vegetables and fruits

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

No-Mayo Potato Salad with Herbs

Easy to make and lighter to eat, this healthy no-mayo potato salad with fresh herbs and an easy olive oil dressing is the perfect side dish for a crowd.

There are times when a mayo-free potato salad is exactly what’s needed. Like those backyard barbecues where mayonnaise and summer’s heat simply don’t mix. Or a potluck party buffet table for a crowd where you my Mom’s best potato salad ever’s hard boiled eggs aren’t up to the task of languishing at room temperature all day or night long at the party.

And surprisingly, I heard somewhere out there are eaters who just don’t like a mayonnaise dressing on their potato salad. What the what? Shocking, I know…

For each of these situations, this mayo-free potato salad is the winning recipe solution. I discovered the inspiration for it while leafing through my copy of My Smith’s Magazine I receive each month from my local Smith’s Marketplace grocery store. This potato salad is easy to make and feels a bit sophisticated, just like anything with classic French roots will. It’s loaded with fresh nips of herbed bites, Dijon mustard flavored olive oil, and it won’t go bad before the party ends, and even better, gets more flavorful on the second and third day after it’s been in the fridge..

continue to the recipe… about No-Mayo Potato Salad with Herbs

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

Mediterranean Tomato Salad

This easy, healthy tomato salad is studded with fresh Mediterranean flavors to eat a simple side salad or a topping for chicken, fish, steak or pork. It goes with everything—it’s like the salad version of The Bachelorette.

Through every stage of my calling as a home cook, my love of tomatoes is one thing that’s never wavered. The other could very possibly be my love of anything and everything with a pucker.

Yep. Pickles, capers, olives, and kisses included.

While this Mediterranean-flavored tomato salad is optimal at the height of summer’s tomato season, it’s lightly brined, bright with lemon goodness makes grocery store tomatoes totally acceptable any time of year.

Summer’s simple salads are calling our names. So what are you waiting for?continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Tomato Salad

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

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

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

Easy Coleslaw Dressing

This easy homemade coleslaw dressing gives the crunchy classic cabbage salad a tangy bite with creamy mayonnaise and cider vinegar’s zing.

Backyard barbecue and summer potlucks wouldn’t be the same without a classic coleslaw salad on the table. It’s the perfect side car to grilled chicken, the best grilled salmon, my very favorite garlic burgers and is a necessity when it comes to pulled pork sandwiches.

I make my best creamy coleslaw recipe with this same homemade dressing, but it can be used for even more than just lushing up cabbage, and that’s why it’s worthy of a recipe post of its own.

I eat coleslaw dressing on basic crunchy iceberg salads with cucumber and tomato, or drizzled on baked potatoes instead of sour cream. And it makes an awesome dip for fresh veggies on a platter or to dip in for a snack.

Some creamy coleslaw dressings use a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise with flavorings that run the gamut of grated onion to worcestershire sauce to mustard and lemon juice.

But why go through all those paces? Let’s keep this dressing simple.continue to the recipe… about Easy Coleslaw Dressing

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

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

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

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

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

15 Asparagus Recipes that Make a Meal

Asparagus is the king of the spring crop, and we’re big fans. Prep these 15 asparagus recipes for healthy dinners all week-long.

Spring has sprung, and everything’s coming up green — especially asparagus.

We’re quite fond of this stalky superfood veg, which is essentially a mascot for spring. We love it simple and sweet when it’s roasted with just a squeeze of lemon, drizzled with browned butter and nuts, but also in pastas for dinner and salads for lunch, and for brunch in quiches, frittatas and tarts.

Asparagus may make our pee smell weird, but that won’t keep us away.

Because it’s in season right now and we can’t get enough of those tender emerald spears, we’re switching gears to dinner tine with 15 asparagus recipe ideas for your main meal if you feel the same.

You get the idea. Now get cooking!continue to the recipe… about 15 Asparagus Recipes that Make a Meal

Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter and Almonds

Roasted asparagus gets a leg up on the basic side dish with a drizzle of nutty browned butter and the crunch of buttery marcona almonds.

There’s nothing better in cooking than to take an easy, basic recipe and give it just a little twist to move it up a notch.

Basic oven-roasted asparagus is one of my meal-making staples. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s delicious.

But sometimes I’m craving just a bit more flavor. So when I’m feeling flush and lush, browned butter made even more nutty is my asparagus drizzle got-to.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter and Almonds

Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Oven roasted asparagus is a healthy, fast and easy side dish that goes with just about anything on your table. And it’s even good for snacking straight from the fridge!

No matter what type of diet you follow, asparagus is a good addition to it, and obviously good for you too. It’s high in fiber, loaded with nutrients, and won’t spike glucose levels like carrots or potatoes can after you eat it.

But the even better part about enjoying asparagus is that it’s an incredibly easy side dish to prepare with a quick roast in the oven.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy roasted asparagus is to roast a batch of it for eating all through the week. I add it to salads, breakfast toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, and veggie bowls.

And of course it’s a great side dish to any main meal dinner, making it a simple side dish work horse everyone loves.continue to the recipe… about Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

You can cook it fast or cook it slow, but either way this corned beef and cabbage creates tender, fall-apart chunks of beef thanks to braising it in the crock pot or Instant Pot with beer and vegetables for an unbelievably easy and delicious one-pot dinner.

When asked whether corned beef is actually good for you, I say it may not be something to eat each and every day of the year, but I feel it’s totally fine when you eat it just like everything else you should—say it with me—in moderation!

But is corned beef actually Irish or not? Sure it’s traditionally served in the U.S. each and every St. Patrick’s Day and while you won’t likely find it served at the local pub in Ireland, it IS Irish-American.

I make corned beef and cabbage every single year around St. Patrick’s Day. Because like many of you, it’s a tradition that just can’t be ignored. It’s a ritual. And I’m good with that.

In fact I will cook a whole corned beef just so I can make my favorite Reuben sandwiches loaded with sauerkraut, that delicious sauce and melted cheese piled high on grilled rye bread, because seriously…who can say no to a killer reuben??

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

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

Lemon Chicken Thighs with Artichokes

This lemon chicken recipe makes juicy, bone-in chicken thighs with the Mediterranean flavors of white wine and artichokes for an easy chicken dinner ready in 30 minutes.

30-Minute Lemon Chicken Thighs with Artichokes

Easy chicken dinners are always at the top of FoodieCrush readers most requested recipe list. Healthy, flavorful, and fast to make slides right along into that list too.

Guess what friends? I’m right there with you. And if a chicken dinner doesn’t make the flavor grade, what’s even the point?

I’m happy to report, this lemony chicken thighs with artichokes recipe ticks all those fill-in-the-blank boxes and then some.

While this skillet lemon chicken recipes is an easy one to make, there are definitely a couple of tips to follow for success every time.

Let’s skillet to it.continue to the recipe… about Lemon Chicken Thighs with Artichokes

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

Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

This easy Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice dinner has just the right amount of spice from jalapeño and ginger to flavor this creamy coconut sauce for a simple all-in-on meal.

Thai Comfort Food: Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

“Make it with extra sauce!” my husband always says.

Those are the words I hear ringing in my ears every time I cook any of my Thai recipes made with coconut milk like Shrimp in Thai Coconut Sauce or Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup. He’s a saucy kind of guy and simply can’t get enough of the Thai flavor-infused coconut flavors. And since every month those two recipes are in the top 10 recipes readers make from my site, it’s obvious you love them too.

The sauce is one reason why this creamy ginger and coconut chicken recipe has been a favorite of ours literally for years. I originally tore it out of a 2006 issue of Real Simple magazine, and like any magazine addict who also has a penchant for ~~saving~~ hoarding, I’ve kept it all these years.

The recipe page is now a little kitchen war-torn and splattered so it was high time to add it to the blog so I could refer to it more easily. See, this blog isn’t just a place for me to make recipes for you, it’s a place for me to keep track of my many favorites.

And hopefully like this Thai chicken recipe, you’ll love ’em and make them all as much too.continue to the recipe… about Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

15 Air Fryer Recipes to Try Right Now

If you’re wondering if the air fryer is worth it and hesitant to jump on the trend, this list of 15 air fryer recipes proves this cooking appliance is more than just a lot of hot air for making fried food without the added fat.

Every now and then new kitchen appliances come out that promise to make our lives easier, only to get used twice and put into storage. I’m finding this isn’t the case with my air fryer.

The air fryer is a great option for anyone who craves the crispness of french fries, chicken nuggets, and melty crisped mozzarella sticks but wants to avoid the guilt and calories from the extra oil and fat the deep fryer or seems to sadly miss the mark when baked in the oven.

But, there’s even more reasons to hop onto the air fryer oil-less cooking trend.continue to the recipe… about 15 Air Fryer Recipes to Try Right Now

Garlic and Herb Rub Pork Tenderloin

Fast dinners don’t come together much quicker than this garlic and herb rubbed pork tenderloin recipe that’s seared on the stove then finished in the oven for a lean and juicy main dish cooked in just 30 minutes.

How to Cook Pork Tenderloin

Low-fat and healthful meals are my jam. And when they’re simple to prep with minimal steps to follow or time to allow, it’s even easier to add them to my weeknight recipe rotation.

This pork tenderloin is the latest addition to my stash of dinners that can be ready in a flash and fits right in with my love of flavors in the Mediterranean diet where pork can become the main protein.

The other bonus of this recipe is it leads a double life of looking a whole lot fancier than it its humble roots, making it a reliable recipe to prepare for a party of two or twelve.

So who’s ready for dinner? Let’s cook.continue to the recipe… about Garlic and Herb Rub Pork Tenderloin

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

How to Make a Bouquet Garni

How do you make a bouquet garni and what do you use it for? This little fresh herb packet is all part of the flavor building game for soups, stews, stocks and more.

A bouquet garni is literally a bunch (or bouquet) of fresh herbs and spices wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth and tied with twine to make into a little purse or bag.

Used as a flavoring for soups, stews, stocks, and roasts, bouquet garnis are used for recipe you want to add fresh herbs and/or spices for flavor but don’t want to fish the spent herbs out of the finished dish one by one once the cooking is done. These herb purses keep your spices all in one place and can be added to a recipe whole so no extra work of chopping, mincing, or grating involved.

It’s really as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4 :).

Here’s how to make a bouquet garni.continue to the recipe… about How to Make a Bouquet Garni

The Best French Onion Soup

This traditional French Onion Soup recipe has a rich, decadent broth loaded with caramelized onions and topped with everyone’s favorite part: the toasted bread and melty cheese.

Rich and Delicious Homemade French Onion Soup

If there’s one soup I absolutely cannot resist, it’s french onion soup. I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to F.O.S., so don’t bother with that watery broth or get stingey with the onions. And please, make sure that cheese is plentiful and melty and creates a serious cheese pull.

As an expert french onion soup taster, I’ve narrowed down my very most favorite versions. There’s that one from that French Bistro in San Francisco, and the one I first had when I was probably 11 or 12, shopping with my mom at Trolley Square with lunch at The Pub, now known as Desert Edge Brewery, where they still serve a very good version. I seriously thought I had hit adult hood with our special lunches out.

But my new number one favorite French Onion Soup is from Nordstrom Café Bistro. It’s where my mom and I usually stop for a bite when we go shopping together, which in all honestly is actually our excuse to get this french onion soup. I loved it so much after eating it so many times that I asked them for the recipe, and surprise, surprise, they said yes. It’s now replaced my original french onion soup recipe here on the blog because it really is so much better.continue to the recipe… about The Best French Onion Soup

Easy Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

When your main dish recipe needs a decadent side dish side kick, there’s nothing like a creamy, thyme-infused cheesy au gratin potatoes 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 au gratin potatoes 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 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