recipes

Pomegranate and Orange Champagne Punch

This festive and fruity punch with bubbly champagne and DIY frozen ice cubes is a party favorite to serve a crowd and can easily be made non-alcoholic too.

Toast Any Season with Champagne Punch

Everyone loves a good reason to raise their glass and make a toast to loved ones, friends, good times and cheer no matter what time of year. But providing a full-stocked bar at the holiday party can be a somewhat overwhelming task to add to the party list for any host.

That’s when a bowl of champagne punch steps in to add the festive flair.continue to the recipe… about Pomegranate and Orange Champagne Punch

Easy Baked Brie Recipe 3 Flavorful Ways

When are three baked brie recipes better than one? Always! Take your pick or try all three of these easy baked brie recipe ideas for your next party appetizer, and everyone will be saying cheese.

It’s a proven fact that everyone at the party loves a cheese board. It’s the centerpiece of nibbles and bites and small talk to break the party ice. But when you add a little heat to make a bubbly, oozey cheese dip, the party vibe definitely ratchets up a notch.

These three baked brie recipe appetizers start with the basic baking method for baked brie but show off their individual flair for flavor with 3 different topping combinations.

Bake one, or choose all three, and introduce your guests to the easiest way to cheese board. continue to the recipe… about Easy Baked Brie Recipe 3 Flavorful Ways

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs cooked in the slow cooker create the luxe flavor in this Italian slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe for an incredibly easy weeknight or weekend meal.

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

You know how the saying goes. It’s what waiters around the world have used for years to push the daily special.

“This meat is so tender it falls off the bone.”

And then sometimes it is. And sometimes it isn’t.

I’m here to tell you, today, right now, that thanks to this slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe, the meat LITERALLY falls from the bone.

But don’t just take it from me. This is the day you’re going to absolutely want to try it for yourself. And like any good salesperson, I’m going to guarantee you’re going to love it.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast for a crowd has never been easier thanks to this incredibly easy to assemble, ham and cheese with bread, make-ahead overnight breakfast casserole that some may call a soufflé or a strata, but we just call delicious.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipe

My family isn’t steeped too deeply in legendary traditions. As kids, we didn’t go to the same summer vacation spot year after year nor did we play the perennial party games at the annual family reunion.

But we did always gather together on Thanksgiving and Christmas. And that’s why it’s my favorite time of the year. Memories of grandmas and grandpa, all the aunts and uncles and cousins too, together to eat, share, arm wrestle—and beat—my boy cousins and watch TBS’s 24 hour A Christmas Story marathon.

Each and every Christmas morning of of my 29 ‘plus’ years, I’ve had this ham and egg casserole we assemble the night before and then bake on Christmas morn in all of its gooey, cheesy, ground ham glory.

And this Christmas breakfast casserole is special, because this overnight breakfast casserole never makes another appearance at any other time of the year than on Christmas morning. We simply don’t ever want it to lose its special shining sparkle.continue to the recipe… about Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

The BEST Clam Chowder Recipe (Market Street Grill Copycat)

A favorite of locals and tourists alike, this creamy clam chowder recipe comes from one of Salt Lake City’s longest running restaurants, Market Street Grill, and is easy to make at home.

Creamy New England Clam Chowder

Creamy, full of vegetables and lush with clams, this homemade clam chowder recipe is delicious in every respect, and I’m saying it loud and proud that it’s the best clam chowder recipe outside of New England. Yep, I’m staking my claim.

It comes from the restaurant where I met my husband when we were both servers, Salt Lake City’s acclaimed Market Street Grill, where this chowder is probably still one of the most popular bowls of soup you will find in the state. From San Francisco to New England, I’ve been to a whole lot of places and ordered a whole lot of chowder, and still to this day, this chowder is tops on my list.

continue to the recipe… about The BEST Clam Chowder Recipe (Market Street Grill Copycat)

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Crostini

Thinly sliced onions and chunky mushrooms caramelize with butter and Marsala wine to make the perfect jammy topping for this easy crostini appetizer with a silky sweet taste.

This recipe is brought to you by Vermont Creamery

Carmelized onions and mushrooms are my jam. Literally. Jammy. Because that’s what happens when the sugars of these two basic ingredients hit the heat and do their dance with sweet cultured butter. The sugars bloom and the onion and mushroom’s earthy flavors deepen to create a savory jam that becomes nearly as sweet as any preserve you’ll spread on toast.

That’s what makes this mixture the perfect topping for hand-held toasted crostini appetizers. And they are super easy to prep and cook too. Let’s party!

continue to the recipe… about Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Crostini

How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup

My Grandma’s easy minestrone soup recipe is one of the healthiest vegetable-loaded soups you’ll make, and it tastes far better than any of those Olive Garden copycat recipes thanks to the secret ingredient in the savory broth.

Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe

“It is well worth the time and effort.”

But then, isn’t most anything when it’s done with love?

My sweet Grandma Frieda passed away when I was a senior in college and while there are many things that remind me of her, as a recipe maker it’s the cookbooks I inherited from her that I see most often. And this recipe for minestrone soup that graces the pages has always been one of my favorites.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup

Mom’s Easy Fudge Recipe

I can’t imagine celebrating the Christmas holidays without one of my all-time favorite recipes! My mom’s homemade chocolate fudge recipe is basically the best fudge I’ve ever sunk my teeth into.

Easy Fudge Recipe

My mom makes this homemade fudge every single Christmas—and only at Christmas—and while every year she makes it to give as neighbor gifts, she always keeps a stash for herself, usually eating it for breakfast with her coffee.

Yes, it’s THAT good and yes, she is THAT smart to eat chocolate for breakfast. Hey, you only live once.

This fudge recipe is a family legend, and it originally comes from my grandma. But to me it’s all my mom’s. It’s rich, fudgy, and delivers a solid bite your teeth will easily sink into.

continue to the recipe… about Mom’s Easy Fudge Recipe

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

This easy recipe for baked hot and cheesy spinach artichoke dip leaves out the mayo and adds extra cheese to give you every reason to dip your chip.

This recipe is brought to you by Kettle Brand Potato Chips

There are some dips that are quintessential party pleasers. They’re the one that beckons the feeding frenzied crowd and the first to disappear under a flurry of chips frantically vying for each and every scoop.

Spinach artichoke dip is firmly entrenched on the list. continue to the recipe… about Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

How to Cook the Best Juicy Turkey

A flavorful, moist turkey is the centerpiece of every Thanksgiving dinner. These easy tips show how to cook the best turkey that’s always juicy and moist, and proves that it’s 100% not as scary as it seems.

By the time I post this, I will have cooked six turkeys in two weeks, with two more to go for my own Thanksgiving feast for twenty. Am I up to the task? You bet your drumstick I am.

Sure, the thought of cooking a turkey can be intimidating. I mean, why wouldn’t it be? Thanksgiving is a big deal with eager dinner guests depending on YOU—the little home cook who could—to deliver a juicy, delicious turkey dinner you may have never, ever cooked before. That’s grandma’s job! Or mom’s! Well guess who’s the mom now?

Rest assured, this recipe and these tips are about to calm all your fears.

continue to the recipe… about How to Cook the Best Juicy Turkey

50 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes Recipes

What’s the most popular, easy Thanksgiving side dish at your house? From my top 10 Thanksgiving side dishes to 40 new twists on the classics, this list of 50 easy side dish recipes will give you plenty of side dish recipe ideas to think about.

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and tradition, and when it comes to the Thanksgiving table, everyone has their favorite traditional dishes to share.

Ironically, the Thanksgiving side dish is one area of turkey day where you can tweak tradition with a simple twist or two.

Whether you’re hunkering down at home, or getting ready to brave the busiest travel time of the year, this list of Thanksgiving favorite sides is sure to set the mood for a festive feast.

From fresh takes on classic comfort sides to flavorful new additions, take a look and add a few new side dishes to your table. Dig in!

continue to the recipe… about 50 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes Recipes

Heavenly Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Funeral potatoes are an easy-to-make and even easier-to-love comfort food casserole that is totally heaven sent.

This recipe is brought to you by Cache Valley Cheese

The Best Funeral Potatoes Recipe

If you grew up in Utah, there’s a 99.9% chance you’ve had (and loved) funeral potatoes. If you haven’t lived in Utah, you’re likely scratching your head wondering what in the world am I talking about?!? Unless you’re from the South, then you may be in the know, too.

This potato casserole’s roots run deep in the LDS faith and are a long-lived staple at family gatherings of every sort, including potlucks, family dinners, and any Sunday night dinner. My Grandma used to serve them at Christmas with her Roasted Turkey Breast with Oregano and Lemon with warm potato rolls, and believe me, rarely were there any hash brown potato casserole leftovers to be found.

continue to the recipe… about Heavenly Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Easy Green Beans with Browned Butter Almondine

These green beans almondine are made in one skillet, steaming the beans right in with the butter and almonds then finishing them off with some lemon juice.

Easy Green Bean Recipe

I remember my mom making a version of this super easy green bean recipe since before I could even decide if I liked it or not. At our house, there wasn’t really an option. You ate what was served and that was that. But I always loved these green beans.continue to the recipe… about Easy Green Beans with Browned Butter Almondine

Easy Glazed Carrots

Sweetened with brown sugar, orange juice, and butter, this glazed carrot side dish is a one-pan side cooked right on the stove, in the microwave, or baked in the oven, too.

Aren’t carrots just the best? They’re inexpensive, always available, and one of the least disdained in the vegetable kingdom. Served as little nubbins, they’re one of the first snacks introduced to toddlers little fingers, and later, pushed into the lunch bags of veg-averse teens—who if you don’t watch will actually eat them.

But cooked to a caramelized tenderness with butter, orange juice and a dollop of brown sugar, the humble carrot turns into a candied side dish that becomes a glistening gilded accent to any main meal that everyone will happily eat.continue to the recipe… about Easy Glazed Carrots

Wet or Dry? How to Make the Best Turkey Brine

For the juiciest turkey on the block, brining the bird with salt results in a plump, moist, and flavorful turkey every time. But is a wet brine or a dry turkey brine better? I tested both, and these are my recipes and results.

I discovered the genius of turkey brining several moons ago, and now, I can’t make a Thanksgiving turkey with one.

Whether to brine my turkey or not isn’t the question. It’s which method to go with: A wet brine soak in a salt water solution or a dry brine rubbed into and under the skin?

Brine me baby! And talk turkey to me.

continue to the recipe… about Wet or Dry? How to Make the Best Turkey Brine

5-Ingredient Stovetop Creamed Spinach

All you need is five simple ingredients and time for cream to reduce with savory Parmesan cheese for a restaurant-style creamed spinach cooked right on the stovetop.

Easy Creamed Spinach Recipe

If only each meal could be a buffet of flavors like the glorious Thanksgiving dinner. A bite of this, a taste of that. That’s why I’m a big, big fan of Thanksgiving. Sure I like turkey, but it’s the variety of different side dishes mingling together on my plate that I love most.

Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite side dishes that adds a little extra oompah to the table: Creamed spinach. This easy side dish recipe tastes so much like a classic steakhouse creamed spinach—creamy but not cloying, fresh instead of stringy. Yet another reason to love side dishes.

continue to the recipe… about 5-Ingredient Stovetop Creamed Spinach

Juicy Roast Turkey Breast

The best way to cook roast turkey breast isn’t in the crockpot, but in the oven instead, and it only takes 30 minutes to cook!

Thanksgiving isn’t the only time of the year to talk turkey. Sure, it’s a popular protein over the holidays, but it should totally be considered as a dinner contender any time of year.

Turkey. It isn’t just for sandwiches anymore.

Turkey has so much more to offer than just a side dish to mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Especially when it’s cooked as a roasted turkey breast like this easy-to-make recipe.continue to the recipe… about Juicy Roast Turkey Breast

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

These twice-baked sweet potatoes are an all-in-one creamy side dish served in their own jacked made sweet with maple syrup and savory with white cheddar and brown sugar bacon.

I’m no Southern belle, and being brought up in Utah, sweet potatoes were never much of a thing. Funeral potatoes casserole have been and will always be way more Utah’s style.

When roasted in the oven, baked sweet potatoes become so sweet and flavorful there’s not much need for adding anything else to them. But when special occasions like Thanksgiving (or any fall potluck party) comes around, dressing up the humble sweet potato with maple syrup, white cheddar cheese and brown sugar-laced bacon bits then baking them up twice is exactly what’s called for.continue to the recipe… about Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes

Knowing how to make mashed potatoes is a basic recipe every home cook needs in their kitchen skill set, and this easy recipe shows how to make the best creamy, buttery, mashed potatoes every time.

The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Does the internet really need another creamy mashed potatoes recipe? To some, the answer could be a “no,” but then the naysayers haven’t tried my easy recipe for the best mashed potatoes that works every single time.

Sure, flavored versions like garlic mashed potatoes are tasty, and crock pot mashed potatoes might be convenient, but the best mashed potatoes to pair with any recipe are the kind mom used to make. Potatoes that are fluffy and creamy at the same time, and that don’t skimp on the butter.

There are a only a couple of easy tricks you need to master to get a great mashed potato to complete any meal. After years of mashed potato making, I’ve figured them out, and that’s why I’m adding my mashed potato recipe to the internet today.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes

Beef Stew with Butternut Squash (Instant Pot, Stove Top or Crock Pot)

Tender chuck roast pairs with classic stew veggies and butternut squash in this easy beef stew made even easier in the Instant Pot, Crock Pot, or on the stove top.

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe

I made this classic Beef Stew with a slew of nutritious veggies in my Instant Pot on the pressure cooking setting, and the whole stew was cooked and ready to eat in just 40 minutes. Compare that to 2 hours or more on the stove top and you’ll know why I’m such a fan.

BUT! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this beef stew is just as easily prepared on the stove top, or in the slow cooker, with directions for both below.

continue to the recipe… about Beef Stew with Butternut Squash (Instant Pot, Stove Top or Crock Pot)

Broccoli Casserole with Crispy Onions

This easy broccoli casserole au gratin topped with crispy onions could challenge even the best green bean casserole at the Thanksgiving table, and definitely win.

This recipe brought to you by Vermont Creamery

Broccoli is that vegetable that most everyone likes, and knows is good for them, but just hasn’t yet gained the it-girl/vegetable status that kale salads, roasted Brussels sprouts, or even mashed cauliflower are enjoying now.

No more! The time is now to don your hipster wide-brim wool fedora and jump ahead of the curve to make room for this amazing broccoli at the Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving table. Ah, who am I kidding? It’s tasty all season long.

This easy broccoli casserole dresses fresh or frozen broccoli in a simple-to-make, prep-ahead-if-you-like, butter and cheese homemade white béchamel sauce topped with crispy onions for a side dish everyone will love.continue to the recipe… about Broccoli Casserole with Crispy Onions

30 Best Comforting Soup Recipes

This list of 30 of the web’s best soup recipes to cook during fall and winter shows why there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup on a cold day.

Soup season is here, and like so many of you, I am raising my spoon with glee at the idea of getting into the kitchen and cooking a pot (or 30) of my slurpable favorites.continue to the recipe… about 30 Best Comforting Soup Recipes

Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce

This simple tomato sauce gets tons of flavor from herbs steeped in olive oil that lusciously coats potato pillows of gnocchi, topped with fresh balls of mozzarella.

It’s a lunch I remember with fondness, and regret.

Fondness because it lit my fire for choosing gnocchi as my favorite thing to order on each and every Italian menu for the rest of my eating out days (ask my husband, I am not kidding) and regret because I didn’t go to that restaurant for more gnocchi more often than I did.

That gnocchi dish was truly made of little pillows of heaven. In fact, that was the name of the dish, Pillows From Heaven, roughly translated into English. I’ve since moved away and honestly, the way restaurants go, it’s probably gone too. But I’ll never forget my first time.

But it doesn’t matter much now, because while I still love going out, I’m just as happy making gnocchi at home.continue to the recipe… about Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce

The Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

The combination of creamy gouda and havarti cheese make a silky, cheesy homemade mac and cheese sauce that tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the boxed kind.

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

There are several basic, classic, everyone-loves-them-because-even-when-we-shouldn’t-we-still-crave-them recipes I am driven to master.

The best steak. Check. The juiciest roasted chicken. Got it. The best potato salad. Double check and thank you mom. The best homemade fudge. Ever. End of story. Period.

I’ve made several macaroni and cheese recipes on the blog, including this Instant Pot mac and cheese, this one with lobster, another with gobs of cheese and bacon, and yet another loaded with veggies and such, and I’ve deemed each of them a wonder in their own right.

But I was missing that basic, homey, comfort food classic of a good old-fashioned baked mac and cheese. Not anymore.continue to the recipe… about The Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

Easy Taco Soup (Stove Top, Crock Pot or Instant Pot)

This easy taco soup recipe can be made in 30 minutes on the stove top, Instant Pot, or slow cooked in the Crock Pot for a healthy Mexican-inspired, make-ahead, one-bowl meal.

In the words of Rachel Ray, this easy taco soup eats more like a “stoup”, aka stew meets soup. It’s hearty, healthy, totally flavorful, not overly brothy, and once you’ve emptied your bowl you feel like you’ve actually eaten a meal. And all those taco toppings seal the Mexican dinner deal.

We all have different cooking styles and different needs. Fast. Slow. Later. That’s why I’m giving you this recipe with 3 sets of directions. This is how you do dinner fast. Or if you prefer, do it slow. Crock Pot. Instant Pot. Just one pot. You choose. It’s perfect for fast weeknight eats, make-ahead party feasts, or double it and freeze half for later meal-planning feats.

Beans, ground beef, and spicy tomatoes give this soup the same signature flavor as my mother-in-law’s homemade Taco Bell Tacos, but unlike a lot of taco soup recipes on the web, I skip the ranch dressing packet flavoring (I prefer to top with real sour cream at the end) and the taco seasoning packet and use real food Mexican spices instead.

Keeping it real my friends…just keeping it real.continue to the recipe… about Easy Taco Soup (Stove Top, Crock Pot or Instant Pot)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are super soft and pillowy and packed with pumpkin pie flavor! Bonus: this recipe makes a BIG batch of cookies.

My mom has a saying about cooking / eating / observing an overly ambitious amount of dinner table food. “This could feed an army!” is the exclamation I’ve heard from her more than once in my life. It’s her way of noting how lucky we are, to live and enjoy such bounty with our family and friends.

It happens most every year when we cook to excess at Thanksgiving, or when I get a wild hair and decide I need to add just a bit more to the BBQ with a few more side dishes, plus another dessert, and oh heck, why not have hot dogs PLUS hamburgers. Just so nobody goes hungry.

These pillowy, cakey, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies fit that bill. This recipe is perfect. Especially if you’re baking for a crowd. Like for my mom’s invisible army. Or better yet, for a party! Now, that’s an idea I can get behind. Or better yet, I’ll lead the charge.

So hop to it soldier (I’m looking at you, Mom), and let’s get this cookie baking party started.continue to the recipe… about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

How to Make a Candy Charcuterie Board

Why toss your Halloween candy in a bowl when you can create a candy charcuterie board instead! It’s the perfect display for a sweet & spooky party, too.

This post is brought to you by Kroger

We’ve always been big Halloween-ers. Sadly, our neighborhood is not. It may be the steep hill we live on, or that our area is more established—a nice way to say aging. Every Halloween I buy a load of candy in hopes this year will be different. But each year there seems to be fewer masked kids roaming the streets spookily singing out trick or treat.

Fewer tricks means a bounty of leftover Halloween candy.

Sure, I love having a few Almond Joys, Snickers, and Reeses to snack on, but my jeans and I have found it’s best when shared :). That’s why a candy charcuterie board is the perfect excuse for a post-Halloween party, football or World Series watch party, or prep it before the big H-day for a spooky potluck with all your favorite treats, no tricks required.

Here’s how to make a Halloween candy charcuterie board. continue to the recipe… about How to Make a Candy Charcuterie Board

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

This creamy and cheesy potato soup with broccoli comes together quickly for an easy and quick weeknight meal that everyone will love.

Cheesy Potato Soup with Broccoli

I was a bit of an anomaly as a kid.

I didn’t care for peanut butter, opting for liverwurst instead. I loved oatmeal for breakfast and salad was one of my favorite snacks. And what was my pre-dinner ritual? Two tall glasses of milk before the food ever even hit the table.

Who was this kid?

I also liked broccoli. I mean I really, really, liked broccoli. When other kids wouldn’t touch their “green trees” unless they were camouflaged under a blanket of cheddar cheese (not that there’s one darn thing wrong with that!) I loved them simply steamed with a little butter, salt and pepper and drizzled with vinegar. That side put me in heaven every time.

But even while I enjoyed my broc in that cleaner way, the soup that always rang my bell was a creamy cheddar cheese broccoli fusion. I don’t know that my mom ever made it at home, but when we went out, it was my kryptonite.

Like most recipes you love as a kid, the cravings for them simply don’t go away. And as things go as an adult, the extra lbs don’t always go away as easily either. But this broccoli potato cheese soup recipe doesn’t sacrifice flavor in it’s ingredient modifications, but instead is a healthyish version of my childhood fave.

continue to the recipe… about Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes

Forget the cans of Manwich sloppy joe sauce, because my mom’s homemade sloppy joes recipe is just as easy to make and sixty-four (or more) times as good, especially knowing there’s a generous helping of vegetables inside this homemade, ground hamburger-ed, comfort food, beef-ey sandwich.

Remember the days when licking your plate was encouraged? They still are. And your fingers, and your chin too.

I originally published this recipe in the earlier days of le FoodieCrush blog, and after making it time and time again, I felt it was time for a little refresh. It’s totally worthy.

One of my favorite dinners as a kid was always Sloppy Joes, and the memories of stealing tastes of this burger/veggie mixture as it simmered on the stove still renders the same take-a-bite-then-burn-the-top-of-my-mouth-oh-no-it’s-now-become-a-blister result today as I hear the subliminal retort of my mom echo in my adult ear to “leave it alone or there’ll be nothing left for the rest of us to eat.”

Guilty as charged. But, sorry mom, I still can’t help myself. And if you’re a fan of easy recipes and you make this one, my mom will tell you it’s okay that you taste-test your way through the making of it, too.

And I’m here to attest, the top-of-the-mouth-blisters are totally worth it.continue to the recipe… about How to Make Homemade Sloppy Joes

Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup

This simple hamburger soup is loaded with vegetables and is an incredibly easy weeknight comfort food dinner because more than likely you’ll have all of the ingredients on hand and ready for soup thanks to your pantry, fridge, and/or freezer.

The first time I had this totally solid, totally comforting hamburger soup was when my mother-in-law made it for a family gathering of which I was not yet part of the family. My husband and I had just started dating and it was dinner at mom’s house and I was invited to go.

No pressure. Nope. None at all.

One of the things I learned that night—along with the fact that as a teen my husband used to wear a nylon over his head so his wet curly hair would dry straight—is that getting friends and family together to share a meal doesn’t have to be over-thought or overdone.

Good food means good times, and that’s really all you need.continue to the recipe… about Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup