all things food
Make this creamy and indulgent banana pudding cheesecake for a dessert to remember. Perfect for holidays or special occasions, this is a treat the whole family will love.
Make this Mashed Potato Casserole ahead of time for a budget-friendly holiday side. It’s loaded with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and onions!
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Potatoes: one of the most filling budget-friendly foods out there! This recipe for Mashed Potato Casserole will fill up everybody’s holiday plate for pennies. Even better, I can make this ahead of time and pop it in the oven day-of to finish. It’s the perfect side dish for when I want to maximize time spent with loved ones instead of standing over a hot stove all day. Topped with crumbled bacon, gooey cheese, and a handful of green onions, this easy casserole has become a new family favorite.
Mashed potato casserole is the best way to prep mashed potatoes ahead of time. The potatoes are mashed and mixed with onions, garlic, sour cream, milk, and seasonings, then topped with a layer of cheese, green onions, and crispy bacon. It’s like our loaded potato soup but in casserole form! My family loves the creamy potatoes with the salty bacon and melted cheese—it’s hearty, comforting, and a must-make this holiday season.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cheesy mashed potato casserole:
Mashed potatoes can get thick and gummy if they’re overworked or if the excess starch isn’t properly removed. That’s why I recommend rinsing the diced potatoes twice (before and after boiling) to wash away extra starch. I’ve also noted in the recipe not to overmix the potatoes when mashing. But if, despite your best efforts, your potatoes still turn out gummy, don’t worry! Add 1 Tbsp of additional butter at a time, stirring to combine, until you like the texture better. 1 Tbsp of butter per pound of potatoes usually does the trick. You can then assemble your mashed potatoes casserole as directed and bake!
I mentioned earlier how this casserole can be made ahead—it’s such a time saver! Assemble the casserole as directed, cover it with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge for up to two days before baking. When you’re ready to cook, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, remove the plastic wrap, and then bake as directed. So easy!
Like our potato casserole (which is made with diced potatoes, not mashed), this easy casserole is a great side for any occasion. It’s much easier to keep warm than traditional mashed potatoes, and the cheesy topping stops it from drying out. It’s the perfect Christmas or Thanksgiving side dish (don’t forget the gravy!), but it also goes well with almost any main! A saucy dish, like our chicken meatballs in cream sauce, would be a great pairing with steamed veggies and crusty bread.
Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Either cover the casserole dish or portion out individual servings and store them in airtight containers. This loaded mashed potato casserole is best reheated in the oven (cover with foil if the bacon and cheese are getting too crispy) but can also be reheated in the microwave. While you can freeze this casserole for 2-3 months, the sour cream in the potatoes may separate a bit when thawed, so keep that in mind.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Cook 6 strips bacon in the oven until crispy.
Once cooked and crispy, drain your bacon on paper towels. Set aside for now.
Peel 3 lbs russet potatoes and dice them into 1–2-inch cubes, rinse well.
Put potatoes in large pot, covered by 2 inches of water. Add ½ tsp salt.
Boil until fork-tender (on the softer side), about 15-20 minutes.
Drain potatoes and rinse with warm water. Set aside. Rinse out potato pot briefly and give it a quick wipe.
Melt 5 Tbsp salted butter in the potato pot and add ½ a diced yellow onion. Cook until soft and glossy.
Add 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add cooked potatoes back to pot with onions and garlic. Mash with potato masher until they are the consistency you prefer, being careful not to overmix to avoid a gummy texture.
Add ½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp smoked paprika, salt (to taste), and ¼ tsp chili flakes (optional) and combine.
Butter a 9×13” casserole dish. Transfer potatoes to the buttered casserole dish and smooth out with a spatula.
Top with ¼ cup shredded Parmesan, ½ cup shredded cheddar, and crumbled bacon.
Bake in oven at 400ºF for 20 minutes covered with foil, then uncover for 10 minutes.
Garnish with 2 diced green onions and serve. You’ll never look back once you try this make ahead mashed potato casserole—it’s the ultimate comfort food!
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This easy Squash Casserole is creamy and cheesy with a buttery cracker crust. It’s full of sweet yellow squash and is SO simple to make!
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I’m pretty certain this easy Squash Casserole recipe will be the only one you make from now on! Why? The texture is perfect, thanks to the crumbled crackers, melt-in-your-mouth ribbons of onion, and perfectly cooked squash. The worst kind of squash is the kind that’s overcooked to oblivion and turns into mush—I promise this is not that!
Squash casserole is a Southern classic that almost always makes an appearance at family gatherings, potlucks, and holiday dinners. There are a few variations, but for my recipe, I use yellow squash (also known as summer squash), butter, yellow onion, eggs, milk, Ritz crackers, seasonings, and a generous sprinkling of cheddar and Parmesan cheese. The cheesy cracker topping is perfectly crispy, while the squash filling is soft and creamy—it’s serious comfort food! This casserole is a delicious, home-cooked side dish for the holidays, but I think it’s equally perfect for any night of the week.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this yellow squash casserole recipe:
I promise this recipe for squash casserole will be a welcome change from your usual steamed, boiled, or sauteed veggies! The creaminess goes well with any protein, but fried chicken is a popular pairing for a classic Southern meal. I also think it would be the perfect side dish for your turkey breast and cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving! Or, for a veggie main, I’d serve it with homestyle cornbread and a green salad tossed with a light vinaigrette—yum.
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350F until heated through. You can also freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months (just note the squash and the cracker crust might be softer after thawing!).
I’d portion the casserole into individual servings before freezing and then let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Preheat oven to 350F. Gather 2-3 yellow squash (cut into ¼” discs, about 4 cups total), ½ a finely sliced yellow onion, ¾ cup shredded cheddar, ¼ cup shredded Parmesan, and 3 minced garlic cloves
In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp salted butter and add the sliced ½ yellow onion and ¼ tsp salt over medium heat until tender and starting to caramelize, about 6 minutes.
Add the 4 cups sliced squash and cook until “al dente” but not too soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the 3 minced garlic cloves, cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Transfer cooked veggies to casserole dish.
Beat 2 eggs with ½ cup milk, ½ Tbsp fresh parsley, remaining salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, and pour egg mixture over the squash in the casserole dish.
Add half the crushed 18 Ritz crackers and the ¾ cup shredded cheddar to a bowl. Mix to combine.
Stir in the Ritz cracker and cheese mixture into the casserole dish with the squash.
Top the casserole with the remaining Ritz crackers.
Sprinkle over ¼ cup shredded Parmesan.
Bake the casserole for 45 minutes.
This yummy casserole is the perfect way to showcase yellow squash. It’s simple to make with budget-friendly ingredients—what more could you want?!
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Potatoes Au Gratin are an easy cheesy favorite potato recipe! Thinly sliced potatoes and onions are smothered in a quick cheesy sauce and baked until golden.
This creamy broccoli and cheese casserole is pure comfort food and a delicious side dish for any meal, from pork tenderloin to chicken breasts!
This creamy broccoli and cheese casserole is pure comfort food and a delicious side dish for any meal, from pork tenderloin to chicken breasts!
This easy Pear Galette is packed with warmly spiced pears and craisins, then wrapped in a flaky crust and served with homemade caramel sauce!
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As we say goodbye to peaches in the summertime, I stay positive and look forward to the next season… pear season! Pears are one of my favorite fall fruits, and this perfectly fall-festive Pear Galette with caramel sauce is a delicious way to showcase them. This free-form pie is one of the easiest desserts you’ll EVER make, and the filling is deliciously simple. Spiced pears and tangy dried cranberries are wrapped in a flaky, buttery crust to create the best beginner-friendly dessert on a budget!
Originating from France, a galette is the answer to all your pie needs this busy holiday season! It’s essentially a rustic, free-form pie made with a single crust and folded-up edges over a simple filling. They differ from traditional pies because you don’t bake them in a pie pan (a baking tray is all you need!), and they’re often quicker to make. They also don’t have a top crust, so there’s no messing around with latticework or fancy pastry techniques. All you need is a pre-made pie crust and your filling! I use sliced pears, dried cranberries, cinnamon, ground ginger, sugar, and lemon juice for a sweet-tart pear galette perfect for fall.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple pear galette recipe:
This easy pear galette recipe is just that—easy! But don’t let it’s simplicity fool you. The flavors and textures in this dessert are anything but basic. However, if you want to use this recipe as a base and switch up the flavor, here are some variations I think you’ll love:
If you want to do something creative with any leftover pear juice after step 8, you can make a cocktail with it or briefly simmer it on the stovetop to make a pear simple syrup. Delicious and no-waste—win-win!
I took our caramel sauce recipe and reduced the heavy cream used ever so slightly to make it thicker for this pear galette. Drizzle it over the top of the warm slices and enjoy every last bite! A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream would take this elegant dessert to the next level!
This homemade pear galette recipe is best served fresh, but it’ll keep in the fridge for 2-3 days if covered with foil or plastic wrap. Just note the crust may lose some of its crispness.
You can also try freezing individual slices for up to 3 months, but let them thaw completely before serving. And like any fresh fruit dessert, the texture may be slightly softer after being frozen. I’d reheat slices in the oven at about 350F for a few minutes until warmed through.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Preheat oven to 450F. Slice 2 cored and quartered pears ¼ inch thin.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, and a pinch of salt.
Pour the mixture over sliced pears and set aside.
Unroll 1 pre-made pie dough on a sheet of parchment paper and fill the crust with sliced pears in one single layer, leaving 1-2 inches of space around the edge. (I had some extra pear slices, so I fanned them out on top, making a small second layer.)
Then, add 1 Tbsp craisins to the leftover pear juice to rehydrate. Set aside while you make the caramel sauce.
In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup salted butter over medium-low heat. Then, add ½ cup brown sugar and whisk together until a smooth caramel forms.
Remove caramel from heat and stream in ¼ cup room temperature heavy cream and ½ tsp vanilla, whisking until smooth.
Set aside caramel sauce to thicken. Meanwhile, brush some of the leftover juice from the soaking cranberries over the pears.
Dot the pears with hydrated cranberries.
Gently fold the sides of dough over the edges of the pears and pinch the dough to form a rustic texture and enclose your pear filling inside the galette.
Brush the crust with 1 Tbsp milk.
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar over the crust and on top of your galette.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown and the pears begin to wilt.***
This easy dessert recipe is one to keep in your back pocket for those last-minute fall gatherings! It’s quick, delicious, and sure to impress anyone who takes a bite.
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This classic French Toast recipe is so delicious, easy to make and perfect for breakfast or brunch! Enjoy the BEST French toast in minutes with this recipe and helpful tips!
This classic French Toast recipe is so delicious, easy to make and perfect for breakfast or brunch! Enjoy the BEST French toast in minutes with this recipe and helpful tips! Our Crock Pot Creamed Corn recipe combines corn kernels and creamy cheese with a touch of spice for a side dish that’s both irresistible and easy to make. Don’t miss out on this crowd-pleaser for your next meal!
This banana bread with cream cheese frosting makes a flavorful, moist, and tender cake. Finish it off with a rich, smooth, and sweet frosting.
