Top 10 recipes of 2013 - your picks!

As 2013 comes to a close, "best of" lists and recaps are popping up everywhere.  You know how I love a good list, so I had to get in on the action.

From casseroles and cakes to creamy soups and all the cheeses, here are recipes you lovely folks deemed the most popular by clicking, emailing, posting, and Pinning.  Check back tomorrow for my top 10 recipes!


10. Taco turkey casserole - "I want to live inside that," said Laura, Matt, and anyone who's ever taken even one bite of this hearty dish.  Serve as an entree or with sturdy chips for an epic party dip!

9. Chocolate Ho-ho cake - The Hostess Company may have been saved from extinction, but their Ho-Hos have nothing on this decadent chocolate and cream cake.

8. Copycat Mad Mex chick pea chili - Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.  And being able to make one of your favorite restaurant dishes at home (a smidge better than they do!) is just plain priceless.  This is, without a doubt, the most unique and delicious chili I've ever had!

7. Slow cooker white bean & kielbasa stew - The first of four (!) Crock Pot recipes that made it into this year's top 10, this stew is healthy and hearty and tastes even better the next day.

6. Slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken - So easy it's almost criminal.  We've made this countless times over the past year and enjoyed leftovers in sandwiches, tacos, and atop salads.

5. Slow cooker chana masala - My first foray into Indian cooking at home, and it turned out to be a smashing success.  The spices are the stars of this dish!

4. Mac & cheese bites - Pasta.  Cheese.  In miniature finger-friendly form.  Need I say more?!  This recipe also earns the award for "Most Texted About Recipe."  You know who you are ;)

3. Smashed avocado & chick pea wrap - Cool, creamy, and so gorgeous it deserves its own centerfold spread.  Perfect for a fresh lunch or quick on-the-go dinner.

2. Slow cooker sausage & shrimp gumbo - My friend hand-picked this Crock Pot recipe for our annual Academy Awards soiree, and you guys have heralded it as an everyday gotta-have stick-to-your-ribs seafood and sausage stew.  You better believe this tastes even better the next day... if there's any left, that is!

1. Cheesy zucchini orzo - What began as a way to use up the surplus of zucchini turned out to be the most popular and most Pinned recipe on the blog in 2013!  Creamy, cheesy, and bright, this is as pretty as it is tasty.