Wassail may be a traditional holiday drink, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it all autumn long! This warmly spiced hot mulled cider comes together in minutes and can be heated on the stove or in the slow cooker.
Grandma’s Biscotti Recipe
My grandma’s recipe for biscotti – classic twice-baked Italian cookies that are first shaped like a slab or flat log and baked, then sliced diagonally and baked again – is the best!
READ: Grandma’s Biscotti Recipe
My grandma's recipe for biscotti - classic twice-baked Italian cookies that are first shaped like a slab or flat log and baked, then sliced diagonally and baked again - is the best!
Grandma’s Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia Salad – My grandma’s recipe for the iconic light and refreshing dessert that includes mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, pineapple and Cool Whip. Perfect for summer!
READ: Grandma’s Ambrosia Salad
Ambrosia Salad - My grandma's recipe for the iconic light and refreshing dessert that includes mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, pineapple and Cool Whip. Perfect for summer!
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
This classic recipe for peanut butter cookies comes straight from my mom’s recipe box, and they are the BEST peanut butter cookies. They are easy to make and stay wonderfully soft. This staple recipe deserves a place i…
This classic recipe for peanut butter cookies comes straight from my mom's recipe box, and they are the BEST peanut butter cookies. They are easy to make and stay wonderfully soft. This staple recipe deserves a place in everyone's kitchen!
Fresh broccoli salad is creamy, salty, tangy, sweet, and oh, so delicious. My grandma has been making this for holidays and family get-togethers for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been addicted to it for just as long. Make this recipe to get veggies into even the pickiest of eaters (i.e. me)!
Whether it’s for an easy side dish, or simply because you love the taste of fresh produce, this salad will become a favorite. At least, that’s my hopeful wish!
Just like my Easy Grape Salad, it’s an Easter treat. And if there’s one way to get me to eat broccoli, this salad is it!
Dancing with cheese and bacon, and a tangy-sweet mayonnaise dressing, this dish will convert you into a broccoli lover. Okay, maybe not a full-on broccoli lover, but I bet you’ll love it in this salad!
And if the dressing on the salad makes your stomach happy, you should also make my Seven Layer Salad, which uses the same dressing.
Ingredients in Broccoli Salad
The ingredients are simple and few, but they sing together in perfect harmony.
Broccoli — fresh is best; cut into florets
Bacon — cooked and coarsely chopped
Cheese — cheddar cheese in ¼” cubes
Onion — finely chopped, white, yellow or red
The dressing only requires a few ingredients, as well.
Mayonnaise — not Miracle Whip for the best flavor
Sugar — granulated white
Vinegar — white
How to cut broccoli into florets
Since we are using fresh heads of broccoli for this recipe, we need to break them down into small florets.
Florets are the flowery part of the head. Or, if you look at broccoli as a tree, florets are the small branches and leaves. We don’t want to use the trunk or large branches here.
Wash the broccoli head thoroughly before doing anything else. This is really important because any contamination on the surface of the vegetable will be taken through all of it with the knife if we don’t wash first.
Pull off the leaves. Just grab them and pull out and down toward the base. They should snap or peel right off.
Cut through the stem below the florets with the tip of a sharp knife.
Slice off the florets that are easily separated with your knife.
Turn the remaining bunch of florets upside down on your cutting board, and slice down through the middle of the stalk. Pull the two halves apart.
Continue cutting and pulling until all of the florets are separated.
Trim the larger stems off with the tip of your knife. I like the florets to be around the same size as the cheese cubes in this recipe, so around ¼”-½”.
How to make the salad
The process is pretty straightforward and takes very little time.
Prepare the broccoli florets as explained above
Combine the broccoli, bacon, cheese, and onion in a large bowl
Whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar in a medium bowl
Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture
Stir everything together, making sure all the ingredients are coated well in the dressing
Serve immediately OR refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving (preferred)
Ingredient substitutions
While I love my grandma’s traditional dressing, the salad lends itself to some flavor modifications when it comes to the dressing if you’d like to try something different:
Sour cream or buttermilk-based dressing if you want it creamy but not mayo-y.
What else can I add to the broccoli salad recipe?
This is my grandma’s recipe, and her go-to ingredients are bacon, cheddar, and diced onion. However, one great thing about this recipe is that it’s super customizable! I’ve seen lots of additions and variations, including:
Shredded cheddar instead of cubes
Dried cranberries
Raisins
Sunflower seeds
Pecans
Cherry tomatoes
If your family makes broccoli salad, I’d love to hear what your favorite add-ins are!
How to store the salad
While you can serve this immediately after making it, I think it’s best when you cover it and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. The flavors meld together and the dressing gets absorbed a bit, making it just perfect. And leftovers the next day are even better! Store it in an airtight container and use it within 4 days.
Broccoli salad doesn’t freeze well. As a result, make it and enjoy it within the timeframe listed above!
If you make this recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much!
Fresh broccoli salad is creamy, salty, tangy, sweet, and oh, so delicious. My grandma has been making this for holidays and family get-togethers for as long as I can remember, and I've been addicted to it for just as long.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20minutes
Total Time 20minutes
Servings 8servings
Calories 529kcal
Author Michelle
Ingredients
For the Salad
2heads broccoliflorets trimmed off and cut into bite-size pieces (discard stems)
In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, bacon, cheese and onion.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir together until everything is evenly coated.
The broccoli salad can be served immediately, but tastes even better if you cover and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
You should get about 7 cups of broccoli florets from the heads of broccoli, roughly 28 ounces.
A great shortcut is using bagged, prepped florets. I still need to cut up some of the larger ones, but it's a big time saver!
You can use a white, yellow or red onion, whatever your preference.
There are so many variations to broccoli salad, so feel free to add other ingredients based on your personal preferences: dried cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans, etc.
You can make the following modifications to the dressing: plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise and honey in place of sugar. You can also use a honey mustard vinaigrette if you don't want a creamy dressing, or a sour cream or buttermilk-based dressing if you want it creamy but not mayo-y.
Bisquick chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food. It makes use of pantry and freezer staples and is ready in a snap; one of my very favorite old family recipes. Make this recipe on a chilly night to warm you right up!
Bisquick chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food. It makes use of pantry and freezer staples and is ready in a snap; one of my very favorite old family recipes. Make this recipe on a chilly night to warm you right up!
Many years ago, I went to my grandparents for lunch on a random Saturday during the winter. My grandma pulled a chicken pot pie out of the oven that was absolutely out-of-this-world.
The crust was flaky and golden brown, while the filling was thick and full of chicken and vegetables.
When I asked my grandma for the recipe, I was shocked at how easy it was. Using Bisquick from the pantry, frozen vegetables and a rotisserie chicken make this incredibly simple.
Tender chicken, savory vegetables, creamy filling, and a flaky crust. These are all the things that make this dish a favorite during the fall and winter months.
Normally you would need at least an hour of prep time, but this pot pie recipe comes together in about 20 minutes.
Better yet, including the bake time, you’ll be ready to serve in under an hour!
Otherwise, follow the steps below for an easy chicken pot pie that is just as delicious and full of flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions
Chicken: You can cut up a rotisserie chicken or buy a package of pre-cooked cubed chicken if you don’t want to make your own. Canned chicken would even work! Turkey would also taste great in this pot pie recipe.
Vegetables: Feel free to swap out for a different variety. Just make sure they’re frozen so they cook properly in the filling.
Milk: If you’d like to make this recipe dairy-free, replace the milk with an oat or cashew milk. They have a neutral flavor but similar texture, so they won’t affect the filling consistency.
Butter: You’ll need to replace the butter as well if making this dairy-free. Use Earth Balance baking sticks in place of the butter and omit the salt in the filling. You can always add a little before pouring the filling into the crust if it tastes like it needs it.
How to make Bisquick chicken pot pie
First, measure out all your ingredients and chop up your chicken.
Your dairy ingredients need to be cold, especially for the crust, so take those out of the refrigerator right before you get started.
To make the crust, use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the Bisquick until the mixture is crumbly.
Then stir in the milk with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to form a ball.
Lightly press the dough along the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Now start your filling by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the Bisquick, onion, salt, and pepper with a wooden spoon.
Continue to cook until bubbling, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Gradually add in the chicken broth and then the vegetables.
Return saucepot to the stove over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring for about a minute, then remove from heat and add in chicken.
Pour the filling mixture into the pie crust and start on the top crust.
Whisk together the Bisquick, milk, and melted butter in a small bowl. Then pour over the filling and smooth to the edges of the pie plate with a spatula.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful golden brown. Let stand for about 10 minutes to cool.
Cut yourself a nice big slice and enjoy!
Recipe notes
If you’ve never used Bisquick before, you might be confused when you go to the store to buy it. The box will most likely show a picture of pancakes, but the mix itself has a variety of different uses. Despite pancakes being written and pictured on the box, it’s the right product and what makes this such an easy chicken pot pie recipe.
You might wonder what to serve with chicken pot pie. Side dishes aren’t necessary since this works as a full meal, but a tossed green salad would help lighten the plate.
I hope you and your family enjoy this Bisquick chicken pot pie soon! If you make it, I’d love if you would take a moment to stop back and share a review below. ENJOY! 😍
Bisquick chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food. It makes use of pantry and freezer staples and is a perfect weeknight dinner. Make this recipe on a chilly night to warm you right up!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20minutes
Cook Time 30minutes
Total Time 50minutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 360kcal
Author Michelle
Ingredients
For the Bottom Crust:
1cupBisquick
2tablespoonssalted butter
2tablespoonswhole milk
For the Filling:
¼cupunsalted butter
¼cupBisquick
2tablespoonschopped yellow onion
¼teaspoonsalt
Pinchground black pepper
1cupfrozen mixed vegetablescarrots, peas & green beans
Prepare the Bottom Crust: In a medium bowl, use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the Bisquick until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the milk until the mixture begins to form a ball. Pat the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 5 minutes, or until just turning light brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Prepare the Filling: Heat the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until melted. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the Bisquick, chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the chicken broth, then stir in the frozen vegetables.
Return the mixture to the stove over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil. Once a full boil is reached, continue stirring for another 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken. Pour the chicken mixture into the prepared crust.
Prepare the Top Crust: In a small bowl, whisk together the Bisquick, milk and melted butter until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the filling. Use a rubber spatula or offset spatula to gently spread it to the edge of the pie plate.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Chicken: You can cut up a rotisserie chicken or buy a package of pre-cooked cubed chicken if you don’t want to make your own. Canned chicken would even work! Turkey would also taste great in this pot pie recipe.
Vegetables: Feel free to swap out for a different variety. Just make sure they’re frozen so they cook properly in the filling.
Milk: If you’d like to make this recipe dairy-free, replace the milk with an oat or cashew milk. They have a neutral flavor but similar texture, so they won’t affect the filling consistency.
Butter: You’ll need to replace the butter as well if making this dairy-free. Use Earth Balance baking sticks in place of the butter and omit the salt in the filling. You can always add a little before pouring the filling into the crust if it tastes like it needs it.
If you’ve never used Bisquick before, you might be confused when you go to the store to buy it. The box will most likely show a picture of pancakes, but the mix itself has a variety of different uses. Despite pancakes being written and pictured on the box, it’s the right product and what makes this such an easy chicken pot pie recipe.
You might wonder what to serve with chicken pot pie. Side dishes aren’t necessary since this works as a full meal, but a tossed green salad would help lighten the plate.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze the pie, bake and cool completely, then cover tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap, cover with aluminum foil and reheat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through.
Originally published in 2012, this Bisquick chicken pot pie recipe has been updated to include new photos, a helpful video tutorial, and more in-depth recipe tips.
My grandma’s recipe for banana nut bread is a classic banana bread recipe packed full of mashed bananas and chopped walnuts; it can be prepped in 10 minutes and bakes up super moist and dense. A family favorite!
My grandma’s recipe for banana nut bread is a classic banana bread recipe packed full of mashed bananas and chopped walnuts; it can be prepped in 10 minutes and bakes up super moist and dense. A family favorite!
Growing up, there was never a lack of things to eat at my grandma’s house. There were tins filled with pizzelle and biscotti that were never empty. I mean, never. They were always sitting, filled to the brim, on the last step near the dining room.
My favorite days were the ones when I would walk in and see my grandma in the kitchen, surrounded by loaves upon loaves of pepperoni bread. My second favorite day was banana bread day. Smelling the air infused with bananas and warm bread was intoxicating. These also got churned out many at a time. And nothing could beat a thick slice slathered with soft butter. Divine.
I’m thrilled to be sharing her recipe with you; this bread is super moist, packed full of banana flavor, and best of all – it comes straight from my grandma’s kitchen. Which makes it the best banana bread ever, naturally.
The Secret to Super Moist Bread
There might not be anything worse than dry banana bread, am I right? The lineup of ingredients for making my grandma’s banana nut bread is pretty standard, but there are two key ingredients in this recipe that ensure it stays supremely moist:
Vegetable Oil: The first key in keeping the bread incredibly moist and maintaining a tender crumb.
Bananas: Look for bananas that at the very least are spotty brown, but the browner the better! The riper the bananas, the sweeter it is and the more moisture it will impart.
Recipe Success Tips
A few extra notes to ensure you are sitting down to the absolute best banana bread that you’ve ever had…
As mentioned above, be sure to use the ripest bananas you can find. It amps up the flavor, plus ensures that the bread retains ultimate moisture.
Make nut substitutions if you’d like. Walnuts are a classic, but pretty much any other nut will work – try pecans, peanuts, anything! You can also omit the nuts if you’d prefer, as well.
Add chocolate chips if you’re feeling it. You can swap them in for the nuts, or do half and half.
Storage: Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This bread freezes exceptionally well. Wrap in plastic wrap, then tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Converting to Muffins: If you’d like to turn this banana nut bread into banana muffins, line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each about ¾ full. You should get around 18 muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
As you might be able to tell, this banana bread recipe doesn’t make a super-high loaf, but it’s one of the things I love most about it. It’s condensed, moist and packed full of flavor. It makes a perfect breakfast bread, and is also an amazing dessert to have with coffee.
I feel so fortunate that I was able to spend so much time with my grandma as I grew up, and that I have so many incredible memories tied to her house and to the food that she made.
Each time I make one of her recipes and have a simple smell bring me back to her kitchen, I know she is thrilled that I’ve carried on making so many of the recipes that our family has loved over the years, including this banana bread.
If you make this recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much!
Grandma's Banana Nut Bread
My grandma’s recipe for banana nut bread – a classic banana bread recipe packed full of mashed bananas and chopped walnuts. A family favorite!
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 medium ripe bananas (mashed (about 1⅓ cups or 303 grams))
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8×4-inch loaf pans; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the bananas and stir gently to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until completely blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the walnuts.
Divide the mixture into the two loaf pans. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the loaves begin to get too dark before they are done in the middle, cover with foil. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The bread can be stored, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and freezer for up to 3 months.
Be sure to use the ripest bananas you can find. It amps up the flavor, plus ensures that the bread retains ultimate moisture.
Make nut substitutions if you’d like. Walnuts are a classic, but pretty much any other nut will work – try pecans, peanuts, anything! You can also omit the nuts if you’d prefer, as well.
Add chocolate chips if you’re feeling it. You can swap them in for the nuts, or do half and half.
Storage: Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This bread freezes exceptionally well. Wrap in plastic wrap, then tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Converting to Muffins: If you’d like to turn this banana nut bread into banana muffins, line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each about ¾ full. You should get around 18 muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Originally published in 2010, this has been updated to include new photos, a helpful video tutorial, and more in-depth recipe tips.
