It’s time to share this year’s kitchen disasters — a collection of recipe attempts that didn’t go as planned.
I’m back with my annual roundup of recipe fails. I’ve done this nearly every year for more than a decade, and I missed last year because we’d just moved into a new house and, honestly, everything felt chaotic. I kept meaning to get it together and never did. Many of you were disappointed, so here we are — a new batch of culinary missteps.
There were plenty of flops in the kitchen this year. These are just the ones I managed to photograph.
For fun, here are previous years’ recipe disaster posts:
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
This is a lighthearted way to share the many kitchen slips I make. I cook constantly and often remake classic recipes I love — which also means I encounter many failures. If I remember, I snap a photo so we can look back and laugh at the results.
First up: the most unappetizing pork chops of the year. Definitely not my finest hour.
Then there’s the soba noodles with peanut sauce that looked far worse than it tasted — presentation matters.
I attempted an almond-and-orange couscous salad that sounded delicious on paper but failed in practice.
I tried breading cauliflower multiple ways and most of the results were disappointing.
There was a dense, flavorless lemon cake that didn’t rise to expectations.
These garlic mashed potatoes turned out all wrong. The combination of roasted garlic and unpeeled potatoes left an unpleasant chewy texture.
My cheese sauce for pumpkin-stuffed shells broke and ended up gritty instead of silky.
I baked another dense cake — orange-flavored this time — and it was a fail.
Yet another couscous salad bombed: too sweet, broccoli undercooked — the elements just didn’t work together.
A crab cake Caesar that ended up bland and lacking texture was a letdown.
I had numerous sourdough attempts that didn’t work out before I finally perfected our favorite sandwich loaf.
Behold the wettest potato salad imaginable — soggy and heavy.
A major cookie-bar flop that didn’t hold together as intended.
An olive focaccia that was promising in concept but ended up dry and chewy.
A sad plate of chicken and mushrooms with toast — uninspired and underwhelming.
I burnt a batch of French onion orzo and it turned out gluey and overcooked in parts.
Some recipes had too many steps or competing flavors, making the result muddled and unsatisfying.
Finally, a cherry-pepper potato salad that turned red and overly oily — not a winner.
What was your biggest kitchen flop in 2024?