Discover the Ultimate Free Recipe Treasure Trove: Top 5 Picks

Discover the Ultimate Free Recipe Treasure Trove: Top 5 Picks

When our parents and grandparents wanted to bake or cook, they usually turned to cookbooks or recipe boxes filled with treasured recipes gathered from family, friends, and books. Nowadays, most of us simply go to Google. While many people still cherish old family recipe boxes and memorable recipes worth jotting down, the Internet has become an indispensable source of recipes.

You can find a recipe for virtually anything online—whether it’s a complicated soufflé, a hearty pot roast, cookies, or a Thanksgiving turkey. With millions of recipes available at the click of a button, the challenge is often sifting through the numerous results to find the best one.

Here are five top online resources for recipes that you should know about:

**Allrecipes.com**

Allrecipes is like having your own personal, interactive recipe box right at your fingertips. The site categorizes recipes in various ways, making it easy to find exactly what you need. You can search for something specific like “slow cooker chili” and then sort the results by relevance, user ratings, or popularity. Allrecipes also offers collections, such as a “Slow Cooker Chili” collection, which breaks down recipes into smaller categories and lists the top 20 recipes.

You can save your favorite finds in your own digital recipe box, create menus, and even generate shopping lists. If you have certain ingredients on hand but aren’t sure what to make, you can search by ingredient to find fitting recipes.

**Pinterest**

Pinterest isn’t just for crafts and wedding ideas; it’s also a goldmine for recipes. By going to the “Categories” drop-down menu and selecting “Food & Drink,” you’ll find plenty of culinary inspiration. Each pin typically links to the original recipe source.

While Pinterest lacks detailed sub-categories and sorting, its search function is quite effective. You can search for terms like “cookies” or “casserole” for plenty of options. Some users have specific boards, such as “cupcakes” or “comfort foods,” which you can also find through a Google search like “comfort foods Pinterest.”

**Epicurious**

Epicurious is another excellent site offering a vast range of searchable recipes and a digital recipe box. It goes a step further by offering additional ways to sort recipes. For example, you can search “cookies,” then narrow it down by choosing chocolate as the main ingredient, vegetarian for dietary preferences, and Christmas for the occasion. This helps you find exactly what you need, like chocolate vegetarian Christmas cookies.

**Tablespoon**

Tablespoon is a newer recipe site from General Mills, though you wouldn’t know it from its subtle branding. It’s all about categories, featuring sections like “Quick Dish” for easy recipes, “Taste for Adventure” for unique and adventurous dishes, and “Rock UR Party” focusing on party food.

You can log in (using Facebook if you prefer) to store your favorite recipes in a virtual recipe box. The site also offers printable coupons for General Mills products.

**Foodnetwork.com**

Food Network’s website is a haven for food lovers. It offers recipes from all your favorite Food Network chefs, so if you see Rachel Ray cook up something delicious, you can find the recipe on FoodNetwork.com. The site is easy to search and also offers a virtual recipe box for saving your favorites.

They categorize recipes in useful sections like “Weeknight Dinners” and “Family Cooking.” You can also visit the “Chefs” tab to browse recipes from specific Food Network chefs, or check out the “Restaurants” section to find eateries featured on the network.

These five online resources make it easy to find and organize recipes, whether you’re cooking up a family favorite or trying something new.