cheese

Easy Baked Brie Recipe 3 Flavorful Ways

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

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

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

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

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

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

Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipe

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

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

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

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

How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup

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

Easy Minestrone Soup Recipe

“It is well worth the time and effort.”

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

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

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

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip

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

This recipe is brought to you by Kettle Brand Potato Chips

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

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

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

Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce

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

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

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

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

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

The Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

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

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

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

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

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

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

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

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

Cheesy Potato Soup with Broccoli

I was a bit of an anomaly as a kid.

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

Who was this kid?

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

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

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

continue to the recipe… about Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

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

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!)

Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

This ultra cheesy, irresistibly good beer cheese dip made in a skillet adds everyone’s three favorite condiments to the party: bacon, beer and potato chips.

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe

Is there such a thing as too much cheese? Or bacon? Or chips?

If you’re a fan of the blog, you know I’m a fan of the cheese. I’ve shared my tips on how to take the best photos of your grilled cheese, I’ve made over the top mac and cheese for you (again, BACON!) and I’ve even judged two grilled cheese contests, not to mention creating recipes for Grilled Cheese month every. single. April.

I should give up my hair dryer for a cheese grater so I can be a bona fide cheese head.

So when Kettle Brand Potato Chips asked if’ I’d be interested in creating a tailgating-inspired recipe for fall, it simply wasn’t that much of a stretch to stick right with my theme, and go with the cheese.

Chip. Dip. SCORE!

I knew I wanted to create a dip that fit the mold and tastes of the typical football lover. And by typical foot ball lover, I mean my husband. His blood runs red. San Francisco 49ers red.

He’s a bit of a snacker so it wasn’t hard to pass this one to him. The hard part was pulling it away. My man loves his savory dips, the gooey-er the better.continue to the recipe… about Bacon Beer Cheese Dip

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

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

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

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

All of the flavors of buffalo chicken wings are packed into this easy, super creamy, ultra cheesy Crockpot buffalo chicken dip that’s always a buffet or game day hit!

I asked. You replied. And now here I am, delivering.

When I asked you on Facebook if you’re craving a new recipe with chicken or one with cheese, some said one, the rest said the other. But most of you said, “BOTH!”

Yesterday I fulfilled your request for chicken when I delivered these chicken wings. Today I’m passing out the chips (or veggies, if you please) to dig yourself deep into some serious dipping of chicken AND two kinds of cheese. In buffalo sauce. And even more cheese of the blue veined variety.

Because that’s just the kind of gal in the kitchen that I am.

As an appetizer, is there anything more popular than buffalo wings? I’d dare say, most likely not. Unless we break out the chips, salsa and guacamole.

But I owe you a recipe that’s a bit more enticing than that, but something that is just as easy to pull together.

This Crockpot dip recipe…could it get any easier? I’d dare say, not.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Ricotta Cheese

This easy pasta dish comes together in less than 15 minutes with a fresh tomato sauce made even healthier with whole wheat pasta and spinach that’s topped with ricotta cheese. This is where healthy meets happy!

I’ve grown tomatoes in my garden for years. But the past few seasons have seen a steady downward spiral of yield thanks to my neighbor’s growing trees and some dastardly devilish varmints who snatch up the lessening fruit they finally yield. My tomato crop at the end of summer has turned into a total bummer crop instead of my oh-so-wishful bumper crop.

But I’m not going to let my less-than-stellar farmer skills get in the way of eating fresh tomatoes however I can. Between farmers markets and the farmer down the street, I’m keeping flush with my tomato loving ways.

This warm pasta dish is one of my favorite simple lunch or dinner recipes, and one reason I’m bound to this end-of-summer crop. It’s a bit like a caprese pasta but uses ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella.

The “sauce” is made with fresh tomatoes steeped in olive oil and garlic then added to the warm pasta so there’s hardly any cooking to do at all. It’s the perfect recipe for when you’re short on time but still want real good, real food on the table.

continue to the recipe… about Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Ricotta Cheese

Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup

This crockpot lasagna soup is like a deconstructed lasagna made in an Italian tomato broth full of vegetables with a creamy dollop of a three cheeses mixed in.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup

If you’ve found yourself trolling Pinterest, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen the meaty stove-top version of this easy vegetarian lasagna soup floating around. And there’s a perfectly good reason for that.

Because it’s so dang good!

I’m very much into giving my favorite comfort foods a different spin to make them brand new again. And when it comes to lasagna, I have a couple of recipe twists on this classic Italian comfort food up my sleeve, or at least, in my recipe box.

This time around, a healthy change-up to everyone else’s lasagna soup was in the works. To make the soup even simpler to make while coordinating the fam’s busy schedules, I took this vegetarian lasagna soup from the stove to the crockpot for cooking with ease.

Slow cooking makes lasagna soup easy to make any night of the week, and it can be made with the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot too.

continue to the recipe… about Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

This classic Thanksgiving side is now even easier to make thanks to a little help from your slow cooker! CrockPot creamed corn uses just 5 ingredients and requires very little prep work.

You know that thing about Thanksgiving? That thing that everyone’s talking about? No, not that the 5th Avenue slick thinkers have yet to figure out how to turn T-day into a money making marketing machine like Halloween and Christmas.

No, I’m talking about how everybody is talking about how Thanksgiving conjures up cravings for family favorite recipes. It’s like clockwork. As soon as the jack-o-lantern’s candles are blown out, memories start flooding the salivary glands.

My husband has certainly fallen victim to this pilgrim-inspired condition. But wait, he’s part American-Indian. Either way, whichever side of the table he’s sitting on, as along as this 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn is on it, he’s going to be one happy harvest feaster.

But only if his favorite Creamed Corn doesn’t turn into Creamed Corn Flambé.

Yes, it happens. And it did, one Thanksgiving a “few” years back when we lived in California and cooked Thanksgiving for our visiting family.

His recipe, a family favorite his mom always made, was topped with crumbled Saltine crackers and may have been forgotten somewhere between the champagne being corked and the martini olives poked. He was crushed, his cravings were dashed. Look at that face. We grabbed a camera to snap a pic. I don’t think it made him feel better.

That Thanksgiving will forever be known as the dinner with Creamed Corn Flambé. See? Thanksgiving DOES create memories.

Potentially starting the house on fire is just one reason we’ve migrated to the slow cooker. No flambé crackers to forget about and set the smoke alarm ablaze. Just a low, slow cook to create a creamy family fave.

Another bonus: When Tom Turkey is showing his true colors and taking up residence as the traditional oven hog, and the rolls are patiently waiting in need to be baked and Yam Souffle is waiting on deck, this CrockPot creamed corn won’t be yet another demanding side dish standing in line.

Did I mention there are only 5 ingredients? And minimal clean-up thanks to my new blender and double sided lid slow cooker that KitchenAid sent to me to give a spin.

Okay, let’s do this T-day thing.

What’s in Creamed Corn?

In case you didn’t get the memo, this CrockPot creamed corn uses just five ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

Frozen corn
Half and half
Cream cheese
Butter
Sugar
Kosher salt and pepper

How to Make CrockPot Creamed Corn

This creamed corn with cream cheese couldn’t be easier to make. You first add the half and half and some thawed corn into a blender and puree. Then, add everything into the slow cooker and walk away.

This slow cooker creamed corn needs to cook on high for 90 minutes, or on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Before serving, stir the creamed corn to incorporate the melted cream cheese. I like to garnish my CrockPot creamed corn with chives, but that’s optional.

Can I Make This with Canned Corn?

I’ve only made this with frozen corn, so I’m not sure how using canned corn would affect the flavor. If you do use canned corn, I imagine you’d need to thoroughly rinse and drain it before adding it to the slow cooker.

Is There a Half-and-Half Substitute I Can Use?

No, half-and-half is a key ingredient in this slow cooker creamed corn. You may be able to get away with using whole milk instead, but I can’t say for sure.

Tips for Making CrockPot Creamed Corn

You want to use brick-style cream cheese for this Thanksgiving corn recipe and not the whipped kind that comes in a tub. Brick-style cream cheese makes for creamier, thicker CrockPot creamed corn.

Don’t skip the sugar in this recipe. Creamed corn is traditionally a little sweet, but the sugar isn’t overpowering.

Set your CrockPot to the “warm” setting so the creamed corn stays warm throughout the meal. Leftovers reheat well on the stove or in the microwave.

More Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Master

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.

5 from 2 votes

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

This classic Thanksgiving side is now even easier to make thanks to a little help from your slow cooker! CrockPot creamed corn uses just 5 ingredients and requires very little prep work.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword corn

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Servings 10 cups

Calories 295 kcal

Ingredients

48 ounces frozen corn about 8 cups, thawed
1/2 cup half and half
10 ounces cream cheese torn into chunks
4 tablespoons butter ½ stick, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
chives for garnish if desired

Instructions

Pour half and half in a blender with 1 cup of corn and puree until smooth. In a 3 ½ to 4 quart slow cooker add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over high heat for 1 ½ hours or low heat setting for 3-4 hours.
Stir the corn to incorporate the melted cream cheese. Season with more kosher salt or pepper to taste and garnish with chopped chives if desired.

Nutrition Facts

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Amount Per Serving

Calories 295 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 48mg16%

Sodium 143mg6%

Potassium 455mg13%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 569IU11%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 47mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

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

More Side Dishes That Feature Corn

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Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Table For Two

These easy, cheesy vegetarian lasagna roll-ups put traditional lasagna on its side with a smaller portion that won’t leave you with a whole pan of leftovers.

There are some food blogs you come to rely on — your go-to blogs when you’re having chef’s block trying to figure out what to cook. Julie Wampler’s blog Table For Two is one of those blogs for us. Time and time again, we know we can visit Julie’s site for some sound and easy inspiration in the kitchen.

Her recipes are healthy, fast and pretty darn delicious, and while her blog offers several savory recipes, Julie’s penchant for sweets means that her dessert section is really something to behold. Hellooooo, Peanut Butter Cheesecake and Cookie Dough Brownies! The D.C.-based blogger is also a seasoned traveler, and we love living vicariously through her adventures around the globe.

continue to the recipe… about Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Table For Two

Grilled Zucchini With Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts

When the garden overfloweth, it’s time to heat up the grill for a turn-eth on the coals-eth for an easy side dish of grilled zucchini topped with creamy goat cheese and pine nuts.

Zucchini are the David Copperfield of the vegetable kingdom.

One minute you’re gazing upon 3-inch still-room-to-grow zucchini when BOOM! with the slight of mother nature’s hand that cute little mini squash has suddenly turned into a 4-pound gargantuan with enough flesh for 324 loaves of zucchini bread or 41 pepperoni stuffed zucchini boats.

That’s veggie magic folks.

And this zucchini side dish is magic too. It’s healthy. It’s easy. And like the Italians do, it can be plated and set on a table to be ,served warm or at room temperature so it’s perfect for serving at a potluck or party.continue to the recipe… about Grilled Zucchini With Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts

20 Caprese Recipes You’ll Go Crazy For

From the best caprese salads to caprese skewers and the classic caprese sandwich, this list of 20 favorite tomato, mozzarella and basil themed recipes will have you going crazy for caprese.

You know those quizzes you see all over the internet touting, “Choose your favorite XX and we’ll tell you your personality type”? Well, if I had to choose, my favorite-salad-personality-clone would be the caprese salad.

There’s not much you can’t do with the basic ingredients of the classic caprese salad, from the classic caprese salad to caprese skewers to caprese-topped chicken dinners, all you need to get started is:

fresh and creamy mozzarella (any shape or size, and ultra-creamy burrata makes things even that much better)
the season’s best tomatoes (hopefully still warm from the garden)
spicy basil that smells of summer
the best fruity olive oil your wallet can afford
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper for that hit of spice we all need in our day

Alone as a preamble salad or served as a potluck side dish that will be the first to disappear, a classic caprese is pure love on a plate, in a bowl, or on a platter. But take those classically fresh Italian ingredients and add a dose of inspiration and you have so much more: a topper for chicken, or spritzing up toasts, or making breakfast eggs even more of the best way to start your day. The caprese personality is one everybody will love.

The season is now to capture the rapt ripeness of the best tomatoes. Get them before the getting’s gone. It’s time to get your caprese on.

Start with this list of 20 caprese recipes to crush on now.continue to the recipe… about 20 Caprese Recipes You’ll Go Crazy For

Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

Call it what you want — cheeseburger macaroni, hamburger mac and cheese, or homemade Hamburger Helper. Whatever this recipe is, it’s delicious.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

I’m not embarrassed to admit it. In our first days of being married—yep, that was just a feeeewww years ago—Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper was totally a favorite of my husband and I.

Maybe it’s because my mom rarely made dinner from the box that gave that dang Hamburger Helper version a secret appeal. Or maybe it was just because it had the basic ingredients that make a comfort food dinner completely craveable: pasta, hamburger and cheese sauce.

We always doctored up the boxed version with sliced onion and mushrooms, it’s not like we could just eat it the cardboard cutout way. But when I started reading labels and trying to pronounce words in the ingredient list that I needed to pull out the dictionary for, the boxed version went by the wayside.

But that didn’t mean my craving went away.

The day I created this recipe for my partners at Go Bold With Butter, I had a house full of 9-year-olds who had just come home from school and who, as 9-year-olds will be, were STARVING!

Super cheese mom to the rescue.

4 girls. 4 bowls served. 8 thumbs up.

That’s why I’m loving this homemade Hamburger Helper so much, because it’s the base of my favorite comfort food flavor but is made with real ingredients.continue to the recipe… about Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

The Best Caprese Salad (Plus a DIY Caprese Salad Bar)

The best caprese salad shows off summer’s finest with creamy mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes topped with fresh leafy basil and fruity olive oil. Serve the salads individually or turn this simple Italian staple into a party by creating a DIY caprese salad bar where everyone can help themselves.

I’ve been a fan of caprese salads for as long as I can remember. But it was only recently I was introduced to the brilliant idea of creating a self-serve caprese salad bar no matter how big your party.

My husband and I were at Park City’s Stein Eriksen Lodge’s Hops on the Hill sampling brews, bites, and bands. One of the food stations featured a huge cutting board loaded with a variety of fresh heirloom tomatoes sliced to order by a chef who I likened to a bartender, but who serves up tomatoes instead of cocktails. Now that’s my kind of bar.

Alongside these gorgeous hued tomato orbs were different vinegars, oils, salts, and saucey spreads to choose from, top the tomatoes, and make your own creation.

Trolling the topping options and dressing my salad I literally had one of those, “Why didn’t I think of this” moments. A caprese salad bar is easy entertaining at it’s finest, and it’s a wow-factor presentation for guests to interact with too.

I mean, why should the host be the only one to have all the fun?continue to the recipe… about The Best Caprese Salad (Plus a DIY Caprese Salad Bar)

Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

When your main dish recipe needs a decadent side dish sidekick, there’s nothing like a creamy, thyme-infused cheesy potatoes au gratin recipe to do the job, and to do it easily too.

Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

There are few side dishes that are more comforting than those made with potatoes. Creamy mashed potatoes. Buttery parsley potatoes. The best potato salad ever. Smashed, twice baked, and roasted potatoes, and so many more.

But au gratin potatoes hold a special place in my food loving heart. They’re creamy, cheesy, and no matter how you slice, spoon, or stack them, they fit in just right alongside both special occasion main dishes or simple weekend burgers.

Creamy on the inside with crisped bites along the edges, these potatoes au gratin don’t call for a floured roux or canned soup, instead letting the potatoes, cream and broth combine to do their creamy thing they do so well.

And here’s the final fact of this potato act…whether you make homemade au gratin potatoes for a crowd of one or a crowd of many, they’re going to be a crowd pleaser every which way.continue to the recipe… about Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil bring summertime flavors to a classic dinner of Shrimp Scampi Pasta.

Fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Three ingredients that magically transform into very special recipes when a few simple additions are made. Add toasted bread and you have Bruschetta. Add mozzarella and you’ve just made a classic caprese. This recipe for shrimp scampi pasta takes those simple, classic flavors and with a twirl of a fork wrapped around slinky angel hair pasta puts the fresh taste of summer smack dab on your dinner table.

When the summer temps hit 95 degrees and up, as they do from July through August since I live in the desert mountains of the West, you won’t usually find me in the kitchen cooking over a hot pot on the stove. I’m much more of a grill girl when it comes down to dinnertime in the summertime.

Correction: I’m much more of a watching my guy grill when it comes to dinnertime. That’s why if we’re having shrimp, it’s usually been seasoned and skewered and lit up on the charcoals. But a summer of grilling isn’t always what I’m craving when I’m chilling.

The essence of summer was what I was craving when I saw shrimp at the grocery store and had a bunch of ripe tomatoes on my counter. Toss in some fresh chopped garlic, a handful of basil from the garden and I was on my way to a summer dinner wonderland.

I made this with low-carb pasta, which requires less time to cook than traditional pasta, making it an even quicker cook than usual. Getting me out of the kitchen and back to summertime chilling.continue to the recipe… about Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Mascarpone Pumpkin Mousse Cups

This easy pumpkin dessert is made by layering crunchy amaretti cookies, homemade mascarpone pumpkin mousse, and whipped cream. Tastes like fall in a glass!

Creating This Pumpkin Mousse Cups Recipe

Like my Smudge, my nephew doesn’t care for birthday cake. Like her, he’d rather have pie with candles than a three tier, frosting laden, light and crumby old cake.

If you have one of those kind in your home, you need to check out my hybrid Yellow Cake Pie with Chocolate Mousse that was a rip-roaring success for Smudge’s birthday celebration. In fact, it was so successful I’ve been commissioned by three of her 8-year old friends to make it for their 9-year-old birthdays.

My nephew’s 13th birthday inspired me to get into the birthday pie biz once again once the shock that my husband’s youngest brother has a teenager in the house and the realization that in just a few short years I will too. Oh great, hormones. Just what this house needs more of.

Usually my mother-in-law makes him a special pumpkin pie for his big day, but she wasn’t able to make the trip for the party this year. Knowing I could never substitute my mom-in-law’s perfect pie, I plotted to give him a surprise with a pumpkin cake. But then I started watching the Cooking Channel. And when I start watching the Cooking Channel I usually get sidetracked from craving a Pad Thai recipe to homemade Pot Roast.

This time was no exception. As I started watching an episode of Extra Virgin with Debi Mazar—who makes me miss Entourage so desperately that I just might be sleeping out to be in line for the movie—and her cute husband Gabriele, I made a quick left turn from my aspirations of creating my initial plan of pumpkin cake to instead adapting their recipe for mascarpone cups.

With all of the pumpkin recipes floating about, my craving for pumpkin recipes has been in overdrive. The amaretti cookies give a yummy crunch to the smooth pumpkin and mascarpone cheese creaminess. I’ve used amaretti cookies for a sweet almond flavoring in Butternut Squash Lasagna so I knew it was a great add-in for squash.

So what did my nephew think of the Pumpkin Cups? He never did have a taste. For the first time ever he bypassed pumpkin pie and shocked us all by choosing red velvet cake as his celebratory sweet of choice. Whaddya do? He’s a teenager now.continue to the recipe… about Mascarpone Pumpkin Mousse Cups

The Best Cheeseburger Soup

This hearty cheeseburger soup tasts just like your favorite burger, minus the bun! I topped my serving with zesty bread and butter pickles and homemade garlic croutons for extra oompf.

Easy Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

Disclosure before we even get started: NO! I am not pregnant. But I know who is and this post is for her.

Pregnancy brings with it lots of cravings. Weird cravings that run all across the bun-in-the-oven-baking map as noted on this amusing weird pregnancy craving list. And as nearly everyone on God’s green earth knows, at the top of that list is pickles. Pickles, that in a weird, roundabout way, was the craving that fueled my fire to create this recipe for the nearly-mom-to-be.

This recipe is part of a virtual baby shower for food blogger Jessica of How Sweet It Is, because as things go in bloggerland, we can’t always be with our bloggity pals in person to party hearty, but we do enjoy toasting to their victories and accomplishments. And there’s not much bigger accomplishment than becoming a parent.

Do I hear an, “Amen sistah!” or more appropriately, “Amen, Mama!”

So for Jessica’s soon-to-be-delivered bundle of joy, a group of bloggers are celebrating the way we do, by creating recipes for stuffing our faces. But today’s theme for Jessica’s baby shower isn’t your normal, everyday will it be blue or pink kind of shower.

No, this shower is in the theme that is frequently shared on Jessica’s blog, in the name of getting “all-trashed up” where she takes the everyday recipe and really throws it for a loop to create something special. And usually adorned with neon or sprinkles.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Cheeseburger Soup

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

Pulled Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Ranch Sauce

For this pulled chicken sandwich, pre-made crockpot chicken is shredded and then piled onto a soft ciabatta bread and drizzled with a creamy homemade ranch dressing and topped with sliced avocado and melted Monterey Jack cheese.

Earlier this week I posted a recipe for Slow Cooker Whole Chicken, a recipe I deemed far from sexy. It’s a very useful recipe, and makes having ready-to-use chicken for lunches and dinners super convenient and obviously tasty.

But sexy? Not so much.

But this pulled chicken sandwich? I’d say it’s looming on sexy. In fact, I’d say it’s already arrived to the party.

The inspiration for this sandwich comes from one that I had at one of my favorite Park City eateries, Sammy’s Bistro. It’s actually Smudge’s favorite spot to eat because of their Grilled Cheese and Tomato Basil Soup combo meal. She always pairs it with a caesar salad. The girl’s got taste, what can I say?

Sammy’s Bistro is a simple place with a decent bar to belly up to watch a Sunday football game, a friendly staff, and a surprisingly innovative menu. I usually order one of their salads (the Mahi Mahi Salad with Mango Salsa is a fave) but on my last visit I went for more basic fare and ordered their version of this sandwich, a pulled chicken on ciabatta sandwich, but served with a tomatillo aioli.

As I usually do, I asked our waitress how in the heck they make it so good. The slow cooked chicken is key, along with super soft ciabatta bread (I use buns from Stoneground, a local bakery), and a good slather of sauce. Instead of tomatillo flavors I went with a homemade ranch sauce.

And let me just say, this is one pulled chicken sandwich you’ll want to order again and again.

continue to the recipe… about Pulled Chicken Sandwich with Creamy Ranch Sauce

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