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Main Dishes

From comforting family dinners to seasonal favorites made with fresh ingredients, explore homemade main dish recipes designed for gathering around the table. Whether you're looking for hearty comfort food, simple weeknight meals, or recipes worthy of a special occasion, you'll find delicious inspiration for every season.

  • Smoked barbacoa shredded beef on a black platter with lime wedges, corn tortillas, and chipotle braising juices
    Best Smoked Barbacoa Recipe
  • Close-up of juicy smoked chicken thigh with crispy skin and dry rub, garnished with fresh rosemary.
    Smoked Chicken Thighs with Mop Sauce (Juicy & Flavorful)
  • Close-up of saucy smoked pork ribs on a wooden cutting board, cooked using the 3-2-1 method until tender and falling off the bone.
    Smoked Pork Ribs (the best 3-2-1 baby back ribs)
  • Cast iron skillet filled with seared pork chops simmered in a cranberry and red wine sauce, topped with fresh rosemary and thyme.
    30-Minute Cranberry Pork Chops (Juicy, Sweet + Savory)
  • Three hobo dinner foil packets with hamburger patty, carrots, potatoes and onions arranged on a sheet pan.
    Delicious and Easy Hobo Dinner Foil Packets
  • Chicken pot pie topped with homemade biscuits
    Easy Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
  • Pulled pork sandwich
    Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork: A Simple, Delicious Recipe for Busy Days
  • A close-up shot of perfectly cooked slow cooker barbecue ribs on a plate, drizzled with BBQ sauce, with a garnish of fresh herbs.
    Ultimate Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs: Tender, Flavorful, and Family-Approved
  • Slice of homemade lasagna on a plate
    The Best Lasagna Recipe You'll Ever Try!
  • Homemade chicken chimichangas topped with hot sauce, sour cream, and tomatoes
    Easy Chicken Chimichangas Recipe: Quick & Crispy Weeknight Dinner
  • A close-up shot of a steaming bowl of American goulash, garnished with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
    Classic Easy American Goulash
  • Spiralized raw zucchini noodles (zoodles) arranged in nests on a marble surface—fresh, crisp, and ready to cook or preserve.
    How to Make, Cook, and Preserve Zoodles
  • Plate of crispy homemade fried chicken served with creamy coleslaw and lemon wedges, garnished with fresh parsley, perfect for a rustic, comforting meal.
    The Ultimate Southern Fried Chicken Recipe: Crispy, Golden, and Delicious
  • Wet burrito on a plate, covered in red sauce and melted cheese, topped with a dollop of sour cream.
    Easy Wet Burritos Recipe
  • A plate full of beef and noodles
    Best Beef and Noodles Recipe | Crockpot, Instant Pot
  • Amish Chicken and Noodles
  • Best Spaghetti & Meatballs Recipe
  • Marble tray with sliced blood sausage surrounded by fresh parsley and peppercorns
    How to Make Blood Sausage | Homemade Black Pudding
  • Creamy Garlic Chicken
  • Tray of smoked chicken legs with crispy skin, seasoned with dry rub and grilled to golden brown on a pellet smoker.
    Smoked Chicken Legs with Crispy Skin (Easy Pellet Grill Recipe with Dry Rub)
  • Close-up of juicy smoked pork butt shredded into pulled pork and topped with barbecue sauce on a wooden cutting board
    Easy Smoked Pork Butt Recipe (Tender + Juicy Every Time)
  • Close-up of a juicy grilled burger with melted cheddar, tomato slices, lettuce, and relish on a toasted bun.
    The Best Juicy Burger Recipe for Grill or Stovetop (No Fuss, All Flavor)
  • Grilled shrimp skewers drizzled with garlic herb butter and garnished with parsley and lemon wedges on a rustic brown parchment.
    Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Garlic Butter + Herbs
  • Slices of herb-crusted smoked prime rib on a rustic plate, garnished with fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs. The tender, juicy meat showcases a perfectly cooked pink center and a flavorful crust.
    Herb-Crusted Smoked Prime Rib
  • Quick and Delicious Marinated Shish Kabobs for Busy Days
  • Whole smoked turkey on a platter
    The Best Smoked Turkey | How to Smoke a Whole Turkey
  • Crispy smoked chicken wings coated in bbq sauce in a bowl
    The Best Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe
  • BBQ brisket burnt ends on a white plate.
    How to Make The Best BBQ Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

About

Elle McCoy, author of The Rustic Elk, with long wavy hair reflected in an ornate vintage mirror, sitting at a candlelit vanity with makeup brushes, perfume, and dried flowers.

Hi, I'm Elle.

I'm a storyteller, photographer, and home cook who believes the best memories are often made around the table.

Here you'll find seasonal recipes, wild game, garden harvests, preserving traditions, and stories gathered along the way. Because good food is about more than what we eat. It's about the places we've been, the people we've gathered around our tables, and the moments that linger long after the plates are cleared.


→ Meet Elle

Currently...

📖 Reading: The Witch by Freida McFadden
🎵 Listening: Of Witches & Wretched Things
Savoring: Apple butter whiskey sours & the last little bit of October magic. 🍂
🌿 Growing: Herbs on the windowsill and chrysanthemums on the stoop
🗺️ Planning: Cozy autumn days, a little kitchen magic & surviving the semester
📺Watching: Working my way through the Friday the 13th films after binging Camp Crystal Lake.

Browse by Category

  • Preserving
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Recently...

  • Homemade canned peach pie filling in Ball mason jars made with fresh peaches, Clear Jel, cinnamon, and vanilla using a safe water bath canning recipe.
    Canning Peach Pie Filling
  • Wooden pantry shelves filled with homemade canned tomatoes, green beans, jams, and preserves in mason jars.
    The Ultimate Guide to Home Canning & Preserving

Recent Favorites

  • Slewfoot by Brom
  • Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
  • We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
  • The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Listen with Me

☾
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
— William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Found Along the Way

A good paring knife doesn't ask for much attention, but it earns its place every single day. From peeling peaches to hulling strawberries and slicing garlic, it's the one tool I reach for without thinking.

Find it Here ->

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Building a life smelling of wild herbs and quiet rebellion since 2016.

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