Editor’s Note: We have always done our best on this site to be inclusive in different ways: By amplifying diverse voices and sharing perspectives from diverse moms and women; promoting gifts from diverse shops and companies in our gift guides, as well as gifts that support vulnerable communities; discussing issues impacting non-white communities as it relates to food; and sharing authentic recipes from different cultures.
So I was happy when I learned that Lisa had been sourcing her meal plan for her own family from Black food bloggers during the difficult summer of 2020, which we happily share again during Black History Month.
Even after February is over, let’s keep reading, keep learning, keep diversifying our social feeds and consicously putting our money into Black-owned businesses. That includes independent publishers and writers, like food bloggers, who are often supporting their families through their writing, and who generously share their stories, their families, and their kitchens with us.
Don’t just bookmark these recipes — follow the creators. Amplify them. Tag them in your photos if you make and share their recipes.
As Michael Twitty wrote in The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South, “Food, racism, power, and justice are linked. What I’m trying to do is dismantle culinary nutritional imperialism and gastronomic white supremacy with one cup of zobo made from hibiscus, one bowl of millet salad with groundnuts and dark green vegetables, and one piece of injera at a time.”
Let’s all keep learning, and keep doing better. – Liz
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This post has been updated for 2024 since its original publication in 2020
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6 dinner recipes from Black food bloggers to rotate into your meal plan
It’s been a tough few years, y’all. When I’m not speaking out against the unconscionable injustices I’m seeing, I find myself retreating into my kitchen, because that is where I find I do my best “solving the world’s problems” thinking. I have been baking a TON, and putting extra gusto into my nightly meal plans for the family.
You can’t keep up the good fight if you’re hungry, right?
So this week, I put together a meal plan from 6 amazing Black food bloggers that you should absolutely be following and reading. And if you realize you’re looking to freshen up your Instagram feed, just a reminder that Black food bloggers are writing about more than just traditional Black American foods. There are vegetarian and vegan bloggers, dessert bloggers, baking bloggers, gluten-free bloggers, classically trained chefs, and recipe testers …you name it.
So open up your favorite grocery app, and let’s plan out meals for next week. And when you sit down to share a meal with your family or friends, I hope you can use that time to have real conversations about what each of us can do to make a difference, if only in our own small ways.
Top: Crispy Lemon Parmesan, Garlic & Herb Tuna Patties from Whisk It Real Gud,
Easy Philly Cheesesteak from Butter Be Ready
Related: 6 more Black food bloggers you should be following
A sweet and savory Meatless Monday dinner
Sweet Potato Soul: Maple Teriyaki Tofu + Veggies
Start Meatless Monday with this incredibly good recipe for One Pan Maple Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies from prolific blogger, vegan chef, and cookbook author, Jenné Claiborne of Sweet Potato Soul. Your family will devour it — yes, including any family members who tend to be tofu-adverse. I like using extra-firm tofu, as it holds together a bit better. Overall, this recipe is amazing because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand and use up what’s in your fridge. If your farmer’s markets are open, take advantage of the spring bounty with veggies like asparagus, leeks, and a fun variety of mushrooms.
If you love this, you’ll love her cookbook, Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul. Can over 3,000 five-star ratings be wrong?
Follow Jenné Claiborne: @sweetpotatosoul
A new favorite nacho recipe
A Classic Twist: Shredded BBQ Chicken Nachos
Taco Tuesday is a thing for us, and by a thing, I mean my family expects a version of tacos on Tuesday every single week. This week, change it up with these Shredded BBQ Chicken Nachos from Zainab Storms at A Classic Twist. My kids LOVE when I put a huge tray of nachos in the middle of the table for dinner. (I mean really, who doesn’t love that?). I like to double or even triple the amount of chicken I cook in the crockpot, so that I have an easy lunch solution for sandwiches or salads or even more nachos for lunches during the week.
Tip: A lot of Black food bloggers’ sites are a goldmine for satisfying desserts, and Zainab is definitely one of them! Don’t stop at her nachos.
Follow Zainab Storms: @aclassictwistblog
Related: Your weekly meal planning tip: Cook in bulk for easier dinners later.
An easy homemade Philly cheesesteak
Butter Be Ready: Easy Philly Cheesesteak
I have been nostalgic for a good Philly cheesesteak lately. Every summer, for as long as I can remember, my family has traveled to Philly for my daughter’s lacrosse tournament, and eating a real cheesesteak is always part of the itinerary. When I need to fill my food fantasy here at home, this Easy Philly Cheesesteak recipe from Quin at Butter Be Ready is about as authentic as it gets; even though Quinn is living in Tampa, even our own Philly native here approves of her recipe. I suggest you wrap them in some foil, serve with potato chips, and bring them outside to eat, just like you’d do if you were at Pat’s or Geno’s.
It’s so impressive that Quin is an entirely self-taught home cook, considering how stellar her recipes are. She takes a lot of her inspiration from Caribbean and Southern-inspired cuisine, so expect flavor galore! (Not that Black food bloggers every skimp on flavor.)
Follow Quin: @butterbeready
A fish cake recipe you’ll want to double
Whisk it Real Gud: Crispy Tuna Patties with Lemon Parmesan, Garlic & Herbs
During the quarantine, I stocked up on cans of tuna because I panic-shopped, only to realize about 3 weeks into sheltering-at-home that….drumroll…my kids do not like tuna sandwiches. So I was super excited to find this excellent tuna fish cake recipe from April Boller at Whisk it Real Gud. The Crispy Lemon Parmesan, Garlic & Herb Tuna Patties are so freaking good that I have to double the recipe. Seriously, my 16-year-old son can down about five of them in 15 minutes flat. Freeze any leftover cooked patties, should you have them. They make an easy lunch your kids can reheat themselves later in the week.
April shares a variety of comfort foods, southern recipes that are at the heart of a lot of Black food bloggers’ content, restaurant favorites, salads, and ethnic recipes. She’s so versatile!
Follow April Baller: @whiskitrealgud
Related: 6 hot lunches your kids can easily make for themselves
The best use of tater tots since eating them right out of the oven
The Hungry Hutch: Denver Omelet Tater Tot Casserole
My son once declared Tater Tots were his favorite meal. So this week, I am stepping it up a notch for him, thanks to this recipe for Denver Omelet Tater Tot Casserole from Aaron Hutcherson of The Hungry Hutch. The perfect excuse to put that workhorse Lodge cast iron skillet to use! I think of it this recipe as a one-pot breakfast-for-dinner crowd-pleaser. (And you know we like breakfast for dinner around here.) Serve with a huge bowl of fruit, and a bottle of ketchup, of course. Or if you really want to be the winner of dinner, whip up some Rainbow Salsa to serve with it.
As a Black food blogger, Aaron describes his recipe repertoire as a mix of his “soul food upbringing, professional culinary expertise, and gastronomic curiosity.” You’ll love it there.
Follow Aaron Hutcherson: @thehungryhutch
A perfect breakfast-for-dinner treat
Brown Sugar Food Blogger: Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries
Saturday morning has always been pancake morning for us, but this week I am switching it up with this Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries recipe from Nicole Nares-Washington, AKA Brown Sugar Food Blogger. Use Challah bread as she recommends, which imparts the right amount of sweetness, moisture, and density. If your kids don’t love cream cheese, you can swap out the filling for Nutella or even bananas. Or hey — why not both.
While a popular Black food blogger, Nicole isn’t actually a full-time blogger; she’s a busy working mom, and we really appreciate the time she puts into her recipes for all of us. She even made time to put out a beautifully photographed e-book called Baby-Proof: Mocktails for the Mom-To-Be.
Follow Nicole Nares-Washington: @brownsugarfoodblogger
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I put our weekly meals plans together based on food I am actually cooking for my family, and with you in mind. If you have suggestions, tips or recommendations for recipes or other food bloggers we should check out, please comment here.
