Cookbook: Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy by Tieghan Gerard
Price: ~$23 | Pages: 288 | Recipes: ~120
When I was gifted Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy, I was optimistic. The book promised big flavor fast—one-pan dinners, cozy casseroles, and crowd-pleasing bakes wrapped in gorgeous design. At first glance, it checked all my boxes. But after cooking through several recipes, I found myself with complicated feelings about this release.
What I Cooked
I tested three recipes to get a real sense of how this book performs in a home kitchen:
Sage Butter Fried Pork Chops – Promised 30 minutes, took me closer to 40. The sage butter was pleasant enough, but the recipe included extra steps and ingredients that didn’t meaningfully enhance the final dish. Not a standout.
One Pot Spiced Chicken and Dumplings – The book estimates 1 hour 25 minutes, and it delivered on that timeline (possibly longer). This was comforting, flavorful, and my favorite of the three—I made it multiple times. The first attempt used Canadian bacon as a substitute; the second round with actual bacon significantly improved the dish. Despite being my favorite, this wasn’t what I’d call a “quick” meal.
Cajun Chicken Skewers with Garlic Parmesan Sauce – Actually quick at 55 minutes, mostly hands-off oven time. The skewers were good on their own, but the sauce felt unnecessary. Neither I nor my dinner guests were impressed by it. Solid but forgettable.
The Pattern
After working through these recipes, I noticed a trend: ingredients and steps that seemed designed to build complexity rather than deliver proportional flavor payoff. As a beginner home cook, the promised cook times weren’t always realistic once I factored in prep, re-reading instructions, and cleanup.
Design & Usability: Top Tier
Where this book truly excels is presentation. Every recipe gets a full-page photo. The pages are thick and substantial, the layout is clean, and ingredients lists are scannable. It doesn’t lie completely flat, but it came close and fit nicely in my cookbook holder—a win that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Thoughtful touches include mocktail variations for every drink recipe and one-pan callouts that help with meal planning. Tieghan’s writing is warm and personal, capturing the Half Baked Harvest brand voice: “You want a comforting recipe that makes you feel delicious and welcomed in anybody’s home.” The tone is friendly and casual without overwhelming instruction, making it approachable for newer cooks.
Important Context
After I started cooking from this book, I learned about ongoing critiques of Tieghan Gerard and the Half Baked Harvest brand regarding cultural appropriation—specifically, renaming or simplifying dishes from global cuisines without proper credit or context. These aren’t isolated complaints but part of a larger conversation in food media about representation and respect.
I didn’t know this history when I received the book as a gift, but I believe it’s important information for readers who care about cultural awareness in food. Additionally, if you already own other Half Baked Harvest cookbooks or follow the blog, some recipes here may feel familiar as they’re adapted from previously published content.
Who Is This Book For?
This cookbook works well for:
- Fans of the Half Baked Harvest aesthetic: cozy, indulgent, Instagram-ready food
- Home cooks with some confidence who want to elevate their plating and bring bold flavors to the table
This might not be ideal if:
- You’re brand new to cooking and need genuinely quick, straightforward recipes
- You already own Tieghan’s previous books and want all-new material
- Tight, efficient recipes with big flavor payoff are your priority
Final Verdict: Nice, Not Essential
Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy is a beautiful book with approachable recipes that will appeal to the brand’s existing fans. If you’re new to Tieghan’s work and love a gorgeous home cookbook, this could be worth adding to your collection. But if you’re looking for truly quick weeknight cooking or already have her previous releases, I’d recommend previewing this at the library first.
My Score: 39/50
Have you cooked from Quick & Cozy? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Especially about recipe reuse from blog content and the broader conversation around cultural credit in food media. Drop a comment below.
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NOTE: This review is from Apr 19, 2025.