become one of my favorites for one very simple reason:
I actually want to eat this food.
I love Mediterranean-inspired meals because they tend to hit that sweet spot of being flavorful, satisfying, and full of ingredients I feel good about eating regularly.
The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner is especially useful because the recipes are designed around getting dinner on the table rather than turning every meal into an elaborate cooking project.
There are plenty of bright flavors, vegetables, grains, beans, seafood, and proteins, and I find myself coming back to it when I want something that feels fresh and different from our standard weeknight rotation.
It’s also a good reminder that “healthy” dinner doesn’t have to mean boring dinner.
Why I use it so much: It’s my go-to when I want a flavorful, satisfying meal that leans heavily on simple, wholesome ingredients.
So, Which Cookbook Do I Use the Most?
That’s actually a harder question than I expected.
These five cookbooks fill slightly different roles in my kitchen, which is probably why they have all managed to stick around.
If I’m looking for…
A reliable family dinner: Two Peas and Their Pod
Something easy but a little more exciting: Half Baked Harvest Super Simple
A balanced, wholesome meal: Well Plated
Something to get me out of a dinner rut: Simply Symon Dinners
Fresh, flavorful Mediterranean-inspired food: The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner
And that’s really what makes a cookbook earn a permanent place on my shelf.
For me, the best cookbook isn’t necessarily the one with the most elaborate recipes or the most beautiful photography. It’s the one I can open on a busy weeknight and think, “Yep. I could make that.”
Because when you’re cooking for a family, that’s the real test.
A cookbook can be beautiful enough to leave on your coffee table. But the ones that get covered in flour, splattered with sauce, and opened to the same few pages over and over?
Those are the cookbooks worth keeping.