dinner

Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw (No Mayo)

This healthy coleslaw with a sweet vinegar coleslaw dressing is a no-mayo alternative to the classic coleslaw version, covering all the potluck salad bases.

Opposites do attract. It’s why anything that’s both sweet and tangy always taste so good. And when you try this healthy, vinegar coleslaw recipe made with apple cider vinegar and sweetened with just a bit of sugar, you’ll believe it with each and every forked bite.

I’m a fan of any crunchy slaw that comes together fast and balances out a meal, and this recipe is right up there with my best creamy coleslaw recipe. But sometimes I’m more in the mood for a lighter zesty bite than a creamy one.

This coleslaw’s tangy dressing lightens bbq sauced slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches and is the crunchy compliment to classic potluck salads like my mom’s recipe for the best potato salad or the classic macaroni salad.

It’s time to round out the bevy of side dish salads and add this one to your bookmarked recipe list.

continue to the recipe… about Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw (No Mayo)

10 Ways to Save More Money at the Grocery Store

These 10 tips show how to save money at the grocery store and stick to a budget. With a little strategic planning and conscientious purchasing, saving money at the grocery store is totally doable.

This post is brought to you by Kroger

It’s the question we ask ourselves every week: How can I spend less money on groceries? Unless you’re independently wealthy or live off-the-grid and farm/hunt/gather for your meals, grocery shopping on a budget is a goal for us all.

Grocery bills are no joke, especially if you’re a food fanatic like me. Organic and gourmet can be pricy, and going shopping rogue without a list, shopping while hungry, and impulse buys only makes matters worse (I’m looking at you $9 wedge of specialty cheese).

In the past, despite my best, budget-abiding intentions, I would too often find myself overspending and over buying groceries that only led to wasted food and wasted money. But I found a better way, and when I shared my tips for 10 ways to waste less and save more at the grocery store, I heard from so many of you that you wanted to hear more ways to be a better shopper.

As a food blogging, semi-professional grocery shopper, I’ve learned a few tricks over the years. From resourceful meal planning to savvy, organized lists and buying in bulk, these are the tried and true tips to help me spend wisely and stay within my budget.continue to the recipe… about 10 Ways to Save More Money at the Grocery Store

Greek Salad with Chicken

Crisp, crunchy, and fresh with tangy Mediterranean flavor, this Greek salad topped with chicken can be meal prepped ahead for weekday lunches or a light and healthy dinner too.

Lunch. It’s the meal that we all have the best of intentions in planning ahead for, and too often, don’t. Our lack of prep leads to over indulging on more expensive than we budgeted for co-worker lunches, or poor choices at the fast food drive-thru (ummm, suuuuure, I’ll take fries with that.) Or worse, we skip the mid-day meal all together leading to a snack attack of epic proportions as we walk through the after work door.

One thing that’s gotten me through the what-to-eat-for-lunch dilemma is prepping a few fave ingredients for a filling and healthy lunch salad (that works for dinner, too) I know will hold in the fridge the whole week through.

This recipe is a riff on the classic Greek salad and is topped with grilled chicken. The typical Greek and Mediterranean flavors of kalamata olives, tangy feta cheese with crunchy cucumbers are ingredients I crave on a daily basis, with two easy to meal-prep recipes I’ve added in.continue to the recipe… about Greek Salad with Chicken

Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Filled with herbs, veggies, and grilled shrimp, these fresh shrimp spring rolls take some patience to assemble, but they’re so flavorful!

One of the things I’ve read in self-help business books, absorbed from my favorite podcasts and basically just learned along the way of life is that the most successful people are the ones who delegate.

Delegation = Getting Shit Done.

Once upon a time I fancied myself a great delegator. I could look at a situation, see the vision of what needed to get done, figure out the most efficient path to achieve it and direct the peeps in my camp to go forth and prosper. But lately, I feel like I’ve lost my knack in finding the track. And it’s left me feeling a little defeated and floundering like a fish out of water.

That said, my husband will still say I’m bossy. I prefer to call it delegating to others by educating them in my view of efficiencies. Okay, I admit it, I’m a nag. So why is it so hard to let others help? To not just do it all yourself? To share those details you’ve learned in the school of hard knocks? Hey, it’s okay to stop being the martyr!

One of the best and worst parts of working as a solopreneur behind the curtain of a 27-inch HD computer screen is exactly that: you work by yourself. You do the drudge work, you own the good with the bad.

But you can also find yourself reverting to that 6-year-old who has to learn how to share—all over again. Because when you share, good things happen.continue to the recipe… about Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls

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

Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad

A fresh and flavorful Mediterranean tomato salad serves as a salsa when it tops juicy grilled pork chops for a 30-minute, quick and easy dinner or BBQ meal.

It’s finally summer, so who wants to spend all day cooking? Not it. Who’s ready for fast and easy? #raisinghand

One of my favorite secrets to easy, flavorful cooking is to take a basic cooking method and dress it up with a fresh and easy recipe topper. Have you tried my Mediterranean grilled balsamic chicken with olive tapenade? Or marinated flank steak with Asian chimichurri sauce? They’re prime examples of easy to create flavor, just like this fast pork chop recipe you’ll soon be making all summer long.

Does this recipe look somewhat familiar? I hope so! Last week I shared my husband’s mastered and always juicy grilled pork chops plus this recipe for a super simple Mediterranean tomato salad. Today I’m sharing how to make two small tweaks and marry the two.

Together they create one healthy and delicious summer dinner that can be prepped ahead or made on the fly, for a dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes.

This summer is shaping up to be the best flavored yet. Let’s go!

continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Salad

30 Pasta Salad Recipes to Make All Summer Long

Easy classic pasta salads are the trademark of summer BBQs, picnics, pool parties, and potlucks. This list of 30 pasta salads will keep your picnic table full all summer long.

I’m just going to put this out there now…with all of summer’s shenanigans and goings ons, this is a post you are going to want to bookmark/Pin/save and share for future reference. Break out the red-checked picnic tablecloth, it’s BBQ, picnic, and potluck pasta salad time!

Summer just wouldn’t be the same without a variety of pasta salads making the recipe rotation for summer party donations. Sure, it’s easy to pick up a pint-to-go from the deli counter, but pasta salads like this list of recipes are so much better and healthier than the pre-made glop.

Recently a few friends commented that whenever they think of FoodieCrush, they automatically think of fresh, healthy salads. As a pasta salad lover, I’m totally okay with that. They make the perfect accompaniment to simple summer dinners or meal prep for whole meal lunches all week long.

After taking a look at my salads and sides recipe archives to see if it was true, I realized that hot damn! I do have a lot of pasta salads shared here on the blog. But I’m not the only one. That’s why I’ve composed this list of 30 pasta salad recipe favorites from here on FoodieCrush and from other bloggers too.

So what are you waiting for? Put a stock pot of water on to boil (don’t forget to generously season with salt), and let’s pasta some salad. continue to the recipe… about 30 Pasta Salad Recipes to Make All Summer Long

The Best Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

Lean grilled pork chops come out juicy and tender every time thanks to a simple sprinkling of pork dry rub for a dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes.

Pork chops have long been known as a working man’s meal. They’re economical, lean and healthy, and cook up quick. They also have a history of coming to the dinner table dry as shoe leather.

But no more! Today is the day to banish that belief because tough, dried out pork chops are about to be expelled from your vocabulary.

My husband has made these simple grilled pork chops so many times he’s figured out the secrets. Whether bone-in or boneless, these pork chops turn out tender, juicy, a little bit smokey, and far from any mode of foot fashion.

Even better, these grilled pork chops don’t need a marinade or a brine, so they go from package to grill to dinner in 30 minutes.

Here’s how to make juicy grilled pork chops every time. continue to the recipe… about The Best Juicy Grilled Pork Chops

Memorial Day Recipe Ideas: Here’s What I’m Cooking

Celebrate the beginning of summer and Memorial Day weekend with a few favorite recipes made especially delicious when shared with friends and family.

Hello and happy Saturday!

3-day weekends bring on all of the desires of wanderlust, relaxation, and deciding what’s on the menu.

I was on a phone call with a client yesterday. After talking shop I couldn’t wrap things up before asking the most pressing question of our whole conversation: What are you cooking for Memorial Day?

His answer was unexpected of sorts, and a reminder of why we’ve come to celebrate this 3-day weekend with food. “Meat. Lots of meat.” He was joining his wife’s family at his father-in-law’s home where every year for Memorial Day they celebrate the life of her brother who was killed in action. He explained more, “My father-in-law spends days preparing and grilling so much meat for 40-50 people. I don’t know how he does it every year, but it’s important to him that he does.”

Memorial Day is a special holiday where we shouldn’t forget the real reason it was established: to honor our fallen patriots. And like so many traditions, it’s food that brings us together to do so. And so with a very grateful heart and a full stomach, we salute you and the families who’ve loved and lost.

continue to the recipe… about Memorial Day Recipe Ideas: Here’s What I’m Cooking

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

This 5-ingredient pasta salad recipe has all of the flavors of traditional Caesar salad with the addition of kale and sweet roasted cherry tomatoes for an easy and healthy potluck pasta salad.

Most often you’ll hear me professing my love of making and using homemade dressings. I make a lot of them. Why? Because they’re easy and healthy and I know exactly what’s in them.

But sometimes, I need a pasta salad recipe in a hurry, something I can throw together quick. That’s when I turn to my pantry and the impromptu creating begins.

Since nobody-never-ever says no to a quick and simple healthy-ish pasta salad, having this potluck salad recipe with store-bought dressing on hand is my golden unicorn.continue to the recipe… about Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

How to Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan

This surprisingly easy, 30-minute Chicken Parmesan recipe is a far cry from the over-floured and fat-fried version of the past. Instead, I’m sharing my tips to deliver juicy chicken breasts with a delicious bite nestled in a flavorful tomato sauce with a mozzarella cheese-pull that’ll stun even the cheesiest eater, with every single bite.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

So why do they call it Chicken Parmesan? Probably because someone in the family didn’t like eggplant. Go figure!

Italians on the island of Sicily (who we lovingly thank for introducing us all to the Mediterranean flavor-ed influences we love about Southern Italian cooking #bowdown) would dip slices of eggplant in egg and ground bread crusts, fry them up, and then top them with slices of homemade tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese then pop the whole shebang in the oven.

So most likely, some husband said (sound familiar?), “I’m not going to eat EGGPLANT! Give me CHICKEN!” (Is that my husband I hear speaking up?)

And this is likely where Chicken Parm was born.

Chicken Parmesan may not be authentically Sicilian, or even red-blooded-Italian. But seriously…this version prepared with this year’s healthy-ish-but-still-comfort-food-in-30-minutes-goals in mind, ticks off so many of my meal planning check boxes I’m pretty sure nations of eaters are totally okay with looking past it’s family tree.continue to the recipe… about How to Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

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 Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe — How to Make the Best!

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

7 Spice Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Homemade Japanese 7 Spice (Shichimi Togarashi) infuses homemade teriyaki sauce to boost the flavors of this healthy teriyaki chicken bowl, featuring chicken thighs, edamame, and sushi rice.

There’s a trend afoot. A food trend you’re seeing right, left and center, and it starts with a capital F. No, we’re not talking french fries, fondue, or finger food. While I dig all of those and am especially partial to another F-word (I mean my my mom’s Fudge), they’re not on the scale for making major inroads into every cook’s kitchen.

So what F word is trending? It’s simple, really. The big F starts with flavor. Cooking these days is all about flavor. Trés trendy? Or just good, old fashioned recipe making? I’m betting it’s both.continue to the recipe… about 7 Spice Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

Indian Butter Chicken and Friday Faves

Ready in under 45 minutes, this Indian butter chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe your family will gobble right up!

There is a glaring omission in the recipe repertoire of FoodieCrush which I am in the process of remedying as we speak. Chicken. Simple, easy and basic chicken.

While this recipe for Indian butter chicken tastes far from basic, it’s one I really can’t forget to share and is so simple to bring together that it works great as a weeknight meal. Even the picky kids will love its creamy, tomato flavor. Well, minus those pesky peas of course.

I’m such a fan of chicken thighs. I know, everyone boasts about the virtues of boneless chicken breast but where’s the flavor? It’s all in the thighs, people.

What other veggies I could throw into the butter chicken mix. Broccoli? Mmm, maybe. Carrots for sure. Mushrooms are an absolute yes, but I love mushrooms. Maybe even zucchini? Mmmm, I think so.

What is Butter Chicken?

If you’ve never tried Indian butter chicken before, I’m so sorry. Because you’ve been missing out your whole life!

Essentially, butter chicken is a creamy chicken dish that’s made with a spiced tomato sauce. As the name suggests, it’s made with a healthy amount of butter and heavy cream. It’s not super spicy, but you’re welcome to amp up the heat if desired.

What’s in This Butter Chicken?

Most of the ingredients needed for this easy butter chicken recipe are spices and other aromatics. You may have to buy a few for this recipe, but they can all be used in lots of other recipes too.

For this Indian butter chicken, you’ll need:

Vegetable oil
Butter
Onion
Spices
Tomato paste
Tomato sauce
Bay leaf
Cream
Chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
Frozen peas
Lime
Fresh cilantro

How to Make Butter Chicken

To make this Indian butter chicken, first cook the diced onion in a little olive oil and butter until translucent. Add the spices to the skillet and continue cooking until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and sauce, along with the bay leaf.

Slowly stir in the cream, then bring to a boil before turning down the heat and simmering for 5 minutes.

In a separate skillet, cook the diced chicken in a buttered and oiled skillet until it’s brown on all sides. Transfer the chicken to the tomato cream sauce and continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside.

Add the peas and remaining butter to the sauce and continue cooking until the peas are heated through. Serve the butter chicken over basmati rice, then garnish with lime and cilantro.

Is There a Cream Substitute I Can Use?

If you’re trying to make this butter chicken recipe a little healthier, you may be able to use full fat plain Greek yogurt in place of all or part of the cream. I’ve never made this recipe as such, but you can give it a shot. Let me know if you make it this way!

Can I Prep This in Advance?

As with most recipes, Indian butter chicken is best the day it’s made, but leftovers reheat well thanks to the tomato cream sauce. If you have leftovers or want to meal prep this recipe, I recommend reheating it in a saucepan with the lid on to prevent the chicken from drying out.

Depending on how much sauce you have left over, you may need to add a splash of cream to the pan as well to loosen up the leftover chicken.

Tips for Making Indian Butter Chicken

If you only have chicken breasts on hand, go ahead and use them in this easy butter chicken recipe. Thighs have the most flavor though, I’m telling you!

If you prefer spicy Indian dishes, you can add a dash of cayenne to this recipe. A little goes a long way, so be careful.

Finally, you can add in lots of other veggies to this butter chicken, if desired. I kept things super simple with frozen peas, but pretty much any vegetable tastes divine in the tomato cream sauce.

More Easy Chicken 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

5 from 4 votes

Indian Butter Chicken

Ready in under 45 minutes, this Indian butter chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe your family will gobble right up!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword butter chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
4 tablespoons butter divided
1 onion diced
3 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup frozen peas defrosted
½ lime
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

In a large, high-sided skillet or 6-quart pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
Add garam masala, ground ginger and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes.
Add cream, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, season chicken with kosher salt and pepper. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
Transfer chicken to tomato cream sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Add peas and remaining butter to sauce and cook until peas are warmed through and butter is melted. Garnish with lime and cilantro leaves and serve with basmati rice.

This week started off slightly off-kilter thanks to a flu bug that will keep me from enjoying Mexican food again for a good long while. Such a shame.

Thanks to this bug-imposed cleanse, I spent the entire day of Monday bed-bound which gave me the chance to catch up on all residual episodes of the new season of Real Housewives of OC plus reruns of BH and Atlanta. Sometimes you just need to let your mind not think. Which makes a perfect match with anything on Bravo. I heart Bravo.

After a full day mind-suck filled with 4-inch heels and plenty of contrived circumstances (shockingly placed hand to heart as my jaw drops at just the right banal beat) I balanced out the vixen-fest with my DVR’d episodes of Dr. Oz.

I find myself intrigued with his cheesy visuals of fat expanding in the body or how the liver detoxifies that circle the really good, solid health information he actually delivers. Even if my husband says it’s more like an informercial and some of it simply isn’t pretty. I on the other hand, can’t keep from perusing through each and every episode.

On Monday my husband was at my sick side as we watched Dr. Oz interview Joe Cross about his documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and witnessed his wicked juicing ways.

By Wednesday I figured I may as well keep the unscheduled cleanse going which resulted in this:

With a swift print of a 20% off coupon for Bed, Bath and Beyond and not much food yet in my stomach, the decision to buy the tricked out 900 Watt Breville Juice Fountain was easily made. My justification was food blogger research —aka tax write-off —and hey, it’s almost Mother’s Day. Plus, I WAS SICK!

We’ll see how long this juicing thing lasts. But with husband on board and his obsession with cucumber juice in full swing with a 7-iron in hand as we speak, this Very Green Juice with kiwi and cucumber is at the top of the weekend’s recipe list. After we get our tomatoes planted.

Friday Faves

If they would have taught music history like this I may have actually stayed awake because I would have been singing and along.

In for the save! An on-demand aka printable Mother’s Day card that’ll get you that extra piece of pie.

A future contender on The Voice and she’s only eleven years old. Proud to say she’s a Utahn too.

My mom and Oprah told me I should read this book about loss and healing through inner strength. And a lot of hiking boots.

Schmooze or lose: a lesson in business that doesn’t have to be cheesy. Unless, like me, you love cheese.

After perusing blogs heavy on photos of cupcakes, chicken wings and barrels of pasta, I sometimes like to lose myself in these short stories that bring me along on the journey of two brothers in search of simple adventures.

Have you fallen victim to fellow diners who always want to split the meal but then stiff the tip? This free tip calculator app lets you leave the table still as friends and with your head held high.

I am such a bath whore, savoring my nightly ritual no matter what time I go to bed. These DIY bath salts will make my soak that much more stellar.

My dream Mother’s Day brunch if I wasn’t going out: Salmon Salad Sandwich with Avocado Mayo, Rhubarb Floats and finish it off with Lemon Pound Cake.

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.

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

Follow these easy grilling tips for the best simple grilled salmon recipe that’s about to become your new favorite healthy summertime dinner.

This recipe is brought to you by Weber Grills

There may not be another summertime recipe that hits our grill more often than this one, and that alone has made my husband the master of his domaine: cooking salmon on the grill.

My main man GDawg (aka my husband) has years of experience perfecting the recipe for grilling a simple, bare-bones salmon. Although to be honest, it isn’t as much a recipe as it is method. Either which way, this salmon truly is the best because it’s easy, fast, healthy and flavorful.

No matter what skill level of griller you claim to be, my man’s tips make it easy to take command of the charcoal and serve up a moist and silky salmon dinner that won’t turn chalky and overcooked or leave half your fillet stuck to the grill.

Here’s how he does it.continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

This homemade tartar sauce recipe with capers, mayonnaise, and a splashy tang of pickle juice is the perfect topper—and dipper—for fish fillets of every flavor.

A naked fish fillet is exactly that: naked. Whether it’s a healthy-ish fried fish sandwich, every kid-at-heart’s favorite fish stick, or a more adult-ish grilled salmon fillet, fish is meant to have a saucy topper, and there’s no more classic a dipping sauce for fish than a tangy tartar sauce.

I’ve shared plenty of times here on the blog that my husband and I met as servers at a seafood restaurant. You could say our fate was sealed while falling in love with each other and the best clam chowder, steamed clams, and tartar sauce we dished out daily to the hungry crowds.

This tartar sauce recipe is the same they still serve at our old stomping grounds of Market Street Grill, and it’s the one we find ourselves lavishing on fish dinners time and time again. continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Tartar Sauce

31 Plant-Based Recipes That Aren’t Salads

There’s no need to go fully vegan or vegetarian to take advantage of the benefits of a plant-based diet, and there’s no better time than now to start adding more of them into your diet with gusto.

The two main reasons we as humans eat are a) for health and b) for taste. Food is what makes life possible, and that much better, and so much more tasty and delicious.

But eating for health doesn’t have to mean sacrificing all of the things that make food so enjoyable. But with so many popular elimination diets out there right now (that often contradict each other), balancing this issue can seem complicated.

But it doesn’t have to be!

continue to the recipe… about 31 Plant-Based Recipes That Aren’t Salads

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

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.

So where did funeral potato casserole get it’s name? It’s from years and years of being served following Mormon funeral services, typically prepared by the ladies of the ward (aka the Mormon congregation) for a luncheon gathering for families and friends and pretty much anyone who crossed the threshold.

I’m not Mormon, but I’ve been to several Mormon funerals, and I can bear witness that you’ve never seen so many pans of hash brown casserole with corn flakes than at a Mormon funeral. Proof that food does indeed heal.

But there’s another reason they’re called funeral potatoes, and that’s because they’re absolutely heavenly.

continue to the recipe… about Heavenly Funeral Potatoes Recipe

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad Bowls with Berries

This Vietnamese rice noodle salad is a vegetarian-forward version of the traditional bún salads drizzled with nuoc cham—the popular Vietnamese dressing and dipping sauce—with spring lettuces, crunchy fresh vegetables and sweetened with the season’s best fresh berries.

Yes, this noodle salad does taste as good as it looks. And it’s just the beginning of my job to convince you to try this baby soon.

I’ve been a fan of fresh and crunchy Vietnamese vermicelli noodle salad bowls (bún) since my college days way back when, and ever since visiting Vietnam last Christmas, lighter, healthier, simpler recipes with a flare of these worldly-inspired Asian flavors have been at the top of my must-have cravings.

Today I’m sharing this recipe for vermicelli noodle salad to be served as a main meal noodle bowls for four. Or, the salad can be served in smaller portions as a side dish to this lighter chicken satay, tossing it all together in one big bowl the same as I do in my basic, fresh and easy Vietnamese noodle salad for serving to a party or salad recipe for a potluck or bbq.

There’s no cooking involved with this salad, just some peeling and chopping, so let’s get on to getting our salad cravings cured.continue to the recipe… about Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad Bowls with Berries

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 far 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, 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 something. I was missing the basic, homey, comfort food classic of a good old-fashioned baked mac and cheese. But not anymore.

This easy baked mac and cheese recipe, affirmed by all of the “mmm-this-is-so-unbelievable,” “can-I-have-more-please” comments, THIS recipe, with it’s incredibly silky, cheesy sauce, is the best classic yet.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings

The classic green bean casserole gets a real food upgrade with fresh green beans and an easy to make, homemade mushroom sauce for a creamy side dish with a surprise crispy ingredient-crunch.

This recipe is brought to you by Alexia Foods

Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe

I see you over there, saying to yourself, “But Heidi, the classic green bean casserole is my favorite. Why go changing it?”

I get it. The classics are hard to leave behind, especially when they’re tied to food memories of time spent with family. But times change, tastes evolve, and the last time I was passed an 11×13-inch casserole dish of green bean casserole, it was a smattering of stunted, semi-green beans slathered in a greasy goop of a greyish gravy instead of a flavorful sauce.

Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.

So unless you’re still using a rotary telephone or parading to the sock hop in your poodle skirt, I’m betting you’ll be more than happy to consider this Thanksgiving side dish upgrade, too.

The original green bean casserole was created during the era of home cooks transitioning from making real-food, from-scratch meals to relishing in the time-saving methods that cooking from a box or can delivered. Now…I am the first one to raise my hand when asked to try a method that saves time in the kitchen. But I won’t sacrifice flavor or taste for the interest of time.

That’s why when I can call out my inner Sandra Lee and create a semi-homemade dish that combines real, fresh ingredients with real, time-saving ingredients, everyone (especially me) is happy at the table.continue to the recipe… about Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings

Stuffed Pork Chops Plus 10 More Ways to Use Leftover Stuffing

In this stuffed pork chops recipe, boneless and brined pork chops make the perfect vessel for leftover stuffing for an easy weeknight or weekend dinner that will impress.

You know the drill.

It’s Thanksgiving. There’s a bounty of everything. And I always tend to over-provide.

Therefore, this is what I often hear from my mom this time of year. “Oh my word!!! There’s enough food here for the Spanish marines!”

After hearing this saying since the beginning of time—aka third grade when I wore blonde braids and culottes (hey! they’re back!)—I’m still not sure who the Spanish marines are, but apparently, there were a LOT of them.

My favorite turkey side dish known to me as stuffing and to some as dressing, is known for being plentiful. And then leftovers. What to do with all that stuffing besides stuffing more stuffing in your ever expanding mouth?

Save it. Freeze it. And make more out of what you have. That’s why I’m maximizing my leftovers by starting with this stuffed pork chop recipe and sharing more recipe links at the end of this post to cover your ever-loving-leftover-stuffing desires.

Hit it, marine!

I most recently shared my Farro, Butternut Squash, Sausage and Dried Cherries Stuffing with you here on le bloggity blog and true to form, our stuffing runneth over.

I’m the first one to say that I LOVE LEFTOVERS. But like everything, one must know when to say, “Enough is enough.”

Instead of distributing to neighbors or sending home with family, I popped my leftover stuffing in a freezer bag and froze it until I was ready for my stuffing cravings to resume. Stuffing will stay good in the freezer for about 3 months, so I was feeling pretty good about it.

Alas, I didn’t have to wait nearly that long.continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Pork Chops Plus 10 More Ways to Use Leftover Stuffing

Greek Cobb Salad

This Cobb salad with a twist loads all of my favorite Mediterranean salad ingredients plus the best Greek marinated chicken ever into one savage salad to make a complete, healthy meal in one big bowl.

This Greek Cobb salad is like the Woodstock of salads, bringing so much to one place to deliver peace, love, and joy with a trancelike glow that makes an incredible memory for anyone who experiences it. And just like Woodstock, you too will have wished you’d been there to eat it even if you didn’t.

I heard back from so many of you on my email list where I shared this healthier turkey sausage pasta dinner, when you answered my question, do you want more healthy recipes? The answer was a resounding, YES! like this reply from reader Ann, who wrote:

“Hi I would love any help cooking delicious meals “heart healthy”. I must live a low sodium diet/low fat/etc.., but I miss all the yummy comfort foods I loved. Any help would be appreciated!!”

I admit, this mediterranean Greek Cobb salad may not be everyone’s idea of typical “comfort food”—aka fried, buttered, and gooey-leyed cheesed—but to me, anything that shines with my favorite mediterranean flavors is a comfort to my taste buds—and a whole lot healthier too.continue to the recipe… about Greek Cobb Salad

31 Spring Chicken Recipes to Make Now

Seasonal ingredients and fresh flavors have arrived on the spring scene to liven up any weeknight chicken dinner recipe situation.

It’s spring! With the warming sun begging for baskers to break out of the house and go to the park and play, who wants to be inside cooking all day? Cooking a full-blown, multi-course dinner can be a challenge to fit into spring’s busy days when soccer practices, kite flying, and garden-prepping take center stage.

If there’s one request I get time and time again, it’s for new recipe ideas using everyone’s favorite protein staple, the almighty chicken. Just like your favorite basic white t-shirts, you can never have too many simple-to-prep chicken dinner recipes on hand. continue to the recipe… about 31 Spring Chicken Recipes to Make Now

The Cheesiest Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

No-boil lasagna noodles layered with a mix of cheeses, spinach and store-bought marinara make this vegetarian spinach lasagna recipe one of the easiest dinners you’ll prepare all week.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

Creating This Spinach Lasagna Recipe

When Kroger asked me back in July to join them for a blogging event at Kroger HQ in Cincinnati, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. When they said we’d be celebrating Christmas in October, the lights in my eyes saw sparkles of red, green and white.

See, while most of you are thinking, “Why is Christmas stuff already up in the stores when the Halloween candy hasn’t even been doled out?”, I’m researching and plotting my Christmas gift giving list, secretly listening to my Christmas carol playlist, and praying for snow. Like NOW! BRING ME SNOW!

I’m the original Christmas girl.

So when Kroger broke out the ugly sweaters for each one of us, we all jumped on a bus en route to visit the largest Kroger in the U.S. of A., and broke out in mismatched caroling harmony to this Mariah classic. It totally put me in my element, and a holiday state of mind.

Our goal for the day was to create a holiday recipe to share with our fellow bloggers at the Kroger Bloggers Banquet. I didn’t have to think too hard about what my dish would be, I just channeled my sweet Aunt Jill and her Christmas Lasagna, the dish we had every Christmas Eve and all the best Christmas Eve’s of my youth.continue to the recipe… about The Cheesiest Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Garlic Butter

This perfectly tender and juicy whole oven roasted chicken gets brushed with a fresh lemon rosemary garlic butter and stuffed with aromatics for extra flavor. It’s perfect for Sunday dinner, but easy enough for a weeknight!

Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe

Searching through cookbooks, leafing through food magazines and trolling through food blogs proves one fact over and over again: cooks love making recipes with chicken.

While the boneless chicken breast seems to be the star in most recipes, the whole bird cannot be ignored. There’s nothing quite like a juicy hen, perfuming the whole house, to get the salivating started.

This whole roasted chicken recipe is like a butter infused invitation to belly up to the Sunday dinner table. But it’s so easy you could totally make it any day of the week.

Chicken on the bone. Chicken with skin. Those two things give chicken a flavor all on its own.

But when you layer that baby bird with the soft, buttery mix of garlic, lemon, and rosemary a totally new flavor permeates our chicken-little under, and over, the skin.

And that skin, oh that lovely, golden skin. Butter baby. It does the trick.

continue to the recipe… about Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Garlic Butter

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

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas

This healthy recipe for pasta with turkey sausage and peas makes a fast Italian skillet dinner for any night of the week.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

My dad loves sausage. My husband loves sausage. I love sausage. What is it about the comforting flavors of sausage and pasta that feels like a big family hug in a bowl?

But sometimes that big sausage-ey hug can feel a little too tight, a little too snug; just like my jeans. That’s why I’m lightening things up where I can and making small changes toward a healthier diet. For me, my husband, my dad, and you.

Subbing ground turkey for pork sausage is an easy switch to make, and it’s one that’s not even noticed because I have the secret to losing the fat but keeping all the flavor, and it’s all thanks to adding the same herbs and spices to ground turkey that make regular sausage taste so good.continue to the recipe… about Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Peas

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