Yummy, EASY mini puff pastry cinnamon rolls made in a mini-muffin tin! These shortcut cinnamon rolls are perfect for a small dessert or snack for a baby shower or Mother's Day brunch. They have all the flavor of cinnamon rolls in flaky crust with no yeast, rising, or kneading.
What's it called when it's definitely baking in that we turn the oven on, but very low effort?
That's what I think of every time I use frozen puff pastry.
...This old fashioned pimento cheese recipe is absolutely perfect! I love to have pimento cheese homemade with lots of storebought ingredients (crackers, cheese, pickles, etc) for an easy cheese board at a party or for a snack plate dinner! This is extra delicious paired with some homemade focaccia for dunking.
OK SO.
Let us discuss the glory that is pimento cheese, since it's Master's Weekend and we live in the South. Since I started this blog I've made a LOT of pimento cheese, and have tweaked the recipe over the years to a combination that I absolutely adore.
Other people adore it too, and that's not something I say about a lot of the food I make, because I'm insecure. Pimento cheese homemade, though, is something that people of all walks of life really enjoy when it is good. Back when we used to cater this was one of our most-ordered recipes, hands down.
...For the countdown to Christmas, a super easy no bake chocolate pie recipe! This pie has the best chocolate mousse ever as a filling, a par-baked pie crust, and keeps perfectly in the fridge for several days. I love all kinds of chocolate pies at the holidays (this chocolate chess pie is another huge hit!), and this one is a huge favorite!
Welp. Christmas time is here.
I'm sure everyone in the world is thinking and talking about and writing the same "what a strange holiday" lines, and it's true, everything is strange. It seems like lots of people are kind of used to the strange at this point; we know nothing will be like it is normally but that doesn't stop us from wanting it, at least not for me.
The endless back and forth of hard decisions with no clear answer, hurt feelings, fake news, and on and on and on is getting to us as a culture, and some of the best "answers" I've heard for how Christmas will go down this year is somewhere along the lines of "the same but way less."
This no bake chocolate pie recipe is 100% "the same but way less." It's a really, really good recipe for chocolate pie, and it's really, really easy. There's nothing to do besides bake a pre-made pie crust, whip some cream, add chocolate, and chill while it chills.
I couldn't help myself.
...These chewy cookies are just like subway white chocolate macadamia cookies but so much better! I add almond extract for some extra special bakery taste that complements the white chocolate chips so well. And, yes, if you find Funfetti chocolate chips like I did you should 100% use them in this recipe.
First full week of December, we made it!
Let's talk about productive procrastination:
...Channeling major Kate-Winslet-The-Holiday Christmas pasta recipe vibes with this super easy creamy lobster pasta recipe! I buy frozen lobster tails when I see them on sale and keep them in the freezer for extra special meals when we need cozy + comforting without spending a ton of time on dinner. I have a lobster mac and cheese recipe too for even more creamy dreamy lobster!
Oh hey, December. Didn't see you there with all the Thanksgiving pandemic election fake news bs inundating my brain and screens.
But, December it is, and December means we need some festive meals. Right? Right. Let's get right into this lobster pasta cream sauce of joy situation.
...Some of my favorite recipes with Thanksgiving leftovers, as well as ideas for incorporating leftovers into lunches and dinners for the coming days!
We made it! To the day before Thanksgiving, in the middle of a pandemic, after a very stressful election season.
AND THEN, we get to plan what to do with our Thanksgiving leftovers! I know lots of people prefer to repeat the meal a few times, which I'm fully on board with, but I also like doing different things without wasting anything.
...Two weeks until Thanksgiving! And in less than two weeks we'll be elbow deep in stuffing prep, right?
I will be, at least.
I've shared a few new Thanksviging menu recipes this year, and now is the moment that we get our Thanksgiving menu planning hats on and get to work. Lists, prep, groceries, etc.
This year I'm making two new menus - One that is going to be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for larger groups, and one small Thanksgiving dinner menu plan for gatherings that are just you and some besties. It's Thanksgiving Menu 2020, COVID-style.
...Super simple buttermilk cornish game hens roasted to perfection! This recipe has only 3 ingredients and is a fabulous Thanksgiving turkey alternative. The smaller size makes them much more manageable, and they roast in just an hour, leaving time for all of the other yummy side dishes you're making to heat up!
Two and a half weeks to Thanksgiving!
There's another countdown in my head to January 20, 2021, BUT I DIGRESS.
...What is Potatoes Romanoff? Only the best twice baked potato casserole recipe in the world! Envision: leftover baked potatoes, fused with cheese, butter, sour cream, and seasonings. I love this for a super easy Thanksgiving side dish that can be made ahead, but it's also delicious as a meal prep side dish served with my favorite marinated grilled chicken for dinner!
Great news!
We are staving off election and pandemic jitters with carbs and dairy.
What can I say except, you're welcome? (listening to a lot of Moana recently, Will's choice)
...This creamy, cheesy baked broccoli has just FIVE INGREDIENTS and comes together in under an hour. It's my favorite new easy thanksgiving side dish for this year and is absolutely replacing traditional broccoli casserole (much as I love all casseroles!). This cheesy broccoli wins the side dish game again and again.
Well, HELLO. We're starting Thanksgiving side dish recipes!!
(no one asked, I realize this)
...This brown butter blondies recipe is the best ever! With a gooey, nutty center, crackly crust, and chocolate slightly melted and swirled into the batter, you won't find a better potluck dessert recipe! These easy blondies are super rich making them the perfect small dessert. The recipe is from food52 and we can't get enough!
I have great news for introverts.
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..or literally anything you are celebrating in the next two weeks.
Hello and how is your life! We have moved, had dance recitals, cleaned out our old house via 9,827 trips across town, lost things, found things, donated things, done some Christmas shopping, cancelled a vacation, and now, finally, are getting all in on Christmas, which they tell me is next week.
I have done no planning, no decorating, no wrapping, hardly any shopping. The whole thing is v out of character, but it's a season we're in right now so I'm going with it.
Now, though, the dust is settling somewhat and I'm all...oh right so it's happening NOW. We're hosting a gathering next week with Jay's family which will be lovely, and I'm starting to piece together what things I can cook for what stuff we'll be doing this week and next....
Hello and welcome to the middle weeks!
There is still school. There are still chores. We're still working. But we're in the MOOD for holiday stuff, right? It's busier, there are more activities, more opportunities to not keep up the great habits we've spent all year building. Meal prep quiche is here to save us from takeout temptation.
This is another version of my absolute favorite quiche that I shared several weeks ago - the Kale Roasted Red Pepper Quiche that dreams are made of. Here, we have options because we need our quiche to be exactly how we want it every single time. Meal prep quiche is the best kind of quiche, basically.
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One of my best "use the oven at all times" Thanksgiving tips: plan an easy side dish that can roast or broil while the turkey rests and is carved.
EVEN IF you have a few casseroles that need to reheat at the same time, having one veggie that comes out of the oven fresh right as you're ready to eat makes a really nice balance to what can be a pretty heavy meal.
This technique can apply to tons of veggies, like this 5-minute asparagus from last year or these broiled lemon green beans. This year, I'm doing spiced, roasted Brussels sprouts. They get washed/prepped early in the week, then tossed with butter and spices early in the day. It's a raw veg, so no need to clog up fridge space. They hang out on a baking sheet prepped and ready, roast in the oven while the turkey gets its beauty treatment, and done! A vegetable for those of us that like some vegetables with our butter.
...aka my BIL Ben being all "omg but seriously what the f~ck is in this."
It's butter. And sausage. And REALLY good bread, just enough seasoning, and we find that really good sausage stuffing does not have to be really hard to make. In fact, this may be one of the easiest Thanksgiving side dishes to make and quite possibly the best stuffing ever.
I've seen stuffing with TONS of ingredients, sometimes so many that the stuffing becomes a meal in and of itself. I think those recipes are fun and interesting, but for Thanksgiving I'm really into basic recipes so that one thing on the dish isn't completely overwhelming to the rest of the plate.
Enter, this classic and easy sausage stuffing recipe. It's got really yummy flavors but just nine ingredients, stuff that is readily available, and can be made well in advance (a few days before your big meal certainly), baked, and reheated right before you eat.
The resulting sausage stuffing is super flavorful, tender with some crispy bits, salty and savory from the sausage and spices.
...That's right. It's turkey time.
How are you on turkey at Thanksgiving? I'm very medium. Mostly here for the sides, can manage if it's well cooked and the gravy is on point. It's never my FAVORITE thing, though. And the obvious next thing to say would be...."until now," but honestly still give me all the casseroles.
HOWEVER. This turkey is 1,000% delicious, flavorful, juicy, and just really really simple to make and make well.
My issue is dry turkey, mainly. This is not that.
...IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HERE.
The first Thanksgiving recipe of 2019!
I'm psyched. Thanksgiving recipes are so much fun to brainstorm, and we had the best time a few months ago coming up with some really delicious new recipes for you!
Up first: Jiffy Corn Pudding. It's made in a jif....ha...don't leave me. There are LOTS of things that are called corn pudding and corn casserole, and this version is as follows: cornbread mix to save us some time, corn because vegetables, spices for flavor, pepper jack cheese, sour cream AND heavy cream because it's Thanksgiving, crackers on top for crunch.
...This recipe for pumpkin blondies is similar to the best ever brown butter blondies that we love so much, with added pumpkin and fall spices for an easy fall twist on this delicious dessert! We make these pumpkin blondies in advance - they keep great in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for even longer.
Got you some seasonal ish, right here.
I am having a season of easy blondies recipes. Since Beck has been old enough to vaguely care about helping in the kitchen I find that I enjoy baking more and more BUT, baking tends to take a lot of time, and Beck's attention span is approximately 47 seconds.
So I'm always on the hunt for quick dessert recipes - things that don't have a ton of ingredients or use a mixer, that sort of thing. Like my absolute favorite brownies: those are worth her attention.
Cue: Brown Butter Pumpkin Blondies.
...this recipe is sponsored by microplane. they're offering a discount code to readers (see below!) and there will be a giveaway on Instagram later this week. be sure to follow along and enter!
Here's our new super duper easy one-pot dinner for fall!
I have been SO excited to share this with you. Creamed Spinach Mac and Cheese. It's one of those really nice unicorn dishes that everyone likes, that has veggies in it, that is comforting but not so heavy that we can't eat it on a Tuesday, checks a lot of boxes.
Let's break it down: We are boiling some noodles, and we aren't messing around with a roux/white sauce. We're stirring some dairy stuff together super quickly because we're hungry. Fresh nutmeg grated with Microplane's Spice Mill adds tons of flavor with zero effort, and garlic + handfuls of greens round the whole thing out. The resulting creamy mac is practically perfect in every way.
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