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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites: There is no dessert more “fall” than pumpkin pie and these deliciously bite-sized pumpkin cheesecake bites will give your traditional pumpkin pie a run for its money!

Halloween and Thanksgiving are two holidays where pumpkin seems to be the star of the show, so we wanted to make sure you were fully prepared with all things pumpkin, and this pumpkin cheesecake recipe will fit the bill!

Post originally created in December 2015, and republished and updated in October 2023, with a new recipe.

Pumpkin cheesecake bites on wooden cutting board.

Can’t get enough of fall pumpkin desserts? Me either. I think you’d love these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars as well as this Pumpkin Poke Cake!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It uses easy-to-find ingredients: All of the ingredients listed for this perfect fall dessert recipe are easy to find and you might already have most of them in your pantry!
  • New take on a classic: These pumpkin bites pack in all of the flavors of traditional pumpkin pie into a delicious bite-sized serving with a yummy classic graham cracker crust.
  • Topped to perfection: Top these delicious cheesecake bites with whipped cream and caramel for a yummy treat.

Ingredients Needed

I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.

Labeled ingredients for pumpkin cheesecake bites.
  • Canned Pumpkin – We suggest traditional canned pumpkin puree for this recipe.
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice Extract – This is what really brings that pumpkin flavor to these yummy pumpkin cheesecake bites.
  • Sour Cream – The combination of cream cheese and sour cream is what makes for a luxe cheesecake flavor.
  • Cream Cheese – Using room-temperature cream cheese will make the process so much easier. If the cream cheese is chilled I recommend beating the cream cheese for a few minutes before adding the brown sugar.

Substitutions

Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:

  • Pumpkin Pie Extract – If you cannot find this ingredient, feel free to skip it. If you do not have pumpkin pie spice extract, increase the amount of pumpkin pie spice to 1 tsp.
  • Vanilla Powder – The vanilla bean powder can be left out, the powder gives the cheesecake an added vanilla flavor you can double the amount of vanilla extract. Again, if you cannot find this ingredient, feel free to skip it.
  • Butter – I use unsalted butter, you can substitute salted butter or margarine. If using, reduce the salt by half.

Variations

I used a standard-sized cupcake pan for this recipe, you can use a mini cupcake pan. Reduce the baking time to 15-20 minutes.

Also, if you’d like, you could turn this recipe into a large single cheesecake instead of bites. Instead of the muffin tin, use a large springform pan or 9-inch cake pan for the cheesecake shape!

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Making this mini pumpkin cheesecake recipe is so easy.

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites are broken into 3 components:

  • making the crust
  • making the cheesecake filling
  • baking to perfection

We suggest making this recipe ahead of time as it does need to set for 2 hours after baking, so keep that in mind!

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

First up, grease and line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake papers, and then preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Now to make the crust!

Collage of steps 1-3 for making mini pumpkin cheesecakes.

STEP 1. Crush the graham crackers. Add the graham crackers to the bowl of your food processor, and pulse to slightly break up the graham crackers to become graham cracker crumbs.  (Image 1).

Tip: If you do not have a food processor, do not worry! You can also throw the Grahams into a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

STEP 2. Combine. Add the brown sugar, salt, and butter and pulse until the graham crackers are coarse crumbs. (Image 2).

Tip: If you are not using a food processor, add the graham crackers to a large bowl and mix together with the above ingredients.

STEP 3. Form and Bake. Add a small amount of the graham cracker mixture to the cupcake pan. It's about 2 tablespoons if using a standard-size muffin pan or about 2 tablespoons if you're using a mini muffin pan. (Image 3).

Using a measuring cup or your fingers, press them down so the crumbs are packed down and secure. **If they're not packed down enough the crust will crumble when baked. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Steps 4-7 of how to make pumpkin cheesecake bites.

STEP 4. Start the Cream Cheese Mixture. While the crusts are baking add the cream cheese and brown sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer beat until it's light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. You could also use a stand mixer. (Image 4).

STEP 5. Continue the Cheesecake Filling. Add the pumpkin, sour cream, and salt. Beat until well combined making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so all of the ingredients are well incorporated. (Image 5).

STEP 6. Finish Up the Filling. Add in the egg, vanilla, vanilla powder, pumpkin pie spice extract, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat well so all of the ingredients are well combined. (Image 6).

STEP 7. Distribute Into Cups. Evenly distribute the pumpkin pie cheesecake filling onto each of the crust-lined cups. (Image 7).

STEP 8. Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites. Place the muffin tray on a baking sheet with some water (this will act as your water bath). Bake cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set completely.

STEP 9. Cool. Allow them to cool for about 45 minutes then refrigerate for 2 hours or until overnight.

Baked pumpkin cheesecake bites in muffin pan.

Recipe Pro Tips

  • Allow to fully cool and set. This recipe is best after cooling and chilling for 2 hours.
  • Correct temperature. Make sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature and soft for this recipe to turn out.
Baked pumpkin cheesecake bites on wooden cutting board.

Recipe FAQs

How to prevent cheesecake from cracking?

I tested this recipe by baking the cheesecakes without a water bath and cracking did happen! Make sure to bake them using a water bath. That's as simple as adding water to a baking sheet and placing the muffin tin on top.

How to make pumpkin pie seasoning?

To make pumpkin spice seasoning, all you have to do is combine ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, and cloves in a bowl.

What to top pumpkin cheesecake with?

You can top your mini pumpkin cheesecakes with a variety of delicious options, such as whipped cream, caramel sauce, chopped candied pecans, a dusting of cinnamon, or even a drizzle of melted white chocolate for an extra touch of sweetness.

Do I have to use cupcake liners for mini cheesecakes?

Using cupcake liners makes it much easier to remove and I really recommend using them.

What is the secret to the best cheesecake?

To make the best cheesecake, start with a graham cracker crust, blend a creamy and well-seasoned cheesecake filling, bake it in a water bath for a perfectly smooth texture, and allow it to chill thoroughly in the fridge before serving. The water bath is what prevents cracking!

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can make these ahead of time up to 3 days ahead of time. Be sure to not top them with whipped cream or caramel until you're ready to serve them.

What to Serve with This Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Recipe

This Creamy Cheesecake Bites Recipe goes well with even more pumpkin deliciousness. Try out this Pumpkin Fluff recipe for a yummy topping!

Pumpkin cheesecake bite on white plate.

Storage

Store the mini cheesecakes in the fridge covered with as much of the air removed from them in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

To freeze, place in a freezer-safe, airtight container, labeled for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.

More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

Pumpkin recipes will give you that fall feel year-round. Here are some yummy pumpkin-y treats that will bring fall to your kitchen!

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

If you’re looking for more of a traditional cheesecake recipe, then you’ll also love this strawberry crunch cheesecake that has become a household favorite!

Recipe

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites on wooden cutting board.
Print Pin
5 from 7 votes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Pumpkin cheesecake bites are a deliciously easy pumpkin dessert that packs in yummy fall flavor all in the palm of your hand.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 12 cheesecakes
Calories 146kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 sleeve graham crackers
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla powder optional
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice extract optional
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Toppings

  • whipped cream (optional)
  • caramel sauce (optional)

Instructions

  • Grease and line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake papers
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Add the graham crackers to the bowl of your food processor, pulse to slightly break up the graham cracker.
  • Add the brown sugar, salt, and melted butter and pulse until the graham crackers are coarse crumbs.
  • Add a small amount of the graham cracker mixture to the cupcake pan. It's about 2 tablespoon if using a standard size muffin pan or about 2 tps if you're using a mini muffin pan.
  • Using a measuring cup or your fingers, press them down so the crumbs are packed down and secure. **If they're not packed down enough the crust will crumble when baked.
  • Bake the sweet graham cracker crust at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
  • While the crusts are baking add the cream cheese and brown sugar to a bowl and using an electric mixture beat until it's light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the pumpkin, sour cream, and salt. Beat until well combined making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Add in the egg, vanilla, vanilla powder, pumpkin pie spice extract, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat well so all of the ingredients are well combined.
  • Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling onto each of the crust-lined cups.
  • Place the muffin tray on a baking sheet with some water (this will act as your water bath).
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set completely.
  • Allow them to cool for about 45 minutes then refrigerate for 2 hours or until overnight.
  • Top with whipped cream, whipped topping, or caramel and freshly grated nutmeg.

Notes

  • I used a standard sized cupcake pan for this recipe, you can use a mini cupcake pan. Reduce the baking time to 15-20 minutes.
  • Using cupcake liners makes removing it much easier, and I recommend using them.
  • I use unsalted butter, you can substitute salted butter or margarine. If using, reduce the salt by half.
  • Using room-temperature cream cheese will make the process so much easier. If the cream cheese is chilled I recommend beating the cream cheese for a few minutes before adding the brown sugar.
  • The vanilla bean powder can be left out, the powder gives the cheesecake an added vanilla flavor you can double the amount of vanilla extract
  • If you do not have pumpkin pie spice extract, increase the amount of pumpkin pie spice to 1 tsp.
  • Wait to top the mini cheesecakes with whipped cream and caramel until you're ready to serve them.
I tested this recipe baking the cheesecakes without a water bath and cracking did happen! Make sure to bake them using a water bath. That's as simple as adding water on a baking sheet and placing the muffin tin on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cheesecake bite | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1732IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Butterfinger Puppy Chow

This Holiday Dessert Bar post, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and NESTLE®. All opinions and ideas are mine alone, pinky promise! #NestleHoliday #CollectiveBias

Creating a dessert bar doesn’t have to be complicated… Really!

We invited our closest friends over for dinner, and since we hadn’t seen them in what felt like AGES, I wanted to do a little something special to make it up to them, and surprise them with a dessert bar.

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

Yes, I know what you’re thinking:

Jessica, you’re crazy. Who has time to do something like that during the holiday season?

But I’m so ecstatic to tell you that you TOO can create a dessert bar, with a few simple tips and tricks that I have up my sleeve.

What a fabulous “Wow,” factor that this will create, when your friends walk in the door. They’ll feel extremely special that you “spent all of that time,” creating something just because they were coming over. But little will they know, it didn’t take hardly any time at all. 😉

Side note: If you’re planning on hosting the holiday’s at your house this year, PAH-leese don’t tackle that task without my Holiday Party Planner. I use it for all of my parties and others swear by it:

Save it here: Holiday Party Planner

Holiday Party Planner Download. Checklists, menu planner, guest list tracker...

Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

Let me show you the details of the dessert bar that I created here, and I’ll fill you in on easy ways to make it happen. PLUS… I’m sharing a BUTTERFINGER® Puppy Chow recipe & a Chocolate Chip Surprise CRUNCH® Cookie idea, at the end!

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

#1. Tip: Use what you already have.  I say this time & time again… but I mean it. If you’re creating a holiday themed dessert bar, pull Christmas decorations from other parts of the house, and fill your table with decor. I guarantee your guests won’t even notice it used to be elsewhere.

Do you see that glorious BUTTERFINGER® Puppy Chow? Yeah… recipe below.

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

#2. Tip: Keep the serve wear neutral.  Since I entertain a lot, I usually keep my eye out for “good deals,” on white or kraft-colored serve ware. That way, when I decide to host a gathering, I’ll typically have what I need on hand, and can use it at the drop of a hat. Sticking with white & neutral will typically allow you to easily color coordinate with the theme you have going on.

Yes, that’s fudge.  The NESTLE® CARNATION® Famous Fudge Kit came in super handy, because I was able to whip it up in no-time, add a few festive pieces of peppermint, and it all of a sudden went with the holiday theme.

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

#3. Think Pre-Made.  Desserts are EVERYWHERE. Buying something premade, or semi-made, and adding a special touch to it, making it your own… can put a nice spin on something, and you’ll be a shining star with your creativity. I literally dashed in to Walmart, grabbed a few of my favorite NESTLE® goodies, and my dessert bar menu was a go. They always know how to make life easy for a busy gal on the go.

Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

The Chocolate Chip Surprise CRUNCH® cookies below?  Totally snagged a tub of the NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Cookie Dough, rolled it in to small balls and inserted one of the NESTLE® CRUNCH® Jingles in the center and baked it. Yep… I was the dessert hero, and it hardly took any time. Tutorial for this cookie below too!

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

#4. Mini is in.  Serving the desserts in small portions, is always a hit with my dessert bars. Guests are able to quickly pick up the item they want and walk away with it. The small portion sizes allow them to snack on a little bit of everything.

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

#5. Fill the table UP!  I have a problem with leaving a dessert table with blank spaces. I used to be a firm believer that you couldn’t overlap anything, and everything had to be lined up perfectly. That’s just not the case. A dessert table doesn’t have to be completed covered in desserts… but if you’re left with empty spaces, fill them up with “something.” This gives the appearance that it’s “all put together.” Rather than a, bare… plain looking table, that’s lacking a little somethin’-somethin’.

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

So if you follow me on Facebook or Periscope, you may have seen the the little sneak peak video of how I was setting up my holiday dessert bar. But in case you missed it, you can see that below:

Sneak Peek of Holiday Dessert Table

My Dessert Bar Recipes

So although my dessert bar looks extravagant, it actually didn’t take a long time to prepare at all. The recipes and items that I chose were so easy to create, and looks FAB on the dessert bar.

BUTTERFINGER® Puppy Chow

“Amazing…” — My friend Ashley.

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

Recipe

Butterfinger Puppy Chow, OMG that sounds ah-mazing.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

BUTTERFINGER® Puppy Chow

Butterfinger puppy chow is a delicious dessert snack mix made with the buttery goodness of Butterfinger bars!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 20 servings
Calories 461kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 10 ounce Pkg BUTTERFINGER® Bars
  • 12 oz. box of square rice cereal
  • 1 ½ cup milk chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Place cereal in large bowl.
  • Unwrap BUTTERFINGER® bars, place in a zip-top bag, and crush each candy with a mallet or similar, once until it breaks the candies in to large pieces. Pour crushed candies over cereal. Keep in mind, you'll still want the candies big enough to pick up with your fingers when eating the puppy chow.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute, and stir. If chips are not completely melted, place back in microwave for 30-second intervals until completely melted.
  • Stir in vanilla extract.
  • Pour chocolate mixture over cereal/candy mixture.
  • Stir gently until cereal is evenly coated, being careful not to break too many pieces of the cereal and candy.
  • Once coated, sprinkle half of the powdered sugar on top of the cereal/chocolate mixture. Stir gently until evenly distributed.
  • Pour remaining powdered sugar over the mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
  • Store in an airtight container until ready to serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 6mg

Chocolate Chip “Surprise,” CRUNCH® Cookies

“What is that in the middle? YUM!” — My friend Christina

Surprise Cookies with Crunch Jingles

Chocolate Chip “Surprise” CRUNCH® Cookies

Chocolate Chip Surprise Crunch Cookies

Only 2 Ingredients, friends…

• NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Refrigerated Cookie Dough

• 1 Package NESTLE® Jingles

Directions:

• Grab a spoonful of dough, and place an unwrapped NESTLE® Jingle in the middle of the dough, wrapping the cookie dough completely around the Jingle.

• Bake as directed on the tub of cookie dough.

So what else was on the menu for our friends?

We made it an Italian night, and munched on one of my favorite pizzas:

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN® Crispy Thin Crust Pizza, Sicilian Recipe

{This pizza is so good, that I don’t think my guests even knew it was a frozen pizza.} 😉

How fun would this be to create for even a small gathering at home!? Simple Tips for Creating a Holiday Dessert Bar

Then we also had:

BUITONI® Refrigerated 3 Cheese Tortellini, with the BUITONI® Refrigerated Pesto Sauce. Holy Moly. THIS.WAS.DELISH.

BUITONI® Refrigerated Pastas & Sauces, 3 Cheese Tortellini

It was such a fun night. My friends were so excited about the dessert bar, and we’re already planning our next one. Guess what my job is? Another dessert bar… 😉

For other tasty recipes, check out one of my favorite Pinterest boards, NESTLE®’s Flavorful Moments.

Until next time,

Vintage Christmas Party Ideas (Easy Food & Dessert Table Ideas)

If you love old-fashioned holiday charm, these vintage Christmas party ideas are the perfect way to create a cozy and memorable gathering. From simple dessert table ideas to a hot chocolate bar and classic holiday treats, this setup is easy to recreate and always a hit with guests.

Ahh! Such an adorable theme! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Oh how fun this Vintage Christmas party would have been.

Yes… I said, “Would have been.” 🙁

One of my kiddos came down with a fever a couple of days before our annual Santa Night Party this year. Unfortunately, his little body can’t handle fevers like some others can. He’s one of the not-so-lucky ones that has seizures. The morning before our party date, he once again had a seizure, and once the craziness calmed down… I immediately sent out notifications to our friends, letting them know that we had to cancel the party for this year, so we could take care of our little guy.

But, I quickly styled this Vintage Christmas Party a few days later, so I could share the ideas that I had with you all. Luckily, there wasn’t much to it, and we made sure the cookies and cupcakes didn’t go to waste. Put it this way… our neighbors were VERY happy.

Ahh! Such an adorable theme! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Vintage Christmas Party Food Ideas

One of the easiest ways to pull off a vintage Christmas party is by keeping the food simple but nostalgic. Think bakery-style treats, classic cookies, and a cozy drink station that makes everyone feel right at home.

Store-Bought Cookies (With Easy Upgrades)

Don't overthink this-store-bought cookies totally work here. Arrange them on a cake stand or vintage plate and they instantly feel special. If you want to dress them up a bit, dust with powdered sugar, add a drizzle of melted chocolate, or place them in festive liners for a bakery-style look.

But we do have a delicious gingerbread man cookie recipe so you can make your own. Or, make these DIY gingerbread ornaments to hand out as party favors!

Gingerbread Men for a party! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Snowball Cookies

These are a must for that old-fashioned Christmas feel. The powdered sugar coating gives them that soft, snowy look that fits perfectly on a holiday dessert table. Whether they’re homemade snowball cookies or store-bought, they always look like you put in more effort than you did.

Snowball cookies for a party! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Thumbprint Cookies

The red and green centers are what make these perfect for a vintage Christmas theme. They add that pop of color to your table without needing extra decor, and they're always one of the first things people grab.

Oh how I wish I would have thought to make these cornflake wreath cookies to go with this party!

Red and green thumbprint cookies for a party! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Cupcakes with Vintage Toppers

Simple cupcakes can become the centerpiece of your dessert table with the right toppers. A vintage truck, Christmas tree, or classic holiday image instantly ties everything together and gives that nostalgic feel without needing anything complicated.

Vintage Hot Chocolate Bar Ideas

This is what really brings the whole setup together. A small hot chocolate station adds warmth and makes the party feel cozy and intentional.

Set out:

  • Marshmallows
  • Peppermint sticks
  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate chips
  • Festive drink stirrers
  • Flavored syrups

Use simple kraft cups or mugs, and add a small tag or label so guests can help themselves. It's one of those little touches that makes everything feel extra special without adding more work.

Ahh! Such an adorable theme! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar
Ahh! Such an adorable theme! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar
This PILLOW!!! LOVE! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Once I had the pillow, I HAD to get the snow globe, right!? Besides, my kids are uber obsessed with the snow globe. It’s the little things. 🙂

EEEK, this SNOW GLOBE! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar
EEEK, this SNOW GLOBE! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Don’t forget the old-fashioned gingerbreadmen…

Alright… the cupcakes. The little vintage truck and Christmas tree cupcake topper, MELT my heart. I found a vintage truck and tree image to send my cupcake lady, and she NAILED it. Didn’t she? Now… if I could only learn how to do this too!

OMG! These cupcakes are ADORABLE! Vintage truck and tree for a party! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

I bought precious little to-go, “kraft,” coffee cups from Shop Sweet Lulu, and I thought a little Christmas party needed a little “hot chocolate station.” Right!?

I created a little tag, by using my stamps, to create a “hot chocolate,” tag. Tie it around the jar with baker’s twine, and now your guests will know EXACTLY what it is.

Such a cute idea! Hot chocolate station on a dessert table! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Have you thought about using fabric tape to wrap around your beverage cups? You wouldn’t BELIEVE how often I do this. It add just the right amount of detail to plain jane cup, and it’s an easy & quick way to make it happen!

Such a cute idea! Hot chocolate station on a dessert table! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar
Such a cute idea! Love these drink stirrers. Hot chocolate station on a dessert table! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Thank you SO much for coming by, and checking out my “What would have been,” Vintage Christmas Party.”

Ahh! Such an adorable theme! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

If you’re hosting a Christmas party like this one and want to throw in a Christmas movie night as well, then the Christmas spirit would be so thick in your home!

Ahh! Such an adorable theme! Vintage Christmas Party Ideas: Truck with Christmas Tree, cupcakes, red green and white, hot chocolate bar

Cheesy Rice

This cheesy rice recipe, made using taco seasoning, a can of Rotel, and a few other ingredients topped with queso cheese, makes it an easy recipe that can be a side dish or easy dinner recipe when served with a protein like chicken.

Your favorite store-bought queso makes this recipe a breeze, where the ingredients can be kept on hand for a quick 30-minute dinner too.

Cheesy rice, Spanish rice covered in Queso cheese sauce.

Mexican dishes like I have at some of my favorite Mexican restaurants like these chicken street tacos, these chicken fajitas wraps or these steak quesadillas are some of my favorites to make at home.

Now, this cheesy Mexican rice goes perfectly with those dishes and even enjoyed by themselves.

Cheesy Rice Recipe Highlights

  • 5 Ingredients – With just a few simple ingredients, this dish is ready easily and quickly.
  • Shelf-Stable Ingredients – All of the ingredients can be kept on hand when you need something to store for those last-minute needs.
  • Great Base Recipe – Enjoy this recipe by itself or easily add your favorite additional toppings or mix-ins to make it your favorite. See additional ideas below.

Ingredients Needed:

Just a few ingredients are needed, and they’re simple! Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full lists of ingredients and instructions. I’ve provided a few notes about the key ingredients below.

Ingredients for cheesy rice, on a table.
  • Rice – I prefer the Spanish recipe saffron yellow rice,that comes with the seasoning. This adds so much more flavor to the rice. However, making regular rice, is possible, it’s best to check the package directions for how long to cook the rice, in case it’s a different type.
  • Taco Seasoning – A packet of taco seasoning is normally what I use but you can also use my homemade chicken taco seasoning recipe.
  • Queso – Using your favorite queso recipe is highly recommended. I prefer the white, blanco queso but you can use yellow if you prefer. You may even choose to use my Rotel Dip recipe or Cowboy Queso for an elevated Mexican cheesy rice.
  • Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies – I use “mild” but you can use “hot” if you prefer a spicier taco cheesy rice. I use half of a 10 ounce can. You can also choose to use 5 ounces of diced tomatoes if you don’t like the heat.
  • Chicken Broth – Usually this can be kept in the pantry when it’s in the can or in a box that hasn’t been opened. I didn’t have any of that on hand when I decided to make this, so I made my own chicken broth out of Better Than Bouillon.

How to Make Cheesy Rice with Queso

This is a recipe made on the stove-top, so it’s best to find a skillet that’s big enough to hold all of the ingredients required.

Broth and seasoned Spanish rice in a skillet.
Add seasoned rice and all other ingredients except queso to skillet.
Cooked Spanish rice in a skillet.
Cook rice – bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 25 minutes.
Cheesy rice on a fork, over a plate.
When rice is tender and cooked, top with warmed Queso cheese, either on individual servings or pour over entire batch in the skillet. Mix if desired.

Recipe Tips

  • Spice – This recipe, the way it’s made (mild Rotel, etc.) can pack a punch with spice. It’s not the spiciest thing I’ve ever eaten but it’s also not spice-free. I recommend if making this for the first time, try a bite after cooking, and if needed more spice can be added such as red pepper flakes, etc.
  • Feel Free to Add – Add roasted broccoli, cooked chicken breasts, grilled shrimp, or strips of steak to round out dinner. This chicken bites recipe is so easy to make and goes great with cheesy rice.

Storage Instructions

Allow the cheesy rice to fully cool before storing in an airtight container and placing it in to the refrigerator. This can be stored but is best enjoyed within 4-5 days.

Recipe Tips

Can you use long-grain rice or jasmine rice to make cheesy rice?

You can. If you have the option to use a yellow rice that’s seasoned, it can add so much flavor. Where using a plain, white rice can have a more bland flavor.

What goes well with cheesy rice?

A protein such as these baked chicken cutlets goes well with a starchy side like this cheesy rice recipe. Or this roasted pork tenderloin pairs wonderfully with rice.

What can I mix with rice to make it taste better?

This recipe uses chicken broth to cook the rice in, giving it more flavor. Or spices such as taco seasoning, or garlic and cumin can season rice even more.

Love easy recipes like this cheesy rice? Then you’ll also love these:

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

Recipe

Cheesy rice in plate.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Cheesy Rice

Cheesy rice has a taco-seasoned rice with a white queso cheese on top or mixed in. So delicious and similar to the restaurant-style, favorite.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 611kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies Half a can of Rotel, undrained.
  • 10 ounces yellow rice Spanish saffron rice recommended (with seasonings)
  • 2½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil optional
  • 1 ounce packet of taco seasoning or this taco seasoning recipe
  • 15 ounces queso

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients except queso in skillet, bring to boil on the stove, and then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 min or until rice is tender and broth has been absorbed.
  • Fluff rice with a fork. Heat queso up in microwave or on the stove, and pour over rice.

Notes

  • You can use the entire can of Rotel if you prefer more spice and more tomatoes in the mixture.
  • If you only have plain rice (without the included seasoning packet in the type of rice suggested) that’s ok to use, and it just may result in a milder flavor. Adding more seasoning at the end of the cooking process is an option if you find it needs more flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 2865mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1399IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 418mg | Iron: 2mg

Reuben Dip Recipe

This Reuben Dip is like the popular restaurant Reuben sandwich, in appetizer form! A mixture of flavors and textures using ingredients such as sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese, and a few other simple ingredients make this creamy dip a hit with chips, bread or veggies.

Reuben dip in white serving dish, with a cracker dipped in.

Other similar recipes that you may find online, may be too sweet. This one uses ingredients that help this one be more savory than sweet. Savory dips can be the perfect party food. You may also love making other dips with this one for a party, like this hot taco dip, pepperoni dip, and the classic Rotel dip.

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Ingredients for Reuben Dip

This Reuben dip is made with easy-to-find ingredients. Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients. See the recipe card below for the measurements!

Overhead shot of ingredients for reuben dip, sitting on marble counter.
  • Dressing: Kraft Thousand Island brand is preferred and was used in this recipe.
  • Sauerkraut: You can use canned or bagged sauerkraut. However, it's important not to rinse the sauerkraut after squeezing the juice out to retain more flavor.  Also, don’t squeeze it until it is COMPLETELY dry. Just squeeze until it isn’t so wet and doesn't add too much liquid to the dip.
  • Corned Beef: What you see here, is corned beef that the butcher sliced in to ⅛ inch slices and then chopped at home so it wasn't too thin. You could also buy it deli sliced at the store for sandwiches and chop that as well.

How to Make Reuben Dip

You’ll be using the stove-top for the first part, to saute the onions but you’ll finish the dish by baking it in the oven. Make sure to see the recipe card below for all of the directions and details!

Overhead shots showing 4 steps to making reuben dip.
  • Cooking the butter and onions is the first step.
  • Next, mix the ingredients together to prep for baking.
  • Arrange dip in a pie plate, and bake!
Overhead shot of baked reuben dip, in white pie dish.

Reuben Dip in the Crock Pot

The crock pot is a great way to cook the dip or to serve it and keep it warm.  To cook in the crock pot, combine ingredients according to recipe directions and heat on low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Storage:

  1. Refrigerate: Let the dip cool before refrigerating.  It should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving and will keep in the fridge covered for 3-4 days.
  2. To Freeze: You can freeze leftovers, but with the cream cheese in the dip, the quality may not be as high after freezing.  The dip can be frozen for up to two months for best quality.
  3. Make Ahead: This dip can be made 1-2 days in advance before baking.  Follow the recipe directions before baking and place in the refrigerator in a covered container until ready to bake.
  4. Reheat: You can reheat the dip in the microwave or oven. Place the dip in a heat-safe container, in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or microwave at 30-second intervals until warm.  
Reuben dip in white pie dish, and a spoon scooping out a serving.

What to Serve with this Dip:

There are many great options for dipping foods for a Reuben dip.

For dippers:

  • hearty crackers
  • toasted bread (such as this toasted Italian bread recipe)
  • pretzels
  • bagel crisps
  • multi-grain crackers
  • rye or pumpernickel toast
  • rye crackers
  • Triscuits or other thick crackers
  • pita chips
  • cucumber slices
  • celery sticks

If you like this hot and cheesy reuben dip then you’ll love this Frito chili pie, it’s another one of our game day favorites along with these cheesy broccoli casserole recipe! Or, if you love when beer is added to dips, this beer cream cheese pretzel dip recipe is amazing too!

Recipe

Reuben dip being scooped out of baking dish with metal spoon.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Reuben Dip

Reuben dip is a twist on the classic, popular sandwich. Serve it as an appetizer with chips, crostinis, or veggies!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 308kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup Thousand Island dressing
  • 2 cups chopped deli-sliced corned beef about 12 ounces
  • 16 ounces sauerkraut or about 1 ¼ cups (Drained, squeezed dry)
  • 8 ounces Swiss cheese shredded
  • 2 Tablespoons dill relish
  • ⅛ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • chopped parsley optional, for garnish
  • coursely ground pepper optional, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Place a skillet on medium-low heat and add butter to melt.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent, turning frequently to avoid burning.  Transfer onions onto a plate to cool.
  • Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer and a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sour cream and Thousand Island dressing and mix to combine.
  • Stir in the remaining ingredients: the cooked onions, corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, dill relish, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Pour dip and spread evenly into a 9-inch pie pan or baking dish.
  • Place the dip into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the dip is warmed through.
  • Add parsley and pepper garnish if desired.
  • Serve warm with a variety of foods for dipping including crackers, pretzels, bagel crisps, vegetables, and toasted rye or pumpernickel bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (with dipping bread) | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 639IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 1mg

Free Printable Baby Shower Advice & Best Wishes Cards

Free Printable Baby Shower Advice Cards: “Late Night Wishes…” for the Mom to be! Free printable for a new mom, or a multiple-time mom!

I recently helped cohost a baby shower for a dear friend who was expecting her second little bundle of joy. With the mindset of keeping it laid back and casual, we decided to keep everything low key, and do a little something that would be meaningful… rather than play baby shower games.

Free Printable Baby Shower Advice Cards Instead of Games

Free printable - Late Night Wishes Baby Advice Cards for Baby Shower Free Download Printable Boy, Girl, Gender Neutral fantabulosity.com

The idea of each guest writing a little note to the mommy, came to mind. So… since I love creating things like birthday invitations in Canva, I had been toying with the idea of creating a printable for each guest to use, rather than just a blank sheet of paper, and the Baby Shower Advice Printables, were born.

An Advice Card for Everyone!

When it came to topics to “write,” about, I wanted to give each guest a starting point, so they would’t have the pressure of having to get creative, starting from scratch. Since some guests weren’t mommies yet, I wanted them to be able to give “best wishes.” Then, there were mommies there, who had little girls at home, so they may have been able to offer “baby girl,” advice. Lastly, since this mommy was going to be a second-time mommy, the mommies of multiples were able to give “Multiple Kiddo Advice.”

Free printables for Baby Shower Games. Late Night Wishes Baby Advice Cards for Baby Shower Free Download Printable Boy, Girl, Gender Neutral fantabulosity.com

When each guest finished filling out their cards, I provided a small burlap favor bag, to slip their card in to. Then the mommy was able to take her little advice cards home, and could pull them out, one by one, during a late night feeding, when she was needing a little advice or encouragement.

Just select the image of the item that you want and it will open up in to a PDF for you to save/print! 

Free Baby Shower Printables:

New mommy of a boy:

Late Night Wishes Baby Advice Cards for Baby Shower Free Download Printable Boy, Girl fantabulosity.com

For the new mommy of a girl:

Late Night Wishes Baby Advice Cards for Baby Shower Free Download Printable Boy, Girl fantabulosity.com

Second-time mommy, having a girl:

Late Night Wishes Baby Advice Cards for Baby Shower Free Download Printable Boy, Girl fantabulosity.com

For the second-time mommy, having a boy:

Late Night Wishes Baby Advice Cards for Baby Shower Free Download Printable Boy, Girl fantabulosity.com
Printing Details:

I simply printed my cards, as a 5×7. You could print them smaller/bigger, just change your printer settings!

Extra Note:

To go a step further for the mommy of honor, you could find a super cute container or basket like this, to put all of the advice cards in, that would look adorable on the dresser or nightstand in the nursery. (Something to match the room decor.)

I hope you enjoy these baby shower advice cards. I know I would have LOVED to have them, when I had my babies!

“Pin” this image below, to remember for the next baby shower you host!

Late Night Wishes Baby Shower Advice Cards Boy and Girl, new mom AND second time mom! Free printable https://fantabulosity.com

Coffee Bar Ideas for a Party (What to Serve + Easy Setup Guide)

Planning a coffee bar for a party? Whether you're hosting a brunch, shower, holiday gathering, or a simple get-together with friends, a coffee bar is one of the easiest ways to make it feel special without a lot of extra work.

A Coffee Bar Party Idea That Feels Cozy and Thoughtful

A coffee bar doesn't have to be complicated to be memorable. With a few simple setup ideas, a variety of flavors, and a couple of easy treats, you can create something your guests will actually use and enjoy.

Coffee Bar Styled in Home

Coffee Bar Ideas for a Party (Simple + Easy to Recreate)

If you're setting up a coffee bar for guests, the goal is to keep it simple, inviting, and easy to customize. A good coffee bar lets guests build their drink exactly how they like it-without needing a full kitchen setup.

Food and drink bars are my JAM, so I'm a bit tickled to share the, “You've Warmed my Heart," Coffee Bar with you. For YEARS, I've wanted to design a coffee bar for a party, and this was the perfect opportunity to have my gal pals over for small talk and java.

If you're here looking for simple coffee bar ideas you can actually use, don't miss the setup and menu tips below.

White coffee cups next to pound cake and other snacks.

When they arrived, not only did they see a coffee bar, decked out with all of the goodies…but they found a table with individual place settings and crafting supplies.

I explained to them that "You've Warmed my Heart," was the theme of our little get together, and that we would be building gift baskets for someone in our lives, who has “warmed,” our heart lately.

The looks on their faces and responses were EXACTLY what I was hoping for. They were crazy excited about doing something like this, and couldn't wait to hand out the baskets. My heart was so full. (Or should I say "warm?")

How to Set Up a Coffee Bar for a Party

Setting up a coffee bar doesn't require a lot of space or equipment. Focus on a few key elements:

  • A main coffee maker or brew station
  • Creamers and flavor options
  • Sweeteners and toppings
  • A small food pairing section
  • Clear cups, mugs, or serving glasses

Keeping everything grouped together makes it easy for guests to move through the station without confusion.

Coffee Bar Ideas

The sign that I had made by Pen N’ Paperflowers, was EXACTLY what I was looking for, for a backdrop idea. Isn’t it the CUTEST!? I’m trying to figure out where I can put it in my house permanently!

Coffee bar sign for coffee bar.

Coffee Ideas

If you’re looking for a coffee maker to use for a coffee bar, I couldn’t recommend the Ninja Coffee Bar ENOUGH. This has been an absolute game-changer for my coffee.

The flavor, the ease, the options… it’s the best. See my video where I’m showing you the Ninja Coffee Bar Review and why I love it.

Coffee Creamer Varieties

Yes… as if getting up and having a cup of coffee wasn’t great already. Add fun flavors to the coffee bar and it will give guests a chance to try something new!

I loved watching them experiment with the different flavors, saying which one(s) they liked the most!

Coffee creamer in wooden crate.

What to Put on a Coffee Bar (Essentials List)

Coffee Options

  • Regular coffee
  • Decaf coffee
  • Flavored coffee (optional)

Creamers & Flavors

  • Vanilla creamer
  • Hazelnut creamer
  • Seasonal flavors (caramel, peppermint, etc.)

Sweeteners

  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Honey
  • Flavored syrups

Toppings

  • Whipped cream
  • Chocolate shavings or chips
  • Cinnamon
  • Crushed cookies
Small creamer cup.
Crock holding coffee stirrers.
White milk bottle jug.

Food to Serve with a Coffee Bar

This is where a coffee bar really becomes something special. Adding a few simple baked goods or desserts gives guests something to enjoy alongside their drink.

Easy Coffee Bar Foods

Sweet Treats That Work Well

Variety of muffins on platter for coffee bar.
Donut holes styled on cake stand.
Sliced pound cake on cake stand.
Chocolate covered pastries on platter.

Coffee Bar Ideas for Different Occasions

A coffee bar can work for so many types of gatherings:

  • Baby showers
  • Bridal showers
  • Holiday parties
  • Brunch with friends
  • Small get-togethers

You can keep the setup the same and just adjust colors, flavors, or a few decorative touches.

Wooden silverware organizer with red spoons in it.

Tips for a Stress-Free Coffee Bar Setup

  • Don't overcomplicate it-simple is better
  • Stick to 2-3 creamer options
  • Prep food ahead of time
  • Keep the layout easy to navigate
  • Use what you already have when possible
Style coffee bar showing treats, coffee cups and toppings.

“You’ve Warmed my Heart” Gift Baskets

All of the supplies needed to build the gift baskets were out on the table, and I told the gals to roll with it! I wanted them to have fun with the creativity, and design their basket, especially for that someone that they have in mind.

Each place setting had its own basket, and fun little Pioneer Woman Coffee Creamer and Sugar Bowl, to get their baskets started.

Basket for craft making at coffee bar party.
Pioneer Woman crock for basket making.

Each place setting also had a white coffee mug, filled with coffee beans, with a “heart,” template. (That I cut out with my Silhouette Machine.) It also had a “You’ve Warmed my Heart” free gift tag that you can download for free.

My plan for “heart,” cut-out, was that each guest would use a red paint pen, to color in a heart on the coffee mug, to tie in the “You’ve Warmed my Heart,” theme.

(Notice, I didn’t want my guests to have to REALLY think about being creative. I wanted it to be a “fun,” project, and not “work.”)

Coffee cup with bag of chocolate covered coffee beans with tag.
An assortment of red ribbons.

If you saw the “Favorite Things Party,” party that I hosted, then these blankets may look familiar. I had a few blankets left over from that party, and I thought they would be PERFECT for the gift baskets!

Red blankets wrapped with black ribbon as party favors for coffee bar party.
Kraft journals and pens for gift basket making.
Coffee stirrers to include in gift basket.
Donut holes in white serving bowl.
White coffee mugs, showing how to color perfect hearts with template.
Women making gift baskets.

We all snacked away on the coffee bar, during the morning while we were gift-basket-building!

The baskets turned out ADORABLE!! My gals are so crafty and creative. I knew I like them. 🙂

Completed gift basket for coffee bar.
Coffee themed gift basket.

I love how these gift baskets are also just a great coffee theme gift basket idea to give someone for their birthday or a special occasion.

Coffee lovers gift basket.

Recap & Vendor Credits:

We all had an absolute blast with this coffee bar and party! I really, really, encourage you to host a similar event. What an amazing feeling, giving my friends a fun way to warm the hearts of someone else.

Jessica Burgess of Fantabulosity standing next to coffee bar.

Each guest went home with a full gift basket to give!

What would you do differently?

Pin this image, to remember when you host your own “You’ve Warmed my Heart,” party and Coffee Bar.

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Toddler Lunch Ideas: If you’re on a mission to find an easy toddler lunch idea, you’ll not only find a list of ideas but a list of great recipes, too!

toddler lunch idea in ice cube tray

What you see in the photo above, in the ice cube tray:

  • Avocado
  • Chicken
  • Nuts
  • Carrots
  • Raisins
  • Animal Crackers
  • Apple Slices, or favorite fruit
    More Ideas that Would Fit in the Tray:
  • Pita Bread
  • Bell Peppers
  • Black Beans
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Whole Grain Crackers
  • Carrot Sticks
  • Tortilla Chips
  • Snap Peas
  • Cheese slices or cubes

I have had a picky eater in the world! Trust me, I could TOTALLY put him in a contest for the pickiest eater, and win… hands down. His favorite diet consisted of PB&J’s, grilled cheeses, green beans, and carrots. Repeat.

After a recent medical scare with him, it was time to change my son’s eating habits.
So I’m sharing quick lunch ideas that rotate through our house, for normal toddler lunches, in hopes it helps you get through the toddler lunch “funk,” that you may be in. You may also find some snack ideas if you’re traveling on a road trip with your toddler!

I’m also going to share some of the best recipes from of my blogging friends in case you’re looking to add more ideas to your rotation!

Tips for Toddler Lunches

  • Ice Cube Trays: It’s kind of like a more organized way to create a small charcuterie board or a lunch bento box. I don’t know about you but when I arrange small amounts of different varieties of food on a platter, my kids seem to eat more of it! But with little ice cube trays, it’s easier to keep things separated for little hands, and we really think it’s a good idea.
  • Fun Shapes: Use fun-shaped cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes of foods to make eating veggies fun! For instance, cut a cucumber in half, the long way, and use a narrow cookie cutter (for example, a “train”) and the cucumber may be eaten more than normal!
  • Hidden Veggies: Using a blender, food processor, or juicer to mash up or minimize the vegetables or new foods your toddler may not like, is a great way to sneak them in to their favorite foods!
  • Dips for vegetables or crackers: Sometimes adding a simple dip can encourage young toddlers to try more; such as ranch dressing, almond butter or seed butter, cottage cheese, cheese dip, and greek yogurt.

Toddler Meal Idea List

 I’ve also provided a free printable of toddler lunch ideas, in case you’d like to print this. Keep it handy for those days when your brain is fried and you don’t feel like getting creative in the kitchen. Plus… take a look at it, before you make your grocery shopping list, and add the items you need to get.

Download the List HERE!
Toddlerlunchpreview

DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind that some of the food items that I mention, may not tickle your fancy. I get that. Before my son was diagnosed with epilepsy, and we took him to a nutritionist, I would have turned my nose up at some of these items as well. For instance… “hot dogs,” “lunch meat,” “chicken nuggets,” etc. But my little 4 year old, chosen vegetarian, was really lacking in the protein department, so I’ve since then, tried incorporating some meats in to his lunches. I just try to only buy the hot dogs and lunch meat without nitrates, artificial flavorings, etc., to do the best that I can with healthy toddler lunch ideas.

Eeeek! Look how sweet he is! This is the first time he used the new plate. He ate every bit of his goodies, without a fight. (But he couldn’t take his eyes off of his favorite show on tv, long enough for me to get a photo.) 🙂

Toddler holding ice cube tray
Toddler Favorite!

Toddler Lunch Recipes

See some of our favorite lunch ideas for toddlers, from some of my favorite blogging friends that are a great option for lunches:

How to Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
How to Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich: Did you know that there's a certain way to make a pb&j even better? It's true. Keep reading!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Recipe
Close up of peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Cream Cheese Pasta
Cream Cheese Pasta: This linguine covered in cream cheese pasta sauce is the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight dinner! It's ready in 20 minutes, & only calls for 7 simple ingredients
Cream Cheese Pasta Recipe
Cream Cheese Pasta being scooped up and held above the plate.
Mozzarella Wrap with Tomato and Basil
You can also make a cheese quesadilla with just cheese and tortillas.
Mozzarella Wrap
easy caprese wrap recipe
Pizza Monkey Bread
This pepperoni pizza monkey bread is a delicious blend of bread, parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and italian seasoning, baked in a bundt pan creating a delicious appetizer recipe!
Pizza Monkey Bread Recipe
pizza monkey bread
Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
A fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich is your classic pb&j, cooked on the stovetop with butter, giving it a crispy outside with a warm and gooey inside.
Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly
Fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich, sliced on white plate.
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches: Hamburger buns, slices of cheese, and your favorite ham, toasted in the oven to create an easy lunch or dinner idea!
Hot Ham and Cheese Recipe
Hot ham and cheese sandwich on white plate
Fresh Fruit Salad
Honey Lime Fruit Salad: A refreshing fresh fruit salad that's always a hit! Serve this fruit salad as a healthy dessert or as a sweet side dish for any occasion!
Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Honey Lime Fruit Salad
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs: So quick, easy and it made the shells peel off so easily, with the 5, 5 & 5 method!
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs Tutorial
sliced hard boiled eggs on plate
Pizza Bagels
These pizza bagels are the perfect quick dinner recipe and are great for the pickiest eaters! Pizza night made easy with this recipe.
Easy Pizza Bagels Recipe
Bagel pizza topped with pepperonis on baking sheet.
Fried Bologna and Egg Sandwich
Fried Bologna and Egg Sandwich: A couple of bologna slices, an egg, a couple of slices of bread, and a pat of butter, and you're set for a delicious breakfast recipe!
Fried Bologna Sandwich Recipe
Fried Bologna and Egg Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Syrup Sandwich
This peanut butter and syrup sandwich recipe is the perfect side dish for chili or your favorite soup or a great, sweet lunch idea!
Peanut Butter and Syrup Recipe
Peanut butter and syrup sandwich sliced in half, stacked on top of each other.
Homemade Spaghetti O's (Allergy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan)
These homemade spaghetti O's are allergy-free, gluten-free, and vegan! A super easy lunch or dinner that's kid-friendly and mom-approved!
Check out this recipe
Ham and Pea Pasta
This Ham and Pea Pasta is a delicious change from the traditional mac and cheese. Filled with bits of ham and frozen peas and can be ready in just 20 minutes!
Check out this recipe
Veggie Muffins
These veggie muffins taste sweet and chocolaty but they're loaded with hidden vegetables. They're an easy way to sneak some extra nutrients into a picky toddler's lunch.
Check out this recipe

Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Salad: Or also called, a Caprese salad, is an easy salad recipe that can be made in minutes, and is the ultimate side dish!

avocado tomato mozzarella salad in white bowl
Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Why you’ll love this recipe

If you love quick and easy side dishes, then this simple salad recipe to hang on to! It can be put together in just a few minutes and can even be made ahead of time!

Note: I’ve found if you refrigerate tomatoes, they tend to lose the flavor so I actually prefer to make this right before serving to experience the bright flavors, but it’s not mandatory, and can be made in advance.

Ingredients

It’s so wild to believe that just a few ingredients can pack a punch of flavor! See the ingredients you need to make this, below, with extra ideas and substitutions provided below, if needed, as well!

ingredients for caprese salad
Ingredients
  • fresh mozzarella cheese pearls
  • red ripe tomato
  • fresh basil leaves
  • olive oil (extra virgin is our favorite)
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Begin by breaking up the mozzarella pearls and placing them in a medium-size bowl.
mozzarella pearls in glass bowl
Break up mozzarella in bowl
  1. Next, slice up the avocado and the tomato in to small, bite-size pieces.

Tip: When slicing the tomato, we’ve found it’s best to remove the inside (gooey part of the tomato) as this makes the salad a different texture and seedy).

Diced avocado
Slice avocado
Sliced tomatoes on cutting board
Slice tomatoes
  1. Pour diced avocado and diced tomato on top of mozzarella pearls.
avocado added to mozzarella in bowl
Add avocado
tomato added to bowl
Add tomato
  1. Chop fresh basil and add to bowl.
  2. Drizzle olive oil on and sprinkle kosher salt on top.
fresh basil added to bowl
Add fresh basil
salt added to bowl
Add salt
  1. Stir to combine.
ingredients for salad stirred together
Stir to combine

Serve!

avocado tomato mozzarella salad in white bowl
Ready to serve

Substitutions

Cheese: If you don’t have mozzarella pearls on hand, you can absolutely use a ball of mozzarella that you slice in to small pieces. That creamy mozzarella is to die for and much better than shredded, powdery mozzarella.

You can also substitute feta or goat cheese (or your favorite cheese) if you like! It’s a versatile recipe, that tends to incorporate different cheeses well.

Tomatoes: You can use roma or vine tomatoes for this recipe, or even cherry tomatoes if you prefer. (Note: I’d slice the cherry tomatoes in half for easier bites.)

Basil: Using fresh ingredients like basil, is our absolute FAVORITE but I know keeping that on hand can be more difficult than keeping a jar of dried basil in the pantry. Feel free to use dried if you like. We’ve used that many times and it’s still delicious!

Variations

If you love adding balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze, or balsamic dressing) to your avocado Caprese salad recipe, you can definitely add that to this one. I’d add a teaspoon to start, and then add more after tasting if you prefer a stronger flavor.

Additional Items – If you’d like to add other items or spices to this, here are some ideas you may like to try:

  • Garlic Powder
  • Chicken (to create a main course)
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • Dashes of Hot Sauce
  • Cumin
  • Red Onions
  • Black pepper

How to store

As mentioned earlier, when a tomato is refrigerated, it can tend to become more firm and lose flavor. However, if you happen to have some of this leftover caprese avocado salad, it must be stored in the refrigerator.

Store in an airtight container, or by placing plastic wrap over the bowl it was made in, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Love avocado and tomato together?

We absolutely love using any extra tomatoes and avocados that we may have on hand, to make tomato avocado toast the next morning! It’s so easy and refreshing for a quick and healthy breakfast idea!

Avocado Tip

It’s best to use ripe avocados! Soft to the touch, on the skin but not too soft… as those are too ripe. If you cut in to the avocado and there’s brown everywhere, you’ll want to discard it. A beautiful green is the desired ripeness.

I know how hard it is, to keep avocados on hand before they rot.

Note, I’ve made this recipe a TON, only using the cheese and tomatoes, without the addition of avocado and it’s STILL delicious!

But here are tips on how to help keep avocados from turning brown!

Looking for other healthy side dishes?

I’ve compiled all of our healthy side dish recipes in case you are looking to add more to your meal plan!

Recipe

avocado tomato mozzarella salad in white bowl
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Salad: Or also called, a Caprese salad, is an easy salad recipe that can be made in minutes, and is the ultimate side dish!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Diet Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 98kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 tomato roma or vine
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 package mozzarella pearls or mozzarella ball
  • pinch Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh basil or dried
  • ½ Tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Break mozzarella pearls apart and place in medium sized mixing bowl.
  • Chop tomatoes and avocado in to small, bite-size pieces and add to bowl.
  • Chop fresh basil in to small pieces, and sprinkle on to veggies and cheese.
  • Drizzle olive oil on to mixture and sprinkle on the salt.
  • Stir to combine and then serve!

Video

Notes

Tip: Remove seeds and insides of tomato and discard. Adding this to the salad is not ideal. 
Storing:
When a tomato is refrigerated, it can tend to become more firm and lose flavor. However, if you happen to have some of this leftover chopped caprese salad, it must be stored in the refrigerator.
Store in an airtight container, or by placing plastic wrap over the bowl it was made in, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (¼ recipe) | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 7.2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

This delicious avocado caprese salad is one of my favorite staple weeknight recipes. I hope you give it a try and that it becomes one of your favorite salads too!

Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies

Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating: Easy heart-shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day – perfect for the beginner.

You’ve followed along on my cookie decorating journey, from my first attempt at decorating sugar cookies. You’ve been so encouraging, and I so appreciate it. I’m just a regular gal who wanted to decorate some cookies, knowing I’d probably never be as good as the professionals out there.

But with my admittance of not being the best at this… I’m hoping you can find the courage to decorate your own cookies too!

Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating for Beginners fantabulosity.com

It’s possible that I’m going backwards, in my cookie decorating skills. I’m not going to lie. I watched SweetAmbs on Facebook lately, and when she posted her Valentine’s Day Heart Cookies, I thought,

Oh I can SO do that.

I even had people share the video on Fantabulosity’s Facebook page, saying,

Jessica! Look! You should try these next!

For heaven’s sake… others even had faith in me.

But just so you can see… not all of my cookies turned out great. So practice is still necessary for me. HOWEVER…

PINTEREST FAIL: Valentine's Day Cookies Decorating Fail fantabulosity.com

Although they’re FAR from perfect, I did have some luck with the way most of them turned out. So… that told me that heart-shaped cookies, with a few simple designs, would be a good Valentine’s Day Cookie idea, for a beginner.

Free Valentine's Day Printable - I Heart You-5

Don’t look too close, or you’ll potentially find more “Pinterest fails,” and let me just bask in the “accomplishment,” for a moment. 🙂

Notes about what you’ll need:

  • Sugar Cookies: I know that you may have your own favorite sugar cookie recipe, or you may even buy sugar cookies already in the shape of hearts. But I still want to share that the sugar cookie recipe I use for these and all of my sugar cookie decorating adventures, is this easy sugar cookie recipe. I also used that sugar cookie recipe, leaving them round sugar cookies with Nutella on top!
  • Royal Icing: When I decorate, I love buying the royal icing that I can just add water to, and then whatever colors I’m looking for, to keep things super easy. This is my favorite royal icing mix. However, you can use your favorite recipe if you have one!
  • Food Coloring: When it comes to coloring the royal icing, I like to use gel food coloring.
Heart shaped sugar cookies decorated for Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day Cookies

I’ll never be as good at SweetAmbs, but she sure is fun to follow to get ideas from.

Here’s a quick video on how I decorated these heart cookies with royal icing! I hope it’s helpful and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop a comment below!

Plus, see the recipe card below with more details and how-to!

Now, if you’re still a little intimidated at decorating cookies with royal icing, you may want to consider using fondant for your cookies, like we used in these ice cream sugar cookies!

More Valentine’s Day Ideas

Recipe

Heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

How to Decorate Heart Sugar Cookies

Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating: Easy heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's Day – perfect for the beginner.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 51kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

  • Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters We like these heart cookie cutters
  • Scriber Needle Or toothpick will work too. Here's my favorite scriber tool.
  • Piping Tip .1 or .15 or similar (Small is best for fine detail decorating.)
  • 3 Piping Bags

Ingredients

  • 24 Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe! Or your favorite recipe, or storebought cookies
  • Royal Icing This is my favorite royal icing mix.
  • (Pink, Red, White) Gel Food Coloring

Instructions

  • If making your own heart-shaped sugar cookies or buying storebought cookies, you'll need 24. cookies This sugar cookie recipe makes 24 cookies and is delicious! (Make sure to allow the cookies to fully cool before decorating.)

Decorating the Heart Cookies

  • To get the red and pink royal icing, you'll need to separate the white royal icing in to 3 separate small bowls. Using red food coloring, add a drop to one bowl of royal icing and stir to combine. If not as red as you'd like, add one drop, until the icing reaches the desired color.
    Repeat in another bowl for the pink icing. Leave the third bowl white.
  • Decide which style of cookie you'll be decorating first.
  • Preferably, have three different piping bags with a .1 piping tip or .15 tip. (You may have to switch them out if you only have one – so doing as many cookies with each color, one at a time, may be helpful.)
  • Fill each piping bag, making one red, one pink, and one white piping bag.
  • Begin decorating cookies as shown in the video, outlining the heart first, then filling the centers and decorating with desired design.
  • Allow cookies to "dry" making sure they're sitting out in a single layer, before storing.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken made at home can be easy and ready in about 30 minutes! Love the chicken you can get in the food court at the mall?

This recipe is similar to my favorite dish there, and it’s now an easy dinner recipe that the kids love too.

Chicken teriyaki on rice, next to rice.

When I made this teriyaki sauce recipe without ginger, to go on these air fryer teriyaki chicken wings, I knew it needed to go on other chicken recipes because it was so good. It’s also delicious on beef recipes like these Ahola burgers and even non-meat dishes like these mixed vegetables.

Why You’ll Love This Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

  • Quick Recipe – This chicken is so quick and easy, even if you make the homemade teriyaki sauce to go with it. Even faster? Use a store-bought teriyaki sauce.
  • Type of Chicken – Using chicken thighs in this recipe makes such a difference and makes it similar to the restaurant-style teriyaki chicken recipes.
  • Sweet and Salty – The combination of sweet and salty flavors here is delicious. I’ve even carried the sweet and salty flavors in to this teriyaki sloppy joe recipe for a fun spin.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple teriyaki chicken:

Full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for teriyaki chicken recipe.
  • Chicken Thighs – I use boneless, skinless, chicken thighs for best results. Chicken breasts can be used but the result will have a different texture.
  • Teriyaki Sauce – I prefer using my own homemade teriyaki sauce but I’m not against a storebought brand and actually like the Sweet Baby Ray’s teriyaki brand.
  • Corn Starch – This is used to thicken the sauce and help it cling to the chicken.
  • Garlic – I like using garlic powder because this is what I usually have on hand but minced garlic is just fine to use instead!
  • Brown Sugar – Feel free to use light or dark brown sugar. I use light, and this is used to make the sweet portion of the “sweet and salty” flavors of the sauce.
  • Soy Sauce – Low sodium soy sauce is typically recommended in recipes so over-salting doesn’t take place. However I’ve found that regular soy sauce works in this recipe great, and it’s the perfect balance of “salty” for a sweet and salty flavor combination.
  • Oil – I like to keep sesame oil on hand and feel it’s the absolute best for this recipe. However, I don’t expect anyone to go out and buy a whole bottle just for this, so using olive oil or avocado oil will work too.

How to Make This Easy Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki sauce mixture in a glass bowl with whisk, before cooking it.
1. First, mix together the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce.
Chicken thigh pieces covered in cornstarch, garlic powder and pepper.
2. Coat chicken in black pepper, garlic powder and 1 tablespoon corn starch.
Chicken thigh pieces cooked in oil on stovetop in skillet.
3. Brown chicken in oil over medium-high heat.
Cooked chicken thigh pieces cooked in teriyaki sauce.
4. Cook chicken until done and add in sauce mixture.
Teriyaki chicken in sauce.

5. Allow chicken and sauce to cook until thickened and serve over rice if desired.

Teriyaki Chicken Tips

  • Versatile Recipe – This chicken recipe is great with so many dishes. Serve it alone, with rice, pasta, quinoa, Instant Pot polenta, on a side salad recipe, or even as a pizza topping or in street tacos.
  • Browning the Chicken – When cooking the chicken, spread the raw meat out so it doesn’t overlap, and then turn the heat on. Do not move or turn the chicken until the underside is golden brown.
    I’ve found that if constantly moving the chicken often while trying to cook, it will take longer to get that golden brown color that’s desired, and it’s easily overcooked. Brown on one side, flip, and then brown on the other side until fully cooked.

Storing Tips

  • Leftovers: Allow the teriyaki chicken to cool before storing in an airtight container. Place in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days.
  • Freeze: You can freeze teriyaki chicken, once it has cooled off. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

What to Serve with Teriyaki Chicken

This chicken and sauce recipe is delicious served with steamed rice, homemade fried rice and a roasted broccoli.

Recipe FAQs

Why do you add teriyaki sauce to chicken after it is cooked?

Some prefer to cook the chicken in the teriyaki sauce so the flavor gets in to the chicken. However cooking chicken without the sauce allows the chicken to brown, instead of “steam,” giving the teriyaki chicken more flavor.

How do you thicken teriyaki sauce?

If the teriyaki sauce is too thin, (water content from chicken can cause this) you can thicken your sauce with a mixture of the corn starch and sauce. (1 teaspoon of sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon of corn starch and then added to the sauce over heat, will thicken.)
Do note: Teriyaki sauce will thicken a bit more when removed from the heat.

Does this recipe make enough sauce to drizzle over rice?

If you love a lot of teriyaki sauce with your chicken and rice, it’s best to double the sauce ingredients in this recipe.

Do you love easy chicken recipes like this teriyaki chicken? You’ll also love these favorites:

I have a feeling this recipe will end up on your weekly meal plan like it is on ours! Make sure to pin this recipe for later!

Recipe

Teriyaki chicken on white steamed rice next to broccoli.
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Teriyaki Chicken

This teriyaki chicken recipe is so easy to make and is so good, just like take-out from your favorite restaurant, and it uses simple ingredients!
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 372kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs 1-3 pounds should work as well.
  • 2 tablespoons oil I prefer sesame oil but olive oil will work.
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided (½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch divided (1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 5 tablespoons brown sugar
  • green onions, sesame seeds or crushed red pepper optional as garnishes

Instructions

Make Teriyaki Sauce

  • Mix teriyaki sauce together in a mixing bowl. Mix together the ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon honey, tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Set aside.

Cooking the Chicken

  • Cut chicken thighs (and trim any fat) in to one-inch pieces.
  • In a bowl, sprinkle the ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch over the raw chicken pieces, and stir to coat.
  • Pour the 2 tablespoons of oil in to a skillet, and add in the seasoned chicken pieces, spreading it out so each piece is touching the skillet, and isn't on top of other pieces.
  • Turn the burner to medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces for about 3-5 minutes or until the bottoms of the chicken pieces are a golden brown, and then flip to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. (It should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.)
    Tip: It can be tempting to stir the chicken a lot while it's cooking but leaving the chicken in one spot for a few minutes, can help get the "browning" you're looking for.
  • When the chicken is fully cooked, pour in the teriyaki sauce and cook over medium-high heat until warmed/thickened.
  • Add red pepper flakes if desired, or add ginger to the teriyaki sauce, and sprinkle with green onion or sesame seeds for a garnish, if desired. Serve over rice for a delicous meal.

Video

Notes

If the teriyaki sauce isn't as thick as you'd like, spoon a teaspoon of sauce in to a small bowl with a teaspoon of corn starch, and stir to combine. Pour in to the teriyaki chicken and stir to combine, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Do note that the sauce will continue to thicken after it cools down so be cautious that you don’t over-thicken the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1 chicken thigh) | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 970mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

Easy Football Party Food Ideas for Game Day

If you’re hosting a football party, the food is what everyone remembers most. From easy appetizers to bite-size snacks, having simple, crowd-pleasing options makes game day feel effortless.

These football party food ideas are easy to prepare, fun to serve, and perfect for keeping guests happy from kickoff to the final play.

Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

Easy Football Party Appetizers Everyone Loves

Best Food for a Football Party

Easy DIY Football Party Ideas

Throwing a football party for your friends and family, doesn’t have to be super expensive, or complicated! With a few DIY football ideas, you can turn an afternoon or evening of football, in to a celebration.

First… “Take it to the House,” and score with your biggest friends, by hosting a football viewing party in your own home, instead of footin’ the bill at a public place. Turn a small corner or space in to the center of the party.

Use a table that you already have on hand, (or a dresser, bookshelf, anything that would hold the party snacks!)

Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

A piece of white foam board, can go a LONG way when it comes to creating a DIY backdrop for your party station. Grab inexpensive card stock, a chalk marker, glue dots, and one or two of those super affordable green “grass,” mats at a local store, like I used to cut out the football at the top of the backdrop!
I found my grass mats, for only a couple of dollars, when I was at Walmart buying the ingredients for my “Open Faced Cheeseburger Sliders.”

DIY “Score” Football Banner

With the card stock, you can easily cut a 12×12 piece of card stock, in to 4… and create a banner to say whatever you like! I chose to keep mine small and simple. “Score,” for the green, and I found a sheet of brown that made the perfect little square football “ends,” to the banner. With a chalk marker, I was able to easily & quickly draw the “laces,” on the football. For the letters, I used my Silhouette machine, but you could easily draw those on with a chalk marker as well!

Oh how cute!!! "Play" books for football party decorations! fantabulosity.com

Keeping on with the cardstock theme, my sweet friend Kate, from 300 Ninth, introduced me to how easy it was to create “play book,” signs out of black card stock and a white chalk marker. Talk about easy, and affordable decor! I absolutely love her easy DIY crafts and recipes!

Oh how cute!!! "Play" books for football party decorations! fantabulosity.com
Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com
Bottled Soda for party drinks, on "football turf," coasters. LOVE!Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

DIY “Astroturf,” Coasters

I couldn’t help myself when I saw the green “grass,” rugs in the store, thinking about how FABULOUS they’d look under each bottle of Coke Zero. This tied in the “astroturf,” look, and gave it a “pop,” of color on the table.
Cutting small squares out of the rug, for the coasters, was as easy as it sounds. Just “cut,” in to squares, and you’re done.

Bottled Soda for party drinks, on "football turf," coasters. LOVE!Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

DIY Paper Snack Cones

You won’t BELIEVE how I ended up making these DIY paper snack cones! I had small, square, brown envelopes laying around, that needed put to good use. I simply rolled one bottom corner of the envelope, all the way to the opposite top corner of the envelope, and sealed with glue dots. Then, I grabbed my white chalk marker, drew “laces,” on them, and they were ready for popcorn!

Football paper snack cones for a football party! So cute and easy!!! fantabulosity.com

If you’ve been following me on Facebook lately, it’s no surprise to you, that I’ve been a bit obsessed with learning how to decorate cookies with royal icing. The professionals just make it look so easy, and I was determined to give it a try the other day. A football party seemed like the BEST excuse to practice on yet, another batch of cookies, so little football sugar cookies were a MUST.

Football cookies DIY! So cute, and doable!!! Perfect for a football party. Football party ideas fantabulosity.com

Now for the MAIN EVENT….

Mini Open Faced Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders

 The cutest and easiest, impressive appetizer for the party, were my Mini Open Faced Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders! These little bite size burgers are stacked with the toppings of your choice! Although, “mini,” the little burgers, leave a BIG impression!

Video Tutorial & Recipe Below…

Open faced cheeseburger on Ritz crackers, appetizers! So cute & easy! Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

Mini Open Bacon Faced Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders

(Quantities of ingredients, depend on burger size you choose, and your topping selections.)

• 1 “sleeve,” of RITZ® Crackers
• 1 lb. of Ground Beef
• 5 Slices American Cheese, but in to fourths
• Toppings of your choice. {I used my Smoked Candied Bacon, recipe, and leaf lettuce}

Directions:

Roll out ground beef, like you would to cut sugar cookies. Using a small round circle “cut-out” (I used the opening of a small parfait glass, but a small bowl may work. Just make sure it’s about the size of a Ritz® Cracker), cut out small round burgers.

Cook the burgers in an electric skillet on 350, for 5 minutes, until the juices ran clear. (You could easily cook these mini burgers in a skillet on the stove top too! Cook until browned on one side, flip, and then remove when juices run “clear.”)

When the burgers have finished cooking, place a square of cheese on top, allowing it to melt.

Top a Ritz® Cracker, with mini cheeseburger, and begin layering on the desired toppings.

Insert a toothpick (or party pick, like I used to be a little more festive), in to the top of the toppings, securing the toppings to the burgers.

Mini Open Faced Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders Tutorial:

Photo Guide to Building the Mini Sliders

Mini Open faced bacon cheeseburger sliders on a Ritz crackers, appetizers! So cute & easy! Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

Adding the Cheese…

Mini Open faced bacon cheeseburger sliders on a Ritz crackers, appetizers! So cute & easy! Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

Add your desired toppings & serve!

Mini Open faced bacon cheeseburger sliders on a Ritz crackers, appetizers! So cute & easy! Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com
Open faced cheeseburger on Ritz crackers, appetizers! So cute & easy! Football Party Ideas fantabulosity.com

This football party was incredibly fun to put together. I’m actually thinking a Football Viewing Party, will need to become a habit in our home, so I can put together all kinds of cuteness, more often. 😉

Cookie Decorating for Beginners with Royal Icing

Cookie Decorating for Beginners with Royal Icing: Sharing tips and tricks on how to make cooking decorating easier.

I’ve always been a fan of sugar cookies, but I only became intrigued with actually decorating them with royal icing when I saw all of the super fun cookie decorating videos on my Facebook feed. Now it’s our favorite cookie recipe to make every Christmas season and all year long!

Decorated Christmas cookies on wooden cutting board.

Fill up your cookie recipe box with some of my favorite cookie recipes like my no-bake cookies, sugar cookies with Nutella, ice cream cone sugar cookie cut-outs and if you’re on the hunt for Christmas cookies, then don’t miss the 20 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes!

I had made the decision in the beginning that I was going to attempt decorating cookies, and I knew going into it, that my cookies wouldn’t look near as good as the pros but I didn’t mind.

I just wanted the satisfaction that I could decorate a cookie with royal icing.

Come to find out, there are a lot of you out there, just like me, who are dying to attempt this, but aren’t sure where to start! This is where I hope I can come in to help, and you can laugh at my mistakes and “first attempts,” along the way.

Cookie Decorating for Beginners: Royal Icing How To fantabulosity.com

A full list of products that I use to decorate cookies is at the end of this post…

The pink & green cookies that you see here in this post, are actually my second attempt in decorating cookies. The first time I gave it a “go,” was on the Christmas cookies below… and all that did was begin my cookie decorating obsession.

Although they are SO far from perfect, they were so fun to make, addicting, and super therapeutic!

Cookie Decorating for Beginners: Royal Icing How To fantabulosity.com

You can see in the above photo, that my little snowman is cracking, and my royal icing on the stocking isn’t a smooth flat surface like I’d like. This will iron out in the future cookie decorating attempts, I hope!

For the sake of this post to help you see that a beginner like myself can do it (not perfect, but do it at least!), I wanted to use the new elephant, dog and cupcake cookie cutters that I found and had to have!

Cookie Decorating for Beginners: Royal Icing How To fantabulosity.com

This little guy would be fun for a baby shower, zoo birthday party, or I even squeezed him in for a Valentine’s Day treat. ESPECIALLY if you’re throwing a baking-themed birthday party like I helped style for my niece!

Cookie Decorating for Beginners: Royal Icing How To fantabulosity.com

The dog cracks me up, to be honest. After I finished decorating him, I realized he looked just like the “Pink,” Victoria Secret dog.

Hmm… I wonder if they’ll hire me to make little cookies for all of their store? Haha…doubt it.

Cookie Decorating for Beginners: Royal Icing How To fantabulosity.com

✅ What is Needed to Start Decorating Cookies?

First, you’ll need a cut-out sugar cookie recipe that will hold it’s shape after baking, and one that tastes good too is a bonus.

Baked cut out sugar cookies on wooden cutting board.

Royal Icing for Cookies

Soooo many of you have asked what royal icing recipe I use. THIS my friends is the “secret weapon,” I have been talking about.

If you’re like me, royal icing seemed SO intimidating. I thought there was NO way I’d be able to make an icing that slid so perfect across a cookie. The only icing I knew of, and was semi-comfortable with, was frosting in a little plastic tub from the store.

Until now…

Royal Icing Mix:

All of you professional cookie decorator’s out there… I can hear you laughing at me hysterically. Why?

1. Because I had no idea there was even a “Royal Icing Mix,” that existed.

2. Because I use a “mix,” instead of making my own.

Buy the Royal Icing Mix here: Wilton Royal Icing

Cookie Decorating for Beginners: Royal Icing How To fantabulosity.com

Well, I’m here to say, that I’m PLEASANTLY surprised with how easy this has made my cookie decorating hobby.

Not only is it easy, but delicious!!!

I am blown away, that all I have to do is throw the mix in my Kitchenaid Mixer, and add WATER. Yes, WATER!

The Wilton icing mix, is a favorite of mine, as I’ve tried a couple of other brands. It’s easy to work with, and the taste is hard to beat.

Icing Colors

Wilton Icing Colors from Walmart

I also use Wilton Icing Colors, to mix into the royal icing mix. There are an abundant supply of colors to choose from, and that gets me ALL excited, thinking about the different colors of cookies that I can make.

Tip Set

Wilton Master Decorating Set from Walmart

A basic starter kit of tips, like my Wilton Master Decorating Tip Set, is what I started with, and are so handy to have. I’m able to play around with a ton of different tips and get to experiment with which ones do what. I currently use Wilton Tip #2, or similar, to make a lot of my cookies. It’s a fine point, that allows me to trace around the outside edges of the cookies.

Wilton Piping Bags

Wilton Piping Bags from Walmart

The disposable Wilton Disposable Piping Bags are my fave. I’m not a fan of cleanup, so when I’m able to just toss the bags in the trash when I’m done… it makes clean-up a lot easier.

But then some of the cookie decorating supplies below are FUN to use, but of course not required for all cookies. It depends on what you want, and how you want to decorate them. But these are a few ideas to get you started!

⏲ Favorite Baking Tools for Cookies

  • Silpat Mat – This is a GAME CHANGER when it comes to baking cookies. Trust me! The bottoms never burn and all of my cookies turn out lovely with this!
  • Kitchenaid Mixer – Definitely not necessary, but if you’re getting in to baking, you’d love to have a stand mixer if you don’t already!
  • GOOD baking sheets for cookies!
  • Mini Serving Spatula – I love being able to lift the cookies off of the baking sheets after they’re finished, without rubbing up against the others on the sheet, damaging them. That’s why a “mini” is handy!
  • Cooling Rack – Any should do, but I can barely pass up a gorgeous rose or champagne gold cooling rack.

Even as an experienced baker, sometimes questions come up. For instance, how many ounces are in a gallon? I have to remind myself of this often, and there’s no shame in that!

So here are some of the frequently asked questions about cookie decorating are:

How long will decorated sugar cookies last?

Your decorated sugar cookies should last a few days in a sealed, air-tight container.

How do you store decorated sugar cookies?

In an air-tight container, but place a piece of wax paper between each layer for best results.

How do you host a cookie decorating party?

Bake the cut-out cookies a day in advance (or a few days in advance and freeze them!) so guests can have fun decorating, rather than wait on the cookies to bake!
OR… have each guest bring their own cookies to decorate!

Supply decorating items such as royal icing, frosting, sprinkles, edible glitter, piping bags, scribers, parchment paper to decorate on, and cute to-go baking boxes for their creations! See my other parties for more inspiration!

How to Decorate Cookies Video Tutorial

I’ve compiled a super QUICK video, to show you how I decorate cookies, as a beginner. One minute and 45 seconds, sums up little quick tips and tricks that I use, to make the cookies I’ve always dreamed of making.

As you’ll see in the video, I outline the cookies first, and then fill the centers and spread out any bubbles or space as needed. Then if you want to decorate will multiple colors on the same cookie, make sure you let the first color dry before adding the next or it will leak in to the other color(s).

Don’t Be Intimidated:

I SO hope this helped you tackle your “cookie decorating,” desire. Mostly, if you were intimidated by all of those professionals, decorating cookies… I hope this has given you the confidence to give it a whirl!

We all have to start somewhere. The best part??? You don’t have to share photos of your first and second attempts like I decided to, if you don’t want to. But I would LOVE to see your creations!

Share them on the Fantabulosity Facebook book page!

Remember, if you need a good sugar cookie recipe that holds it’s shape and tastes delish too… you should try the BEST Sugar Cookie recipe I’ve used for a few years now!

Best Sugar Cookies for Decorating AND eating!

Or want to decorate your sugar cookies without royal icing? Maybe a mix of both? We LOVE these sugar cookie sandwiches that are filled with strawberry buttercream frosting!

Baking for the Holidays?

If you’re baking and love easy dessert recipes, then you’ll LOVE:

“You Are my Sunshine, Valentine” Classroom Valentines

Valentine Sunglasses: Such a fun classroom idea for Valentine’s Day that’s a great alternative to sugar and sweets!

Red heart-shaped sunglasses with "You are my sunshine valentine" printable
Valentine’s Day Sunglasses

If you’re like me, I’m always trying to think of a way to create non-candy-related items for my son’s school treats, for classroom parties. They get SOOO much candy at school parties, and we are literally struggling on a daily basis at home afterward, explaining to my son why he can’t sit and just eat… and eat… and eat… candy.

So one year, I was determined to come up with Valentine’s Day treat idea, that his classmates would love but wouldn’t be just another sugary treat!

Valentine Sunglasses

Heart shaped sunglasses with yellow printable of a sun.

Perfect for everyone in the classroom, you can buy little heart-shaped sunglasses, usually as party-favors, very affordably!

Then, you can simply secure one of the little free printables I’ve provided below!

Now, you have a classroom valentine treat that the kiddos will love that’s not full of sugar.

Red heart-shaped sunglasses on table with yellow sun cut-out
Classroom Valentine Idea

Free Printable Options

When I first made these Valentine’s, I loved the idea of having the “sun” as the free printable tag to attach to the sunglasses.

However, I’ll be totally real…

Cutting out all of those little suns, with the little rays… can be a bit tedious. Possible, doable, but tedious.

So I wanted to create a second option for you, that would be easier to cut out and is just as cute!

Sun Printable

Such an adorable free printable tag and if you don’t mind cutting around all of the sun rays, you can get this sun printable tag here!

You are my sunshine, valentine free printable.

Heart-Shaped Printable

A much easier tag to cut out, these heart-shaped tags include the same message, with that “yellow” pop of color that looks adorable to tie in the color of the sun! You can get the heart-shaped tag here!

yellow hearts printable
Yellow heart shaped free printable tags

How to Assemble Sunglasses

You can either tie the tag on the sunglasses with adorable bakers twine, or you could even grab “glue dots,” and stick the tag on the sunglasses that way!

Tape will work as well, it just didn’t stick as well as I’d like when I tried it.

More Valentine’s Day Ideas

While you’re on the hunt for Valentine’s Day ideas, you’ll also love this “Booking it Over Here to Tell You…” valentine’s idea and the “You’re the Apple of my Eye” Valentine idea! Unless you don’t mind the sweets, then you’ll also love this Valentine’s snack mix!

Recipe

Yield: 12

"You Are my Sunshine, Valentine" Classroom Valentines

red sunglasses with yellow sticker

Heart-shaped sunglasses with free printable tag, for a classroom Valentine's Day idea!

Active Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • heart-shaped sunglasses
  • free printable tags
  • glue dots

Tools

  • scissors
  • printer

Instructions

  1. Purchase as many heart-shaped sunglasses as you need.
  2. Print off the free printable tag of your choice. (See blog post for options and link to download.)
  3. Cut out each tag (sun or the heart) and simply secure each tag on to a pair of sunglasses! (We prefer using glue-dots but can also use string to tie them on.)
© Jessica
Category: Valentine's Day

The BEST Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Rub Recipe

This easy beef tenderloin recipe is coated in an amazing rub and is then grilled to perfection!

Using common pantry ingredients like thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt, and pepper… it creates a rub recipe that is perfect for grilling and provides TONS of flavor, not too dissimilar to this recipe for grilled pork chops.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin
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I need to thank the creator… the man the myth the legend… Mr. Braxton, for allowing me to share the rub recipe with you all. Without a doubt, this is the BEST Meat rub recipe AND Beef Tenderloin Recipe, we have ever used and I know you’ll love it too!

If you love tenderloin recipes, don’t miss the roasted pork tenderloin and the fried deer tenderloin recipes!

We put this spice rub blend on just about every type of meat that we bake in the oven, smoke in the smoker, or grill on the grill! Especially on recipes like smoked chicken tenders, steak cooked in the oven, and have even been known to cook pork steaks in the oven with it! It really adds to the flavor of the meat!

Rub on Beef Tenderloin

First, I’ll share the rub recipe with you, and then you can also see the grilled beef tenderloin recipe in the recipe card below!

The following amount covers a 4-5 lb tenderloin.

  • ¼ cup dried Thyme 
  • 3 Tablespoons Paprika 
  • ¼ cup dried Rosemary
  • ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt (table salt is fine too) 
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper

(Easily reduce, double, triple, and quadruple, the batch as needed)

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Rub

Why is Beef Tenderloin so Good?

If you REALLY want to impress the heck out of your guests or have a special occasion to celebrate, like a holiday meal, cooking a beef tenderloin as a main course is an amazing choice.

It’s a cut of beef that is incredibly tender and is usually one of the most popular cuts of meat that gives amazing flavor!

It is an expensive cut of meat so we don’t have it TOO often but it’s definitely a great choice when entertaining or for holidays like Christmas!

And personally, we think grilling a tenderloin is the best way to cook it!

Sliced beef tenderloin on white platter

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin on the Frill

First, if you’re picking up a good beef tenderloin from the butcher, ask if they can cut the silver skin off for you.

Or, if you’re buying a whole tenderloin, pre-packaged from the grocery story, it’s best to cut off the silver skin and any extra fat it may have on it, before rubbing the spice blend on. See full recipe card at the bottom of this post for easy-to-read instructions!

  1. Preheat grill to 450 degrees
  2. For best results, allow the whole beef tenderloin to come to room temperature (but not a must, if you don’t have the time) before you cook tenderloin.
  3. Rub all sides of the beef tenderloin with the spice rub recipe that I shared above.
  4. Sear the tenderloin over that direct, high temperature on the grill for 15 minutes. This will help give it even more flavor and char and help seal in the juices.
  5. Lower grill temp to 325-350, (we shut two burners off, and leave the other two on) and grill for another 45 minutes over indirect heat.
  6. Pull the tenderloin off of the grill when the internal temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with a meat thermometer.
  7. Remove from grill and let tenderloin rest, wrapped in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes, and serve. (On a cutting board, slice in to small pieces and place on a platter to make it easier to serve a crowd!)
  8. This cooking process will result in a "medium-rare" cooked beef tenderloin and we feel like it’s the perfect temperature for tenderloin!
  9. Note: the thickest part of the tenderloin ends up being a medium-rare finish, and the outside edges, a medium temperature.
Sliced pieces of grilled beef tenderloin

What to Serve with Beef Tenderloin

If you’re cooking for a crowd, make sure you check out my other easy recipes so you don’t have to stand in the kitchen all day! Or since the grill is already heated up, these grilled seasoned vegetables will be easy to cook alongside the tenderloin.

But our favorite side dishes to have with beef tenderloin are this side salad recipe, this easy green bean casserole, and this cold pasta salad when we’re having a summer cookout!

Beef Tenderloin Sliced on White plate

More Tenderloin Recipes

Being huge fans of any kind of meat, especially tenderloin, I want to make sure you also know about this baked pork tenderloin recipe that has amazing flavor and rave reviews!

But if you’re also a hunter or have venison in the freezer, make sure to check out our deer steak recipes, especially how we fry deer tenderloin and grill venison steaks (or tenderloin) with this deer marinade!

If you tried this recipe, I’d LOVE to hear and would always love a star review so you can help others decide if this recipe is great too!

Recipe

Beef Tenderloin Recipe
Print Pin
3.80 from 156 votes

The BEST Beef Tenderloin

Beef Tenderloin Recipe: This easy recipe causes our guests to come running when they hear what's on the grill. Using an incredible "rub," this beef tenderloin will be the hero of your table!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 631kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 4-5 pound beef tenderloin with the silver cut off

Beef Tenderloin Spice Rub:

  • ¼ cup dried thyme
  • 3 Tablespoons paprika
  • ¼ cup dried rosemary
  • ½ Tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to 450 degrees
  • Rub all sides of the beef tenderloin with the Braxton Rub Spice Blend
  • Sear the tenderloin over direct heat on the grill for 15 minutes
  • Lower grill temp to 325-350, (we shut two burners off, and leave the other two on) and grill for another 45 minutes over indirect heat.
  • Pull the tenderloin off of the grill when the internal temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees fahrenheit.
  • Remove from grill and let sit, wrapped in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes, and serve.
  • This will result in a “medium-rare” cooked beef tenderloin
  • This cooking time and process gives us thick middle parts that are medium rare, and the outside edges, a medium.

Notes

  1. On a cutting board, slice in to small pieces and place on a platter to make it easier to serve a crowd!
  2. This cooking process will result in a "medium-rare" cooked beef tenderloin and we feel like it’s the perfect temperature for tenderloin!
  3. Note: the thickest part of the tenderloin ends up being a medium-rare finish, and the outside edges, a medium temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about ½ pound of meat) | Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 756mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 1315IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 6.1mg

DIY “Hot Chocolate” Gift

This post was sponsored by Regions Bank. All opinions are my own.

I can’t thank Regions Bank enough for sponsoring my little DIY Hot Chocolate Gift Idea that I’m sharing with you today, through Mom It Forward! #RegionsGreetings

Every year, I seem to over-do it financially, when it comes to gift giving.

Why?  Why in the world do we do that to ourselves?  This year, I’ve really thought about how I can still be the “gift-giver,” that I want to be, without breaking the bank.

This is SO cute! And easy... teacher gift, mailman, co-worker. Hot Chocolate DIY Gift Idea

DIY gift ideas are ALL OVER Pinterest.  I thought, “Why can’t I spend pennies, making something that would include a lot more “thought,” behind it, instead of buying someone another bottle of lotion or a candle that screams,

I totally just grabbed this, because I had to.”

Don’t laugh… you know what I’m talking about. 🙂

I was sitting in my dining room, staring at all of the recent goodies that I picked up, and a lightbulb went off.  Why couldn’t I go ahead and make a stash of DIY gifts, to hand out around Christmas time?  My wallet will thank me, and my crazy-stressed-out self, with thank me as it gets closer to gift-giving time.

I’ve had the CUTEST milk bottles, sitting around waiting for me to create something crafty out of them, so this DIY Hot Chocolate gift was perfect!

DIY Hot Chocolate Gift Idea

This is SO cute! And easy... teacher gift, mailman, co-worker. Hot Chocolate DIY Gift Idea

What you Need:

1. Milk Bottle

2. Individual package of instant hot chocolate mix

3. Mini marshmallows

4. Mini Chocolate Chips

5. Crushed peppermints

6. Cinnamon Stick

7. Gift Tag

Instructions:

• Pour the hot chocolate mix in to the bottom of the milk bottle.

• Next, layer the following in this order:

mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, and peppermints.

• Finally, angle the cinnamon stick on top!

(You of course can layer them any way you like, but I found that this order really broke up the colors and allowed the “red,” from the peppermints to “pop.”)

All the recipient will have to do is add hot water, and the all-in-one gourmet hot chocolate is ready to go!  Plus… they get to keep the cutsie little milk bottle too. 😉

(My milk bottles came with a lid, so I will put a lid on top for them, in case they aren’t ready to drink it immediately.)

This is SO cute! And easy... teacher gift, mailman, co-worker. Hot Chocolate DIY Gift Idea

I’m tempted to even make these for all of my guests who are coming to my “Favorite Things,” party that I’m hosting.  We will be having a hot chocolate bar, and I’m thinking these would make the most ADORABLE party favors for my guests… right!?

Or, if you want to make a variety of different gifts, this tea gift is perfect for tea lovers, or these DIY snow ornaments are adorable to give. Or, these fun little Christmas M&M jars with a free tag are super cute too!

This is SO cute! And easy... teacher gift, mailman, co-worker. Hot Chocolate DIY Gift Idea

Baking Gift Basket

A baking gift basket full of cookie mixes, cookie decorating supplies, and even fresh-baked cookies, is such a wonderful gift idea to give to neighbors, families with small children, and more!

Holiday Baking Kit, DIY Christmas gift idea

Here’s how to make a cookie gift basket for anyone on your list!

We all know that the holiday season is all about giving, and being kind to others. It’s FULL of opportunities and excuses to perform acts of kindness with your littles!

To get in the full-blown holiday spirit, we made a surprise drop-off of a holiday baking kit at one of our neighbor’s houses. This neighbor goes ABOVE & BEYOND for us, anytime a need arises. It was a no-brainer when we were trying to decide who would receive our Holiday Baking Kit.

How to Make a Baking Gift Basket:

Gather the items you’ll want to put in the basket:

  • cookie mixes (you can also do cake mixes, brownie mixes, etc.)
  • cookie decorating supplies
  • frostings
  • cookie cutters

You may even choose to make your own favorite cookie recipes, to include in the gift basket.

Holiday Baking Kit, DIY Christmas gift idea

What to Use for Baking Gift Basket

For this one, I grabbed a cupcake box, took out the inserts, and staggered all of the items around… and plopped a treat bag full of the Peanut Butter cookies, right in front.

You could also use a basket, cookie sheet (secure the items on top with ribbon), a gift bag or a regular box.

Fun Tip: You could also print out a few sheets of a Christmas scavenger hunt for the families to do during the holidays as well!

I grabbed some ribbon, printed and cut the tags out, and our baking kit was complete & ready to deliver to the doorstep of our neighbor’s house.

When delivering this cookie gift basket, I texted my sweet neighbors (they weren’t home when we delivered) and told them that we left a package for them on their doorstep. A few minutes later, we received the sweetest text:

“Awe, it’s so cute! Our kids already tore into the box and are decorating the pre-made cookies!”

I grabbed some ribbon, printed and cut the tags out, and our baking kit was complete & ready to deliver to the doorstep of our neighbors house.

I had such a good time in my kitchen with my little guys. Just before bed, my son always likes to say,

Mom, what was YOUR favorite part of the day?

Needless to say, making cookies & delivering the treats was my answer. His response?

Me too.

Love giving little treats? These M&M gift treats are so fun to give to neighbors too!

Holiday Baking Kit, DIY Christmas gift idea

My kids LOVE “hands-on,” so creating a holiday baking kit like we did here… the kiddos are able to help in the kitchen & participate in the “gift-giving.” These DIY gingerbread ornaments are another fun activity to make during the holidays to give out!

Sliced Caramel Apples on a Stick

Sliced Caramel Apples on a Stick: If you’re like me, I’m always looking for activities for my kids to do, especially around the holidays and when it comes to Halloween… candy apples and this pumpkin patch recipe are our faves!

caramel apples on a stick, covered in candy
Caramel Apple Slices on a Stick

We started the tradition of making homemade caramel apples back in 2015, when my kiddos were just little bitty (as seen below) and even years later, they still love it! I truly hope to carry this tradition on for years to come because it’s a great way to keep them entertained and to share a moment in the kitchen together.

Halloween Activities for Kids
Halloween Activities for Kids

Why you’ll love making caramel apple slices instead of the whole apple:

  • Slices are so much easier to handle for small hands (perfect for kiddos) and are such a fun treat!
  • It’s a much better way to decorate them, flat, as opposed to whole apples that are round and toppings can easily slide off when dipping the entire caramel apple.
  • Many more opportunities for different flavors! Instead of decorating one whole apple with the same toppings, many different varieties can be made with individual slices, making different caramel apple pops!
Ingredients for sliced caramel apples on a stick
Ingredients

Items Needed:

  • Apples (as many as you’d like but we a bag of caramel bits, we had caramel left over after using a whole bag of apples, which was about 8!)
  • Caramel candies or caramel bits for easy melting (so you don’t have to unwrap all the caramels)
  • Toppings: This is where it gets fun! See topping ideas below!
  • Water for melting the caramels (check directions on package for amounts)
  • Lollipop sticks, popsicle sticks or wooden skewers
  • Wax paper: This comes in so handy when placing the apples on it, so it doesn’t stick when dry.
  • Wet Paper Towels: Because let’s face it… we’re playing with caramel so it will get on our hands and it will be easier to have these ready to go!

How to Make Caramel Apple Slices

For easy caramel apple slices, simple follow the steps below in this easy recipe:

  1. First, wash, slice, and allow apple slices to dry. You’ll want to make sure your apple slices are thick enough for a stick to be inserted in to the sides, without pushing through the white part of the apple.

TIP: I run water over the apple slices after cutting them, to prevent browning. However, you want to make sure your slices are dry before dipping in caramel or the caramel will not stick. Some use a little lemon juice mixed in water to soak the apple slices to prevent browning as well, if slicing them ahead of time.

sliced apples on parchment paper
Sliced apples
  1. Next, insert a stick in to the center side of each apple slice
Sticks in apple slices for dipping
Insert sticks
  1. If using caramel bits, simply follow the instructions on the bag for melting the caramel. You will more than likely need to add water to these as well.

    If using individually wrapped caramels, there should also be directions on the packaging for how to melt them. However, if there are not, you can unwrap each piece of candy, place them in a large glass mixing bowl, and add about 2 tablespoons of water (or milk for creamier caramel) for melting. Melt the caramels in the microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring between, until melted. (Be careful not to overcook caramel.)

    You may also prefer to melt the caramel on the stove top, using a double boiler but I found the microwave to be our favorite method.
Water pouring over caramel bits in a bowl
Melt caramel
  1. When the caramel has melted, the apples are ready for dipping! Simply grab an apple slice that’s on a stick, and dip in the bowl of caramel, making sure at least one side is covered. (Or both sides of the apple if you prefer!)
  2. Lift up the apple above the bowl, and allow the excess to drip off, before placing on wax paper.
Apple slices being dipped in melted caramel
Dip apples
  1. Once dipped, place on a sheet of wax paper. (You can even place the wax paper on a cookie sheet, baking sheet or sheet pan, for easy transporting.) Shortly after, start adding your favorite toppings. (We allow each apple slice to cool a few seconds to prevent as many toppings from sliding off, even though, as you can tell, when the kids are involved… toppings are going to go everywhere anyway.)
apple slices decorated by kids
Kids decorating!
  1. Allow caramel apple slices to dry for about 15 minutes, and enjoy!!
apple slices dipped in caramel with toppings
Caramel Apple Slices on a Stick

Caramel Apple Topping Ideas

Have so much fun with choosing toppings for your adorable caramel apple slices! Here are some of our favorite ideas:

  • Candy (M&M’s, Reese’s Cups, crushed candy bars)
  • Cookies (Oreos, Biscoff, Sugar, etc.)
  • Peanut Butter (Melt to make more a drizzle)
  • Chocolate fudge, chocolate drizzle or Caramel Drizzle
  • Chopped nuts (Make sure to check the ice cream topping section at the store for the perfect kind!)
  • Mini Marshmallows
  • Sprinkles
  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Candy Eyes (for that Halloween fun!)
Reeses cups on caramel apple
Reeses apple

Substitutions and Variations

You can absolutely change things up if you prefer for this fun fall treat. For instance:

  • Instead of melted caramel, you may have fun using melted chocolate!
  • Using milk instead of water in the caramel can create a more creamy caramel.
  • Different types of apples – You can use whichever crisp apples you think are the best apples! We used Fuji but you can use any kind that you like! Red Delicious, pink lady, and even Granny Smith Apples or other tart apples are fun to use too!
sprinkles on caramel apple slice
Sprinkles Apple

How to Store Caramel Apple Slices

We recommend storing any leftover apples in the refrigerator, in a single layer. Leaving them out at room temperature will cause the apples to turn brown, and the caramel will begin to thin out and spread out.

Oreo and peanut butter on caramel apple
Oreo and Peanut Butter Apple

Related Posts

If you love an easy recipe for fall, you’re going to love this caramel apple dump cake! It’s so easy, so comforting and so delicious! Or, try these caramel apple nachos for an easy fun twist on a classic! We have a lot of great fall recipes here on the blog for you to browse for the time of year, that the whole family will love!

If your kids are loving this for Halloween, then they’ll also love these no bake mummy Halloween treats!

Recipe

Sliced caramel apples on sticks, on white plate with different toppings
Print Pin
5 from 5 votes

Sliced Caramel Apples on a Stick

Sliced Caramel Apples on a Stick: Such a fun and easy way to make caramel apples for more variety and an easy way to enjoy a caramel apple pop in the fall!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 244kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

  • 32 lollippop sticks wooden skewers or popsicle sticks
  • large glass mixing bowl or microwaveble bowl

Ingredients

  • 8 apples
  • 11 ounces caramel bits or caramel candies
  • water or milk for creamier caramel
  • preferred toppings see post for ideas

Instructions

  • First, wash, slice, and allow apple slices to dry. You'll want to make sure your apple slices are thick enough for a stick to be inserted in to the sides, without pushing through the white part of the apple.
  • Next, insert a stick in to the center side of each apple slice
  • If using caramel bits, simply follow the instructions on the bag for melting the caramel. You will more than likely need to add water to these as well. I microwaved ours for 1 minute, stirred, and then microwaved one more time and then were melted.
  • When the caramel has melted, the apples are ready for dipping! Simply grab an apple slice that's on a stick, and dip in the bowl of caramel, making sure at least one side is covered. (Or both sides of the apple if you prefer!)
  • Lift up the apple above the bowl, and allow the excess to drip off, before placing on wax paper.
  • Once dipped, place on a sheet of wax paper. Shortly after, start adding your favorite toppings.
  • Allow caramel apple slices to dry for about 15 minutes, and enjoy!!

Notes

We recommend storing any leftover apples in the refrigerator, in a single layer. Leaving them out at room temperature will cause the apples to turn brown, and the caramel will begin to thin out and spread out.

Nutrition

Serving: 1apple | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

This roasted sweet and spicy pumpkin seed recipe is incredibly easy and they have tons of flavor. The spice comes from the chili powder and can be adjusted to your preference.

Plus, while you’re making these to snack on, you might as well make our favorite “Texas Trash” to snack on too, and these chocolate-covered pumpkin strawberries!

This recipe and post was originally published in 2021, and updated in August 2023.

Sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds on wooden cutting board.

Anything pumpkin during the fall months is a must! So if you have pumpkin on your mind, I want to make sure you know about these pumpkin cheesecake bars and this pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Use up more of your pumpkin: If you have seeds from your pumpkin carving, don’t waste the seeds! This is a great way to use them up.
  • The flavor: Boring pumpkin seeds are just as wasteful as throwing them out. This recipe gives the seeds tons of flavor.
  • Make them ahead of time: These crunchy pumpkin seeds freeze and thaw nicely. Once they have cooled completely, seal them in an airtight container or a sturdy Ziploc bag (be sure to get as much air out as possible) and store them in the freezer. They will stay good for up to 6 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before diving in. 

Ingredients Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to make these pumpkin seeds – but make sure you scroll to the recipe card at the bottom to see all of the recipe’s details in one place.

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Olive oil - Feel free to use coconut oil (or really any other quality cooking oil) instead. Just note that each oil will have a slightly different taste.   
  • Honey - You could use agave instead. 
  • Salt 
  • Pepper
  • Chili powder 
  • Cinnamon - Leave the cinnamon out if you're not in a cinnamon kind of mood. You could also use pumpkin spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg. 
  • Nutmeg - You can leave the nutmeg out if you'd like. Pumpkin spice will also work in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Brown sugar 
  • Worcestershire sauce - The Worcestershire sauce is optional but I think it adds a wonderful savory element to this subtly sweet snack. 

Variations

You could make these crispy pumpkin seeds in the air fryer instead of the oven if you'd like. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F and line its basket with parchment paper to prevent the seeds from falling through. Season the seeds as you normally would, arrange them in the basket of the air fryer, and air fry for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through. 

Equipment

Check your kitchen for the following items before you get cooking. 

  • Paper towels – To dry the seeds. 
  • Mixing bowls
  • Wooden spoon or spatula – To stir the seeds. 
  • Baking sheet 
  • Parchments paper 

What if I don’t have parchment paper? If you don't have parchment paper, you can use nonstick cooking spray instead. Just be extra sure to give the seeds a good stir a couple of times as they roast.  

How to Make This Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. 
  • Clean. If you are using fresh pumpkin seeds, rinse them of their pulp and dry them thoroughly. If you are using store-bought seeds, you can skip this step. 
Steps 1-4 of how to make spicy pumpkin seeds.
  • Make the spice mixture. Whisk together the honey, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. 
  • Season. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil mixture to coat and then with the spice mixture. 
  • Bake. Sprinkle the seasoned seeds in an even layer over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Give the seeds a stir every 15 minutes or so. 
Roasted pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet.

Should I eat sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds warm or cold?: Sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds are best enjoyed at room temperature. Once they come out of the oven, they will continue to crisp up as they cool. So have a little patience and give them some time to do their thing. 

Sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet.

Recipe FAQs

What are pumpkin seeds vs. pepitas?

Pumpkin seeds and pepitas are often confused. The term pepita refers to a pumpkin seed that has been shelled. They are usually roasted and generally come from Styrian pumpkins, specifically.  


Do I have to use store-bought pumpkin seeds or can I make my own?

You can 100% use your own. This recipe is a great way to use the pumpkin seeds you might otherwise throw away from your carving pumpkins (and/or a pie pumpkins). Treat them just as you would store-bought pumpkin seeds; just be sure to clean and dry them very well. If you have the time, spread your pumpkin seeds over a baking sheet and allow them to dry out for several hours (up to overnight) before seasoning and roasting. 

Sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds in white bowl.

Storage

Once the pumpkin seeds have fully cooled, seal them in an airtight container and store them on the countertop  (ideally out of the sun) for up to 1 month, in the fridge for up to 3 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you decide to freeze them, allow the seeds to thaw at room temperature before enjoying them. 

More Snack Recipes You’ll Love

If you love fun snacks, then you’ll also love this Sriracha and Honey Snack Mix and these easy snack recipes:

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

Recipe

Sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds in a white bowl.
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3.67 from 3 votes

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seed Recipe

These roasted sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds are made using simple ingredients and they have so much flavor.
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 1 cup
Calories 618kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  •  Clean. If you are using fresh pumpkin seeds, rinse them of their pulp and dry them thoroughly. If you are using store-bought seeds, you can skip this step.  
  • Make the spice mixture. Whisk together the honey, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. 
  • Season. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil mixture to coat and then with the spice mixture. 
  • Bake. Sprinkle the seasoned seeds in an even layer over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Give the seeds a stir every 15 minutes or so.

Notes

If you'd like to make a sweet snack instead, boil the seeds with sugar rather than salt, and at the seasoning stage, add sugar or brown sugar, cinnamon, etc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 3625mg | Potassium: 662mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 327IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 7mg

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are made using only 2 ingredients and are ready to enjoy in about 15 minutes!

You’ll love using your favorite refrigerated cookie dough, and Mini Reese’s Cups (or your favorite, similar mini peanut butter cup) in this peanut butter cup cookie recipe.

Peanut butter cup cookies on a wire cooling rack.

An easy cookie recipe is always great to keep on hand for those last-minute needs or sweet tooth cravings. These no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies and cake mix peanut butter cookies are favorites around here for quick cookie needs, and now these Reeses Cup cookies are right up there with them!

If you love peanut butter desserts, you’ll also enjoy this popular no-bake peanut butter pie recipe, too, and this peanut butter chocolate dump cake features chocolate and peanut butter for the ultimate flavor combination.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

  • Ingredients – Not only are there just 2 ingredients, but they should be easy to find at any major grocery store.
  • Quick – Have unexpected guests? Need a quick dessert to take to someone’s party? These can be ready in 15 minutes!
  • Versatile – Use your favorite cookie dough. Whether that’s your favorite cookie dough flavor or your favorite homemade cookie dough.
  • For a Gathering – If you're baking for a group, you might also like these desserts for a potluck.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cookie recipe:

Mini peanut butter cups (Reeses) sitting next to Toll House cookie dough in a tub.

Important Note: The amount of cookies this recipe can make, depends on the amount of cookie dough you plan to purchase or use. The tub of Toll House cookie dough that I use makes about 36 cookies, so make sure you purchase enough peanut butter cups to make the amount of cookies you plan to make.

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: You can either use the tub like I do, the roll, or make homemade cookie dough. If you really love peanut butter, making your own peanut butter cookie dough is a great option. Or, sugar cookie dough pairs well with the chocolate peanut butter flavors of the candy too.
  • Mini Peanut Butter Cups: I prefer using Reese’s Miniature Cups but you can use your favorite brand or even the regular-size peanut butter cups and chop them up for the center, although do note the appearance of the finished cookie will look different than shown here.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Begin by preheating the oven to the temperature recommended on the package of cookie dough. In my case, it was 350°F.

Cookie dough in muffin pan.
Mini Reeses Cup being pushed down in to center of baked cookie.
  1. Spray the cavities of a 12-cavity muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough, and roll in to a ball, and place in to a cavity of the muffin tin. Repeat 11 more times.

Tip: You can also use a mini muffin tin. Watch the bake time in case the cook faster.

  1. Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven, and bake for the recommended time listed on the container of the cookie dough. In my case, this was 12-13 minutes or until golden brown.
  2. While the cookies are baking, unwrap 12 mini peanut butter cups and set aside.
  3. When the cookies have finished baking, place one mini peanut butter cup in to the center of each warm cookie. (You must do this quickly after removing the cookies from the oven, so the peanut butter cup will easily push in.)
Peanut butter cup stuffed cookies on cooling rack.
  1. Allow the cookies to cool in the muffin tin until they’re warm enough to touch. Using a spoon, gently remove the cookies from the tin (you may need to gently outline the cookie with the spoon to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan when lifting out) and lift out each cookie and place on a cooling rack.
Hand holding peanut butter cup cookie, showing the peanut butter cup in the center.

Recipe Tips

  • Plan ahead: Make sure to unwrap the peanut butter cups ahead of time so the cookies don’t cool off before you can get them inserted.
  • Christmas Cookie: These would be amazing for a Christmas cookie exchange with these other Christmas cookie recipes!
  • Spray Generously: Make sure to spray the muffin tin, generously before baking, so the cookie cups will be easy to lift out, without breaking them.

Storing Tips

  • Leftovers: Store baked peanut butter cup cookies in a sealable plastic bag or in container and enjoy within 4-5 days.
  • Freeze: Freeze the unbaked cookie dough according to package directions. You can also freeze the finished cookie recipe once they’ve cooled off. Place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

Why do my cookies fall apart after baking?

They possibly baked too long. Try baking for a shorter amount of time, just until the tops of the cookies look as if they’re turning a slightly, golden brown.

What size muffin tin do you use for peanut butter cup cookies?

A regular-size muffin tin or mini-muffin tin can be used. The difference between the two will be more cookie on the sides, giving a better cookie-to-candy ratio in a bite when using a regular muffin tin. Where the mini-muffin tin will have more cookie at the bottom instead of surrounding the chocolate candy.

Can you add chocolate candy to cookies?

Absolutely. Chocolate candy bars can be chopped up and inserted in to the center instead of Reese’s if desired, such as Snickers, Twix, or your favorite.

It's simple to make this 2-ingredient cookie recipe! Pin this recipe to save it!

Recipe

Peanut butter cup cookies on wire rack.
Print Pin
5 from 3 votes

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Using only 2 ingredients for these peanut butter cup cookies; refrigerated store-bought cookie dough, and mini peanut butter cups, this easy cookie recipe is ready in minutes.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 36 cookie cups
Calories 160kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

  • oven
  • muffin tin

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients:

  • 36 ounces refrigerated cookie dough for baking
  • 36 mini peanut butter cups such as Reese's

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F or to the temperature in the directions on the cookie dough container.
  • Grease a regular sized muffin tin, generously.
  • Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough, and roll it in to a ball using your hands, and place the ball of dough in to one of the cavities of the muffin tin. Repeat 11 more times until each cavity is filled.
    (If making more than 12, you may need to refill the muffin tin after the first batch is done. Don't forget to re-spray the pan, and allow the pan to cool before reusing.)
  • Bake in preheated oven for the time as instructed on the cookie dough container. In my case it was 12-13 minutes.
  • While baking, unwrap chocoalte peanut butter candies so they're ready to insert in to the cookies as soon as you remove them from the oven.
  • When cookies are lightly golden brown at the top, remove them from the oven and immediately insert one mini peanut butter cup in to the center of each cookie.
  • Allow the cookies to cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes or until they're cool enough to the touch.
  • Using a spoon, gently run it around the rim of each cookie, making sure the cookie will detach from the pan easily and lift out and place on a cooling rack. Enjoy.

Video

Notes

You do not have to make the full tub of cookies. I usually only make 12 at a time for a quick dessert for my family but use the entire tub when making them for a large group or for a cookie exchange.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie cup with whipped cream | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

This recipe for a Chicken Caprese Sandwich is made of deliciously seasoned chicken breast, fresh tomatoes, Ciabatta rolls, balsamic reduction, fresh basil leaves, and slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. It’s a sandwich recipe that’s perfect for the summer months and you can get the ingredients at almost any grocery store.

Chicken Caprese Sandwich on white plate, with balsamic dripping on to plate.

A delicious, traditional Caprese salad is perfect during the summer and is made up of mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil. It’s a cool dish that has a ton of flavor, even with a few ingredients.

So with my love of Caprese salads, I loved the idea of turning it in to a sandwich with this chicken sandwich recipe. Now if you’re not a fan of chicken, you’ll also love this Caprese wrap that doesn’t use any meat.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It uses simple ingredients: Although a Caprese sandwich sounds fancy, you can usually find the ingredients at most grocery stores.
  • Fancy and Simple: Planning on making a lunch or dinner to impress? This sandwich is perfect for that but it’s also simple enough to make for a quick lunch just for you!
  • Ready in only 20 minutes: Talk about a quick and easy dinner idea! This recipe, from start to finish, takes less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients Needed

I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below for this caprese sandwich recipe with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.

Labeled ingredients on white counter for caprese sandwich.
  • Mozzarella – You can find the fresh mozzarella in the shape of a ball, and you’ll want to slice that in to thick slices for your caprese sandwich.
  • Chicken – Make sure to choose boneless, skinless, chicken breasts for this recipe. We use these in our chicken club sandwich as well and we feel it’s the best cut of meat for a juicy, tender sandwich.
  • Pesto Sauce – You can make homemade pesto sauce recipe but we prefer using store-bought pesto.

Substitutions

Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:

  • Bread – Ciabatta bread is best for this sandwich but that doesn’t mean it’s the only kind you can use. If you choose use different types of slices of bread, it’s best to make sure that you choose a thicker bread.
  • Basil – if you can’t find fresh basil, it’s ok to use dried but it won’t be nearly as good as fresh!
  • Skipping the Balsamic – I’m not a fan of balsamic vinegar. So I skip this when I make a sandwich for myself. However, I know how popular it is for caprese recipes, and all of my friends and family love it, so I figured you would too. However, if you don’t like it as much, you can easily skip that part.

How to Make This Caprese Chicken Sandwich

With this type of sandwich, it’s best to assemble it right before enjoying it. However, you can make the chicken ahead of time, so it’s quick to assemble when the time comes to eat.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

Steps 1-4 of how to make caprese chicken sandwiches.

STEP 1. Season the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. (The amounts can vary based on taste preference.)

STEP 2. Oil. Heat cooking oil over medium-high heat.

STEP 3. Raw chicken. Place seasoned chicken into the pan.

STEP 4. Cook chicken. Brown chicken on each side, flipping once, until chicken is cooked through; about 4-5 min on each side until golden brown, and/or until the internal temperature is checked with a meat thermometer and it has reached 165 degrees F.

Cooked chicken covered in pesto sauce, in white bowl.

Coat in Pesto. Place the cooked chicken in a bowl and toss with the pesto sauce.

Image collage of steps 5-8 of how to make chicken caprese sandwich.

STEP 5. Add chicken. Place pesto-covered chicken, on to a bottom piece of Ciabatta bun.

STEP 6. Mozzarella. Next, add on mozzarella slices on top of chicken.

STEP 7. Balsamic and Basil. Layer on balsamic and basil, on top of mozzarella.

STEP 8. Tomato. Lastly, adding juicy tomatoes on top and add top bun.

Close up of caprese chicken sandwich.

Recipe Pro Tips

  • Leftover chicken. This is a fantastic way to use leftover chicken too!
  • Tomato Slices. Using fresh garden tomatoes for this recipe are superb. However, I know not everyone has a garden. This is a great reason to stock up on tomatoes at the farmer’s market, or at least during peak season at the grocery store. However, do not refrigerate your tomatoes. This causes them to lose flavor.

Recipe FAQs

What is a Caprese sandwich made of?

All Caprese sandwiches should have mozzarella, fresh basil, and tomato. Adding a protein or a drizzle of balsamic is common too.

What goes well with Caprese sandwich?

A pasta salad recipe pairs perfectly with a Caprese sandwich, as well as carrot sticks and jalapeno ranch dip or even a honey lime fruit salad.

Are Caprese sandwiches healthy?

When compared to sandwiches such as a fried chicken sandwich, yes, they can be considered healthy. However if “healthy” looks like “low-carb” to you, then using ciabatta bread for this sandwich would not be a good choice.

Chicken caprese sandwich sliced in half.

Storage

If there are leftovers from this sandwich, it’s best to store the toppings separately in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, and then assemble before serving, so the bread does not get soggy and so you can reheat the chicken when ready to enjoy.

More Sandwich Recipes You’ll Love

If you love sandwich recipes, then you’ll love these other recipes:

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

Recipe

Chicken Caprese Sandwich on white plate.
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5 from 1 vote

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and bread make up this delicious grilled cheese recipe. This Italian take on the American classic is so delicious and an easy lunch recipe.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 sandwiches
Calories 568kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast 
  • 2 Tablespoon cooking oil
  • pinch salt -/+ based on taste preference
  • pinch black pepper -/+ based on taste preference
  • ½ teaspoon garlic pepper Or -/+ based on preference.
  • 4 Tablespoons pesto sauce
  • 4 Ciabatta buns
  • 8 slices fresh Mozzarella
  • fresh basil leaves
  • 2 Tablespoons Balsamic reduction
  • 1 large fresh tomato

Instructions

  • Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic on each side of the chicken breast.
  • Heat cooking oil over medium high heat.
  • Place seasoned chicken into the pan. Brown chicken on each side, flipping once, until chicken is cooked through; about 4-5 min on each side.
  • Place the cooked chicken in a bowl and toss with the pesto sauce.

Assemble the Sandwich

  • Add the chicken breast to the bun. Then put the fresh mozzarella on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the mozzarella with salt and pepper to help balance the sweet from the balsamic. 
  • Then add as much basil and balsamic as you would like.
  • Lastly add the tomato slice and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1099IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 1mg

Simple Chili Recipe

Simple Chili Recipe: An easy recipe that just may be voted the best chili recipe because it is the perfect base for your favorite chili toppings!

It’s a classic chili recipe that’s perfect for game day, a large crowd or to serve your family on a weeknight. If you’re in to food bar ideas, make a soup bar, and serve up this chili with this Cowboy Stew and this Buffalo Chicken Soup for an awesome selection!

Easy Chili with cheese, fritos and sour cream

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

We love this chili around here because it can be so versatile, and each person can customize the flavor how they wish, and it’s amazing on top of items like these chili cheese corn dogs.

With this basic chili recipe, that’s made with simple ingredients, you can either add your favorite secret ingredient, or the ingredients that make up your favorite chili recipe.

See additional topping ideas and mix-ins below!

We especially love making Frito Chili Pies with this chili recipe!

How to Make this Easy Homemade Chili Recipe

Grab a large pot and get ready for a hearty chili that will soon become a family favorite.

Easy Chili Recipe in White Dish with Cheese and Corn chips

Ingredients

Not pictured: Optional brown sugar and baking soda. See notes below.

Ingredients for chili recipe

Make sure to scroll down to the full recipe card with ingredients and instructions for this perfect comfort food recipe.

  • chili beans
  • tomato sauce
  • cumin
  • sliced cheese (we prefer thick sliced american cheese from the deli.)
  • ground beef (See our other ground beef dinner ideas!)
  • brown sugar – this is optional and my family loves the touch of sweetness this adds
  • baking soda – adding baking soda and help the acidity of the tomato sauce and we feel this makes the chili less tangy.

The ingredients are something that you can have on hand, or literally grab at the grocery store super quick, and come home and throw together in a pinch, in bulk, for a crowd, making it the perfect last-minute easy dinner recipe too!

Step by Step Instructions

  1. First, cook 1 lb. of ground beef over medium heat, in the pot you’ll be making your chili in. (You can use a separate dish but this saves on having more dirty dishes!)

    Cook for about 7-10 minutes until beef is fully cooked and it is no longer pink.

    If the ground beef you’re cooking has a higher fat content, this could result in a bit of grease in the pot after cooking. For best results, drain the grease and discard grease. (DO NOT DRAIN GREASE IN TO SINK!)
Cooked ground beef in pot
  1. Once the ground beef is full cooked, it’s time to add the chili beans, tomato sauce, cumin and sliced cheese.
chili ingredients in pot
  1. Stir to combine the ingredients, and cook over low-medium heat, let the chick over a gentle simmer, until the chili has cooked through, and the cheese has melted. (Usually about 15 minutes.)
Chili simmering in pot
  1. If desired, serve as is!
Hearty chili in white bowl

Chili Topping Ideas and Mix-Ins

Although this basic chili is amazing as it is, it’s always fun to add additional toppings and spices too! Here are our favorite suggestions:

Spices

  • salt
  • pepper
  • garlic salt
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • paprika
  • oregano

Love spicy chili?

Easily add items like:

  • cayenne pepper
  • chili powder
  • jalapeno peppers
  • hot sauce
  • red bell pepper
  • chopping green onion or white onions

Looking for a sweet chili?

You can add ingredients such as:

  • more brown sugar
  • white granulated sugar
  • honey
  • sweet corn

Garnish and Serve with:

  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • corn chips (or Fritos)
  • a dollop of sour cream
  • tortilla chips
  • saltine crackers
  • oyster crackers
  • chopped white onions
  • chopped red onions
  • sliced avocado
  • peanut butter
Chili with cheese, sour cream and fritos

What to Serve with Chili?

Having a big pot of chili is a meal in itself… but there’s nothing better than serving a delicious sandwich or pairing with a big bowl of chili!

Our favorite side dishes for chili are:

Or have a chili bar, along with a hot dog bar, if hosting a party!

How to Store Leftover Chili

Usually, when making this easy chili recipe, I like to make a double batch so we have leftovers to eat the next day or freeze.

Refrigerate Leftovers:

If you plan to eat leftover chili the next day, simply store the leftovers in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It can be enjoyed for the next 4-5 days.

Freezing Leftovers:

Chili freezes so well, and it’s so great to have premade chili on a day or weeknight when there’s not a lot of time to cook.

Store chili in a freezable container or in plastic zip-top bags.

How to Reheat Chili:

If refrigerated – Simply place in a microwaveable bowl, and cover with a paper towel (to prevent chili from splattering all over the inside of the microwave) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. If reheating on the stovetop, reheat on medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through.

If frozen – Thaw a container of chili in hot water and then place in a microwavable dish or small soup pot for the stove. Then follow the above steps for reheating for eating.

If you love chili, you’ll also love this White Chicken Chili Recipe, Vegetarian Chili Recipe, and this Venison Chili Recipe!

Or if you’re just looking for an easy soup recipe in the winter, this ham and beans recipe is so nice to add to the dinner rotation!

Recipe

Homemade chili in small bowl with Fritos and cheese on top.
Print Pin
4.11 from 28 votes

Simple Chili Recipe

Simple Chili Recipe: An easy recipe that just may be voted the best chili recipe because it is the perfect base for your favorite chili toppings!
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 358kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 28 ounces chili beans 2 (14 ounce cans)
  • 14 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 3-4 Slices thick American cheese or 8 slices of thin
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
  • 1 pinch baking soda optional

Instructions

  • First, cook 1 pound of ground beef over medium heat, in the pot you'll be making your chili in.
  • Cook ground beef for about 7-10 minutes until beef is fully cooked and it is no longer pink. If the ground beef you're cooking has a higher fat content, this could result in a bit of grease in the pot after cooking. For best results, drain the grease and discard grease.
  • Reduce to low-medium heat.
  • Add in tomato sauce, chili beans, cumin and sliced cheese and stir to combine.
  • If using, add in baking soda and brown sugar, and stir to combine.
  • Rreduce heat to gentle simmer.
  • Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with favorite toppings if desired!

Video

Notes

Chili Topping Ideas and Mix-Ins
Although this basic chili is amazing as it is, it’s always fun to add additional toppings and spices too! Here are our favorite suggestions:
Spices
  • salt
  • pepper
  • garlic salt
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • paprika
  • oregano
Love spicy chili?
Easily add items like:
  • cayenne pepper
  • chili powder
  • jalapeno peppers
  • hot sauce – we love Frank’s
  • red bell pepper
  • chopping green onion or white onions
Looking for a sweet chili?
You can add ingredients such as:
  • a little brown sugar
  • white granulated sugar
  • honey
  • sweet corn
Garnish and Serve with:
  • shredded cheddar cheese
  • corn chips (or Fritos)
  • a dollop of sour cream
  • tortilla chips
  • saltine crackers
  • oyster crackers
  • chopped white onions
  • chopped red onions
  • sliced avocado
  • peanut butter
How to Store Leftover Chili:
Usually when making this easy chili recipe, I like to make a double batch so we have leftovers to eat the next day or freeze.
Refrigerate Leftovers:
If you plan to eat leftover chili the next day, simply store the leftovers in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It can be enjoyed for the next 4-5 days.
Freezing Leftovers:
Chili freezes so well, and it’s so great to have premade chili on a day or weeknight when there’s not a lot of time to cook.
Store chili in a freezable container or in plastic zip-top bags.
How to Reheat Chili:
If refrigerated – Simply place in a microwaveable bowl, and cover with a paper towel (to prevent chili from splattering all over the inside of the microwave) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. If reheating on the stovetop, reheat on medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through.
If frozen – Thaw a container of chili in hot water and then place in a microwavable dish or small soup pot for the stove. Then follow the above steps for reheating for eating.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (¼ recipe) | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 380mg | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 4.3mg

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with your Husband

A romantic weekend with your husband may be just what you two need. But are you ready for it? Here are my 5 ways to prepare for your alone time!

Disclaimer:
Mom… I told you about half way in to my post “5 Simple Ways to Make Your Husband Want to Come Home,” to stop reading, because I was going to say some things you may not want to know about your daughter. Well… don’t even read this post. Ain’t nothing in it that you’ll want to see. 😉

Ok, now that my mom  has been forewarned…

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with your Husband

Oh snap! You have a sitter for a whole weekend?  (Babysitter, Dogsitter, Housesitter, whatev… you got a sitter.)

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with Your Husband https://fantabulosity.com

Let’s make it a good one, shall we?

My husband and I try to go away for at least a night, I’d say about once every 2 months. There’s nothing like getting away from home, out of the normal every day routine, and makin’ it happen. A whole weekend away doesn’t happen too often, but when it does… I wanna prepare for it. (I like to prepare for the one nighters too… but there’s something special about a whole weekend or even WEEK away.)

Let’s face it. When you go away for one night…

Going to bed by 9pm sounds exhilarating, with the thought that you won’t be woken up by a screamin’ baby in the middle of the night. You MAY get to dinner, but after that… it’s off to sleep. Ahhh… a full night.  But if you’re gone for more than one night, you can leave the next night for the good stuff.

A Romantic Weekend with Your Husband

Mom… you’re reading this aren’t you? Stop it.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with Your Husband https://fantabulosity.com
Our first night “out,” after having our first baby. Dancing on stage. You couldn’t stop us.

Go Shopping. (For the right things.)

You know, the funny thing I’ve realized, and heard from others, is that some men don’t really care about the fancy-schmancy lingerie outfits. They really only care about what’s underneath.

So you’re telling me, I just spent $70 on this white lacy piece of fabric, (that is so small, it should be a “swatch,” for a larger version available in stores)… and you don’t even care about it?

Nope.

Crap.

But… I don’t know about you, when I have a pair of new underwear, and bra… I’m feelin’ better than ever. Plus, you can wear and wear and wear those again. That leather-strapped babydoll teaser onesie thing, isn’t going anywhere but the back of your undergarment drawer, when you get home. But if you’re like me, go buy that new underwear and bra, because if anything… it will make YOU feel good.

So in my experience (and research) a lot of men like what’s underneath…

Which brings me to my next point:

Groom Thyself.

In the Ways to Make your Husband Want to Come Home post, I suggested you may want to tend to your female upkeep. Trust me… I need to practice what I preach. Grab a new razor (If you’re like me, you’ll need a new one. Because an old one’s not gonna cut it. Literally.)  Get to shavin’. (Or even see my tips for getting laser hair removal like I did, and that’s even better!) Put on some of that smelly good lotion, and pack it in your bag, so you can reapply and reapply while you’re gone.

Some of my friends even go get waxed. (And I mean WAXED. I haven’t been brave enough to do this yet. I may, or may not have gotten about 5 minutes away from my Brazilian wax appointment, and chickened out. No lie. I called them, & told them I was sick to my stomach-thinking about how my hair was about to be ripped out of my special place), and went shopping instead.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with Your Husband https://fantabulosity.com
Traditional airport photo before flying out on our romantic weekend…

Save the tough talk.

You know those conversations that you and your husband have every once in a while, that ALWAYS cause a fight, or extreme tension? For years, I would think…

Oh good. We won’t have the kids, so we can maybe finally talk about the finances. Or how he decided on that huge life changing decision, without me.

Oh please no. If I’ve learned anything, there’s nothing worse than preparing for an entire romantic weekend away, to have it go down the crapper in the first 30 minutes. I know it’s alone time, and you don’t get that often to talk about the important things… but this weekend is about romance. If it’s not crazy important… do yourself a favor and wait. Enjoy each other’s company, not attack each other.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with Your Husband https://fantabulosity.com
Romancin’ it, down in Mexico

 Drink some caffeine.

Don’t let a second night get away from you, where you just end up wanting to go to sleep right after the early bird special at the restaurant down the road. Do whatever it is that gives you energy and makes you want to stay awake past your toddler’s normal bedtime. For me? I drink coffee at 4:00 in the afternoon. That seems to keep me up to at least 11:00. 😉

5 Ways to Prepare for a Romantic Weekend with Your Husband https://fantabulosity.com
We headed to Boca Grande for a wedding/romantic getaway.

Do something he loves.

I can’t talk about The Five Love Languages enough. What is it? It’s a book, written about how everyone has a certain “love language.” (Read more about it here: The Secret Weapon in my Marriage)

1. Acts of Service

2. Touch

3. Quality Time

4. Gifts

5. Words of Affirmation

Find out what your husbands love language is, and pick something that “fits,” what that is, and act on it, on your romantic getaway. If you’ve been together for any time, you may think you already know what his is. You may be surprised, after you read the book… or he may have more than one. If you don’t have time to read a book before your weekend, no worries. I’ll see if I can help and give examples:

Disclaimer:  I’m using my own words and definition of these. PLEASE read the book if you can. It was a total life changer in my marriage.

5 Love Languages

  1. Acts of Service – Do something for him, that he hates to do, or that he likes for you to do.
    (Example: He’s not in to details or super busy…so plan and book the hotel, so that’s one less thing he has to do.)
  2. Touch – He loves the physical touch that you can give him. Hugging, kissing, etc.
    (Example: Give that manly man a massage. Grab massage oil and get to work. WARNING: This may lead to something else, so scroll up and read “Groom Thyself,” again if need be.)
  3. Quality Time – Spending time together as a couple, alone. P.S. This is mine, so I feel like I can explain this one well.
    (Example: You’re already spending time alone together on a romantic weekend, so that should be a huge quality time “love deposit,” but take it even further if you can. Schedule a couples massage. Or if you go shopping, shop together in the same store. Don’t drift off to Sephora, while he’s in Dick’s Sporting Goods.)
  4. Gifts – Buying/Making something and giving it to him.
    (Example: It could be something HUGE, like tickets to his favorite sporting event while you’re on your romantic weekend… or something small like his favorite candy that he never eats at home.)
  5. Words of Affirmation – Telling your husband all the good stuff that he likes to hear.
    (Example: Tell him multiple times – in different ways – how he’s the best husband for taking time to get away with you for the weekend. Go one step further and brag about him on your Facebook status. That MAY just get you bonus points. 😉 )

I hope you have a FABULOUS time with your romantic weekend with your husband! Really… you deserve it. I’m DYING to know if you did any of these. Let me know,

Until next time.

Sugar Cookie Truffles

Sugar Cookie Truffles! It’s like your favorite sugar cookie took a dip in a pool of awesomeness and came out wearing a white chocolate tuxedo. If you’re all about easy yet impressive, and if the idea of “cookie meets truffle” makes your heart skip a beat, then stick around. We’re about to drop a no-bake dessert recipe that’s as cool as the other side of the pillow.

Loving the idea of an easy truffle recipe? Then make sure to also check out this Biscoff truffles recipe!

Sugar cookie truffles sitting on a white plate.

Whether you’re making truffles for the holidays (like these Easter truffles) or just to enjoy for a sweet tooth, these cookie truffles will be great for a get-together or even for a party of one!

This recipe uses Lofthouse cookies, although you can use other types of sugar cookies. However, if you’ve never had a Lofthouse cookie, they’re undeniably delicious and are a really soft cookie, topped with a scrumptious buttercream frosting, and are highly recommended for this recipe.

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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • 4 Ingredients: With only 4 ingredients required (plus sprinkles if you desire) this is one to remember when you don’t want a big task!
  • Customize the Color: Although adding sprinkles is optional, you can choose your favorite colors for sprinkles for the occasion and you can also add food coloring to your chocolate if you’d prefer a different color truffle completely.
  • Ready in under an hour: These no-bake truffles are ready to enjoy within under an hour!

🧾 Ingredients Needed

I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic. Make sure to check the full recipe card down below for ingredients and instructions all in one place.

Labeled ingredients for sugar cookie truffles.

📖 Substitutions

If you find that substitutions are needed or wanted, here are some suggestions that may help:

  • Cookie – If you prefer to use a different type of cookie, you can. Any soft cookie in the bakery at the grocery store will work or you can make your own soft sugar cookies too.
  • Cream Cheese – If you don’t want to use cream cheese, you can use frosting instead. You’ll use the same amount as you would the cream cheese.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

Steps 1-4 of how to make sugar cookie truffles using Lofthouse cookies.

STEP 1. Crumble cookies. Place your cookies into the bowl of your mixer and mix on medium speed until fine crumbs.

STEP 2. Cream cheese. Add in the cream cheese and mix until the mixture is smooth.

STEP 3. Roll the balls. Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of the dough. Smush the dough in your hands and roll it into a ball.

STEP 4. Chill. Place the dough balls onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place them in the fridge for 3 minutes.

Tips:
– Make sure you mix the dough well so it makes a paste.
– When rolling in to balls, work the dough in your hands to get out any lumps so they’re smooth balls.
– While rolling the balls, move your hands in different directions to create the circle shape.

Steps for making no bake sugar cookie truffles.

STEP 5. Melt Chocolate. Melt your chocolate with half the coconut oil over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second increments. Add the rest of the coconut oil if the chocolate is too thick.

STEP 6. Dip. Without sticking the fork in to one of the balls, pick it up and gently dip in the melted chocolate, covering it completely.

STEP 7. Remove. Carefully lift the ball out of the chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off back in to the bowl.

STEP 8. Rest. Place the chocolate-covered truffles on the sheet pan. Allow the chocolate to set for at least 10 minutes, and enjoy.

Sugar cookie truffles with sprinkles, on white plate.

💭 Recipe Pro Tips

  • For the melted chocolate, make sure the chocolate has the same consistency as paint. If your chocolate is too thick, it won’t look as well.
  • Place your sprinkles onto your truffles before the chocolate sets, so they stick.
Lofthouse sugar cookie truffles on white plate.

📋 Recipe FAQs

My chocolate seems too thick. What can I do to help get the right texture?

Adding more coconut oil will help thin out the chocolate.

What are Lofthouse cookies, and where do I find them?

You can typically find these soft, thick, sugar cookies that are topped with a colorful, thick, frosting and are usually in the bakery section of the grocery store.

Showing the inside of a sugar cookie truffle on a white plate, sitting next to whole truffles.

❄️ Storage

If you have leftover cookies, it’s best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

🍪 More No-Bake Recipes You’ll Love

Do you love no-bake desserts like this one? We’ve picked out some of our similar favorite no-bake desserts for you to try too:

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

Recipe

Sugar cookie truffles on white plate, with seeing the inside of one.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Sugar Cookie Truffles

These sugar cookie truffles are made using Lofthouse cookies and a few other ingredients to create a delicious no-bake treat.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 13 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Servings 12 truffles
Calories 187kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 10 Lofthouse Cookies
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 8 ounces white dipping chocolate
  • 1-2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • Sprinkles optional

Instructions

  • Place your cookies into the bowl of your mixer and mix on medium speed until fine crumbs.
  • Add in the cream cheese and mix until the mixture is smooth.
  • Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of the dough. Smush the dough in your hands and roll it into a ball.
  • Place the dough balls onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place them in the fridge for 3 minutes.
  • Melt your chocolate with half the coconut oil over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second increments. Add the rest of the coconut oil if the chocolate is too thick.
  • Dip your balls into the chocolate using a fork and top them with your sprinkles.
  • Place them on the sheet pan. Allow the chocolate to set for at least 10 minutes, and enjoy.

Notes

Tips:
  • For the melted chocolate, make sure the chocolate has the same consistency as paint. If your chocolate is too thick, it won’t look as well.
  • Place your sprinkles onto your truffles before the chocolate sets, so they stick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1truffle | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Restaurant Kit: Toddler Busy Bag

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone, promise! #MARVELSnackBar #CollectiveBias

Sometimes I wonder what in the heck we were thinking when we decided to go out to eat with two little boys. Forcing them to sit still for a long period of time, is almost a cruel joke.

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

Since the majority of the time, we decide to eat out at the last minute, I may not have time to round up toys & snacks for a restaurant trip. So the new trick up my sleeve, (thanks to Blue I Style) is my “Restaurant Kit.” My toddler busy bag is always ready to go, whenever we decide to head out the door.

Restaurant Kit

The restaurant kit is FULL of goodies that I think will help keep my children occupied. By only bringing out the kit during… you guess it… restaurant trips, the toys, and goodies are “new,”(since they haven’t played with them already that day) and they can’t wait to see what’s in it.

So what do I use for the bag?

A makeup bag! It has a handle and little compartments. Perfect to store the goodies.

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

What do you Put in a Toddler Busy Kit?

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

• Small Figurines. I don’t know what it is, but my children LOVE playing with small figurines. Probably because it’s easy for their little hands to hold on to.

• Plastic Eggs. The small figurines usually end up going inside the small plastic eggs, and the constant open and shutting of the plastic eggs, REALLY hold their attention span… quietly. Buy plastic eggs HERE!

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

• Triangular Crayons. (Buy them HERE!) Have you ever heard of these? Yes? Oh… I guess I’ve lived in a cave. They’re triangular crayons, so they won’t roll off of the table at the restaurant, and since they’re larger… my youngest child can grip on easier. (Not like those itty bitty crayons the restaurants usually hand out.)

I usually keep a small notebook in the restaurant kit too, because even though some restaurants give my children a coloring sheet, it’s like there’s never really anything to color? It’s all crowded up with menu items, pictures of characters, etc. A blank sheet of paper is a free for all!

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

• Play Dough. (Buy the small containers HERE!)I’ll admit. I’m totally that mom that tries to do everything from having to entertain with play dough. It’s messy, get’s all over my floors at home, etc. But it DOES hold their attention span really well at a restaurant, and totally worth it sometimes.

(I will try and pick any up off of the floor before we leave because I don’t want to be “that,” customer, that makes the restaurant workers have to clean it up.)

• Sticker/Coloring Book. Stickers are a FAVE in our house. I think I have stickers on every chair in my house, at the moment. Peeling each sticker off, and sticking it on to a sheet of paper requires concentration for those little hands. (A.K.A quiet time.)

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

• Utensils. (Buy my favorites HERE!)There are times we visit a restaurant, and the spoons for the kid meals are gigantic! In case that happens, I like to keep an extra set of utensils in the restaurant kit for a backup.

• Bib. (Buy the thin bibs that fit well inside, HERE!)Let’s get real. Kids menus are full of dishes that contain red sauce, ketchup, and other messy colors. Plus, when we are going “out,” my kids are usually wearing their “better,” clothes. Nothing irks me more than to see a big red stain on a new little toddler shirt. Keeping a bib in the restaurant kit comes in VERY handy. Wipe it off with my next item below, and it’s good to go for next time.

• Wet Wipes. (Buy the small individual packages HERE!)Oh wet wipes can serve so many purposes. Clean those little hands. Wipe off the table of the germies. Clean the bib after use. Wipe up the spill on the table. They’re super handy for everything. Stock up. You’ll use them.

• Granola Bars.  (Buy them HERE!) I also always keep a “bar,” (what my children call it), in the restaurant kit, in case the food takes a little long getting to the table… so they can have a snack to hold them over. If a snack wasn’t needed… they are the PERFECT dessert, that I can negotiate with, so they’ll eat their veggies.

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

Take it from a mom that knows… get your restaurant kit put together today. You won’t regret it!

Pro Tip:

Did the kids have good behavior while at the restaurant? If so, maybe think about rewarding them with a “Caught you being good” ticket! We love using this at home.

Even if your kids aren’t toddlers anymore… if you need a way to keep them from getting bored while out, and so you don’t resort to letting your kids watch YouTube, yet again, try a busy bag!

Now, although this is specifically for a restaurant busy kit, there’s no reason it couldn’t be beneficial for a road trip with a toddler too!

Restaurant Kit - Toddler Busy Bag Ideas! https://fantabulosity.com

The BEST French Toast Recipe

The French toast recipe is so easy, tastes like your favorite restaurant version and is made using simple ingredients. There are a few secrets to the best French toast… adding flour to the batter, and the right ratio of sugars.

Slices of French toast on a platter, covered in syrup and powdered sugar.

French toast is delicious all year, but what is it about having yummy French toast on a snow day? There’s something so comforting about it, and you might as well make the best recipe there is when the craving hits.

If hosting, cooking a lot of individual slices can take a while, so I recommend making a French Toast Casserole instead. Or if you’re looking to impress guests, this Stuffed French Toast recipe is very impressive.

French Toast Recipe Highlights

  • Restaurant Quality – Why is French toast so good at the diner? It’s possibly because they add a little secret ingredient to the batter like I do. This recipe will wow your family, and will surely become a new favorite.
  • Texture and Flavor – With the addition of sugars and vanilla, this sweet French toast isn’t too sweet but it has just the right amount that gives it a lovely flavor. The texture when using Texas toast makes it fluffy, and every bite has the perfect “bounce” that French toast should have.
  • Simple Ingredients – It’s possible that you already have the ingredients on hand for this easy French toast recipe. If not, they can easily be found at most grocery stores, or I’ve also provided substitution ideas below.

Key Ingredients

Full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for French toast on a table.
  • Bread – I believe the type of bread you use can make a world of difference. Texas toast is recommended for this recipe, although regular sliced bread, brioche for brioche French toast, or even French bread will work as well. It’s fun to experiment and use different types of items like donuts, Hawaiian rolls, and cinnamon-raisin bread too. Older bread (or at least bread that isn’t too fresh) works best as it works better for soaking, and not getting a soggy French toast.
  • Eggs – I use 4 eggs to make 8 slices of Texas toast French toast. The size of your eggs can make a difference, requiring less or more. I usually use medium-sized eggs.
  • Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is recommended. For years when baking and making recipes, I used imitation vanilla because it was cheaper. However, over the years I’ve learned how much better pure vanilla extract is, and it makes such a difference.
  • Sugars – I prefer using white granulated sugar and light brown sugar. They both give this recipe for French toast a touch of sweetness and the brown sugar gives it that golden color and caramelized flavor. Next time, you may also want to try my Brown Sugar French Toast recipe too.
  • Salt – The salt is the perfect touch of contrast to the sweetness. I prefer using kosher salt but you can use table salt.
  • Heavy Cream – This helps spread the egg and allows the eggs to soak in to the bread. Feel free to use whole milk or half-and-half instead if that’s what you have on hand. I’ve even used flavored coffee creamer for a twist.
  • Flour – The secret ingredient in this recipe! What does flour do to French toast? It helps the egg mixture stick to the bread and can give the outside edges a slight crunch, leaving the middle soft and fluffy.

How to Make Delicious French Toast

Mix dry ingredients together in small bowl.
1. Mix together dry ingredients.
Mix eggs, heavy cream and vanilla together in bowl.
2. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl, big enough to dip bread in later.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix together.
3. Pour dry ingredients in with wet.
Coat bread in egg mixture.
4. Dip bread slices in to batter to saturate both sides.
French toast cooking in cast iron skillet.
5. Add butter to skillet and cook each side.
Cooked French toast pieces stacked on top of one another.
Remove French toast to a platter.

Tips for Great French Toast

  • Saturate – Make sure the egg mixtures soaks in to the bread well before cooking.
  • Cook Temperature – Don’t cook with the heat too high or the outside will burn before the centers are cooked. I prefer to cook French toast on medium-low heat.
  • Cooking in Butter – This is optional, and you can use a non-stick spray or if your skillet is non-stick, you may not need to use butter. However, I love cooking in butter because it adds a browned butter flavor to the toast. TIP: If cooking one slice at a time, the butter melted in the pan can burn if the cooking process takes a while. Either cook larger batches at once, to reduce the amount of time the residual butter cooks in pan, or wipe the excess butter out after a few batches.
  • Cut in to Sticks – These can be cut in to sticks and used for dipping, like with my Cinnamon French Toast Sticks recipe.
Cooked French toast triangles on a platter, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

French Toast Toppings

It can be fun to add different variations to your French toast. Here are some of my favorite ideas, which are similar to my favorite pancake toppings:

  • Syrup (maple, storebought, flavored maple syrup, etc.)
  • Powdered Sugar (you can even make a powdered sugar glaze like I do with my blueberry turnovers and cinnamon biscuits recipe)
  • Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.)
  • Drizzle (chocolate syrup, caramel ice cream topping, peanut butter or Biscoff drizzle like I use in these Biscoff cupcakes)
  • Whipped Cream (Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream)
French toast on plate, covered in syrup and powdered sugar, next to blueberries.

What to Serve with French Toast

Classic breakfast side dishes like bacon baked in the oven or baked breakfast sausage always go great with a sweeter breakfast dish.

Storage Instructions

  • Leftovers – Allow leftovers to fully cool and then wrap, or store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
  • To Freeze – Making French toast in advance to freeze to enjoy later with ease is a great idea. Allow toast to cool and store in a freezer-safe bag, or container and enjoy within 3 months. Freezing Tip: I prefer wrapping toast in food-safe wrap and then in a container to prevent it from becoming freezer-burnt.
  • Reheating – Place frozen toast in a toaster or microwave to thaw and reheat quickly.

Recipe FAQs

What is the ratio of milk to eggs for French toast?

The standard ratio is ¼ cup of liquid to 1 egg. So using 4 eggs, and 1 cup of liquid (heavy cream) gives French bread the perfect balance.

How long should French toast soak?

This will depend on the thickness of the bread but it should take about a minute on each side for the egg batter to soak in to the bread.

Why is my French toast soggy?

It could be because the bread soaked too long in the egg mixture or because the bread used was very fresh. It’s best to use bread that isn’t so soft.

Similar Recipes You’ll Love:

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

Recipe

French toast halves covered in syrup, sitting on a plate next to blueberries.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

French Toast

This French Toast Recipe is easy to make and is the best because of a secret ingreident, to make it taste like restaurant French toast at home!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 full slices
Calories 304kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

  • Frying pan or griddle

Ingredients

  • 8 slices Texas toast

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 Tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt I prefer Kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • butter for cooking if desired

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
  • In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the remaining wet ingredients.
  • Next, pour the dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients, and mix together.
  • Place a slice of Texas toast in the egg mixture, flipping, making sure both sides are saturated.
  • In a skillet on the stovetop over low-medium heat (or on a griddle), it's recommended to melt a small amount of butter, and then add the bread to cook. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
    TIP: If you cook too hot, the outside will burn before the middle will cook. It's best to cook low and slow.
  • Remove from skillet, and place on a serving platter while you repeat the final pieces of toast. If desired, slice each piece in half, diagonally, to achieve the look pictured here.
  • Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, fruit, or your favorite toppings if desired.

Video

Notes

    • Saturate – Make sure the bread soaks in to the egg mixture well before cooking.
    • Cook Temperature – Don’t cook too high or the outside will burn before the centers are cooked. I prefer to cook French toast on medium-low heat.
    • Cooking in Butter – This is optional, and you can use a non-stick spray or if your skillet is non-stick, you may not need to use butter. However, I love cooking in butter because it adds a browned butter flavor to the toast.
    • Storage – Allow to cool off and then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, allow toast to cool and then place in a freezer-safe container and enjoy for up to 3 months for best results.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 557IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 7mg

Hangover Kit Gift Ideas

I call this my hangover kit idea because even though some of the snacks and goodies can be enjoyed during the party day, these will come in so handy the morning after too!

It’s rare when a large group of us can get together for a girls night out. Make it a “couples night out,” and it gets even rarer.

We are known for having an abundant supply of wineries at our fingertips. So when we all get together, we know a winery tour, MUST be on the agenda.

Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

What to Put in a Hangover Kit

The minute I knew all of us were getting together for a winery tour, I started getting the “itch,” to do something creative for them. All of these people are so special to me, so I wanted to show them a little love by giving them a small little, “Got ya covered,” items, in their winery day favors.

Winery Tour Survival Kit! Love how this has all kinds of stuff in it that they'll need for their day, night and morning after! Lol! https://fantabulosity.com


You can get the cutest kraft favor boxes on Amazon.

You see, we are all fairly new moms and dads, and I had a feeling we were going to be “go hard,” and make the best of it.

 So each couple received a Hangover Kit!

If you’ve never been on a wine tour, you may not know that the wine “tastings,” can get a little fuzzy after the first stop. 🙂  So I knew that I wanted to fill the boxes with small snack foods, that would pair well with wine & would be a great service after the wine tour. 😉

Winery Tour Survival Kit! Love how this has all kinds of stuff in it that they'll need for their day, night and morning after! Lol! https://fantabulosity.com

• Chocolates, beef sticks, & cheese crackers.

• Water to rehydrate (that wine can really make you thirsty!)

• Mini Muffins & granola bars for breakfast the morning after.

• A small container of pain relief meds for that pounding headache the next morning.

• and a special little somethin’ somethin’ for the couples who may not be ready to add a new addition to their family any time soon, that’s hidden in that little white bag. 😉

Winery Tour Survival Kit! Love how this has all kinds of stuff in it that they'll need for their day, night and morning after! Lol! https://fantabulosity.com

So what’s in that little white bag you ask?

Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

 I think my friends were a bit shocked when they opened the bag. (But I’m sure the husbands were secretly grateful.) 😉

I bought the super cute little white bags from Shop Sweet Lulu too.

Winery Snacks

Remember my White Chocolate Lemon Puppy Chow?  I made a big batch of this for the whole group to snack on, while we transitioned from winery to winery. I already had these boxes in my (ahem) craft closet, or… craft throw-up closet.

Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

Transportation Ideas for Wine Tour and Party Bus

How did we transport to each winery? This is possibly my fave-o-rite part…

Our friends offered up their RV, so we could hire a designated driver, and all transported together! THIS… my friends… is the way to do it.

https://fantabulosity.com/white-chocolate-lemon-puppy-chow/

Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

 One of my cuter, than cute… friends, opening up her party favor for the day.

We are also super lucky, that most of the wineries around here, also brew their own beer. So the people who aren’t the biggest wine fans, and prefer the brew… can kick back, and have a drink too.

Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

I even got to hang out with THIS guy (my hubby) all day, and that wasn’t too shabby.

Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

“Let’s Party,” “Party On,” & “Cheers”
Wine Tour Snacks & Favors! Little boxes full of items for snacking, dehydration, hangovers, breakfast & just for fun! This is GREAT idea for bachelorette party favors too! https://fantabulosity.com

If you’re going on a wine tour soon, and looking for party favors, I totally recommend this Hangover Kit. But don’t forget to make yourself one… you’ll need it. 😉

Chilis Southwestern Egg Rolls Copycat & Sauce

Chilis Southwestern Egg Rolls Copycat: An easy recipe that is super popular at a favorite restaurant, along with the delicious dipping sauce that’s a must!

Quick Overview: These southwestern eggrolls, use simple ingredients, ready in about 30 minutes. After wrapping, they’ll be fried in oil for only 2 minutes!

Chilis southwest rolls copycat and dipping sauce
Chilis Southwest Rolls Copycat

Why you’ll love this recipe

If you’ve ever had the egg rolls at Chili’s restaurants, then you know how delicious they are. But I have to say, that the creamy avocado ranch sauce that comes with it, makes them even better! In this recipe, you’ll find out how to make BOTH! It’s one of our favorite copycat recipes to date!

Ingredients

  • Oil for deep frying (vegetable oil or canola oil)
  • Wrappers – either tortillas or eggroll wrappers

Filling:

  • 1 ½ c cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 c pepper jack cheese
  • 1 c spinach
  • ½ c canned corn, drained
  • ½ c black beans, drained
  • ⅓ c diced red pepper
  • 2 teaspoon lime juice
Ingredients on table for chili's egg rolls
Ingredients

Avocado Ranch:

  • ½ c mashed avocado
  • ½ c ranch
  • 3 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
  • 2 ½ Tbs sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients for avocado ranch
Ingredients for Sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat 3″ of oil to 375° in a large pot, on the stovetop.
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine the shredded chicken, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder and salt. Once the chicken and spices are well mixed, add pepper jack cheese, spinach, corn, beans, red peppers and lime juice and mix to combine. Set aside.
Filling ingredients in white bowl
Filling ingredients
Mixed ingredients for filling
Mixed ingredients
  1. Next, place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds to make them more pliable.
Tortillas on wooden cutting board
Warm tortillas
Mixture on center of tortilla
Place mixture on tortilla
  1. Place ¼ cup of the filling onto the center of a tortilla. Fold the outward sides towards the middle, then roll up. 
Hand folding tortilla
Fold together
Hands folding tortilla for egg roll
Fold again
  1. Brush the top edge with water to seal. 
Brushing edges to make tortilla stick
Brush to stick
  1. After all tortillas are rolled, let them sit for 1 minute before frying to allow the water to stick the edges together. 
Egg rolls on counter ready for frying
Ready for frying
Fried egg rolls on counter
Fried Egg Rolls
  1. Place 4 rolls into the preheated oil and fry for 1 minute, then flip and fry for 1 minute, until golden.  Once cooked, carefully remove the rolls from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat the frying process with the remaining rolls. 
Chili's Copycat Egg Rolls on cutting board
Chili’s Egg Rolls Copycat

Easy Avocado Ranch Sauce

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado, ranch, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
  2. Mix until well combined and smooth.  Serve alongside the fried eggrolls. 
ingredients in small bowl for dipping sauce
Ingredients for sauce
Avocado ranch dipping sauce
Avocado Ranch Sauce
Open egg rolls with ranch sauce
Enjoy!

Storage

If you happen to have leftovers of these egg rolls, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat the egg rolls in the microwave or in the air fryer if you have one!

Substitutions

  • Cooked shredded chicken – If you’d like to use something other than chicken, you can use cooked beef, tofu, or cooked shredded turkey instead. However keep in mind that this could change the flavor.  
  • Cheese – If you want to use something other than pepper jack cheese, you can. Do note that this could change the flavor a bit. Some ideas for different cheese are, jalapeno jack cheese, monterey jack cheese)
  • Additional ingredients: If you’d like to also add other items to this recipe, you may want to consider: jalapeno peppers, cayenne pepper, green onion, green chiles, white or yellow onion, hot sauce
  • Dip: If you’re not a fan of the dipping sauce that goes with this recipe, you may want to consider dipping them in something like this Texas queso!
Open egg rolls
Chili’s Egg Rolls Copycat

Expert Tips

  • You can insert a toothpick into the filled roll before placing it in the oil to keep the roll closed while frying. 
  • For a smoother, creamier texture, you can use an immersion blender to blend the avocado ranch!

If you loved these chilis southwest egg rolls, and love easy appetizer recipes, then you’ll also love this elote dip, chicken empanadas, and this easy guacamole dip!

Recipe

Chilis Southwestern Egg Rolls Copycat
Print Pin
5 from 7 votes

Chili’s Southwestern Egg Rolls Copycat

Chilis Southwestern Egg Rolls Copycat: An easy recipe that is super popular at a favorite restaurant, along with the delicious dipping sauce that's a must!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 12 egg rolls
Calories 239kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • Oil for Frying

Wrappers

  • 12 Taco size – flour tortillas or egg roll wrappers 

Filling

  • 1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups pepper jack cheese
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • ½ cup canned corn drained
  • ½ cup black beans rinsed and drained
  • ⅓ cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

  • ½ cup mashed avocado
  • ½ cup ranch
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat 3" of oil to 375° in a large pot, on the stovetop.

Egg Roll Filling

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the shredded chicken, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder and salt. Once the chicken and spices are well mixed, add pepper jack cheese, spinach, corn, beans, red peppers and lime juice and mix to combine. Set aside.
  • Next, place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds to make them more pliable.

Assembly

  • Place ¼ cup of the filling onto the center of a tortilla. Fold the outward sides towards the middle, then roll up.  Brush the top edge with water to seal. 
  • After all tortillas are rolled, let them sit for 1 minute before frying to allow the water to stick the edges together. 

Frying

  • Place 4 rolls into the preheated oil and fry for 1 minute, then flip and fry for 1 minute, until golden.  Once cooked, carefully remove the rolls from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat the frying process with the remaining rolls. 

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the avocado, ranch, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. M
  • Mix until well combined and smooth.  Serve alongside the fried eggrolls. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1egg roll | Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 635mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 679IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 2mg

Smoked Candied Bacon

In this Smoked Candied Bacon recipe, you’ll only need 3 ingredients, a smoker, and about an hour and a half to make bacon that has the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and smoky.

Millionaire Bacon

Bacon is already delicious, but adding syrup and brown sugar to give the bacon a sweet and salty combination, combined with the smoke flavor that seeps in, it creates an irresistible treat, that’s also sometimes called “Millionaire Bacon.”

It’s so enjoyable to eat by itself but it’s also fun to top classics with, like I did with these deviled eggs with candied bacon or what the bacon turns out like on top of the maple bacon brie.

Smoked candied bacon on platter, with syrup and brown sugar on top.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long do you smoke candied bacon?

Smoking bacon on a pellet smoker for an hour and a half at 210 degrees, or until the bacon is fully cooked.

Why is it called “Millionaire Bacon?”

The name originated from a saying, “This bacon tastes like a million bucks.”

Can you make candied bacon in the oven?

Yes. Bake candied bacon in a 375° F oven, for 30-40 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.

Smoked candied bacon on the smoker.

Ingredients Needed: (See recipe card below for the full recipe)

  • bacon – thick cut bacon was used in this recipe, and is recommended. If using a thinner bacon, the cook time could be shorter.
  • brown sugar – using more or less brown sugar is optional.
  • syrup – real maple syrup or pancake syrup works for this recipe.
Raw bacon on a platter, syrup in a small bowl and brown sugar in small bowl.

Tip: If you’d like to have a bit of heat to your bacon, sprinkling crushed red pepper flakes on the bacon, at the same time you add brown sugar, is recommended.

How to Make Smoked Candied Bacon

Preheat the smoker to 210°F (or similar if your smoker doesn’t land at 210).

On a baking sheet or a piece of wax paper, place the bacon down, making sure not to overlap the pieces.

Using a pastry brush, brush maple syrup on to each piece of bacon.

Sprinkle brown sugar on top of each piece, trying to sprinkle it evenly.

Raw bacon on baking sheet, with syrup and brown sugar sprinkled on top.

When the smoker has preheated, place each piece on the smoker, making sure not to overlap the pieces so it cooks evenly. Smoke the bacon for an hour and a half, or until the bacon is fully cooked.

Raw candied bacon on smoker racks.

Remove smoked bacon from smoker and serve while warm.

Smoked candied bacon on platter, next to bowl of brown sugar.

What to Serve Candied Bacon With:

As a topping: This candied bacon would be delicious served on top of these burgers made in the oven, on this chicken club sandwich, or on these Hawaiian roll breakfast sliders. Or, take a BLT to the next level adding it to these Avocado BLTs.

As a side dish: Serve millionaire bacon alongside these fluffy pancakes, these fried onions and potatoes, and this biscuit and gravy casserole.

Craving More Smoked Recipes?

Originally published: October 2015
Photos updated and republished: April 2025

Recipe

Candied bacon pieces on rectangular plate, showing syrup and brown sugar sprinkled on top.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Smoked Candied Bacon

This Smoked Candied Bacon is a sweet and salty treat that's made in a smoker and is incredibly easy.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 1 pound of bacon
Calories 386kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thick sliced bacon
  • ¼ cup maple syrup more/less if desired
  • ¼ cup brown sugar more/less if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat your smoker to 210 degrees
  • Lay out each piece of bacon on a piece of wax paper or a cookie sheet
    1 pound thick sliced bacon
  • Drizzle maple syrup over each piece of bacon, spreading the syrup evenly on each piece of bacon, using a basting brush
    ¼ cup maple syrup
  • Sprinkle brown sugar over each piece, spreading evenly with the brush
    ¼ cup brown sugar
  • Transfer bacon to smoker racks
  • Smoke for 1-½ hours or until bacon is fully cooked.

Notes

See the posts for tips and ingredient notes to help make this recipe a success.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about 3 slices) | Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 192mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Mussels in white wine sauce with garlic butter, that’s easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and ready in about 15 minutes.

An Easy Steamed Mussels Recipe

I don’t know if I’ll ever order mussels at a restaurant again, knowing how easy and delicious they are to make at home. Mussels are a fancy meal or appetizer, and look beautiful on the dinner table for a dinner party, a romantic dinner, or even if it’s just a seafood night at home.

Cooked mussels in pan with white wine sauce, and lemon slices on top, next to a glass of wine.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Which is the best way to cook mussels?

Steaming mussels in a seasoned broth is the best way to cook mussels. They open up from a closed shell, just after 5 minutes, and this allows for easier eating and or the flavors to seep in.

What do mussels go well with?

When cooked with a seasoned broth, butter-coated bread that’s grilled or toasted is delicious served along with mussels, for dipping in the white wine sauce.

How to tell if mussels are done?

When the shells open up, the mussels are done cooking and ready to eat.

How many pounds of mussels per person?

For an appetizer, plan on ½ pound of mussels per person. If serving as a main course, plan on 1 pound per person. Serve with toasted buttered bread for dipping to spread the portions out.

How to store leftover mussels?

Remove the mussels from their shells. (Remove meat from shell.) Store meat in a container and cover with white wine sauce, and refrigerate up to 2 days. To freeze, place meat in a freezer-safe container, cover with wine sauce, and freeze up to 3-4 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Cooked mussels in a white wine sauce, stacked on plate next to toasted bread.

Ingredients Needed: (See recipe card below for the full recipe)

  • mussels – Fresh mussels in their shell are used in this recipe, and are steamed in a white white, garlic butter broth. Make sure you’re not buying frozen, cooked mussels.
  • white wine – I use sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio for this recipe since I tend to have that on hand. However, any dry, white wine or cooking wine will work for this recipe as well.
  • lemon – When slicing the lemon, try to remove and discard any seeds.
  • oranges – If some of the pulp comes out while squeezing the juice in to the broth, that’s absolutely ok, and it will help add even more citrus flavor which is great.
  • garlic – Fresh, minced garlic is preferred.
  • chicken bouillon cube – 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder can be used instead.
  • sugar – A tablespoon of sugar will slightly sweeten the citrus broth, balancing the flavors.
  • butter – I use salted butter (as that’s what I generally have on hand) but unsalted butter will work as well.
  • basil & parsley – fresh herbs are highly recommended. If fresh can’t be found, herbal pastes are the next great substitute, and then finely dried herbs.
Ingredients in bowls and on countertop to make steamed mussels.

How to Make Mussels in a White Wine Sauce

Open the bag of mussels, look them over. Discard any that have opened, & scrub off any excess sand, then place in a bowl of cold water.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the garlic.

Once the butter is melted, add the white wine, bouillon cube, and sugar. Stir until dissolved.

2 Process images - 1 with butter and garlic in pan and one with bouillon cube in melted butter.

Add the remaining ingredients (except mussels) and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.

2 process images - one showing lemons, orange juice, butter and fresh herbs in skillet.

Drain the water from the mussels and pour mussels in to white wine sauce. Increase to medium heat, cover, and steam for about 5 minutes or until the shells open.

Ladle into a bowl and top with broth.

Steamed mussels in skillet with lemon slices on top.

Serve alone or with toasted bread for dipping in the white wine sauce.

How to Make Buttery Toast for Dipping

If you want to serve buttery toast with these mussels to dip in the white wine sauce, it’s really easy. Here’s how:

  1. Slice a French baguette in to ½-inch thick slices.
  2. In a cast-iron skillet, or nonstick skillet, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
  3. Place as many slices of bread that will fit in the skillet, down on top of the melted butter and let them rest for about 1-2 minutes or until the bread has turned a golden brown.
  4. Flip, and repeat on the other side. (Tip: Move the bread pieces around in any remaining melted butter in the skillet to help it soak in better.)
  5. Remove toasted bread from skillet.
  6. Repeat steps 2-5 until all of the bread is toasted.

Craving More Recipes?

Originally published: November 2015
Updated photos and republished: March 2025

Recipe

Mussels cooked in white wine and garlic sauce, stacked on plate, next to toasts.
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Mussels in a white wine sauce with garlic butter, that's easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and ready in about 15 minutes.
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 419kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

  • skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh mussels raw, in the shell
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ lemon sliced
  • 2 juice from oranges
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 basil leaves chopped
  • sprig of parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Open the bag of mussels, look them over. Discard any that have opened, & scrub off any excess sand, then place in a bowl of cold water
    2 pounds fresh mussels
    Ingredients in bowls and on countertop to make steamed mussels.
  • In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic.
    2 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic
  • Once the butter is melted, add the white wine, bouillon cube, and sugar. Stir until dissolved.
    ½ cup white wine, 1 chicken bouillon cube, 1 tablespoon sugar
    Boullion cube in butter and garlic sauce in skillet.
  • Add the remaining ingredients (except mussels) and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.
    ½ lemon, 2 juice from oranges, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 basil leaves, sprig of parsley
    Fruit and herbs added to garlic butter and white wine sauce in skillet.
  • Discard the water from the mussels, and add the mussels to the white wine sauce, and increase to medium heat, cover and steam for about 5 minutes or until the shells open.
    Fresh mussels added to white wine sauce in skillet.
  • Ladle into a bowl and top with broth.
    Cooked mussels with lemon slices in skillet.
  • Serve alone or with toasted bread for dipping in the white wine sauce.

Notes

Please refer to my FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (½ recipe) | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 2397mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 889IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 10mg

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Mint Chocolate Brownies: Layers of mint between rich dark chocolate ganache and fudgy brownies. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, as a Christmas dessert, or any time of year!

If you're bringing dessert to a gathering, you'll find more easy options in my potluck dessert ideas.

Stack of mint chocolate brownies on green background.

Brownie recipes are the perfect option for hosting parties, holidays or even to enjoy on the weekends for a sweet treat.

Mint chocolate lovers are especially going to LOVE this recipe! Not only does it use a brownie mix (that we spiff up using simple ingredients) but these fudgy chocolate brownies have a delicious frosting layer of mint, and then they have a top layer that’s a melted chocolate ganache.

If you love all things mint flavored, make sure that these chocolate mint cupcakes and this mint buttercream are on your list too!

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⭐️ Why This Recipe Works

  • Flavors: Mint and chocolate together are the perfect combinations for tons of flavor!
  • Make-ahead: Since these are chilled, you can make them ahead of time, especially if you’re day is full of other cooking and baking. Chill until ready to serve.
  • Texture: The fudgy brownie base, combined with a fluffy filling, and a soft, smooth topping, gives so many different textures that everyone will love when taking a bite!

🧾 Ingredients Needed

I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.

Ingredients for crab pasta bake on white counter.
  • Butter – we used unsalted butter for this ganache, as we prefer that when combined with chocolates.
  • Green Food Coloring – Gel paste coloring is recommended over traditional liquid food coloring.
  • Heavy Cream – You may notice that “heavy cream” is listed in the ingredients, twice. This is because we add some to the brownie mix and to the ganache.

📖 Substitutions

Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:

  • Chocolate Chips – This recipe calls for semisweet chocolate chips but if you prefer a milk chocolate ganache, that’s ok to substitute too. We used them these brownies with cream cheese frosting too.
  • Box Mix – If you have a recipe for homemade brownies that you love, you can use that recipe instead of a box mix. Just make sure to allow it to chill after baking so it’s chilled enough for the mint frosting. (Similar to our brownie recipe made with cornflakes.)

🥘 Equipment

Missing something? You can make this Instant Pot brownies recipe if you have a pressure cooker.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Mint Chocolate Brownies

Don’t let the layers fool you! This is an easy recipe, especially since it starts out by making a boxed brownie mix!

This mint brownie recipe is broken into 3 components:

  • baking the brownies
  • making/topping with the mint layer of frosting/filling
  • making/topping with the chocolate ganache

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

How to Make the Brownies

STEP 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. and line the bottom and sides of a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment to extend over the sides. (We like to cut small slits in the corners of the paper to help it fit nicely.)

Brownie mix in bowl with heavy cream, oil and egg, mixed together.
Image 1
Brownie batter poured in parchment paper-lined pan.
Image 2

STEP 2. Mix brownies together. Next, in a large mixing bowl mix the brownie mix, oil, ⅓ cup of heavy cream, and egg (Image 1).

STEP 3. Pour batter in pan. Then, pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan (Image 2) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean. Then allow the brownies to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then lift the brownies out of the pan and place them on a baking sheet.

STEP 4. Chill. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the brownies for 20 minutes while you make the mint filling.

Tip: It's important to let the brownies completely cool before adding the peppermint and chocolate layers. This is important so they stay solid and don't ooze out. However, if you want to speed up chill time, you can put the brownies in the freezer, and this will reduce chilling time by more than half.

How to Make the Peppermint Filling

White baking chips mixed with heavy cream.
Image 3
Melted white chocolate chips with heavy cream, in clear glass bowl.
Image 4

STEP 5. Melt chocolate and cream. In a microwave-safe bowl (we use glass) combine the white chocolate chips with the 6 tablespoons of heavy cream (Image 3) and heat for 1 minute, or until the chocolate is 85% melted, stir, and let it sit. (Keep in mind that the mixture will continue to melt, so give it another stir until the mixture is smooth in texture).

Cream cheese mixed in glass bowl.
Image 5
Green mint filling for brownies.
Image 6

STEP 6. Continue with filling. In a medium-sized bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high spped until smooth and creamy, which is about 2 minutes (Image 5). Then, add the melted white chocolate, salt, peppermint extract, and food coloring to the cream cheese, and beat for 1 minute, increasing speed to high for an additional minute, or until light and fluffy (Image 6).

Mint frosting poured on to center of chocolate brownies.
Image 7
Mint green filling spread on top of brownies.
Image 8

STEP 7. Top with mint filling. Frost the chilled brownie layer with the mint icing and place the brownies back in the refrigerator for 1 hour (Images 7 & 8).

How to Make the Chocolate Ganache Topping

Chocolate chips and butter in glass bowl.
Image 9
Melted chocolate chips in glass bowl, ready for spreading on top of mint filling.
Image 10

STEP 9. Mix butter and chocolate. Combine butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl (Image 9) and heat for 30 seconds, stir, and continue heating in 15-30 second intervals until the chocolate has a smooth and pourable consistency (Image 10).

Melted chocolate ganache, poured on top of mint brownies.
Image 11
Chocolate ganache spread evenly on top of mint filling, on top of brownies.
Image 12

STEP 10. Top with ganache. Pour the chocolate ganache over the peppermint layer (Image 11) smoothing it out with an offset spatula (Image 12).

STEP 11. Chill. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill the brownies for 3 hours, to allow the chocolate layer to properly set.

Tip: Before cutting, you can let the brownies sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate topping to soften slightly, as this will make them easier to cut, so the chocolate layer doesn't break or come off the peppermint layer. To ensure clean cuts in your brownie layers, clean and dry your knife before making each cut

Mint chocolate brownies cut in to squares on baking pan.

STEP 12. Cut into pieces. Cut into 12 equal-sized servings and keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Stack of mint chocolate brownies on green background.

💭 Recipe Pro Tips

  • Darker green. If you want your green frosting to be darker, you can use 2 drops of gel paste instead of one.
  • Even cut squares. This multi-wheeled cutter takes the guesswork out of trying to get equal-sized servings.
  • Andes Mints. If you love those mint chips or candies, you can add some of the top of the brownies.

📋 Recipe FAQs

What makes a brownie fudgier?

The fat content added to brownies can help make them fudgier. More flour can make brownies more cake-like.

What type of mint is used in mint chocolate?

Peppermint extract is typically used in mint chocolate recipes, however, spearmint extract may work just fine too!

What is the secret to moist brownies?

Using heavy cream in brownie mix, instead of water, can help make brownies moister.

Chocolate mint brownie on white plate with bite taken out of it.

❄️ Storage

How to store mint brownies: Brownies will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Freezer Instructions: This recipe freezes well. Simply cut into individual serving sizes and then wrap each piece in plastic wrap (or Press n Seal is our favorite for freezing) and place in a freezer bag and freeze. When you are ready to eat, let them thaw out on the counter for a few hours beforehand. 

Bite of mint chocolate brownie on a fork.

🍰 More Dessert Recipes

If you love easy desserts, then you’ll love these red velvet brownies but you’re also going to love these reader favorites:

Recipe

Stack of mint chocolate brownies with green background.
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Mint Chocolate Brownies: Layers of mint between rich dark chocolate ganache and fudgy brownies. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day, as a Christmas dessert, or any time of year!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 734kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

Brownie Base

  • 1 box brownie mix (We used Ghiradelli)
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream

Peppermint Filling

  • 11 ounces white chocolate chips (312g)
  • 6 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (226g)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 drop gel paste food coloring (We used 'leaf green')

Chocolate Ganache

  • 12 ounces package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (340g) Make sure to use high quality chocolate
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

Instructions

How to Make Brownies

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. and line the bottom and sides of a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment to extend over the sides. (We like to cut small slits in the corners of the paper to help it fit nicely.)
  • Next, in a large mixing bowl mix the brownie mix, oil, ⅓ cup of heavy cream, and egg.
  • Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean. Then allow the brownies to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then lift the brownies out of the pan and place them on a baking sheet.
  • Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the brownies for 20 minutes while you make the mint filling.

How to Make the Mint Filling

  • In a microwave-safe bowl (we use glass) combine the white chocolate chips with the 6 tablespoons of heavy cream and heat for 1 minute, or until the chocolate is 85% melted, stir, and let it sit. (Keep in mind that the mixture will continue to melt, so give it another stir until the mixture is smooth in texture).
  • In a medium-sized bowl beat the cream cheese on medium/high speed using a handheld mixer until smooth and creamy, which is about 2 minutes. Then, add the melted white chocolate, salt, peppermint extract, and food coloring to the cream cheese, and beat for 1 minute, increasing speed to high for an additional minute, or until light and fluffy.
  • Frost the chilled brownies with the mint icing and place the brownies back in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Combine the butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl (we use glass) and heat for 30 seconds. Stir and continue heating it in 15-30 second intervals until the chocolate has a smooth and pourable consistency.
  • Next, pour the chocolate ganache over the peppermint layer, smoothing it out with an offset spatula.
  • Return the baking sheet of brownies to the refrigerator and chill the brownies for 3 hours, to allow the chocolate layer to set properly.
  • Cut the brownies into 12 equal-sized square servings and keep them in the refrigerator until they're ready to eat.

Notes

IMPORTANT: Let the brownies completely cool before adding the peppermint and chocolate layers.
TIP: Before cutting, you can let the brownies sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to allow the chocolate topping to soften slightly, as this will make them easier to cut, so the chocolate layer doesn’t break or come off the peppermint layer. 
STORAGE: Store the brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie (1/12 pan) | Calories: 734kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 282mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 742IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg

Grilled Pork Chops Recipe

Sweet and Smokey Grilled Pork Chops Recipe: A dynamite flavor combination for grilled pork chops, basted with a sweet herby glaze.

Hello! I am Renee Sitavich: owner, writer, photographer, and chief dishwasher over at Renee Nicole’s Kitchen. I blog about food, wine, and all things kitchen-related. I know how much you all love easy dinner recipes, so Jessica has asked me to share my recipe for these quick and easy, sweet and smokey, bone-in pork chops.

Sweet & Smokey Grilled Pork Chops

Sweet & Smokey Pork Chops Recipe

These pork chops are tender and juicy, with just the right balance between sweet and smokey.

Bone-In Vs. Boneless Pork Chops

Bone-in pork chops are best as they tend to cook a bit slower and lend a richer flavor to the meat, and we use those in other pork chop recipes, like in this easy broiled pork chops recipe. Even with the bone, these only require about 3 minutes per side to achieve the perfect medium finish. But if you only have boneless pork chops, you may want to try this slow cooker pork chops recipe, as they get so tender and the gravy gives the chops so much flavor.

Look for chops that are 1″ – 1 ½″ thick. I usually find them in the butcher’s case at the grocery store. If you do opt for boneless chops, cut about 30 seconds of cooking time off of each side. My instructions here are for the grill, but with a cast iron skillet you can get a great result on the stove top as well.

For complete temperature and timing guidance, see our full guide on how to cook pork chops in the oven.

Pork Chop Cooking Tips

The chops need about 20 – 30 minutes to come up to room temperature before cooking, so start by pulling your meat from the fridge. If you throw cold meat directly on the grill, the outside will cook much quicker than the inside, leaving you with a charred exterior and a raw interior.

While the meat warms up, preheat your grill and make the glaze. You want the grill grate to be scorching hot to sear the outside of the chops. So, turn it to high and give it plenty of time to heat. Mine takes about 15 minutes, so I use the first 15-minute rest to prep other veggies and sides.

Sweet & Smokey Pork Chops Recipe

The Glaze

Once the grill is on, start your glaze. In a small saucepan combine the honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, basil, paprika, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Once it boils, drop the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened by half. It should have a syrup-like consistency and coat the back of a spoon. Once it’s done, remove it from the heat and set aside.

Sweet & Smokey Pork Chops Recipe

Prep the Pork Chops

When the grill is hot and the glaze is finished, it’s time to prep the chops. Rinse them off under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Don’t skip this part. When introduced to heat, water makes oil scramble away. If you leave the extra moisture behind, it can cause the chops to stick even if the meat/grate is well oiled. Liberally season each chop with salt and pepper then drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Rub the olive oil, salt, and pepper evenly onto the chop and you are ready to go.

Sweet & Smokey Pork Chops Recipe

Grilled Pork Chops

Heading out to the grill, in addition to the chops, make sure to take with you a timer, meat thermometer, your glaze with a basting brush, and a clean plate.

These chops cook so quickly that having to go search for any of these can cause them to overcook.

Cook Time

Place the chops on the screaming hot grill and let them sit for 30 seconds, to get a good sear.

Flip them over and set the time for 30 seconds.

When it goes off, lower the temp to medium and grill for an additional 2 ½ minutes. Flip them over.

Brush the top side with the glaze and continue to grill for an additional 2 ½ minutes. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the meat, close to but not touching the bone.

Cook Temp

For medium chops, aim for a temperature of 135 degrees while on the grill. They will continue to cook as they rest, which should bring them up to the 145 degrees.

If they are ready, flip them onto the clean plate and baste the back side of the chops with the sauce. Take them in and cover them with foil to rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Give them one more baste with the glaze prior to serving.

Serve on the Side

I like these chops best served with a sweet potato puree and some grilled seasoned vegetables. Broccoli cooked in the oven, asparagus in the air fryer, or green beans (make sure to see how to make green beans taste better!) all work nicely.

If you want to dial it up a notch, serve them with a smoky Syrah/Shiraz or a peppery red Zinfandel.

These pork chops are tender and juicy, with just the right balance between sweet and smokey.

Cheers and Happy Cooking! Renee

Aw, thank you so much Renee! This recipe sounds absolutely amazing! If you’re here for the first time, then you must browse our other easy dinner recipes!

Thank you for swinging by, and enjoy your pork chops!

More Pork Chop Recipes You'll Love:

Recipe

Grilled pork chop on plate next to asparagus.
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Grilled Pork Chops

Pork chops seared on the grill and covered in a delicious sauce, this Summer grill recipe is perfect for the family or entertaining guests. Pair with veggies for a wholesome dinner!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Resting Time 40 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings 2 pork chops
Calories 454kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1-½ teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1-½ teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 1-½ teaspoon fresh basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 bone-in pork chops 1″ – 1½” thick
  • olive oil
  • salt pepper

Instructions

  • Pull the chops from the fridge and allow them to rest 30 minutes to warm up.
  • Heat the grill on high.
  • In a small saucepan combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, basil, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  • Once boiling drop heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The glaze should have an almost syrup-like consistency.
  • Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Rinse pork chops with cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Season liberally with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil.
  • Rub salt, pepper, and olive oil evenly on the surface of the chops.
  • Place the chops on a screaming hot grill for 30 seconds to sear.
  • Flip and set the timer for another 30 seconds.
  • Drop the heat to medium and continue to cook for an additional 2½ minutes.
  • Flip the chops over, baste the top side with the glaze, and cook for an additional 2½ minutes.
  • Check the internal temperature to see if it’s reached 135 degrees. If you need to keep cooking make sure to flip them after each additional minute so that you don’t burn one side.
  • Once the chops reach 135 degrees, flip them onto a clean plate, baste with the glaze and cover with aluminum foil.
  • Allow them to rest 5 – 10 minutes, during which time they should come up to 145 degrees internally.
  • Baste them a second time, front and back, prior to serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pork chop | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 693mg | Potassium: 657mg | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.8mg

The BEST Guacamole Recipe

The BEST Guacamole recipe uses simple ingredients and has the freshest flavor! It will be ready in 10 minutes, and perfect to top your tacos with, or dip your favorite chips in to.

Guacamole Recipe Easy
P.S. I’ve updated the photos in this post, but kept this oldie but goodie image here so those of you who’ve made it before, know this is still the same one!

Guacamole Recipe: Easy, Simple and the BEST!

How to Make Guacamole - simple and easy recipe

I am confident that this is the BEST Guacamole recipe you’ll make.

At least in my house it’s the best… (and with over 100,000 pins on Pinterest, I’d say it’s a favorite of others too!)

And if you’re an avocado fan in general, then you’ll DEFINITELY want to see this amazing resource of avocado toast recipes that will blow your mind with all the ways to use your avocados!

“So how do you make guacamole?”

I can’t tell you how in the world I came up with this recipe, but somehow it “worked.” Feel free to scroll to the very bottom of this post to get the FULL recipe ingredients, instructions and all the details on the recipe card.

But I love sharing tips and photos along the way in case you’re a visual person, so you’ll find videos, photos and a lot of fun tips as you scroll!

This recipe is incredibly easy and really quick too! (Two of my favorite characteristics of my quick and easy recipes.) So let’s hop to it!

Authentic Guacamole Recipe

Mexico is my favorite place to vacation, and the first thing that I order when I arrive is authentic guacamole. (See one of my favorite all-inclusive Mexico Vacations, when I surprised my husband for his 30th birthday, by keeping this trip a secret for over a YEAR!) 

So when I started experimenting in the kitchen one Sunday afternoon, I knew I wanted to mimic that authentic guacamole as much as I could. I’m so happy to say that I love this recipe JUST as much, as I do when I’m sitting on the beach, soaking in the sunshine… margaritas… and beach, in Mexico.

Guacamole Ingredients

 Using everyday ingredients, (unless you don’t typically keep fresh cilantro on hand) this will make you love this guacamole dip even more. No running to a gourmet market to grab the ingredients.

As you’ll see in my video below, I kind of “wing,” it when I make it, and adjust ingredient quantities as needed. For instance, some avocados can be a lot bigger than others, so adding/subtracting ingredients like spices, may be necessary. Also, be cautious of adding too much salt, when serving with salty chips!

Guac Tip: This recipe is easy to double, triple, or quadruple if need be for a larger crowd!

Guacamole Dip - How to Make Guacamole

Video: Easy Guacamole Recipe Tutorial

If you have a minute, here’s a quick video of my guacamole skills in the kitchen, if you’re more of a “see it,” & “do it,” kinda person.

Video on how to make guacamole

Like cooking videos? Make sure to check out my YouTube Channel for other fun videos (some recipes, some “real life,”) too! I’d love to see you over there!

Photo Tutorial: Ingredients Step-by-Step

This makes about 1 ½ cups of guacamole but also depends on the size of your avocados, onions, and tomatoes. 

Guacamole Ingredients - Recipt is easy and the best!

Avocados

I start by peeling and slicing my avocados for the guacamole. You do not have to cut the avocados into small pieces, but I prefer to because it seems like it is much easier to mash up with a fork or stone in a molcajete.

Avocado Guacamole - how to make guacamole dip

Slice, remove the avocado seed (have you seen the Grow Your own Avocado Tree Kits? I totally want one) and slice into small chunks if you like. Or, just remove the peel and mash the avocados as they are!

avocados for guacamole recipe
How to make guacamole recipe - easy and the best. Slice avocados and mash
I like to cut my avocados to make mashing in a molcajete easier

Roma Tomatoes

Next, slice and dice your roma tomatoes. I prefer to remove any white membranes and juices from the tomatoes to protect the flavor.

Cut roma tomatoes in to small cubes for guacamole

Red Onion

Grab your onion, peel, and dice a quarter of it. If your onion is really big, you may prefer a smaller amount of onion… or, if it’s a small onion, you may prefer to do half. It really does depend on the size and your preference.

For this recipe, I used a large red onion and used a ¼ of it. I LOVE red onion too and the more the better. So hopefully that will help you gauge your guacamole recipe!

use a quarter of a red onion
Dice red onion up for guacamole

Fresh Cilantro

Now when I say a “pinch” of fresh cilantro…I mean a big ole pinch. I LOVE fresh cilantro and would probably put a ton of it in my recipe if other’s liked it as much as I do.

To help you decide how much to try the first time, I grab my thumb, and a couple of fingers and pinch off a section of leaves. (Probably about a ⅛ cup???) But of course feel free to add more if you taste test it at the end and can’t distinctively notice the cilantro!

Pinch of fresh cilantro in authentic guacamole
Adding ingredients in to guacamole - so easy and so pretty!

Spices

I prefer kosher salt, but if you have table salt… know that it is totally fine! Using kosher salt in most of my recipes is pretty standard for me, so you’ll find me using it in this one too.

I’ve heard that some have made this guacamole recipe with garlic cloves instead of garlic powder, and I bet that’s glorious. However, I rarely keep fresh garlic on hand, so garlic powder it is.

Standard black pepper is a staple for me too and have noticed myself increasing the amount each time I make this. I do love a good hint of pepper!

Adding spices in to guacamole recipe

Fresh Juice from a Lime

For no particular reason, I save the lime juice for last. I feel like it just finishes off the dish with a fun “twist”. (Haha, that was a really sad “mom joke” wasn’t it?)

Add juice from a lime in to the fresh guacamole recipe

Molcajete

In just seconds, I’m able to mash all of the guacamole ingredients together in the molcajete and it’s ready to eat!

Feel free to use a regular bowl and a fork/spoon to make your guac of course, but I’m such a sucker for the molcajete!

Use a molcajete to mash up the guacamole ingredients, or a fork!

Taste Test

Before serving, I always love to grab a chip to make sure it’s not lacking a certain ingredient. I’m usually adding more salt, (because I’m scared of adding too much) and more garlic powder… but I’d rather add more because it’s much harder to take it away!

In seconds you have fresh guacamole to eat or serve!

Remember, you can grab the full recipe at the end of this blog post. 

Basic or Kick it Up a Notch…

It’s a basic enough recipe that you can use it on its own with chips, or include it on a nacho bar! Or, take it along as a snack for a beach picnic for a filling and easy snack!

Then, if you like a little spice, feel free to add some chili powder for a kick! But we like it just as described below in the recipe! Other fun guacamole ingredients would be cottage cheese, hot sauce, cumin, sour cream, bacon, shredded queso, and so much more!

Having fun making your own spin on how to make guacamole!

Pro Tip: Serve with “hint of lime” chips and it’s dynamite!

What can I do with leftover avocados?

Did you buy too many avocados? Head over to find out how I keep my avocados fresh and from turning brown!

Making Guacamole (how to keep avocados fresh)

Want more quick and easy recipes to serve alongside your guac?

If you like quick and easy, then you’ve come to the right place. I wanted to make sure I caught you before you headed to the guacamole recipe details below.

Now, I know how to find my way around the kitchen, but I’m no professional chef.

So what this means is that I like to experiment, but the main goal is to keep it quick… tasty, and slightly-homemade if possible.

I’m a mom of two little boys, so a big extravagant meal doesn’t always take place in our home. But I do love food, so I want it GOOD. You can always count on a quick & easy approach, but tasty! See more easy recipes for more Fantabulosity Recipes, like our favorite Beef Tenderloin Recipe:

or The BEST Side Salad Recipe on the planet, with just a couple of secret touches.

Guacamole Dip - How to Make Guacamole

Did you make this along with the hundreds of thousands of others who did, on Pinterest? I’d love to hear what you thought of it in the comments below!

Originally published: September 2018
Updated and Republished: May 2025

Recipe

The best guacamole in a small bowl with fresh cilantro on top.
Print Pin
4.27 from 49 votes

The BEST Guacamole

How to Make Guacamole: Easy Recipe + The BEST! – This authentic homemade guacamole tops all guacamole recipes, using everyday ingredients to make a dip everyone will love!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 168kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados peeled and pitted
  • ¼ red onion chopped finely
  • 1 roma tomato chopped finely
  • juice from ½ lime
  • pinch fresh cilantro leaves chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch Kosher salt to taste
  • pinch black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Mash avocados, red onion, roma tomato, fresh cilantro, and lime juice in together, until the avocados reach a mild chunky texture. I love using a molcajete to make this!
    2 avocados, ¼ red onion, 1 roma tomato, pinch fresh cilantro leaves, juice from ½ lime
  • Add in salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
    1 teaspoon garlic powder, pinch Kosher salt, pinch black pepper
  • Serve immediately! Added tip: My favorite chips to serve with this guacamole is the Tostitos Hint of Lime chips! So so good!

Video

Notes

This makes about 1 ½ cups of guacamole but also depends on the size of your avocados, onions, and tomatoes. 
You can use dried cilantro if that’s all you have on hand but using fresh cilantro makes a BIG difference.
Fresh lime juice (from a lime) is preferred over the bottled lime juice.
You can also use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder if desired!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (about ½ cup) | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 543mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 12.7mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.6mg
The Best Guacamole Recipe: Simple and Easy Authentic

Free Place Card Template: “Welcome” & “Thankful For”

Free Place Card Template: “Welcome,” and Thanksgiving Place Cards that are perfect for the holidays!

I’m more than excited to share a little goodness with you to help make entertaining in your home this year a bit easier! We entertain a lot in our home, and I’m always looking for ways to make a dinner party of 2, or a holiday party of 200, a little more personable.

Fall Dining Room Decorating Ideas

More Thanksgiving and Entertaining Ideas

If you’re hosting, some of our favorite hosting stapes are this side salad, fruit punch recipe, this easy bread pudding, and this Thanksgiving meal planner!

Free Place Card Template

Now listen… I hear ya on the “money-saving,” techniques that we all try to accomplish during party planning and hosting. So that’s why we wanted to create something that could be created in your own home, at the last minute, and could be personalized for your guests.

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

• Do you have a printer?  Perfect. You can just open it up in Adobe Reader, select the center, and type in a name. Print it on white card stock, kraft-colored card stock, or whatever your little heart desires. (I personally think the kraft card stock looks so classy and really “pops,” on white cloth napkins.) 

• Cut out the name card (napkin ring), and secure it around a cloth napkin.

• Place silverware in under the name card, and you’re good to go!

TIP: To change the font of the name that you enter, on a MAC, select inside the box, and push “command E” and a box should pop up, allowing you to change the font.

On a PC, “Control E,” should do the same.

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

Does your silverware need some spiffing up before the holiday? Here’s how to remove rust from silverware!

How to Secure the Name Card:

I had a little bit of time, so I decided that I wanted to punch a hole in each end of the name card, pull ribbon through the holes, creating a bow in the back (or bottom side) of the napkin.

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

If you’re pressed for time, you could easily tape the back, or staple it! Quick and Easy.

Also, if you have kiddos, you'll also love this Cute Thanksgiving Turkey Craft that they can make and place on the place setting, and make these Oreo turkey cookies while you’re at it!

Holiday Place Setting

If you’re planning to use these for Christmas, try adding an evergreen stem, and a few red berries, to really make it all “pop,” with color!

So CUTE! DIY Holiday Place Card FREE customizable printable!

I literally just placed the stem and berries inside the place card holder. You could tape them, glue them, etc. if you felt like you needed to secure them more!

 If you're planning to use these for Christmas, try adding an evergreen stem, and a few red berries, to really make it all "pop," with color!

 If you're planning to use these for Christmas, try adding an evergreen stem, and a few red berries, to really make it all "pop," with color!

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

For Thanksgiving, or for a “thankful,” occasion, here’s a  “thankful for,” place card, that you can customize and use for your dinner party! 

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!
Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

I can’t WAIT to see how you’ve used these name cards. Make sure to send me a photo! 🙂

Get YOUR PRINTABLE PLACE CARDS BELOW:

—–> Get the Thanksgiving and Welcome Name Cards HERE!

To Enter the Name of your Guests:

The link above will open into a new browser. Make sure you then save the place cards to your computer so you have the ability to type in the names.

If Using a Phone:

Note that if you’re wanting to access these printables with your phone, your phone may not allow you to save them and type in your guest’s names.

However, you can select the link to save the place cards above and print them from your phone. Then, you’d be able to handwrite in the name of your guests.

TIP: Email them from your phone to yourself, or to a friend to save them on a computer later so you can customize and enter the names later!

Customizable Name Cards. Free Printable!

Banana Bread Pudding

Banana Bread Pudding is a combination of two of the BEST desserts: Banana Bread and Bread Pudding! This is a great way to use up ripe bananas and day-old bread!

Slice of banana bread pudding on white plate

It only makes sense to combine two of our most popular recipes, banana bread, and bread pudding, to make this dish, so we did! So get ready for one of the most delicious dessert recipes ever!

You’ll also love this Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding for a no-baked dessert that’s great for summertime.

Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Pudding

Not only does this recipe use simple ingredients but it uses items that you may even already have on hand!

With this recipe being flexible when it comes to the type of bread you can use, feel free to use anything such as hamburger buns, hot dog buns, leftover rolls, muffins, donuts like we used in this donut bread pudding, etc. Or, if you are just craving this delicious dessert, you can use regular sliced bread!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this:

(You can also scroll toward the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredients and instructions all in one place.)

  • 6 slices (about 4-5 cups, loosely measured) leftover french bread, sourdough bread, buns, rolls, donuts, challah, toast, or another type of bread, like when we made this croissant bread pudding recipe – broken in to 1-inch cubes
  • 3 Tablespoons of butter 1 tablespoon + 2 Tbsp
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 large bananas (if you only have fresh bananas, this is how you can ripen bananas quickly or take a look at this banana poke cake too.)
ingredients for banana bread pudding on white table

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and use 1 Tablespoon of butter to coat the inside of your 8 in. square baking dish. (Or, I melted the 3 tablespoon of butter at once, and poured about 1 tablespoon in to the dish.)
  2. Next, pour bread pieced in to dish.
Pouring butter in to dish
Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter
Pour bread pieces in to dish
Pour bread pieces in to dish
  1. Using your hand, spread the bread around in the dish, trying to make sure the butter is spreading and that the bread is even in the dish.
  2. Next, pour the remaining melted butter over the top of the bread cubes.
Spread bread around in dish
Spread bread around in dish
Pouring melted butter over bread
Pour 2 tablespoon melted butter over bread
  1. Crack eggs in to a medium bowl. (Big enough to hold the milk, eggs, etc. that will be added soon.)
  2. Whisk eggs until blended.
eggs in bowl with whisk
Whisk eggs in bowl
Whisked eggs in bowl
Eggs are whisked
  1. Next, add in milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar.
  2. Whisk together until evenly combined.
Ingredients in bowl with eggs
Add cinnamon, sugar, milk
egg mixture in glass bowl
Whisk until blended
  1. In a separate bowl or even a plastic zip-top bag, mash bananas.
  2. Carefully pour mashed bananas in to egg mixture and stir or slowly whisk.
mashed bananas in glass bowl
Mash bananas
mashed bananas in bowl with eggs
Add mashed bananas
  1. Right before pouring egg mixture over bread pieces, stir to make sure ingredients are blended as much as possible.
  2. Pour banana and egg mixture over bread pieces, as evenly as possible. Using spoon, gently press bread down to make sure all/most pieces of bread are coated in batter.
Pour banana mixture over bread
Pour banana mixture over bread
  1. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 45-55 minutes or until the top of bread pudding rises above dish (see below), becomes golden brown and springs back when touched. (If you pull it out, cut in to the middle of the bread pudding, and it still has liquid running, it’s not done yet. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes until the middle is no longer runny. However, it SHOULD be a custard-like, wet, texture.
Baked banana bread pudding in dish

Serve a slice of the banana bread pudding as a warm dessert, for a brunch recipe, or as an easy breakfast.

Banana bread pudding slice on white plate

If desired, slice any other remaining banana to top the banana bread pudding with for some extra banana flavor!

Bite of banana bread pudding on fork

Variations

Chocolate goes wonderful with banana – Try our chocolate bread pudding recipe for a chocolate chip banana bread pudding. Or, try butterscotch chips for a lovely flavor!

Caramel Banana Bread Pudding – drizzle in caramel pieces or caramel ice cream drizzle, in to the batter before baking.

Pineapple Bread – Could you imagine using leftover Pineapple bread for this? That would be some incredible tropical flavor!

Although this isn’t a bread pudding recipe, this blackberry banana bread is a must-make if you love bananas.

Banana Bread Pudding on white plate
Banana Bread Pudding Serving

Topping Ideas

Although this is absolutely wonderful to eat the way it is, right out of the oven, you may also decide to top it with some of your favorite toppings. Here are some ideas for you:

  • Caramel Sauce
  • Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Whipped Cream
  • Toffee Pieces
  • Banana Slices
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries

How to Store

If you have leftover banana bread pudding, allow it to cool off completely to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

To reheat leftovers the next day, place in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until heated through.

If you love easy, old-fashioned desserts, you’ll also love this egg custard, ugly duckling cake, and this gooey butter cake!

Recipe

Slice of banana bread pudding on white plate
Print Pin
5 from 22 votes

Easy Banana Bread Pudding

Banana Bread Pudding is a combination of two of the BEST desserts: Banana Bread and Bread Pudding! This is a great way to use up ripe bananas and day-old bread!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 240kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 6 slices stale bread french bread, buns, rolls, donuts, challah, toast or another type of bread, broken in to 1-inch cubes or 4-5 cups loosely measured cups of bread pieces
  • 2 ripened bananas (Here's a quick way to ripen bananas.)
  • 3 Tablespoons butter melted
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Pour about 1 tablespoon of melted butter in to 8×8 baking dish.
  • Next, pour bread pieces in to dish, and spread them out so they're evenly spread out in the pan.
  • Pour remaining melted butter over bread pieces, set aside.
  • Crack 4 eggs in to a medium sized bowl (one big enough to fit the remaining ingedients. Whisk eggs until combined.
  • Pour in sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
  • Mash bananas in plastic ziptop bag or in a small separate bowl. Pour mashed bananas in to egg mixture and gently stir.
  • Pour egg, banana and milk mixture over the top of bread pieces, trying to cover all of them. Gently press any pieces of bread down, trying to make sure all pieces of bread have been submerged in to batter.
  • Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until bread pudding has risen above the baking dish, has turned golden brown and the top springs back when touched.(If you cut in to the middle and it's still liquid, it needs to cook longer. It should have a custard-like, wet, center but not runny.)
  • Serve warm!

Notes

How to Store Banana Bread Pudding
If you have leftover banana bread pudding, allow to cool off and place in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (⅛ recipe) | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg

Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls

Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls make serving ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat just a little more fun!

Regular waffle cone bowls are way more fun when they are dipped in chocolate and peppermint chips! What a fun way to serve ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat!

Hi fab friends! Keri back from Shaken Together with an easy way to add some fun to your holiday entertaining! ‘Tis the season for parties and get togethers, so your regular recipes and entertaining ideas are sure to get a work out. Instead of your stand by dessert, try serving ice cream sundaes (or any sweet treat) in these Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls – your guests will love them! And since I am the queen of quick and easy recipes, you only need 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes to give plain ol’ waffle bowls a delicious holiday makeover!

Regular waffle cone bowls are way more fun when they are dipped in chocolate and peppermint chips! What a fun way to serve ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat!
  • Candiquik – this is my favorite dipping chocolate, but you can also use almond bark or chocolate chips
  • Peppermint Crunch baking chips – or crushed cookies, seasonal sprinkles, jimmies, coconut, etc.
  • Mini waffle cone bowls

Now let’s getting dipping!

Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls

I like to set up a dipping station before I get rolling so I can dip all of my bowls before the Candiquik sets up as it cools. So, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a shallow bowl with the peppermint chips (and maybe even some pretty sparkly sugar sprinkles). Then, once you dip your waffle cone bowls, you can easy move them to the baking sheet with minimal mess.

• First, dip each bowl into the melted Candiquik. Shake off any excess chocolate and immediately place the dipped waffle cone bowl into the peppermint chips. Push chips around the edge of the waffle cone bowl so they stick to the melted chocolate. Finally, carefully move each bowl to the baking sheet and set it dipped side down. (The parchment paper will prevent the bowls from sticking, so don’t worry!)

Regular waffle cone bowls are way more fun when they are dipped in chocolate and peppermint chips! What a fun way to serve ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat!

I pop the baking sheet in the fridge to help the Candiquik set up, but if you live in a cool climate with minimal humidity (lucky you!), yours very well may set up on their own.

• The last step is to fill each chocolate dipped waffle cone with your favorite sweet treat! Think ice cream, pudding, no bake cheesecake, a snack mix or even candy. This was totally my chance to indulge in my favorite limited edition ice cream … Peppermint Stick!

Regular waffle cone bowls are way more fun when they are dipped in chocolate and peppermint chips! Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls are such a fun way to serve ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat!

You can easily exchange the peppermint chips for coconut or white/gold sprinkles for New Years, heart shaped sprinkles or red hots for Valentine’s Day and multi-colored sprinkles for birthdays … these chocolate dipped waffle cone bowls will be making an appearance at all of our celebrations this year 🙂

Regular waffle cone bowls are way more fun when they are dipped in chocolate and peppermint chips! Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls are such a fun way to serve ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat!

Recipe

Regular waffle cone bowls are way more fun when they are dipped in chocolate and peppermint chips! Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls are such a fun way to serve ice cream, pudding or any sweet treat!
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Bowls

This waffle cone bowl is super simple to make and the perfect accessory for ice cream! Use sprinkles, nuts, or any toppings you desire in this easy waffle bowl recipe.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 waffle bowls
Calories 181kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Candiquik can substitute with any dipping chocolate
  • ½ cup peppermint crunch baking chips can substitute with crushed cookies, seasonal sprinkles, coconut, nuts, etc
  • 4 mini waffle cone bowls

Instructions

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour toppings in a shallow dish and set aside.
  • Prepare Candyquik and dip waffle bowls into chocolate. Shake off any excess chocolate and immediately dip into toppings.
  • Move each dipped bowl to parchment paper-lined baking sheet dipped side down.
  • Place waffle bowls in the fridge for 10 minutes to help harden.

Nutrition

Serving: 1waffle bowl | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 14mg | Sugar: 19g | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Here are a few more fun holiday ideas from Shaken Together!

No Bake Eggnog Cookies from Shaken Together

No Bake Eggnog Cookies

Hope you all have a fantabulous holiday season!! See you again soon!

Small Town Girl & Salt Lake City

My heart is full. FULL you all.

Let me explain…

A few months back, I was invited to speak at the Pinners Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sharing my passion for throwing parties & entertaining, was on the agenda, and I couldn’t WAIT to get to the mountains.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

First Night in Camp

First day in town, we spent cruising around soaking in all that Salt Lake had to offer. Shopping ladies… TONS of shopping in Salt Lake.

I propped my computer open, and was along for the ride, working & scouting out where I was headed the next day, for a little retail therapy. 😉

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

We broke for lunch at the Market Street Grill, and I had to celebrate with a martini that was TO DIE FOR…

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

and a pound of shrimp cocktail. Yes, I shared with my hubby and friends… but I could have tackled this glorious pile of deliciousness on my own.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Our waitress was fabulous, and the food/drinks were superb. If you’re ever in the area… go. eat. here.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Change of Seasons in Minutes

My mind is STILL blown. After lunch, we headed out, and up the mountain to see the white stuff…

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

In just minutes of starting in beautiful, colorfully Fall leaves…

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah
Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah
Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah
Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

we were on top of the mountain, covered in snow. HOW? How in the world can you be in a warmer, colorful surrounding… and then minutes later, be freezing… surrounded by all the makings of Frosty the Snowman’s?

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah
Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah
Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

It was ABSOLUTELY beautiful.

Trip Outtakes

Hungry for a local pizza, we decided to order a “little,” take out… while we were there. I don’t know about you, but my hubby and I LOVE having a pizza delivered when we are visiting somewhere, trying new styles & flavors. Well… not looking closely at the menu, my husband orders:

Just bring us the biggest one you got. Pepperoni.

I must say, we learned our lesson of double checking pizza-size in the future. A 36 inch pizza {think about how big that is for a minute. There are typically ONE of those little white stands, in the center of a large pizza. There were 6.} shows up at the front door. I’m pretty certain the box had to be turned sideways to fit through the front door. We never finished the WHOLE thing, but did put a hurtin’ on it at least.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Checking in on the blogs Facebook page on Day 2 of the trip, I noticed Fantabulosity’s FB page reached 5,000 followers!!! I celebrated with another martini. 😉

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

A bit of “window shopping,” was on the agenda in Park City, and we found our inner snow bird “look.”

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

But they were $500 hats. We gently sat them back down after the photo opp., and ran out of the store, afraid we would be stuck with paying for something if we broke it. 😉

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

On day THREE, I visited Home Goods and scored the cutest little table for my Party Styling 101 Class, and decided that I wanted to give it away as a BIG thank you for attending my class. Have I ever told you how much I love Home Goods?

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

On VIP night at the conference, I popped in for a bit, and ran in to Gloria from Simply Fit Board, and my hubby and I had seen her on Shark Tank the week before! I love success stories, and had to get my photo with her immediately.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

I gotta say… if we ever move to Utah, I’ll have a FABULOUS time, playing with fashion. Those Utah girls KNOW how to style it up, and if I could have packed more back home… I wouldah. My new faux vest and gray boots were my favorite purchase of the trip!

http://simplyfitboard.com/

Party Styling 101 

The day arrived, and I was more excited than ever. I opened my class up by admitting to them all:

I seriously thought there would be like 2 people in my class, considering I didn’t really know anyone in Utah.

I was ridiculously flattered…

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Party tips, party tips, & party tips! I spoke for an hour, but could have talked all day.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

If you weren’t able to attend, I’ll fill you in on one little secret I told them.

Adding “garnishes,” to your drinks can add fabulous “umph,” to your party decor.

Dip the ring of a glass, in to white Kayro syrup. Then dip the glass in to glittery sprinkles. The look is not only fabulous…. but it adds a “sweet,” touch! 😉

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

I created a “mini,” tablescape for the audience, to show examples of how to stagger and add height to a display table…

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

“Think Outside of the Box,” is a common phrase of mine, and using this table that I scored from Home Goods, gave a great example of how you could utilize what you may already have at home, to create the perfect party tablescape.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

I have a new love of party goody supplies: Alexis Maddox Design let me use this cake topper for my class, and now I’m HOOKED! It added the exact “look,” that I was going for.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

I bought a few store-bought cupcakes, and added little party flags for an easy cupcake topper idea.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

While standing in the checkout at Home Goods, I saw yellow macaroons, and KNEW they’d look darling on my dessert table example. They fit perfectly in the little polka dot cups that I’m obsessed with.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

In my class, I gave the attendees a quick and easy way to add some pizzazz to party favors. I hope you’ll attend one of my classes one day, so I can teach you this little trick too! 😉

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

So I’m back there… behind those people. After my class, person after person came up to chat & ask questions. I was so caught off-guard by the sweetness of everyone. You all are too incredibly sweet, and now I feel like I have a lot of friends in Utah. 🙂

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

No matter where I am, or when it is… It makes my DAY when someone comes up to me and says,:

Hey! It’s me! I follow you!

My heart skips a beat when someone makes a special trip to say hello. We both share a love for Stitch Fix, So I made her take a photo with me. 🙂

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

The special lady standing by me, won the little table that I gave away at the end of my class. She was so happy to receive it, and I was sooo happy to have her and the gals with her, to come up and get a photo!

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

I don’t know how I got so stinking lucky, to have met Toni with Design Dazzle. I had posted in a private FB group before heading out to Utah, that I was coming by myself, and didn’t know anyone. Toni took me under her wing, and made me feel right at home. Much love to her, and PLEASE visit her blog, because she’s not only the sweetest, but you’ll LOVE what she shares. {Especially her home decor ideas. OMG}

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

If you haven’t attended a Pinners Conference, you MUST! Good news… they’re expanding to Dallas Texas, and Phoenix Arizona in 2016! I can’t WAIT to go, and support Pinners in the new locations. Ticket… booked. 😉

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah
Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

After my class, I browsed around the expo at all of the different booths, and ran in to Lisa Bearnson… like the host on HSN… Lisa Bearnson. Yes, really! Guys… she’s as sweet and welcoming as you imagined!

I’m getting crazy excited for what she and Anthology has planned ahead. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted on what fabulous things she has up her sleeve too!

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Literally on cloud 9 at this point… on my way home from Salt Lake City, where the mountains are breathtaking, the pizzas are HUGE, the shopping is PERFECT for a gal like me, and the people are incredibly wonderful.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Thank you SOOO much to everyone who came to my class, to the Pinners team, and to all of you for your support leading up to this point and the future. Without you all… I wouldn’t be living my dream.

Fantabulosity Party Styling: Pinners Conference Salt Lake City Utah

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones that use frozen cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest with a few other simple ingredients to create a breakfast pastry that’s beautiful for brunch and delicious enough for a weekend breakfast.

In only 30 minutes, you’ll have scones ready to enjoy with your morning coffee.

Stack of 3 cranberry orange scones.

For years, breakfast has been my favorite meal of the day to make. There’s something about feeding everyone when they wake up hungry, especially when they see warm, sweet treats on the table like these scones.

The flavors of the orange and cranberry together in these, are such a nice change from your typical flavors.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Ingredients You’ll Need

Overhead shot of cranberry orange scones ingredients.

These scones are made with easy-to-find ingredients. Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients. See the recipe card below for the measurements.

  • Baking powder: Be sure to check the expiration date to make sure it’s fresh for optimal performance.
  • Frozen unsalted butter: Cube or grate the butter and keep it cold. Use cold ingredients, including chilled butter and heavy cream, to achieve a flaky and tender texture in the scones.

For another scone recipe, try these strawberry scones. You might also like all of my other easy breakfast recipes!

How to Make Cranberry Orange Scones

Here’s an overview of how to make these scones. You can jump to the recipe for full instructions.

Step by step instructions on how to make cranberry orange scones.
  • Preheat: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Dry ingredients + butter: Whisk together dry ingredients and then add cold butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Orange + cranberries: Stir in the mixture.
  • Wet ingredients: Whisk together wet ingredients.
  • Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
Step by step process of making cranberry orange scones.
  • Shape: Shape the dough and slice.
  • Bake: for 12 – 15 minutes.
  • Make glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest.
  • Cool and drizzle: Allow scones to cool and drizzle.

Glaze Tips:
If your glaze is too thick, gradually add a teaspoon of orange juice until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, gradually add small amounts of powdered sugar and mix in, until it reaches the thickness desired.

Overhead shot of orange glaze drizzled over scones.

Recipe Pro Tips

  • Handle the flour with care. Overmixing the dough can lead to dense scones. Mix until just combined to maintain a light texture.
  • Distribute. Distribute the cranberries evenly throughout the dough to ensure that each bite contains a burst of tartness.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Refresh them by warming briefly in the oven or microwave.

What is the secret to making good scones??

Making sure your ingredients are really cold is key for scone success! You can even chill your equipment (bowls, etc.) to help keep the dough as cold as possible.

What can I use if I don’t have heavy cream or milk??

Mixing butter and milk together (whole milk or even half-and-half work best), you can make your own heavy cream! To make ½ cup of heavy cream, gently melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and then slowly whisk in 6 Tablespoons of milk. 

More Breakfast Pastry Recipes

Recipe

Stacked cranberry orange scones.
Print Pin
5 from 11 votes

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones that use frozen cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest with a few other simple ingredients to create a breakfast pastry that's beautiful for brunch and delicious enough for a weekend breakfast.
In only 30 minutes, you'll have scones ready to enjoy with your morning coffee.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 scones
Calories 446kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice Divided (1 Tablespoon + 2 Tablespoons)
  • zest of 1 orange (reserve 1 teaspoon for icing)
  • ½ cup frozen unsalted butter 1 stick – cubed or grated
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream cold
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup frozen cranberries halved
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Then add ½ cup cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Stir in the orange zest and 1 cup of halved cranberries, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup of heavy cream, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon of orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract until well combined.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; the dough should be slightly sticky.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently pat it into a circle about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife or a floured round cutter, cut the dough into 8 equal wedges or as many rounds as you can make. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little extra heavy cream.
  • Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.
  • While the scones are baking, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of orange zest (if using) to make the glaze.
  • Once the scones are done baking, let them cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Drizzle the orange glaze over the warm scones.
  • Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your homemade Cranberry Orange Scones with a cup of tea or coffee!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone (with icing) | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg

Let It Snow Ornament

It’s a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament! Each ornament is filled with sparkly snow and mini snowballs and sports a stamped tag with a cute baker’s twine bow!

Make them alongside these gingerbread ornaments and you’ll have a full holiday season of DIY and Crafting!

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

Let It Snow Ornament

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

I love handmade Christmas ornaments – there is just something about hanging those hand print reindeer and popsicle stick frames alongside with my rustic wooden nativity ornament and wood slice snowman. And this year, I’ll add a few Let It Snow ornaments to our tree … since that is the only snow we’ll ever get in Florida 🙂

Supplies

  • Plastic ornaments
  • Winter Snow (*see notes below)
  • Faux snow (*see notes below)
  • White card stock
  • Black ink pad and letter stamps
  • Small hole punch
  • Blue/white bakers twine
  • Ribbon for hanging
It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

*The Winter Snow is from FloraCraft – it is basically shredded foam that has a little sheen/sparkle. You should be able to find this or something similar at your local craft store. The Faux Snow (mini foam balls) was at my local dollar store.*

Cut a thin piece of white card stock and stamp “Let It Snow” on the tag. Use a small hole punch to add a small hole at the top of each tag.

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

Carefully remove ornament hanger and separate the metal hanger from the collar of the fastener and slide the tag onto the hanger.

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

While the ornament hanger is removed, fill each ornament about ⅓ – ½ full with the Winter Snow and Faux Snow. If you have a small funnel, that will help corral the snow as you fill the ornaments.

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

Replace the ornament hanger. Tie a bow with blue and white bakers twine around the ornament hanger. You can use a different color of twine to match your tree, but I love the blue, white and silver combo for these ornaments!

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

Finally, add a length of ribbon through the ornament hanger to hang the ornament. Easy right?

It is a DIY Christmas with this easy Let It Snow Ornament!

Nacho Bar Ideas

Nacho Bar Ideas: An easy “serve yourself,” style of food bar for a party or event. Topping ideas, and my favorite way to serve the cheese!

As a party planner at heart, I decided to style an easy nacho bar since food bars are my favorite!

Table with nacho bar toppings in bowls and on plates

We invited a few of our closest friends over on a Friday night, with a Facebook invite saying,

It’s Nacho Birthday, it’s his!

We then told them to plan on coming over to our house after school & work that Friday evening, for a nacho bar & some brew. (Juice boxes for the kiddos.)

Nacho toppings on table, easily for guests to grab and go

You’ll Also Love:

Everyone LOVED the nacho bar idea! They were able to make their own… just the way they wanted it, and it was the perfect way to vedge out, on a Friday evening.

The idea started, when I saw a sign out front of the party rental store in my home town that said,

“NOW CARRYING A NACHO CHEESE MACHINE.”

I just about rear-ended someone, because of my excitement. I literally planned this party days later. 😉

Nacho Bar Ideas

Nacho cheese machine

How to Make a Nacho Bar

I literally bought almost everything already pre-made and pre-cut. It was by choice to make the guacamole and pico de gallo. But a nacho bar is PERFECT for a last minute party idea because it was literally all ready in no time.

My easy guacamole recipe is a HUGE hit on Pinterest, and my top most-visited recipe post every year if you want to snag it too:

Guacamole Dip in white bowl

Type of Cheese for Nacho Bar

In the recipe card below, you’ll find instructions for making your own cheese for the nacho bar, or you can make our Rotel Dip with Ground Beef!

However, you can also look in to a nacho cheese machine rental, or you can usually also find the large cans of nacho cheese at grocery stores!

White dishes full of salsa, sour cream, green onions

Chips for a Nacho Bar

Feel free to use your favorite tortilla chips (corn or flour)! Or, add a variety of chips, such as nacho cheese chips (like I use in this easy Doritos nachos recipe, lime chips, or even something fun like black bean chips!

It’s fun to pour chips in to a basket, to serve them that way, instead of leaving them in the bags.

But if you don’t have a basket, they’ll also go great in a large bowl!

Chips in white basket

Toppings for a Nacho Bar

A nacho bar isn’t complete without salsal (try my rotel salsa), sour cream, and green onions.

White bowls filled with salsa, sour cream, green onions

(I had this wooden “plank,” left over from my son’s Nautical Birthday party,” and I thought it would work perfectly to add a little boost or height to the table.)

Shredded lettuce, black olives & Pico de Gallo…

Brown tray full of lettuce, black olives, pico

refried beans, fajita chicken, & jalapeños…

Refried beans, chicken and jalapenos on white plates

oh…. and guac. Guacamole. My weakness.

Guacamole on white plate

Mmmmm, & Chili. I do love a mean chili-cheese-nacho.

Chili in bowl

What to serve nachos in?

I found the cutest “boats,” & wooden utensils for the nachos, and they worked perfectly! No dishes to wash! (Well… besides the platters and small bowls on the table.)

Food boats
Wooden utensils in white cups

The best part? People were coming and going all night, and they were able to snack as they pleased. This will definitely be happening in our house again.

Nacho toppings in white dishes

Nacho Toppings Ideas:

  • Salsa
  • Sour Cream
  • Green Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Black Olives
  • Pico De Gallo
  • Refried Beans
  • Chicken Breast
  • Jalapeños
  • Guacamole
  • Chili

…of course don’t forget your chips & cheese.

If you’re able to rent a cheese machine, do it! The kids (AND ADULTS) loved the heck out of that thing. I’ll admit… I had “cheese,” with EVERYTHING the entire weekend, that I had this glorious invention, rented.

More recipes to serve, if desired:

If you’re looking to serve a few main dishes along with this, you may like the idea of these Crock Pot Enchiladas because they’re easy and can be in a slow cooker!

Nacho Bar for Birthday Party

Since you’re probably thinking of doing a nacho bar because it’s easy, then I wanted to make sure you saw my easy birthday cake that I did for my son. (In case you’re doing a nacho bar for a birthday party too!)

For my parties, I usually hire out for the cake, cake pops, or cupcakes. But this year, since a big “to-do,” wasn’t taking place, (and only our closest friends would “see,” the cake), I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Birthday Cake with little balloons!

Now… I can make a cake. That’s not the problem. It’s the DECORATING the cake. 

Birthday Cake with little balloons!

  There’s a cake on Pinterest, that had itty bitty balloons sticking out of it, and I thought… I can do that! I just grabbed wooden skewers, small balloons, and super glued them to the skewers, and stuck ’em in. It worked, right?!

Party Favors and Games

I couldn’t send our guests out the door empty-handed. While my normal “stroll,” through the Target dollar bin, I came across playing cards & play dough, and thought they’d be the perfect little items to throw into goodie bags and to keep the kiddos busy on the car ride home.

Easy Party Favors - Playing cards & Playdough

I placed a rolling cart that I have from World Market, by the front door, and stuffed the goody bags in it… with a sign that said, “Take 1.” It worked out perfectly, and there wasn’t ONE favor left, by the end of the night. 

Easy Party Favors - Playing cards & Playdough in wooden rolling cart

If you’re looking for birthday game ideas for your nacho bar party, these 40th birthday party games are fun to keep in mind!

So there it is! It was my “It’s Nacho Birthday, It’s His,” nacho bar party!

P.S. My little guy LOVED his cake… & the nachos. He’s a “cruncher,” like his momma and loves anything salty and sweet. Ok, ok… he’s like his momma because he’ll eat anything.

More Food Bar Ideas!

If you love hosting food bars like I do, then you’ll also love these 51+ Food Bar Ideas too!

Or, see some of our favorites, below:

Other Party Ideas by Fantabulosity

Recipe

nacho bar ideas
Print Pin
5 from 3 votes

Nacho Bar Toppings & Ideas

Nacho bars are SO fun and easy to serve for a crowd! Keep the toppings easy and use these tricks to make a spread worth inviting others to enjoy!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 16 people
Calories 108kcal
Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

If making your own cheese

  • processed cheese
  • 10 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies Such as Rotel

Topping Ideas

  • salsa
  • sour cream
  • green onions
  • lettuce
  • black olives
  • pico de gallo
  • refried beans
  • cooked chicken pieces
  • jalapenos
  • guacamole
  • chili
  • chips

Instructions

Melting the Cheese

  • If making your own nacho cheese: Slice the processed cheese (Velveeta) and place into a microwavable bowl.
  • Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and green chilies. (Undrained)
  • Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Stirm and then cook again in 1-2 minute increments until melted.
  • To keep warm for nacho bar, place melted cheese in a slow cooker or in a food warmer.

Assemble Nachos

  • In small dishes or plates, start by placing tortilla chips down first. Pour cheese on top and top with favorite toppings!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 1mg