Category: Sauces

Hot Honey

This homemade hot honey recipe is quick and easy to make with 3 ingredients and can be used in countless delicious ways! Is there anything that isn’t better with a drizzle of hot honey?! 😍 I don’t know about you, but we’ve become thoroughly obsessed with this spicy-sweet condiment over the past few years here […]

This homemade hot honey recipe is quick and easy to make with 3 ingredients and can be used in countless delicious ways!

Hot Honey

Is there anything that isn’t better with a drizzle of hot honey?! 😍

I don’t know about you, but we’ve become thoroughly obsessed with this spicy-sweet condiment over the past few years here in our house. Drizzled on everything from pizza, biscuits, fried chicken, baked salmon, shrimp boil, roasted veggies, cornbread, baked brie, or corn on the cob? Yes, please. Stirred in to sweeten your next cocktail, cup of hot tea (or hot toddy!), or even a batch of salad dressing? Great idea. Served as a dipper for fries, chicken fingers, or a charcuterie board? Definitely. That surprise heat adds the perfect extra kick to countless dishes where you might normally just use a plain sweetener. And if you’ve never tried it before, I’m convinced you’re going to love it!

Nowadays, hot honey is pretty commonly available in local grocery stores or online, but the markup is quite high and it’s usually much cheaper to make a batch yourself. Plus, it’s incredibly quick and easy to make at home. And with homemade hot honey, you get to be the one to decide which type of hot peppers to use and how spicy to make each batch. All you need are about 15 or 20 minutes and 3 ingredients and you’ll be good to go.

One more thing — with the holidays coming up, I also just wanted to mention that hot honey makes for great DIY gifting! Just grab some cute jars (you can rinse and reuse some old jam jars, order my favorite mini tulip jars, or use these adorable honey bear bottles), simmer up a quick batch of hot honey, and I’m certain your friends and family will put it to good use.

Alright, let’s make a quick batch!

Making homemade hot honey recipe in saute pan

Hot Honey Ingredients

Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few notes about the three basic hot honey ingredients that you will need:

  • Honey: The type of honey that you use is completely up to you. I prefer a basic clover honey that’s not overly floral, but you’re welcome to use any variety you prefer. (If possible, please consider purchasing a local honey to support bees in your area!)
  • Hot peppers: I most often make hot honey with basic crushed red pepper flakes, since I always keep them on hand in my spice cabinet and using dried peppers (vs fresh) allows the honey to be stored longer. However, this recipe is also fantastic made with fresh chile peppers (such as jalapeños, serranos, habaneros or Thai red bird chiles) or you can also have fun experimenting with other dried chile peppers (such as dried anchos, guajillos, pasillas or chiles de àrbol). The heat level of this recipe is very easy to adjust by adding more/less peppers or letting the peppers simmer awhile longer.
  • Vinegar: I like adding in a splash of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar) to cut the sweetness a bit, a la Mike’s Hot Honey. You’re welcome to leave the vinegar out entirely if you prefer, or you can experiment with adding more or less to taste.

Making homemade hot honey with jalapeno peppers

How To Make Hot Honey

The full detailed recipe for how to make hot honey is included in the recipe at the bottom of this page, but here is the basic overview (with a few optional variations): (more…)

Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

This homemade hot fudge sauce recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious. It’s sure to be your favorite ice cream topping all summer long. When I was a kid, we briefly lived with my great grandmother, Lottie. She was a magnificent woman and an incredible cook. I was quite young – about 5 or so, …

The post Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

This homemade hot fudge sauce recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious. It’s sure to be your favorite ice cream topping all summer long.

Spoon drizzling hot fudge sauce back into a jar of the sauce.

When I was a kid, we briefly lived with my great grandmother, Lottie. She was a magnificent woman and an incredible cook. I was quite young – about 5 or so, but I have some pretty vivid memories of the time we spent in her home.

I remember sitting at her dining room table and coloring for hours with the crayons she kept in an old coffee can, and an old fashioned rotary phone that sat on her perfectly organized desk. 

Her home was immaculate and I remember giggling every time she told me to keep my feet off of her davenport.

She had a drawer devoted to her beloved baking tools, and even went so far as to purchase a set of miniature tools just for me. She’d neatly pull my hair back and keep it out of my face with a babushka, and then put a ball of dough in front of me. 

We’d sit at the kitchen table for hours, rolling dough and cutting perfect circles with the top of a glass. Then we’d fill, fold, and crimp each of the dough circles to create the most amazing pierogies.

On summer evenings, we’d all load up into the car and head to the ice cream parlor.

I was always a caramel sundae kind of girl, but I remember snagging bites of my dad’s Tin Roof Sundaes that were slathered in the most incredible hot fudge sauce. And even though I’ve never been much of a hot fudge kind of girl myself, Elle can’t get enough of all things chocolate.

And during the summers she is all about ice cream, especially when it’s topped with a bit of chocolate sauce, Reddi Wip, sprinkles, and – of course – a cherry.

Whether you’re out of the jarred stuff or just craving a rich, chocolatey, homemade treat for your favorite ice cream, this homemade hot fudge sauce should definitely be on your summer bucket list!

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The post Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

Fresh Basil Pesto

This Fresh Basil Pesto is as bright and delicious as it gets. Try it on pasta, in a sandwich, or simply with a loaf of crusty bread.  ‘Tis the season for planting our little garden around here. I usually kill everything – except mint, that stuff grows out of concrete! – but I still try for …

The post Fresh Basil Pesto appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

This Fresh Basil Pesto is as bright and delicious as it gets. Try it on pasta, in a sandwich, or simply with a loaf of crusty bread. 

Small bowl of basil pesto surrounded by slices of baguette

‘Tis the season for planting our little garden around here. I usually kill everything – except mint, that stuff grows out of concrete! – but I still try for a small garden every year.

This year we have some tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. I always plant basil, even though the bugs usually get to it and the leaves end up full of holes. Not very pretty, but perfect for using for pesto.

Elle had never tried pesto before, but since she loves pasta I grabbed a fresh basil plant at Meijer (while we wait for ours in the garden to grow) and whipped up a batch of this homemade Fresh Basil Pesto for an easy pasta dinner.

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The post Fresh Basil Pesto appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

The BEST Bolognese Sauce

My all-time favorite bolognese sauce recipe is slow-simmered with a rich tomato base, a delicious blend of beef and pork, and the coziest blend of garlicky seasonings.  Serve with pasta, gnocchi, or roasted eggplant and enjoy!  Finally!  After sharing my favorite recipes for classic marinara, spicy arrabbiata, creamy carbonara, cheesy cacio e pepe, and garlicky aglio […]

My all-time favorite bolognese sauce recipe is slow-simmered with a rich tomato base, a delicious blend of beef and pork, and the coziest blend of garlicky seasonings.  Serve with pasta, gnocchi, or roasted eggplant and enjoy! 

Pasta Bolognese with Pappardelle

Finally!  After sharing my favorite recipes for classic marinara, spicy arrabbiata, creamy carbonara, cheesy cacio e pepe, and garlicky aglio e olio, I’m back today to add one more very important recipe to our collection here of classic Italian pasta sauces.

Meet my all-time favorite bolognese recipe. ♡

Over the years, I’ve ordered, cooked and tasted a wide variety of sauces all considered to be some variation of bolognese.  From having the chance to sample bowls upon bowls of the real-deal authentic ragù alla bolognese during our trip to Bologna last year, to cooking up and learning from Marcella, Lidia, and Massimo’s famous bolognese sauce recipes here at home, to playing around with a number of non-traditional shortcuts, seasonings or cooking methods, to even sampling a few of the jarred versions of bolognese that are crazy-popular at nearly every grocery store around — it seems clear that the world has come to love this hearty Italian meat sauce, however traditional or non-traditional various versions of it may be.

And based on the number of requests I’ve received over the years for a bolognese sauce recipe here on Gimme Some Oven, it sounds like many of you certainly love it too!!

Well to be sure, the certified traditional bolognese recipe will always remain the undisputed authentic classic.  But over the years, I’ve come to learn that I personally prefer a more modern take on the original recipe.  One with a rich, slow-simmered, tomato base (versus the traditional version, which many are surprised to learn includes minimal tomato), one made with an extra-flavorful variety of meats (including Italian sausage, in addition to traditional beef and pancetta), one that leans into some of my favorite Italian seasonings (garlic, herbs, plus a hint of anchovies, trust me), and one that takes the time it needs to simmer and develop an unforgettable depth of flavor (the key to good bolognese, a process that simply can’t be rushed).

It’s not a complicated recipe to make at all, but it is one that requires a bit of extra love and time.  And one that — I promise — will be so worth it.  ♡  So gather up your ingredients, turn up some good music in the kitchen, maybe pour yourself a glass of wine, and settle in for a few hours of cooking up the coziest, richly-flavored, most delicious bolognese recipe I know.  You are in for a treat!

Pot of Bolognese Sauce

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Maple Cranberry Sauce

This delicious Maple Cranberry Sauce recipe is quick and easy to make in about 15 minutes, it’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and easy to customize with any of your favorite add-ins. Anyone else trying to cut down on refined sugar for Thanksgiving this year? Give this simple maple cranberry sauce recipe a try! ♡ It’s […]

This delicious Maple Cranberry Sauce recipe is quick and easy to make in about 15 minutes, it’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and easy to customize with any of your favorite add-ins.

Maple Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Anyone else trying to cut down on refined sugar for Thanksgiving this year?

Give this simple maple cranberry sauce recipe a try! ♡

It’s naturally sweetened with real maple syrup (or you’re welcome to sub in honey, coconut sugar, or any other favorite natural sweeteners).  It super quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes.  And it’s also a great recipe to make ahead of time and reheat on Thanksgiving, if you’d like to prep it days (or weeks) in advance.

I like to keep my cranberry sauce pretty simple and typically just add in the zest and juice of a fresh orange to complement those tart cranberry flavors.  But I’ve included ideas below for lots of other fun ingredients that you can add in.  So please feel free to get creative and customize your own cranberry sauce recipe however you might like!

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The BEST Enchilada Sauce!

The best homemade enchilada sauce recipe!  It’s super-simple to make and a million times better than the canned stuff.  (Check out my recipe for Green Enchilada Sauce too!) My best tip for how to make a killer pan of homemade enchiladas? This homemade enchilada sauce recipe. ♡ It has been the secret ingredient in my favorite enchilada recipe […]

The best homemade enchilada sauce recipe!  It’s super-simple to make and a million times better than the canned stuff.  (Check out my recipe for Green Enchilada Sauce too!)

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe

My best tip for how to make a killer pan of homemade enchiladas?

This homemade enchilada sauce recipe. ♡

It has been the secret ingredient in my favorite enchilada recipe for over years and years.  And every time I make a pan of chicken enchiladas for a dinner party, or take some enchilada soup to a friend with a new baby, or whip up a quick batch of enchilada nachos or enchilada cups for a party…this enchilada sauce always gets rave reviews and someone inevitably always asks for the recipe.

It’s a million times better than anything you can buy in the can and is made with the coziest, warm chili flavors.  But best of all, this homemade red enchilada sauce recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make and calls for a few simple ingredients that you probably already have sitting in your pantry.  So if you have yet to try this recipe, I say it’s time!

Let’s make a quick batch together!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Chili powder (to make red enchilada sauce)

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

To make this easy enchilada sauce recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Oil and flour: To make our roux, which will thicken the sauce.  Feel free to use any type of oil or butter that you prefer.  And see notes below if you need a gluten-free option for the flour.
  • Chili powder: Very important note — this recipe calls for American-style chili powder, which is actually a blend of various mild chilis and seasonings.  (It is not cayenne!)  I recommend investing in a good-quality brand of chili powder for this recipe, since it is the main seasoning used here.  And if you happen to be an international reader, please (please) note that you need to look for a specifically American-style chili powder.  Many readers have reported over the years that most international chili powder blends are typically more similar to straight cayenne and can be overwhelmingly spicy.
  • Garlic powder, ground cumin, dried oregano: These are the other dried seasonings that we will use in the sauce.
  • Veggie or chicken stock: I also recommend using some good-quality stock in this recipe, which will add some delicious depth of flavor to the sauce.
  • Fine sea salt: And finally, don’t forget to season the sauce!  I typically add in about 1/2 teaspoon, but please note that the amount of salt you’ll need will directly relate to how salty your veggie/chicken stock happens to be.

Whisking Red Enchilada Sauce

How To Make Enchilada Sauce:

Here are the basic steps for how to make enchilada sauce (full instructions included in the recipe box below):

  1. Cook the roux and spices: In a small saucepan, we’ll cook the flour and oil together to form the roux, and then whisk in the spices to briefly toast them before adding in the stock.
  2. Simmer: Gradually add in the stock, while whisking the sauce to blend in any lumps.  Then heat to a simmer, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until it has reduced and thickened a bit.
  3. Season: Season with salt (or any extra seasonings that you might like to add), to taste.
  4. Serve: Then serve it up in a pan of enchiladas or whatever recipe sounds good…and enjoy!

Jar of red enchilada sauce

Possible Variations:

This recipe is quite flexible, so please feel free to tinker around with ingredient amounts and customize it however you prefer!  For example, you could…

  • Make it gluten-free: You can either use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, in place of the AP flour.  Or you can nix the flour and instead add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together) to the sauce once it is simmering to thicken it.
  • Make it creamy: Whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to turn this recipe into an epic creamy enchilada sauce.
  • Make it spicier: Feel free to add in a pinch or two of cayenne to make this sauce even spicier.  Or alternately, you can choose to use ancho chili powder in place of standard American chili powder.
  • Make it milder: American chili powder should naturally be quite mild.  But if you are wary of heat, feel free to start with 2 tablespoons (instead of 4 tablespoons) of chili powder in the recipe.  Then once the sauce has simmered, give it a taste and feel free to add more if you would like.
  • Make it smokier: Feel free to swap some of the American chili powder for chipotle chili powder, if you would like this sauce to have a smoky chipotle kick.  (Also note that chipotle powder is considerably spicier, so this version would pack more heat too.)
  • Add tomato sauce: If you would like to have a more tomato-y enchilada sauce, you are welcome to add 1/2 cup tomato sauce to the recipe in place of 1/2 cup of the stock.

Chicken enchiladas made with the best enchilada sauce recipe

Ways To Use Enchilada Sauce:

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use this easy enchilada sauce!

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Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Red Enchilada Sauce

★★★★★ 4.8 from 297 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cups
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Description

My all-time favorite homemade red enchilada sauce recipe.  It’s quick and easy to make, and a million times better than the canned stuff!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cook the roux and spices: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Add in the garlic powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, whisking constantly.
  2. Simmer: Gradually pour in the stock, whisking constantly to combine until no lumps remain.  Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer (the sauce should continue lightly bubbling) for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
  3. Season: Give the sauce a taste and season with salt, as needed.  (I typically add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, but the saltiness of the sauce can vary depending on the brand of stock that you use.)
  4. Serve: Use immediately in your favorite recipe and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

Chili powder (important note): As mentioned above, this recipe calls for traditional American chili powder — which is not cayenne.  American chili powder is actually a blend of spices and is quite mild, whereas international chili powders are usually incredibly spicy.  So if you live outside of the United States, please look specifically for an American-style chili powder blend.

Gluten-free option: Feel free to use a 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.  Or alternately, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water and cornstarch whisked together, then added to the sauce once it has reached a simmer).

Storage instructions: Let the sauce cool to room temperature.  Then transfer it to a mason jar or food storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.  Unfortunately this sauce separates a bit once it has frozen, so I don’t recommend freezing it.

Fresh Salsa Verde

This fresh tomatillo salsa (salsa verde cruda) recipe is easy to make in 5 minutes with 100% raw ingredients, and it tastes refreshingly light, sweet, and full of fresh flavors! A few years ago while we ate our way around Mexico City for the first time, I fell head-over-heels in love with the city’s salsa […]

This fresh tomatillo salsa (salsa verde cruda) recipe is easy to make in 5 minutes with 100% raw ingredients, and it tastes refreshingly light, sweet, and full of fresh flavors!

A few years ago while we ate our way around Mexico City for the first time, I fell head-over-heels in love with the city’s salsa verde cruda.

As in, green salsa made completely with raw (“cruda”) ingredients. ♡

By contrast to most salsas verdes that you find in the States, which are almost always made with roasted tomatillos, the raw salsas verdes that we were served in Mexico City tasted ultra-light and sweet and refreshing.  Lucky for us, salsa verde cruda was served at almost every restaurant that we visited.  But our hands-down favorite was the salsa verde from Contramar.

I actually bought a copy of Chef Gabriela Cámara’s cookbook after our meal just so that I could learn how to make this salsa when we went home.  As it turns out, her recipe is incredibly simple.  But it does include one fun trick to make the texture of this salsa even more light and crisp — adding in a bit of lettuce!  We made a batch of it this week with and without the lettuce and can vouch that it really does make a lovely difference.  And when served up with a batch of salty tortilla chips (or drizzled on tacos, burgers, kabobs, french fries, you name it), I’m telling you, this vibrant salsa verde is downright irresistible.

So bring home a bag of fresh tomatillos, and let’s blend up a quick batch together!

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Peanut Chipotle Salsa

This creamy peanut chipotle salsa recipe is quick and easy to make, and full of the most irresistible savory, smoky and sweet flavors.  Serve as a dip, sauce, spread, or whatever sounds good! Fellow salsa lovers, I have a new one for you to try today. And yes, it includes peanuts! ♡ This one is […]

This creamy peanut chipotle salsa recipe is quick and easy to make, and full of the most irresistible savory, smoky and sweet flavors.  Serve as a dip, sauce, spread, or whatever sounds good!

Peanut Chipotle Salsa Recipe with Tortilla Chips

Fellow salsa lovers, I have a new one for you to try today.

And yes, it includes peanuts! ♡

This one is a bit of a cross between salsa macha (a traditional chile peanut sauce from Veracruz) and my favorite red salsa recipe.  It’s made with a standard base of tomatoes (I use canned), onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, cumin and a hint of oregano.  But then there’s also a generous scoop of natural peanut butter added in, which adds the most intriguing je ne se quoi depth of sweet nutty flavor and creaminess to this salsa, and pairs perfectly with the cilantro and lime.  Then when combined with the smokiness and subtle heat from a chipotle pepper in adobo, whew, you guys — this salsa is downright irresistible.

It’s also super quick and easy to whip up in the food processor or blender.  And while we have mostly just been enjoying ours with tortilla chips (and the occasional margs, for happy hour), this salsa can also be used a million different ways as well.  It works great as a dip for fries, chips, crackers, veggie sticks, or any of your other favorite dippers.  Or it can also be used as a sauce for your favorite tacos, burgers, kabobs, baked potatoes, roasted veggies and more.  The flavors are so well-balanced here that it’s a super versatile salsa that you can serve with just about anything.

So if you’re looking to mix things up from the usual red or green salsa routine, grab some peanut butter (or you could also use other favorite nut butters) and give this recipe a try!

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Homemade BBQ Sauce

This Kansas City-style homemade BBQ sauce recipe is super quick and easy to make, and full of the best tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet flavors that everyone is sure to love! Friends, have you ever tried making homemade BBQ sauce? If not, it’s time. ♡ And as a KC girl, I’m going to vote that you […]

This Kansas City-style homemade BBQ sauce recipe is super quick and easy to make, and full of the best tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet flavors that everyone is sure to love!

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

Friends, have you ever tried making homemade BBQ sauce?

If not, it’s time. ♡

And as a KC girl, I’m going to vote that you make this Kansas City-style bbq sauce recipe!  It’s super-easy to make — just stir everything together and simmer for about 15 minutes — and it’s full of that famous tangy, smoky and slightly-sweet blend of flavors that we all love in Kansas City.

We use this sauce regularly in our house to make traditional bbq chicken, pulled pork, ribs and baked beans.  But it also works great as a pizza sauce (hello, bbq chicken pizza ♡) and as a glaze (on meatballs, meatloaf, etc).  And of course, you’re welcome to get creative and add it into everything from soups to salads, tacos, burgers, casseroles and more.

So many ways to use homemade bbq sauce.  So let’s make a batch! (more…)

Alfredo Sauce

My favorite recipe for homemade Alfredo sauce.  It’s easy to make in just 15 minutes, full of the best creamy and garlicky flavors, and always ultra comforting and delicious. After sharing my favorite marinara sauce recipe with you yesterday, today I’m sharing my go-to recipe for its creamy, cheesy, ultra-comforting counterpart… …my favorite homemade Alfredo […]

My favorite recipe for homemade Alfredo sauce.  It’s easy to make in just 15 minutes, full of the best creamy and garlicky flavors, and always ultra comforting and delicious.

Alfredo Sauce Recipe

After sharing my favorite marinara sauce recipe with you yesterday, today I’m sharing my go-to recipe for its creamy, cheesy, ultra-comforting counterpart…

…my favorite homemade Alfredo sauce. ♡

Now I will be the first to note that this Alfredo sauce recipe is “American-style,” a la the Olive Garden version that zillions of us grew up loving.  By contrast to its Italian-style origins, in which the sauce was created in Rome with just butter and cheese (more similar to my cacio e pepe recipe), American-style Alfredo sauce is famously a bit more indulgent and complex.  Heavy cream and/or milk are typically added to make the sauce creamier, differing levels of flour are added to create a roux and make the sauce thicker, and a number of different seasonings are often added (especially a hint of white pepper and nutmeg) to give it an extra flavor boost.  So while this may come as a surprise to some, the American-style version of this sauce would definitely not be considered authentic in Italy.  But hey, I think we can all agree that the creamy version of this sauce has become an iconic favorite of its own. ♡

That said, though, all American-style Alfredo sauce recipes are definitely not created alike!  I don’t know about you guys, but I have been served far too many Alfredos over the years that were gloppy and greasy and devoid of good flavor, which simply will not do.  (Especially when indulging in a cream sauce…I want it to be amazing!)  So today, I’m sharing my favorite homemade Alfredo recipe that I have tweaked over the years to perfection.

My version is made with a base of half milk and half cream, so that it’s still rich and creamy but not overly heavy.  It’s seasoned with plenty of garlic plus a hint of white pepper and nutmeg, all of which serve to balance out those creamy flavors nicely.  It’s just slightly thickened with a tablespoon of flour, which you are also welcome to leave out entirely if you prefer.  And best of all, it’s made with lots and lots of freshly-grated Parmesan, which is really the main flavor we all want and love in a good Alfredo.

Oh and bonus?  The entire recipe is incredibly easy to make and comes together in just 15 minutes.  And, of course, it tastes a million times better than anything that you can buy in a jar.  Perfect for tossing with pasta, topping grilled chicken, spreading as a white pizza sauce, mixing into lasagna and baked ziti, or whatever else sounds good.

I’m telling you, this Alfredo sauce is always a winner.  So let’s make some!

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