Our TeamJan Valdez

Jan Valdez

Associate Recipe Producer

I develop and refresh recipes and recipe roundups, and test recipes for the team.Chicago, IL

About Me

I got into this field by spending 10 years working in Research & Development and Product Development test kitchens, testing new products and recipes. For nearly eight years, I was the Senior Culinary R&D Specialist at Weber headquarters, where all the grills are designed, engineered, and tested. I've helped launch numerous best-selling, top-rated grills across the globe (you should see my grill collection at home!).

One of my proudest accomplishments happened years earlier, when I had the opportunity to visit the Good Housekeeping Institue in NYC after developing an award-winning Tropical Citrus Shrimp recipe that jumpstarted my career in test kitchens and food editing. Since then, I've worked at Serious Eats (one of my favorite food sites) and EatingWell as an updates editor.

I'm passionate about both classic recipes and new, unique twists. I'm constantly learning and that's what makes food and cooking so fun (just ask me how to bake light and airy pavlovas on the grill – I've tested them countless times!).

I'm an expert in

  • food editing
  • recipe testing
  • grilling

My education

Le Cordon Bleu Chicago (Culinary Arts)

Latest Stories

60 Delicious Side Dishes to Serve with Christmas Ham
Planning on making a classic glazed baked ham for your Christmas dinner this year? Great choice — it’s one of our top picks for a holiday meal, too. And even if your holiday celebration happens to be smaller this year, those leftover ham recipes are a dream. This large, savory cut of meat is easy to make, whether you opt for the oven or your slow cooker (just don’t forget the glaze!).
Dana Velden
about 2 hours ago
These Linzer Cookies Are Essential for Every Holiday Cookie Swap
Linzer cookies might look like another pretty sandwich cookie, but these sweet-tart cookies have a rich, tender crumb, thanks to a nearly invisible ingredient. Almonds turned into almond flour make an everyday sugar cookie dough a tender, melt-in-your-mouth treat, fragrant with the warm notes of toasted nuts. Two cookies serve as the bookends to the sweet and sticky jam of your choice to transform into a holiday cookie made for customization. Here’s how to make them.
Meghan Splawn
yesterday
All My Friends Demand the Recipe for These "So Fudgy" Chocolate Crinkles
A cookie tin must.
Kelli Foster
1 day ago
My Mexican Beef Stew Is So Good, I Make a Pot Every Sunday
The flavorful salsa verde broth is so flavorful.
Janette Zepeda
Nov 29, 2025
"Thanksgiving Hawaiian Rolls" Is the Most Delicious Thing to Do With Leftovers
I make them every year.
Jan Valdez
Nov 27, 2025
The “So Delicious” Noodle and Dumpling Sauce That I Can’t Stop Buying
I use it on everything.
Jan Valdez
Nov 25, 2025
40 Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers Even Better Than the Turkey
It’s easy to get caught up in planning the big Thanksgiving dinner and your dessert spread, so here’s your friendly reminder to not forget the appetizers. Because a pre-dinner nibble or two of something tasty is always a good idea (especially when partnered with a Thanksgiving cocktail!). As for what to make, we’re firm believers that Thanksgiving appetizers should look and taste totally impressive, but be shockingly easy to pull off.
Kelli Foster
Aug 22, 2024
This Chocolate-Cream Cheese "Possum Pie" Is Non-Negotiable for Thanksgiving
Every bite is heavenly.
Patty Catalano
Nov 22, 2025
This Broccoli au Gratin Has Mac and Cheese Vibes
Down to the buttery breadcrumb topping.
Christine Gallary
Nov 21, 2025
The Secret to Homemade Chex Mix? Using Whatever's In Your Snack Drawer
Chex mix is the ultimate DIY snack. It’s crunchy, just the right amount of salty, and stays good for several weeks, making it the perfect thing to keep on the counter for midday or pre-dinner nibbling. Plus, our version can be made with whatever cereal, toasted nuts, and crunchy snacks you’ve stocked up on.Many Chex mix recipes (including the original) have you simply melt some butter and pour it over the ingredients.
Jesse Szewczyk
Nov 21, 2025
Pumpkin Cheesecake Is Like Two Desserts In One
Pumpkin cheesecake has become a fall and winter dessert classic for good reason. The lively, familiar spices of classic pumpkin pie are balanced by the cool and creamy goodness of a New York-style cheesecake. The combination makes each bite memorably delicious and worthy of any celebration — especially Thanksgiving. Even if you have never made a cheesecake or pumpkin pie before, this is a dessert that is within your reach.
Tami Weiser
Nov 21, 2025
This 2-Ingredient Simple Syrup Will Elevate All of Your Cocktails
When I first started learning how to make cocktails at home, I had no idea people made their own simple syrup. I was the person who went to the store to buy a bottle of what I later learned to be sugar water. That’s right — sugar dissolved in water. Simple syrup is an essential ingredient in cocktails and other beverages like iced coffee because it blends so well with other liquids, and it’s super easy to make yourself — we promise.
Elliott Clark
Nov 21, 2025
25 Best Sides to Serve with Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is such a solid staple. You can make macaroni & cheese from scratch, find a favorite boxed variety, or go for pure nostalgia with the frozen kind that microwaves in minutes. While some might argue that mac and cheese is an entire meal, even on the most harried nights I still want a side dish to round out the table. So, what goes with mac and cheese? Side dishes for mac and cheese can be as easy as carrot sticks or a bagged salad.
Meghan Splawn
Dec 11, 2024
20 Delicious Recipes That Start with Applesauce
In addition to keeping a jar stashed in the pantry, I love to make a big pot of applesauce after a day of apple picking — there’s something just so satisfying about its simplicity. However, after a few days of eating it from a bowl, dusted with cinnamon, I tend to grow tired of the snack. Luckily applesauce is good for so much more than just snacking. There are loads of sweet and savory recipes using applesauce, where it serves as a useful ingredient (especially when baking!
Sheela Prakash
Aug 27, 2025
The "Loaded" Breakfast Casserole My Family Begs Me to Make
Bonus: You can assemble it ahead of time.
Kelli Foster
Nov 20, 2025
The 3-Ingredient Ingredient You Can Use All Week Long
Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.Knowing how to make your own fresh mozzarella is a dangerous thing. Knowing that at any moment, should the desire present itself, you could whip up your own ball of creamy mozzarella, still warm from the whey whence it came? Yes. Very, very dangerous.
Emma Christensen
Nov 20, 2025
I Make a Batch of This “Liquid Gold” for the Table Every Thanksgiving
Last Thanksgiving I made Christine Gallary’s herby garlic Thanksgiving butter, and it somehow found its way into just about every savory dish on the table. It’s easy to make, and the flavor payoff is huge. The combination of garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary gives it that classic Thanksgiving flavor everyone loves. I drizzled the butter on roast turkey, added it to sautéed green beans, tossed it with roasted potatoes, and brushed it onto warm dinner rolls.
Jan Valdez
Nov 20, 2025
These Two Ingredients Will Solve Your Baking Emergency in a Pinch
How many times have you found yourself in desperate need of Southern-style biscuits, but without the requisite buttermilk in the fridge? Or there’s the other scenario: You have a hankering for fried chicken, but you’re reluctant to buy an entire carton of buttermilk when you only need a cup.For either situation, I have a solution: It’s easy to make a very quick buttermilk substitute in less than 10 minutes.
Emma Christensen
Nov 19, 2025
This Hashbrown Casserole Is Way Better Than the Restaurant Version
What food is a purer comfort than hashbrown casserole? You’ve got tender, creamy shredded potatoes floating in a rich sauce, all hidden under a golden crust of hot cheese. It walks a delicious line between breakfast and side dish. There are many kinds of potato casseroles, but for pure yumminess the crown goes to Cracker Barrel’s hashbrown version.It’s so good, in fact, that I set out to make my own version at home.
Meghan Splawn
Nov 19, 2025
This Stuffing Isn't Traditional, But It's Always the First Side to Disappear
It’s all about the gooey cheese topping.
Jan Valdez
Nov 18, 2025
I Make This “So Delicious” Apple Yogurt Cake Every Fall
It has the best cinnamon-sugar streak in the center.
Faith Durand
Nov 17, 2025
My Family Agrees This Creamy Chicken Is the "Most Delicious" Dinner I've Made
It’s bursting with garlic flavor.
Amanda Luchtel
Nov 17, 2025
This Pillowy Potato Bread Is an Easy Homemade Loaf Anyone Can Make
The secret ingredient: instant mashed potatoes.
Shilpa Uskokovic
Nov 17, 2025
My Mom’s Bibimbap Will Have Everyone Fighting for Seconds
Plus 34 more delicious Korean recipes to try.
Michelle No
Nov 15, 2025
My Family Demands I Make This "Pecan Pie Pudding Cake" Every Year
So cozy.
Molly Allen
Nov 15, 2025
I Can’t Stop Eating This Spinach Apple Salad (It’s Perfect with Everything)
I’ll be honest: I don’t often get creative with my salads. If you come over for a weeknight dinner, I’ll likely be serving a big bowl of greens tossed with a basic vinaigrette. You could either call me a purist or boring; I like to think it’s the former. When I want to glam it up without really trying, I make this spinach salad. This is the kind of salad you make once and never have to look at the recipe again after that.
Sheela Prakash
Nov 14, 2025
35 Delicious One-Skillet Meals for Busy Weeknights
My 12-inch cast iron skillet is my very best friend in the kitchen and a close second is its 12-inch stainless steel counterpart. Both pans cook more meals than any others thanks to their ability to go from stovetop to oven and sometimes to the table to serve. In general, one pan meals are ideal for weeknight cooking; they make dinner possible on busy nights and they cut down on dishwashing.
Meghan Splawn
Nov 14, 2025
My Sweet Potato Is Famous in My Family (I Make It Every Thanksgiving)
No holiday table is complete without sweet potatoes. Some people like theirs mashed and marshmallow-ed, while others serve theirs for dessert, but me? I prefer mine souffléd. In this sweet potato soufflé, sweet potatoes are puréed until silky-smooth, topped with a candied pecan crumble, then baked until light and puffed. They’re elegant yet rich and always hit the spot — and it’s high time they made an appearance on your spread.
Patty Catalano
Nov 13, 2025
80 Best Christmas Dinner Ideas That'll Get Everyone Into the Holiday Spirit
Is anyone else in disbelief that it’s almost Christmas already? I say let this be the year that you mix up the menu a bit with some new side dishes, or trade in your roast beef tenderloin and baked ham for something different, like Filipino beef short ribs adobo or French onion pot roast. I like the idea of this year’s meal having a festive start with Christmas appetizers (I’m looking at you, baked pepper jelly cream cheese dip!
Nicole Rufus
Nov 13, 2025
This Is the Only Pie I Make Every Thanksgiving (It’s My Family’s Favorite)
Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.“Southern as sweet potato pie” is a saying I didn’t learn until I moved to Georgia over 10 years ago, but long before I ever came to the South I had fallen in love with sweet potato pie.
Meghan Splawn
Nov 13, 2025
I’ve Made Marcella Hazan’s Famous Tomato Sauce Too Many Times to Count
When it comes to essentials, like tomato sauce, originality is overrated. Marcella Hazan’s classic tomato sauce is famous and adored, and justly so. Scads of bloggers and food writers have written about it, so I’m just following along. This is one of the best sauces I know, and it only needs three (yes, three) ingredients.Serve it over pasta with a flurry of cheese, and enjoy tomato sauce with the flair of restaurant richness.
Faith Durand
Nov 12, 2025
35 Easy Fish Dinner Ideas to Make Tonight
Start with the honey-garlic salmon.
Jan Valdez
Nov 12, 2025
This Is the Most Delicious Peanut Butter Cookie of All Time
The best thing to happen to a chocolate kiss.
Rachel Perlmutter
Nov 12, 2025
Our Creamiest, Coziest Pumpkin Soup Feels Like A Warm Hug
Some people have always understood that soup can be easy. I’ve just never been one of them. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion eating lunch with a friend who packed leftover soup — incredibly delicious-looking soup they’d just casually “whipped up” the night before. What was this sorcery? Doesn’t soup involve lots of chopping and simmering and layering of flavors? Apparently not, as I discovered while working on this easy pumpkin soup.
Grace Elkus
Nov 11, 2025
Pastina Is Creamy, Cheesy Comfort Food
Pastina is classic Italian comfort food. It’s the kind of dish that a mom might serve her kids when they are feeling under the weather, and is often one of the first solid foods a baby might eat. It’s a nostalgic childhood treat in Italy and something your kids are sure to enjoy as well. The seasoning is as easy as it gets: Just a bit of black pepper and maybe a pinch of salt, depending on the saltiness of your broth and cheese. The simplicity is what makes this dish special!
Kristina Vänni
Nov 11, 2025
Memorize This Simple Formula for the Best Roasted Root Vegetables
It's the only side dish you need this fall.
Sheela Prakash
Nov 11, 2025