This Turkey Taco Salad is an easy, light, and fresh dinner that’s flexible enough to feed all your family members. Mix and match your favorite taco salad toppings, or just use up what you have in your fridge!
Winter is full of lots of heavy, slow cooked, or stewed comfort foods and right around this time every year I start craving something lighter and more fresh. Enter this super simple Turkey Taco Salad. It comes together quickly, it gives me all the flavors I need, and it’s still super filling. Oh, and did I mention how flexible it is? Read on for tons of ideas for substitutions and add-ins!
Dressing Options
I used my homemade Creamy Avocado Dressing for this taco salad, but you can definitely swap that out with your favorite creamy salad dressing. A taco or chipotle flavored ranch, green goddess dressing, or even a tangy Catalina dressing would all be great.
Can I Substitute the Ground Turkey?
Yes, this recipe works great with ground beef or pork, or you can even make it vegetarian using tempeh. To use tempeh, simply crumble the tempeh into a skillet, add a cup of water, and let the tempeh simmer until the water mostly evaporates, then add the taco seasoning and continue to sauté for a couple minutes more.
Other Add-ins and Substitutions
Taco salads are so flexible! Here are some other ingredient ideas that you can use in place of or in addition to anything listed in the recipe below:
Make the salad dressing first so the flavors have time to blend. Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Add the avocado to a food processor or blender along with the sour cream, garlic (minced), salt, lime juice, cilantro, and water. Purée until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Next, cook the taco seasoned turkey. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it into pieces as you stir. When it's about half-way cooked, add the taco seasoning and continue to stir and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
Thaw the frozen corn (I use the microwave). Wash and chop the romaine lettuce, rinse and drain the black beans, slice the grape tomatoes in half, slice the jalapeño, and shred the cheddar cheese.
To build the salad, lay a bed of the chopped lettuce in each bowl, top with beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, seasoned turkey, and a few slices of jalapeño. Drizzle the creamy avocado dressing over top and enjoy!
Notes
*I used my own homemade taco seasoning, but you can use a store-bought taco seasoning packet, if you prefer.
How to Make Turkey Taco Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the creamy avocado dressing first, so the flavors have a few minutes to blend. In a food processor or blender, combine 1 avocado (peeled and pit removed), ½ cup sour cream, 1 clove of garlic (minced), ¼ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp lime juice, ¼ bunch cilantro, and ¼ cup water. Process until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
Add ½ Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add 1 lb. ground turkey and break it into pieces as it cooks. When it’s about half-cooked, add 2 Tbsp taco seasoning (or one store-bought taco seasoning packet) and continue to cook and stir until the turkey is cooked through.
Set the cooked, seasoned taco meat aside.
While the turkey is cooking, you can begin to prepare the rest of the toppings. Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of black beans, thaw 1 cup frozen corn (I use the microwave), slice 1 pint of grape tomatoes in half, shred about 2 oz. of cheddar, and slice one jalapeño.
Also, wash and chop one head of Romaine lettuce. To begin building your salad, place the chopped lettuce in the bottom of a large serving bowl (or you can create four smaller single-serving salads).
Start adding the toppings: corn, tomatoes, shredded cheddar, and black beans.
Top with the turkey taco meat and sliced jalapeños…
And finally, drizzle your creamy avocado dressing over top and enjoy!
You guys know how I love using leftover odds and ends in my fridge to make delicious meals on the fly, right? Well these tasty little eggs baked in a tortilla shell are my newest obsession. You can toss just about any meat, vegetable, or cheese into these Tortilla Baked Eggs to come up with your own tasty creation.
You guys know how I love using leftover odds and ends in my fridge to make delicious meals on the fly, right? Well these tasty little eggs baked in a tortilla shell are my newest obsession. You can toss just about any meat, vegetable, or cheese into these Tortilla Baked Eggs to come up with your own tasty creation. Sounds like a fun Saturday morning project to me!
What Kind of Baking Dish To Use
You can use any type of round, oven-safe dish that is about 1 to 2-inches deep. It should also have straight, vertical sides. Round cake pans or pie plates are a great option. As far as what size to use, you’ll want to use a dish that is one to two inches smaller in diameter than your tortilla, so the tortilla can be folded up on the sides to hold in the eggs and fillings.
What Size Tortilla Should I Use?
My tortillas were 8-inches in diameter, which was perfect for my 7-inch diameter dish. If you are using an eight or nine-inch diameter cake pan, you’ll probably want a 10-inch diameter tortilla. If you have a larger tortilla, you may want to add 1-2 more eggs than I used below.
Topping Ideas
These tortilla baked eggs are SO flexible and you can toss just about anything that you have leftover in your fridge into them, kind of like an omelette or frittata! Here are some combination ideas:
Roasted red peppers, feta, red onion
Chopped broccoli, cheddar
Ham, cheddar, bell pepper
Sun dried tomato, feta, spinach
Mushrooms, spinach, goat cheese
Tortilla Baked Eggs
Tortilla Baked Eggs are a fun and flexible way to use leftover ingredients from the week in a delicious homemade breakfast.
Total Cost $1.22 recipe / $0.61 serving
Prep Time 5minutes
Cook Time 25minutes
Total Time 30minutes
Servings 2
Calories 320.55kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes
Ingredients
1/2Tbspolive oil$0.18
18"flour tortilla$0.14
1cupfresh spinach$0.16
4largeeggs$0.23
1/8tspsalt$0.01
1/8tspfreshly cracked black pepper$0.01
1/2cupgrape tomatoes$0.37
1/4cupshredded cheddar$0.21
1/8tspcrushed red pepper (optional)$0.01
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Brush the inside of a round, 7-inch diameter oven safe dish* with olive oil. Press the tortilla down into the dish so that the edges of the tortilla are folded up the sides of the dish (see step by step photos below).
Roughly chop the spinach then add it to the bottom of the tortilla. Crack the four eggs into the tortilla on top of the spinach. Add a pinch of salt and pepper on top of the eggs.
Slice the grap tomatoes in half, then sprinkle them over the eggs. Finally, top with shredded cheese.
Bake the egg filled tortilla in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still jammy. You can shake the dish to see if the whites still jiggle or if they are set. Baking time may vary depending on the size of your tortilla and number of eggs used.
Remove the tortilla baked eggs from the oven and slide them out of the dish. Slice into four pieces, then serve!
Notes
*You can use any size oven-safe round dish, but make sure you use a tortilla of a slightly larger size than the dish. For instance, you can use an 8-inch pie tin, but you’ll want to use a tortilla that is approximately 9-inches in diameter. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your dish and tortilla. See step 4 above for a tip on how to tell it’s finished baking.
How to Make Tortilla Baked Eggs – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Brush about 1/2 Tbsp olive oil on the inside of a round, 7-inch diameter oven safe dish.
Press an 8-inch flour tortilla down into the dish so that the edges of the tortilla are folded up the sides of the dish.
Roughly chop one cup fresh spinach and place it inside the tortilla.
Crack four large eggs onto the spinach and season with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
Top with a handful of grape tomatoes (sliced in half) and a little shredded cheddar (about ¼ cup).
Bake the egg-filled tortilla in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still jammy. You can shake the dish to see if the whites still jiggle or if they are set. Baking time may vary depending on the size of your tortilla and the number of eggs used.I also finished off my eggs with a pinch of crushed red pepper, but that’s optional!
Slide the tortilla out of the dish and onto a plate or cutting board. Slice into four pieces, then serve!
Confession: I brought a sad cheese plate to last year’s Friendsgiving, and it went ignored in the corner. It was an embarrassing moment for a cookbook author,…
Confession: I brought a sad cheese plate to last year’s Friendsgiving, and it went ignored in the corner. It was an embarrassing moment for a cookbook author, and I’ve been determined to improve my cheese board game ever since.
I walked into the party to find a gorgeous and elaborate cheese board nearly spanning the full length of the dinner table. My friend Jordan has a degree in sculpture, and she can sure put together a beautiful cheese board.
I took the opportunity to study her design. I can’t say that my efforts are quite to her level yet, but I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks to share with you today.
Building a beautiful cheese board feels like a fun art project. We’ll mix different flavors, colors, shapes and textures to build an enticing appetizer board. Give yourself some time to put it together, and you’ll enjoy the process all the more. The trick is to fill every little space on the board with nuts and fruit so it looks completely abundant.
A cheese board is the perfect excuse to break out your special serving items. If you don’t have a dedicated cheese board in your cabinets, though, don’t fret. For your base, you can use a nice wooden cutting board, a large serving platter, or even a tray or baking sheet covered with parchment paper. If you don’t have a set of cheese knives, offer butter knives, cocktail forks, cocktail picks or toothpicks.
Basically, anything goes, and no occasion is too minor for a cheese board. You just might have everything you need at home already. How about a cheese board with your French 75 this evening?
Breakfast quesadillas are one of my absolute favorite foods. Not just a favorite breakfast food, but a favorite any time food. Normally I stick to a quick fried egg and a slice of cheese, but this weekend I made these Sausage and Egg Breakfast Quesadillas, which are a step above my busy weekday version.
Breakfast quesadillas are one of my absolute favorite foods. Not just a favorite breakfast food, but a favorite any time food. Normally I stick to a quick fried egg and a slice of cheese, but this weekend I made these Sausage and Egg Breakfast Quesadillas, which are a step above my busy weekday version. And the best part? I froze the other five quesadillas so I can reheat them anytime (like I did for lunch today!)
What’s in a Breakfast Quesadilla?
Okay, so I kept these breakfast quesadillas super simple, but I’ve got some ideas for “spicing” them up below, if you’re interested. The only thing you need is sausage, eggs, cheese, tortillas, salt, and pepper. It’s just that easy! Since these quesadillas are super simple, they do have a more mild flavor (this one is for all my friends with sensitive tongues). If you want some extra flavor, read on.
What Else Can I Add?
Quesadillas are great for using up leftovers in your fridge. So whether you want to add more flavor or you just want to use up some things that are floating around in your fridge, here are some good picks for these sausage and egg breakfast quesadillas:
Sliced green onions
Crushed red pepper
Everything bagel seasoning
Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
Diced bell pepper (sauté with the browned sausage until tender)
Crumbled feta
Fresh spinach
How to Serve Breakfast Quesadillas
If you’re in a hurry, or just lazy like me, you can eat these breakfast quesadillas just as they are. They make a great hand-held meal for when you’re on the go. If you are sitting down to your meal, you can serve them with a side of salsa and sour cream for dipping!
How to Freeze and Reheat
As I mentioned in the intro, I froze most of my quesadillas so I could reheat them later. To freeze the quesadillas, fill and fold the tortillas like you are about to toast them in the skillet, but instead stack them on a plate or baking sheet with parchment between each one. Transfer that to the freezer and freeze for about an hour or until they’re frozen solid. Once solid, transfer to an air-tight freezer bag for long term storage. They’ll probably be good for about three months.
To reheat, place one of the frozen quesadillas in a skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Cook on each side until golden brown and crispy. It’s VERY important not to have the heat too high, or else the tortilla will burn before the filling has time to thaw and heat through. So go slow.
What is Country Sausage?
I used country sausage for these breakfast quesadillas, which is a loose (not in links) raw sausage that is fairly mild in flavor (there are hot varieties). It is sometimes also called breakfast sausage, although it is not sweet like a maple breakfast sausage. I used this brand, but there are many recipes for country sausage online if you want to make your own using ground pork.
Sausage and Egg Breakfast Quesadillas
Sausage and egg breakfast quesadillas are an easy and filling breakfast option that is also freezer-friendly, so you can stock up for later!
Total Cost $5.02 recipe / $0.34 per quesadilla
Prep Time 5minutes
Cook Time 20minutes
Total Time 25minutes
Servings 6quesadillas
Calories 325.15kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes
Ingredients
8oz.country sausage$1.45
6largeeggs$1.40
1/4tspsalt$0.02
1/4tsppepper$0.02
6oz.cheddar$1.27
6mediumflour tortillas$0.86
Instructions
Add the sausage to a skillet and cook over medium heat until the sausage is browned and crispy on the edges. When the sausage is cooked, remove it from the skillet using a slotted spoon so they grease stays behind in the skillet.
While the sausage is cooking, crack six eggs into a bowl and season with salt and pepper (about ¼ tsp each). Whisk the eggs. Shred the cheddar cheese.
Add the whisked eggs to the skillet with the sausage grease, and continue to cook them over medium heat, gently folding them as the eggs set. Cook until the eggs are set, but still moist. Remove the skillet from the heat.
With the skillet off the heat, add the cooked sausage and shredded cheddar to the skillet with the scrambled eggs. Fold the ingredients together until they are evenly combined.
Place about ½ cup of the sausage, egg, and cheese mixture into each tortilla, spreading it out to cover half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla closed. You can either toast or freeze the quesadillas at this point (see freezing instructions above the recipe).
To cook the quesadillas, add them back to the skillet (I like to do this in a dry skillet) and cook over medium heat on each side until the tortilla is brown and crispy and the cheese on the inside is melted. Slice the quesadilla into three pieces, then serve.
How to Make Sausage and Egg Breakfast Quesadillas – Step by Step Photos
Brown 8oz. country sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Cook it until the edges are brown and crispy, not just until it’s no longer pink. When the sausage is cooked, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon, so the grease stays in the skillet.
While the sausage is cooking, crack six eggs into a bowl and season with salt and pepper (about ¼ tsp each). Whisk the eggs.
Shred six ounces of cheddar cheese.
Add the whisked eggs to the skillet with the remaining sausage grease. Continue to cook over medium, gently folding the eggs as they set. Cook the eggs until they are set, but still moist. Don’t overcook the eggs. ;)
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cooked sausage and shredded cheese.
Fold the ingredients together until they’re evenly combined.
Add about ½ cup of the sausage, egg, cheese mixture to each tortilla, spreading it out over half of the tortilla, then fold it closed. Once filled and folded, they can either be cooked or frozen.
To cook the quesadillas, add them back to the skillet (I don’t add any oil or butter, but you can if you prefer). Cook over medium on each side, or until the tortilla is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted on the inside.
Slice each quesadilla into three pieces, then serve!
To freeze the quesadillas, stack them on a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper between each layer. Freeze for about an hour or until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat from frozen, simply add to a skillet and heat over medium-low until they are brown and crispy on the outside and heated through.
These smoky cheddar twists are the easiest snack to make this week! Seriously, they only have four ingredients. Four! They come together in no time at all. They taste amazing, can be served alone or in conjunction with a little cheese plate or something. The twists are light enough to be a snack before dinner […]
These smoky cheddar twists are the easiest snack to make this week!
Seriously, they only have four ingredients. Four! They come together in no time at all. They taste amazing, can be served alone or in conjunction with a little cheese plate or something. The twists are light enough to be a snack before dinner without ruining your appetizer, which is obviously the best thing ever.
I’m always on the fence about serving an appetizer before Thanksgiving dinner. Many years, I don’t do it at all. Some years, I’ve done soup shooters. Others, I’ve done this pomegranate cheese ball. Last year, I did a very small cheese plate.
The Thanksgiving meal is SO heavy and indulgent that I hate serving anything ahead of time and ruining the meal!
Last year I made this spinach artichoke twist star and it has been such a hit. It’s deceivingly easy to make and tastes amazing. And while we love that, I am always afraid it’s just TOO much at Thanksgiving. A bit too much before the meal.
So! Enter these smoky cheddar twists.
These are so embarrassing easy! All you need is a sheet of puff pastry. You’re going to sprinkle it all over with either chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika.
The chipotle chili powder definitely has some heat. I wouldn’t say it’s spicy right off the bat, but it leaves the heat and spice lingering in your mouth. If you’re not into spicy things, I’d skip it.
The smoked paprika (make sure it’s smoked and not HOT!) will be super smoky, without the spice. It’s easily one of my favorite spices (I’m sure you’ve noticed this) and I love using it.
Both work, depending on what you’re going for.
The key is to use freshly grated cheddar. Press it gently into the puff pastry and it will stick a bit. Twist the puff pastry strips and then bake!
Don’t worry about any rogue cheese shreds that fall out of the twists. They will get crisp on the pan and stick to the twists and be the perfect bite of sharp, crispy cheese! Seriously, it’s one of the best parts.
The only downside about puff pastry twists is that these are best when baked fresh. They hold up for an hour or two after baking, but there is nothing like flakey, buttery puff pastry fresh out of the oven. Divine!
The good news is that you can prep these ahead of time! You can make the twists and either store them in the fridge or freezer. Remove, brush with egg wash and bake. Done!
Exactly the easy kind of treats we need right now!
These smoky cheddar twists are made with only 4 ingredients! Super simple, made with puff pastry and sharp cheddar. Such a great quick snack!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15minutes
Cook Time 25minutes
Total Time 40minutes
Servings 4people
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
1sheet puff pastry,thawed if frozen
1 to 2teaspoonschipotle chili powder or smoked paprika
6ouncessharp cheddar cheese,freshly grated
1large egg + 1 teaspoon water,lightly beaten for egg wash
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the puff pastry sheet on the parchment. Sprinkle all over with the chipotle chili powder (this is a bit spicy) or the smoked paprika (more smoky, less spice!). Cover with the grated cheddar cheese. Lightly press down to press the cheese to the pastry.
Use a pizza cutter and slice the pastry into strips (I cut it from top to bottom, with the sheet horizontal). Take each of those strips and gently twist it from the edges and the center. Twist it four or five times. Don’t worry if there is cheese on the parchment - it will become crispy and delicious!
Brush the pastry twists with the egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Remove and serve immediately!
Thanksgiving is probably going to look a little different for a lot of us this year, but we can still celebrate, enjoy good food and each other’s company in new and creative ways. Since a lot of Thanksgiving gatherings will be a bit smaller this year, I’m going to take advantage of cooking less volume by adding a little more flare. Maybe go for that fancy cheese. Add that extra topping. Cook a sauce from scratch. It’s all easier and more affordable when you’re cooking for a smaller crowd. So that’s what I did with this super cheesy, Loaded Cauliflower Casserole. It’s a rich and indulgent side dish with tons of fun toppings and a smaller batch size, fit for a smaller 2020 Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving is probably going to look a little different for a lot of us this year, but we can still celebrate, enjoy good food and each other’s company in new and creative ways. Since a lot of Thanksgiving gatherings will be a bit smaller this year, I’m going to take advantage of cooking less volume by adding a little more flare. Maybe go for that fancy cheese. Add that extra topping. Cook a sauce from scratch. It’s all easier and more affordable when you’re cooking for a smaller crowd. So that’s what I did with this super cheesy, Loaded Cauliflower Casserole. It’s a rich and indulgent side dish with tons of fun toppings and a smaller batch size, fit for a smaller 2020 Thanksgiving feast.
Adding that extra flare is also more affordable thanks to the awesome selection at my local ALDI store. They have everything I need for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, plus those fun specialty ingredients that can take your meal to the next level, all for unbeatable prices. And their cheese selection? Ah-maz-ing. So, I had a little fun with the cheese in this dish and used two different varieties of cheddar. #noregrets
What Kind of Cheese is Best?
Cheddar is definitely the best choice for this Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole because it melts smoothly and has a rich and creamy flavor. But you can play around with different flavors of cheddar to give the dish more flare. I used Emporium Selection Vintage Selection White Cheddar from ALDI for the cheese sauce, and their classic Happy Farms Mild Cheddar for the topping. If you want to try something more fun, they have tons of seasonal flavored cheddars like smoked cheddar, hatch pepper cheddar, or Cajun spice cheddar, all of which would all be incredible in this casserole.
Use the ALDI store finder here to find a store near you, then tell me in the comments below what kind of cheese you tried, so I can go try it too. ;)
What Else Can I Add?
If you want to add even more to your already “loaded” cauliflower casserole, I have some ideas. I tend to like things spicy, so a few thinly sliced jalapeños would be awesome, especially if coupled with a few small dollops of cooling sour cream. Slices of avocado might also be nice. Or, if you want to take this a different direction, a light drizzle of sweet and tangy BBQ sauce would be an amazing compliment to the creamy, cheesy sauce.
Want to turn it into a meal casserole? Add some shredded chicken or browned Italian sausage before drenching the cauliflower with sauce.
What is the Serving Size?
While I could probably easily eat half of this myself, I don’t think that would be a reasonable serving size, considering how rich this casserole is. This recipe makes about six smaller Thanksgiving sized servings (serving sizes tend to shrink when you’re trying to fit more items on one plate), or maybe four regular weeknight-dinner-sized side dish servings. It all depends on how many other items you’re serving with your meal.
Can the Recipe be Doubled?
Yes, absolutely! I purposely made this a smaller batch size recipe, but if you do have more mouths to feed this recipe is easily doubled. As long as you use a 9×13″ casserole dish so that everything is still evenly spread out, the cook times should all remain the same.
Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
This rich and cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole is an indulgent Thanksgiving side dish with plenty of flare.
Total Cost $8.65 recipe / $1.44 serving (prices may vary by location)
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the grease in the pan and let it drain on a paper towel lined plate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower, then cut it into small florets. Add the cauliflower florets to a pot and cover with water. Place a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Let the cauliflower boil for about 5 minutes, or until it is fork tender. Drain the cauliflower well in a colander.
While the cauliflower is draining, prepare the cheese sauce. Add the butter and flour to a sauce pot. Melt the butter over medium heat, then continue to cook and stir the flour and butter for about two minutes more.
Whisk the milk into the flour and butter until it is fully dissolved, and no lumps remain. Continue to heat and stir over medium until the milk reaches a gentle simmer, at which point it will thicken to the consistency of heavy cream.
Season the white sauce with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat, then begin adding the shredded vintage cheddar, one handful at a time, making sure it has fully melted in before adding the next handful. If the sauce becomes too cold to melt the cheese, place it over low heat only until all the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Place the boiled and drained cauliflower in a 2-quart casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower, making sure it is fully covered. Top with the remaining 2 oz. shredded mild cheddar and the French Fried onions.
Bake the cauliflower for only ten minutes, then switch the oven from bake to broil and broil for 3-5 minutes, or just until the top is slightly browned (broiling is optional). Do not over bake the casserole, or the cheese sauce will split.
Remove the casserole from the oven and top with the cooked bacon and sliced green onions. Serve hot.
How to Make Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole – Step by Step Photos
Cook about 4oz. bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the grease in the pan and let it drain on a paper towel lined plate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the leaves and stem from one head cauliflower, then cut it into florets. Add the florets to a large pot, cover with water, place a lid on top, then bring it up to a boil over high heat. Let the cauliflower boil until fork tender (about 5 minutes). Drain the cauliflower in colander.
Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a pot over medium heat (I used the same pot from the cauliflower to avoid dirtying another pot). Add 3 Tbsp flour and continue to cook and stir for about two minutes.
Whisk two cups of milk into the butter and flour mixture until it is fully dissolved, and no lumps remain. Continue to cook and stir the milk over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer, at which point it will thicken to about the same consistency as heavy cream.
Season the sauce with ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp salt.
Remove the sauce from the heat and begin adding the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, making sure it is fully melted in before adding more. If the sauce becomes too cold to continue melting the cheese, place it over low heat only as you melt in the rest of the cheese.
When all of the cheese has been melted into the sauce it will be thick and cheesy.
Place the cooked and drained cauliflower in a 2-quart casserole dish, then pour the cheese sauce over top, making sure to fully cover the cauliflower.
Add the final 2oz. shredded mild cheddar and ¼ cup French fried onions on top. Bake the casserole for ten minutes, then switch the setting on the oven from bake to broil. Broil for 3-5 minutes, or just until you get some slightly browning on top.
After baking, add the final toppings: cooked bacon and sliced green onions. Serve hot and enjoy the creamy, cheesy goodness!
This Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is cozy and cheesy: the ultimate comfort food! It’s fast and easy to whip up in a pressure cooker. There’s nothing more comforting than a good bowl of mac and cheese. Ever tried it in your pressure cooker? Turns out, Instant Pot mac and cheese is layer upon layer of cozy. The way the Instant Pot cooks pasta makes it soft and supple, which has a down-home sort of vibe to it. It’s not al dente, but it almost feels like an elevated version of box mac and cheese. The big selling point here? The method is very hands off: throw the ingredients in the pot and press Go! Nothing better than that. Here are all the cozy secrets to this method. Ingredients for this Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe This Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe might even better easier than cooking from a box. (Maybe?) You need only a few ingredients, and assuming you stock cheese and pasta: they might already be in your pantry. Here’s what you need: Short pasta: Sure, you can use macaroni. But our favorite pasta shapes for mac and cheese are any other short type […]
This Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is cozy and cheesy: the ultimate comfort food! It’s fast and easy to whip up in a pressure cooker.
There’s nothing more comforting than a good bowl of mac and cheese. Ever tried it in your pressure cooker? Turns out, Instant Pot mac and cheese is layer upon layer of cozy. The way the Instant Pot cooks pasta makes it soft and supple, which has a down-home sort of vibe to it. It’s not al dente, but it almost feels like an elevated version of box mac and cheese. The big selling point here? The method is very hands off: throw the ingredients in the pot and press Go! Nothing better than that. Here are all the cozy secrets to this method.
Ingredients for this Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe
This Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe might even better easier than cooking from a box. (Maybe?) You need only a few ingredients, and assuming you stock cheese and pasta: they might already be in your pantry. Here’s what you need:
Short pasta: Sure, you can use macaroni. But our favorite pasta shapes for mac and cheese are any other short type of pasta: shells, penne, fusilli, bowties, orecchiette and more. See below!
Sharp cheddar cheese: make sure it’s not aged
Monterey Jack cheese
Milk
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (optional)
Pasta cooks to soft, not al dente in an Instant Pot
Over here, we’re sticklers for getting the perfect al dente when we cook our pasta. But here’s what to know about mac and cheese in the Instant Pot:
Cooking pasta in the Instant Pot comes out with a soft texture, not al dente. But here’s the thing: it’s still delicious! Cooking the pasta to a softer texture helps it to soak in sauces and it has more of a “down-home” cozy comforting vibe. Think of it as a totally different way to make a pot of pasta!
Leftovers of this Instant Pot mac and cheese work too. Even though the pasta comes out soft, leftovers work too! Add a splash of milk and reheat it in a skillet, and this tastes almost as good as new.
How to make Instant Pot mac and cheese: basic steps
There’s barely 5 minutes of hands on time here! It takes about 25 minutes to complete, but most of this Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is hands off. That’s what makes it great as a quick weeknight meal, or to whip up for kids or as a side dish for a stunning main. Here are the basic steps to this recipe:
Pressure cook the pasta for 4 minutes. Remember that there’s a “preheat time” of about 10 minute before the Instant Pot gets up to pressure. This part takes about 15 minutes total.
Quick release! If you’re an Instant Pot pro, you’ll know: quick release recipes are the best! This means you don’t have to continue to wait for a natural release.
Switch to slow cooker mode and stir in the milk and cheese. Stir until they form a creamy sauce, just a minute or two.
Bread crumbs optional!
If you’re a mac and cheese purist, there’s something so satisfying about topping this gooey, cheesy mess with crunchy breadcrumbs. The contrasting texture is extremely satisfying. But of course it’s not necessary! We like using seasoned Italian breadcrumbs because it adds a little nuance of herbs. They’re easy to find at the store, or you can make your own breadcrumbs and add Italian seasoning.
Best noodles for mac and cheese in the Instant Pot
You can use macaroni for Instant Pot mac and cheese…but what’s the fun in that? In fact, our favorite pasta for this comfort food is anything but macaroni. We love using a unique pasta shape to keep things interesting. Shells are a favorite around here: and while they aren’t unexpected, there’s something that’s even more homey about them than the typical mac. Here are our favorite types of short pasta for mac and cheese, in order of preference:
If the idea of using your Instant Pot for mac and cheese is to not do any cooking: let’s stick with the theme! There are lots of ideas for adding nutrients and fiber to round out this pasta into a meal. Here are a few no-cook side dishes to serve alongside:
Spinach salad: This Spinach Apple Salad is full of good-for-you ingredients and topped with a tangy dressing.
Veggies & ranch: Go simple with this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip and carrot sticks. Perfect for kids (and adults, really).
Coleslaw: Try this Best Coleslaw with a tangy, creamy dressing.
Celery salad: This Celery Salad with Apples is unexpectedly refreshing and a great counterpoint to pasta.
Citrus salad: This Simple Citrus Salad is gorgeous, with beautiful colors and a citrus zing.
More Instant Pot pasta recipes
Want to keep cooking up pasta in your pressure cooker? Here are a few other ideas to try outside of this Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe:
Instant Pot Spaghetti A fast and easy dinner recipe, where all you have to do is “set it and forget it.” The marinara sauce packs huge flavor.
A note on pressure cookers
All pressure cooker brands vary! Here’s the brand we use: the Instant Pot 6 Qt Programmable Pressure Cooker. We also have 2 Instant Pot sealing rings and use one for savory recipes and one for sweet recipes. This recipe is customized for a 6 quart pressure cooker. We also can’t speak to using other brands and types of pressure cookers for this recipe. Use them at your own risk!
This Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is cozy and cheesy: the ultimate comfort food! It’s fast and easy to whip up in a pressure cooker. Stovetop variation below.*
Ingredients
1 pound short pasta (shells, macaroni, penne, etc)*
1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs, optional)
Instructions
Place the dry pasta in the Instant Pot and stir in 4 cups water and the kosher salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Place the pressure release handle (vent) in the “Sealing” position.
Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes: Press the Pressure Cook button, making sure the “High Pressure” setting is selected, and set the time. Note that it takes about 10 minutes for the pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before it starts cooking. (During cooking, avoid touching the metal part of the lid.)
Quick release: Vent the remaining steam from the Instant Pot by moving the pressure release handle to “Venting”, covering your hand with a towel or hot pad. Never put your hands or face near the vent when releasing steam. Open the pressure cooker lid. There will be water remaining, which is what is intended.
Slow cook and make the sauce: Switch to the “slow cook” setting on the Instant Pot. Stir the pasta, then stir in the grated cheese. Add the milk and continue to stir for a minute or two until the cheese melts to form a creamy sauce, adding more milk if necessary. Serve warm, topped with breadcrumbs.
Notes
*Stovetop variation: Cook the pasta to al dente in boiling water. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat on low heat until the cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce.
Category:Main Dish
Method:Pressure Cooker
Cuisine:American
Keywords: Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe, mac and cheese Instant Pot
This chipotle tomato soup is an absolute GAME CHANGER. Mostly because it is served with super easy and quick smoked cheddar pull apart bread. You will struggle to stay away from this entire loaf. Oh boy is this incredible. I’ve told you before about how I love the tradition of tomato soup and grilled cheese […]
This chipotle tomato soup is an absolute GAME CHANGER.
Mostly because it is served with super easy and quick smoked cheddar pull apart bread. You will struggle to stay away from this entire loaf. Oh boy is this incredible.
I’ve told you before about how I love the tradition of tomato soup and grilled cheese on Halloween! I think one of you readers even tipped me off to the tradition. This would have been an awesome tradition when I was growing up because we always ate dinner quickly before trick-or-treating!
These days, we usually have our parents and family over on Halloween – the result of having the first born grandchild/nephew, etc. SO I make a chili bar for everyone, which is also very fun. It’s also much easier than cooking 12 separate grilled cheeses, you know?
But if you’re looking for traditions for Halloween night, this tomato soup and grilled cheese one needs to happen!
This twist is PERFECTION. I realize that 2020 is the year that we’re not supposed to be sharing food, but here we are and I think if you make this pull-apart bread for just your family in your home to share, you’re golden.
First, the soup!
This soup is basically my go-to favorite, nordstrom copycat (but better, I swear) tomato soup. I added a little bit of chipotle chili powder to the base, cooking it over heat with the shallots and garlic.
The end result is INCREDIBLE. There is this slight bite of heat but it is not spicy, if that makes sense. There is the perfect amount of heat and I am not someone who loves spicy food. If you dip your bread in the soup, it’s even milder. A spoonful will give you a little lasting heat flavor, but otherwise it is a dream!
P.S. if you don’t want anything spicy at all, just skip the chipotle. It’s as easy as that.
Now, for the bread!
YEARS ago, I made this white pizza pull apart bread. It’s definitely a cheaters recipe but really oh-so delish. You simply cut a grid pattern into a loaf of bread (I prefer sourdough) and stuff it full of cheese.
Yes. Stuff it full of cheese. OMG my dream.
Then bake it!
The end result are these perfect cheese-covered bread slices that are incredible for dipping. Or just eating on their own. Basically… inhaling.
This flavor combo cannot be beat! Chipotle tomato soup with a hint of smoky heat, and then smoked cheddar cheese melted all over the rustic sourdough.
DREAM MEAL.
Chipotle Tomato Soup with Smoked Cheddar Pull Apart Bread
Chipotle Tomato Soup with Smoked Cheddar Pull Apart Bread
This chipotle tomato soup is creamy and delish with a hint of heat. Serve with smoked cheddar pull apart bread for a slice of heaven!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Total Time 1hour
Servings 4people
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
chipotle tomato soup
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
2shallots,sliced
2garlic cloves,minced
1 1/2tablespoonstomato paste
¼teaspoonchipotle chili powder
28 oz diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2/3cupcooking sherry
1/3cupchicken stock
3tablespoonsbrown sugar
1/2teaspoondried basil
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonpepper
3/4cupheavy cream
freshly snipped chives for garnish
smoked cheddar pull apart bread
1loaf sourdough bread
4tablespoonsbutter,melted
8ouncessmoked cheddar cheese,freshly grated
fresh chives,for sprinkling
Instructions
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add in the shallots and garlic, cooking until soft and slightly golden and stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chipotle powder and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, sherry, chicken stock, brown sugar, basil, salt and pepper, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a high-powered blender and carefully blend until pureed. Transfer back to the pot over low heat. Right before serving, stir in the heavy cream. Taste and season additionally with salt and pepper if needed – it might, depending on your tomatoes. To serve, drizzle the soup with the extra cream and garnish with chives.
smoked cheddar pull apart bread
Preheat oven for 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice a grid pattern into the loaf of bread, leaving about an inch uncut at the bottom of the loaf. I find it easiest to slice longways and then go back and slice the rest of the grid.
Loosely tent the bread with foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the bread and gently pry apart the bread squares. Drizzle the butter into the crevices of the bread. Gently pull apart the bread again and stuff the grated cheese into the crevices and pile it on top. Bake the bread for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.
When you need pure comfort in a casserole dish, Potatoes Au Gratin deliver. These thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce hit all the comfort food buttons. And the leftovers are awesome, so you can feed on that casserole heaven all week!
When you need pure comfort in a casserole dish, Potatoes Au Gratin deliver. These thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce hit all the comfort food buttons. And the leftovers are awesome, so you can feed on that casserole heaven all week! 🙌
What are Potatoes Au Gratin?
Potatoes au gratin are basically scalloped potatoes with cheese (haha, that made me think of “royale with cheese”). So if you like scalloped potatoes and you like cheese, you’ll LOVE potatoes au gratin!
If you’ve never had scalloped potatoes, you can think of potatoes au gratin like this: thinly sliced potatoes layered with cheese and a creamy white sauce, then baked until bubbly and delicious. It’s pretty incredible.
What Kind of Cheese Can I Use?
In general, you want to stick to smooth melting cheeses for potatoes au gratin and avoid hard aged cheeses that don’t melt as easily (like Parmesan, although that would make a nice topper mixed with breadcrumbs!). I had some cheddar cheese on hand today, that I used, but Gruyere is another popular choice for potatoes au gratin.
Most people like a waxier variety for potatoes au gratin, like Yukon gold or red potatoes, but I’m the opposite. I like russet potatoes because they are starchier, which helps keep the sauce nice and thick, and I enjoy how soft they get when baked in the creamy sauce. If you prefer a more firm slice, go with Yukon gold or red potatoes.
Potatoes Au Gratin
Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce makes these Potatoes Au Gratin pure heaven in a casserole dish.
Total Cost $5.33 recipe / $0.67 serving
Prep Time 15minutes
Cook Time 1hour25minutes
Total Time 1hour40minutes
Servings 8
Calories 302.69kcal
Author Beth – Budget Bytes
Ingredients
3lbs.potatoes$1.79
1yellow onion$0.32
4Tbspbutter$0.56
4Tbspall-purpose flour$0.04
1cupchicken broth$0.12
2cupswhole milk$0.75
1/2tspsalt$0.02
1/4tspfreshly cracked black pepper$0.02
1/8tspground nutmeg$0.02
8oz.cheddar, shredded$1.69
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Peel and slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch thick slices. If you're not yet confident in your knife skills, use a mandoline or food processor to slice the potatoes into thin, even pieces.
Finely dice the yellow onion. Sauté the onion in a sauce pot with the butter until soft (about five minutes). Once soft, add the flour to the pot and continue to cook and stir for about two minutes. Finally, whisk in the milk until the flour is fully dissolved.
Allow the milk to come up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, whisking often. Once simmering, the milk with thicken. Whisk in the chicken broth and allow it to come back to a simmer. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Top the potatoes with half of the white sauce and half of the shredded cheddar. Repeat with one more layer of potatoes, sauce, and shredded cheddar.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake in the preheated 350ºF oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbling on top. Let the casserole stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Peel and slice three pounds of potatoes into ⅛-inch thick rounds. If you’re not confident in your knife skills, you can use a mandoline or food processor with a slicer attachment to create the thin, even slices.
Finely dice one yellow onion. Sauté the onion with 4 Tbsp butter in a sauce pot until the onions are tender (about 5 minutes).
Add 4 Tbsp flour to the pot with the sautéed onions and continue to cook and stir over medium heat for about two more minutes.
Whisk 2 cups milk into the pot with the onions and flour. Whisk well until all the flour is dissolved. Allow the milk to come up to a gentle simmer, at which point it will thicken.
Whisk in 1 cup chicken broth and allow it to come back up to a simmer.
Season the white sauce with ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg.
Layer half of the sliced potatoes in a 4 quart casserole dish. top with half of the white sauce and 4oz. shredded cheddar.
Repeat all three layers one more time: sliced potatoes, white sauce, and shredded cheese. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes in the preheated 350ºF oven.
Remove the foil after 45 minutes and bake without foil for an additional 30 minutes. Let the potatoes stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
I garnished with a little parsley for color, but parsley is not needed to flavor this dish.
I don’t mean to blow up your work week, but I recently discovered that it’s possible to make anything taste like Doritos without ever touching a chip.
Some, such as Wylie Dufresne, James Beard Award–winning chef and a father of molecular gastronomy, m…
I don’t mean to blow up your work week, but I recently discovered that it’s possible to make anything taste like Doritos without ever touching a chip.
Some, such as Wylie Dufresne, James Beard Award–winning chef and a father of molecular gastronomy, might say I’m late to this epiphany, like when I called to ask if he’d heard of cheese powder, a dehydrated, concentrated version of the fresh stuff.
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