mozzarella

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Grilled rosemary bread is a delicious base for this grilled chicken caprese sandwich. It features fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil, farmer’s market tomatoes, and a balsamic reduction for a classic flavor combination you just can’t beat.

Did you do a double take?

In this season of slow cooker soups and hearty comfort food, you might be wondering what in the heck this fresh take on a summer classic is doing on the bloggity blog right smack dab in the middle of winter?

Personally, I can think of no better time. Even if you can’t ditch the snow shovel yet, you can still eat like it’s all sunshine and tan lines. Because soon enough, it will be.

I am a huge fan of anything caprese. The fresh flavors of sweet tomatoes, sliced mozzarella cheese, basil draped in balsamic anything and everything, and a drizzle of fruity olive oil. If you’re looking for caprese recipes here on FoodieCrush, you’ll see the combo is pretty much my fave. And judging by your response to them, you’re digging them too.

These days, fresh tomatoes are pretty easy to come by all year long. Summer sports fresh ‘maters at farmer’s markets and of course there’s the labor of love of harvesting them straight from your own garden.

But wintertime can pose a new set of challenges, so unless you live under the sunny skies of California or Florida, your best bet is to head to the market and hope for the best.

At certain times of the winter I can find plastic containers of potted basil plants in the produce section of my grocery store. As soon as I spy them, I pick one or two up and plant in a container to keep on my counter. Not only is it convenient for fresh cooking, but it gives a perk of brightness to an otherwise dreary winter view.

continue to the recipe… about Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

I’ve been making this easy vegetable lasagna for years. It’s layered with a smooth butternut squash puree, shiitake mushrooms, a creamy white sauce, and melty cheese to make an irresistible layered lasagna noodle you’ll love digging into.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It’s not even Christmas yet and I’ve already been looking toward the new year and listing out a few of the goals I plan to hit next year.

One of the biggies in my new year goal making sessions is to eat more meatless meals. It’s easy for me to do for breakfast and lunch, but where I tend to run into a road block is when I make meatless dinners because that’s not exactly my husband’s idea of a meal. But I’ve found it’s a whole lot easier to convince the family to join me on my veggie train when I’m serving dishes like this vegetable-loaded lasagna where nobody ever misses the meat.

I used to make this vegetable lasagna every.single.year when I hosted the volunteer holiday party for my fave animal rescue, where everything had to be served vegetarian. We were an animal rescue, not an animal eatery.

So did anyone (aka my husband) miss the meat? Not a chance! Why not? Because this Italian dinner recipe is completely delicious! That, and the layers of cheese don’t hurt to convince any doubting Thomas too.continue to the recipe… about Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

This caprese flatbread recipe is an easy way to take advantage of the best of the season’s fresh tomatoes, basil, and of course mozzarella, making it the perfect appetizer bite or as an easy vegetarian dinner.

Head to the farmers market this time of year and you’ll see everyone around freaking out over the bulbous beauty of the heirloom tomatoes and just-off-the-vine-still-warm-from-the-sunshine beefsteaks.

I think they’re lovely too. But my fave tomato this time of year are the sweet cherry tomatoes I can pop straight in my mouth like candy.

Awwwww, who am I kidding? I love these baby tomatoes any time of year.

A few weeks ago I photographed the new winter menu of one of my favorite clients, Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. If you haven’t yet been to Park City and Deer Valley, it’s a destination to put on your bucket list, not only for winter skiing, but truly any time of the year.

This time around we shot photos for the new menu items for their low-key bar and restaurant The Brass Tag. But where does that name come from? Back in the day aka around 1890, the silver boom was huge in Park City and local miners would hang a brass tag before entering the silver mines to work. When the day was done, if there was tag still hanging on the board, it was time to start a search for the miner. Think of it as the low-tech GPS system of yesteryear.

This easy to make caprese-style flatbread pizza was just one of the items we shot that day, and after looking at it through the lens, and then taking a bite (okay, maybe more), I knew it was something you guys would love to make at home.

continue to the recipe… about Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

Stuffed Zucchini Hasselback Pepperoni Pizza Style

Stuffed zucchini takes on a whole new look when it’s cut hasselback-style then stuffed with pepperoni pizza fixins’ for an easy, healthy, all-in-one 6-ingredient meal or pull-apart appetizer.

For most every backyard farmers the question isn’t how to grow zucchini, it’s what to do with it all once the harvest begins. These guys are prolific!

So what are some ways to use up all that zucchini? Stuffed zucchini is likely one of the first recipes on your idea list.

But how about this…how about we make the method even simpler and forgo the scoop and hollow method and simply slice these bad boys hasselback-style instead?

They’re ripe for the stuffing, so let’s get slicing.

continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Zucchini Hasselback Pepperoni Pizza Style

Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes

This easy caprese pasta salad recipe steeps cherry tomatoes in a garlic-infused oil that becomes the dressing over any type of pasta with sliced mozzarella, capers, lemon, and basil making it a healthy potluck recipe that’s perfectly ripe for brunch, lunch, or a dinner everyone will love.

This is a re-do of one of my favorite tomato pasta salad recipes I published my first year of blogging. I’ve been making this caprese pasta salad on repeat ever since the clock struck summer, but it’s very likely that many of you haven’t ever even seen it, and that’s a darn shame because it’s just too good to miss.

So after looking at it so many times already this summer, I thought it could use a refresh. And so here it is once again, with a spit shine, some new photos, and a video to show you easy it will be for you to make it too.

I’m a huge fan of summer’s fresh tomatoes, especially when my garden starts producing my beloved cherry tomatoes I pop straight into my mouth like candy. So back in August of 2011 when I spied this recipe on the Martha Stewart Living cover peeking over the others on the grocery store rack, there wasn’t a question whether the issue would be coming home with me.

And that’s why this salad has been in my summer recipe-making-repertoire ever since.continue to the recipe… about Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes

How to Make an Awesome Antipasto Salad Platter

Making a salad for a crowd doesn’t get any easier than adding all the antipasto toppings like olives, pickled veggies, artichokes, pepperoncini, salami, salumi, prosciutto, pasta and mozzarella balls to a big pile of lettuce for an Italian salad everyone will love.

This recipe is in partnership with DeLallo Foods

Antipasto is known as the first course of the Italian meal. It’s the time to get a nibble of olives and pickled peppers or a bite of cured meats and cheeses, and to prepare your belly for the feast about to come.

What I love about this Antipasto Salad Platter is it bridges the gap between that appetizer course and the salad course, for a more relaxed vibe that mixes all my favorite tastes together, and can easily be made into a meal all its own.

And when you serve this salad family-style in the middle of the table, everyone can add “just a little more” to suit their taste and their appetite, creating a more festively communal way to share.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Awesome Antipasto Salad Platter

Truffled Mushroom Pizza

A simple mushroom and cheese pizza gets an upscale twist with truffled mushrooms and a light arugula salad topping one of the easiest homemade pizza doughs you can make.

I’m pretty sure we can all agree that pizza is the quintessential meal. It crosses all boundaries and pleases people of all ages and gender. And with nearly every culture cultivating its own version of the classic pizza pie, it doesn’t matter if you’re a drunk at 2 a.m. college student, a family ordering it for Friday night, or a high society maven who serves it as a dainty appetizer, if you like food it’s likely you’re a pizza pie fan.

Making pizza at home is one of life’s simple pleasures. At home you have complete control of what tops your pie and make it your choice to keep it super simple, or load on all the fixins’. Mushroom and cheese pizza is always a favorite of mine. I like to keep my pies simple, but simple certainly does not mean boring.

Sure, I like my mushroom pizza topped with simple ingredients, but I like my ingredients fancied up with an upscale twist.

Say hello to my truffled mushroom pizza.

continue to the recipe… about Truffled Mushroom Pizza

How to Make a Kid-Friendly Cheese Board Even Adults Will Love

Cheese boards aren’t just for adults anymore. Here are my top 10 tips for creating the ultimate kid-friendly cheese board that kids will love and the host will serve proudly at the main table.

This post is in partnership with Cache Valley® Creamery

Everyone loves a party. And at every party there’s always the most popular one in the group. The one that the whole group gathers around. The one that everyone comments about how pretty they are. The one that no one can get enough of.

Yes, we are talking about the cheese board.

But here’s the deal. Cheese boards are typically geared to the more refined tastes of adults. You know, the cheese boards that with a hand gripped around a glass of Beaujolais, pinkies instinctively jut into the air as guests gaze over the extra strong blues and extra ripe cheddars, the peppered and spiced charcuterie and the fancy triple-creamed wedges you spent a fortune on that nobody ends up eating.

Ya. Those. This is not that cheese board.

Creating a kid-friendly cheese board doesn’t have to look…well…cheesy. No animal shaped formations out of cheeses and veggies, or ships sailing through a sea of fruit or salamis and toothpicks somehow tinker-toyed into action figures. Sorry guys, not at my party.

Instead, this is a cheese board every child would happily dig into and any adult would gladly place center stage at every party.continue to the recipe… about How to Make a Kid-Friendly Cheese Board Even Adults Will Love

How to Make a Stunning Caprese Salad Platter

Laying all your favorite caprese salad ingredients—like burrata cheese, marinated mozzarella balls, tomatoes and fresh stone fruit—out on a platter instead of layered in a bowl makes this self-serve salad or appetizer the easiest way to choose all your favorite bites.

It’s like everyone’s favorite cheese board mated with all the best caprese-inspired ingredients, and they had a baby. Pass around the cigars, because the caprese salad platter has arrived.

It’s all to common to spy an amazing salad loaded with all of the good stuff, only to dig in, all the good stuff shifts, and then falls to the bottom of the bowl and you’re left diving for that coveted mozzarella ball.

That’s why salad platters have become my new go-to salad serving solution, so you can serve larger portions of each of the ingredients—because my favorite cream-filled burrata cheese isn’t all that chopping friendly—rather than bite-sized bits of bites.

I first shared this salad platter trick with this Ultimate Italian Salad Platter. When you serve this salad family-style in the middle of the table, everyone can add “just a little more” and choose their favorite ingredients, and then nibble at the leftovers until the entire platter is picked clean because it’s just too good to stay away.

ABOUT THE RECIPE

This salad platter is less of a recipe and more an assemblage of toppings. Feel free to adapt and switch up according to your tastes and favorites, or simply by whatever you might happen to have on hand for those unexpected, but totally welcome drop-ins.

Traditional caprese flavors dominate this salad platter with a few sweet bites of fruit tossed in. A few fresh fruity ingredient options are:continue to the recipe… about How to Make a Stunning Caprese Salad Platter

Garlic Butter Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

These easy, from scratch garlic-slathered pizza dough bites are stuffed with cheese and mini pepperoni, then baked for an appetizer everyone at the party will love.

This post is in partnership with DeLallo Foods

One of the earliest recipes I shared here on le bloggity blog was for little nuggets of garlic joy called Killer Garlic Rolls, inspired by a popular restaurant in our old neighborhood of Marina del Rey in California.

Those rolls. Pure love right there.

Today they’ve provided a nod of inspiration to this recipe for stuffed pizza rolls that are bathed in a simlilar garlic and herb butter—and bursting with a cheesy pepperoni pop.

These rolls. Pure love right here X 10.continue to the recipe… about Garlic Butter Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

These enchiladas are the best, and they’re such an easy meal to prep ahead, with slow cooked beef and roasted butternut squash, they’re delicious and ready to serve in no time.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

For the past few months, I’ve been focusing on creating meals that take a little more planning, and doing a lot more batch cooking when I use my weekly meal planner. It’s led to our whole family eating dinners that are far less stressful, a little healthier, and far more budget friendly.

I was shocked at how much we’ve saved from not going out to eat as much now that there’s quick meals in the refrigerator that are ready to roll.

So when Kroger asked me to create a holiday recipe I immediately went into time- and money-saving mode.

We all have so much going on during the holidays that having a quick and easy meal on hand means holiday cheers-ing is a whole lot easier to enjoy. This Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas recipe checks all the boxes on my Christmas wish list.

And even better, you’ll want to keep it around all year long.continue to the recipe… about Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

30-Minute Caprese Chicken Recipe

With just a few simple ingredients including store-bought pesto and balsamic, you can make this healthy, stand out, one-pan chicken breast dinner in under 30 minutes.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

There are many things that fall brings, but at our house, extra time in the day is not one of them.

Because there’s work. Why, oh WHY didn’t I win the lottery? And there’s school. “Oh mama,” she earnestly vents, “why did it have to start again??” There’s soccer practice, homework, mama-daughter volunteer work, dog walks, another new project for 2017 I’m busily finishing up, and those summer vacations that have turned into fall trips we are trying our darndest to squeeze in before old man winter wraps us in blankets and bribes us to join him to cocoon on the couch.

But we’re doing our best and adapting to the new normal, just like we do every year. And I’m taking one guess that you are too.

Instead of going out, eating at home at the end of days like these is actually a true time-saver. And when we plan ahead with the grocery shopping to avoid the dreaded question of “what’s for dinner?” one-pan recipes like this 30-minute chicken wonder actually make cooking at home, dare I say, enjoyable.

It truly doesn’t get much easier than this.

continue to the recipe… about 30-Minute Caprese Chicken Recipe

Roasted Tomato and Burrata Caprese Salad

The sweetness from just-picked garden tomatoes is hard to find year round, so I roast my tomatoes on a foil-lined sheet pan to give them an irresistible candied flavor in this summery caprese salad.

I created this recipe in partnership with Reynolds Wrap as part of their Endless Table series (have you seen their stunning Instagram account yet? Tip: Look at it in grid view!) because I want to share one of my kitchen secrets with you, the secret that produces some of the freshest salad flavors that, SURPRISE! are thanks to your oven!

Caprese salad is probably my hands down, most favorite, go-to salads…ever.

I’ve made it with avocado. I’ve made it with cantaloupe. I’ve made it with quinoa. I’ve made it as a spiralized zucchini salad and of course I’ve made it traditional style with burrata and summer’s best heirloom tomatoes because what bone fide cheese lover (me!) doesn’t love burrata (I do!).

But there’s just one issue I have when it comes to making my favorite versions of caprese salad.

Flavorless tomatoes.

We’ve all been there. Tomatoes are out of season but you still have a craving for that juicy, sweet bite. You disregard your better intuition and after making that first slice with the knife, you whimper a bit after discovering you’ve been duped by that shiny red tomato’s outside, revealing a dry, flavorless inside.

That is when my caprese love goes swiftly downhill.

But I have the key to enjoying sweet tomatoes all year round, and all it takes is a scattering of tomatoes on a sheet pan lined with Reynolds Wrap to get the sweet job done.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Tomato and Burrata Caprese Salad

Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread

Mozzarella cheese and sausage are stuffed into rolled pizza dough and baked for an easy appetizer or main meal that’s always a crowd pleaser.

Today’s recipe is in honor of a sweet cheesy baby, and no, I’m not talking about myself again.

Instead, we’re celebrating the impending arrival of a sweet new baby for one of my favorite food bloggers (I wrote about her in this list of 5 Food Bloggers I’m Following Now), Sarah of Snixy Kitchen.

Sarah is a true food lover. Her two cats are even named Artichoke and Aioli, so it comes as no surprise that the new addition to her family has been nicknamed #CheesyBabyGirl.

She’s a woman after my own heart.

So in honor of this new cheesebaby, and the fact that today is National Cheese Lovers Day (ironic? I think not!) I’ve created a recipe for you today that does indeed contain cheese. Ooey, gooey mozzarella cheese.

Plus sausage.

And garlic.

And spinach, because heaven forbid I should cook anything that doesn’t have a spate of color in it.

continue to the recipe… about Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread

How to Make Fried Pizza ala Pizza Fritta

These individual pillowy fried pizzas are perfect for entertaining. Lightly fry the dough in olive oil before melting some cheese, then have your guests add their own favorite toppings.

This recipe is one in my year long series of posts sponsored by DeLallo Foods, and just one more reason you’ll be craving pizza for your next meal.

This is the part where you look at the recipe title and question, “Fried pizza? Why would I need to fry pizza?”

You’re right. Nobody HAS to fry pizza. I mean, there are lots of foods that are just as good baked instead of fried. Chicken. Doughnuts. Onion rings and french fries. But when you think about it, I mean really speak truth that stems from your taste buds instead of your brain cells, you’ll probably admit that the fried version is the lip-smackingly favored version.

And guess what? Pizza is no different.

I hadn’t really ever thought about fried pizza until my recent trip to Pittsburgh to visit DeLallo Foods and their Italian Marketplace (read more about my trip here.)

One of the meals that stole the show was one of the simplest. Little pillowy pizzas called Pizza Fritta, or fried pizza to you and me.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make Fried Pizza ala Pizza Fritta

Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Sweet balls of cantaloupe sub for tomatoes and pair nicely with salty shaved prosciutto in this simple twist on the classic caprese salad.

How ’bout them melons? And what about these balls?

Wink-wink and tongue in cheek, get your head out of the gutter people, we’re not talking body parts, instead it’s all about this fresh, bootylicious salad.

With my garden tomatoes still clawing their way toward sweet fruit-ition, I’m patiently awaiting to harvest my ‘mates to make my favorite caprese salad with my very own, homegrown tomatoes.

Who am I kidding. I’m not patient at all.

That’s why I’m jumping the line and moving forward anyway by subbing tomatoes with local, sweet cantaloupe. Don’t worry tomatoes, I’ll be back. But until then, this salad is totally turning my head and making me stare with each and every bite.

continue to the recipe… about Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Grilled Flatbread with Peaches and Arugula Pesto Plus 10 Flatbread Recipes to Make Now

Store bought flatbread is the base to summer’s favorite flavors: juicy grilled peaches and a bright pesto that make for a fast appetizer or main meal.

Once in a while this gal’s gotta let her man take over the reigns in the kitchen. Actually, I ask and I plead. He is usually more than happy to abide.

Earlier in the day we’d gone to lunch and he’d helped me with some brainstorming for new recipes for a project I’m working on. More on that soon (it’s gonna be good!). Once we got home, his creative juices were still going strong so I put his creative foodie cravings to task.

“What should we make with this arugula pesto?” I asked.

Apparently, like me, he’s been feeling the gravitational pull toward eating seasonal, and he went straight for the peaches.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Flatbread with Peaches and Arugula Pesto Plus 10 Flatbread Recipes to Make Now

Charred Corn with Rosemary Grilled Pizza and Crushing On Naturally Ella

Sweet grilled corn, fresh rosemary, mozzarella and gorgonzola mingle together on an easy homemade pizza dough that’s grilled for maximum flavor and a perfect char.

There was a spate of about 6 months when I went vegetarian. My reason? I was in hopes of gaining clarity and focus on how my body felt and how my mind clicked. Paying attention to what goes into my body and how it affects me on every level was great place for me to start.

I’m not sure that I remember what bumped me off the vegetarian train. Most likely I was lured by something from the grill that I’d simply been missing on my plate and far from the fresh flavors of this charred corn grilled pizza recipe I’m sharing today.

Since then, my habit of eating more greens and whole foods going strong and thus, I follow a lot of food bloggers who espouse the vegetarian lifestyle.

One of those bloggers is Erin Alderson, the whole foods force behind the vegetarian blog Naturally Ella and the author and photographer of The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen.

So how did Erin find her vegetarian roots? It came down to a life changing event when her father suffered a massive heart attack. Discovering this was a path that ran in her family,Erin began questioning her own eating habits and her road to vegetarianism—and her food blog—began.continue to the recipe… about Charred Corn with Rosemary Grilled Pizza and Crushing On Naturally Ella

Caprese Zucchini Salad with Ali Maffucci of Inspiralized

An interview with blogger Ali Maffucci of Inspiralized, about her new cookbook, plus a recipe for Caprese Zucchini Salad.

I bought my first spiralizer for a photo shoot 15 years ago at a Japanese market. It was green, looked a bit like an pterodactyl and I couldn’t read the instructions on how to use it. But I thought, “What a cool gadget.”

I’m all about the gadgets.

In 15 years, I used it once. I’ve since misplaced the blades to make thinner or thicker spiraled vegetables. It’s stuck on one setting. And now, after receiving Ali Maffucci’s cookbook Inspiralized, it might be time to upgrade.

Spiralizing veggies is all the rage, and I have a feeling that Ali has helped propel it into the mainstream because of her blog by the same name as her cookbook, Inspiralized.

Giving Ali all the credit for popularizing this cooking trend would be a little heavy handed, but since her decision in 2013 to dedicate an entire blog to one single cooking method, she’s garnered a legion of fans who are visiting her blog (over 2 million page views a month) and putting their own spin on healthy eating too.

So maybe more than a little credit should go to this 28 year old entrepreneur.

Hailing from the fine state of New Jersey where she currently lives with her fiance, Lu, this former vegan’s introduction to spiralizing came from where many of us learned our cooking secrets—from her mom. But her mother wasn’t simply trying a new food trend. Instead, she was saving her own life by changing her eating style, then shared this new way to prepare vegetables and fruits with her daughter.

Breakfast, lunches, dinners and yes, even desserts, can be spiralized. Ali’s recipe for Caprese Zucchini Salad is just one of the 80 in her new book and it’s the one I’ll be sharing at the end of this post.continue to the recipe… about Caprese Zucchini Salad with Ali Maffucci of Inspiralized

6 Easy Snacks in 5 Ingredients or Less

A crunchy Triscuit cracker holds up to every flavor combination in these six bite size snacks using just 5 ingredients or less.

This post is in partnership with Triscuit and Refinery 29.

I’m a snacker. I think I get it from my grandma Mary Jane. She was never a big eater, but was always snacking on “just a little something.”

My snacking habits started young. It was part of my daily routine, just as much as brushing my hair and mercilessly teasing my little sister.

Every day after school I would get out my homework, and then flip on the kitchen TV (ours was a black and white 13-inch number with rabbit ears and no remote) to watch re-run episodes of The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, Leave It to Beaver, Eight is Enough, Bewitched and the occasional ABC After School Special.

Then it was time to start my snack fest.continue to the recipe… about 6 Easy Snacks in 5 Ingredients or Less

Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

All you need is 4 ingredients to make this simple, 3-step roasted tomato soup recipe with tortellini, fresh basil and mozzarella, and it comes together in minutes.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of DOLE Garden Soups and the Mom It Forward Blogger Network.

As a mom of an only child, I’m that mom who is constantly lamenting that my little baby is growing up way. too. soon.

The fact that my little girl is turning into a young teen has snuck up on me. Every other month I notice how I have to raise my arms a little higher to make that red-headed top knot in her hair. When she’ll let me. This year ever since school started she’s no longer coming into mom and dad’s bed for her usual morning snuggle. It’s killing me. And she pays no heed when I suggest what she should wear to school these days. The girl knows what she likes, when she likes it.

But it isn’t all bad. She’s become totally self-driven in getting her homework done, feeding the dogs and OMG! she’s even started making her bed without being asked.

One of the best things about her becoming more independent is she’s totally into making her own lunch, and this girl’s favorite thing hands down for lunch, snack and dinner is soup, soup, soup.

continue to the recipe… about Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

Scrambled Eggs and Sausage Breakfast Burrito Plus 5 More Recipes to Fold and Go

Breakfast is big deal at our house.

It might not always be big in portion or production value (hey, I’m all good with frog in the hole or a microwave egg sandwich or even basic scrambles) but we do make it a point to have something substantial and wholesome in our bellys before we walk out the door (Smudge and my man), or down the hall (me), to face the day.

We’re privy to spending a little more time on the process come weekend time. Isn’t that always the case when it comes to cooking?

So while my man was easing into his Sunday by flipping through the channels with switch ups of Meet the Press (“Hey, I’m digging the new addition of Chuck Todd,”) to Food Network (“Babe, we should make this for dinner,”) and settling upon the FOX NFL Sunday (“Kaepernick said WHAT?”), I was staring at a refrigerator full of blog post leftovers that had no combination value for breakfast, too many condiments and an overflowing crisper of farmer’s market finds.

This scrambled egg recipe isn’t so much about a “recipe” per se, but what you have in the refrigerator that needs to be used up. Choose flavors that meld together, in this case, our breakfast burritos went in an Italian migration sort of way.

continue to the recipe… about Scrambled Eggs and Sausage Breakfast Burrito Plus 5 More Recipes to Fold and Go

Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella and Perfect Pizza at Home

I’m a visual learner. I’m the original demographic for DIY and how-to videos. Lucky for me, and others like me, there’s Craftsy.

This post is part of my on-going partnership with Craftsy, to share what I’ve learned from their online classes. This time around we’re talking and teaching pizza. And bonus, this class that has an Italian classic fare is FREE.

This free Craftsy class is taught by master baker Peter Reinhart who shares the ins and outs, stretches and punches of Perfect Pizza at Home. It made a fab base for my Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella. I used the pesto recipe Reinhart shares in the class to compliment my first harvest of my garden’s Supersweet 100 baby tomatoes (yes, they are THAT sweet!) and fresh mozzarella from the farmer’s market.

So let’s get down to it and talk about what I like about this Perfect Pizza.

continue to the recipe… about Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella and Perfect Pizza at Home

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