breakfast and brunch

20-Minute Berry Jam

Use up your almost over-the-hill berries for the sweetest homemade jam that cooks in just 20 minutes.

Who else finds themselves guilty of the best of healthy intentions and buys too many berries that then start to look like Yoda as they ripen faster than you can eat them? It’s okay, not to worry, there’s a remedy for that: Homemade jam.

The thing is, homemade jam is the perfect remedy for those fresh berries that are at, or have just passed the point, of being perfectly ripe for snacking. Just because they may not be picture perfect is no reason for tossing them out.

The berries may not look the same the day they went into the fridge—with a few more dimples and their skin beginning to look a bit withered—but that’s my signal that their sweetness just leveled up, making them perfectly ready for crunchy sourdough toast and this easy to make, sweet berry jam. continue to the recipe… about 20-Minute Berry Jam

Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread

This incredibly easy blueberry bread gets an added dose of healthy with the addition of Greek yogurt and oats, making it an even better option than banana bread or blueberry muffins.

This quick bread recipe is a favorite I originally shared back in 2013. Lately I’ve been making it over and over again—it’s that perfect food gift for welcoming the new baby (hello, baby Max!) or saying hello to new neighbors. So while I was at it, I took new photos to share again here.

This oatmeal blueberry bread recipe came about after standing at the kitchen counter one day with a half dozen super ripe bananas, swatting my husband’s headed-to-the-garbage-can-hands in an attempt to quell their discarded fate.

I knew by the super sweet smell and the mooshy touch—not to mention Smudge’s squinched up expression each time she passed them by thanks to their rather unattractive state—that I’d be lucky to squeeze even one more day in before my opportunity to make banana bread would be gone. And just like that, it was.

That’s when blueberries came to my quick bread rescue, for a quick bread worthy of any breakfast, brunch, or treat.continue to the recipe… about Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread is made sans oil and instead uses Greek yogurt to add moisture. This is easily the best banana bread recipe I’ve ever made!

When she speaks, I listen. And when her friends speak, I listen louder.

Yes, I meant to say that. Louder. Because actions are louder than words and when they eat every morsel, every crumb, I know we have a winner.

Smudge is becoming a big help in the kitchen. I find myself stopping in my tracks to watch her flit from counter to cupboard, completely unaware of anything going on around her as she sings softly under her breath to the tune that never seems to end in her head. For good measure she’ll give a twirl, an elegant flick of her wrist then cock her elbow, throw her hand behind her head and rock a pumping sprinkler dance.

And then we return to the never-ending song in her head.

Recently a friend of hers came over for a playdate. What did they want to do? Bake banana bread. Well alright then, let’s do it. And we did. And they ate. And I listened when her friend declared this recipe was, “the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten.”

Umm, yeah. Perhaps because it tastes like a giant slice of banana bread chocolate chip heaven?

Hey, I’m just here to listen.

I’ve experimented with plenty of banana bread recipes, including the recipe I used in 7th grade that called for vegetable oil as the main moistening ingredient, resulting in a greasy crumb that deflated quickly. Using Greek yogurt in this easy banana bread recipe gives ample moisture minus the greasy fingers. This is banana bread, not french fries people.

Of course adding in a few chocolate chips to any recipe can only make the world go ’round a little easier, a little sweeter.

But when I’m in a need for a basic proven recipe I’m often drawn to my go-to 1,028 recipe tomb: The New Best Recipe Cookbook by Cook’s Illustrated. I’ve slightly adapted the recipe by adding a touch more vanilla, subbing pecans for walnuts, and yes, the aforementioned chocolate chips.

What’s in Choc Chip Banana Bread?

The beauty of homemade banana bread is that it uses very few ingredients, but is so incredibly flavorful and moist (yes, I just said moist). This banana bread with yogurt uses the following key ingredients:

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking soda
Salt
Chopped pecans
Bananas
Plain Greek yogurt
Eggs
Unsalted butter
Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips

Make sure to buy plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole fat or low-fat (non-fat yogurt is much tangier and the lack of fat will result in a drier loaf). The brand you buy doesn’t matter, just get whatever’s on sale.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

To make this homemade banana bread, you just have to stir together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, then pour the batter into a greased loaf pan.

Bake the chocolate chip banana bread for a good 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I like to eat this moist banana bread warm with butter, but it’s also delicious at room temp with a glass of milk.

How to Store Banana Bread

Choc chip banana bread will last for a few days on your counter. Make sure to wrap it in foil to prevent it from drying out, though. If desired, you can rewarm slices of banana bread in the microwave or oven.

Can You Freeze Banana Bread?

Homemade banana bread freezes really well and can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze the whole loaf, let it come to room temperature before wrapping it in a few layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil (this prevents the bread from developing freezer burn). When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen loaf, set it on your counter in its wrappings to thaw.

You can also slice and freeze the banana bread and keep it in a freezer bag, but I find that it dries out more quickly in the freezer if it’s pre-sliced. But if you think you’ll eat the chocolate chip banana bread quickly enough, it shouldn’t be an issue!

Do I Have to Add the Nuts?

If you have a pecan allergy or don’t have any on hand, feel free to omit them. You can also substitute them with another type of nut if preferred.

Tips for the Best Banana Bread

The bananas you use for this chocolate chip banana bread recipe should be overripe and almost black in color. If your bananas are far from being ripe enough to use in banana bread, poke them all over with a fork and then bake them at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Let the bananas cool completely before adding them to the batter.

I’ll also say that although I love me some warm banana bread, you don’t want to slice into this loaf when it first comes out of the oven. Give the moist banana bread time to firm up and cool down a bit before slicing.

Lastly, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe because I like how the slightly bitter chocolate contrasts with the super sweet bread. But you’re welcome to use any chocolate chips or chunks you have lying around in this banana bread!

More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

4 from 5 votes

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This chocolate chip banana bread is made sans oil and instead uses Greek yogurt to add moisture. This is easily the best banana bread recipe I've ever made!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 9 people

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup pecans toasted and coarsely chopped
3 bananas very ripe and mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 large eggs beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Whisk first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
In a medium bowl mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, vanilla and chocolate chips. Gently fold banana mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm with a swath of sweet butter or at room temperature with a cold glass of milk.

Recipe Notes

If you need to ripen your bananas quickly, poke them all over with a fork and then bake them at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Let the bananas cool completely before adding them to the batter.
Recipe slightly adapted from The New Best Recipe Cookbook from Cook's Illustrated

More Banana Desserts to Try

Obviously as I was creating this post I was on the hunt for more lovely banana-inspired recipes and I must say, the banana is severely neglected out there unless its in a muffin, pancake or bread variety.

I say, “Raise the banana flag!” Let’s give the banana it’s sweetened day in the sun. Here’s a selection of food bloggers doing just that, and doing it well.

Modesty must be Glory’s thing because according to her Glorious Treats’s Banana Caramel Cream Dessert isn’t groundbreaking. I beg to differ.

Gluten- and dairy-free but full of flavor with a history in family lore and subject that leaves Shauna in stitches, Gluten-Free Girl’s Coconut-Banana Cream Pie is sure to make us smile too.

Cassie makes sure the health nuts aren’t left out with a chia see and whole wheat flour recipe for Bake Your Day’s Vegan Banana Nut Breakfast Cake that’s enough to convert even the non-vegans in some of us

Diana layers her nana-nanas with an extra banana-flavored icing thanks to banana extract in Created by Diane‘s Banana Icing on Banana Walnut Muffins.

Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.

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As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.

Easy Quiche Lorraine

This classic quiche lorraine recipe is an easy make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or lunch made of creamy egg custard, bacon and cheese filling.

Growing up, my dad’s usual weekend breakfast spread for the rest of us was bacon and eggs. A fancy dish like quiche was totally foreign to me, and I only knew of it because I loved the B-52’s and their quiche lorraine song. I thought quiche was only for chic occasions because it’s all fancy-French and must be finicky to make.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Quiche is basically the French version of my dad’s classic American breakfast of bacon and eggs but whisked into custard that’s baked in a buttery crust.

When visiting Paris earlier this year, quiche was served at every corner bistro at every time of day, and along with me and my daughter, my husband hungrily and happily proved that yes, real men do eat quiche.continue to the recipe… about Easy Quiche Lorraine

No-Fail Butter Pie Crust

These are the secrets to making a no-fail, all-butter pie crust that won’t slump or shrink, and turns out tender and flaky every time.

It feels like there are two big pie seasons that hit every year: Spring’s berry pie season and Fall’s Thanksgiving pie season, with all other slices o’ pie falling somewhere in between.

We are smack dab in the middle of prime time pie making and eating and everyone knows that a foolproof pie crust recipe is the make-or-break point of baking an amazing homemade pie. More important than whatever fruity, nutty, or creamy fillings you whip up—the true test is it’s crust. It should be flaky, light, flavorful, and easy to slice through with a fork.

I’m a bit obsessed with baking pies thanks to the over the top pie crusts I’m incessantly inspired by because of the Instagram account of my favorite local pie company.

Now, after much trial and error, I’ve decided this is the only pie crust recipe I’m willing to bet my pie on. And now, everything that I know, you will too.continue to the recipe… about No-Fail Butter Pie Crust

How to Set Up a DIY Mimosa Bar

These tips for setting up your own DIY mimosa bar make it easy for the hostess to relax as guests help themselves at your weekend brunch, wedding, bridal shower, or other reason to celebrate.

Unlike cocktail party martinis or game-day beer busts, mimosa brunches aren’t intended to get anyone hammered or be the stepping stone to the dance floor and get the party started. Instead, they’re for those of us who appreciate a barely buzzed, lazy day, bubbly champagne sipper.

I recently hosted my niece’s bridal shower and like any good hostess, my first goal of the party was to keep things easy on myself. I set up a DIY bagel brunch bar with a few salads and desserts so the guests could help themselves.

For drinks, I thought abut setting up another on of my famous DIY Bloody Mary Bars, but feeling the need for something more refined, I made a DIY mimosa bar with all the makings for the perfect mimosa recipe instead.

Stocked with plenty of chilled and bubbly sparkling wine, fresh juices, and fun fruits to add to the champagne flutes, a DIY mimosa bar for baby showers, Mother’s Day, Easter, or just about any excuse for a holiday is just the right recipe for adding a little fizz to the day’s festivity.continue to the recipe… about How to Set Up a DIY Mimosa Bar

How to Make the Perfect Mimosa

Mimosas made with bubbly sparkling wine instead of expensive champagne adds one more reason to toast “cheers” to lazy weekend brunches or any special occasion.

My best friend Kim is the queen of mimosas. Whether it’s going out for a weekend’s bottomless mimosas brunch, a lazy summer bring-your-own-mimosa-to-the-beach day, or just the ticket for getting though a long flight on an airplane, her recipe for a good time always starts and ends with mimosas.

Bubbly and fizzy, light and bright, mimosas are the perfect champagne cocktail for adding a festive flair to any occasion that’s fit for bubbly. Or basically, Tuesday :).

Mimosas are an essential for bridal or wedding showers, baby showers, Mother’s Day, Easter, Groundhog’s Day…just about any holiday you can make an excuse to celebrate. Lest we forget New Years Day, where they are the best easy eye-opening hair-of-the-dog-sipper that won’t take your breath away.

In my humble opinion, there’s no better way to set up a cheers than with a little bubbly spiked with a little something sweet. That’s why today I’m sharing the perfect recipe for the best mimosas, made with bubbly sparkling wine instead of expensive champagne, making the cha-ching of dollars dropping into your hand just one more reason to toast “cheers” to all the celebrating we’re about to begin.

My little family and I recently visited where legend has it the mimosa was created, at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, so naturally I imbibed. I also took notes on how to make the perfect mimosa, so here we go.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Perfect Mimosa

10 Ways to Waste Less and Save Money at the Grocery Store

These 10 helpful tips for how to grocery shop smarter will not only save money, but waste less food at home so you’ll eat healthier too.

This post is sponsored by Kroger

I hate wasting food and yet I do it almost every week. I’m one of those shoppers who has grand aspirations to cook every meal, and then life gets in the way, plans change, and I don’t. I see my veggies languish in the crisper or watch bread go moldy in the pantry. I’m guilty of buying too much and not using what I have.

If you’re like me, you’re probably asking how can I spend less money and shop smarter at the grocery store? It starts by answering the question, how can I stop wasting food?

That’s why I’m changing my food wasting ways by thinking about the end result first, before I even start my grocery shopping.continue to the recipe… about 10 Ways to Waste Less and Save Money at the Grocery Store

Strawberry Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta

This healthy strawberry and arugula salad recipe with a simple balsamic vinaigrette dressing gets even sweeter with watermelon that’s topped with feta cheese and nuts.

Strawberries. Watermelon. Arugula. Feta.

Sweet. Sweet. Bitter. Tang.

This super simple arugula salad with fruit and a quick balsamic dressing melds so perfectly together it creates a total flavor explosion. It’s smooth, it’s crunchy, it’s fresh, it has bite. And it lets every one of your senses know that baby, summer is on its way.

During spring and summer, I bet I make a version of this strawberry and arugula salad with watermelon, feta cheese and nuts at least once or twice a week. I LOVE the ying and the yang of the flavors and textures. Shockingly, the other two in our trio of a family didn’t get the fruit-in-salad-loving-gene.

Since meal time it’s a democracy in at 0ur house, when I say fruit goes in salad, this democratic (?) Queen (that’s me!) gets her way every time. And guess, what? Thanks to repeated exposure, my king and my princess have seen the light and converted to fruit-in-salad-lovers too.

All hail the Queen! (Still, me.)continue to the recipe… about Strawberry Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta

How to Serve a DIY Bagels and Lox Brunch Bar

Wondering what to serve a crowd at your next party? Make it easy on the hostess with this breakfast and brunch buffet idea: Serve a DIY bagels and lox brunch bar.

Last year when my niece Chandler announced she was engaged, I knew I wanted to host a bridal shower for her. With her wedding date set for early May, coming up with spring shower ideas would be perfect timing.

So this past weekend with 20 to 30 guests arriving for her bridal shower party (why doesn’t anyone RSVP anymore???) something totally unexpected happened, and it pretty much blew my mind.

For probably the first time in my hostessing career, I didn’t freak the freak out while prepping for the party.

Why didn’t I have my usual pre-party hostessing melt down? Because you guys convinced me to make it easy on myself and create a build your own bagel and lox brunch bar as the centerpiece of our day.continue to the recipe… about How to Serve a DIY Bagels and Lox Brunch Bar

Breakfast Tacos Recipe

Shredded beef, sweet peppers and scrambled eggs make this breakfast tacos recipe a family favorite for breakfast, brunch or brinner in under 30 minutes.

This recipe post is sponsored by the makers of HORMEL^® Taco Meats because we all have #TacoGoals, and this is one of the easiest ways to meet them.

If you’re a regular follower of the blog, you know I’m a fan of scratch cooking. But sometimes reality takes over. Life gets in the way. And when my man and my Smudge decide in the afternoon that tacos sure would fit tonight’s meal-ticket-bill, making a whole roast to serve our shredded taco cravings is simply out of the question.

But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, when Hormel Foods asked me to create a recipe using their shredded beef taco meat, I discovered it can actually be quite simple to meet our taco goals.

My husband is a Mexican food fanatic. If Taco Bell had frequent flier miles, by now we’d probably have been able to fly to Europe and back. That’s a lot of burrito supremes with crispy beef taco(s) on the side.

So today we’re curing all of our cravings and making tacos for breakfast, or better yet, let’s make them for brinner. Olé!

There’s nothing quite like shaking things up at dinner and serving breakfast instead. My dad used to do this when we were kids and he was in charge of dinner. That’s when we had Grandma’s Eggs. They’re still a favorite around here.

So breakfast tacos with eggs, beef and beans are a natural transition from breakfast to dinner for us. And this one is ready in under 30 minutes.

My husband doesn’t limit his Mexican addiction to the standards, and one of his favorite meals is a machaca burrito. This breakfast taco recipe is our riff on that Mexican classic beef of shredded beef with sautéed peppers and onions, but in taco form. Personally I prefer the taco version because I’m far more at ease eating one manageable taco, instead of half of a burrito the size of my head.

Let’s keep things in reality. In under 30 minutes. Check!

continue to the recipe… about Breakfast Tacos Recipe

Easy 3-Minute Blender Hollandaise

Homemade blender hollandaise is a quick and easy classic sauce any French cook would declare très bien.

Classic hollandaise sauce is one of those lush additions to a dish that immediately elevates the stature of whatever it drizzles or lathers. I mean, an Egg Benedict is really just an Egg McMuffin until it gets the hollandaise treatment.

However, from scratch hollandaise can be a tricky recipe to master and feel like one of those recipes only a trained chef can carry off.

Not the case monsieur!

Unlike traditional hollandaise that requires whisking and tempering over a water bath and a fair amount of practice to master, this blender hollandaise is incredibly easy and fast with no cooking involved, and can literally take just about 3 minutes to whip up.continue to the recipe… about Easy 3-Minute Blender Hollandaise

30+ Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Sometimes hearty, sometimes boozy, whipping up St. Patrick’s Day recipes is the perfect excuse to gather friends for a potluck, brunch, and yes, even if you’re in the mood for easy green food ideas.

There are many reasons traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipes are so beloved. If you’re wondering what to serve or how the Irish actually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, this list of recipes has you clovered. (See what I did there?)

There’s always my classic slow cooker corned beef and cabbage for the main meal or 20 different stout recipes for dessert, but don’t leave out these fun Irish brunch ideas below like potato pancakes to whiskey ice cream for dessert, and find the lucky dish to make your day complete.

continue to the recipe… about 30+ Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

31 Days of Healthy Snack Recipes to Make Now

Healthy snacks for adults and kids, weight loss, work, and on the go can literally be at hand with these easy recipes.

Healthy Snack Ideas Any and Every Time

Snacks are the key to keeping good nutrition habits on track, and the first thing to totally derail our best intentions of the day.

Keeping a stash of healthful snack ideas for every situation makes it a whole lot easier to pass right on by the sabotage of the dastardly vending machine, and makes it so much easier to just say no to that tub of Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer.

This month long list of 31 healthy recipes makes it easy to snack any time, for:

healthy snacks for weight loss
healthy snacks for work
healthy snacks on the go
healthy snacks for adults and for kids

They’re sure to become your new go-to to stave off the 3pm slump at work, or even just a late night indulgence that you can still feel good about in the morning.continue to the recipe… about 31 Days of Healthy Snack Recipes to Make Now

Healthy Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches

Healthy breakfast sandwiches you can make fast at home can be the saving grace when you don’t have time to eat at the start of your day.

This recipe is brought to you by Dave’s Killer Bread

We’ve all lived in that split-decision moment of choosing whether to make your healthy breakfast at home, or say there’s not enough time and instead do the drive thru cruise to pick up a bagel and coffee or a not-always-so-good-for-you breakfast sandwich on the go.

The thing is, you can totally have the best of both worlds.

Breakfast sandwiches don’t have to be exclusive to the drive thru and are one of the easiest solutions to your morning meal dilemma—and a healthy one at that.

Whether it’s a make-ahead freezer breakfast sandwich, egg and avocado toast on the fly, or an egg sandwich cooked in the microwave, breakfast sandwiches made at home (or at the office) are the quick and easy way to get breakfast on the go.continue to the recipe… about Healthy Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches

Gwyneth’s Blueberry Muffins Recipe

These homemade blueberry muffins are moist, loaded with berries, and so easy to make from scratch that I’ll never make the boxed kind again.

There are several recipes for my favorite baked goods that I am perennially trying to find the PERFECT recipe for. My top three recipe-seeking baking obsessions are: the best chocolate chip cookies—CHECK! and with chocolate chip with oatmeal—CHECK!, the best brownies—CHECK!, and the best blueberry muffins—now it’s CHECK CHECK CHECK!

I made these easy blueberry muffins as I always do for Christmas morning, and then I made them again a week later, and then I made them again just a few days ago. After referring to this post that many times, I wanted to give it a refresh. So here we are, all shiny and new.

A few years ago when I purchased my copy of the multi-faceted-actress-singer-Goop-creator-now media mogul Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter cookbook, and discovered her mother’s recipe for blueberry muffins, my heart skipped a beat.

The photography plus my girl crush on Gwyneth back then made me pick up the book. But it was that blueberry muffin recipe that sold it. And why I’m sharing it again today.continue to the recipe… about Gwyneth’s Blueberry Muffins Recipe

50 Favorite Mediterranean Diet Recipes

The Mediterranean Diet has been named 2019’s diet of the year, and this list of 50 breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes makes it easy to add more of the Med-inspired lifestyle to your weekly meal plan.

The Best Diet of 2019

Just as we were setting our sights on eating better with the New Year, US News and World Report came out with their standings of the best diets to follow for 2019, and for the first time, the Mediterranean Diet took top honors. CNN reports the diets were ranked on: “how easy it is to follow, its nutritional completeness, its ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, its safety and its potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease.”

Unlike many of the trendy, silver bullet diets that are at the bottom of this year’s list and you see everyone jumping through hoops to try (and ultimately bail out on), the Mediterranean diet is a centuries-old lifestyle for long-term health and wellness instead of a quick weight loss fad that never seems to really last.continue to the recipe… about 50 Favorite Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Easy Instant Pot Monkey Bread

This easy pull-apart bread starts with frozen dinner rolls that rise overnight and are then baked in the Instant Pot pressure cooker for a sweet and fast cinnamon sugared breakfast or brunch treat.

I’m not sure who made up the name for this sweet, sticky pull-apart bread, but whoever did nailed it on the head. Because just like monkeys who are known to pick, pick, pick at their favorite things, this cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecan-laced monkey bread is the perfect sweet breakfast or brunch finger food.

This overnight monkey bread is made with frozen yeast dinner rolls so be sure to plan ahead and allow time for the rolls to rise overnight.

The unique part of this recipe is that instead of being baked in the oven, this monkey bread is baked in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Yes! You can bake in the Instant Pot, and successfully do so too.

The other part of this recipe I love so much is the “balls” of the monkey bread are cut in half before baking to make smaller bites, ensuring that every single nugget is lathered in that classic sticky, cinnamon and brown sugar goodness.

Half the size means you can enjoy them all year long, whether it’s Christmas breakfasst, or New Years brunch, or any time you’re craving that sweet treat any monkey would put his hat on and dance for.continue to the recipe… about Easy Instant Pot Monkey Bread

14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

What can I cook for breakfast? It’s a question repeated by millions every single day. And I bet you’re one of them.

I talk a lot about my cravings for easy, healthy breakfast recipes, because, hey, it’s the most important meal of the day, right?

Why is breakfast important? Because eating breakfast helps with weight loss, brain function, and keeping you moving all throughout the day. That’s why I am ALWAYS on the lookout for easy breakfast recipe ideas to keep this healthy habit fresh and fun. Because as we all know, breakfast is too easy to skip, and too often breakfast is boring too.

This list of 2 weeks, or 14 days, of seasonal and simple healthy breakfast recipe ideas offer up WAY better than average starts to your day and make eating breakfast a habit you’ll actually enjoy.

These breakfasts focus on all the flavors of fall, with some geared toward on-the-go and others for easy weekend breakfast or brunch. They’re seasonal but simple recipes for eggs, breakfast sandwiches, simple frittatas, oatmeal, avocado toast, and protein pancakes will make breakfast your favorite meal of the day.continue to the recipe… about 14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin recipe gets a healthy boost with almonds and yogurt to make a moist muffin everyone will declare the very best.

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

You know how there are some ingredients that you just can’t say no to when it comes to a particular food?

Like, for me, the only cake that’s worth its weight in birthday candles is German Chocolate Cake. Or if I’m choosing an artisanal cheese it’s going to be a stinky, gooey, triple cream.

So when my Ali Smudge wanders through the bakery section of the grocery store, I don’t even have to wonder what request she’s about to pose. Because it’s always the same. And it’s always for a Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin.

continue to the recipe… about Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

31 Days of Comfort Food Favorites to Make Now

Comfort food cures all our cooking cravings, and there’s no better time to cozy up to hearty soups, easy slow cooker meals, and comforting pastas, than the 31 days of October.

It feels good to fall into fall, don’t you agree?

While I fiercely LOVE the summer months, there is a totally cozy nostalgia that comes with changing leaves, a chill in the morning, and the don’t-want-to-admit-but-I’m-getting-excited-thrill of the holidays peeking just around the corner.

Whether you’re looking for a new killer chili recipe to bust out at your next tailgate party, a simple throw-together weeknight meal, or a healthy-fill-you-up breakfast, these 31 tasty recipes are what you should be making this month.

And since we are in the 31 days of October, don’t you dare forget the pumpkin recipes!continue to the recipe… about 31 Days of Comfort Food Favorites to Make Now

15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

This list of 15 easy and healthy breakfast ideas will have you out the door and on the go in no time.

We’ve heard it and know it by heart—the oft-repeated mantra, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

But too often the back-to-school rush of packing lunches, figuring out dinner plans, choosing healthy snacks, etc., breakfast can get left behind in the shuffle.

Even if you’re not sending littles (or bigs) out the door, I’m all about having options to mix up my healthy breakfast eating routine, because you KNOW I’m not one to skip any meal, but most importantly not breakfast and my daily time-to-be-just-with-me quiet time.

This list of 15 easy breakfast provides three weeks worth of weekday breakfast options that will get you out the door quickly without sacrificing your diet, sanity, or valuable hair blow-drying time.continue to the recipe… about 15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

Healthy Homemade Egg McMuffin

Grab and go breakfasts can be the saving grace of any weekday morning. The eggs in this homemade Egg Mcmuffin sandwich recipe can be batch cooked in the oven, on the stove top, or in the microwave, and make eating a healthy breakfast your easiest decision of the day.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

We’re all guilty of it. The alarm blares at some ungodly time of the morning (no matter what time it is) and our first reaction is to fumble about and emphatically hit that snooze button for just.10.more.minutes.of.I.NEED.MORE.SLEEEEEP.

And that my friends is how you your morning time table suddenly becomes irrevocably out of whack. So what’s the first thing to go in your morning routine? Breakfast.

You think to yourself as you hustle out the door, “I’ll just grab something later,” or “Here honey, just eat this pop tart,” and load everyone into the car and buckle up for your day.

But that muffin/bagel/donut you impulsively picked up as your cruised through the drive-thru with your grande skinny latte is loaded with sodium, fat, and calories? Where’s the skinny or the healthy in that? Or worse, you don’t grab anything at all so you overeat at lunch. And your kid finds herself starving thanks to those empty carbs before 1st period is even over.

That’s why having a stash of make-ahead breakfasts ready to run out the door along with you is the secret to your morning’s success.continue to the recipe… about Healthy Homemade Egg McMuffin

Red White and Blue Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Salad

Juicy watermelon, sweet bursts of blueberries and crunchy jicama dressed with a simple honey and lime dressing make this red, white, and blue salad a favorite worthy of all the fireworks all summer long.

This is a guest post from my mom. We wrote together while on a family vacation in the iconic epicenter of the USA, Yellowstone National Park in 2013 and I’m giving it a little update today. Back then I was pondering what to write about this tasty Red White and Blue Salad, and so my mom helped me brainstorm what to write. She’s good that way.

I think she pretty much summed it all up, so I’m writing it verbatim, from mom’s mouth to daughter blogger’s post. She’s my biggest cheerleader, and in every way she can, makes my job as a blogger that much easier.

Take it away mom.

continue to the recipe… about Red White and Blue Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Salad

Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata with Goat Cheese

Frittata egg breakfasts are usually a meal to share, but this two-egg, single-serving recipe packed with fresh asparagus, mushrooms, green onion and a sprinkling of goat cheese is the perfect way to enjoy a quick and healthy breakfast idea for one.

When I used to hear of people making frittatas, it sounded so glamorous, so exotic. It was a recipe you’d save to serve for company at a languid weekend brunch with mimosas and sunshine. Sure, frittatas can be exactly that. But they can also be one of the quickest, easiest breakfasts for one you’ll make all week, and that’s why a version of this ingredient combo hits my breakfast table at least once or twice a week.

When I started making frittatas for breakfast it was entirely by accident and purely because as a distracted multi-tasker who put my standard scrambled egg combo of asparagus, mushroom and green onion to cook on the stove, then started doing the dishes, and promptly forgot all about my eggs.

And so when I turned around I was happily surprised to see there was a sight to behold, a puffy mass of softly souffleéd egg cooking gently away in my pan.

This egg scrambling “mistake” wasn’t the first time I’d made a frittata (this one is SO GOOD!) but it is the one that made me realize this frittata-making situation just might be the easiest, hands-off way to make a fresh and fast, healthy grab-and-go breakfast each and every day of the week.

continue to the recipe… about Asparagus and Mushroom Frittata with Goat Cheese

Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe for Steel Cut Oats or Rolled Oats

I’ve made oatmeal fast in the microwave and low and slow in the slow cooker and overnight in the fridge, but this oatmeal recipe made in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker makes make-ahead oatmeal such a cinch, and so convenient, that it’s become my new favorite method. And even better, it works with both steel cut oats or rolled oats, for a healthy breakfast that I can make different every day of a week that doesn’t require any babysitting or tending as it cooks.

Today I’m sharing how to make Instant Pot oatmeal with both steel cut oats and rolled oats plus 10 flavor combinations—from fruit or kale, to chocolate chips and nut butters—to make this oatmeal totally your own.

This recipe is brought to you by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

My family has a long history of eating oatmeal for breakfast. As a kid, I never even knew you could make oatmeal on the stove top, because my mom would always buy the instant quick oats oatmeal packets, placing them easily within our elementary school arm’s reach so my little sister and I could boil the water for the packet of oats and mystery ingredients to make our own breakfast before school.

My mom was smart that way. We learned how to fend for ourselves and she earned herself a little extra mom time in the morning with her coffee and the Today Show.

As I moved on in life, I sort of fell off the oatmeal-for-breakfast train and favored scrambled eggs, or cottage cheese and toast, or my fave microwave egg whites and spinach toasted bagel as my made-in-the-office breakfast instead.

But then last year when my sister served me her recipe for Instant Pot steel cut oats oatmeal alongside her famous latte, I made the return to dosing up on my own morning oatmeal once again.

This Instant Pot oatmeal has been perfected by my sister. If there’s one thing that Holly does and always does right, it’s making sure that she measures, that she takes notes, and that she makes it perfect. She’s a scientist, and that’s why she is such a good cook. Because sure, cooking can be art, but it all starts with science.

But Is Instant Pot Oatmeal Actually Easier to Make? Yes!

The Instant Pot is still enjoying its run as the trendy appliance of the season or two, but here’s one more validating reason it’s worth the cupboard space: I like making oatmeal in the Instant Pot rather than over the stove or in the microwave because there’s no monitoring involved to be sure it doesn’t bubble over and cause a mess like mine does in the microwave 50% of the time, or stirring to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Instead, you simply set it and walk away until the timer rings. And even better, it’s awesome for making a big master batch to keep in the fridge and warm up anytime with your favorite fixins’.

Cooking steel cut oats the traditional way can take up to 30 to 40 minutes of cooking time. But when you toss them into the Instant Pot, the cooking time is cut to 3 to 4 minutes with the resting time of about 10 minutes where the grains continue to soften. Be sure to allow time for the pressure cooker to come up to heat, about 7-10 minutes more.

I’ll take that for $500, Alex!continue to the recipe… about Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe for Steel Cut Oats or Rolled Oats

37 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Jumpstart Your Day

What’s the best thing to eat for breakfast? All the good things! This roundup of 37 quick and easy, healthy and delicious breakfast ideas will give you all the sustenance and energy you’ll need to keep you going all day long.

When the alarm goes off in the morning, rudely interrupting your peaceful slumber to alert you it’s time to get going, breakfast is likely the last thing on your mind.

But it should be.

Food is fuel, and after being asleep all night, we need a major refill come AM. It’s time to get the energy we need to be alert and power through our day (with a little nudge from our friend caffeine, of course).

Whether we eat breakfast or not, and what that meal might be determines how we’ll feel for the next several hours — dazed and confused, or energized and ready to slay the day. We think we’ll take the latter.

But let’s be real for a minute. We admit, we’re not always on top of our breakfast game, especially on hectic mornings as we wait out traffic. On other frenzied mornings, it becomes something we sacrifice all together for five more minutes of sleep. And as delicious as those few extra z’s may be, they’re nowhere near as delicious as a hearty breakfast burrito or a piping hot bowl of oatmeal with all the fixins.

We know we can do better, we just need a little inspiration and a game plan.

Even if you’re not a morning person, with a bit of planning, it is possible to hit the snooze and have your breakfast, too. And if you’re not a breakfast person, we bet you will be after browsing through these easy, healthy, and totally tempting recipes.

So let’s rise and shine with this list of yummy brekkies!

How to Make an Easy Breakfast On the Go

We all have mornings where we’re lucky if we can get out the door on time, and with matching socks no less. On mornings like those, breakfast tends to get demoted to the bottom of the priority list, or something that escaped our attention entirely.

That’s where these dishes come in.

You can whip them up on the fly, and some can even be prepped the night before, so no matter how early your AM wake up call, you can just grab and go!

Microwave Egg Caprese Breakfast Cups from FoodieCrush

5-Minute Pesto Arugula Breakfast Sandwich from A Couple Cookscontinue to the recipe… about 37 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Jumpstart Your Day

Easy Chilaquiles with Eggs Recipe

Thanks to Taco Tuesday’s Mexican-fest that left you with an extra bag of tortilla chips, salsa and hopefully avocado, all this recipe needs to add is a super simple homemade tomato and chile enchilada sauce and sunny side up eggs to make chilaquiles at home for one of the quickest breakfast or brunch recipes that you’ll totally be making for dinner too.

The first time I spied chilaquiles on the menu was when I actually was IN Mexico, because until recent years, it wasn’t a very common item at any of the Mexican American restaurants I’d been to.

The thought of mixing chips with enchilada sauce and then topping it all with eggs may not sound as compelling as beef and butternut squash enchiladas or 5-minute chipotle shredded chicken taquitos with my homemade creamy avocado salsa verde but because you can have this entire meal-in-one cooked and on the table in less than 20 minutes, that’s more than compelling to me.

The recipe archives here on FoodieCrush have a well-stocked list of Mexican favorites, but there’s been a hole just waiting to be filled with this skillet breakfast nacho recipe. That’s why when I was leafing through one of my favorite food bloggers new cookbook, The Minimalist Kitchen: 100 Wholesome Recipes, Essential Tools, and Efficient Techniques by Melissa Coleman of The Faux Martha, this recipe was just one that leapt from it’s beautifully, but simply, designed pages.

I’ve known Melissa for years and have first hand seen her work her recipe-making magic in her minimalist farmhouse kitchen and totally enjoyed the labor of her foodie love.

I remember looking at the spices in her kitchen cupboard and thinking to myself, “Really? Is that all she has to flavor everything she cooks with?” And when she asked me to hand her a spatula, I was surprised at the contrast to my own kitchen when I opened the drawer and there in Melissa’s drawer I found just.one.spatula.

But oh the magic Melissa can make when living, and cooking, with less. And not only cooking, but baking the best things, too. She lives what she preaches and does it with ultimate style and loving grace.

What you won’t find in The Minimalist Kitchen are recipes with a laundry list of ingredients or take all day to make. That wouldn’t be very minimalist, now would it? Instead what you’ll find along with 100 recipes for her famous pizzas, easy to succeed at desserts and her make-every-day-of-the-week-hummus, are Melissa’s tricks and tips to making and keeping a minimalist kitchen yourself. This is just one of the ways The Minimalist Kitchen stands out among the rest.

How to Create a Minimalist Kitchen

Here are a few of Melissa’s minimalist tendency takeaways I’m totally working toward myself:continue to the recipe… about Easy Chilaquiles with Eggs Recipe

17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

From ham and bean soup to ham fried rice, these 17 irresistible leftover ham recipes are the perfect way to put those smoky Easter leftovers to good use.

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself with leftover ham this Easter (this is one of my favorite recipes), that means spring pastas, soups, fried rice, and more are just a bite away. Of course it takes a whole lot of restraint not to just channel our inner caveman and snack on the remaining ham straight off the bone — the porky goodness is just way too tempting.

Baked hams are a celebratory food. Since we tend to make them for holidays and special occasions, they’re typically not something we have on a regular basis, so when we do, we know there’s a wealth of yummy ideas for repurposing that ham are at our disposal.

From classic split pea soup made in the pressure cooker, to gussied up grilled cheese, these round-two leftover ideas are so good, they’ll give your holiday ham dinner a run for its money .

So let’s carve in, shall we?

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham from Skinnytastecontinue to the recipe… about 17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

The 20 Most Popular FoodieCrush Recipes of 2017

I published many recipes on FoodieCrush this year, and while I thought they were all good, this is YOUR list of readers’ top 20 favorites.

The best recipes are the ones we come back to time and time again — the ones that are the heart of of our ever-expanding repertoire and the ones that keep them asking for seconds.

This last year I tinkered and tested, made a lot of messes, and whipped up tons of winners along with a fair share of losers that you never even got to see. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to make memories in the kitchen and to make something good, because honestly, what’s better than enjoying a stellar meal with the ones you love?

I’m happy to bring you YOUR list of the 20 most popular recipes chosen by readers as your favorites. These are the recipes that were most clicked on/bookmarked/and hopefully cooked with by FoodieCrush readers in 2017. Some are new, some are favorites you obviously keep coming back to for more, but all of them were FoodieCrush favorites.

Happy eating, friends. :)
continue to the recipe… about The 20 Most Popular FoodieCrush Recipes of 2017

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