I was just scrolling through Instagram and chanced upon one of the most visually appealing feeds that I’d ever seen. Beautifully curated images of home life are my weakness. And all of a sudden, I was stuck on the page of Tieghan Gerard at @halfbakedharvest.
Tieghan’s food photography is earthy, rustic, and hearty. Ceramic bowls, twine, crinkled parchment, cast iron and old cutting boards are the backdrop to colorful family meals. My interest was peaked. I had to learn more about this 20-something-year-old making all of this appetizing food!
After perusing Teighan’s blog, I soon discovered she had a cookbook for purchase:
Half Baked Harvest Cookbook, Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains.
What drew me to the cookbook was her approach to cooking for a large family. She wasn’t a mom, but she was a sister who took on the dinner duties for her large family. That’s where her inspiration and creativity in the kitchen was born. For me, being a mom of five children and wife to a hungry husband, I was intrigued, encouraged, and challenged. I had to get the Half Baked Harvest cookbook in my arsenal to breath new life into dinner time and try these recipes for myself.
In Teighan’s own words:
“What I love most about this cookbook is that there is a little something for everyone. Everything from the super healthy to the super indulgent, to everyday easy dinners, to weekend pastas that are worth the extra time! Count on finding plenty of easy crockpot recipes along with recipes that take just thirty minutes start to finish! There are plenty of breakfast options, appetizers to please a crowd, pasta and pizza galore, and even some veggie heavy recipes. And yes, there’s an entire chapter on desserts.”
Below are just a few recipes I’ve tried from the book so far. I’ve got so many pages earmarked, I’m pretty sure I’ll make every single recipe in the book…that’s how good it is!
Breakfast
Earl Gray Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel, page 18
These actually look better and taste better than those blueberry streusel muffins I like from Starbucks. I loved these so much, I ate two at a time with a dab of butter on top. They even freeze well too. 15 seconds in the microwave from the freezer yields a perfectly warm muffin. Pass the butter!
Nonnie’s Dutch Baby, page 29
I don’t think I ever have to go to brunch again. It smelled like a restaurant while this bad boy was in the oven and the taste exceeded our expectations. We topped our Dutch Baby with blueberries, whipped cream, syrup and more powdered sugar. Teighan is all things #hygge in the kitchen.
Pasta
Farmhouse Cheddar and Angel Hair Frittata, page 93
I can’t wait to make this again with all of the toppings in the picture. Mine has broccoli, yellow squash, roasted red peppers and red onion for the veggies. Can you see the pasta? This was a fun one!
Poultry & Pork
Potato Chip Chicken, page 140
Here’s a really quick dinner after a busy Saturday! Potatoes in the air fryer, steamed broccoli 🥦, and the main attraction…POTATO CHIP CHICKEN! Yep…chicken tenders dipped in butter then pressed in Lays potato chip and corn flake crumbs. Baked at 375 for 25 minutes and Yaaaasssss!
Beef & Lamb
Slow-Cooker Tuscan Beef and White Bean Ragu, page 193
This Slow Cooker Tuscan Beef and White Bean Ragú was waiting for us when we got home from church on a busy Sunday. What’s better than walking in the house to the smell of something delicious in the crockpot? What took this recipe over the top for me was the pesto and mozzarella that you had to add to each bowl before it was served. Teighan puts together some incredible flavors that are just mind-blowing!
Desserts
5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies, Blog
Stalking Instagram (again) and saw a quick video of these cookies. The ingredients were already in my pantry so making them was a no brainer. What I loved about the recipe is there is no sugar! The dates are the sweet, secret ingredient. Now you can indulge without the guilt.
Mom’s One-Bowl Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, page 275
Making oatmeal cookies with my girls is so much fun. And this recipe was easy to follow and was even yummier with a glass of cold milk.
Half Baked Harvest is a cookbook that you’ll refer to over and over and over again. It’s not one of those special occasion cookbooks that you only pull out once in a while. It’s an everyday affair and these recipes could easily be crowd pleasers and family favorites. The photography alone will give you tons of ideas on plating and presentation. I’d rate it as a 5-star must-have for your recipe collection. It’s definitely a treasure for this family.
Dee Hillman 
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