Recipe Contests Are Coming Back—Are You Ready?

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.

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.

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.