What Dad Cooked is a collection of our dad’s recipes, thoughts, tips and cooking hacks that simply need to be shared with all you foodies!

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Seasonal Favourites

Some delicious family winter warmers to choose from the What Dad Cooked repertoire.

Mini Meatball Fedilini

This is a clever way with meat balls. As small individual portions it makes an elegant Italian starter. The smaller-sized meatballs and thin spaghetti also make a fun and wholesome dish for children. Or piled high on a big platter it makes a great family dish to share around the table.

Dad’s Unctuous Braised Pork Belly

There’s a big culinary issue at stake here. Is pork belly skin and fat best when its crispy or when it is soft and unctuous? I like it both ways – here’s how to do soft and unctuous.

Beef Stroganoff

A traditional Stroganoff recipe. Don’t scoff because it’s a recipe from the prawn cocktail era, it’s still a good recipe, One everybody should learn.

Five-Spice Glazed Gammon with Five-Spice Sauce

Pete always liked my Asian-flavoured sweet glazed ham. So here is a version based on five-spice flavourings.

Latest recipes

Check out Dad's latest homecooked dishes and recipes below. Or click recipes in the menu to browse through 6+ years of Dad's homecooking recipes for families.

Cassoulet de Toulouse à la Pappa

A perfect winter warmer – Cassoulet!

The Laughing Cow Lightest Loaded Quesadilla

Try Dad’s loaded low-fat salsa quesadillas with The Laughing Cow Lightest x8 cheese.

Melanzane Parmigiana with Dolmio 7 Vegetables Sun Ripened Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

An excellent way to turn a popular Italian slow food standard into an easy and quicker family classic.

Pumpkin Pie

My best pumpkin pie yet!

Tuna & Sweetcorn

Dad's latest food series is all about that much loved classic combination, Tuna and Sweetcorn (T&S) — but there are more interesting ways to get your T&S fix other than on pasta or a jacket potato! See below for some T&S inspiration!

Seared Tuna & Sweetcorn Salsa

A Mexican inspired tuna and sweetcorn recipe.

Tuna & Sweetcorn Sloppy Joe

Tuna and sweetcorn combine beautifully in this sloppy classic.

Salmon Croquetas

The usual Spanish croqueta is made with jamon. These versions are made with smoked salmon. They work really well and would not go amiss on any tapas menu.

Tuna & Sweetcorn Rillettes

These rillettes are similar to potting tuna & sweetcorn or a making a pate of the combo. Whatever you call then, you have all the great flavours of tuna in sweetcorn in handy jar that keeps for days.

Dad's Food Journal

Dad loves to write about food. Whether it's discovering a new road local to London or Surrey, where the treasures of foodie stores and independent shops delight—or Dad's macro observations in the world of food. Dad's articles (and foodie stories to his recipes) are a funny and knowledgable journey through the lense of how pops views the world.

PYO Still Going Strong at Garsons

Get down to Garsons or your local Pick-Your-Own farm and treat yourself to some amazing seasonal produce.

Six Foods to Forage in London this Autumn

Some of the most rewarding forages can be collected this time of year, there’re berries, hips, haws and nuts galore. Here’s six of our favourite…

Checking Out Liberty’s New Food Hall

What Dad Cooked was invited to the launch of the new Liberty Mini British Food Hall.

Notes on Quick and Easy Cooking

I’ve recently posted a series of ‘quick and easy’ 30 minute recipes which have unexpectedly made me think again about the hyped-up online food industry – and my own cooking.



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