recipes

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

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

How to Make the BEST Peach Cobbler

This easy peach cobbler is sweet, jammy, and just a bit caramelized with a perfectly tender-crisp topping making it the BEST comfort food dessert, like, ever.

The BEST Peach Cobbler Recipe

I took one bite of this homemade peach cobbler and melted. My eyes closed and my shoulders dropped just a bit as I exhaled a loud “mmmm” that literally escaped my lips. I.was.sold. It was one of those bites that was like a warm hug where whatever happened during the day that didn’t go quite right, POOF! just didn’t even matter.

God save the peach cobbler.

This peach cobbler recipe is totally delicious and absolutely addictive. My husband claims he could eat it ’til he’s sick, and I might be right there with him. It’s crispy. It’s gooey. It’s perfectly sweet and caramelized in the middle with a magically tender crunch on top.

It tastes amazing warm with melty vanilla ice cream pooling its edges, at room temp spooned straight out of the pan, or eaten as a stolen bite while nobody’s looking with the fridge door swung wide open—to that I can attest.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the BEST Peach Cobbler

My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe

This pumpkin roll recipe with the best cream cheese filling is a favorite you’ll make year after year. It’s easy to freeze and serve with my tips for how to roll a pumpkin roll successfully every time.

Does the world needed yet another pumpkin roll recipe? This recipe proves the answer is YES.

This is one recipe that made me fall in love with pumpkin-flavored everything. The first of course being the classic pumpkin pie. I mean, what 8-year-old doesn’t love pumpkin pie? The third are my light as a pillow pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Fall wouldn’t be the same without them.

My mom always made this pumpkin roll recipe to welcome in fall and it was a popular neighbor gift for the holidays. As soon as we could smell the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin wafting from the oven, we knew the leaves would soon begin falling from the trees.

Today I’m sharing an important tip for baking it in the pan, the easy way for how to roll a pumpkin roll, and the how to make this pumpkin roll with or without nuts.

Looks like the world DOES need another pumpkin roll recipe.continue to the recipe… about My Favorite Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Bratwurst In Beer With Onions

Simmered in beer with onions that become sweet and caramelized, this bratwurst recipe is a familiar German meal with a Wisconsin twist for the best reason to cheer at tailgates or clink cheers for Oktoberfest.

Hello, my name is Heidi. A classic German name, right? I even fit the demographic, with blue eyes and blonde hair—thanks more to my colorist than my genes as I’ve gotten older. But I can still claim it, right? Please say yes. Please.

Growing up, dishes from my youth like Weinerschnitzel and rouladen and often displaced the classic American favorites like pot roast and roast chicken or Liverwurst and pickles instead of peanut butter and jelly. German food is in my DNA.

So when fall festivities like football tailgates and Oktoberfest roll around, I’m happy to belly up to classic the cornerstone of nearly every German-American picnic or Superbowl game day: classic German bratwurst sausages with onions with a Wisconsin spin.

Our friend Tim hails from Wisconsin, a state with a bevy of German descendants. Who like beer. And football. And sausage. Years ago, Tim cooked his famous bratwurst for a Superbowl party at our house. Stewed in beer with sliced onions and then loaded onto soft rolls with my favorite grainy mustard, this style of bratwurst sandwich quickly became my favorite.

continue to the recipe… about Bratwurst In Beer With Onions

Tomato Basil Soup

Homemade with fresh tomatoes roasted in the oven, this tomato basil soup recipe adds a healthy and deliciously creamy flavor you won’t find in any old can.

The Best Tomato Soup Recipe

If I think back to my childhood, tomato soup is at the top of the list of my all-time favorite comfort foods. But unlike my ultra creamy macaroni and cheese or my mom’s spaghetti recipe, tomato basil soup is on the lighter side of the comfort food scale.

Even better, when you have a stash of roasted tomatoes in the fridge, it’s an easy recipe to whip up for an easy dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day.

I’ve seen some recipes for this soup that call for canned tomatoes, but I use fresh tomatoes roasted with garlic and herbs in my tomato soup. Earlier this week I shared my recipe for roasting the tomatoes here, and since I had a jar left over, I decided to update the photos and post for this recipe too.

Soup at our house is a regular menu item, in fact, my husband has gone on an all-soup diet more than once. It’s also likely that our early marriage was built on tomato soup with grilled cheese. Because can one even eat tomato soup without a grilled cheese sandwich for dunking?continue to the recipe… about Tomato Basil Soup

Killer Garlic Knots

These addicting, oregano-flecked garlic knots are made with pizza dough for a finger licking good snack, appetizer, or sauce sopper-upper at any meal.

This post is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

We love making our homemade pizza. In the summertime we make pizza on the grill. In the fall we make pesto pizza with balsamic chicken and peaches. And come winter a sheet pan pizza with BBQ chicken and blue cheese is a party just waiting to happen.

Sometimes after making individual pizzas we may even have leftover pizza dough looking for a home.

“Hmmm,” me thinks. What to do with leftover pizza dough? Jackpot! It’s only the perfect opportunity to make killer garlic knots instead of garlic bread for dinner.

But when they’re so easy to make, why wait for leftover dough? Whipping up this super easy, 3-step batch of homemade pizza dough to use for soft garlic knots, pizzas, and any other recipe that calls for a delicious crust, has never been easier to do.

continue to the recipe… about Killer Garlic Knots

35 Best Pasta Recipes to Make Now

I may as well title this post What Should I Cook for Dinner Tonight, because guess what? The answer is this list of 35 of the best pasta recipes to make now.

October arrived with a skiff of frost in my waning garden and the donning of my favorite knee sweeping sweaters. Fall is here. I’ve turned in my straw hat for my knit beanie, and while others are waiting in line for their pumpkin spiced lattés, you’ll find me dreaming of all the ways to fix my favorite comfort food: all the best pasta recipes.

October is national pasta month, so what better way to celebrate than make all the best pasta?

Whether it’s authentic and real Italian pasta like my Spaghetti Pomodoro, or the best American-ized mac and cheese to ever pass your lips, this list of 35 homemade pasta recipes are what you should be cooking this month.

continue to the recipe… about 35 Best Pasta Recipes to Make Now

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

I’ve searched for the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe forever. Perfectly fluffy and slathered with a buttery cream cheese frosting, this is it.

The BEST Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Finding the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe has been my mission for more years than I can count on two hands.

Strike that.

Finding the best homemade cinnamon roll recipe and actually making it, now THAT is what has been my mission for that number of years.

I’ve Pinned hundreds of recipes on Pinterest, and liked all of them on Facebook. I’ve torn out every recipe from every magazine that’s shared cinnamon rolls deemed fit to bake. And it seems that just about every week of Friday Faves has one more recipe for the perfect cinnamon roll included in it.

Not that I’ve ever made any of them.

For some reason, the notion of baking homemade cinnamon rolls has always intimidated me. I blame it on my childhood. That’s when my early cinnamon roll baking adventures relied on using the pre-made dough from the can that came out of the oven tasting like they’d been baked 3 days before and then quickly turned into 5-day-old rolls as soon as they cooled.

It ruined the notion of cinnamon rolls for me until I had a REAL cinnamon roll from a true blue bakery and realized just how many light and fluffy pillows from cinnamon and brown sugar slathered with glaze bundles of heaven I’d been missing out on all those years.

Now THOSE rolls are the ones I want to bake. The homemade cinnamon rolls I want to be known for. The rolls that when family and friends take one bite they blissfully roll their eyes in satisfaction as they slowly absorb each sweet, flaky bite, and then look to one another in agreement and say, “Heidi makes THE BEST cinnamon rolls.”

And now, I have that recipe.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Mexican Corn Dip (Hot or Cold!)

Whether it’s served melty hot or crunchy cold, this easy Mexican corn dip made with roasted green chiles, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and chile powder will seriously have you considering the double chip dip.

This recipe is brought to you by Kettle Brand

I couldn’t really call myself a party thrower until I had a handful of easy potato chip dip recipes mastered and stuffed under my belt.

So by now, after eight years of sharing recipes here on la FoodieCrush and armed with a load of appys that have become reader favorites, I should be capable of throwing a damn fine soirée. And actually—as I no-big-deal brush the selft-congratulatory-dust off my shoulders—I do.

This Mexican corn dip is just one of the chip dip recipes that always delivers. It’s based on the popular Mexican street corn known as elotes, or more aptly named in this stripped-off-the-cob salad-esque-form, as esquites. It’s light, it’s fresh, and it’s primo with chips.continue to the recipe… about Mexican Corn Dip (Hot or Cold!)

The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes

Boiled potatoes get an infusion of butter and parsley to make this super easy, three-ingredient side dish. This is one of my all-time favorite side dish recipes for any meal!

Buttery Parsley Boiled Potatoes Recipe

This is one of those recipes that comes so naturally, without much thought, that I didn’t really think about sharing it.

Until someone asked for it.

I bet we had these potatoes at least once a week when I was growing up. They’re the ultimate pairing for any and all comfort food because they’re so insanely simple to add along to any main. And so intensely delicious.

Baby red potatoes are the simple cook’s dream side dish. They’re creamy in texture. They cook quickly. You don’t have to skin them. And they’re easy to prepare no matter what your method. Roasting. Grilling. Smashing. And like here, with your basic quick boil in water.continue to the recipe… about The Best Buttery Parsley Potatoes

My Mom’s Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

This easy spaghetti recipe with meat sauce takes just a few minutes of prep and then a low simmer on the stove for a deep, meaty-flavored, homemade spaghetti for the best family favorite dinner.

This post is brought to you by Kroger

Before I even started writing this post, I was wrestling with the title.

My Sister’s Favorite Spaghetti Dinner. Because as a kid it was #1 on her request list. And to do this day, all these years later and after eating meals from all over the world, it still is.

My Mom’s Best Spaghetti Recipe Ever! Because it is. And, who doesn’t trust mom to make the best?

The Best Spaghetti and Meat Sauce You’ll Ever Make But Never Guess the Secret Ingredient. Intrigued????

The Dinner to Make When You Want to Perfume Your House With All the Glorious Smells and Then Feed an Army. Perhaps a little lengthy for a title, but still totally appropriate.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce So Good You’ll Eat the Cold Leftovers Still in the Container Straight from the Fridge. Uh-oh, did I just give myself away????? Busted!

I asked my sister to text me a picture of her copy of my mom’s spaghetti recipe, as seen below. The splatters and drips are proof that my sister is this recipe’s number one fan—and it looks like she’s also quite the stellar recipe tester!

When I finished college and moved into my first apartment, I wrote down my mom’s recipe for our favorite family dinner and plopped it into my tattered recipe binder. Eventually I’d made it so many times I committed it to memory. But as time passed, it didn’t taste quite as good as my mom’s, a fact I didn’t actually realize until she made us all her original version when my sister was visiting. (Naturally my sister got to choose her favorite dish for dinner, because hello, she’s still the favorite :) ).

That dinner is when I realized I was missing one very crucial ingredient that makes this spaghetti better than the rest, and isn’t often found in spaghetti sauce. Have you spied it yet? I’ll reveal in a minute, but first, let’s talk basics…

Homemade Spaghetti Ingredients

This it the type of recipe you can easily have at the ready thanks to a simply stocked pantry and a few foundation refrigerator ingredients I can always find at my local Smith’s Marketplace / Kroger store.

Since working with Kroger for the past few years and because it is my main grocery store for shopping (I spend way too much time wandering the garden section!) I’ve become more and more impressed with the quality of their private label store brands like Simple Truth, HemisFares and Private Selection. And the design geek in me is happy to see the evolution of package design for their staple Kroger brand so that the label matches the goodness within. What can I say? Labels matter.

This spaghetti recipe is both Italian in its inspiration and American in its popularity and is way better than what you’ll find at restaurants like The Spaghetti Factory.

My mom’s spaghetti and meat sauce doesn’t call for anything extraordinary. In fact, it’s totally basic, and that’s what makes it all the better.

Ground Beef. I use 85% lean ground angus beef for my sauce so it still has flavor but not a lot of fat. My sister has taken to using ground turkey, also a great option.
Tomato sauce. Plain is best to create a tomato bath for the other ingredients to infuse.
Diced tomatoes. You could use canned whole tomatoes and then crush with your hands and fingers. But mom’s recipe says diced so that’s what I do.
Tomato paste. This gives the sauce it’s body, and also a little sweetness.
Beef broth. Another layer of meatiness. My sister amended her recipe to use condensed, but I used regular here.
Canned mushrooms. Typically I will always use fresh mushrooms in recipes, but this is one time I never, ever, ever do. There’s just something about the canned version that becomes my favorite part of the sauce, and the reason I typically double the amount the recipe calls for.
A splash of wine. Mom says to use the empty mushroom can as your measurement guide.
Onion, celery and fresh garlic. They’re always lollying around the refrigerator crisper waiting to be used.
Dried herbs, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar for sweetness. Don’t skip out on the bay leaves, they make a huge difference.
Dried whole cloves! My mom learned this trick from her friend Virginia, and adding a few whole cloves was the secret ingredient I’d been missing lo these many years. My mom uses 5-6 cloves but my husband prefers four. The cloves give it an earthy, spiced flavor that’s not often easy to place. It’s a total surprise when I tell people they’re in there, or if they discover one on their own hidden in their spaghetti-sauced bite if I forget or can’t find them to fish them out before serving.

How to Make Spaghetti Sauce

Truly fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce is easier to make than you’d think, but it does take time. To make the best spaghetti sauce, you simply need to brown the ground beef and drain off any excess fat. Then, throw in the chopped celery, onion, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften. So far, so good?

Dump the rest of the homemade pasta sauce ingredients into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the spaghetti sauce is boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer on the stove for another 3 hours. I know 3 hours sounds like forever, but that’s how long it takes to make a rich, flavorful meat sauce.

Once the homemade spaghetti sauce has had time to simmer, all that’s left to do is boiling the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions and dish it up!

How to Reheat Spaghetti

If you wind up with leftovers from this homemade spaghetti recipe, you can easily reheat them the next day. I recommend reheating leftover spaghetti in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat. You may need to add a splash of beef broth to loosen up the pasta.

Can You Freeze Spaghetti?

The best way to freeze leftover spaghetti is to freeze the homemade spaghetti sauce separately and then make fresh spaghetti noodles when you’re about to eat it. Defrost the sauce in the refrigerator for 1 day, or, add to a large pot, cover, and heat on medium to medium-low until thawed.

To make for meal prep, freeze the sauce in gallon freezer bags. Lay them down flat so you can stack them flat or upright side by side in the freezer.

What Type of Red Wine Should I Buy?

The key to cooking with wine is to purchase one that is of the same quality you’d be willing to drink. I’d say look for a bottle that costs around $10 or so (I tend to use a blended red or Pinot noir in this spaghetti recipe).

Can I Omit the Wine?

Technically, yes, but I highly recommend adding it to the homemade spaghetti sauce since it adds so much flavor. Remember: the alcohol cooks out of the sauce and is only a flavoring.

However, if you’re out of wine or are opposed to using it, you can add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar instead to add a little acid and umami.

Tips for Making Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

While the easy homemade spaghetti sauce cooks low and slow for 3 hours, make sure to stir it occasionally. You don’t want anything sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning, as that would add a bitter flavor to the meat sauce.

We always serve this meat sauce with regular spaghetti noodles, but I imagine it would be just as good with any other twirly pasta, or over tortellini or ravioli or even as a filler for lasagna.

This homemade spaghetti recipe makes a lot so it’s great for serving to a crowd or a big family. If you’re making for two or a few, it makes excellent leftovers for lunch all week long or divide the sauce into gallon freezer and save for later.

What to Serve with Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

We always serve this with a super crunchy iceberg salad tossed with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and dressed in my favorite red wine vinaigrette and a few slices of buttery garlic bread. If you’re looking for a little bit more, here are a few recipe ideas to make your meal.

If you try this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.08 from 50 votes

My Mom's Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

This easy meat sauce takes just a few minutes of prep and then a low simmer on the stove for a deep, meaty-flavored, classic spaghetti everyone will love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword spaghetti

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 365 kcal

Ingredients

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 yellow onion chopped
4 stalks celery chopped
4 garlic cloves minced or pressed
1 29- ounce can diced tomatoes
1 29- ounce can tomato sauce
1 6- ounce can tomato paste
2 7- ounce cans sliced mushrooms
1 cup red wine
1 15- ounce can beef broth
5-6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 4 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried spaghetti noodles
grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the rendered fat and add the meat back to the pot.
Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 more minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the spaghtti noodles and Parmesan), stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, stir and cover with a lid, and cook for at least three hours on medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in generously salted water. Drain and mix into the spaghetti sauce.
Serve with grated or ground Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe Notes

The meat sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or saved in a gallon ziplock bag and frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

My Mom's Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 365 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 31mg10%

Sodium 1271mg55%

Potassium 999mg29%

Carbohydrates 52g17%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 904IU18%

Vitamin C 21mg25%

Calcium 78mg8%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More Italian Recipe Ideas

Pasta Pomodoro Sauce — the authentic sauce I learned how to make in Italy!
Linguine Con Vongole (Linguine With Clam Sauce)
Easy Homemade Pesto Pasta Recipe
Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce — a total time saver made with jarred sauce
Crab Spaghetti With Lemon Gremolata
How To Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan

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This post is in partnership with Kroger. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.

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

The Best Mexican Stuffed Peppers

With ground beef, cheese, and rice, think of this Mexican stuffed peppers recipe as your favorite taco in a healthy bell pepper shell, and you’ll be half way to the border asking for more.

Stuffed bell peppers could be the quintessential healthy-meal-delivered-in-a-vegetable-vessel if there ever was one. And yes, I did have to look up how to spell quintessential.

But this is no ordinary stuffed pepper recipe. It carries a bit of that Mexican swagger more often found at your fave taco joint where you head in with the best of intentions to eat a little lighter (hold the guac please), but head out grabbing your gut that’s now about to explode thanks to the Mexican platter combo you swore you’d save half for later—and didn’t.

I have a several stuffed peppers recipes here on the blog, like Southwestern stuffed bell peppers, creamy chicken and mushroom stuffed peppers and my version of the classic ground beef stuffed bell peppers. They’re obvi one of our favorite easy dinners.

This riff on the classic stuffed pepper recipe is Mexican-spiced for a lighter way to partake of your favorite Mexican food intake. And even better, it’s all cooked in one pan.continue to the recipe… about The Best Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

These easy cheesy scalloped potatoes are as comforting a dish as you can make. Pair this hearty side dish with roast chicken, steak, ham, and more!

Potatoes. Cream. Cheese. Comfort-centric Sunday dinner just isn’t the same without them.

Scalloped Potatoes are almost always paired with one of my favorite hams or my very favorite home cooked, steak house-style dinner. You just have to go rich and big if you’re going to go at all.

My mom always made her cheesy scalloped potatoes with cream of mushroom soup. It was one of my favorite parts of one of my favorite dinners ever. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve moved away from the canned stuff and on to basic cream, chicken broth, and butter that envelops tenderly sliced potatoes to create a seriously decadent side dish with very minimal effort.

continue to the recipe… about Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

Store-bought frozen rolls make these super easy but delightfully delicious pull-apart cinnamon pecan rolls easy to make for any weekend or holiday brunch.

This post is in partnership with McCormick

I am a nut about Christmas traditions.

Even today, I still make sure the garish Christmas ornament I made in third grade from a paper plate wrapped with red and green yarn to look like a wreath and sporting a photo of my Brownie Scout-buck-toothed grin hangs in its place of glory, in the same spot, every year, on my mom’s elegantly decorated Christmas tree.

When it comes to holiday traditions, it’s the little things that count.

For our family, one of the most revered traditions is our Christmas morning breakfast. In fact it’s so special, we only serve it once a year, and this pecan cinnamon monkey bread is a favorite part of it. continue to the recipe… about Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

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.

I first shared this recipe way back in 2011, the first year I started blogging. But when my mom stopped by when I was making the fudge, I asked her to step in and really worked her for the details of her secret fudge-making ways, because she IS the master.

Let’s make chocolate fudge!continue to the recipe… about Mom’s Easy Fudge Recipe

Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

This Caesar salad recipe with homemade garlic croutons and a creamy Caesar dressing (with or without anchovies) makes an easy main meal or favorite side salads for a crowd.

The last time I visited Mexico was for a yoga retreat in Tulum. Right on the beach, feeling the yoga burn and subsequent relaxation had every one of us hungry all of the time. Given that the original Caesar salad originated in Mexico, it’s no surprise the resort served an incredible version with nearly every meal.

Some eaters worry about Caesar salad’s calories, but when keeping portions in check, and if you avoid drowning it in dressing, the calorie count can stay within realistic bounds. I mean, if it’s served at a beachside yoga retreat, it feels alright to me.

Here on the blog, I’m not shy about my love of the Caesar. I’ve turned this classic steak house primer into a kale Caesar salad, my daughter’s favorite chicken Caesar salad, and I made sure to share my classic Caesar salad dressing you can make with or without anchovies because some of you aren’t all that fond of the little fish.

Grab your tastebuds, and let me show you how to make a killer Caesar salad.

continue to the recipe… about Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

This creamy chicken and rice casserole is a fast and healthy 30-minute meal made right on the stove top, making it a favorite one-pot dinner that feeds a family of four for under $10.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

September is Hunger Action Month. As someone who has the access and the means to buy/grow/order food at my fingertips (or within a short walk or drive) every day of the week, this public initiative is a reminder that it isn’t nearly as easy for far too many. Helping others cure food scarcity is near and dear to my heart. And I hope to yours too.

So when Kroger asked me to participate in their #ZeroHungerZeroWaste donation challenge, I immediately said count me in. And now I’m challenging you to join too.

It’s one thing to donate that stray can of beans at the back of your pantry or the expired box of crackers. But it’s so much more to make healthful eating approachable and economical, showing families that there are better choices to easily cook and eat at home.

That’s why I’ve created this easy one-pot chicken and rice casserole to show you and those I’m donating it to that fast and easy dinners don’t have to come from a cardboard box, or sodium-loaded freezer meal, or be expensive. They can just as easily come from real good, real food. And for many who are food challenged, most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry with little waste to be had.

Since my daughter was little, I’ve been a huge advocate in teaching her that there are too many kids in our local community (not to mention the world) who aren’t as fortunate as she is. That giving back is even better than getting. That sharing is caring.

That’s why my daughter and I are now part of the National Charity League, a mother/daughter volunteer organization that focuses on philanthropy. My daughter’s grade’s partnered charity is our local YWCA, an amazing organization that supports women and their children during times of transition until they get back on their feet.

Because some of these women have literally escaped situations with only the clothes on their backs and their children in tow, the YWCA supplies clothing, child care, job opportunities and educational skills, legal services, and offers housing for them and their children.

And of course, they help with food. And that’s why so am I.

see more: 30 Comfort Food Casseroles to Make Now

continue to the recipe… about One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

How to Make Homemade Croutons

Nobody’s going to give you the side-eye if you buy a bag from the grocery store, but homemade croutons are so quick and easy to make, they’re totally worth making from scratch instead.

Homemade garlic croutons. They’re the crunchy toppers I crave for my fave tomato basil soup, and an essential part of every classic Caesar salad. And let’s face it, what kid doesn’t pick out all of the croutons from their dinner salad before they even touch the greens? Okay, and a whole bunch of adults too.

Grocery store or salad bar croutons can be dry, hard nuggets that could nearly break a tooth with each bite. But this homemade crouton recipe makes soft on the inside, crisp on the outside flavor crunches with each cube of bread bit bites.

Making croutons at home is super easy to do and takes only about 15 minutes to bake a batch. Baking them in the oven is the easiest way to cook them, but I’m sharing how to make them on the stove top as well. Add your own favorite seasonings and spices—garlic and herb is my favorite—and you’ll find yourself making these bread bites all of the time, too.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make Homemade Croutons

How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

This deliciously easy and authentic Caesar salad dressing (made with or without anchovies) gets it’s signature creamy texture from good quality mayonnaise and sour cream with the tang of red wine vinegar.

Homemade salad dressings are some of the easiest recipes any home cook should master. And ironically, it’s just about as easy to whip one up as it is to stand in front of the grocery aisle trying to decide which salad dressing you’re going to like the best. Plus, with homemade dressings there’s no guessing what’s in them because you get to decide which ingredients to include.

When people see an ingredient list that calls for raw egg and anchovies, they can get a bit squeemish about traditional recipes for Caesar salad dressing.

However, this recipe that I use in my classic Caesar salad recipe with homemade garlic croutons omits the raw egg and calls for mayonnaise and sour cream to provide the creamy texture, and you can choose whether to add anchovies, or not. If you’re a garlic fan, you can always toss in another clove if you like.

The power of Caesar is in your hands, and with this salad dressing, you’ll always be the big winner.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

This classic potato salad recipe, handed down from my grandma to my mom and then to me, has their secret tips that makes it the very best every single time.

It may be a pretty bold to claim, but saying this potato salad recipe is the best is a statement I’ll totally stand behind.

I’ve shared several variations of potato salad recipes here on the blog including my German potato salad, a creamy dill potato salad, my no-mayo potato salad with herbs, a bacon and sour cream loaded baked potato salad, and even more. But this salad is the one that readers have made a top recipe here on the blog, and definitely ranks as my personal childhood favorite.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Potato Salad

Pasta Pomodoro Sauce

A simple pasta topped with fresh tomato pomodoro sauce couldn’t be more authentically Italian, and like most things Italian, simplicity is key in this 5-ingredient recipe that’s ready in just 20 minutes.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo

Pinch me for sure, because I am lucky indeed. I recently visited the homeland of authentic Italian pomodoro sauce, on the Amalfi Coast near Naples, Italy—the hub of authentic Italian pasta manufacturing and tomato farming. It was the trip of a lifetime, complete with amazing views of the dramatic coastal cliffs, white-knuckled winding roads I luckily didn’t have to chauffeur, so much amazing time with friends on the tour, and more real-deal authentic Italian food than I could dream of—so fresh and delicious I never wanted to leave.

But why would I expect anything less? I was there with DeLallo Foods, a brand I’ve worked with for many years and shared many recipes using their products here on the blog, and who imports only the best ingredients direct from Italy to the U.S. We were in Italy to visit their pasta factory and learn more about what makes pasta made in the small southern city of Gragnano in the Campania region of Italy, the best, certifiably authentic pasta in the world—and the only way DeLallo produces their delicious Italian pasta.

In addition to learning about how pasta is made, we took a cooking class and learned how to make this classic Pomodoro al Spaghetti from the chefs of the two-star Michelin awarded restaurant Don Alfonso, where among all of their highly regarded recipes, this is their most popular recipe. It may have been the simplest meal we had on the trip, and might be the reason it ended up being my favorite.

I couldn’t wait to get home and master this classic pomodoro sauce myself, and now, you’re about to as well. continue to the recipe… about Pasta Pomodoro Sauce

How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes

With a crispy flour and cornmeal crust, these easy-to-make, golden fried green tomatoes taste sweet and tender and totally addicting when dunked into my simple garlic aioli dipping sauce.

With a short growing season here in Utah, it feels like we just barely get our tomato harvest in full swing when it suddenly stops short.

Before you know it, those plump and juicy red tomatoes we’ve been carefully cultivating for summertime BLT’s and the best balsamic-drizzled caprese salads, are facing the frost of fall.

Why Jack Frost? WHYYY? #shakesfistatsky

Not to go to waste, now you’re left wondering what can you do with the bounty of green tomatoes from your garden?

Oh baby, fry those tomatoes up!

And if you’re like me, this easy southern classic just might have you plucking your green tomatoes well before the late summer harvest, too.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make Fried Green Tomatoes

Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa

Comfort food chili cravings never tasted so healthy, until now. This easy CrockPot chili is protein-packed with lean ground turkey, light and dark kidney beans, plus quinoa for an extra safety-net protein source that will keep you filled and full all day long and into the night.

The BEST Turkey Chili

It’s 5:30 p.m. and the sun has set behind the mountains and the sky has already settled into dark. There’s a chill is in the air and comfort food is what we’re all craving now. Turkey Pot Pie? Mac and Cheese? Sausage Lasagna? All delicious in their own right, but not exactly the lightest of fare.

And now that the fall season is here, the wrangling and jostling for the T.V. remote has begun. The World Series? (go Dodgers!). The Voice? (I’m with J-Hud Productions). More tears and tissues while crying with This Is Us? (I mean, seriously!) Or finally, a new Walking Dead? (My Smudge and I are convinced our Big Daddy should be Negan for Halloween.)

Our television viewing habits are as hotly debated as what sounds best for dinner.

But tonight, there’s one less argument to make because Big Mama (that’s me) thought ahead (for once) and put dinner in the slow cooker. And just like that, a healthy dinner is served.

And surprise, AliSmudge and Big Daddy don’t even complain that it’s oh-so good for them. But why would they? This turkey sweet potato chili is delish! And better yet, it’s so simple to make.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa

Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe With Ground Beef

Classic stuffed peppers with rice, ground beef, and a rainbow of sweet red, yellow and orange bell peppers makes the best easy dinner idea any night of the week.

Ever since I was a starry eyed pre-teen, I’ve been a fan of drawing rainbows. Now I eat them.

But as a kid, I wrinkled my nose at the sight those orbed vegetables, and when they showed up on my dinner plate, I plotted how to ditch every single bite in a napkin that was slipped slyly to the dog anxiously waiting under the table.

But just like spending Sunday afternoons lazily visiting with family or friends, or relishing the time to simply sit and read a novel, eating the food you hated as a kid suddenly becomes not. that. bad. as an adult. And sometimes really, really good.

Plus, whenever I can serve a meal in it’s own vessel, it’s bonus time. Enter, stuffed bell peppers.continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe With Ground Beef

30 Easy Healthy Chicken Dinners Ideas

It’s the weeknight riddle that becomes less and less funny: What to make for dinner tonight? This list of 30 easy healthy chicken dinner recipes is the answer.

This time of year is ultra-busy for everyone – getting back in the swing of back-to-school, treasuring the memories of the last long weekend for a while, and soaking up those warm sunshiny days before Fall’s chill hits – so quick, easy dinner options are a must.

This list of 30 easy chicken dinner recipes makes cooking good healthy meals at home just as easy as picking up or ordering in. From whole roasted chickens better than any you’ll find at the grocery store check out, to the easiest ways to cook chicken breasts, this list of 30 dinner recipe ideas will satisfy every member of your family no matter how picky they may seem to be.

So break out your love of chicken and visit these chicken dinner ideas for tonight, starting now and lasting all year long. continue to the recipe… about 30 Easy Healthy Chicken Dinners Ideas

Easy Crème Brulee With Spoon Fork Bacon

Don’t be intimidated by this classic egg custard dessert’s fancy perception. With these easy rules, crème brûlée really is one of the simplest desserts to master.

We’ve had eggs on the brain lately, but we’re not the only ones. Jenny Park and Teri Lyn Fisher — the lovely ladies behind one of our favorite blogs, Spoon Fork Bacon, recently published their second beautiful cookbook, and it’s all about eggs.

The Perfect Egg includes 70 recipes that celebrate eggs in every from. It features snacks, entrees, and of course, desserts like this surprisingly easy crème brûlée.

“Eggs are such a versatile ingredient and something we eat and use almost everyday of our lives so we were immediately drawn to the subject,” says Jenny.

Since Jenny and Teri Lyn’s blog never fails to spur recipe inspiration and adoration, and since we think eggs are definitely all they’re cracked up to be, we couldn’t help but be drawn to “cracking” the covers of their book.

Oh yes, I did say that.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Crème Brulee With Spoon Fork Bacon

Ginger Carrot Soup

This healthy carrot ginger soup has a velvety smooth texture thanks to the addition of some creamy Greek yogurt. Delicious warm or cold!

I’m more of a chunky fan.

I like my peanut butter with chunks of nut. I prefer my ice cream with bites of chocolate, crunch, toffee or whatever finds its way into its frozen chocolate goodness. I even like my orange juice with extra pulp.

I guess you could say I like the bite. Or, TO bite.

So when it comes to soup, I generally lean toward soups with pasta, chunks of vegetables, balls of matzo and of course, chili beans.

But with spring fever sneaking its way into every crevasse of my being, my cravings steer to cleaner eats, foods that are lighter, in the pursuit that I will be lighter, too. And look at that, SMOOTH! Maybe it’s time to lose the chunk?! In more ways than one.

Knowing that this carrot soup recipe is made with Greek yogurt as the thickener, that it features carrots that are chock full of beta carotene, and is spiked with ginger that has been shown to help with nausea and inflammation, this soup is just one more step to take to achieve your health goals no matter what they are.continue to the recipe… about Ginger Carrot Soup

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