Popular recipes include macaroni and cheese pie

It’s easy to get carried away with recipes. This may be your go-to dish for a quick and easy dinner. Or it’s the one that always comes to mind when you’re in the mood to celebrate.

I tend to repeat recipes like my favorite songs, sometimes returning to the same dishes multiple times a week. Former food columnist Ben Mims must have made his California vegetable sandwich at least 100 times.

And I value recipes related to specific friends or events. For potlucks, there’s a roasted potato salad that I’ve been making ever since former LA Times Test Kitchen director Noel Carter gave me the recipe in 2008. And this Onion Chili Crisp Dip from Mimm’s is a hit at any party or tailgate.

If you need a little inspiration for your new favorites, we’ve rounded up the most clicked recipes of the year. They range from versatile soups that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to non-alcoholic versions of espresso martinis.

Roman Chickpea Soup with Bulgur by Michel Yuneben

Panes con pollo by Carla Vazquez

Dieppe Tran Creamy White Bean Lemongrass Coconut Soup

Okra Gumbo by Michael Twitty

Rashida Holmes macaroni and cheese pie

Mary Sue Milliken’s Grilled Fennel and Herb Ribs

El Salvador’s Sopa de Res by Carla Vasquez

Highly Likely’s NA-spresso Martini

Moroccan Chickpea Tagine by Steve Sando

Osteria Mamma’s “Midnight Spaghetti”

Nonna’s Meatball Sandwich by Owen Hung

Kismet breakfast, lunch and dinner soups

In addition to our most popular recipes, we’ll share some of our staff’s favorites below.

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Salpicon de res

Reporter Cindy Carcamo’s favorite recipe is this Salvadoran minced beef salad. She writes: “For me, it’s the ultimate comfort food that reminds me of home. Eating this dish reminds me of warm summer days in Chatsworth, where I grew up after my Guatemalan family settled in the United States.” My mother and aunts made a similar Guatemalan version of this flavorful, citrusy dish, which is surprisingly light and the perfect weekend meal while sitting poolside with family in the Valley. ”
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 55 minutes. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Rashida Holmes macaroni and cheese pie

Assistant Food Editor Daniel Dorsey’s favorite recipe is also one of this year’s most popular. Rashida Holmes makes macaroni and cheese pie at Bridgetown Roti, which was transformed into a Caribbean-American pop-up restaurant earlier this year. The chewy texture is irresistible, and there’s plenty of cheese sauce in every nook and cranny of the noodles. Holmes uses curry powder and a special blend of five cheeses, including pepper jack, Gouda and Parmesan.
Get the recipe.

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

(Jason Almond/Los Angeles Times)

Marinated Feta Cheese with Spiced Roasted Tomatoes and Grapefruit

Kismet chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson shared several recipes from their new cookbook, Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes. It may not seem like an obvious combination, but Kramer and Hymanson combine sweet roasted tomatoes and fresh grapefruit with a creamy feta marinade. This flavorful fruit salad recipe is one of Deputy Food Editor Betty Hallock’s favorites.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 40 minutes. For 4 people

(Katherine Zilensky/For the Times)

Dunsmoor’s Lowcountry Risotto

Another Hallock favorite is Brian Dunsmoor’s Glassell Park restaurant, Dunsmoor’s Lowcountry Risotto. The recipe calls for making both shrimp paste and shrimp stock, but both are well worth the effort.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8 people.

(Stephanie Blaijo/Los Angeles Times)

Pajoli’s ultimate grilled cheese sandwich

Last year, I declared Dave Beran’s grilled cheese sandwich (of the Santa Monica restaurant known as Croque Matthew) to be the best grilled cheese sandwich in the universe. I support this statement. The simplicity of jambon beurre, the decadence of French onion soup, and the thrill of great grilled cheese all packed into one sandwich. Even if you make it at home, it tastes like the best grilled cheese sandwich in the universe.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 2 hours 25 minutes. Makes two 7-inch sandwiches.

(Stephanie Blaijo/Los Angeles Times)