Hi, I’m Madilyn!
Welcome to Recipeside.net! I’m Madilyn Larson, a Midwest girl at heart with a spatula in one hand and often a toddler on my hip. After spending my childhood in the vibrant food scene of Chicago, I now live in the suburbs with my husband Tom and our three little taste-testers: Emma (8), Jack (6), and our newest food critic, Lily (2).
From Corporate Kitchen to Home Kitchen
Believe it or not, I spent seven years as a marketing executive before realizing that my calendar was filled with more meal plans than meeting plans! What started as a simple Instagram account to share my weeknight dinner solutions with friends has blossomed into Recipeside.net, my full-time passion project that now reaches over 500,000 monthly readers.
I’ll never forget the day my Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Tart went viral – I made a whopping $3.42 from ad revenue and called everyone I knew! That moment changed everything, convincing me that I could turn my recipe obsession into something more meaningful.
Why I Created Recipeside
Let’s be honest – life is complicated enough without dinner being a daily puzzle. After our second child was born, I found myself stuck in a rut of rotation between the same five meals. Sound familiar?
I started developing recipes that met three critical criteria:
- They had to be doable on busy weeknights
- They needed to please both picky kids and adult palates
- They had to bring genuine joy to the table
Every recipe you find here has passed the ultimate test: my family. If my pickiest eater (looking at you, Jack!) gives it a thumbs up, you know it’s a winner.
My Cooking Philosophy
I’m a firm believer that good food doesn’t need to be complicated. My recipes blend my Chicago roots (hello, deep dish pizza!) with techniques I’ve learned from my grandmother’s Italian kitchen and flavors discovered during our family travels.
You won’t find any pretentious ingredients or overly complex methods here. What you will find are honest-to-goodness recipes that work in real homes with real families. I test each recipe multiple times before it earns a spot on Recipeside.net, often tweaking it until my husband Tom (my most brutally honest critic) gives it his seal of approval.
Behind the Scenes
When I’m not in the kitchen, you might find me at my daughter’s soccer games, attempting to maintain my small herb garden, or indulging in my guilty pleasure – binge-watching cooking competitions with a glass of pinot noir after the kids are in bed.
My tiny kitchen is where the magic happens – it’s nothing fancy, just a standard suburban kitchen with limited counter space and an oven that runs a little hot. If I can create delicious meals here, you absolutely can in your kitchen too!
Let’s Connect!
Nothing makes my day more than hearing you’ve tried one of my recipes! Whether you’re a kitchen novice or a seasoned home cook, I hope Recipeside becomes your trusted source for meals that bring people together.
Thank you for being part of this journey – together, let’s make everyday cooking a little more delicious and a lot more fun!
With love from my kitchen to yours,
Madilyn 
P.S. – Want a peek behind the scenes? Follow along on Instagram and Pinterest where I share daily cooking adventures, kitchen fails, and the occasional toddler food art!