Most Popular Recipes of 2017

It’s time to share my Most Popular Recipes of 2017! I think I missed doing a round-up of my most popular recipes last year due to work commitments so I’m bringing back this tradition this year.

I do love to look back on what my readers have been enjoying in particular and as usual it’s no surprise to see jam featuring heavily but with 6 out of the top 10 I do think that’s a record this year – jam is slowly taking over it seems.

I must admit I am jam obsessed so I’m glad that my passion for jam making is being received well and judging from all the lovely questions I get via the comments or via e-mail there are lots of you taking up jam making and I’m always really happy to help.

I only started out on my jam making journey in the last 5 years and after winning a prize at the local Parish Day with my first jam creation (Peach & Apricot Jam) I was totally hooked!

My ethos for my other recipes is to make budget friendly, family recipes that don’t keep you in the kitchen for ages as we all have busy lives.

Therefore it was lovely when one of my Twitter followers recognised this recently and said “love your recipes… great food, practical, delicious & usually fast which for me is fab.”

So what were Fab Food 4 All’s top 10 recipes of 2017 I hear your cry!

Well hold on to your hats and read on and then I’ll let you know what the top recipes were from some of my fellow food bloggers too!

1. Cherry Jam 

I made this Cherry Jam in 2016 as I found a cheap tray of cherries, and it’s always been my hubby’s favourite flavour. It completely flew under the radar, but in January of this year, I decided I was going to nail Pinterest, and from May onwards, my Cherry Jam was soaring!

The number one spot has usually been taken by my Damson or Blackberry & Apple Jams, so it’s lovely to see a newcomer to this spot, and it’s such an awesome tasting jam too!

2. Damson Jam

I originally made my Damson Jam in 2013 with damsons from my parents’ tree, which I had pretty much ignored whilst growing up. However, with my new passion for jam making, I made a beeline for my parents’ damson and was so shocked when this recipe took off the way it did, and it’s proved extremely popular every year since.

This year, I decided the post needed a makeover as the photographs were from before I had a professional camera. Jam makers don’t seem to care, but I wanted to do this popular post justice!

3. Easy Blackberry & Apple Jam

My Easy Blackberry & Apple Jam also had a makeover this year, which was long overdue, as again it was originally made in 2013. This jam came about after I’d been out foraging and was pretty tired, so I wanted to just quickly make some jam on my return.

On Googling and checking out recipes in books, they all seemed to call for 2 pans to cook the blackberries and apples separately, which seemed like nonsense to me: “Why not just stagger the cooking times,” I thought to myself.

So I used one pot, and it seems that everyone else liked this idea too! If you’ve never had Blackberry & Apple Jam, you have been missing out, it is simply divine, I love the lightness that the apple gives it!

4. Kale Soup

I’m not sure why I didn’t call this Kale & Carrot Soup, as I think it’s the carrot that makes this Kale Soup a hit, since it takes away the kale’s bitterness. It’s also healthy and low in fat, so I can see why this took off!

This recipe came about after finding a bargain bag of 1p kale in my local supermarket. I’m very much a reactive recipe creator, I like to solve culinary conundrums on the hoof, so nothing spurs me on more than a cheap glut of something I come across!

5. Bacon & Potato Layer Bake

I grew up eating Bacon & Potato Layer Bake, and this is my version of my mum’s dish – it’s just the ultimate comfort food. This recipe also got a much-deserved re-shoot this year and has featured in many of my end-of-year top tens!

6. ActiFry Chicken Thighs & other quick recipe ideas for when you’re tired! 

I can see why my ActiFry Chicken Thighs recipe is in the top 10. Who doesn’t like crispy chicken thighs? Most of us lead busy, rushed lives and can suffer from tiredness around the time we need to be cooking!

This simple recipe, which uses just 3 ingredients, is perfect for such occasions and is far quicker and cheaper than sending out for a takeaway!

7. One Pot Minced Beef Hotpot

Another comfort dish, my One Pot Mince Hotpot, is totally delicious, and once it’s prepared, you have an hour to yourself while it cooks. Best of all, it’s packed full of vegetables, so no additional cooking is involved and there’s just one pan to wash up!

8. Easy Seedless Raspberry Jam

My Easy Seedless Raspberry Jam came about because my hubby doesn’t like seeds, so after many requests for a seedless jam, I finally relented (oh, and I may have come across some bargain punnets of raspberries).

The colour of this jam is quite amazing, and it tastes fabulous too!

9. Simple Blueberry Jam

I had never had Blueberry Jam before, but a few bargain punnets of blueberries back in January put that right. Oh my, it is simply amazing, so if you ever come across a bargain or have your own blueberry bush, I can’t recommend this jam highly enough!

10. Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam (Prize Winning)

My Quick One Punnet Strawberry Jam brings back fond memories, as I never intended to enter in the local Parish Show. However, a Cherry & Apple Jam I attempted to create turned to concrete, so I grabbed a jar of my strawberry jam to take along instead, thinking it would be far too boring to win any prize.

Well, I was wrong, and I was so thrilled when it picked up first prize. I recommend this jam to anyone wanting to attempt jam for the first time, as you can make it in a normal-sized pan, and it’s so quick and easy. Beware, you will get hooked if you aren’t already!

Other Food Bloggers’ Most Popular Recipes

Well, those were the most popular recipes of 2017 on my blog, but what were the most popular recipes on fellow food blogs? I asked some food blogging friends, and here are their most popular posts of 2017!

• Easy Broccoli & Spinach Soup – Tinned Tomatoes
• Scotch Broth – Farmersgirl Kitchen
• Eggs in Clouds, two ways – A Mummy Too
• Indonesian Mushroom, Kale and Peanut Butter Curry (vegan) – veggieLAD.com
• Carrot Cake Flapjacks – Tin & Thyme
• Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork – Foodie Quine
• Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie – BakingQueen74
• Jamie Oliver Lasagne Recipe – Munchies & Munchkins
• Perfect Yeast Doughnuts – Christina’s Cucina
• Kavey’s Chicken Tarragon Pasta Bake – Kavey’s Eats

I hope you’ve enjoyed this rundown of the most popular recipes on Fab Food 4 All during 2017.

It just remains for me to wish you a very Happy New Year, and I look forward to sharing more culinary creations in 2018 with you! xx

Breaking news! I just realised that I had done a review of my Top 10 Recipes of 2016 (I was getting mixed up with an anniversary post that I once missed). So here is the pin so you can see 6 recipes have stayed in the top 10 (some re-shot so look different)!