Instant Pot

Recipe Contests Are Coming Back—Are You Ready?

January  1, 2018

Nothing’s better than walking in the door after a long day and being greeted by a comforting aroma from the slow cooker, reminding you that dinner’s already taken care of. Well, unless it’s spending a cozy Saturday at home, tucking a pot into the oven and letting it bubble or braise for hours, rewarding you with enticing whiffs of what’s to come throughout the day. Either way, we’re fans of meals that have a small amount of prep and cook without too much effort on your part, whether in the oven or in a slow (or multi-) cooker.

That’s why, when recipe contests return later this month, we’ll be starting with: Your Best Hands-Off Recipe.

It might be hands-off for making it, but there will be a lot of hands to help you eat it! Photo by Bobbi Lin

If you’re new to Food52, you might not know that recipe contests are a cornerstone of this site. As Amanda Hesser explains, "We launched our site in 2009 with recipe contests because we thought it would be a fun and gratifying way for cooks to get involved—and for their great talents to be celebrated." Contests are actually the reason we're Food52—there are 52 weeks in a year, and originally there was a recipe contest each week.

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Our contest schedule has changed over the years, but they remain an important part of who we are, because they’re created by you, our community, and everyone is welcome to enter. After a brief pause last year, we’re excited to announce that the first contest of the year will kick-off on January 15th. We’ll be back then with all the details on how the contests will work, from kick-off to crowning a winner and everything in between.

For now, put your thinking caps on, don your aprons, and start creating Your Best Hands-Off Recipe—because, while you will be able to enter existing recipes on the site, we’re really interested in seeing all the new creations you come up with.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
    boymeetsgirlmeetsfood
  • pierino
    pierino
  • sexyLAMBCHOPx
    sexyLAMBCHOPx
  • ChefJune
    ChefJune
  • Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus
    Emily | Cinnamon&Citrus
I like esoteric facts about vegetables. Author of the IACP Award-nominated cookbook, Cooking with Scraps.

6 Comments

boymeetsgirlmeetsfood January 9, 2018
Fantastic news, we've missed seeing the contests around!!
 
pierino January 8, 2018
Although I still try to contribute recipes when there are no contests it is helpful to have a target to shoot for, aiming at that bull's eye. I've got some dangerous ideas already about what to surprise you all with.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx January 4, 2018
I have lots of slow cooker recipes that I've made my own through the years. I see by the tags "instant pot, slow cooker" its appliance based contest or a dump and bake in the oven kinda contest? Or a sheet pan supper? Hmm...
 
ChefJune January 3, 2018
Get ready for them??? I think your "old-timers" are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for this. (I'm speaking for myself here... ;)
 
Emily |. January 2, 2018
Before the contest hiatus, the editors had released upcoming themes for contests - will these themes be revisited? Most seemed fun and inspiring, but I notice this theme is different than the previously published schedule. Thanks!
 
Lindsay-Jean H. January 2, 2018
They might be, we're still working on laying out the upcoming themes!