Smoked Chicken Tenders – 3 Ways!

November 17, 2024

Smoked Chicken Tenders: 1 way to cook, 3 ways to season! You choose which rub to use and let the smoker be the hero of flavor!

When you can cook something SO easy, like chicken on a smoker… mixing up the seasonings can add variety to your meal planner even when you’re cooking the same things over and over again.

I can’t wait to share with you our favorite ways to season chicken tenderloins below.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

All types of chicken can be made on the smoker: breasts, legs, wings, thighs, and even whole chickens. But even after trying almost all of these, chicken tenders may just be my absolute favorite. For a few reasons…

Chicken tenders cook much faster, they’re juicy (when cooked on the smoker) and they’re easy to wrap bacon around!

Three Favorite Ways to Season

There are MANY different ways that you can season chicken and no matter which one we choose that day, a “must” for us is to start by wrapping bacon around each piece of chicken. And if you have time, letting your chicken sit in this amazing chicken brine is an extra bonus of flavor!

However, when it comes to the “rub” or “seasoning” we’ve found that we have 3 different favorite ways…

With Strawberry’s BBQ Seasoning
(We fell in love with this a long time ago and use it on SO much. It’s hard to find in the store but you can find it online, and I doubt you’ll regret it.)
Brown Sugar Garlic Rub – it’s hard to go wrong with brown sugar and garlic on chicken that’s wrapped in bacon. It uses easy ingredients that are typically “on-hand” and it’s a crowd favorite.
You can find this recipe option in the recipe card below
The “Braxton” Rub – this is the homemade rub that we always use on the beef tenderloin recipe but we like using it on chicken too!
You’ll see that this is the spice rub that we used in the photos and recipe card below!

No matter which seasoning or “rub” that you choose to use on the chicken, the cook temperature and time will remain the same for this recipe.

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to smoke chicken at 225°?

Chicken cooked at 225° needs to be cooked at least 1 hour and possibly 1.5 hours, or until it reached the internal temperature of 165°.

How do you smoke chicken without drying it out?

Cooking it on “low” (for example, at 225°) and “slow” will help keep your chicken moist. But also wrapping it in bacon helps and also adds an amazing flavor.

What is the best wood for smoking chicken?

Hickory pellets (or wood) works amazing for chicken but feel free to use a different flavor if that’s what you have on hand.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Tenders

If smoking meat isn’t something you’re familiar with, no worries because this is one of the easiest recipes!

Smoker Temperature

Preheat the smoker to 225°.

Spice Blend

Mix together a spice blend of your choice. (You’ll see the three recipes or seasonings you can use below for a guide if you prefer.)

Spice mixture and rub for chicken tenders

Uncooked Chicken Tenderloins

To make it easy to season, place the chicken in a single layer on a large dish. I usually buy the 2 pound package of tenderloins for our family of four and do occasionally have a few leftovers to use in a salad recipe the next day.

Season

You can season the chicken before wrapping with bacon, after or both. How much will depend on if you’re seasoning only once or both.

Wrap with Bacon

If you REALLY like bacon like we do, wrapping one full piece of bacon (we really like the “thick-cut” but “regular cut” bacon holds better) around each chicken tender is delicious. However, if you don’t have enough or want just a small piece of bacon on each piece, it can be cut in half.

Wrap the chicken with bacon, and if needed, secure with a toothpick.

If you choose to season again, this is the time to season.

Note: Seasoning too much can actually happen, especially if using a salty blend.

Smoke at 225° for One Hour until Internal Temp is 165°

Place tenders on smoker racks, not touching one another, and cook at 225° for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Serve

When tenderloins reach 165°, remove from smoker and serve!

Dipping Sauces for Chicken

Although these are flavorful just as they are, and don’t NEED a dipping sauce, sometimes it just sends things over the top! Here are dipping sauce ideas that you can serve with it:

Smoked recipes are some of our favorites around here because when you can “set it” and almost forget it… we can work on the other side dishes and desserts to go along with dinner! If you’re new to smoking meats, I have no doubt that you’ll feel the same way!

More Cook “Out” Recipes

“Cookout” recipes don’t actually have to be cooked outside to have the same vibe! These baked pork steaks are an absolute winner and perfect even if you don’t have a grill!

But if you do want to cook “out”, here are some of our favorite recipes for the grill:

Side Dishes for Chicken

With a main dish as easy as this, it makes sense to keep the side dishes just as easy!

Here are some great side dishes to go with this recipe:

Did You Make This?
Snap a pic and hashtag it #Fantabulosity - I love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook.

Recipe

Smoked chicken tenders on parchment paper and baking sheet.

Print Pin

5 from 15 votes

Smoked Chicken Tenders

Smoked Chicken Tenders with 3 chicken rub seasoning recipe options! Simply season, wrap in bacon and smoke!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 146kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

smoker

Ingredients

14 uncooked chicken tenderloins (almost 2 pounds)
12 ounces bacon

Braxton Rub Spice Blend Option

2 Tablespoons dried thyme
2 Tablespoons dried rosemary
1.5 Tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

For Brown Sugar Garlic Spice Blend Option

½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika optional
1 teaspoon oregano optional
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Preheat smoker to 225°
Wrap each piece of chicken with one piece of bacon, securing with a toothpick if needed.
Season chicken with desired "rub" recipe above. (See notes in blog posts for options)
Cook chicken on smoker at 225° for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°.
Remove from smoker and serve! (See post for dipping sauce ideas and side dish recipe suggestions!)

Notes

See blog post for tips and our 3 favorite ways to season chicken! Plus tips for making these the BEST chicken tenders we’ve ever had!

Nutrition

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

November 17, 2024

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball: What do you get when you cross cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough? An irresistible no bake Christmas dessert that will be the star of all your holiday parties!

A birdseye photo of a holiday dessert cheese ball plated with graham crackers

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No bake desserts like this chocolate chip cream cheese dessert ball and our Christmas Tree Cake Dip and No Bake Peppermint Pie, are superstars for holiday entertaining! (Well, and this sugar cookie fudge recipe of course!)

If you want to make a similar dessert cheese ball but not with a Christmas spin, you’ll love this Chocolate Chip Dessert Cheese Ball.

Made with cream cheese, butter, brown sugar and chocolate chips, this dessert ball tastes like cheesecake dip mixed with chocolate chip cookie dough and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a more delicious combination.

With a few simple ingredients and no fancy equipment, this is a no fail recipe for a holiday get together, baby shower or Christmas dessert party!

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Ingredients

Trust me when I say this sweet cheese ball comes together in minutes with just a handful of ingredients from the grocery store.

8 ounces of cream cheese, brought to room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup holiday mini M&Ms
½ cup crushed candy canes

See the printable recipe card below for detailed instructions, nutrition information and recipe notes.

Instructions

This no bake holiday dessert couldn’t be easier. Just mix, chill, roll and serve!

In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar using a hand mixer until the mixture is well combined.

A block of cream cheese, a stick of butter and vanilla are in a glass bowl ready to be mixed with a hand mixer — Add ingredients to bowl

A mixture of cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract has been whipped in a glass bowl — Cream together

Add the powdered sugar and beat on low, increasing the mixer speed to medium until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Powdered sugar has been added to a glass bowl that contains a mixture of cream cheese, butter and vanilla — Add powdered sugar

A glass bowl is filled with a creamy mixture of cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar — Mix until smooth & creamy

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the mini chocolate chips into the cream cheese base.
Line your countertop with a large piece of plastic wrap. Form the cream cheese mixture into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

Mini chocolate chips have been added to a glass bowl filled with a sweet cream cheese mixture — Add mini chocolate chips

A sweet dessert cheese ball has been wrapped in plastic wrap in preparation to be chilled in the refrigerator — Roll the cheeseball in plastic wrap

Combine the holiday mini M&Ms and crushed candy canes in a bowl or shallow dish. Roll the cheeseball in the decorative mixture.

A sweet cream cheese dessert cheese ball has been coated in crushed candy canes and mini holiday M&Ms — Roll the chocolate chip cheeseball in candies

Serve the sweet dessert cheese ball on a platter with graham crackers.

Close up photo of a Christmas dessert cheese ball showing the coating of crushed candy canes and mini holiday M&Ms

Substitutions & Variations

Savory cheese balls shouldn’t steal the holiday spotlight. Here are a few more fun ways to jazz up this dessert cheese ball recipe:

Rock and roll it! Feel free to use your favorite festive sprinkles, jimmies or holiday candies to coat this chocolate chip cheese ball.
Stir it in! Miniature chocolate chips are a classic add in, but you can stir in toffee bits, toasted chopped pecans, shredded coconut, white chocolate chips or even more candy cane bits.
What do you eat a cheese ball with? Switch up your dippers! We used regular graham crackers, but you can use mini vanilla wafers, chocolate graham crackers, Teddy Grahams, chocolate chip cookies, sugar wafer cookies, pretzels, Ritz crackers or even apple slices to dip in this chocolate chip cream cheese ball.
Make minis! You can roll the cream cheese mixture into bite-sized dessert cheese balls and chill them before rolling them in the M&Ms and candy canes. Put a pretzel stick or graham cracker sticks into each of the mini cheese balls for easy serving at a holiday party.

A birdseye photo of a holiday dessert cheese ball surrounded by small plates filled with graham crackers that have been spead with the sweet treat

Storage

Wrap any leftover chocolate chip dessert cheese ball in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Christmas cheese ball with knife carving in to the ball

If you love cheese balls, then make sure to check out this savory cheeseball recipe!

But if you’re looking for more sweet desserts to serve during the holidays, this dessert cheese ball would look awesome on this Christmas tray idea, or you should definitely give this Christmas Snack Mix a try! My egg custard recipe is a class, vintage recipe that’s popular during the holidays 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

Close up of a plated dessert cheese ball covered in crushed candy canes and mini M&Ms that is surrounded by graham crackers

Print Pin

5 from 8 votes

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Servings servings

Calories 387kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup holiday mini M&Ms
½ cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar until the mixture is well combined.
Add the powdered sugar and beat on low, increasing the mixer speed to medium until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Line your countertop with a generous piece of plastic wrap. Form the cream cheese mixture into a ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Combine the holiday mini M&Ms and crushed candy canes in a bowl or shallow dish. Roll the cheeseball in the decorative mixture.
Serve the cheesball on a platter with graham crackers.

Video

Notes

It is important to allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature (about 30-60 minutes) so there are no lumps of cream cheese in the dessert cheese ball.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks by wrapping the cheeseball first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.
You can make these cheeseball ahead of time and store it until you are ready to serve it by double wrapping it in the same way. We recommend rolling the cheeseball in the M&Ms/candy cane mixture just before serving.

Nutrition

Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

November 16, 2024

This easy cheeseburger sliders recipe uses Hawaiian buns and has a trick to make 12 burger sliders, quickly! Have a smoker? You may want to make smoked cheeseburger sliders, too!

Thanks to all of the 5-star reviews on these baked hamburgers, I knew we had to do a mini hamburger version of the classic burger perfect for cooking for a large crowd or even for fun family dinner recipes or easy lunch!

Perfect for game day or any party idea, as an appetizer recipe, these cheeseburger sliders are a crowd favorite, along with this cheeseburger casserole!

Serve them with air-fried sweet potato fries or seasoned potato wedges or even other finger foods like slow cooker BBQ meatballs or these sloppy joe sliders!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

There’s a TRICK! Instead of making a ton of little bitty burgers to try and build 12 little cheeseburger sliders… you bake the ground beef in a rectangle, the size of the rolls, so then you can place it on the rolls and cut later just before serving! See how to, below!
30 Minutes or Less: This recipe is a 30-minute or less dinner idea that we love adding to the busy night dinner rotation. (They’re almost as fast as our cheeseburger subs!)

Ingredients Needed

Here are a few notes about some of the key ingredients for these cheeseburger sliders. Make sure to visit the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions to make this recipe a success.

Ground Beef – we only use 1 pound of ground beef to achieve the look you see in the sliders. However, some readers have said that they prefer to use 2 pounds for thicker burgers. (This is a good idea if you’re using fatty beef that tends to shrink quite a bit during cooking.) See more of our favorite ground beef recipes you can make for dinner!
Butter – salted or unsalted! (Just be mindful if using salted, that the added salt will combine with the saltiness of the seasoned salt and the garlic salt that’s also in the recipe.)
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls – the sweetness of these rolls goes perfectly with the savory flavors of the burger!

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

Hawaiian Roll Sliders

What makes this recipe so great is the bread you use. It’s hard to go wrong with King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (or similar) for cheeseburger slider recipes and I knew this should be the first choice for the baked hamburger sliders! (We even used these on the Breakfast Sliders and those are delicious too!)

Plus, the amount of rolls that come in a pack are perfect when using 1-2 pounds of ground beef. However, feel free to use another brand of slider buns or slider buns if desired or if that’s what you have on hand for these mini cheeseburgers.

The bit of sweetness the rolls add to the savory flavor of the meat is hard to beat, much like these roast beef sliders! (If you love salty mixed with sweet, make sure to also try these donut burgers or waffle burgers the next time the craving hits!)

Substitutions & Variations

Feel free to change things up with this cheeseburger sliders recipe, using the products and ingredients that you prefer!

Cheese – We love American cheese slices but you can use other melty cheese such as Swiss, pepper jack, Colby-jack, etc.
Rolls – If using different rolls that are not connected like the King’s Hawaiian rolls, you can still make this recipe! Bake the ground beef as described above, and slice/cut ground beef in to squares that match the size of the rolls you are using. (Note: the amount of sliders you end up with can vary if your rolls are bigger than the rolls we use in this recipe.) Or, use dinner rolls like we used in this fried chicken sliders recipe if you’re not a fan of the sweetness.
Sesame Seeds – If you prefer sesame seeds on your cheeseburger sliders, you can sprinkle those on after brushing on butter and before toasting the buns!
Ground Beef Mix-ins – When making regular burgers, do you love using more ingredients, such as Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt or garlic powder, or brown sugar? Feel free to with this recipe! It’s very versatile and can be changed according to your taste!

How to Make Cheeseburger Sliders

Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Take the white tray of buns out of bag (if using King’s Hawaiian Rolls).
Using parchment paper, unroll enough paper to make it the size of the tray that the rolls come in. Cut the parchment paper to the size of the tray of rolls.
Cut the parchment paper to an inch or so larger, than the size of the tray of rolls.

Set the tray of rolls aside and place raw ground beef on parchment paper and flatten to the size of the parchment paper.

This will make the ground beef a rectangular shape that will fit on the buns nicely, when it is spread close to the sides of the parchment paper. (See image below.)

raw ground beef shaped on parchment paper

Pro Tip:

Ground beef can “shrink” when cooking so if desired, you can spread/flatten it out a little over the edges to help it fit the buns, even if it shrinks!)You’re using the parchment paper as a guide to know what size to flatten the ground beef to, so it can fit nicely on the rolls after cooking.

If you prefer a thicker burger patty, you may want to use 2 pounds of ground beef, just know that it may have a longer bake time than instructed in the recipe card.

Season ground beef with seasoned salt and pepper. (Amounts are given in the recipe card, or you can use your desired amount!)

season burger sliders with seasoned salt and pepper

Now place parchment paper and ground beef rectangle into a rimmed baking sheet or cake pan.

How Long to Bake Cheeseburger Sliders

Bake at 375° F for 15-17 minutes or until juices run clear on the top.

Raw ground beef in baking pan with sides

While the ground beef is baking, this is a great time to make the garlic butter and prep your rolls.

In a small microwavable dish, melt butter and then add in garlic salt. Stir to combine, and set aside.
TIP: Using a bread knife (or serrated knife), and keeping the rolls connected… cut the rolls in half, long ways, creating a giant top layer and bottom buns layer.
This way you can easily place the rectangle ground beef layer, once fully cooked, on top of the bottom full layer of buns. (No need to try and build 12 individual patties or individual cheeseburger sliders when it can all be done in one step.)

Once the ground beef has finished baking (and the juices are running clear) remove the pan from the oven.

Carefully, with a large spatula, pick up beef and tilt to drain excess grease back in to the pan.
Then, place bottom halves of rolls, upside down on top of beef, and flip and transfer burgers to a clean baking sheet. This will result in the ground beef and bottom layer or rolls on the new baking sheet with the parchment paper facing up. (See images below.)
Remove the parchment paper and throw it away.

Remove parchment paper from ground beef square — Remove parchment paper from the ground beef

Place 6 slices of cheese on top of ground beef. (We use American but you can use your favorite kind).

parchment paper removed from burgers — Cooked ground beef on rolls

Sliced american cheese on top of burgers

Then, place the top buns layer on top of the cheese. (See image below.)

Place Hawaiian roll tops on burger — Place tops of Hawaiian rolls on ground beef

Using a basting brush, brush the top of the buns with the garlic butter you have prepared. If you do not have a basting brush, carefully drizzle butter on top of buns, trying to lightly cover each slider top.

Place baking tray of sliders in a 375° oven, for 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted and tops are golden brown.

Baked cheeseburger sliders with garlic butter — Baked cheeseburger sliders

Expert Tip:

Do you love White Castle burgers? We do too. So what we like to do is wrap the cheeseburger sliders in aluminum foil to let them “steam” for a few minutes, after toasting them in the oven. After this, they’re so soft and even better!

Remove from oven (careful, HOT!) and you can now cut the burgers in to sliders by using a pizza cutter (my favorite) or by cutting on the lines with a knife to get your mini burgers!

How to Keep Cheeseburger Sliders Warm for a Party

If you’re serving sliders for a party, potluck, or game day, keeping them warm without drying them out is key.

Cover the baking dish loosely with foil after baking.
Keep them in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes.
Avoid overcooking: Bake just until heated through.
If transporting, wrap the pan tightly in foil and place in an insulated carrier.

For longer events, you can also transfer sliders to a slow cooker set to warm, but place a paper towel under the lid to absorb condensation and prevent soggy buns.

Can You Make Cheeseburger Sliders Ahead of Time?

Yes! Cheeseburger sliders are perfect for prepping in advance.

To make ahead:

Assemble the sliders completely, but do not bake.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Bake as directed when ready to serve.

You may need to add 3-5 extra minutes to the baking time if cooking straight from the refrigerator.

For fully baked sliders, store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat covered at 325°F until warmed through.

Favorite Slider Toppings

Although our boys love these sliders “kid-friendly”, with only cheese… there are some GREAT topping ideas that we also love to add to cheeseburger sliders and especially offer when we’re serving a burger bar when hosting!

Lettuce – instead of iceberg lettuce, you can use romaine or leaf lettuce or even spinach
Bacon – if you’re heating up the oven anyway, you can bake bacon in the oven while you’re at it, and can even bake turkey bacon in the oven if you prefer! Or, if you have an air fryer, you may enjoy cooking air fryer bacon for bacon cheeseburger sliders!
Onions – feel free to add on red onions, green onions, white onions or your favorite kind!
Condiments – Mustard, ketchup, or any of your favorite sauces are delicious on sliders too! We use hot sauce in our buffalo chicken sliders, so that may be a fun twist.
More Ideas – This list of burger topping ideas is FULL of ideas that are popular and it even suggests toppings that you may not have thought of!

More Burger Topping Ideas

How to Store Burger Sliders

If you have leftover little cheeseburgers, you can store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To reheat, you can place them back in the oven for a few minutes at 350°, being careful not to burn the buns before the meat is heated through. You can also use the microwave, air fryer, or toaster oven!

Easy Cheeseburger Slider Variations

Once you've mastered the classic version, try one of these crowd-pleasing twists:

Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders - Add cooked bacon before baking.
BBQ Cheeseburger Sliders - Mix a little barbecue sauce into the beef.
Pizza Sliders - Swap ketchup and mustard for marinara and mozzarella.
Breakfast Sliders - Add scrambled eggs and sausage for brunch.
Ham and Cheese Sliders - A sweet and savory Hawaiian roll favorite.

These simple swaps make sliders perfect for holidays, church suppers, tailgates, and family gatherings.

What to Serve with Cheeseburger Sliders

On a busy weeknight or even when hosting a crowd, our favorite is to serve these cheeseburger sliders with are:

french fries
onion rings
loaded tater tots
nachos
side salad

If you’re feeding a crowd, these easy sides pair perfectly:
Funeral Potatoes (or Party Potatoes)
Doritos Chicken Casserole
Tuna Pasta Salad
Classic Potluck Desserts
or some of our favorite appetizer recipes!

If you love comforting meals like this, you might enjoy browsing these old-fashioned dinner recipes too.

Favorite Burger Recipes

If you love burgers as much as we do, then you’ll also love the other hamburger recipes we have, such as air fryer burgers, smoked burgers, turkey burgers in the oven, stovetop burger recipe, grilled burgers, and blue cheese cheeseburgers!

Or, for a different kind of burger, these mini salmon burgers are a hit!

Recipe

stack of cheeseburger sliders with hawaiian buns

Print Pin

4.99 from 108 votes

The BEST Cheeseburger Sliders

This easy cheeseburger sliders recipe uses Hawaiian buns, and a trick to make 12 burger sliders, quickly!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 17

Total Time 22

Servings sliders

Calories 241kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

Rimmed Sheet Pan
parchment paper

Ingredients

12 Hawaiian Rolls 1 package of Kings Hawaiian Rolls
1 pound ground beef or 2 lbs for thicker burgers
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
6 slices American cheese

Garlic Butter Topping

½ teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°.
Take the white tray of buns out of the bag packaging (if using King's Hawaiian Rolls).
12 Hawaiian Rolls
Using parchment paper, unroll enough paper to make it the size of the tray that the rolls come in. Cut the parchment paper to the size of the tray of rolls.
Set the tray of rolls aside and place raw ground beef on parchment paper and flatten to the size of the parchment paper.
(Tip: Ground beef can "shrink" when cooking so if desired, you can spread/flatten it out a little over the edges to help it fit the buns, even if it shrinks!)
This will make the ground beef a rectangular shape, when spread close to the sides of the parchment paper.
NOTE: You're using the parchment paper as a guide to know what size to flatten the ground beef to so it can fit nicely on the rolls after cooking. If you prefer a thicker burger patty, you may want to use 2 lbs of ground beef, just know that it may have a longer bake time than instructed in the recipe card.
1 pound ground beef
Season ground beef with seasoned salt and pepper. (Amounts given in recipe card, or you can use your desired amount!)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Now place parchment paper and ground beef rectangle in to rimmed baking sheet or cake pan.
Bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes or until juices run clear on the top.

Garlic Butter Topping

While ground beef is baking, this is a great time to make the garlic butter and prep your rolls.
In small microwavable dish, melt butter and then add in garlic salt. Stir to combine, and set aside.
2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon garlic salt

Roll Prep

Using a bread knife, and keeping the sides of the 12 rolls connected… cut the rolls in half, long ways, creating a giant top layer and bottom bun layer. This way you can easily place the rectangle ground beef layer, once fully cooked, on top of bottom full layer of buns. (No need to try and build 12 individual sliders when it can all be done in one step.)

Burger Assembly

Once the ground beef has finished baking (and juices are running clear) remove the pan from oven. (TIP: You can leave the oven on if you prefer, to toast buns in the next few steps.)
Carefully, with a large spatula, pick up beef and tilt to drain excess grease back in to the pan.
Then, place bottom layer of rolls, upside down on top of beef, and flip and transfer burgers to a clean baking sheet. This will result in the ground beef and bottom layer or rolls on the new baking sheet with the parchment paper facing up. (See images in blog post for tips!)
Remove the parchment paper and throw paper away.
Place 6 slices of cheese on top of ground beef. (we use American but you can use your favorite kind).
6 slices American cheese
Then, place the top bun layer on top of the cheese.
Using a basting brush, brush the top of the buns with the garlic butter you have prepared.
Place the baking tray of assembled sliders in a 375° oven, for 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted and tops are golden brown.
Optional: You can wrap the sliders in aluminum foil after coming out of the oven, so they will "steam" a bit.
Remove from oven (careful, HOT!) and you can now cut the burgers in to sliders by using a pizza cutter (my favorite) or by cutting on the lines with a knife.

Video

Notes

This list of burger topping ideas is FULL of ideas that are popular and it even suggests toppings that you may not have thought of!

How to Store Leftovers: If you have leftover little cheeseburgers, you can store them in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to Reheat Leftovers: To reheat, you can place them back in the oven for a few minutes at 350°, being careful not to burn the buns before the meat is heated through. You can also use the microwave, air fryer, or toaster oven!

How to Make a Large Batch of Sliders: Make a double or triple batch of cheeseburger sliders by using multiple baking sheets and packages of rolls. Fit as many slider batches in your oven as will fit!

Nutrition

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

November 16, 2024

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!

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.

Mini Reeses Cup being pushed down in to center of baked cookie.

Spray the cavities of a 12-cavity muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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.

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.
While the cookies are baking, unwrap 12 mini peanut butter cups and set aside.
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.

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!

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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

Cook Time 12

Total Time 15

Servings 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

Crockpot Orange Chicken

November 16, 2024

This crockpot orange chicken takes only 5 ingredients and can be ready in as little as two hours! Serve it over steamed or fried rice for an easy dinner recipe.

You’ll love the tenderness of the chicken combined with this sweet and tangy orange sauce.

Crockpot orange chicken on a bed of rice, with diced green onions.

Orange chicken is a popular dish that can be found at many Americanized Chinese restaurants and now this similar dish can be made at home in your slow cooker.

Juicy chicken pieces simmered in a sweet and tangy orange sauce, with hints of garlic and ginger for added depth. This easy, one-pot dish delivers a flavorful, citrusy twist on a classic, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or over a bed of rice.

This homemade orange chicken will become a weekly staple if you love crockpot recipes! If you have an Instant Pot, you can also try my Instant Pot Orange Chicken next!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Orange Chicken

Copycat Flavors – If you have the craving for your favorite orange chicken from a restaurant, then you’ll love how easy it is to make copycat flavors at home.
Easy Dinner Recipe – It’s as simple as combine all of the ingredients in to the slow cooker and turning it on! Stir and serve over steamed rice or your favorite restaurant-style fried rice recipe.
Simple Ingredients – The ingredients needed for this recipe can easily be found at most grocery stores, and they’re great to keep in the freezer/refrigerator/pantry for the nights you need an easy recipe.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this crockpot orange chicken:

Ingredients for crockpot orange chicken recipe.

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

Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Tenderloins: This recipe calls for tenderloins but that’s because it makes the prep even easier and you’ll just cut the tenderloins in to 1-inch pieces. Chicken breasts or skinless, boneless, chicken thighs can also be used in place of tenderloins.
Barbecue Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce, although, for best results, I’d use an original flavor sauce, unless you prefer a spicier dish.
Soy Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce is recommended for this recipe to keep the salt flavors from getting too high when combined with the salt in barbecue sauce.
Orange Marmalade: If you can’t find marmalade, you can also use an orange jelly or jam.

How to Make Easy Crockpot Orange Chicken

Sauces mixed together in the crockpot for an easy orange chicken recipe. — 1. **Build the sauce.** In the basin of your crockpot, use a large spoon to stir together the orange marmalade, bbq sauce, and soy sauce.

Raw chicken pieces added to crockpot and sauces for orange chicken. — 2. **Add the chicken.** Add chicken and stir to coat.

3. Cook. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165°F. Stir well before removing from the crockpot.

Cooked orange chicken in the crockpot with sauces.

4. Garnish and serve. Garnish with chopped green onion if desired, and serve warm, ideally over a bed of rice but it can be served as is.

Can Orange Chicken be Made on the Stovetop?

Absolutely. There are two ways you can make orange chicken on the stove.

First Method: You can build your sauce in a skillet and then add the chicken. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce and cook. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (10-15 minutes).
Second Method (Crispier): Or, in a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the chicken, and mix to combine. Next, coat diced chicken in about ¼ cup of cornstarch (optional) in a skillet for a crispier result, and then sear the chicken in a ¼ cup of oil, until fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Pour sauce over chicken and stir to combine and allow the sauce to heat through, and then serve.

Crockpot orange chicken on a wooden spoon, with diced green onions.

Recipe Tips:

To use frozen chicken, increase the cook time by an hour. Be aware that the sauce might turn out a bit watery from the chicken thawing. To thicken it, you can remove the chicken after cooking and whisk in 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
Optional Additions: Add fresh or ground ginger for extra freshness. Try ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for a bit of spice. Sesame oil is a great way to add a little something extra to this dish. Be mindful that a little goes a long way. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or “everything bagel” seasoning.

Storing Tips

Leftovers: You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow the chicken to cool before storing. The chicken will keep for about 3 days.
To Reheat on the Stove: Place a skillet over medium heat and add the chicken. Heat for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the chicken reaches 165°F.
To Reheat in the Microwave: Place your chicken on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 2 minutes or until warmed throughout. Stir well and serve.
To Freeze: Make your 5-ingredient crockpot orange chicken ahead of time and have a hearty meal for another day. Cook as directed and allow the chicken to cool. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag or a freezer container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop.

Recipe FAQs

Is it okay to put raw chicken in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! It’s best to make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F before serving.

What is the orange sauce made of in orange chicken?

The easy version of orange chicken sauce includes orange marmalade, soy sauce, and barbecue sauce.

What can I use to thicken the orange chicken sauce?

If your orange chicken sauce is too thin, you can add 1-2 Tablespoons of cornstarch to the hot orange sauce, and stir.

What to Serve with Crockpot Orange Chicken:

Rice or soba noodles go wonderfully with orange chicken. Or, for additional ideas to serve on the side, try some of these:

It’s simple to make this 5-ingredient crockpot chicken recipe. Pin this recipe to save it!

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Crockpot orange chicken with diced green onion on steamed rice.

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Crockpot Orange Chicken

This crockpot orange chicken recipe only uses 5 ingredients and is ready in as little as 2 hours when cooked on high!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Servings servings

Calories 531kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

6-8 quart crockpot
large serving spoon
measuring spoons and cups

Ingredients

8 ounces orange marmalade
1 cup barbecue sauce
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins chopped in to 1-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons green onion chopped

Instructions

Build the sauce. In the basin of your crockpot, use a large spoon to stir together the orange marmalade, bbq sauce, and soy sauce.
Add the chicken. Add chicken and stir to coat.
Cook. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches 165°F. Stir well before removing from the crockpot.
Garnish and serve. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve warm.

Nutrition

How to Make Toast in the Oven

November 14, 2024

Curious about how to make toast in the oven? Well, it can be done, and in a few different ways. I’m showing you the various methods, so you can pick which way you want to make your oven-baked toast!

Love a buttered toast? Dry toast? Quick toast? Real butter, or vegetable oil spread? See which type of toast you’d prefer below and how it was baked, with additional details to help you decide how you’ll make your toasted bread.

Toast slices on plate, with a dollop of butter in the middle of one piece.

Toast is so versatile and is great as a side to your favorite breakfast sausage or to these country-fried potatoes for a great breakfast. Or, toasted bread is great for your favorite sandwiches, like this tuna salad recipe.

No matter what your toast is for, baking bread in the oven is easy, especially if cooking a large amount.

Key Ingredients

The ingredients needed depend on the cooking method you prefer and what bread will be used. Toast can be made with or without cooking it in butter or spread. See the different methods below.

Bread slices with stick butter on baking sheet. — Regular sliced bread and real butter.

Loaf of bread with butter on a baking sheet. — Thick, brioche bread & vegetable spread.

Bread – Different types of bread can be toasted but the thickness and type can make the bake time, vary. Regular sliced bread, brioche, French, Italian, and sourdough, are all great types to toast.
Butter – Storebought stick butter, homemade butter, or buttery spread (vegetable oil spread) can be used to make toast, if desired. Do note that the type of butter can make a difference in the result as well. See the results below.

Note: You can also butter your toast after it has been toasted.

How to Make Toast in the Oven

Depending on the result that you’re looking for, and how your oven cooks, there are different ways that you can make your toast.

With or Without Butter or Spread

First, decide if you’d like to toast your bread with or without butter or spread. Toating bread without spreading something on it, will result in a “dry” and crispy toast. With butter, can result in a flavorful, not-as-dry, bite.

Plain bread slices on a baking sheet ready for baking.

Butter bread slices on a baking sheet, ready for baking.

Best Method for Cooking Toast in the Oven

In my opinion, baking toast (either thick or regular sliced bread) is best baked with salted butter, in the oven, at 425°F for 5 minutes on one side, and then 5 minutes on the other. See the top piece of bread in each of the photos below.

Toast in the oven made with butter. Broiled and baked.

Toasting Bread at 425°F – Bakes the toast more evenly and gives it the golden color.
Broiling Bread – Cooks faster but the edges can burn before the rest of the bread has toasted.

Different types of toast baked in the oven.

Real Butter or Vegetable Oil Spread

Real butter makes better toast than vegetable oil spread but it’s still possible to achieve a toast with a spread. So if this is what you have on hand, instead of real butter, it’s ok to use it too.

When broiling thicker bread, this could result in browner edges before the middle gets toasted, more so than thinner bread.

Common Questions About Baking Toast

Do I have to butter toast before baking?

No. However, buttering the bread before toasting is recommended to give the toast a better flavor. Or, spreading butter on the toast after baking will work too.

Should I use vegetable oil spread or real butter to make toast?

Either will work but results are better if using real butter.

How long do you bake toast in the oven?

You can bake toast at 425° F or broil the bread to make toast. Baking at 425°F provides a more even golden-brown result but broiling is faster.

Making Seasoned Toast

Toast doesn’t just have to be for breakfast. Sprinkle on garlic salt, parmesan cheese, shredded cheese, or a slice of cheese for a savory treat to go with spaghetti bolognese or lasagna soup.

What to Serve with Toast

If making toast for breakfast, you’ll enjoy having these breakfast dishes along with your oven-baked toast:

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Toast baked in the oven on a plate with a scoop of butter.

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How to Make Toast in the Oven

Toast in the oven can be made by baking, broiling, using real butter, or vegetable spread. Here are the different ways and results that can be achieved.

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 5

Total Time 7

Servings slices

Calories 277kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

oven

Ingredients

2 slices bread
4 Tablespoons butter or vegetable spread optional

Instructions

Baked at 425°F

Preferred method: Spread 1 tablespoon of butter on each slice of bread. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 5 minutes, and then flip, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Broiled

If using butter, spread on each side of the slice(s) of bread. Place on a baking sheet and place in to the oven set to "broil" and broil for one minute. Flip and broil for one more minute.

Notes

Thickness of bread, type of baking sheet, and choosing whether or not to butter the bread before toasting can make the cook times differ. It’s best to watch the bread to learn your oven’s behavior.

See post for different types of bread, using butter or vegetable spread, and different baking method results.

Nutrition

Chicken and Gravy Recipe

November 14, 2024

Chicken and Gravy Recipe: Tender bites of seasoned chicken are simmered in a rich, savory gravy on the stovetop for a comforting, cozy dish to serve over rice, buttery mashed potatoes, or noodles.

A white plate holds a serving of mashed potatoes smothered with a rich creamy chicken mixture

It is the time of year for hearty soups, chunky chilis, and cozy comfort food! As the temperatures cool down, we start adding our favorite recipes for Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings, this roast recipe with gravy, and this recipe for butter chicken with rice.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

One pot: This stovetop recipe for chicken in gravy is a simple, one pot dish. Talk about easy. No oven to heat up, no sink full of dishes to wash, and no complicated tools or techniques!
Quick recipe: This is a dinner recipe that’s ready in under 30 minutes! That’s perfect for a busy night.
Have leftover chicken? While this recipe is made with fresh chicken, our recipe is also a great way to use up any leftover Chicken Bites or Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken. Or, if you have leftover bacon-wrapped chicken thighs, they’d be so good cut up in this recipe too! Or, if you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, it’s a great leftover turkey recipe to use!
This is pure comfort food! With the familiar additions of cream of chicken soup and onion soup mix, the chicken gravy mix tastes like home. These easy Swedish meatballs are also a similar comfort food that you’re going to love!

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Ingredients

With just a handful of ingredients that you may already have in your pantry and fridge, this chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes (or rice) is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!

Cut up chicken, broth, spices, butter, a can of soup and fresh parsley are displayed on a white marbled background

Boneless Chicken Thighs – using thighs for this recipe makes for juicier chicken.
Poultry Seasoning – this is such a great spice for chicken dishes that usually contains a blend of sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg, and onion powder.
French Onion Soup Mix – An easy way to give amazing flavor to this dish, is with a packet of these spices that come all together in a packet.
All Purpose Flour – this is used to thicken the stock to make the gravy.
Cream of Chicken Soup – Such a delicious canned soup that can add so much flavor to a chicken dish.
Chicken broth – If you don’t have storebought chicken broth, this homemade chicken broth recipe is an option as well. I also sometimes use more than 1 cup – this depends on how thick the roux gets as I’m making it. So keep extra on stand by just in case.

See the printable recipe card below for all of the ingredients, nutrition information, and detailed recipe notes.

Instructions

This chicken mashed potatoes and gravy is one of the easiest recipes for dinner! You just need one bowl and one pan, so follow these easy how-to instructions and dinner will be on the table in no time!

First, in a large mixing bowl, season the chicken with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Toss to coat the chicken evenly and set the bowl aside.

Seasoned pieces of chicken are in a large pan with melted butter

Next, in a large cast iron pan or large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken.

Bite sized pieces of seasoned cooked chicken are shown in a large pan

Brown the chicken until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Cooked chicken has been removed from a large pan, leaving the browned bits and a thin sauce in the bottom of the pan

Now, in the same pan, add the remaining butter and let it melt over medium heat, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or scraper.

A small amount of flour has been added to a large pan with butter and the seasoning and browned bits left from cooked chicken

Add the flour to the pan and stir it into the butter. Cook for 2 minutes.

Cooked chicken, cream of chicken condensed soup and french onion soup mix have been added to a large pan of chicken gravy

Whisk in the chicken stock and continue to cook over medium heat until it has thickened a bit.
Now, add the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup and onion soup mix. Stir and cook over medium heat until bubbly.

Vibrant green fresh parsley has been sprinkled over a large pan of creamy chicken and gravy

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley.

A large blue pan is filled with a creamy chicken gravy, bite sized pieces of cooked chicken and vibrant green parsley

Serve this rich, hearty chicken gravy over Instant Pot mashed potatoes, brown, wild or white rice, your favorite pasta, cooked stuffing or cooked egg noodles.

Pro tip: This is a fabulous way to use leftover turkey and stuffing from Thanksgiving dinner!

A gold fork has speared several pieces of tender chicken and is held over a plate of mashed potatoes smothered in the same creamy chicken

This is such a cozy, comfort food dish. You may have also heard this dish called smothered chicken because whatever you serve it over is absolutely smothered with this savory, seasoned gravy.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few substitutions for some of the ingredients so you can use what you may have on hand:

Chicken: Use your favorite boneless, skinless cut of chicken. We used thighs, but if you prefer white meat, you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Soup: We used cream of chicken soup, but cream of mushroom soup would also complement the onion soup mix. For an even creamier gravy, you can stir in a little heavy cream or add a dollop of sour cream. We use cream of chicken a lot in quick and easy dishes. (We use two cans in this old-fashioned chicken and noodles recipe.)
Meat: This versatile easy recipe can be made with turkey, pork chops, or pork tenderloin cut into bite-sized pieces as well.
Pre-cooked chicken: If you need an even quicker version, make the gravy and stir in rotisserie chicken or precooked shredded chicken.
Prepared gravy: While we love the easy homemade gravy, you can use chicken gravy packets or even jarred chicken gravy to get this on the table even quicker.

Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy

Although this recipe is for a quick, stove-top recipe, it’s possible to make this in a slow cooker. Simply place the chicken in the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours and serve the chicken gravy over mashed potatoes.

Recipe FAQs

What is chicken and gravy made of?

Quite simply, cooked chicken simmered in a rich, seasoned homemade gravy.

How do you spice up chicken gravy?

For more depth of flavor, add ½ teaspoon of onion powder and garlic powder to toss with the chicken. To add a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika or a spicy seasoning blend to toss the chicken. Or, stir your favorite hot sauce into the gravy as it simmers and comes to a bubble.

What’s the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth?

Chicken stock is made from bones and tends to be a little thicker. Chicken broth is made from chicken meat and vegetables and is a little thinner. We used chicken stock in this recipe, but you can use chicken broth or even low sodium chicken broth, too. (If you have time, you can make our homemade chicken broth.)

What to Serve with Chicken Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

We recommend serving this as chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, or you could serve over rice or even egg noodles. But here are a few of our favorite side dish suggestions to serve with this too:

Check out these tips on how to make green beans taste better.
Candied carrots have a little sweetness to complement the savory gravy.
A fresh green salad – we think this is the BEST side salad recipe!

Storage

Store any leftovers of this chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy (or even just the chicken and gravy, if you skip the potatoes) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze this dish. Allow it to cool completely, then store it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

A birdseye photo of a large blue pan of chicken and gravy and two plated servings of the same meal

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta tastes like a restaurant dish, but it is easy to make in your home kitchen. This Doritos Chicken Casserole is a cozy casserole and a total crowd-pleaser. And I don’t you can ever go wrong with a Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup!

A close up photo of a spoon dipping into a rich brown creamy chicken dish

Looking for more meals like this? These old-fashioned comfort food dinners are family favorites.

Recipe

Chicken and gravy on top of mashed potatoes on white plates

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5 from 8 votes

Chicken and Gravy Recipe

This chicken and gravy recipe is cooked on the stovetop, and is tender bites of seasoned chicken thighs, and a savory gravy for a comforting, cozy dish to serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 229kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 Tablespoons butter divided
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1-2 cups chicken stock You may prefer more for a thinner gravy.
10.5 ounces can of cream of chicken soup
1 packet french onion soup mix
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped for garnish
mashed potatoes or rice Optional, served under chicken and gravy

Instructions

First, in a large mixing bowl, season the chicken with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Toss to coat the chicken evenly and set the bowl aside.
Next, in a large cast iron pan or large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken.
Brown the chicken until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Now, in the same pan, add the remaining butter and let it melt over medium heat, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or scraper.
Add the flour to the butter in the pan and stir it into the butter. Cook for 2 minutes.
Whisk in the chicken stock and continue to cook over medium heat until it has thickened a bit.
Now, add the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup and onion soup mix. Stir and cook over medium heat until bubbly.
Finally, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

We recommended serving this rich creamy gravy with juicy chicken over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta or egg noodles.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and you may need to increase the cooking time slightly.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze chicken and gravy, allow it to cool completely, then store it in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Blueberry Turnovers Recipe

November 13, 2024

This blueberry turnovers recipe only takes 3 ingredients (plus the optional glaze) and is ready in about 30 minutes!

It only takes a package of puff pastry, a can of blueberry pie filling, and an egg to make these delicious fruit-filled turnovers. Want the yummy glaze too? It only takes powdered sugar and milk!

Blueberry turnover made with puff pastry and blueberry pie filling.

I love easy breakfast ideas like these puff pastry turnovers because they only require a few ingredients and you can easily switch out the type of filling. These Easy Peach Turnovers are a perfect example!

If you love easy breakfast recipes like this one, then I think you’ll also enjoy these strawberry scones, these Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, and this Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling for Crepes.

Baked blueberry turnovers on a cooling rack.

Recipe Highlights

Only Three Ingredients: These delicious breakfast pastries only require 3 ingredients, and dare I say you could get away with only 2 if you’re out of egg! Puff pastry and canned pie filling are the two must-haves. If you don’t have an egg, you could try pinching the sides together and hope they hold their shape or even use a little touch of water to help seal the sides of the puff pastry together.
Versatile: Switch up the filling flavors, drizzle the tops with different toppings, and more! Make these turnovers your favorite or make a variety if hosting a food bar for a party.
Make-Ahead: I love how these can be made ahead of time for an easy breakfast on the go if needed!

Key Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these easy turnovers:

Ingredients for easy turnovers: puff pastry, pie filling and egg.

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

Puff Pastry – A package should come with two sheets and this will make 8 turnovers.
Pie Filling – Pie filling typically comes in large cans, around 21 ounces. If making 8 turnovers with the two puff pastry sheets, you’ll only use about half of the pie filling. Use the leftover pie filling to make a double batch or make these no-bake mini cheesecakes.
Egg – The egg is used to help seal the edges of the puff pastry together and to brush on the outside for that golden brown touch.

How to Make Easy Blueberry Turnovers

Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F. and line a baking sheet (large enough to fit 8 turnovers, or two baking sheets holding 4 each) with parchment paper or cooking spray.

Puff pastry sheet cut in to four pieces. — 1. You’ll start by rolling out the puff pastry dough, pinching the seams together if necessary.

Blueberry pie filling spooned out on to each puff pastry square. — 2. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of blueberry filling to the center of each square.

Egg wash brushed on edges of puff pastry. — 3. Brush a small amount of beaten egg on two joining sides of the square to help hold the turnover together.

Egg wash brushed on outside of puff pastry. — 4. Roll the opposite side over the filling and press down the sides to seal. Using a fork, press along the sides of the pastry and then brush the beaten egg on the tops of the turnovers.

5. Place the turnovers on to the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

Baked blueberry turnovers using puff pastry.

Powdered Sugar Drizzle Recipe

Although not required, this delicious powdered sugar drizzle is highly recommended on top of these pastries.

Mix together about 3 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk or half-and-half (or heavy cream) to create a glaze. Feel free to add/reduce the amounts to get the consistency you’re looking for.

Tip: Allow the turnovers to cool before drizzling the glaze or it will soak in to the turnover instead of remaining on top.

Blueberry turnover with powdered sugar glaze.

Turnover Recipe Varieties

If you don’t like blueberry pastries, there are many other options you can try!

Apple Pie Filling
Cherry Pie Filling
Peach Pie Filling
Chocolate Pudding
Lemon Pudding or Pie Filling
Strawberry Jam
Blackberry Jam
Savory Ingredients: Sausage, ham, eggs, bacon, cheese, rice, leftover taco meat, etc.

Additional Mix-In Ideas for Turnovers:

Pecans/Nuts
Cheese
Cream Cheese
Chocolate Chips
Coconut
Caramel
Peanut Butter

Turnover Recipe FAQs

How do you make a turnover?

Pastry dough is filled with a sweet or savory filling and then the dough is folded over the filling, sealed, and then baked or fried.

What is the difference between a turnover and a hand pie?

A turnover is typically made with a pastry dough, like puff pastry, and then it’s folder over a filling. A hand pie typically uses pie dough and can be in a square or circle shape, rather than a half moon or triangle like a turnover.

Can you fry a turnover instead of baking?

You can! Frying a turnover in vegetable or canola oil can be an alternative to baking.

Love blueberry recipes? You’re also going to really love these blueberry muffins! They’re moist, easy to make and a breakfast favorite! Or, this easy blueberry cobbler recipe can be made using blueberries that you have on hand.

More Breakfast Recipes

Love making breakfast? I do too. You’ll want to get your hands on these breakfast recipes for your sweet tooth!

Recipe

Blueberry turnovers with a powdered sugar and milk glaze.

Print Pin

5 from 9 votes

Easy Blueberry Turnovers

Blueberry Turnovers - A recipe SO easy using puff pastry and canned blueberry pie filling in the inside, baking to a golden brown.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings turnovers

Calories 143kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

1 package puff pastry dough 2 sheets
11 ounces blueberry pie filling
1 egg beaten

Powdered Sugar Glaze

3 Tablespoons powdered sugar optional
1 Tablespoon milk or half and half, optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a baking
sheet with nonstick spray and/or parchment paper.
Roll out the puff pastry dough and pinch the seams together
if necessary. Cut into 4 equal squares.
Add 1 heaping Tablespoon of blueberry filling to the center of each square.
Brush a small amount of beaten egg on two joining sides of the square to help hold the turnover together.
Roll the opposite side over the filling and press down the
sides to seal.
Using a fork, press along the sides of the pastry.
Place on the prepared baking sheet, brush the tops of the turnovers with the beaten egg, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Quick Glaze

If you'd like to drizzle a quick icing on the top, simply mix a little powdered sugar and milk together to create the consistency of the glaze that you prefer. Allow the turnovers to cool completely before drizzling if you don't want the glaze to soak in.

Video

Notes

Puff Pastry Temperature: Puff pastry is best handled, cold. It can be harder to handle as it warms from being at room temperature.

Pressing Trouble: When pressing with a fork, if you find the fork sticking to the puff pastry, wet your fork in cold water and then press.

Storage: It’s best to store any leftover turnovers in the refrigerator and best if enjoyed within 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Chocolate Bread

November 12, 2024

This chocolate bread recipe is a quick bread recipe (made without yeast) that can also be called a chocolate loaf cake.

It’s a delicious dessert that’s easy to make, ready in a little over an hour, and lovely for a fun breakfast, after-dinner dessert or even to package up and gift to friends and family.

Chocolate bread on platter, with a couple of slices cut.

Loaf cake recipes are one of my favorite sweet breads. They’re usually really easy to make, use simple ingredients and they can be made in so many different ways.

Add a little sour cream and buttermilk to this recipe, and you’re heading to a moist bread recipe. The cocoa and chocolate chips added to the bread batter give this loaf cake a delicious amount of chocolate.

If you love bread recipes like this one, then you will also enjoy my pumpkin bread recipe, this buttermilk banana bread, and this chocolate bread pudding recipe.

Chocolate Bread Recipe Highlights

Easy to Make – Mixing the dry ingredients together, then the wet, and then combine, and bake! Great recipe for beginners or even just if a chocolate craving hits!
Moist – Adding buttermilk to a sweet bread recipe is a great way to ensure that it will be a moist slice of cake bread.
Simple Ingredients – The ingredients required for this recipe tend to be kitchen staples so you may even already have what you need. If not, the ingredients can easily be found at most grocery stores.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy chocolate loaf.

Ingredients for making chocolate bread recipe.

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

Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and baking powder.
Wet Ingredients: Buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, oil, and sour cream.

How to Make Chocolate Loaf Bread

Start by preheating the oven to 350° F. Spray or grease the inside of a loaf pan and set aside. Or, line the loaf pan with parchment paper (cutting the corners so it fits better).

Cocoa, flour, salt, brown sugar and baking powder in mixing bowl. — 1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and brown sugar.

Eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. — 2. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla.

Wet ingredients poured in to dry ingredients in mixing bowl. — 3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together until about halfway combined.

Chocolate chips added to chocolate bread batter. — 4. Add chocolate chips and stir until the batter just comes together.

Chocolate bread batter in a loaf pan, ready for baking. — 5. Pour the chocolate bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Baked chocolate bread in loaf pan. — 6. Bake the loaf for 55 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean.

Baked chocolate bread out of loaf pan, ready for slicing.

Recipe Tips:

Allow to Rest/Cool: Allow the bread to rest in the loaf pan for a few minutes before removing or slicing. If possible, lift out of loaf pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Baking Time: Ovens can bake differently, and loaf pan thickness can vary, causing the baking time to differ, so it’s important to check on it the first time making it, so as not to overbake it.
Optional Frosting: Feel free to add a chocolate frosting to the top of this loaf cake, if desired. Just be sure to allow it to fully cool before doing so. Or spread this mint buttercream frosting on top.

Storing Tips

Chocolate bread can be stored at room temperature on the counter, in an airtight container, or a storage bag. This should stay fresh for 3-4 days.

If freezing, allow the chocolate loaf cake to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or Press ‘n Seal, and then in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature and enjoy.

Chocolate Bread Variations

Instead of frosting, sprinkle powdered sugar on top for a lighter topping.
For Christmas, spread chocolate buttercream on top and sprinkle on crushed peppermint candies like I did in this Christmas Chocolate Cake.
Instead of chocolate chips, butterscotch or peanut butter baking chips could be used for a flavor variation.

Recipe FAQs

How do you eat chocolate bread?

When made in to a chocolate loaf, slice in to individual slices and enjoy as is or spread butter on each slice.

What is the difference between a loaf cake and a regular cake?

A chocolate loaf cake is made in a loaf pan or bread pan instead of a circular or rectangular pan.

What type of bread is made without yeast?

A quick bread, or sweet bread can be made without yeast. Quick breads use baking powder to help the bread rise.

More Chocolate Dessert Recipes

Have more of the same ingredients? Whip up a second loaf of this chocolate bread recipe and give it to your neighbors!

Recipe

Chocolate bread, sliced, showing the inside of the moist loaf.

Print Pin

3.50 from 2 votes

Chocolate Bread

Chocolate bread is made using simple ingredients and is a sweet, quick bread recipe that's made without yeast. Buttermilk and sour cream help make this moist and delicious.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 5

Servings slices

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

1 loaf pan
2 mixing bowls
1 Whisk

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ cups brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
⅓ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a loaf pan and set aside.In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and brown sugar.In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together until about halfway combined.
Add chocolate chips and stir until the batter just comes together.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Video

Notes

Allow to Rest/Cool: Allow the bread to rest in the loaf pan for a few minutes before removing or slicing. If possible, lift out of loaf pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Baking Time: Ovens can bake differently, and loaf pan thickness can vary, causing the baking time to differ, so it’s important to check on it the first time making it, so as not to overbake it.

Optional Frosting: Feel free to add a chocolate frosting to the top of this loaf cake, if desired. Just be sure to allow it to fully cool before doing so. Or spread this mint buttercream frosting on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice

Candied Yams Recipe

November 3, 2024

This Candied Yams recipe is made on the stovetop, using sweet potatoes (since they can be easier to find) and a few simple ingredients, including a secret ingredient that makes these the best recipe!

Candied yams in pot, cooked and ready to eat.

Thanksgiving recipes like this green bean casserole with cheese and bacon, and this easy corn casserole, are just two that I make every year, now along with these candied yams. They’re comforting, and bring in the fall flavors so much!

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Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?

Yes and no. Yams are technically different than sweet potatoes, however the two are often used interchangeably in the United States.

So why use sweet potatoes and how are they different?

It can be difficult to find yams in the grocery store, so sweet potatoes have become a common “yam” replacement in recipes today.
Sweet potatoes are a bit sweeter than yams as well.
Sweet potatoes are also creamier when cooked, than yams tend to be, which is why I prefer using sweet potatoes for candied yams and this sweet potato casserole recipe.

Why You’ll Love These Candied Yams

Simple ingredients: The ingredients for this recipe can be easy to find in most grocery stores, and you don’t need a lot.
Stovetop recipe: During the holidays, oven space can be hard to come by, so this recipe is made on the stovetop freeing up oven space for other recipes like this southern broccoli casserole.
Prep time: With only a few minutes of prep, the majority of the time it takes to make this recipe is spent simmering on the stove so you can work on something else.
Touch of citrus: I think what makes this recipe stand out from the others is the citrus flavor, combined with the warm spices of fall. The flavors work incredible together and it’s almost an unexpected compliment when someone takes that first bite.

Ingredients

I’ve provided a few notes below on key ingredients but make sure to see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions all in one place.

Sweet potatoes: I’ve listed that 2 pounds of potatoes are required but it doesn’t have to be exact. The amount of potatoes can depend as well, as potatoes vary in size. If you have yams instead, the same amount is recommended, however, make sure to see the “Should I peel sweet potatoes” section below.
Brown sugar: I prefer using dark brown sugar for this recipe but if you only have light brown sugar, that’s perfectly find to use too.
Butter: I usually only have salted butter on hand, but unsalted butter will work for this too. Make sure to “brown” the butter in this, instead of just melt it. The browned butter adds an enhanced flavor to this dish that’s hard to beat.
Oranges: This is the secret ingredient that makes this recipe stand out! No oranges on hand? You can use ¼ cup of store-bought orange juice and about a teaspoon of grated orange peel if that’s all you have but fresh does something so beautiful to this dish, so it’s highly recommended.

How to Make Candied Yams

To see the full instructions, you can jump on down to the recipe card, or you can see the extra details and notes I’ve provided here that you may find helpful.

First, wash and slice the sweet potatoes in to ½ inch thick, rounds. (You can peel your potatoes first, if you prefer but it’s not required.)
Next, place butter in a sauce pan or deep skillet, that’s big enough to hold all of the potatoes eventually.
Turn to medium-high heat to brown the butter.

Tip: Browning the butter means to cook the butter long enough that it starts to turn a golden brown. This gives the dish a whole different flavor, than just melting the butter.

Sugar, butter and spices mixed together in pot.

While the butter is browning, you can zest your orange. Then, slice the orange in half because you’ll be squeezing the juice from the orange.
When the butter has melted, add in the remaining ingredients, except the sweet potato slices. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then add in the sweet potatoes, and stir to coat them in the sugar-citrus mixture.
Turn to “low” and cover the pan, and allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the sweet potatoes are tender enough when poked with a fork.

Recipe Tips

Cook time: You can cook the potatoes too long, in a way that the potatoes can fall apart easily. It’s ok if they do, as they’ll still taste great but they may be harder to serve. So checking the potatoes, or even carefully stirring them once during the simmer can be great so you can check for tenderness along the way.
Keep warm: These keep warm really well, if they’re done before everything else. Simply pop them in the oven on warm, and serve when ready.

Should I peel sweet potatoes?

You can but you don’t have to. Actually, some prefer eating the peel for texture and/or other reasons.

How do you keep candied yams from being runny?

If you prefer a thicker glaze for your candied yams, you can add a small mixture of cornstarch and water (a teaspoon of each or so) to the glaze and it will thicken up.

Recipe

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Candied Yams Recipe

This stove-top candied yams recipe, actually uses sweet potatoes and a few other simple ingredients with a secret ingredient that makes this holiday side dish the best!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 724kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes
½ cup butter 1 stick
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar packed
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 large orange, the zest and juices only or two small oranges

Instructions

Slice potatoes in to round slices that about half an inch thick. (You may want to peel your potatoes before slicing if you don't prefer the skins.)
Add butter to a saucepan or pot, that will be large enough to fit all of the potatoes in eventually. Cook the butter over medium-high heat until the butter has turned a golden brown.
While the butter is cooking, you can zest your orange. Using a zester or cheese grater, zest the skins of your oranges and set aside. Slice the orange in half.
Add orange zest to the butter, and squeeze the orange over the butter, getting all of the juice out that you can. (Watch for seeds!)
Add the remaining ingredients except the sliced sweet potatoes and stir, and bring to a boil.
Add sliced sweet potatoes, lower heat to a simmer/low, and cover the pot and allow the potatoes to cook for about an hour, or utnil they're tender when pierced with a fork.

Video

Nutrition

Ding Dong Cake

November 1, 2024

This Ding Dong cake is a rich chocolate cake with a creamy filling! If you’re a fan of Hostess cupcakes or Ding Dong cakes then you’ll definitely love this moist chocolate cake recipe!

Quick Overview: Using a cake mix, canned frosting, and cool whip, to keep things easy, this great recipe can look difficult but is an easy one with a few little tricks! It’s one of our most popular cake recipes to date!

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The next time you need a birthday cake or a last-minute dessert for a party, this can be your next go-to cake recipe! Now, if you need a smaller cake, this mini chocolate cake recipe may be a good choice too. Or, a cake made without eggs… this depression cake is a winner!

It’s a crowd favorite, has a homemade Ding Dong feel, and resembles the Hostess Ding Dong snack cakes that so many love!

If you’re wanting an easy ding-dong cake recipe using cake mix and Cool Whip… this is the one for you!

Not only does it speed things up in the kitchen using these two ingredients, but the cake is also made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand!

Ding Dong Cake - cut in to with milk in the background

How to Make Ding Dong Cake

For this recipe, you’ll need the ingredients list (you can find the full printable recipe card below) but you’ll also need a few items to keep this cake super simple! But don’t worry… I’ve got you covered with tips and tricks along the way so make sure to keep reading!

Ingredients Needed:

One box of Devil’s Food cake mix (and the following 3 items below to make the cake unless your cake mix calls for different ingredients)
1 – ¼ cups water (only if your cake mix calls for it)
½ cup vegetable oil (only if your cake mix calls for it)
3 eggs (only if your cake mix calls for it)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups of powdered sugar
½ cup stick butter, softened
8 ounces of Cool Whip
16 ounce container of milk chocolate icing (Or two containers if you want to ice the entire cake)

How to Make Ding Dong Cake

You can find all of the ingredients and instructions in the printable recipe card below but I also love sharing more details and tips throughout this post, in case you find it helpful. Keep reading to see how to make this delicious cream-filled cake.

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Before you begin mixing all of the ingredients together, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350° so it’s hot and ready when your cake batter is in the pans, ready for baking.

Two 9-inch Round Cake Pans

Next, grease two round, 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray and set them aside. This way when your cake batter is ready, you can pour it right in!

Bake Devil’s Food Cake

Using a cake mix, make the cake according to package directions. This usually includes the ingredients 1-¼ cups water + ½ cup vegetable oil + 3 eggs, but double-check your boxed directions.

If you love tricks to make cakes more moist, you can mix in extra ingredients such as a box of instant pudding mix to do so, or follow your favorite tricks for making cake mixes better!

Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake cake according to package directions. Remove cakes from pan and place on a cooling rack to cool.

Cream Cheese Cool Whip Cake Filling

While the cake is baking, you can go ahead with this step:

The part of this cake that takes it to the next level is the creamy filling! Here’s how to make the cream filling:

In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and softened butter.

cream cheese and butter in mixing bowl for ding dong cake

Once that has been mixed, fold in (which means to use a silicone spatula or spoon to gently stir in) the Cool Whip until evenly mixed. Set aside.

fold in whipped cream in to butter and cream cheese

How to Cut Cake in Half

When the cake has cooled, you can safely cut the cakes in half to create multiple layers for the cream cheese filling. We LOVE layered cakes around here because they’re so pretty! You’ll also love this layered cherry chip cake!

How to cut the cake in half: Using unwaxed dental floss, hold the floss in both hands, creating a tight, straight piece of floss. Place straight floss on the farthest side of the cake from you, in the middle of the side. Carefully pull the floss toward you, creating an even split, which will turn one cake in to two thinner cakes.

Or… if you want it to be even more accurate, you can follow these steps for split layers:

Measure the thickness of the cake layer and divide the number in half.
At the halfway point, stick a toothpick part way in to the sides, to mark that height. (Picture looking down over the cake and it looks like a sun with the toothpicks inserted in to the sides.)
Continue measuring and adding in toothpicks around the cake (I used 4 toothpicks).
Then, using a long piece of dental floss, place the floss on top of the toothpicks circling the whole cake and bring the ends to the front.
Cross them over and gently pull until the cake is split.
It will cut your cake exactly in half in a straight line!

Repeat on the other cake, leaving you with FOUR layers of cake.

How to Apply Cream Filling on Cake Layers

The key to spreading the whipped cream filling on the cake layers is to make sure you don’t spread the filling all of the way to the edge of the cakes. If you do, the weight of the stacked cakes can make the cream filling push out too much, causing it to overlap the edges of the cake.

Divide the fluffy cream filling in to three equal amounts. (This doesn’t have to be perfect, just eyeballing the amounts should suffice.)

Starting with one of the layers, place a third of the cream filling in the center. Carefully spread the filling evenly across the top, making sure to not put it right on the edges.

Ding dong cake with cream filling in between layers

Stack another layer of cake on top of the cream filling you just spread on.

Carefully spread out the second portion of cream filling across the 2nd layer of cake.

Repeat this process on the chocolate cake layers until you place the 4th layer of cake on top.

How to Frost the Cake

To make the cake just like you see in the photos, you only need to frost the top of the cake with a can of chocolate frosting. We do this so you can see the beautiful filling on the sides of the cake.

However, if you prefer frosting the entire cake and like lots of chocolate frosting, and let the cream filling be a surprise when sliced, you can! It may take a little more than one container of frosting so be prepared to use at least some of a second container!

What to Serve with Cake

If you’re looking for different toppings or items to serve with this ding dong cake, these are some of our favorites:

vanilla ice cream
nuts (peanut, walnuts, pralines)
caramel drizzle
sliced fruit such as strawberries, raspberries or cherries
extra whipped cream
chocolate chips
toffee pieces
glass of cold milk
chocolate ganache (poured over the top of the cake)
substitute cream filling with marshmallow filling

More Chocolate Dessert Recipes

If you’re a fan of chocolate like I am, then you’re really going to love this brownie pudding cake, The BEST Oreo Dessert, No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, and these Cast Iron Brownies! Or see these recent favorites:

Recipe

Print Pin

5 from 10 votes

Ding Dong Cake

This ding dong cake is a rich chocolate cake with a creamy filling! If you're a fan of Hostess cupcakes or Ding Dong cakes then you'll definitely love this chocolate cake recipe!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 2

Total Time 3

Servings servings

Calories 623kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker devil's food cake mix If you use another brand of cake mix, the water, vegetable oil and eggs listed below, may differ. Follow your cake mix instructions instead and leave out the water, vegetable oil and eggs below, as those are recommended for Betty Crocker cake mix.
1 ¼ cups water If using Betty Crocker cake mix (may differ for other cake mix brands)
½ cup vegetable oil If using Betty Crocker cake mix (may differ for other cake mix brands)
3 eggs If using Betty Crocker cake mix (may differ for other cake mix brands)
8 oz. cream cheese softened
3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup stick of butter softened
8 ounces Cool Whip
16 ounce container of milk chocolate frosting or 2 containers if you want to frost the entire cake, instead of just the top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease two 9-inch cake pans and set aside
Using a devil's food cake mix, make the cake according to package directions. This usually includes the ingredients 1-¼ cups water + ½ cup vegetable oil + 3 eggs, but double-check your boxed directions. If your box mix calls for different ingredients, you can omit the water, vegetable oil and eggs that are included in the ingredients list.
Bake cake according to package directions.
While cake is baking, mix the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar in a bowl.
Fold in the Cool Whip until evenly mixed.
When cake has finished baking, place on cooling rack to cool.
When cake has cooled completely, begin splitthing the cakes in half, in to thinner layers. See notes for tips.
Divide cream filling in to 3 equal portions. (You can do this right inside of the bowl, and it doesn't have to be perfect.)
Take one portion of cream filling and spread on top of one of the cake layers, being careful not to spread to the edges as the weight of the stacked cakes would press down and squeeze the filling over the edges if so.
Once evenly spread on the first layer, place another layer of cake on top and spread the 2nd portion of cream filling across that layer.
Repeat these steps until the last cake layer is placed on top.
Once cake has been completely assembled, frost the top of the cake with the amount of milk chocolate frosting desired. If you prefer to frost the entire cake, instead of only the top, you may need the whole container and part of a 2nd container.

Nutrition

Baked Portobello Mushrooms

October 31, 2024

Baked Portobello Mushrooms: Stuffed with cheeses and a blend of spices like Italian seasoning, garlic, onion powder, salt & pepper, this recipe is easy and the BEST!

When I say this is the BEST baked portobello mushrooms I’ve ever had, I’m not just saying that because the recipe is here on this blog. I’m saying that because they really are the best I’ve had and my husband agrees.

The first time I bought portobellos, I only knew that I wanted to do SOMETHING with them, even if it was to just slice and fry them in flour and oil, similar to how to fry sliced mushrooms.

But I’m always up for trying something new and the idea of stuffing mushrooms with different cheeses sounded so good, and I’m glad I made a note of how to make them, so I could share them with you.

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Ingredients

You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post. Here are a few notes about some of the key ingredients:

portobello mushrooms (Remove the stems and gills and wipe the mushrooms clean with a wet paper towel.)
olive oil – you can use avocado or coconut oil as well
cream cheese – make sure this is softened.
shredded asiago – the asiago adds so much flavor to these mushrooms.
minced garlic – you can use garlic powder if that’s all you have
onion powder
parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, asiago optional garnishes

How to Make Baked Portobello Mushrooms

First things first, I show 4 portobello mushrooms for this recipe, but honestly, the filling could be enough to fill more mushrooms if desired.

For the full recipe ingredients and instructions, you’ll find the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. However, I’d love to walk you through the step-by-step process with images so you can grab more helpful tips along the way.

How to Clean Portobello Mushrooms

First you’ll want to clean your mushrooms:

Remove the gills/stems from the inside of the portobello mushrooms. An easy way to do this is to use a spoon to scrape out the gills (the little black lines inside the rim of the mushroom). Discard the stems/gills.
With a wet paper towel, gently wipe down the mushrooms. (Soaking the mushrooms in water is not a good idea, as they’ll absorb the water.)

Oil the Mushrooms

Mix olive oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

Using a basting brush, brush the inside and outside of the portobellos with the oil and spice mixture.

How Long to Pre-Bake Mushrooms

Bake the mushrooms on a baking sheet at 425°F for 10 minutes. (You can line the baking sheet with parchment paper if you prefer.)

Bake mushrooms first and then stuff with cheese

How to Make the Cream Cheese Mixture

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, shredded asiago, shredded cheddar, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, onion powder, kosher salt and a pinch of pepper. These simple ingredients add so much flavor!

Baked portobello mushroom filling in white bowl.

Mix ingredients all together until evenly combined.

Cheese filling for baked portobello mushrooms

Stuff the Portobellos with Cheese

Fill the mushrooms with the cream cheese mixture, with the desired amount.
(This could mean that you have filling left over if you’re only cooking 4 mushrooms like I did… or if you like a lot of filling you can use all of it!)

How Long to Bake Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Since you have “pre-baked” the mushrooms, you only need to bake the stuffed mushrooms for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese filling is heated through.

What to Garnish Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms With:

If desired, feel free to garnish your stuffed mushrooms with grated parmesan, fresh parsley, or extra shredded asiago!

What to Serve This Portobello Mushrooms Recipe With:

We absolutely love eating this as a main dish.
Or, you can serve this as an appetizer or even as a side dish recipe alongside your favorite main course!

Storage Instructions

Have leftover mushrooms? Allow them to cool and then place in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To reheat, you can place then back in the oven and reheat at 350°F until heated through, which will probably take about 8-10 minutes.

If you Love This Recipe You’ll Love my Other Appetizer and Mushroom Recipes:

Did You Make This?
Snap a pic and hashtag it #Fantabulosity - I love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook.

Recipe

Print Pin

5 from 37 votes

Baked Portobello Mushrooms (Restaurant Quality!)

Baked Portobello Mushrooms: Stuffed with cheeses and a blend of spices like Italian seasoning, garlic, onion powder, salt & pepper, this recipe is easy and the BEST!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Additional Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings mushrooms

Calories 427kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

4 portobello mushrooms stems and gills removed, and wiped clean
⅓ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt + ½ teaspoon for filling
¼ teaspoon black pepper + pinch of pepper for filling
8 ounces cream cheese softened
¼ cup shredded asiago
¼ cup shredded cheddar
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon onion powder
parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, asiago optional garnishes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove stems and gills from portobello mushrooms. With a damp paper towel, wipe down the mushrooms gently to clean them
Mix olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl.
Brush inside and outside of mushrooms with olive oil mixture.
Bake mushrooms on a cookie sheet at 425°F for 10 minutes.
While mushrooms are baking, mix together cream cheese, shredded asiago, shredded cheddar cheese, and spices in a mixing bowl.
Remove mushrooms from oven and stuff with filling and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through.
Garnish with grated parmesan, fresh parsley or extra asiago if desired!

Notes

Note: The amount of filling in this recipe may be more than what you prefer to fill the mushrooms with. Fill the desired amount in each mushroom and if you end up with extra filling, save it for later and stuff extra things you may have in the refrigerator like peppers or use it as a dip!

Nutrition

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

October 30, 2024

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls: This easy recipe is perfect for when you are craving a cinnamon roll because they use crescent roll sheets) and they’re ready in under 30 minutes.

We love cinnamon buns around here, and these cute little two-bite cinnamon rolls are right up there with our other favorite cinnamon roll recipes (our cookies and cream cinnamon rolls and our air fryer cinnamon rolls)!

A pan of mini cinnamon rolls sitting on a tea towel on the counter with someone's hand about to pick the pan up.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple Ingredients: You don’t need anything fancy to make this, just a few simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.

Quick: These mini cinnamon rolls are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes! No long dough rise time is needed.

Delicious: We bet you can’t eat just one of these warm, cinnamon-filled rolls. These have all the yummy flavors of homemade cinnamon rolls in a faster, bite-sized format!

These quick, 25-minute cinnamon rolls using crescent rolls would be the perfect treat to make for a baby shower, brunch, or for the kids as an after-school snack (these are the perfect size for tiny fingers)! My kids adored these little baby cinnamon rolls.

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Ingredients

10 simple ingredients are all you need to make this quick and easy dessert, and chances are you have most of these in your pantry already!

1 package of crescent rolls
2 tablespoons butter melted
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

The ingredients for mini cinnamon rolls laid out on a counter with labels on the image.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Instructions

For the Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a mini-muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.
Unroll the crescent roll dough onto a lightly floured surface (no need to use a rolling pin, simply unroll) and brush each one with melted butter.

Unroll crescent dough & brush with butter.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the crescent rolls.

Crescent dough on a cutting board with cinnamon and brown sugar spread over it.

Roll the crescent rolls tightly from the long end into a log, pinch the seam together, and slice into ¾" thick rolls– you should have about 12 rolls per cinnamon roll log.

Fun Fact: Did you know you can use unflavoured dental floss to cut cinnamon rolls? You can! You simply slide a piece of floss under the dough and then bring it together to slice through. Check out this video on YouTube to watch it in action.

Place one roll into a well of the prepared mini muffin pan and repeat with the remaining rolls.

I mini cupcake pan with 24 spaces, each filled with an unbaked mini cinnamon roll.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in your preheated oven, or until the rolls are set in the center and golden brown around the edges.

Baked mini cinnamon rolls in a mini cupcake tray.

Serve the cinnamon rolls warm, topped with the icing (instruction below). Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

For the Frosting

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.

Next, add the powdered sugar and mix until the icing is smooth. Spread the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy.

24 baked mini cinnamon rolls in a 9x13 baking dish with frosting on 7 of them.

Substitutions & Variations

These easy cinnamon rolls can be changed up in a few ways if you need to. This recipe is truly so wonderful!

Crescent Dough – although using the crescent dough is a great way to save time, you can easily replace it with your favorite dough recipe instead.
Brown Sugar – I love using light brown sugar for this recipe, but granulated sugar will definitely work, too!
Filling – obviously cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar are the classic cinnamon roll fillings, but if you want to turn these into a different kind of roll you totally could! Try experimenting with Nutella, your favorite jam, or even pie filling!
Butter – you could use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. If you use salted butter, you can omit the salt in the filling.

Equipment

I used a mini muffin tin for this recipe!

Don’t have a mini muffin tin? You can use a regular-size muffin tin or even a 9×13 baking dish.

Storage

Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days (if you choose not to ice your cinnamon rolls, they can remain at room temperature).

I haven’t tried it, but these should freeze well so feel free to whip up a double batch and throw one in the freezer! The only thing that might not freeze well is the cream cheese icing, so I would recommend freezing them unfrosted. Simple wrap your cooked, cooled cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap, place them in an airtight and freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to a month!

Top Tip

If you want to make sure your cream cheese icing is nice and smooth, ensure your butter and cream cheese are softened at room temperature!

FAQs

Do I have to use butter in this recipe?

You could replace the butter in this recipe with margarine or your favourite dairy-free butter alternative, but we find that butter does give it the best flavor.

What is cinnamon roll filling made of?

The filling for these cinnamon rolls is made of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cinnamon is important in cinnamon rolls – obviously! Nutmeg adds a bit of earthiness to the rolls that pairs perfectly with cinnamon. And the salt helps balance out all of the sweetness in the recipe. The butter is used to help the filling stick to the dough!

How long do mini cinnamon rolls last?

In an airtight container, your cinnamon rolls should last 3-4 days. Typically you can store cinnamon rolls at room temperature, but because the frosting on these has cream cheese in it we would recommend storing them in the fridge.

If you enjoyed this easy treat, you might like some of our other bite-sized treats like our No-Bake Mini Party Pies and our adorable mini cakes!

Recipe

20 mini cinnamon rolls in a 9x13 baking dish, 7 of them with frosting on top.

Print Pin

5 from 7 votes

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls

Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls: This easy recipe is perfect for when you are craving a cinnamon roll! They're quick to make (using crescent roll sheets), and they're even easier to eat!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings bites

Calories 100kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Rolls

1 package crescent rolls
2 Tablespoons butter melted
⅓ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese softened
2 Tablespoons butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Rolls

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a mini-muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.
Unroll the crescent roll sheets onto a lightly floured surface and brush each one with melted butter.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the crescent rolls.
Roll the crescent rolls tightly into a log and slice into ¾" thick rolls– you should have about 12 rolls per log.
Place one roll into a well of the prepared muffin pan and repeat with the remaining rolls.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the rolls are set in the center and golden brown around the edges.
Serve the cinnamon rolls warm, topped with the icing (below). Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

For the Frosting

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.
Next, add the powdered sugar and mix until the icing is smooth. Spread the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy.

Notes

TIP: If you want to make sure your cream cheese icing is nice and smooth, ensure your butter and cream cheese are softened at room temperature!

Nutrition

Fried Mushrooms – Easy Pan or Deep Fried Recipe

October 29, 2024

Fried mushrooms are easy to make, and this recipe uses only a few simple ingredients! Using sliced mushrooms is key, as they’re easier to eat and tastier to dip!

Whether you need a side dish or a quick appetizer recipe, whip these store-bought sliced mushrooms up and serve alongside your favorite dipping sauce, and maybe even these fried pickle slices, and they’ll both become your new favorite!

Fried mushrooms with batter, next to ranch dip. — Fried Mushrooms with Egg Breading

Why You’ll Love This Easy Fried Mushrooms Recipe

Texture: I prefer using sliced mushrooms instead of button mushrooms for the texture and or the ease of eating! Using an egg in the batter provides a thicker breading and give the mushrooms a slight crunch.
Quick: Sliced mushrooms don’t take long to cook through, and there’s very little prep time, making this recipe great for a quick side dish or appetizer to snack on while waiting for dinner.
Ease: Fried sliced mushrooms are really easy and great for a beginner who may be looking to fry things for the first time too!

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Deep Fried Mushrooms

When it comes to deep frying mushrooms, I like to deep fry them in my cast iron with oil but you can also use a deep fryer if you prefer. The mushrooms will float, so flipping may be required.

Can You Use Button Mushrooms?

You can! But we personally don’t like button mushrooms because of the texture when you bite in to them. However feel free to follow this same recipe, knowing that the cook time may be a little longer, waiting for the centers to cook too.

How to Wash Mushrooms

Did you know you’re not supposed to soak mushrooms? They’ll absorb water, and you sure don’t want that for taste/frying.

Just wipe or lightly rinse with cool water and pat dry. (Better yet, if you have time, wash them early and let air dry after you pat dry too… just so there is little chance of any water remaining on the mushrooms.)

Ingredients

Seasoned salt
Flour
Eggs (if making the thicker breading – see images below)
Sliced Mushrooms
Oil

That’s it. The seasoned salt was super tasty in the flour breading and made a big difference. But feel free to use a different seasoning.
Some seasoning options to consider are:

lemon pepper
garlic pepper
french fry seasoning
greek seasoning

How to Fry Mushrooms

I’ll touch on a few key notes below on how to make fried mushrooms but you can also scroll down to the recipe card where you’ll find all of the details in one place.

To make the fried mushrooms without egg, for a thin breading:

Flour and seasoned salt in a plastic storage bag for battering mushrooms.

Sliced mushrooms in bag with flour and seasoning.

Bring oil to a temperature of about 375° F or hot enough over medium-high heat, that when a little flour is sprinkled in, it sizzles.
You’ll start by combining the flour and seasoned salt in a bowl or zip-top bag.
Add in your clean mushrooms and shake or stir to coat with the flour-spice mixture.
Place them, one-by-one in the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Easy fried mushrooms on a plate. — Mushrooms with Thin Breading

To make the fried mushrooms with egg, for a thicker breading, you’ll:

Bring oil to a temperature of about 375° F or hot enough over medium-high heat, that when a little flour is sprinkled in, it sizzles.
You’ll start by combining the flour and seasoned salt in a bowl or zip-top bag.
Next, whisk your eggs in a separate bowl.
Place your mushrooms in the egg, and then place in seasoned flower to coat. (I seal the bag and shake until mushrooms are coated.)
Place battered mushrooms in hot oil and allow them to fry on each side for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
When fried mushrooms are finished, remove them from the oil with a slatted spatula and place them on a plate, platter, or baking sheet that is lined with paper towels (to soak up excess grease) and serve immediately.

Fried mushroom being dipped in ranch dressing. — Mushrooms Fried with Egg in Breading

To Use Egg or Not Use Egg

My pick is to use egg. My dad is the one who taught me how to make fried mushrooms and he prefers the mushrooms without the egg in the breading, so it results in a thinner coating.

I suggest trying both so you can be the judge of what you prefer!

What to Serve with Fried Mushrooms

Eating these mushrooms by themselves is great but they’d also be amazing alongside this jalapeno ranch or this chipotle sauce!

FAQs

What is the best way to fry mushrooms?

Deep frying mushrooms in vegetable or canola oil, is a great way to fry them, to get that breading and crunch.

What type of mushroom is good for frying?

Sliced mushrooms are great for frying but you can also fry button mushrooms if you prefer that texture.

How to know when fried mushrooms are done?

When the mushrooms have turned slightly golden brown, they’re ready to remove from the oil on to a paper towel-lined plate, to soak up excess oil.

If you love easy recipes like this one, you’ll also love these:

Recipe

Fried mushrooms on plate next to a bowl of ranch dressing.

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3.88 from 62 votes

Fried Mushrooms Recipe

This fried mushrooms recipe using sliced mushrooms is so easy with two options for breading thickness.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 160kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

8 ounces sliced mushrooms cleaned
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoon seasoned salt
vegetable or canola oil enough to create an inch or more of oil in pan if pan frying, or enough for your deep fryer requirements.
2 eggs leave out the eggs if you prefer a more thin, breading. See instructions below.

Instructions

Heat oil in the pan over medium heat if pan frying. If deep frying, heat oil to about 375° F, or turn on medium heat and test with sprinkle of flour for sizzle. (See below.)
Combine flour and seasoned salt in large bowl or zip-top bag.

For Thin Mushroom Breading

Pour mushrooms into flour/salt mixture and stir or shake to coat.
When oil is heated through (to test if oil is ready, sprinkle a pinch of flour in oil. If sizzles, it's ready.)

For Thicker Mushroom Breading

Coat mushrooms in the eggs, then seasoned flour, and place the mushrooms in the heated oil, and fry for 2-3 minutes, (flipping if necessary) until they turn to a golden brown.
If deep frying, fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain on a plate topped with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
Serve warm!

Video

Notes

Wash your mushrooms but do not soak them! They’ll retain water and they will not cook appropriately.

You can also sprinkle on additional seasonings after the mushrooms have been fried if you’re looking for more.

Nutrition

Taco Pasta Recipe

October 28, 2024

This Taco Pasta Recipe makes a great easy dinner idea and is a comfort food favorite! This is a recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients, and has cheesy vibes that even the kids will love.

Taco pasta in skillet with fresh cilantro on top.

Pasta dishes for dinner are always a favorite in our house (especially this lasagna soup and this hamburger mac and cheese!) because they’re easy, filling, and comforting!

This taco pasta recipe is one of my favorite meals to make when I am short on time and energy and I’m craving comfort food. I love rotating it with this chicken spaghetti recipe made with Rotel.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy pasta recipe, and a few notes below about some of the key ingredients.

Ground beef: I don’t see why you couldn’t use ground sausage, or ground turkey instead of beef if desired.
Velveeta: You won’t need to use the entire 16 ounce block, only have. Save the remaining Velveeta to make a small batch of Rotel Dip.
Taco sauce: You could also substitute salsa for this if needed. It helps give the recipe more warmth.
Shredded cheese: I believe that shredding your own cheese for recipes like this one always tastes better. However that’s not something I always want to do when I’ve had a long day, so know that pre-shredded cheese is great to use for this one too.
Milk: I use 2% but that’s just because it’s what I usually have on hand. Feel free to use a different type if needed.

Instructions

Here are these steps on how to make this taco pasta dish but you can find the full, detailed steps below in the recipe card.

Rotel, milk and seasonings added to taco pasta.

Brown the ground beef and mined garlic and drain if necessary.
Add in the beef broth, Rotel, milk, taco seasoning, and taco sauce, and bring that to a boil.

Shredded cheese and Velveeta added to taco skillet recipe.

Add in the pasta, reduce to a simmer, and cover to let the noodles become tender, to al dente.
When the pasta becomes tender, add in the cubed Velveeta, and shredded cheese and stir to melt in. Remove from heat.

Taco pasta ready to eat, in skillet with a wooden spoon.

Feel free to add chopped cilantro to the top, right before serving for color and added, fresh, flavor.

Taco pasta ready for serving, with fresh cilantro on top.

Additional Topping Ideas if Desired:

I have a big list of taco toppings if you’re looking for a lot of extra fun for your taco pasta but here are a few favorites:

crushed taco shells
chopped avocado
extra chopped tomato
extra grated cheese
corn
shredded lettuce
black olives

If you’re a taco fan, be sure to also check out this taco soup recipe.

Storage Instructions

Leftovers: Allow any leftovers to cool completely, and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.

If you love taco recipes, make sure you also try this walking taco casserole that’s delicious or these pasta favorites:

Recipe

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4 from 4 votes

Taco Pasta Recipe

This Taco Pasta Recipe is like if Rotel dip and tacos had a baby! This creamy kick of cheeses with taco seasoning is a favorite easy dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings cups

Calories 474kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked pasta shells ½ of a 1 pound box
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons taco sauce
1 cup milk
10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies undrained
8 ounces Velveeta cheese cut in to cubes
1 cup shredded fiesta blend cheese

Instructions

Cook the 1 pound of ground beef and minced garlic in a skillet over medium high heat, until meat is no longer pink. Drain grease if needed.
Add in taco seasoning, the 2 cups beef broth, 2 Tablespoons taco sauce, 1 cup milk, and 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, and bring to a boil, stirring occassionally.
When boiling, reduce to a simmer, add the pasta, cover and stir occasionally and cook until the pasta is al dente.
When pasta is cooked, add in the shredded cheese and the Velveeta cheese. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
Serve with fresh cilantro on top (optional), and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you like a little spice, feel free to add a few splashes of hot sauce or use spicy taco sauce.

Nutrition

Doritos Nachos

October 27, 2024

Doritos Nachos are as good as they sound. Doubt I’ll ever make nachos using plain tortilla chips again, and I’ll definitely be putting Doritos on the nacho bars I create!

Ready in minutes, this appetizer recipe is fantastic for football season, fall weather, as a side dish for your favorite chili recipe, or just a fun easy dinner recipe like this Dorito Chicken Casserole recipe!

Recipe Highlights

Ease: Easy to make, and great for beginners in the kitchen.
Versatile: You can use different chips, and different toppings, and make this your own creation.
Purpose: A great party food, late-night snack, or even a great dinner recipe that everyone can share around the table.

There’s something about using white Queso on nachos, which is why I recommend using it on these BBQ nachos too! However, a great Rotel with ground beef will always have my heart as well.

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Ingredients

Feel free to be flexible with the ingredients and the ingredient amounts in this recipe. Here are some notes about some of the ingredients I’ve used but you can find the full list and instructions below in the recipe card.

Doritos: You don’t have to use the brand name and you can use any nacho cheese-flavored chip if you like. You can also use something like a ranch-flavored chip if you prefer.
Queso: I use a storebought queso but feel free to make your own.
Fiesta cheese: I like to use the finely shredded cheese for these and if you can’t find the fiesta cheese, you can use cheddar or something like Colby Jack.
Ground beef: I think ground sausage would also be incredible in this recipe. Cooked chicken or shrimp would also be delicious. Or, if you have leftover taco meat, it’s the perfect way to use it!
Taco seasoning: if you don’t have a packet of this on hand, this chicken taco seasoning works great.

Note: You may not use the entire 1 pound of taco meat. Using the extra taco meat to make the Taco Salad with Catalina dressing or these fried tacos would be such a great idea.

How to Make Doritos Nachos

Doritos on a baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper.

Start by cooking your ground beef, and draining the grease if needed. Add in the taco seasoning, and mix together with the cooked beef. (I actually don’t add in water, just to keep the ground beef really seasoned but you can add water according to the package directions if needed.)
You can use a platter, or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper like I did if you like, and spread out the bag of Doritos on to the sheet. (Spreading them out so cheese can get on as many chips as possible.)

Taco seasoned ground beef on top of Queso and nacho cheese Doritos.

Next, warm your queso and pour it over the top of the chips.
Sprinkle on the desired amount of cooked taco meat. You can use the entire pound or must half, like I did.

Black olives and shredded cheese on top of chips.

Diced tomatoes, green onions and jalapenos on top of the Doritos nachos.

Then it’s time to add your favorite toppings:
– shredded fiesta cheese
– black olives
– diced tomatoes
– green onions
– sliced pickled jalapenos

Doritos nachos on a baking sheet with toppings.

Serve the nachos immediately and enjoy!

Hand holding Dorito nacho with jalapeno, tomato and black olive.

Storing Instructions

The unfortunate thing about making nachos like this is that if all haven’t been eaten, the chips can get soggy. However, if that’s your thing, refrigerate them within a couple of hours of sitting out and reheat in the oven.

Are Doritos good for nachos?

Yes! They add even more flavor to nachos and hold their crispiness for a while when covered with cheese.

What flavor of Doritos for nachos?

Almost any Doritos flavor is good for nachos but Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch are great go-to’s. Although spicy flavors can be great as well.

What is the secret to making good nachos?

Make sure as many chips can get covered with cheese and toppings, as possible. Also make sure to have enough cheese to go with the amount of chips. Put the toppings on the side that may not be enjoyed by everyone

Do you have to bake nachos?

You don’t. I actually prefer not to bake them but you can if you want to warm the chips slightly. Just be careful not to burn them.

Similar Recipes You’ll Love

If you like easy recipes that make great party food or easy dinners, you’ll also love these:

Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Doritos Nachos

Doritos nachos are loaded with white queso, taco meat, and toppings like tomatoes, jalapenos, shredded cheddar, green onions and other great toppings!

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 983kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

9 ounces Nacho Cheese Doritos
15 ounces white queso
1 cup shredded fiesta cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 ounce packet taco seasoning
2 green onions chopped
1 tomato diced
½ cup sliced pickled jalapenos
2 ounces sliced black olives drained

Instructions

Cook ground beef, drain and add taco seasoning. Mix to combine.
Pour Doritos out on to a baking sheet.
Warm queso and pour over Doritos.
Pour taco meat on top of queso.
Top with remaining ingredients, and serve right away!

Video

Notes

Can you bake these nachos? You can. I prefer it this way but if you prefer warm chips, and more of a toasted taste, you can place them in the oven. Just be careful not to burn the chips.

Nutrition

Peanut Brittle

October 26, 2024

This easy peanut brittle recipe is a vintage classic that’s easy to make and so fun to bring along to holiday gatherings – and make sure you put it in the little vintage metal tins like my grandma would too, haha!

In under an hour, this old-fashioned candy recipe is ready to package up as gifts or to put on a dessert table for snacking.

Peanut Brittle on plate, broken in to pieces.

Recipe Highlights

Cooking Level: Great for beginners and easy.

Texture: Crunchy and sticks to your teeth… just as it should!

How to serve: As a holiday dessert, snack or even package up and give these treats as a gift.

Peanut brittle has been around for ages! My grandma used to make it at Christmas time, and she’d put it in a little tin and sit it out on the dessert table next to this egg custard and pecan pie recipes that she also used to make.

Now, I love making this peanut brittle recipe to package up and give to neighbors, and friends, and just something for my boys to snack on since I only make it about once a year.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are a few notes on some of the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade peanut brittle. Jump to the recipe card below to see the exact measurements.

Jump to Recipe

Labeled ingredients for easy peanut brittle recipe.

Peanuts: Raw peanuts are used in this recipe and I’ve always used raw but I’m sure you can use roasted peanuts as well. I just keep using raw because that’s what Grandma did.
Margarine: You can also use butter instead if you prefer but again, margarine is what she used, so I do too.
Vanilla: As in all of my recipes, I prefer using pure vanilla extract instead of imitation.

Love peanuts? You’ll also love this peanut buster parfait recipe!

How to Make Peanut Brittle

Here are step-by-step images and notes on how to make homemade peanut brittle. For the full instructions, see the recipe card below.

Begin by prepping a large, rimmed, baking sheet by spreading butter, margarine, or non-stick spray on it, so the peanut brittle doesn’t stick to the pan.

Tip: You’ll want to prep the baking sheet first because you’ll want to quickly pour the peanut mixture on to the pan when it’s time. I used a 13.5 x 17 pan and kept a second, smaller pan on stand-by in case I had overage and didn’t want it as thick. So really it’s up to how thick you want your peanut brittle.

Corn syrup, sugar and water in saucepan.

Make the syrup: Bring the sugar, light corn syrup, and water to a boil.
Add peanuts: Pour in the raw peanuts and boil, stirring often, until syrup turns a light brown color, which is about 15 minutes.

Cooked peanuts in saucepan and sugar mixture.

Cook and brown the syrup: When the syrup has turned a light brown color, remove the pot from the heat.
Mix in flavorings: Add in the margarine and stir. Then add in the baking soda and vanilla extract.

Quickly pour the peanut brittle mixture on to the prepared baking sheet and spread it out so it’s even and flat.
Allow it to cool and then using your hands, break the brittle in to pieces.

Storage Instructions

Once the peanut brittle has cooled and has been broken in to pieces, it’s safe to store it in an airtight container or bag and kept at room temperature. If stored properly it should stay good for a month or two.

What is peanut brittle made of?

This vintage peanut brittle recipe is made of corn syrup, sugar, water, vanilla, peanuts, and baking soda.

Is peanut brittle an American thing?

It is. The story has it, that a woman accidentally used baking soda in her taffy and it turned to peanut brittle consistency.

Can you use parchment paper when making peanut brittle?

You can. Or you can also grease a baking dish or use a silpat mat.

Tips for the Best Peanut Brittle

Prep: Make sure to prep your pans before starting the brittle recipe, so you’re not in a rush when it’s time to pour the peanut mixture out to cool.
Baking soda: Use fresh baking soda in any recipe, and in this one too.
Breaking: If you don’t want to use your hands to break up the brittle, you can use a mallet or meat tenderizer.

More Holiday Desserts

If you love holiday desserts and snacks like this one, you’ll also love these favorites:

Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Peanut Brittle

This old-fashioned peanut brittle recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients, ready in under and hour, and perfect for the holidays!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 146kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups sugar
½ cup water
2 Tablespoons margarine
2 cups raw peanuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Prepare a large, rimmed, baking sheet (or two small, rimmed, baking sheets) by coating it with butter. (I used a large, 13.5-inch x 17-inch baking sheet with a smaller, baking sheet on stand by if I decided to keep my peanut brittle thin so I could pour the remaining amount in, in case I felt my brittle was thick enough.)
Boil the corn syrup, sugar and water in a saucepan until it reaches 230° F with a candy thermometer or until it *spins a thread.
Add peanuts and stir frequently for about 15 minutes or until syrup has turned a light brown.
Remove from the burner and add in the margarine, vanilla and baking soda. (The mixture will foam, and that's ok!)
Stir quickly, and then pour out on to prepared baking sheet(s) and spread out evenly. (It will start to harden and dry quickly, so it's best to work fast.)
Allow it to cool. When cool, it should be hardened, and you should be able to pick it up and start breaking in to pieces.

Video

Notes

*A boiling a “thread” means when a candy mixture reaches a consistency that when a small amount of syrup is added to cold water, it forms a “thread” and it doesn’t break.

Nutrition

Easy Pound Cake Recipe

October 25, 2024

This easy pound cake recipe is made with a few everyday ingredients to make this classic, vintage dessert a favorite to serve during the holidays or for potlucks.

Serve this cake alone as it is or top with the included glaze recipe, your favorite toppings, or choose from the list of ideas that I’ve given below! One of my favorites is drizzling on some homemade vanilla sauce that I also use on my bread pudding recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Cake Recipe

Ease: We’re all about “easy recipes” around here, and when you use that phrase in front of a word like easy cake recipes, you know you’re in the right place.

Flexible: With a classic cake like this one, it means that you can serve it alone or elevate it with your favorite toppings.

Texture: Pound cake can be a “spongey” texture, and more dense than say, an angel food cake.

Vintage recipe: I love the vintage classic recipes. You really can’t go wrong with grandma’s favorites. You’ll also love this vintage peanut brittle recipe and this egg custard recipe that my grandma shared with me.

Ingredients

Here are a few notes about some of the ingredients you’ll need for this cake recipe. You can also jump to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients.

Jump to Recipe

Eggs and egg yolks: Plan on needing a total of 7 eggs for this recipe, although you’ll just be using 3 of them for the yolks. Use the leftover egg whites for this lemon meringue!
Cake flour: I recommend using cake flour in this recipe. However, I know that it may not be something that you always have on hand. So if you only have all-purpose flour, you can measure out two cups of flour and remove 4 tablespoons and put it back in your flour container. Replace the removed 4 tablespoons of flour with 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Pound Cake Flavor + Topping Ideas

What I love about a pound cake, is that you can flavor it or top it with just about anything to customize the flavor you’re looking for, or leave it plain and capture the buttery-sugary goodness.

glaze (like this recipe)
fresh fruit
crunchy items (like cookies, nuts, graham crackers, etc.)
icing
sugars

How to Make Pound Cake

You can find the full recipe card below, but I love to show the process in images as well in case you’re a visual person like me!

…………………………….

You’ll start by mixing together the butter and the sugar for about 3 minutes. (Why do almost all good dessert recipes start with butter & sugar?!?!)

Then, add in the eggs, yolks, and vanilla and mix for about 5 minutes.

Next, in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Reduce mixer speed to low, and add half of the flour mixture and half the milk to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix for 5 minutes.

Add the second half of flour mixture and milk… and mix for 5 minutes.

Grease and flour your bundt pan (or pan of your choosing) pour in the batter, and smooth out any bubbles!

Place the pan in a cool oven and set the temperature to 350℉ and bake for 1 hour.

The cake will be done when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean!

Allow 30 minutes for the cake to cool, and then remove from the pan (using a butter knife around the edges help) and turn upside down to finish cooling.

You’ll want the cake fully cooled before drizzling the glaze.

Pound Cake Glaze

The glaze for your pound cake is really, really simple. Although the buttery goodness of a pound cake it plenty, the glaze adds a delicious touch and smooth, creamy, silky texture.

For the glaze, you’ll need:

1 ¾ cup of confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons of whole milk

Simply add powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) to a bowl, and add 1 tablespoon of milk to the sugar at a time, stirring it in until smooth.

Drizzle over your cooled cake and serve! (If the cake is still hot, the glaze will melt in to the cake, which is still delicious but you won’t be able to see it as much.)

Doesn’t that look amazingly scrumptious? I’m not sure if there’s anything better than the classics.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

If you love easy desserts, then you’re in the right place. You’ll LOVE these no matter if you’re just in the “sweets” mood, or if you need a dessert to take along to a potluck!

sprinkle powdered sugar on your pound cake if you prefer!

Easily top your pound cake with fresh berries and extra powdered sugar for an added touch of flavor and cuteness!

Recipe

Pound cake made in a bundt pan, with powdered sugar and blackberries on top.

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Easy Pound Cake Recipe

Easy Pound Cake Recipe – This simple recipe made with eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and a few other everyday ingredients is the perfect staple dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Cool 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 387kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

4 eggs room temperature
3 egg yolks room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons whole milk
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cup sugar

Glaze

1 ¾ cup confectioners sugar
4 Tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

Move oven rack to middle of the oven.
Mix butter and sugar in large bowl until creamed, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla, beat 5 minutes on medium.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add ½ of the flour mixture and half the milk. Mix 5 minutes.
Add second half of flour mixture and milk. Mix for 5 minutes.
Generously grease and flour bundt pan.
Pour batter into pan and tap to remove bubbles.
Place pan in cool oven, set temperature to 350℉ and bake 1 hour. Cake will be done when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool 30 minutes before releasing the edges with a knife and turning the pan upside down to finish cooling.

Glaze

Add one tablespoon of milk at a time to confectioners sugar to achieve desired consistency.
Drizzle over cake. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

October 24, 2024

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls: These simple and delicious popcorn balls come together in minutes for the perfect snack or sweet treat, using only simple ingredients that you may already have on hand!

Quick Overview: In only 20 minutes, you’ll have these delicious popcorn balls ready for eating! Whether that’s for a Halloween treat or just for a quick dessert!

Let me start out by saying, I love to make any type of popcorn recipe.

Plain, buttered, sweet, or savory I will take it all. So naturally, I was very excited for the opportunity to pull together a delicious and simple marshmallow popcorn ball recipe to share with you all.

Love easy vintage snacks like this one? Try this old-fashioned peanut brittle next.

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Hey Fantabulosity readers, it's Meg again popping in from Meg's Everyday Indulgence with another fun and delicious recipe to share with you all.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

They’re made without corn syrup! So if you want to do without that, you can use marshmallows that don’t have corn syrup!
Made with marshmallows and other ingredients that you probably already have on hand! (We love anything “marshmallow”, especially this marshmallow fruit dip!)
They’re fun to make with the kiddos.

Popcorn Balls without Corn Syrup

What I also love about this recipe, is that it doesn’t use corn syrup. Most marshmallows have corn syrup but if you get marshmallows such as Dandies All Natural Marshmallows, the ingredients do not list corn syrup.

Ingredients

Let's start by discussing these Popcorn Balls’ ridiculously easy ingredient list.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Plain popped popcorn
Butter
Marshmallows
Kosher salt
Pure vanilla extract

ingredients on the table for popcorn balls

How to Make Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

First, you need to pop your popcorn. I used my air popper to pop the popcorn and ended up needing about ½ cup of popcorn kernels.

You can also pop your kernels on the stovetop or even use plain microwave popcorn.

You'll need 16 cups of popcorn for the recipe, and once the popcorn is popped, make sure to remove any unpopped kernels.

This step may seem tedious but you don't want to bite into a hard kernel while enjoying your popcorn ball.

Set the popcorn aside.

Marshmallows + Butter

Next up, melt the butter and marshmallows in a large stockpot. Make sure it's big enough to hold all your popcorn which you'll be adding in a minute. (Image 1 below.)

Once the butter and marshmallows are melted together, (Image 2 below) remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. (Image 3 below.)

Stir in the popcorn. Keep stirring to ensure every piece is coated in marshmallowy goodness.

Let it cool for a few minutes, until it's a good temperature for you to handle with your hands. This next step is vital in your popcorn ball success.

step by step collage of making marshmallow popcorn balls

Shape into Popcorn Balls

Spray your hands well with nonstick cooking spray. Otherwise, you will end up with a huge sticky mess on your hands.

Measure out 1 cup of the mixture and roll into a ball. (Image 6 below.)

Place on parchment paper and keep moving until all your popcorn mixture has been used up. (See image below.)
You will probably need to respray your hands a few times throughout the process.

popcorn balls on parchment paper on baking sheet

Variations

You can simply serve your popcorn balls as they are or you can jazz them up in several different ways.

The easiest way to fancy them up is to add a long, festive toothpick. I grabbed these cute picks at Hobby Lobby and they came in a pack with a variety of fun, bright colors.

Another cute option that would be a huge hit with adults and kids alike, sprinkles! After you've shaped your popcorn balls, roll them in sprinkles. You can make them festive for any holiday or event.

My last fun idea to make these a little extra special involves food coloring. Mix in food coloring after melting the butter and marshmallows to make these popcorn balls any color you want.

Can't you see cute little pink or red popcorn balls wrapped in cellophane for a fun Valentine's surprise?!

How long are popcorn balls good for?

It can vary but if stored well, in an airtight container, they should be good for up to 5 days!

So Many Reasons to Make Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

There are so many reasons to make these popcorn balls. My kids were more than happy to be my little taste testers on this recipe for their after-school snack.

They would also be a really fun and different option for a bake sale or potluck at school or church. I always love it when there is something besides the typical cookies or brownies to choose from.

Make them festive, wrap them in cellophane, and add them to the kids' Easter baskets for a delicious homemade addition.

Want More Portable Treats?

If you are looking for more delicious, portable sweets like these marshmallow popcorn balls, you have to try this cookie dough fudge, hot chocolate muddy buddies, caramel corn, and chocolate + peanut butter energy bites.

Recipe

marshmallow popcorn balls on white background

Print Pin

5 from 42 votes

Easy Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

These simple and delicious marshmallow popcorn balls come together in minutes for the perfect snack or sweet treat.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings popcorn balls

Calories 209kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

16 cups popped popcorn (½ cup kernels) Here is how to pop popcorn!
10 ounces mini marshmallows 6 cups
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nonstick spray

Instructions

Go through popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels. Set aside. Lay a rectangle of parchment on the counter.
Heat a large pot (big enough for the popcorn) over medium low heat. Add butter and marshmallows. Stir until melted.
Remove from heat and stir in kosher salt and vanilla extract.
Add popcorn to pot and stir until completely coated. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.
Spray hands well with nonstick spray. Measure out a cup of the popcorn mixture. Roll into a ball.
Set on prepared parchment. Repeat until you have used all the popcorn. Store in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Try not to squeeze the popcorn balls too hard, or it could make the popcorn balls too hard to bite.

Nutrition

Baked BBQ Pork Chops in the Oven

October 22, 2024

BBQ Pork Chops in the Oven are super simple but full of flavor! It’s an easy dinner idea that goes with so many great side dishes, especially these baked beans with hamburger. The recipe is similar to how to cook pork steaks and the result is a juicy, delicious cut of meat.

Hello again Fantabulosity readers. It's Meg from Meg's Everyday Indulgence again! I'm so pumped to share this recipe with you today. (Photos updated by Fantabulosity in 2024.)

Baked bbq pork chops on a bed on sliced onions.

I have a feeling a lot of you out there are always on the hunt for simple yet delicious dinners that you can get on the table in a flash. You know, the ones that don't require a mountain of ingredients that you don't have on hand. (Or at least the recipes that require little prep like this Coca-Cola BBQ Pulled Pork or bbq pork steak recipes.)

Why You’ll Love These Baked Pork Chops

If you love easy recipes that use simple ingredients, then you’ll love this one!

You’ll find that these baked pork chops use staple ingredients, so much like these broiled pork chops and these creamy crock pot pork chops, and I'm betting you already have all or most of these on hand.

Pork Chops
Onions
Barbecue Sauce
Basic Spices (to create a delicious, flavorful rub)

Also, since the pork chops are thinly cut and boneless, they cook very quickly, making them perfect for nights when you don't have much time to get dinner on the table.

Baking cuts of meat in the oven can result in a juicy, tender cut of meat, and these pork chops are no different. For complete temperature and timing guidance, see our full guide on how to cook pork chops in the oven.

Ingredients

Pork Chop Rub

Before the boneless pork chops go into the oven to bake, a simple rub is sprinkled all over both sides.

All the ingredients in the rub are pretty basic pantry staples. This includes salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and paprika.

Almost all of the spices are used in equal amounts (excluding the salt, and if you’re using table salt, you may want to use ½ teaspoon) so it's super simple to mix up and makes a big impact on the flavor.

The Secret to Good Pork Chops

This boneless pork chop recipe has a little secret that adds so much flavor to this cut of pork. By slicing an onion and and layering it along the bottom of your baking dish, adds a lot of flavor to the pork chops.

Baked pork chops on white plate, sitting next to cast iron skillet.

How to Cook Baked Pork Chops

First, as the chops sit on the onion slices and bake away, the onion flavor is imparted upon them. But no fear, it's not a crazy oniony taste that will cause your kids to revolt but a nice, subtle flavor boost.

Uncooked pork chops and onions in baking dish.

The second plus is that once the chops are done cooking, the onions have softened and become seasoned with the rub, barbecue sauce, and pork juices, which makes for a great topping to your chops.

Baked bbq pork chops on plate with sliced onions.

TIP: You could easily double or triple the amounts and keep the extra in an airtight container to have it ready for next time.

Barbecue Sauce for Pork Chops

Now the great debate may be on. What kind of barbecue sauce do you like? Hot, sweet, smoky, all of the above?! I'm a sweet, Kansas City style barbecue sauce girl all the way. My husband grew up in KC and I grew up just a few hours away so it's in our DNA to like the sweet saucy stuff.

You obviously can use whatever kind of barbecue sauce you like best and they will all pair well with the rub.

Expert Tip

I chose to use somewhat thinly cut chops to keep this a quick cooking meal. I'm always on the lookout for quick, healthy and homemade dinner options for nights when we have dance, Cub Scouts or conferences so it's nice to have another option to add to the arsenal.

What to Serve with BBQ Pork Chops

There’s nothing better than the staples when it comes to sides dishes that go with BBQ. This red skin potato salad is one of our favorite savory salad recipes but pasta salad recipes are always a good option too! Or, it’s hard to have pork without this KFC Copycat Coleslaw recipe!

More Pork Chop and Pork Steak Recipes You'll Love:

If you love cuts of pork these are some other great easy recipes that you’ll want to try out for sure. Or, if you’re a fan of using the slow cooker, give these slow cooker bbq pork steaks a try! (Pork steaks are taken from the shoulder of a pig and are usually tougher than chops… but juicier.)

Recipe

Print Pin

4.88 from 33 votes

Baked BBQ Pork Chops

Baked BBQ Pork Chops in the oven are a super easy dinner that's on the table in 30 minutes. Sweet, smoky, simple and delicious.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 119kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, sliced into ¼-inch rings
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 ¼-inch thick boneless pork chops
½ cup barbecue sauce

For the BBQ Rub:

1 ½ Tablespoon kosher salt If using table salt, you may want to use less.
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Layer onions in a large cast iron skillet or 9×3 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika and pepper.
Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with the bbq rub. Place the seasoned chops on top of the onions. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush both sides of the chops generously with barbecue sauce. Bake another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F. Remove from oven and let rest for 3 minutes before slicing. Top with onions when serving.

Video

Notes

This recipe is easy to double or triple if you need larger amounts.

Make sure not to overlap the pork chops so they cook evenly.

Nutrition

Caramel Corn Recipe

October 20, 2024

This homemade caramel corn recipe doesn’t require baking and uses just a few, easy ingredients! Plus, make your popcorn using my easy homemade popcorn recipe and you’re ready for the ultimate fall, snack!

Caramel corn in black metal french fry stand.

Each year when the temps lower to…oh… say 40 degrees or so, I start craving all the winter goodies. Like this Peppermint latte, peppermint cake, sugar cookies, and well… just about anything not good for me. Caramel corn is one of those winter staples that I begin craving instantly

You may also love:

I remember making caramel corn as a kid with my parents, and I thought it was one of the coolest things ever. Now, I can make caramel corn with my kids and make our own memories!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe

No baking required! Yes really. I love how it doesn’t take hours to make this recipe and you can start eating it as soon as it cools off. (For real, make sure it cools off. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt my tongue because I’m too impatient.)

Ingredients

With only using a few ingredients, you can make this super easy caramel corn at home too. Here are the everyday ingredients you’ll be using but make sure to see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions all in one place.

Popped Popcorn – I prefer making my own with kernels so I don’t have to worry about the flavorings and extras that microwave popcorn tends to have.
Butter – Real butter is recommended here.
Light Brown Sugar – You can use dark brown sugar too!
Vanilla Extract – I prefer to use real vanilla, instead of imitation.
Baking Soda
Salt

How to Make the Caramel Corn

First you’ll brown your butter, then add the brown sugar and salt. Allow those items to boil and then add vanilla and baking soda! Mix to combine and then pour over the prepared popcorn.

Pour caramel syrup over popcorn - homemade caramel corn recipe

Pour the caramel covered popcorn on to a greased, or parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow it the caramel to harden and dry.

Pro Tips

I like to stir the popcorn after about 10 minutes while it’s cooling to help dry it out faster.
This caramel corn recipe is great to give out as gifts during the holiday season. Package it up in cute packaging with a gift tag (like these Christmas popcorn balls) and it’s ready to go! Just make sure it has cooled off before packaging or it will get soggy.

Hand holding a piece of homemade caramel corn.

More Snack Recipes

If you love easy snacks like this one, you’ll also love these new favorite snack recipes:

If you’re a caramel fan, this caramel cream pie is a crowd favorite.

Recipe

Print Pin

4.50 from 10 votes

Caramel Corn Recipe

It only takes a handful of ingredients to make this easy caramel corn recipe. No baking required for this quick snack recipe!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 463kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

8 cups Popped Popcorn
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt or to taste (We like to use kosher salt.)

Instructions

Make plain popcorn by following this homemade popcorn recipe or using store bought, and place in large mixing bowl.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add brown sugar and salt and stir until mixed.
Bring the butter and sugar mixture up to a boil, stirring consistently.
When it begins to boil, stop stirring and allow it to cook for 5 minutes, but after 4 minutes add vanilla and stir to mix.
Continue to boil for one more minute and then add the baking soda, stir until mixed in.
Grab the bowl of popcorn and drizzle the caramel sauce over the top. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently stir until all the popcorn is covered with the sauce.
Pour the popcorn out and spread out onto a flat surface to allow cooling. (i.e cookie sheet, wax paper, etc.)

Video

Notes

Although not required, I like to stir the popcorn after about 10 minutes of cooling to help speed up the process and keep the popcorn crunchy.

Nutrition

Hot Cocoa Dip

October 17, 2024

Hot Cocoa Dip isn’t hot at all… it’s a no-bake dessert that only requires 4 ingredients: cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, Cool Whip, and hot chocolate mix. Serve it with your favorite cookies or graham crackers for a delicious and easy treat that’s creamy and sweet.

Hot Cocoa Dip in bowl, with marshmallows and graham crackers.

Who says desserts in the fall and winter must be baked in an oven? Not me! I love the flavors of this hot cocoa dip, all while it only takes a few minutes to whip up!

Serve it on a Christmas dessert board, this s’mores dip in the fall, or just to have on a holiday table for snacking.

Ingredients for Hot Cocoa Dip

Here’s what you’ll need for this easy recipe, below. Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and measurements with instructions.

Ingredients to make hot cocoa dip on kitchen counter.

Notes of Key Ingredients

Whipped Cream: You can use homemade whipped cream as a substitute for Cool Whip. Simply whip heavy cream with a bit of sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Use it in the same quantity as the Cool Whip in the recipe.
Marshmallow Fluff: If you don’t have marshmallow fluff, you can substitute it with an equal amount of mini marshmallows melted with a little butter. Melt them gently over low heat and allow them to cool slightly before mixing them with the cream cheese.

How to Make This No Bake Dip

Cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, Cool Whip and hot cocoa mix all in a mixing bowl.

Hot cocoa dip in serving bowl, ready to top with marshmallows, chocolate chips or your favorites.

First, mix together the cream cheese and marshmallow fluff, using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon.

Then, mix in the hot chocolate mix until fully combined.

Lastly, using a spatula, fold in (meaning to carefully and gradually) stir the whipped cream in to the dip so it remains fluffy.

Pour in to a serving dish and serve with your favorite snacks. See ideas below.

Hot cocoa dip with marshmallows and chocolate chips on top, with graham crackers.

What to Serve with Hot Cocoa Dip

You can serve so many different yummy items with this dip. Here are some of my favorites:

graham crackers
vanilla wafers
mini cookies
pretzels
animal crackers

Extra Fun Ideas for this Dip:

Feel free to get creative with the toppings! Consider adding crushed peppermint candies, caramel drizzle, or chopped nuts to add different flavors and textures.
Additional flavors: Add a few drops of peppermint extract for a festive twist. Swirl in a couple of tablespoons of Nutella for an extra chocolaty flavor.

How to Store this Dip

Leftovers: Store any leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Although the texture may change, you can freeze the dip for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving and stir well.

More Creamy Dessert Recipes

If you’re a hot chocolate fan, you’ll also love these DIY hot chocolate gifts!

Recipe

Hot cocoa dip made with marshmallow cream, whipped cream and cream cheese.

Print Pin

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Hot Cocoa Dip

This creamy, no-bake, hot cocoa dip is ready in 10 minutes, and uses cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, Cool Whip and hot chocolate mix.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 170kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

1 cup whipped cream cheese original
¾ cup marshmallow fluff
1 cup frozen whipped topping (Such as Cool Whip) thawed
⅓ cup hot chocolate mix

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese and marshmallow fluff until smooth and well combined. (You can use a hand mixer or wooden spoon).
Add the hot chocolate mix powder to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping using a spatula. Mix until the dip is smooth and fluffy.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Garnish with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and a dusting of cocoa powder if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. See "Notes" below for ideas on what to serve with this dip!

Video

Notes

Garnish Ideas:

Mini marshmallows
Cocoa powder
Chocolate chips

What to Serve with this Dip:

Graham crackers
Cookies
Vanilla wafers
Pretzels
Animal crackers

Nutrition

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

October 11, 2024

This Chicken Alfredo Lasagna is made without spinach and uses a jar of sauce to keep things quick and easy. Ready in just a little over an hour, this recipe is a great dinner recipe that the whole family will love.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna in baking dish, being lifted out.

Chicken Alfredo recipes are hearty and comforting, especially when combined with delicious cheeses and tender chicken pieces. Love those flavors together? Try this Alfredo garlic bread recipe alongside this dish.

If you’re a spice lover, this Buffalo Chicken Lasagna is similar and is a fun twist on the classic. Or, for another lasagna favorite, this Lasagna Soup Recipe is a must-make during the cooler months.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Highlights

The ingredients in this recipe are simple, everyday ingredients, which you can usually keep on hand when you need a dinner recipe in a pinch.
Creamy and comforting, this lasagna is a comfort food recipe that even the kids will love.

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Key Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this chicken lasagna.

Ingredients for chicken alfredo lasagna on counter.

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

Lasagna Noodles: Use oven-ready lasagna noodles to skip the boiling step, or swap with gluten-free lasagna noodles if needed.
Ricotta Cheese: Cottage cheese can be used as a lower-fat option.
Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan for better texture and taste. You can also use Pecorino Romano for a similar flavor.
Egg: Adding an egg helps bind the ricotta mixture together, ensuring a firmer filling.
Garlic: You can substitute the granulated garlic with garlic powder or minced fresh garlic (though fresh garlic will provide a sharper taste).
Chicken: You can use rotisserie chicken for convenience (then use the bones to make this rotisserie chicken broth). Or, if you’d like to boil chicken for easy cooking, these boiled chicken breasts are a great option. You can substitute the cooked chicken with leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Alfredo Sauce: I love using store-bought sauce to keep things quick and easy. However, you can make your own easy Alfredo Sauce if you prefer.
Mozzarella Cheese: Pre-shredded mozzarella can have anti-caking agents, so shredding your own cheese yields better melting. Provolone or Monterey Jack can be used for a different but mild, creamy melt.

How to Make Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

Complete instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cooked lasagna noodles on sheet pan. — Cook noodles and set aside.

Ricotta cheese and seasonings in mixing bowl. — Mix cheeses and seasonings.

Ricotta cheese mixture spread on lasagna noodles in baking dish. — Spread cheese mixture on to noodles.

Chicken added and Alfredo sauce on top of noodles for lasagna. — Spread chicken and Alfredo sauce on to cheese mixture.

Shredded mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top. — Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top.

Unbaked chicken Alfredo lasagna in baking dish. — Repeat layers.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna baked in baking dish.

Cover and bake lasagna in the oven for 30-35 minutes, and remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Slice of Chicken Alfredo Lasagna on round plate.

Recipe FAQs

Is Alfredo sauce the same as lasagna sauce?

Typically, lasagna sauce is a red, tomato-based marinara sauce, but when making Alfredo lasagna, a white, creamy sauce is used.

Is the top layer of lasagna sauce or noodles?

Sauce and cheese are the top layers of lasagna. Typically the cheese is on the very top so it melts and toasts for a beautiful look.

Do you bake lasagna covered or uncovered?

Covering the lasagna for the majority of the bake time is recommended, and then uncovering towards the end is best for melting and toasting the top.

Storage Tips

Refrigerator: Store leftover lasagna in an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil. It will last for up to 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: Lasagna can be frozen for up to 2 – 3 months. Wrap individual portions or the entire lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, or use a freezer-safe container.
To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 20 – 30 minutes or until heated through. For faster reheating, use a microwave, covering the lasagna to retain moisture.
Make-Ahead: You can assemble the lasagna a day in advance. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and store it in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You can also freeze it unbaked. Assemble the lasagna, then freeze it before baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed, adding about 10 – 15 minutes to the baking time if it's still slightly chilled.

Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

This creamy chicken Alfredo lasagna turns a classic recipe in to a creamy, rich, dish that pasta lovers will adore.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 703kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

12 lasagna noodles
2½ cups ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese divided (½ cup + ¼ cup)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups cooked chicken shredded
30 ounces jarred Alfredo sauce or use this alfredo sauce recipe
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (shred block cheese for best results)
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
red pepper flakes optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Cook the 12 lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and lay the noodles flat on a sheet pan, or lightly toss them in olive oil to prevent sticking.
Using a rubber spatula, combine 2½ cups ricotta cheese, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.
Spread a thin layer of Alfredo sauce at the bottom of your prepared 9 x 13-inch dish.
Place 3 lasagna noodles in a single layer on top of the sauce.
Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture over the noodles (about 1 heaping cup).
Top with a layer of shredded chicken (about 1 heaping cup).
Then drizzle about ½ cup of Alfredo sauce over the chicken and spread evenly over the chicken.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
Repeat this layering process twice (noodles, ricotta, chicken, Alfredo, mozzarella).
There should now be three layers of filling.
On the final layer, place three more noodles over the final layer of filling.
Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce on top of the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and the remaining cup of shredded mozzarella.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
Garnish with extra fresh parsley and red pepper flakes (if desired). Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice into 9 or 12 square pieces and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Ensure the Alfredo sauce is spread evenly on all layers, particularly the top, to prevent the noodles from drying out.
To keep noodles from sticking together, cook them al dente and coat lightly with olive oil after draining. Lay out the noodles flat on a sheet pan. Use a piece of parchment paper to separate them if you need to layer them.

Nutrition

Apple Cider Punch

September 29, 2024

Apple Cider Punch is made with apple cider, orange soda, caramel syrup, pumpkin pie spices, and the optional oranges and cinnamon sticks. It’s ready in minutes and great for fall parties!

Apple cider punch in a pumpkin drink dispenser.

Serve this easy recipe at Halloween parties or Thanksgiving dinners, and watch it disappear quickly when everyone has that first sip. It has the flavors of autumn and is such a refreshing blend of flavors for any occasion.

This Fruit Punch Recipe is always a winner during the holidays, and this Orange Sherbet Punch is a great summer option, or another orange punch option if you don’t mind ice cream punch during the cooler months. If you love apples, but are looking for something alcoholic, this red apple martini is a great option.

Autumn Punch Highlights

Flavors: This punch has warm flavors of smooth caramel, orange, and apple spice, that come together perfectly.
Ease: With just a few ingredients, and being able to pour everything right in together, makes this a great recipe for kids to help with, or even beginners in the kitchen.
Time: This punch is ready in just a few minutes, meaning you can whip this up right when the party starts (and is recommended).

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Key Ingredients

Have fun making this punch your way and with your favorite ingredients. However, the combination you see below is my favorite.

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

Apple Cider: The apple cider I used was a Honeycrisp style so I feel it wasn’t as thick as some ciders but do believe other ciders will work lovely in this too. It just may make your punch darker if your cider is darker.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you have apple pie spice on hand instead, this is perfectly fine to use as well.
Caramel Syrup: You can use an ice cream caramel syrup instead although I’m not sure how it will mix with the cold beverages. I prefer using a flavored coffee-type syrup, like the Torani brand.
Orange Soda: You can use Fanta or Sunkist, whichever you prefer. Or, try ginger ale, or even another type of citrus soda.

How to Make This Apple Cider Punch Recipe

Apple cider, orange soda, caramel syrup, and pumpkin pie spice in drink dispenser.

In Advance (Optional): Chill apple cider and orange soda so it’s a cold punch when serving.
Slice oranges if using.
In drink dispenser or punch bowl, pour in the apple cider, caramel syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and orange soda and whisk for a couple of minutes, trying to dissolve the spices.
Lastly, place orange slices and cinnamon sticks in punch bowl and serve.

Apple cider punch in pumpkin drink dispenser for the fall season.

Fall Punch Tips

Garnish: Rim drinking glasses with a cinnamon and sugar mixture if desired. Or, place a cinnamon stick in each glass when serving.
Punch for a Crowd: This recipe makes about 1 gallon of punch, which makes about 16 glasses, so you can easily double or triple the recipe if needed.
Making in Advance: If you plan to make this punch ahead of time, it’s best to wait to pour/open the orange soda, to keep it fresh and bubbly when drinking.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Using a whisk can help mix in the powdery spices but with it being a cool beverage, it’s harder for the spices to dissolve. Feel free to reduce the amount you use too.
Keeping it Cold: You can always add about 6 cups of ice if you’d like but as the ice melts it will water down the punch. So if you buy extra apple cider, you can free the cider in ice cube trays and add those to the punch, so as they melt, it’s not as watered down.

Additional Variations

Fruits: Sliced apples (red or green), cranberries,and pears would look amazing in this punch too.
Herbs: Fresh rosemary and or thyme would look beautiful with the fall colors.

Apple Cider Punch FAQs

What is good to mix with apple cider?

Citrus beverages mix wonderfully with warm-flavored beverages like apple cider.

How to serve apple cider at a party?

It’s a beautiful golden color for fall, so pouring it in to a drink dispenser looks great, especially when garnished with fruits in this punch recipe.

Is apple cider just warmed up apple juice?

It’s not. It has warm spices added to it like cloves, cinnamon and allspice, and has been heated.

More Fall Recipes

Recipe

Fall punch in a drink dispenser with orange slices and cinnamon sticks.

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Apple Cider Punch

This apple cider punch recipe uses apple cider, orange soda, caramel syrup, pumpkin pie spice and a few other ingredients to create drink that's perfect for hosting!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings glasses

Calories 126kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

64 ounces apple cider
2 liters orange soda
¼ cup caramel syrup
⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 oranges optional
6 cinnamon sticks optional

Instructions

Optional: Place apple cider and orange soda in the refrigerator, hours in advance so punch is cold when serving.
Slice oranges and set aside.
Pour 64 ounces apple cider, 2 liters orange soda, ¼ cup caramel syrup, ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, in a drink dispenser or punch bowl. Stir or whisk to combine in the ingreidents, trying to make the spices dissolve more. (They may not dissolve easily since beverages are cold, and that's ok.)
Place the sliced, 3 oranges and 6 cinnamon sticksin punch and serve immediately!

Video

Notes

Tips for the Perfect Punch

Wait to pour in the orange soda if not serving soon, to keep the soda from going flat too much in the punch.
Freeze extra apple cider in advance, in ice cube trays, to add to punch to help keep it cool without watering the punch down.
Double or triple this recipe easily for a large batch when hosting a party.

Nutrition

Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe

September 25, 2024

This Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe is the perfect way to welcome the fall season. This uses canned pumpkin puree, warm spices, and a few other simple ingredients, and this dessert bread is ready to enjoy in about an hour.

Sliced pumpkin bread on wooden cutting board with a streusel on top.

When the cooler weather hits, the pumpkin flavors start flowing. So it’s a toss-up between this bread, these pumpkin cream cheese bars, or this no-bake pumpkin pie.

Gift Idea: This pumpkin bread recipe is one of my favorites to gift my neighbors when the season rolls around too. It’s a great way to bring the fall flavors in and spread the love. It’s hard to choose if this banana bread recipe, this chocolate bread loaf, or this pumpkin bread is their favorite.

Pumpkin Bread Highlights

Texture: This bread is dense, soft, and sturdy enough to hold a piece in your hand while you take a bite.
Simple ingredients: No wild things to get for this dessert recipe. You may already have the items on hand to make this one, except the pumpkin puree. But you can grab a can of it to keep on hand for those last-minute fall dessert cravings.
Quick: A quick bread that’s ready in about an hour!

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Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this fall bread recipe:

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

Cream cheese: Since cream cheese usually comes in 8-ounce blocks, save the other 4 ounces to make this cream cheese frosting for brownies.
Oil: I like to use coconut oil for a lot of my baking and cooking. You can use vegetable oil if you prefer.
Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is recommended for this recipe.
Streusel Topping Ingredients: Note that the streusel uses a lot of the same ingredients that are used in the bread. So when checking the ingredient measurements to see if you have all that you need, don’t forget the similar ingredients in the streusel.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk (the same amount) and add a tablespoon of lemon juice to it, and allow it to sit and curdle a bit before adding to the pumpkin batter.
Eggs: I’ve made this recipe using 4 eggs in the past, and it causes the bread to be fluffier and lighter. I prefer using only 2 eggs, and it making a heavier, more dense bread. It’s up to you on how you prefer your bread.

How to Make This Pumpkin Bread

Canned pumpkin puree and spices in saucepan. — 1. Cook pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg & ⅛ cloves.

Sugars, and cream cheese added to pumpkin mixture. — 2. Add sugars, oil, and cream cheese & cook until melted together.

Eggs and buttermilk in small bowl. — 3. Mix eggs and buttermilk.

Pouring eggs and buttermilk in to pumpkin mixture. — 4. Add buttermilk mixture to the pumpkin mixture.

Flour, baking soda and baking powder mixed in small bowl. — 5. Mix flour, baking soda and baking powder together.

Flour added in to pumpkin puree mixture for pumpkin bread. — 6. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture.

Loaf pan lined with parchment paper. — 7. Grease or line loaf pans with parchment paper.

Pumpkin bread batter poured in to loaf pan. — 8. Pour half of batter in each loaf pan.

Pumpkin bread streusel ingredients in mixing bowl. — 9. Make streusel: Combine ingredients.

Streusel ingredients poured on top of pumpkin bread batter. — 10. Sprinkle half of the streusel on top of each loaf pan.

About the Streusel: The Streusel on top is kind of my favorite. There are times I’ll leave a streusel off of my recipes, just because I feel like it’s a whole other step that’s not really necessary. But with this one… I couldn’t believe how good it was. I start eating a piece, anticipating when I reach the top, to get to the streusel.

Bake the pumpkin bread at 350° degrees F for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle comes out clean.

Baked loaf of pumpkin bread on parchment paper.

Remove the bread from the oven. Carefully lift out parchment paper (if using) slice, and enjoy.

For Mini Loaves:

If making mini loaves of pumpkin bread, I found that it only took about 15 minutes for the mini loaves to be done, baking at 350 degrees. However, mini loaf pans can vary so it’s best to check with a toothpick after about 12 minutes to see if the bread is finished baking.

Pumpkin Bread FAQs

What’s the difference between canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree?

There is no difference. Canned pumpkin is the same as pumpkin puree. However, canned pumpkin pie mix is not the same as pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie mix has spices mixed in with it already.

How to store pumpkin bread?

When the bread has cooled, it’s best to store it by wrapping in parchment paper or wax paper. You can also store it in an airtight container or in a zip-top storage bag but it could cause the bread to become gummy. No need to refrigerate. It’s best to enjoy within 2-3 days.

How do you remove pumpkin bread from a loaf pan?

For a no-fail way of removing pumpkin bread from a loaf pan, it starts before you even put the batter in the pan. Spray the loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Then place a piece of parchment paper inside of the loaf pan, with the corners cut with a slit, so it forms to the loaf pan easier. Then, once baked, simply lift out the bread loaf by pulling on the parchment paper corners.

Love pumpkin flavors? Then you’ll also love these other pumpkin favorites:

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5 from 2 votes

Easy Pumpkin Bread Recipe

This moist pumpkin bread is the perfect fall recipe and is easy to make using canned pumpkin, and a few other simple ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 307kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

2 loaf pans or 2, 9-cavity mini loaf pans

Ingredients

15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 ounce cream cheese
½ cup oil I use coconut but you can use vegetable
¼ cup buttermilk or milk with a few drops of lemon juice
2 large eggs Use 3-4 eggs for a lighter, fluffier bread.
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Streusel:

5 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter cold
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan, add the 15 ounce can pumpkin puree, 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Reduce heat to low-medium heat (to reduce bubbling & splashing).
Add in the 1 cup sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, 4 ounce cream cheese, and ½ cup oil.
Cook until cream cheese is melted.
In a separate dish, combine the ¼ cup buttermilk and 2 large eggs.
Slowly add into the cream cheese mixture, and remove the saucepan from heat.
In a separate bowl, combine the 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and fold into the wet mixture.
Line two 9×5 loaf pans with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray (see notes below for tips) and pour half of the pumpkin batter, in to each pan.

Streusel Topping

Combine the 5 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and mix until corporated. (I use a fork and my hands to mix togther the cold, hard butter with the spices the best that I can. Try to only have small pieces of butter left.)
Evenly distribute the streusel over the top of both loaf pans of batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
For mini loaf pans, bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle, comes out clean.

Video

Notes

Tip for Prepping Loaf Pans: I like to spray my loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. The spray helps the paper stick to the sides. Also, cutting small slits in the corners of the parchment paper helps the paper fit better in to the pans.

For mini loaf pans, only using non-stick cooking spray works just fine.

Nutrition

Recipe originally shared in September 2016, updated in September 2024.

Pulled Pork Sliders

September 23, 2024

Pulled Pork Sliders on Hawaiian buns are the recipe that should be on every gameday table. Use my pulled pork recipe(s) or pre-made, store-bought pulled pork for this one.

The yummy glaze and delicious sprinkled seasonings on top of the buttery buns, make this a recipe everyone will be begging for.

Close-up of pulled pork sliders stacked on top of one another.

Whether you’re hosting a party for the big game, or feeding a crowd, these will disappear once everyone finds out how delicious they are.

These pork sliders also make a wonderful and easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love.

Love slider recipes? Then you’ll also want to try these buffalo chicken sliders and these cheeseburger sliders that have become so popular.

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Pulled Pork Slider Recipe Highlights

Comfort Food: The sweet, salty, hearty flavors in this soft, tender, and meaty recipe, give all the feels.
Quick Recipe: When using leftover or store-bought cooked pulled pork, this can speed up the recipe by a lot!

Key Ingredients

Here's what you need to make these pulled pork sliders:

Labeled ingredients for pulled pork sliders.

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

Pulled Pork – If you’d like to make your own pulled pork recipe for this, I’d suggest this slow cooker pulled pork recipe or this Instant Pot pulled pork recipe.
Hawaiian Buns – You can use different sliders if you prefer. These sweet rolls offer such an amazing contrast with the saltiness of the glaze and pulled pork.
BBQ Sauce – Using original sauce is recommended, instead of spicy or some other type, however, feel free to mix things up!
Red Pepper Flakes – If you don’t like any heat, you can leave this out of the glaze but it adds a great little kick to mix with the sweet and salty flavors.
Cheese – I love the flavor of provolone cheese on these sliders but you can use pepper jack, American, Colby jack, swiss, or your favorite.

How to Make BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Steps 1-4 of how to make pulled pork sliders.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Next, mix together your pulled pork and barbecue sauce (unless your pulled pork already has bbq sauce on it).

TIP: Warmed pulled pork is ideal, so it won’t take as long for the meat to heat through when baking. You can pop it in to the microwave to warm it before assembling the sliders.

Slice Hawaiian buns in half, creating a top bun layer and a bottom bun layer.

Place the bottom layer of buns on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Spoon out all 4 cups of cooked pulled pork on to the bottom bun layer and then cover pork with the 9 slices of cheese.

Steps 4-7 of how to make pulled pork sliders.

Next, place top layer of buns on top of the cheese.

In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup melted butter, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to make glaze.

Brush the glaze on top of the buns, saving half of it for after you’ve baked the sliders.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes across the top of the glazed buns.

Place sliders in the preheated over and bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. (TIP: Remove the foil when there’s a minute left, and let it cook to toast the buns a bit.)

Recipe Pro Tip

If your cheese hasn’t melted after the 20 minutes, it could be because the cheese is thick. Simply cover with foil again and bake an additional 3-4 minutes or until it has melted. Or, slice the sliders, and place back in to the oven, covered, so it melts the cheese more evenly. (If your pulled pork was cold, when assembling the sliders, this could also delay the warming process.)

Baked pulled pork sliders on baking sheet and parchment paper.

Brush the remaining glaze on top of the buns, then slice in to individual sliders and serve!

Pulled pork sliders stacked on top of one another.

📋 Recipe FAQs

What kind of cheese goes with pulled pork?

Provolone, cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Swiss, and American, are all great options for these sliders.

What goes with a pulled pork slider?

Creamy coleslaw, french fries, baked beans with ground beef, chips and dip, and red potato salad are amazing side dishes that go with pulled pork sliders.

What is the best liquid to moisten pulled pork?

If your pulled pork is dry, this could make for a dry slider. Try mixing a little bit of apple juice, beer or broth in to your pulled pork (about a teaspoon at at time) until it shows moisture. Just be cautious of adding too much, as it will make your slider soggy.

Stacked bbq pulled pork sliders, sitting in front of a bowl of cole slaw.

Storage

For leftover sliders: allow them to cool and then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.

To reheat: you can place individual sliders in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until heated through. Or, place multiple sliders in the oven and bake, covered (so the bread doesn’t get hard) at 350 degrees until heated through.

Bite taken out of bbq pulled pork sliders on Hawaiian buns.

Recipe

Close up of a pulled pork slider on a Hawaiian bun.

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5 from 2 votes

Pulled Pork Sliders

This easy pulled pork sliders recipe uses simple ingredients, a homemade pulled pork recipe or store-bought pulled pork, and is perfect for game day or an easy dinner.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings sliders

Calories 364kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

12 slider Hawaiian buns (don't cut them individually yet)
4 cups cooked pulled pork Either store bought or use this pulled pork recipe.
9 slices provolone cheese
1 cup bbq sauce

Glaze and Topping Ingredients

¼ cup butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional for a little heat

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice Hawaiian buns in half, creating top and a bottom layers. (You will not cut the buns individually yet. It's much easier to assemble sliders and then cut in to sliders.) Place bottom layer of buns in a 9×13 baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, mix together 4 cups cooked pulled pork and 1 cup bbq sauce until combined. (Tip: microwave or warm the pulled pork so it warms faster in the oven.)
Spread pulled pork on top of bottom layer of Hawaiian buns, evenly.
Top pulled pork with slices of 9 slices provolone cheese and then place tops of Hawaiian buns on.
In a small mixing bowl, melt the ¼ cup butter, and add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and mix together until combined. Brush at least half of the glaze on top of Hawaiian buns.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes on top of buttered buns.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, uncovering with only 1 minute left to give the tops of the buns a golden finish.

Notes

If your cheese is not melted in the middle of your sliders after the 20 minutes, this could be due to the pulled pork being colder when baking, or that the cheese is thicker. Simply cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until heated through.

Nutrition

Blackberry Banana Bread

September 23, 2024

Blackberry Banana Bread – the perfect way to use up those blackberries and older bananas, or even to buy just for this recipe!

OMG. Now THIS is the banana bread I'll be making. Blackberry Flax Banana Bread

Remember my banana bread recipe that went viral on Pinterest? On average, we probably make this about once a month in our home. My kiddos eat about a banana-a-day, but somehow we always end up with bananas that are a little too brown to eat by themselves. (It may have something to do with buying too many, so I then have an excuse to make this banana bread.)

If you have green bananas, here’s how to ripen bananas for recipes like this one!

Why You’ll Love This Blackberry Banana Bread

There’s a secret ingredient (buttermilk) that makes this banana blackberry bread so moist and so different than other recipes out there.

TIP: I did choose to put flax seed in this recipe but you don’t have to! It’s just an added ingredient that I like to sneak in for the kids.

I so hope you love this recipe. I kid you not, when I tell you that it never lasts a day in our house So that whole thing I said about how it’s good for breakfast? Yeah, that’s a theory. We’ve never even made it to breakfast with this banana bread in the house.

More Bread Recipes

If you love fruit breads, then you’ll also love this pineapple bread recipe too!!

Recipe

Blackberry banana bread on cooling rack.

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4 from 2 votes

Blackberry Banana Bread

This blackberry banana bread is SO easy to make and is perfect for breakfast. Try this easy recipe for a yummy breakfast on the go!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings (2 loaves)

Calories 334kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

½ cup buttermilk or you can combine ½ c. milk with 2 tsp. lemon juice & set aside to curdle
¾ cup butter softened (1 ½ sticks)
1½ cup granulated sugar
1½ cup very ripe bananas mashed, which is about 3 large bananas (Here's how to ripen bananas.)
½ cup mashed blackberries
2 eggs
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup flaxseed Optional but not required.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Cream the butter and the sugar.
Add in the mashed bananas & blackberries (I combine the two in a Ziploc bag and squeeze until mixed.)
Add in the eggs.
Mix all together until combined.
In a separate bowl. mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and flaxseed if using.
Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture, and mix on low or by hand until combined.
If you're adding chocolate chips/pecans, add to mixture and hand stir to combine
Pour into two greased pans, or mini loaf pans.
If baking in two regular loaf pans, bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. If baking in mini loaf pans, bake at 325, and begin checking after 20 minutes with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. (Because each mini loaf size is different, like mentioned above.)

Nutrition

Chicken Chipotle Melts

September 10, 2024

These copycat Taco Bell Chipotle Chicken Melts, are cheesy, filled with shredded rotisserie chicken and a storebought Chipotle sauce, that’s all wrapped in a tortilla, making these a 4-ingredient recipe.

These cheesy melts are baked and ready in only 15 minutes!

Chicken chipotle melts in baking dish and hand holding one to see the inside.

This chipotle chicken melt recipe is great for a school lunch recipe, an easy dinner or even a snack to take to the beach or for a picnic.

Keep the ingredients on hand (you can even boil chicken breasts instead of using a rotisserie chicken) for last minute meals.

Love last-minute easy meal ideas? Make sure to try these Salt & Pepper Chicken Bites and these Texas Toast Pizzas for those nights where you need something quick and can keep the ingredients on hand for.

Chicken Chipotle Melts Highlights

Quick and Easy: Assembly takes just a few minutes and these copycat melts from the cravings value menu are baked in about 12 minutes for a cheesy treat.
Control the Spice: The more chipotle sauce that you add, the spicier these melts will get. So if you love a little spice, just a dab will do. If you prefer a lot of spice, add more. You can also sprinkle on a little taco seasoning to give it a little more flavor.
Family Friendly: These chicken melts are great for the kids and family members of all ages. (Some may prefer these without the chipotle sauce and that’s ok too! They become more like a rolled up chicken and cheese quesadilla by leaving the sauce off and that’s absolutely ok.)

Key Ingredients

Here's what you need to make these copycat Taco Bell Chicken Chipotle Melts.

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

Tortillas: You’ll want to use medium flour tortillas to make them as pictured. You can use different sizes and even different types of tortillas (such as corn) if you prefer but they will have a different taste and the portions may very if smaller or larger. You’ll just want to use soft tortillas for these, and if you only have hard shells, you can make these crispy chicken tacos instead.
Chicken: Don’t have a rotisserie chicken? No problem. Feel free to boil chicken thighs, boil chicken legs, or other types of cooked chicken that you may already have, or make crockpot shredded chicken. Taco Bell’s chicken has a smokey flavor so you can even smoke chicken tenders and chop those up for this recipe to get it even closer.
Cheese: You can use shredded colby jack or cheddar but I usually just use the feista blend that the store has.
Chipotle: If you can find the Taco Bell brand of Chipotle sauce, even better! If not, no worries. You can find a chipotle sauce at the store and it should still be delicious. Or, try making this chipotle sauce.

How to Make Chicken Chipotle Melts

Shredded chicken on flour tortilla for Chipotle melt. — 1. Lay a tortilla flat and place shredded chicken on bottom ⅓ of tortilla.

Taco Bell Chipotle being added to chicken melt. — 2. Drizzle on about 1 tsp. of Chipotle sauce.

Shredded cheese added to Chicken Chipotle Melt. — 3. Sprinkle about 2 Tbsp. of shredded cheese on top of chicken and sauce.

TIP: You can adjust how much chicken, creamy sauce and cheese that you put in your melts. The measurements do not have to be exact, and you can do more than suggested. Just be cautious not to add too much sauce for spice and not too much filling, so the tortilla doesn’t roll up properly.

Hand rolling tortilla for Chicken Chipotle Melt. — 4. Roll the bottom of the tortilla up just enough to cover chicken filling.

Rolling up the tortilla in to a tube, to make a chipotle chicken melt. — 5. Tuck the tortilla under the filling (to try and secure it) and continue rolling all of the way.

Chicken chipotle melts in baking dish. — 6. Place rolled tortillas in a greased baking dish, pressing up against one another to secure them from unrolling.

How Long to Bake Chicken Melts: Place baking dish in an oven that’s preheated to 375 degrees, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until it looks like the cheese is melted.

Recipe Tips

Additional Flavors: Love more flavor? No problem. Mix chicken taco seasoning in with your chicken or sprinkle it on the chicken when making each melt.
Assembly: When placing your chicken melts in the baking dish, place the tortillas with the flap side, down, so they stay rolled during the baking process.
Make them Extra: If you’re looking to add more to this recipe, feel free sprinkle more shredded cheese on top of the melts before baking. Or, pour cheese sauce on top and then bake, to make more of a cheesy enchilada type dish.

Storing Tips

Leftovers: If you have leftover chicken chipotle melts, allow them to fully cool and then store them in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Freezing: These make the perfect, make-ahead, freezer-meal. Assemble as instructed, and place in a freezer-safe dish or bag and freeze. Simply place in a baking dish and bake until heated through, or microwave. Freezing Tip: Wrap each chicken melt in Glad Press ‘n Seal (or similar), so they can easily be pulled out of the freezer without sticking to one another.

What to Serve with Chicken Chipotle Melts

This Rotel salsa recipe is not only another great recipe that you can keep ingredients on hand for but serving it with chips is a great side dish to serve with these chicken melts.

These stuffed celery sticks are an easy vegetable to serve alongside these melts to get veggies in, or for a warmer side dish, this Elote dip recipe is easy to whip up and pairs with these wonderfully.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make chicken chipotle melts in the microwave?

Yes. Since the ingredients are fully cooked and really only need warming up, these melts can be warmed up in the oven. They’ll have more of a “steamed” tortilla, rather than a toasted texture but that works too.

What all comes in a Chicken Chipotle Melt?

Chicken, cheese, and Chipotle sauce are wrapped up in a tortilla and warmed so the cheese melts together.

Are copycat Taco Bell Chicken Chipotle Melts the same?

They do taste a little differently than the chicken chipotle melts you get at the fast food change, only because the chicken can be difficult to get the exact same. So the idea of these is to get the same type of outcome, and they’re still a delicious recipe idea.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Love quick and easy chicken recipes like this one? You’ll also love this chicken grilled cheese sandwich recipe, and these crockpot chicken drumsticks.

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Chicken Chipotle Melts

Chicken Chipotle Melts are a Taco Bell copycat recipe that only uses 4 ingredients and they are ready in about 20 minutes.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings melts

Calories 294kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

6 medium flour tortillas
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken The breasts from a rotisserie chicken
6 tablespoons creamy Chipotle sauce I use the Taco Bell brand
1 cup shredded fiesta cheese Or shredded Colby or shredded cheddar

Instructions

Grease an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray or line with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Take one of the 6 medium flour tortillas, and lay it flat. Divide the 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken evenly between the 6 tortillas, and place it on the bottom third of each tortilla. (This is about ¼ cup of shredded chicken, or so. Feel free to add more/less.)
Next, drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of the 6 tablespoons creamy Chipotle sauce on top of the chicken on each tortilla.
Divide the 1 cup shredded fiesta cheese between each tortilla, sprinkling it on the chicken and sauce.
Fold the tortilla, about a third of the way up, just enough to cover the filling and tuck the tortilla under the chicken, and continue rolling the tortilla all of the way up.
Place the rolled tortillas in the prepared baking dish, with the flap side down so it stays secure in the baking dish. Place the melts, side-by-side, in the baking dish to also help secure them to help stay in place.

Notes

You may also want to sprinkle a little taco seasoning on to the chicken if you want a little more spice or flavor added to these.

Nutrition

Sausage Tortellini Soup

September 9, 2024

This Sausage Tortellini Soup is creamy and full of flavor and so cozy during the fall months.

The crumbled Italian sausage and cheese tortellini pasta gives this soup a hearty texture.

Soup ladle holding creamy sausage and tortellini soup.

This soup recipe can be enjoyed any time of year but it’s especially delicious to have this warm soup in the fall and winter months. Pair it with a sandwich for “Soup and Sandwich Saturday” in your Dinner Theme System too!

The heavy cream helps give this a creamy soup base, while the fresh spinach gives this soup a beautiful color and another type of texture in a bite. The everyday spices are simple yet add a seasoned touch to this soup.

Want more soup recipes? If you like the idea of a hearty soup but want it a little bit differently, try my lasagna soup or cowboy stew recipes.

Sausage and Tortellini Soup Highlights

Quick and Easy Homemade Soup – In under an hour, this creamy soup is ready for serving!
Chunky and Hearty – The texture in this soup is meaty, soft, and creamy, giving each bite something hearty, and making this soup so filling.
Flexible Ingredients – Love spicy? How about a thicker soup? You can add optional or more ingredients to increase the spice level or add more flour to make the soup thicker.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this sausage and tortellini soup:

Ingredients for sausage tortellini soup.

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

Cheese Tortellini: (Frozen or refrigerated) Adds heartiness and texture, making the soup more filling and providing bursts of cheesy flavor.
Italian Sausage: Provides a rich, savory flavor and meaty texture. The spices in the sausage enhance the overall taste of the soup. If you prefer spicier soups, you can opt for hot and spicy Italian sausage.
Spices: These are spices that you may already have on hand since they’re common pantry staples. You’ll need minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Chicken Broth: I love using my own rotisserie chicken broth or homemade chicken broth, however storebought is absolutely fine to use too.

How to Make Sausage Tortellini Soup

Raw Italian sausage in skillet. — 1. Cook sausage and set aside.

Vegetables, flour, and spices in soup pot for tortellini soup. — 2. Cook vegetables and make a roux.

Chicken broth added to soup pot for tortellini soup. — 3. Add chicken broth.

Cooked Italian sausage added to soup pot. — 4. Add cooked sausage and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Heavy cream added to sausage and tortellini soup pot. — 5. Add heavy cream and tortellini.

Fresh spinach added to sausage and tortellini soup. — 6. Add spinach and red pepper flakes.

Recipe Tips:

Spicy Sausage: Use a high-quality Italian sausage for the best flavor. If you like a bit of heat, choose spicy Italian sausage. For a milder taste, opt for sweet or mild Italian sausage.
Thicker Soup: If you prefer a thicker soup, increase the amount of flour to 4 tablespoons or reduce the amount of chicken broth slightly.
Optional Tomato Paste: Tomato paste adds a rich, concentrated tomato flavor that can deepen the overall taste of the soup. It also adds a subtle sweetness and a hint of acidity, which can balance the richness of the cream and sausage. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the soup and stir until fully incorporated in step 3.

Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup with carrots and spinach.

Storing Tips

Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature before storing. Use an airtight container(s) or heavy-duty freezer bags. You may want to divide the soup into smaller portions, making reheating only the amount you need easier.
Be sure to label the containers with the storage date and contents. Store in the refrigerator if you plan to consume it within 3 – 4 days.
Freeze: Once you have transferred the soup to an airtight container, you can store the soup in the freezer for 2 – 3 months.
Reheating: If refrigerated, reheat the soup on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.
If your soup is frozen, move the container to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. On the stovetop, heat over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
As the soup begins to thaw and loosen, you can increase the heat to medium and continue stirring until thoroughly heated. If the soup has thickened too much during storage, add a bit of Chicken broth or purified water to reach the desired consistency.

What to Serve with Sausage Tortellini Soup

This soup is full of so many hearty ingredients so it’s great alone but there are also some great side dishes that pair wonderfully with this soup.

Cheesy pull-apart bread is fun to serve with this soup as you can pinch off small pieces and even dip it in to the soup.

Add even more heartiness by adding these ham and cheese sliders with this soup for a fall meal that will leave everyone feeling full and happy!

For dessert, these turtle cookies will conquer that sweet tooth from the salty and savory soup contrast that you’re looking for.

Recipe FAQs

What is sausage tortellini soup made of?

Cheese tortellini, Italian sausage, carrots, fresh spinach, heavy cream, chicken broth, flour and a few spices.

How to keep tortellini from getting mushy in soup?

It’s best to add the soup last or towards the end of the cooking process. It will only need long enough to soften, and not overcook, as overcooking is what causes it to become mushy.

Should pasta be cooked before adding to soup?

Pasta can cook right in the soup, in the liquid. Just be cautious of the type of pasta and how long it needs to cook. Dried pasta, will take longer to cook, unlike a refrigerated tortellini pasta.

Similar Hearty Recipes

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Sausage and Tortellini Soup

This creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup is ready in under an hour, so flavorful using everyday spices and is hearty enough to feed the family a comforting dinner.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 586kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
16 ounces mild Italian sausage (or spicy, if you prefer)
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 large sweet onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
1½ cups heavy cream
16 ounces cheese tortellini (frozen or refrigerated)
2 cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional for added spice

Instructions

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 16 ounces mild Italian sausage , breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
Add 2 carrots (diced) and 1 large sweet onion finely chopped, to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cloves garlic, minced and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes to create a roux.
Slowly stir or whisk in 6 cups chicken broth, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Return the cooked sausage to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Stir in 1½ cups heavy cream and add 16 ounces cheese tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini float to the surface and are tender, about 3 – 6 minutes.
Add 2 cups fresh spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 2 – 3 minutes until the spinach wilts. If using, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakesfor a spicy kick.

Video

Notes

Type of sausage: Use a high-quality Italian sausage for the best flavor.
If you prefer a thicker soup: increase the amount of flour to 4 tablespoons or reduce the amount of chicken broth slightly.
Optional tomato paste: Tomato paste adds a rich, concentrated tomato flavor that can deepen the overall taste of the soup. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the soup and stir until fully incorporated in step 3 if desired.

Nutrition

Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie

September 6, 2024

Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie is a rich, creamy, no-bake pie recipe that is great any time of year! It uses a refrigerated pie crust (or make this homemade pie crust) and cook the ingredients like milk, eggs, and brown sugar on the stove, and then chill the pie in the refrigerator! It’s easy as…well… pie!

Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie slice on a plate next to a gold fork.

A creamy pie, or custard-like pie, is always a holiday dessert favorite. However, with certain pies being chilled, they’re also a great dessert idea for the summertime. This egg custard, lemon meringue pie, and no-bake chocolate pie are other old-fashioned pies you should try too!

What is a butterscotch pie made of? This vintage butterscotch pie recipe uses butterscotch chips, cinnamon, brown sugar, and thickening ingredients to give off flavors of caramel, and a smooth texture.

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Ingredients

Here are some notes about some of the key ingredients:

Prepared raw pie crust - You could also make a homemade pie crust, or use a graham cracker crust would be divine as well. If you have the box of 2 refrigerated pie crusts, consider making these easy pie crust cookies with this other.
Dark brown sugar - Light brown sugar will also work. You will end up with a slightly more mild, less molasses-y flavor.
Vanilla extract – You can use almond extract instead of (or in addition to) vanilla. Just note that almond extract is stronger than vanilla. So, you won't need as much.
Cool Whip – Homemade whipped cream would totally work here as well.

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

Equipment Needed:

Do a quick inventory of your kitchen and make sure you have the following ingredients.

Pie pan (I like using glass or ceramic)
Fork
Parchment paper
Pie weights (sugar or uncooked rice will also work)
Heavy-bottomed saucepan
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons

For another vintage dessert recipe, you should also try this buttermilk pie.

How to Make Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie

Pre-bake the pie crust. Lay the pie crust in a pie pan, crimp the edges, and use a fork to poke holes in the bottom. Set a sheet of parchment paper on top of the crust and weigh it down with pie weights or sugar. Pre-bake (here’s how to blind bake a pie crust) the crust according to package instructions. Allow the pie crust to cool while you make the filling.

Pie Dish Size: I used a 10-inch, 40-ounce deep pie dish. You could also make this recipe in a standard depth pie dish, it will make 2 pies this way! Just grab 2 pie crusts.

Make the filling base. In a medium non-stick saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and milk. Bring the mixture to a light simmer over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low. Cook until thickened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Temper in the egg yolks. In a small mixing bowl, very slowly whisk together the egg yolks and ¼ cup of the milk mixture. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the bulk of the milk mixture. Cook, stirring consistently, for 3 minutes or until quite thick. The texture should be like thick pudding when ready.

Final steps for making butterscotch cinnamon pie.

Add some flavor. Remove the filling from the heat and stir in ¾ cup butterscotch chips along with the vanilla and butter.

Assemble and chill. Smooth the filling into the cooled pie crust and pop the pie in the fridge for at least 6 hours or until set.

Serve. Remove the pie from the fridge, top with the remaining butterscotch chips, and serve with the Cool Whip.

Recipe FAQs

Why is my butterscotch pie soft?

Make sure when cooking the filling you keep stirring and simmering until it is a nice thick pudding texture to avoid a soft pie.

Do you eat butterscotch pie warm or cold?

Creamy butterscotch pie is best enjoyed chilled. So, keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Can you freeze butterscotch pie?

Absolutely. Prepare and bake as directed, allow it to cool, and then freeze for up to 3 months.

Slice of butterscotch cinnamon pie on small plate with fork.

Storage

Once the filling has fully set and you've topped the pie with extra butterscotch chips, go ahead and wrap the whole thing (or what's left of it) in a double layer of plastic wrap. You can also store individual slices in a single layer in an airtight container. Butterscotch cinnamon pie will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Follow the recipe from start to finish. Once it’s set, wrap the whole pie in a double layer of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the pie to thaw in the fridge before slicing and serving.

Thaw: If you choose to freeze this sweet masterpiece, allow it to thaw in the fridge before serving.

If you love this kind of dessert recipe with flavors of butterscotch, caramel, and cinnamon, then you’ll also love these desserts:

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Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie

Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie has flavors of caramel and cinnamon in this smooth pie that's perfect for Fall or any time of year, especially the holidays.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Chill Time 6

Total Time 6 40

Servings servings

Calories 332kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

pie pan 10 inch, 40 ounce deep dish is what I used – (I like using glass or ceramic)
parchment paper
pie weights (sugar or uncooked rice will also work)
Heavy-bottomed saucepan
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

1 prepared raw pie crust or make this buttery pie crust recipe
¾ cup dark brown sugar
2½ Tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1½ Tablespoons cinnamon
2½ cups whole milk
6 egg yolks room temperature
1 cup butterscotch chips divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup unsalted butter
Cool Whip for topping

Instructions

Pre-bake the pie crust. Lay the 1 prepared raw pie crust in a pie pan, crimp the edges, and use a fork to poke holes in the bottom. Set a sheet of parchment paper on top of the crust and weigh it down with pie weights or sugar.
Pre-bake the crust according to package instructions. Allow the pie crust to cool while you make the filling.
Make the filling base. In a medium non-stick saucepan, combine the ¾ cup dark brown sugar, 2½ Tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt 1½ Tablespoons cinnamon and 2½ cups whole milk. Bring the mixture to a light simmer over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low. Cook until thickened, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Temper in the egg yolks. In a small mixing bowl, very slowly whisk together the 6 egg yolks, and ¼ cup of the milk mixture. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the bulk of the milk mixture.
Cook, stirring consistently, for 3 minutes or until quite thick. The texture should be like thick pudding when ready.
Add some flavor. Remove the filling from the heat and stir in ¾ cup of the butterscotch chips along with the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and ¼ cup unsalted butter.
Assemble and chill. Smooth the filling into the cooled pie crust and pop the pie in the fridge for at least 6 hours or until set.
Serve. Remove the pie from the fridge, top with the remaining butterscotch chips, and serve with Cool Whip.

Notes

Pie too soft? Make sure when cooking the filling you keep stirring and simmering until it is a nice thick pudding texture to avoid a soft pie.
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it? You can. Follow the recipe from start to finish. Once it's set, wrap the whole pie in a double layer of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the pie to thaw in the fridge before slicing and serving.
How to Store Butterscotch Pie? Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Garlic Roasted Broccoli

September 4, 2024

Garlic Roasted Broccoli is such a delicious way to enjoy the popular green vegetable. The garlic powder, olive oil, and kosher salt are all it takes to make this broccoli side dish in the oven, something the family will love.

Within 25 minutes, (including prep and cook time) this recipe is ready to serve alongside your favorite main dish like this cheesy chicken bake or this Ribeye steak in the oven.

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How to Make Garlic Roasted Broccoli

To start, just a small little bowl will do, and mix the oil and the seasonings together in it.

For the broccoli, you can buy the already-cut, broccoli florets, or you can buy the stalks and cut it yourself.

Just cut the broccoli stems off the big stalk, to create smaller broccoli pieces, easy for picking up with a fork and taking a bite. Place them in a plastic bag. (You can also put them in a bowl, and mix this way if you prefer.)

Pour the seasoned oil over the broccoli, seal the bag, and shake to try and coat all of the broccoli.

To avoid dirty dishes, cover cookie sheet (or baking pan) with aluminum foil and spray it with a non-stick spray.

Lay all of the broccoli out on to the foil, trying to make sure pieces don’t overlap. (This is so it will cook evenly.)

How Long to Bake Broccoli

Bake it at 425 degrees F, for 20 minutes (or longer if you like an even crispier broccoli — I sure do).

Enjoy this broccoli hot, right out of the oven. If you prefer, you can also sprinkle parmesan cheese over the broccoli or even a little black pepper, or include it in the seasoned oil before coating the broccoli.

This was so easy, and GOOD! I don't even like broccoli that much! Healthy Side Dish Recipe

Storage

If you have leftovers, allow the baked broccoli to fully cool and then store in a container, in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days.

Reheat: When reheating, you can warm the broccoli in the microwave or if you have an air fryer or even a toaster oven, this can help the broccoli remain a bit crispy, instead of soggy. You could also put it back in the oven but reheating at a lower temperature would be best so it doesn’t cook more and burn.

If you love easy vegetables or are looking for more side dishes to serve with dinner, I think you’ll also love this asparagus wrapped in bacon!

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Garlic Roasted Broccoli

This garlic roasted broccoli side dish is the BEST way to eat broccoli. Pair this with chicken or steak, and a starch for a rounded out meal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 131kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

12 ounces broccoli florets About 1.5-2 cups
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons garlic powder
salt to taste; I used 2 teaspoons kosher salt
black pepper optional
parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Place your broccoli in a gallon size ziptop bag
In a small bowl, combine oil, powder, and salt (pepper if using)
Pour liquid mixture over the top of the broccoli
Shake until broccoli is fully covered
Pour broccoli out on to a greased cookie sheet, covered in aluminum foil
Bake for 20 minutes
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with additional salt, parmesan cheese if desired.
Serve immediately.

Notes

It’s best to use fresh broccoli, and not frozen for this recipe. Frozen broccoli has a lot of moisture and can alter the bake time for this roasted broccoli.

It’s best to enjoy this right after cooked, however leftovers can also be enjoyed at a later date.

Nutrition

Fruity Ice Cubes (Balls)

September 1, 2024

Fruity ice cubes (or round ice balls) are so easy to make and are beautiful for any type of drink. This tutorial uses coconut water to make the pretty ice cubes, which can add a touch of flavor to your favorite drink. (You can use regular water, and I’ll give tips below on how to choose the type of water to freeze for clear ice.)

Fruity Ice Cubes in different shapes of glasses.

Jessica’s “How-To” Highlights

Appearance: Options are endless for how beautiful these ice cubes can look. If hosting a party, or serving one specific drink, it can be fun to customize the ice cubes to match and coordinate with specific colors.
Flavor: Using coconut water adds a touch more flavor to already fruity fun flavors the ice provides as it melts.
Ease: It’s as simple as adding fruit, water, and fresh herbs to your ice molds. Freeze, and they’re ready for your drink!

Why Use Fruity Ice Cubes?

The bright colors of the fruits add such an amazing look to clear drinks or even colorful drinks, like this fruit punch recipe or this apple cider punch recipe.
Great way to save fruits and fresh herbs that may go bad before enjoying them.

What You’ll Need

Ice mold of your choice. I used a round ice mold but you can use a cube, or different shapes.
Coconut water or distilled water
Fresh fruit (See fruit ideas below.)
Fresh herbs, if desired (See fresh herb ideas below.)

How to Make Fruity Ice

First, wash and slice your fruit in to small pieces so they will fit in the ice molds.

Using your ice mold, fill each hole with fruit and fresh herbs. How much, will depend on the size of your molds.

** TIP: I like mixing up different fruits for each ice cube but you can use all of the same fruits in each cube if you like.

Fruit and herb ice balls, in black round ice mold.

Fill your ice molds with coconut water, water, or juice, and then freeze until ice has become solid. (Ice usually takes about 2 hours but can depend on the size of your ice, and type of mold. I usually make them the night before I want to use them, just in case.)

Beautiful round ice cube with fresh rosemary, and fruit inside.

Fruit Ideas for Ice Cubes:

strawberry
oranges
nectarines
blueberries
blackberries
raspberries
kiwi
watermelon
canteloupe
honeydew
lemon
lime

Mint leaves, nectaries, inside of round ice cube.

Fresh Herb Ideas for Ice Cubes:

mint
thyme
rosemary

Drinks in different shaped glasses with different drinks, and fruit flavored ice.

Drinks to Make with Ice Cubes Filled with Fruit

lemonade
ginger ale
soda
tea
juices (ruby red grapefruit, orange juice, etc.)

Tips for the Best Flavored Ice Cubes

How to Make Clear Ice: If using coconut water, it will depend on which brand you use to get clear ice. Some coconut water is white, milk’ish looking. If using regular water, try to use distilled or very filtered water. I also have this ice cube tray that’s specifically to make very clear, cubed ice.
Use fresh fruit and herbs: Remove browned leaves, or and rotten spots on the fruit, as this will make for poor flavored ice.
Added flavors: Take things up a notch and add flavorings to your ice, such as flavored syrups or extracts.

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Fruity Ice Cubes in glass, showing fresh herbs and fruit inside of round ice cubes.

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Fruity Ice Cubes

Making these fruity ice cubes (ice balls) is easy, and they use coconut water which adds a fun flavor twist to any drink! Use fresh fruit and fresh herbs for any drink!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Freeze Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Servings cubes

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

Ice Mold Shape and size can vary

Ingredients

coconut water or distilled/filtered water
fresh fruit see post for fruit ideas
fresh herbs see post for fresh herb ideas

Instructions

Wash, and dice fruit.
Place fruit pieces and pieces of herbs in ice mold and then fill with coconut water or water of choice.

Notes

How to Make Clear Ice: If using coconut water, it will depend on which brand you use to get clear ice. Some coconut water is white, milk’ish looking. If using regular water, try to use distilled or very filtered water. I also have this ice cube tray that’s specifically to make very clear, cubed ice.

Use fresh fruit and herbs: Try not to use browned leaves, or rotten fruit, as this will make for poor ice.

Added flavors: Take things up a notch and add flavorings to your ice, such as flavored syrups or extracts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cube

Pumpkin Pancakes with Pancake Mix

August 29, 2024

Pumpkin White Chocolate Pancakes with a White Chocolate Maple Syrup: A breakfast recipe that’s perfect for cool fall days.

Pancake recipes are my JAM, and if you’re looking for a basic, homemade pancake recipe, then you’ll also love these fluffy pancakes!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Pancakes with a White Chocolate Maple Syrup Recipe fantabulosity.com

There is something about the idea of the smell of pancakes that helps me roll out of bed in the morning.

They’re easy to whip up, always requested by my little guys, and perfect to make in bulk to store for leftovers for a few days. Pancakes for the win!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Pancake Recipe

If you’ve made my 5-minute Butternut Squash pancakes, then you know that I LOVE experimenting by adding “not so normal” ingredients to the dessert-like breakfast dish. If I can sneak in a little healthy, you better count on it.

But with the Fall season here, the taste and scent of “pumpkin,” is EVERYWHERE. This last weekend was no exception. Unlike with the butternut squash pancakes, I didn’t add in a can of pumpkin to these. I absolutely could have, but decided to splurge and get a little unhealthy with these beauties.

Pumpkin spice, white chocolate chips, and maple syrup created a combo of something pretty amazing.

If you love pumpkin flavors, you’ll also love this pumpkin pie with a graham cracker crust.

Could you also add in some canned pureed pumpkin? You bet. It would probably actually make it a little more “pumpkin,” flavored. (I didn’t have any on hand, so I skipped it this round.)

So pumpkin pie spice and white chocolate chips were the heroes of this pancake recipe. But I didn’t stop there.

White Chocolate Maple Syrup

We all know maple syrup is delicious as it stands. (At least I think so. Especially when my hand reaches for the “extra butter,” flavored syrup. Sinful, and unhealthy I know. But only on a whim. Promise.)

To “wow” the kiddos at the breakfast table, I mixed in a bit of maple syrup and milk (to thin it out) to some melted white chocolate… creating a white chocolate maple syrup to drizzle over their Pumpkin White Chocolate Pancakes.

Their eyes became wide open like silver dollars when I told them what the “new syrup,” was made of.

For my pancakes, I use Krusteaz pancake mix, only because it’s the best one I’ve used. You only have to add water (for regular ole pancakes), and they make the biggest fluffiest pancakes around! I buy a HUGE bag at Costco to stock up for our ever-so-loving pancake hearts.

For the white chocolate in this recipe, I used Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. You can use any brand that you wish.

You could also add Oreo cookies like we did in our cookies and cream pancakes, and that would be delicious!

Love pancakes too? Try these oven pancakes that are swirled with cinnamon! Or, if you love using almond milk at home, you will love trying these almond milk pancakes.

If you love pancakes as much as I do, then you’ll want to get a hold of this list of over 95 pancake toppings to add to all sorts of pancakes!

pumpkin-white-chocolate-pancakes-with-a-white-chocolate-maple-syrup-11

Needless to say, the kids begged for these the next morning, but I had to be the bearer of bad news, and tell them that we only get to have this on special occasions. Chocolate syrup for breakfast every morning? Yeah I don’t think so. I’m the only one that gets to pour a ton of sugar in my “dish” of the day around here.

I so hope you love these ANY time of the year. Not feeling the “pumpkin,” flavor right now? No problem. Replace it with cinnamon, apple pie spice, or anything else that your little heart desires.

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Pumpkin Pancakes with White Chocolate Maple Syrup

This pumpkin pancake recipe is the perfect fall breakfast treat! Drizzled in a white chocolate syrup, the whole family will love this!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 221kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

Pancakes:

2 cups pancake mix Or a homemade pancakes recipe works too!
1-⅓ cup water
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
½ cup white chocolate chocolate chips
butter for greasing

Syrup:

1 cup white chocolate chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon milk
3 Tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Pancakes:

Preheat griddle to 350.
Gently mix pancake mix, water, and pumpkin pie spice together in mixing bowl, until evenly distributed. The batter will be lumpy.
Add in chocolate chips, and gently stir in.
Grease griddle with butter.
Begin pouring batter on to griddle into approx. 5 in circles (I use a measuring cup or ice cream scoop.)
When tops of pancakes begin to bubble, flip.
When pancakes are cooked through, remove from griddle. (Stacking the pancakes will help retain heat until time to eat.)

Syrup:

Melt chips in microwave safe container at medium power for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, stir. If chips have not melted, continue heating in 15-second intervals until smooth.
Stir in milk and maple syrup.
Drizzle over pancakes and serve!

Nutrition

Italian Cucumber Salad

August 28, 2024

This Italian cucumber salad recipe has only 7 ingredients and only a few minutes of prep time, then stored in the refrigerator for serving later! The best thing about this recipe? It uses store-bought Italian dressing to keep things fast and simple. Looking for a creamy version? This creamy cucumber salad is one to try too!

Italian cucumber salad with onions, tomatoes, and Italian dressing, and seasoning.

The most difficult thing about this recipe? Slicing the tomatoes, onion, and cucumbers, and that’s not difficult at all! It’s a great dish to make as a side dish for a quick summer dinner or even to take along to a BBQ on a hot summer day, alongside this carrot salad recipe too.

Looking for more great recipes for a summer BBQ? Try this easy broccoli salad recipe, and this baked beans and hamburger recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to make
Simple ingredients
Make ahead of time
Tons of flavor

Ingredients for Italian Cucumber Salad

Here are key ingredients that make the best cucumber salad:

Cucumbers – find firm cucumbers with little “give” so you have that crunch. I used regular cucumbers for this recipe when making it for you but I also love using English cucumbers in this recipe.
Cherry tomatoes – you can use slicing tomatoes instead but I find that cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, add a less mushy texture, and are more firm and pair with the cucumbers nicely.
Onions – white or yellow, or red onions will work for this recipe.
Italian dressing – using your favorite brand will work just fine, and you can even use a zesty Italian to make a zesty cucumber salad if you prefer.

How to Make Italian Cucumber Salad

Slice all of your veggies and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Next, pour on the salad dressing, and then sprinkle on the seasonings.
Stir to combine and mix in well.

Italian cucumber salad with dressing, mixed together.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or a lid, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or longer if making ahead of time).

TIP: Chilling the salad for a couple of hours allows the vegetables to absorb flavor and the dressing to give them more flavor.

Italian cucumber salad in glass bowl, covered to be refrigerated.

Once the cucumber salad has chilled for a couple of hours, it’s ready to serve.

Italian Cucumber Salad in bowl with spoon.

Cucumber Salad Storage Instructions

Keep this cucumber salad in the refrigerator when not actively serving. Enjoy within a couple of days to enjoy the freshness of the cucumbers and other vegetables if possible. Discard after 4-5 days if needed.

More Summer Salad Recipes

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Italian cucumber salad with onions, tomatoes, Italian dressing and seasonings.

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Italian Cucumber Salad

Italian cucumber salad uses simple ingredients, such as Italian dressing, onions, cherry tomatoes and a few seasonings to make this a summer side dish to keep on hand!

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Servings servings

Calories 128kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

2 large cucumbers
1 medium onion sweet, red, white or yellow
1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 ounces Italian dressing half of a 16 ounce bottle
½ teaspoon black pepper Or more if you prefer a stronger pepper flavor
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

Wash and slice 2 large cucumbers (with peel) in to about ¼ inch thick slices.
Wash and slice 1 pint cherry tomatoes, in half. Slice 1 medium onion in to long, thin, slices/strips.
Place all sliced vegetables in large mixing bowl.
Pour 8 ounces Italian dressing on to the vegetables and then add ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning. Stir to combine and evenly coat vegetables in dressing and seasonings.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap or lid and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to absorb in to the vegetables. Serve!

Video

Notes

You can stir the cucumber salad once or twice during the two hours of chill time if you prefer but not required.

Store in the refrigerator when not serving, and it’s best to enjoy it within the first couple of days.

Nutrition

Crack Green Beans

August 24, 2024

These crack green beans are a vintage recipe that takes canned green beans to a whole new level. Flavors of bacon, brown sugar, onion, soy sauce, and a few other simple ingredients give this green bean recipe a taste that even non-green bean lovers will love. This is a recipe that makes canned green beans taste so much better!

Cooked green beans with bacon, in skillet.

Why are they called crack green beans?

Well, if you’ve seen certain recipes called “crack” it’s typically because the recipes are so good, that they’re addicting. I’ll be the first to say, that these green beans are addicting for sure. I ate them right out of the pan and they didn’t even make it dinnertime. Even my non-green bean-loving kiddo was eating right out of the skillet too.

Need some other vintage side dish recipes? You’ll also love this green bean casserole, or this macaroni and tomatoes recipe, this broccoli salad recipe, or this baked beans with ground beef recipe.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are simple, and I wanted to use ingredients that you could keep on hand for those last-minute side dish needs or even a dish to take to a family gathering, holiday dinner, or potluck.

Here are some helpful notes about some of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

Green Beans – I prefer to use cut green beans instead of french-style green beans but you can use those if you prefer. With fresh green beans, more cook time may be required so they’ll soften more.
Bacon – Using thick-cut bacon is my favorite for texture reasons but you can use any thickness that you prefer. You may also want to keep in mind the flavor of the bacon that you use. Lower sodium, or sweeter bacon like “maple” bacon, could alter the flavor some as well.
Soy Sauce – I used less-sodium soy sauce (as you can see in the photo above) and you don’t have to use this but it’s the only type I had on hand when making this recipe for you.
Worcestershire Sauce – As with any recipe that uses Worcestershire sauce, I always recommend Lea and Perrines as it just has a much better flavor than the generic brands tend to have.

How to Make Crack Green Beans

Begin by cooking the diced bacon and diced onion in a skillet over medium heat until the bacon is crispy.

Bacon and onions sautéing in enameled cast iron pan.

Next, add the two cans of drained green beans, and the remaining ingredients.

Turn the burner to medium to low heat, and cook covered, for 20 minutes, stirring carefully, and once, halfway through. (At the 10 minute mark.)

Green beans and brown sugar in enameled cast iron pan.

Tip: You can cut back on the sugar, making it ¼ cup (instead of ½ cup) of brown sugar if you don't want the green beans that sweet.

Cooked crack green beans with bacon in enameled cast iron pan.

How to Serve this Green Beans Recipe

Serve this warm side dish alongside your favorite dinners like this country fried steak, these homemade chicken and dumplings, or these fried pork chops.

If taking to a gathering or potluck, keep these beans warm in a slow cooker (on “warm” or “low”) or in a dish inside of a warmer if possible.

More Bean Recipes: You’ll also love these bean recipes that are easy and they go great with so many dishes:

Recipe

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5 from 4 votes

Crack Green Beans Recipe

Crack green beans are made on the stovetop, using brown sugar, soy sauce, bacon, onion and a few other ingredients and they're delicious.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Cook Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 215kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

2 cans green beans 14.5 each, drained
4 pieces bacon diced in to small pieces
⅓ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ cup yellow onion diced in to small pieces
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook 4 pieces bacon and ½ cup yellow onion over medium heat, until bacon is crispy.
Add 2 cans green beans (drained) and ⅓ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Cook between med low heat, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring carefully and once, halfway through. (At 10 min.)

Video

Notes

If you don’t prefer a sweeter taste, you can cut back on the sugar to ¼ cup brown sugar.

Nutrition

Baked Ravioli

August 15, 2024

This Baked Ravioli recipe uses storebought fresh or frozen ravioli (pick your favorite flavor) and your favorite store-bought marinara sauce, along with a few other ingredients to create an easy, short-cut dinner in under an hour, making it one of the easiest pasta recipes for dinner!

Baked Ravioli being lifted out of baking dish with a stainless serving spoon.

Do you love casserole recipes as much as I do? It’s basically a one pot meal but baked in the oven! It’s perfect for busy nights because you are simply layering ingredients and popping them in a hot oven to do their thing. This recipe is like a combination of a delicious pasta dish and a casserole.

This sausage pasta bake is similar in how it’s made but uses different flavors and types of pasta if you’d love to mix things up but still keep things simple at dinnertime.

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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 baked cheese ravioli.

Ravioli – Use any brand of fresh (refrigerated) or frozen. But do not use any dried options on the regular pasta shelf, as these won’t cook through.
Marinara – Again, any brand or flavor will do!
Cheese – I highly recommend shredding your own Parmesan or finding the little cup in the deli section. Shredding mozzarella is a bit tricky, but it will melt SO much better! But pre-shredded is fine here; just don’t use the green can of Parmesan!
Herbs – A bit of chopped fresh parsley on top is a great finish touch.

Substitutions

Ravioli – use any variety you’d like. Maybe you prefer sausage or spinach ravioli. You can even go gourmet with lobster ravioli!
Sauce – use your favorite pasta sauce, whether it’s a nice basic red sauce or one that has lots of fresh seasonings added!

Variations

Some like to add cooked ground beef or Italian sausage to the sauce layers. This is an easy way to increase the bulk of the meal! You would only need a half pound to give flavor. Just make sure to cook the meat before adding it to the ravioli before baking.

Feel free to add some fresh spinach leaves in the layers as well!

How to Make Easy Baked Ravioli

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

STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, F.

STEP 2. Start layers. Add a thin layer of sauce to a greased baking dish.

Tip: You don’t need a ton of sauce in each layer, it’s more important to ensure there is sauce on both top and bottom of all ravioli!

STEP 3. Pasta and cheese. Add an even layer of ravioli over the sauce. Next up, add more sauce and then a third of the mozzarella cheese.

STEP 4. Repeat. Repeat with sauce, ravioli, sauce, cheese – until you’ve used everything up and end with mozzarella.

STEP 5. Bake. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan over top, then cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake. Uncover for the final 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Recipe Pro Tips

Allow to fully cool. When saving leftovers, it’s always best to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge. This will allow it to chill quickly and also not get a lot of condensation.
Fresh or frozen. All ravioli works here, whether it is in the refrigerated case or the freezer section of your store. Just check the package weights as they may differ between brands.

A serving of baked ravioli on a white plate, with a fork.

Recipe FAQs

How do I store leftovers?

Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for a quick lunch. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.

Do I have to boil ravioli?

Great question! The ravioli should be already par-cooked, which is why it only takes a few quick minutes in boiling water. This means it is already soft enough to cook in the pasta sauce without any extra water so there’s no boiling involved! Simply assemble and bake.

🍽 What to Serve with Baked Ravioli

A house salad is the perfect veggie here as it’s nice and light compared to a heavy baked pasta dish. You can also drop some Texas toast in the air fryer.

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

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Baked ravioli being lifted out of baking dish.

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Baked Ravioli (Fresh or Frozen!)

This baked ravioli recipe is like a hearty casserole, that's perfect for an easy dinner, potluck or to make for someone needing a meal. Storebought ravioli, jarred marinara sauce, and a few ingredients make a complete dish.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 600kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

25 ounces marinara sauce
25 ounces frozen or fresh cheese ravioli
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese about 12 ounces
3 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Fresh chopped parsley for topping optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and grab a 9×13-inch baking dish. Lightly spray the dish with cooking spray.
Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of marinara sauce. Line up ravioli in a single layer on the sauce.
Next, layer 1 cup of sauce and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the ravioli. Repeat the layers twice more until you've used up the ravioli.
Add remaining marinara and mozzarella cheese as a final layer.
Evenly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of the casserole.
Using a sheet of foil, cover the dish tightly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. 25 for fresh ravioli, and 30 if they are frozen.
Carefully remove the foil from the dish. Bake uncovered for 5-7 minutes longer, or until the cheese is bubbly and browning.
Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Add fresh parsley on top and serve.

Notes

Try fresh basil on top in place of the parsley!
Use whatever flavor of ravioli you like here. Spinach or sausage filled would add lots of flavor.

Nutrition

Broccoli Crunch Salad

August 14, 2024

Broccoli Crunch Salad is a combination of a creamy dressing made of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt with a touch of sugar for sweetness, all mixed with crunchy broccoli, red onions, bacon, sliced almonds, and a few other ingredients. It’s a side dish recipe that’s easy enough to serve with dinner or to take to a potluck meal.

Broccoli crunch salad in bowl, sitting on fabric napkin on table.

The crunch of the broccoli and bacon, combined with the chewiness of the cranberries and creaminess of the dressing will ignite your tastebuds and leave your friends and family begging you to bring this to the next gathering!

If you’re new around here, then you may not know that I’m a big fan of salad recipes and especially love that this particular savory salad recipe helps switch things up from a typical lettuce salad. Looking for other non-lettuce salads? This cucumber salad with Italian dressing and this carrot salad is great too!

Ingredients

Broccoli: I’m all about time-savers in the kitchen and believe that shortcuts can be sanity savers too! So feel free to grab a bag of the pre-cut broccoli in the produce section at your local grocery store. Or, if using a stalk of broccoli, cut off the florets and use as directed in the recipe card below.
Red Onion: I don’t know if I’m alone here, but red onion is one of my absolute favorite veggies out there. Whether it’s on a simple cheeseburger recipe or chopped up in the world’s best guacamole… you can almost bet you’ll see me adding it into just about anything that will work. Well this salad is no exception and it’s the perfect flavor addition. Slice up one red onion, really thin and add it to the bowl of broccoli!
Bacon: Crispy bacon is key here! For more crunch, crispy bacon is so delicious in this salad.
Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness and softness to this otherwise crunchy recipe.
Mayonnaise: I prefer to use Hellmans or Best Foods brands but any will do.
Almonds: For even more crunch, using almonds or your favorite type of nut is a great idea. You may also prefer to use sunflower seed kernels.

How to Make Broccoli Crunch Salad

Tip: Feel free to make this broccoli salad ahead of time to save time in the kitchen later.

Broccoli salad in small bowl, sitting next to large serving bowl of broccoli salad.

Check out my other favorite make-ahead salads for a crowd!

More Salads and Recipes You’ll Love:

Recipe

Broccoli crunch salad in big serving bowl, with bacon, cranberries and almonds.

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5 from 2 votes

Broccoli Crunch Salad

Broccoli crunch salad uses bacon, goat cheese, cranberries, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise and a few other ingredients and it's a great make-ahead salad recipe!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 351kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

Broccoli Salad

5 cups broccoli florets pre-cut or cut from stems
8 slices thick-sliced bacon cooked, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup sliced almonds
⅓ cup diced red onion sliced thin
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

Broccoli Salad Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise Hellmans or Best Foods is recommended
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

Broccoli Salad Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add 5 cups broccoli florets, 8 slices thick-sliced bacon, ½ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup sliced almonds, ⅓ cup diced red onion, and ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt and the ½ teaspoon granulated sugar. Mix with a whisk to combine.

Broccoli Salad Dressing Instructions

Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and stir to combine. It's ready to serve or you can place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

You can leave the sugar out if you prefer.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days.

Nutrition

Avocado BLT

August 11, 2024

An avocado BLT takes the classic sandwich recipe to the next level. Plus, the simple seasonings I use and how I apply them, make every bite full of so much extra goodness and flavor. Bake bacon in the oven ahead of time, pop it in the microwave, or make air fryer bacon, and you can easily assemble this sandwich in minutes.

Sliced avocado BLT sandwich on wooden cutting board, sitting next to lettuce and mayo.

BLTs (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) have been around for years. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to start adding avocados on BLTs and I’m so glad that I did because they had a creamy layer, and good fats.

Have extra avocados? You’ll love this guacamole recipe, this chopped Caprese salad, or this summer side salad to serve alongside this sandwich, too.

Ingredients

Make sure to see the recipe card below as well, to get all of the specifics of the ingredients and instructions!

Ingredient Tips:

Mayo: Using a great quality of mayonnaise is key for this. I suggest Hellman’s, or Best Foods brands.
Bread: I love using wheat (honey and nut bread) but you can use white bread or your favorite type of bread.
Bacon: This recipe calls for cooked bacon, so making it ahead of time, however you prefer can help save time when it comes time to eat. Thick bacon works best, and crispy bacon makes the sandwich easier to eat so you’re not pulling on the bacon when taking a bite.
Tomatoes: Do not refrigerate tomatoes. This causes them to lose flavor.
Seasonings: Sprinkling salt on ingredients such as tomatoes and avocados, can help even out the flavors. The garlic pepper adds a hint of spice and garlic to the already delicious mayo but it is optional.

How to Make an Avocado BLT

It’s really easy to make this version of the BLT and feel free to change up the layers and the ingredients but I’m showing how I make this sandwich, to get optimal flavor!

To toast or not to toast: Either toasted or not toasted will work, however, my favorite is not toasted, to appreciate the texture of the crispy bacon, soft tomato, crunchy lettuce and creamy mayo. Sometimes toasted bread can overpower the textures of the ingredients.
Start by spreading on mayo on bread and seasoning the mayo. The amount can depend on how much mayo you actually love on a sandwich but I do put mayo on both slices of bread, and this is usually about 2 Tablespoons total for the sandwich.
Next, slice half of an avocado thin. You can also choose to mash your avocado and spread this on your sandwich as well. Add the avocado on top of one slice of mayonnaise-topped bread. Sprinkle sliced avocados with salt.
Cut 6 pieces of thick bacon in half, and place all of them on top of the avocado.
Slice tomato in to 2 thin slices, and place on top of bacon. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt.

Lettuce and mayo on bread with garlic pepper.

Next, place two pieces of leaf lettuce on top of bacon slices.
Place the other slice of garlic pepper and mayo-topped bread, on top of the lettuce.
Serve, or slice in half and serve.

Recipe Tips:

Sandwich assembly: If your bacon cooks flat, your tomatoes and avocado and tomato slices are sliced thin, your sandwich should stay assembled well while eating, without falling apart. However, feel free to place toothpicks in to sandwich to help secure ingredients, if needed.
Too salty: Keep in mind that some garlic pepper contains salt and some bacon is saltier than others. So be cautious of adding too much salt.
Tomatoes: Pat dry the tomatoes after slicing to prevent juices from making the bread mushy.

Additional Topping Options for a BLT

Cheese: American, pepper jack, swiss or provolone are delicious cheeses for this sandwich.
Onion: Sliced white or yellow onion would also be delicious on this sandwich.
Chips: Yes! Regular, original potato chips add a fun crunch to this sandwich.
Sauce: Not a fan of mayo? No problem. Using mustard, or an aioli could be a great alternative.

If you’re a fan of BLTs, you’ll also love these similar recipes:

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Avocado BLT sliced in half, stacked and sitting on cutting board.

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5 from 1 vote

Avocado BLT

The best avocado blt sandwich with mayonnaise, garlic pepper, avocado slices, lettuce and tomato on sliced bread. The salt and garlic pepper add so much flavor too!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings sandwich

Calories 721kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

6 slices cooked bacon oven method bacon is best
2 slices sandwich bread
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 pieces leaf lettuce
2 slices tomato
½ avocado sliced
¼ teaspoon garlic pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Begin by spreading about 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise on 2 slices sandwich bread (About 1 Tablespoon on each.) Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon garlic pepper between both pieces of mayo topped bread.
Slice ½ avocado in to thin slices, and place on top of one piece of bread. Sprinkle with ½ of the ¼ teaspoon salt.
Next, slice 6 slices cooked bacon in half and place all pieces on top of avocado slices.
Thinly slice 2 slices tomato, and place them on top of bacon pieces, and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
Place the 2 pieces leaf lettuce on top of the tomato, and top with other mayo and garlic pepper seasoned bread.
Slice and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Smoked Cheeseburger Sliders

August 8, 2024

Smoked Cheeseburger Sliders take our sheet pan cheeseburger sliders to a different level by adding smoke flavor, with the smoker. All you’ll need is Hawaiian buns (and yes, we steam these like we do in our burgers in the oven recipe), ground beef, cheese, butter, and a few spices, and about an hour, then you’re ready to enjoy these as a party appetizer or easy dinner!

Smoked cheeseburger sliders stacked on top of one another.

Slider recipes have become a hit lately, so experimenting with different types of sliders is always fun because you never know which one will be your favorite.

These roast beef sliders, pizza sliders, and fried chicken sliders are just a few of the sliders that have been drool-worthy in kitchens all over! Now, with the idea of smoking sliders, it’s so fun to take the slider ideas and add “smoke” flavor to them. I also made these Smoked Italian Sliders and they were gone within minutes. There’s something about that smoke flavor that changes the whole experience.

Ingredients:

It doesn’t take a lot to make these sliders but I recommend not skipping an ingredient for optimal flavor. I’ll give some notes below that you may find helpful about the ingredients needed!

Ground beef: I use a lean beef for these, only because we get our beef from a local farm. You can use a fattier beef so just make sure that you “stretch” the beef accordingly when you patty it out in to the rectangle because as the fat cooks, it will shrink. Mine didn’t shrink as much, so it hung over the buns, and that was ok with us!
American cheese slices: Any cheese should work but I recommend getting cheese sliced in the deli – so good! Or, get thicker cheese for that extra gooey bite.
Butter: I just use salted or unsalted, whatever I have on hand. However garlic salt is mixed with the butter so if you’re not a fan of too salty, this will be something to keep in mind.
Hawaiian buns: Make sure you get the 12-pack, sweet buns. You can use the dinner rolls version if you don’t like sweet though.

How to Make Smoked Cheeseburger Sliders:

You can also scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredients and instructions as well. However, I’d love to walk you through the process so you can see a visual of how I make these.

Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees.
Next, in a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together the 2 pounds of ground beef with the seasoning salt and pepper, until it’s evenly combined.
Then, on a piece of parchment paper, flatten out the 2 pounds of ground beef in to a rectangle shape that’s slightly larger than the rectangle of Hawaiian buns. (Keep in mind the shrinking that I mentioned above in the ingredient notes.) To be safe, making the rectangle about an inch wider than your Hawaiian buns will be a good size.

TIP: You can also place the parchment paper on a baking sheet if desired, to make the transition of the ground beef to the smoker, easier.

Raw ground beef rectangular shaped patty on the smoker.

When the smoker is preheated, flip the ground beef patty, directly on to the smoker, and close the lid, and set the timer for one hour.
When the hour is almost up, melt the butter and garlic salt in a small bowl and set aside. If you do it too early, the butter will harden again.
This is also a great time to slice the Hawaiian buns in half (making a top layer and a bottom layer – do not slice each individual bun just yet). Once sliced, place the bottom bun later in the bottom of a 11×9 aluminum pan.

Smoked ground beef for cheeseburger sliders.

Note: The ground beef will have a pink “tent” to it because it’s smoked. If you want to check the temperature of your beef, insert a meat thermometer in to the center and remove when it has reached 160 degrees.

Using a 2 large spatulas, carefully lift the ground beef patty and place it on to the bottom buns that are in the aluminum pan.

American cheese on cheeseburger sliders in aluminum pan.

Next, layer on your slices of American cheese, making sure to cover all of the ground beef. If your cheese slices aren’t very thick, you can do two layers of cheese if you prefer for extra gooeyness.
Add top layer of buns on top of the cheese.
Then, brush about half of the melted garlic butter on top of the buns. (Saving the remaining butter for later.)
Cover the aluminum pan with aluminum foil and place the pan on the smoker for about 10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the buns to steam/toast.

Smoked cheeseburger sliders in aluminum pan.

Using your spatulas, you can remove the cheeseburger sliders from the aluminum pan and place the batch on a cutting board.
Using a bread knife, slice the sliders, in to individual pieces, and serve!

Smoked cheeseburger sliders sliced in to small pieces.

What to Serve with Smoked Sliders

When smoking food, it’s always fun to have foods like this easy potato salad recipe, or even more smoked recipes like these smoked mushrooms, as a side dish.

Storing Leftovers

Have leftovers? No problem. You can either reheat them in the oven (cover with aluminum foil) at 350 degrees until the burgers are heated through. (How long will depend on how many you have, if they’re spaced out, etc.)

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Recipe

Smoked cheeseburger sliders stacked on top of others, made with Hawaiian buns.

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5 from 1 vote

Smoked Cheeseburger Sliders

These smoked cheeseburger sliders are made with simple ingredients but are filled with flavor. The garlic butter topping helps add even more flavor.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings sliders

Calories 327kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

smoker
11×9 Aluminum foil pan

Ingredients

12 Hawaiian buns
2 pounds ground beef
9 slices American cheese or more for thicker cheese layer
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic salt
2 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat smoker to 250 degrees.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 2 pounds ground beef, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, until evenly combined.
On a piece of parchment paper, flatten out the ground beef in to a rectangle shape, makign it slightly larger than the size of the size of the Hawaiian buns rectangle. (About an inch larger should be good.)
Transfer ground beef rectangle on to smoker grill. (Using your hand, or a spatula, you should be able to flip the patty on to the smoker and pull the parchment paper off.)
Smoke for one hour, or until the internal temperature of the ground beef reaches 160 degrees. (Meat will look pink due to the smoke.)
While meat is smoking, and toward the end of the hour, this is a good time to melt the 2 Tablespoons butter, and combine it with the ½ teaspoon garlic salt. It's also a good time to slice the Hawaiian buns in half, creating a bottom layer and a top layer of buns. (Do not cut individual buns right now.)
When the meat has finished smoking, place the bottom layer of 12 Hawaiian buns in an aluminum foil pan and place the smoked ground beef patty on top of the buns.
Top ground beef with 9 slices American cheese (or more) and top with top bun layer. Brush on half of the melted seasoned butter and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Place the pan on the smoker and smoke for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the buns are nice and steamed/toasted.

Video

Nutrition

Smoked Italian Sliders

July 31, 2024

These smoked Italian sliders take my baked Italian sliders recipe to a whole new level by cooking them in the smoker for a couple of hours! The smoked flavor, delicious seasoned butter on top of the Hawaiian buns, melty cheese, and different meats make these a great appetizer for parties or even an easy dinner.

Smoked Italian sliders stacked on top of one another.

Slider recipes are incredibly easy to make, and when using Hawaiian buns, they add a sweet flavor as a contrast to savory flavors of some of my favorite sliders. These cheeseburger sliders are the most popular slider recipe, these fish sliders are the most unique and these ham sliders are the most common, and they all use Hawaiian buns too.

Most sliders are made in the oven but when I thought I’d try making sliders in the smoker, I was hoping they’d come out with a delicious smokey flavor, and they did! Plus, cooking the sliders this way, was a great way to cook dinner without having to babysit a dish. I also smoked cheeseburgers on Hawaiian buns!

Ingredients for Smoked Italian Sliders

I’ve given notes on a few of the key ingredients below, but you can see the recipe card below that lists all of the ingredients and instructions too!

Ingredients for Italian sliders on table.

Hawaiian buns: If you do not like sweeter buns, you can use regular slider buns for this recipe.
Italian dressing seasoning: This is different than Italian seasoning that you find in the spice aisle. This is the seasoning packet that you’ll find in the dressing aisle at the grocery store. I’ve used Zesty Italian and have also used regular Italian dressing seasoning, so either will work.
Cheese: I prefer to use provolone for this recipe but mozzarella or white American cheese would also be delicious.
Banana peppers: Totally optional. Sometimes I will include these on Italian sliders but have found that I prefer them without. If using, simply top the meat with your desired amount of peppers, trying to make sure they don’t carry over a lot of liquid that could make the bread soggy.

How to Make Smoked Italian Sliders

First, preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F.
Next, slice the Hawaiian rolls in half, creating a top bun and a bottom bun, making two separate pieces. (Do NOT cut each roll or bun in to individual buns. It will be much easier to keep the rolls intact, so you can easily create a bottom bun and a top bun.
Place the bottom buns in an aluminum foil pan. Next, layer on the sliced provolone cheese, covering the bottom layer of buns. I did 12 slices of cheese, using 9 to cover the buns and 3 more pieces running diagonal through the middle, just to use the package of cheese and get more cheese in more bites. You can do more or less depending on your preference.
After the cheese, add a layer of salami, then a layer of pepperoni and a layer of smoked ham. (It doesn’t have to be in this order.) If you prefer banana peppers on your sliders, this is where you’ll layer those on as well.
Place the top buns on top of the meat. Mix together the melted butter and the Italian dressing seasoning and stir to combine. Brush the tops of the buns with half of the seasoned butter. (If desired, you can mix in crushed red pepper and grated parmesan in to the butter as well.)
Cover the aluminum foil pan with aluminum foil, and place the pan in the preheated smoker, and smoke at 250 for 2 hours.

Smoked Italian sliders in aluminum baking pan.

After the two hours are up, remove pan from smoker and remove the aluminum foil. The cheese should all be melted, the meat heated through and the buns a beautiful seasoned brown. (The aluminum foil will protect the buns from toasting and drying out.) You can now top the buns with the remaining melted butter if desired.

Smoked Italian slider on cutting board, sitting around others.

Using a spatula (preferably two) slide the Italian sliders on to a cutting board so you can cut the sliders in to individual pieces.

Serve while warm, or leave covered with foil to keep them warm longer before serving.

Pro Tips

Careful Removing: The cheese could stick to the sides of the aluminum pan, or if the cheese melts and sticks to the bottom of the pan. So before removing the sliders to the cutting board to cut in to pieces, make sure to detach anything sticking to the pan, to help make sure that your bread does not break or pull apart.
More Flavor: Love a little kick to your sandwiches? Feel free to add some crushed red pepper. You can also add grated parmesan cheese to the butter mixture if you prefer.

If you love slider recipes, you’ll also love these other fun flavors that readers love:

Recipe

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Smoked Italian Sliders

This smoked Italian sliders recipe is ready in 2 hours, made with ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, and topped with an Italian seasoned butter glaze.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Servings sliders

Calories 252kcal

Author Jessica Burgess

Equipment

1 aluminum foil pan Disposable
smoker We have a Treager but any brand will work

Ingredients

12 count package of Hawaiian buns
12 slices provolone cheese slices
9 ounces smoked ham
7 ounces salami slices
5 ounces large pepperoni slices or small (Can also use more/less pepperoni if desired.)
4 Tablespoons butter melted
1 Tablespoon Italian dressing seasoning
sliced banana peppers optional
crushed red pepper optional
grated parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

Preheat smoker to 250° F.
Using a sererated bread knife, slice the 12 count package of Hawaiian buns in half, creating a top bun later and a bottom bun later.
Place the bottom buns in a 11×9 aluminum pan.
Add layer of 12 slices provolone cheese slices on top of the bottom buns, making sure to cover the bread completely.
Next layer on the meats, (9 ounces smoked ham, 7 ounces salami slices, 5 ounces large pepperoni slices) one at a time, and the order doesn't matter, just try to make sure the meats are evenly layered if possible, so the top buns rest evenly on top. If desired, layer on sliced banana peppers.)
Add top layer of buns on to the top of meats.
Mix 4 Tablespoons butterwith 1 Tablespoon Italian dressing seasoning and brush half or ¾ of the mixture on top of the buns. (If desired, mix in crushed red pepper and grated parmesan cheese as well.)
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place on smoker and cook for 2 hours.
Remove the pan from the smoker, remove the aluminum foil, and if desired, brush on remaining melted seasoned butter. (You may have to re-melt the butter.)
Remove sliders from the pan and place on to a cutting board or platter. Using a big spatula to remove the large rectangle is easiest. Using the serrated bread knife, slice the sliders in to individual pieces, where the lines are aleady formed. Serve!

Notes

Careful Removing: The cheese could stick to the pan in the smoking process. Before removing the sliders to the cutting board, make sure to detach anything sticking to the pan, to help make sure that your bread does not break or pull apart.

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