by Kami | Jan 1, 2018 | Appetizers, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Side Dishes
Who doesn’t love a creamy, warm spinach and artichoke dip?!?! This will forever be a party staple… why not make it a little healthier? Healthy does not have to equal bland and flavorless. Creating something healthy includes healthier substitutes, quality ingredients, and utilize the natural goodness from fruits and veggies. No fruits in this dip BUT we do throw in a few vegetables creating this savory cheesy easy spinach dip. I’m a huge fan of organic. Yes, organic has lots of health benefits by avoiding chemicals, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides. However, I must admit one of my main motivators for purchasing organic is the FLAVOR. For me, there is a clear contrast of flavor between organic and non-organic. Organic tastes like fresh produce plucked from your very own garden. Although I don’t specifically state organic items on the recipe, I strongly encourage you to purchase organic ingredients to enhance the taste. You will not regret it! Here are some of the products and ingredients we recommend using to make this recipe deLISH! Print Easy Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe Creamy, savory, and flavorful Easy Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe will become a go-to party recipes! Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 40 minutes Servings 12 people Ingredients 1/2 sweet onion peeled 1 jalapeño washed and seeded (add seeds for additional spice) 1 avocado pit and outer skin removed 1 cup Greek plain yogurt 1 cup shredded mozzarella 1 cup shredded fresh parmesan 1 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts (NOT marinaded) drained and coarsely chopped 10 oz frozen chopped...
by Lisa | Dec 11, 2017 | Side Dishes
Make this easy bacon mac and cheese recipe and your family will keep asking for more! It is seriously so good and so cheesy! As a kid I grew up eating the Kraft Mac and Cheese with the orange powder. I remember going to my grandma’s house where she would make it for all of us kids and then she would have extra cheese powder to pour on top. I still don’t know where she bought it from, but I admit- I loved it! These days, the boxed mac and cheese doesn’t sit well with me so I make my own delicious four cheese mac and cheese! I have to tell you though, trying to get a sauce that I was happy with took a few attempts, with many of the attempts ending up in the trash. I kept trying to make a roux and then adding in milk and cheese, only to have it turn out grainy and curdle. Even heating everything super slowly to prevent separation of the cheese, I still couldn’t do it. So, instead, I made a cheese sauce that is super easy and tastes super good without the trouble of making a roux. WIN! All you do is add butter, milk and then the cheese! Heat over low heat until melted, add the seasoning and then pour over the noodles! Easy peasy! I think if the roux had worked it would’ve made a creamier sauce, so I might still try to figure that out and get back to you all, but until then this bacon mac and cheese recipe is delicious as is!...
by Lisa | Nov 22, 2017 | Gluten-Free, Recipes, Side Dishes
I grew up eating loaded bake potatoes and loved them! We also had our fair share of cheesy scalloped potatoes, you know, the ones from the box, and I loved those too. Now that I have a home of my own and a sweet husband to cook for I’ve tried to recreate two delicious meals from my past by putting them into one dish. So here you have loaded scallop potatoes! They are creamy and cheesy and have delicious green onions and bacon in them. Could you ask for anything more?! The first step in making the best scalloped potatoes ever is to cook bacon! I love to bake bacon in the oven. It saves space on the stove top and all the grease doesn’t splatter everywhere! The best way I’ve found is to line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay the bacon in a line, some crowding is okay, the bacon just might stick together, and put in the oven. Then preheat the oven to 400°F. Yes, put the bacon in the cold oven and let it heat up as the oven heats. It will cook nice and slowly. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it’s cooked to your preferred state of doneness. Don’t forget to save the bacon grease! It is nice and rendered and can be used for cooking everything! Set the bacon aside and try not to snack on too many pieces. This will be hard because it’s bacon! Use a little of the grease to sauté the onion and garlic then add butter to the mixture. Yum! Once the butter is melted down...
by Kami | Nov 15, 2017 | Dressings and Sauces, Recipes, Side Dishes, Turkey
This turkey gravy recipe is not only easy, but also THE best and most creamy, savory turkey gravy! I grew up making gravy for my family’s weekly Sunday dinner. As a kid, I took this responsibility very seriously! Every Sunday, my mom would make Slow Cooker Roast Beef, Potatoes, and Carrots. I would make the gravy from all the remaining drippings and juices. It was the final step before dinner was ready to be served and felt a sense of pride once completing. Whether you’re making beef gravy or turkey gravy, it’s the same, simple process. Gravy is relatively simple, however it can also quickly become lumpy or too thick. The trick is to bring the liquid to a rolling boil and start stirring with a whisk prior to pouring the cornstarch mixture. I pour the cornstarch mixture directly over where I’m stirring with my whisk. Also, I watch the texture closely. Once I start noticing any thickening, I stop pouring my cornstarch mixture BUT continue consistently stirring. After about 10 seconds, you’ll be able to determine whether or not you need to add additional cornstarch mixture. If you’re making the gravy from my Smoked Whole Turkey Recipe, the juices and broth will already be full of flavor. However, if you test taste your gravy and feel it still needs more flavor, I would try adding salt and pepper 1/4 tsp at a time. You should quickly reach the flavor you’re looking for. Happy Thanksgiving and Turkey Gravy making! Print Best Turkey Gravy This turkey gravy recipe is full of flavor, simple, and will perfectly compliment your turkey or any...
by Kami | Nov 13, 2017 | Breads and Quick Breads, Chicken, Recipes, Side Dishes, Turkey
This savory classic stuffing recipe will be the perfect compliment to your Thanksgiving Turkey. The combination of just a few seasonings creates a flavorful, easy to prepare bread stuffing recipe. Full disclosure here: I have not always been the biggest fan of stuffing at Thanksgiving. It’s a staple though. Stuffing must accompany turkey at Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition! SO after several years of experimenting with stuffing, I discovered I like mine a little more crispy rather than moist and soft. In order to create more of a crunchy texture, I bake my stuffing instead of stuffing the turkey with my bread stuffing. Also, it’s pretty simple to adjust the texture of this recipe by adjusting how long you bake the stuffing uncovered. For softer more moist stuffing, bake uncovered for a shorter amount of time. For more crisp, crunchy stuffing, bake uncovered for a little longer time. No worries… I provide exact times and instructions in the recipe. When I was hunting for fresh bread crumbs, I asked one of the bakery employees at my local grocery store for help with my search. She was so kind to walk me directly over to the bakery and instruct the lady behind the counter to slice a fresh loaf of bread two ways! I had my choice of whole wheat, white, sour dough, and asiago loaves. The kind lady grabbed my whole wheat loaf, sliced that baby two ways, and made my fresh bread cubes! I’m excited to try the sour dough and asiago bread next. Most traditional stuffing recipes instruct you to use stale bread or to dry or lightly...
by Dana | Nov 10, 2017 | Easy Recipe, Recipes, Side Dishes, Slow Cooker
Creamy garlic mashed potatoes made the easy way- no boil, in the crockpot! There is nothing I love more than creamy garlic mashed potatoes as a side dish. They are so comforting and they go with so many main dishes! But, during the holidays we get so hectic we just don’t have time to watch yet another pot on the stove. No worries, I got you covered with this slow cooker garlic mashed potato recipe! What I really love about slow cooker recipes is you can just throw everything in the pot and the hard part is over. That’s the same with this recipe, the hardest part is peeling the potatoes beforehand. What potatoes can I use? For this recipe, I used russet potatoes. I just peeled them, cut them into a large dice and threw them in the pot. You can also use a tender skin potato like red potatoes and leave the skin on, it’s really up to you. Keep in mind though that russet potatoes mash up super fluffy and other varieties can get a little gummy. Easy Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes Directions: If using russet potatoes, peel them and cut them into a large dice. Throw them into a slow cooker with stock, minced garlic, herbs, and salt. I recommend cooking them on low for 6-7 hours but if you need them faster, on high for 3-4 hours will do. Keep in mind, the potatoes might get browned around the edges on the high setting. When the potatoes are tender, add butter, sour cream, half and half, and seasonings. Mash until...
