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.
Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies are easy and delicious to make in shapes with a cookie press, but they can be…
Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies are easy and delicious to make in shapes with a cookie press, but they can be… Homemade jalapeno cornbread is moist, fluffy, and flavorful, made with buttermilk, cheddar cheese, and a kiss of spicy heat to go along with a bowl of chili.
Chunky cranberry sauce lovers, this one’s for you: with a thick and chunky texture and the perfect balance of tart and sweet (well, I think it’s perfect, but the beauty of this recipe is you can customize it to your personal tastes!) This tried-and-true recipe requires only a few ingredients, minimal prep, and under 15 […]
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Chunky cranberry sauce lovers, this one’s for you: with a thick and chunky texture and the perfect balance of tart and sweet (well, I think it’s perfect, but the beauty of this recipe is you can customize it to your personal tastes!) This tried-and-true recipe requires only a few ingredients, minimal prep, and under 15 minutes of time from start to finish!
Make this classic recipe your go-to cranberry sauce, and use it as a foundation for your own inspired creation—a choose-your-own-adventure cranberry sauce if you will. The only limit is your imagination!
Homemade cranberry sauce is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. The intense tartness is the perfect contrast to the rich, fatty flavors and textures on the rest of your plate. I like to get a bit of cranberry sauce with each and every bite.
Another thing I love about cranberries are their versatility: there are so many complementary flavors that go with this unique fruit, from savory winter spices to sweet summer berries, zesty citrus to spicy peppers and sultry liqueurs (just take a walk down the cranberry juice aisle in your local market and it will be obvious that cranberry goes with just about anything).
That means that I can make a different kind of cranberry sauce every year and never get bored.
But still, there’s something to be said for the classic, with the perfect balance of sweetness, and a hint of lemon to compliment the natural tannins in the cranberries.
Check out my new cookbook, That’s My Jam, with 52+ seasonal recipes for jams, jellies, marmalades & more!
The question is: are you team chunky-homemade cranberry sauce or team jellied-from-the-can? Chances are your Thanksgiving table is probably split right down the middle, with both sides staunchly arguing for their candidate of choice. Such a heated debate has ruined many a Thanksgiving.
While this recipe is intended for the chunk-ocrats among us, if you happen to identify with the jelly-can party (or have dinner guests who do), don’t worry, I have a recipe for that too which you can find in my book, That’s My Jam. It’s a recipe that will please the canned-cran lovers but still bring that homemade touch to the table. Might I suggest making a batch of both?
If you’d rather not make two batches of sauce, you can follow this recipe but run the mostly-cooked cranberries through a food mill for a smoother, saucier texture (not quite jellied—it needs more pectin for that—but it might be the perfect compromise!) Return to the stovetop and cook a few minutes longer to thicken. You’ll end up with a batch of beautifully saucy, spoonable deliciousness that should please just about everyone!
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Making Creamed Corn from scratch is easier than you think! This delicious side is perfect for the holidays and made with simple ingredients.
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One of my favorite sides to load up on at the holiday dinner table is Creamed Corn! This budget-friendly side dish is made with minimal ingredients and is so easy to prepare. It’s rich, buttery, cheesy, and tastes way better than the canned stuff. As a veggie-lover who grew up in a family of meat eaters, I’ve grown accustomed to filling my holiday dinner plate with all the sides and skipping the meat. (Don’t feel bad for me—I’ve got way more tricks up my sleeve now regarding plant-based proteins and veggie mains!) But seriously, this easy recipe never disappoints. I guarantee you won’t have any leftovers!
Homemade creamed corn is made from corn kernels cooked in a creamy sauce until they become tender, juicy, and flavorful. You can purchase it in a can, but this is typically labeled as ‘cream-style corn’ because the sauce doesn’t usually contain any cream! Instead, it often relies on the starch from the corn to create a creamy texture. (Yes, corn is both a starch and a grain—it just depends on how it’s processed!) However, nothing beats the taste and texture of this side dish when made from scratch.
For this recipe, I create a roux from butter and flour, then add half & half, seasonings, fresh corn (frozen works, too!), and Parmesan cheese to make it extra decadent. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and creamy. If you love corn pudding, you’ll definitely love this dish.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best creamed corn recipe ever:
Both work perfectly well! It ultimately comes down to personal preference and what’s available. When testing this recipe for creamed corn, the corn at Walmart cost $0.50 cents per ear. The cost of the store-brand frozen whole-kernel corn (about 4 cups) was $2.94. Because the difference was negligible, I went with fresh because I prefer the texture to have a little more bite. If you’re going to use frozen, your cooking time will be significantly less, so make sure your sauce is spot on before adding the (rinsed!) frozen corn to your pan.
Your creamy sauce should have thickened to a gravy-like consistency and coat the back of a spoon before adding the corn (see my process photos below for a visual reference). It’ll continue to thicken up as it cooks with the corn added in. If your sauce is too thin, allow it to cook a little longer. If it’s thick but you want to thin it out, add a splash of half and half until it reaches your desired consistency.
When I say you can serve this corn with pretty much anything, I mean it! Serve it up for Thanksgiving with turkey breast and all your favorite trimmings, like green bean casserole. It also pairs well with BBQ ribs and homestyle cornbread! It’s a fun, year-round side and perfect for any occasion—not just the holidays!
If you have any leftovers (which is rare in my house), you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Let them cool before storing, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a little half and half if the sauce thickens too much when reheated. You can also freeze individual portions in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. I’d let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Husk and shave 6 ears of corn and set aside. If using 4 cups of frozen corn, rinse it well, strain, and set aside. In a saucepan, melt 5 Tbsp salted butter, add 1 Tbsp flour, and whisk together over medium heat to make a light roux.
Add 1 cup half & half, 1 Tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper and whisk together until smooth.
Cook down until a gravy-like sauce forms.
Add corn, tossing until completely coated. Cook 5-8 minutes, until the corn is cooked but still has some crunch. (Cook time will be significantly less if you’re using frozen, so taste often!)
Take the pan off the heat and stir in ½ cup shredded Parmesan until melted.
Serve and enjoy!
This delicious cream corn recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Serve it as a side dish at your next holiday feast or potluck, and watch it disappear!
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The sweet sugar glaze on these Candied Yams are simply irresistible. It’s the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering.
The post Candied Yams appeared first on Budget Bytes.
It’s no secret how much I love sweet potatoes, but Candied Yams are indeed my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. It’s made with sweet potatoes that are prepared and baked in a sweet and decadent sugar glaze that soaks into every single bite. It’s a special dish that I always make for the holidays and there’s usually never any leftovers. I also love that it’s made with simple ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry. So if you’re looking for a classic, budget-friendly, side dish to make this holiday season, these candied yams are one the entire family will love!
Candied yams are sweet potatoes that are baked in a sweet, syrupy, brown sugar glaze. Hence the name “candied” yams. But technically sweet potatoes and yams are not the same thing. Although they are both root vegetables and sometimes shaped similarly, there are still distinct differences. Yams have a dark brown skin, a rough exterior, and oftentimes a white flesh. They also have more of an earthy flavor and are not as sweet as sweet potatoes. It’s pretty common to see sweet potatoes mislabeled as yams in grocery stores these days; and now both names are often used interchangeably.
Here’s what you need to make this easy & delicious candied yams recipe:
Luckily you don’t have to boil the sweet potatoes first before making candied yams. Although par-boiling the sweet potatoes would help them cook faster, this recipe tastes much better when the potatoes are slow baked in the oven so they can soak up all of that yummy sweet glaze.
Store any leftover candied yams in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The butter and sugar mixture will thicken as it chills. To reheat, just place the candied yams in a saucepan over medium heat, in the oven at 350°F, or reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash, peel, and cut 2.5 lb. sweet potatoes into ½ inch thick rounds. Place the sweet potatoes into a greased 3 quart casserole dish or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) to a small light-colored pot. Heat the pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter solids turn golden brown and develop a nutty aroma (it will first become foamy, then the solids will sink to the bottom and turn brown).
As soon as the butter turns golden brown add 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir together until smooth.
Remove the pot from the heat and add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice. Stir until combined.
Pour the sugar glaze over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish. There is no need to stir the potatoes at this point. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove the foil and gently stir the sweet potatoes to redistribute the glaze. Move some of the potatoes that are at the bottom to the top. Bake for another 30 minutes uncovered or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
This step is optional, but recommended. With a slotted spoon, transfer the candied yams to a separate serving dish. Add the remaining sugar glaze to a small pot over medium heat. Bring the pot to a simmer for about 5 minutes or until the glaze has reduced and thickened.
Pour the thick glaze back over the sweet potatoes and serve. Now just sit back and get ready to impress all of your family and friends with these decadent and delicious candied yams.😋
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Cream Cheese Cookies are the best soft bite size cookies! They’re sweet with the tang from cream cheese and they melt in your mouth. This is the perfect cookie if you’re looking for a new way to make Russian Tea Cakes that are softer and tangier! I love cream cheese and it goes so well…
Cream Cheese Cookies are the best soft bite size cookies! They’re sweet with the tang from cream cheese and they melt in your mouth. This is the perfect cookie if you’re looking for a new way to make Russian Tea Cakes that are softer and tangier!
I love cream cheese and it goes so well in so many recipes like this cream cheese cookie recipe. These cookies have the best taste from the cream cheese and they’re mini cookies that are bite size with a soft texture. They’re great all year but make the perfect Christmas cookies! They’re a cross between whipped shortbread, Snowball cookies, and Jam Thumpbrints in texture and taste.
This Classic Apple Pie recipe will have your taste buds soaring! If you’re anything like me, you understand the magical appeal of a warm, freshly baked apple pie straight out of the oven. The nostalgic aroma of cinnamon and apples, the golden, flaky crust that crumbles oh-so-perfectly, it’s a treat that never goes out of…
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This Classic Apple Pie recipe will have your taste buds soaring! If you’re anything like me, you understand the magical appeal of a warm, freshly baked apple pie straight out of the oven. The nostalgic aroma of cinnamon and apples, the golden, flaky crust that crumbles oh-so-perfectly, it’s a treat that never goes out of style.
Apple pie isn’t just a dessert; it’s an experience! It’s the epitome of comfort and a surefire way to evoke warm, fuzzy feelings. There’s just nothing better than a big slice of apple pie with a scoop of ice cream on top. Plus, making apple pie is a fantastic way to bring your family together, especially during the holiday season. Get the kids involved in helping you make this all-time favorite that never fails to impress and satisfy a craving for something sweet.
Step 1: Prepare pie crust and chill.
Step 2: Roll out bottom crust and place in pie plate.
Step 3: Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and butter.
Step 4: Gently cook apple slices so they aren’t super firm.
Step 5: Add pie filling to prepared bottom crust in pie plate.
Step 6: Add top crust and crimp shut. If desired, add decoration and an egg wash.
Step 7: Bake until perfectly golden all around. Serve warm (after about an hour) with ice cream or whipped cream.
You can make this pie ahead of time, even, as well as store leftovers. You can do up to 24 hours on the counter or 4 days covered and refrigerated. Either way, allow it to come to room temperature before serving and you can even gently reheat it in the oven. I think apple pie tastes great at all temperatures thought!
Everyone immediately thinks of Granny Smith, and this is a great option! It is tart and holds its shape very well during baking, so that you have recognizable apple slices in your pie. Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Braeburn are also great options. Select 3-4 varieties to use in your pie, as each will cook down differently as well as hold its distinct flavor.
I find that one of the easiest ways is to gently press the crust with one finger between the knuckles of the other hand. This will give you the classic wavy edge you are looking for. But especially if you place extra special cut outs on top, no one will be concerned if your edges are messy! They will know it was baked with love.
The trick here is to let the pie rest for at least an hour after baking. I know hot fresh pie sounds amazing, but waiting is best. This will allow the filling to cool and set, from the flour, butter, and pectin in the apples. Then your slice will hold up nicely on a plate rather than the filling slowly sliding out.
From the satisfying crisp of the crust to the luscious, cinnamon-infused apple filling, every bite is an absolute delight! Let me know what you think of this Classic Apple Pie recipe! Leave a comment and rating below.
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The post Classic Apple Pie appeared first on Weelicious.
Did you know you can make homemade Cranberry Sauce in minutes with just 4 ingredients? Better yet, it freezes like a dream so prep it now and pop it in the freezer so you’re ready for the big day! Easy peasy.
This easy Turkey Breast Brine recipe will give you super flavorful and tender turkey breast meat every single time!
The post Turkey Breast Brine appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Whether you plan on making a big turkey for thanksgiving this year or a smaller turkey breast, taking the extra step to brine your turkey is pretty essential. This easy Turkey Breast Brine recipe will give you super flavorful and tender turkey breast meat every time! I’ll be honest, sometimes I’m tempted to skip this step especially when I’m running short on time. But the difference it makes is huge! The brine infuses the turkey with so much moisture and flavor. It’s seriously a game-changer for Thanksgiving, special holiday occasions, or if you simply enjoy cooking turkey breast meat to meal-prep throughout the week.
A brine in most cases is simply a solution of salt, sugar, and water. Meat is then submerged in the salt water solution for several hours to help add moisture, flavor, and tenderize the meat. This process is called brining. Oftentimes brines are seasoned with additional herbs and spices to add even more flavor to the meat. Since turkey breast meat can sometimes be dry, I highly recommend taking the extra step to brine it first.
Here’s everything you need to make an easy, flavorful, turkey breast brine:
The time it takes to brine a turkey breast will vary slightly depending on the size of the turkey. A good rule of thumb is to brine the turkey for roughly one hour per pound. I purchased a 5 ½ lb. bone-in turkey breast and brined it for 6 hours. That turned out to be the perfect amount of time for that size of turkey breast. A smaller, boneless turkey breast would need an even shorter amount of time in a brine solution.
Yes, you should definitely rinse and dry the turkey breast after it is done brining. This removes any excess salt from the turkey and prevents it from being too salty.
I’m happy to report that this turkey brine works for both bone-in and boneless turkey breasts. I tested it with both and was happy with the results. However, there are a couple differences to note:
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Start by gathering your ingredients. For this turkey breast brine I am using 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup white sugar, 3 bay leaves, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 6 smashed garlic cloves (if some of them break in half like mine did that is fine), 1 Tbsp whole peppercorns, and 1 lemon.
Place 8 cups of cold water in a container and place it in the freezer. You will use it later. Then in a large stock pot add the kosher salt, white sugar, and remaining 8 cups of water. Heat the pot over medium heat and stir to dissolve.
Once the salt and sugar have completely dissolved add the bay leaves, rosemary, smashed garlic cloves, and peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Boil for 3 minutes then remove the pot from the heat.
Add the juice from the lemon and the entire squeezed lemon to the pot. Now allow the brine to cool down to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Once the brine has cooled down to room temperature add the remaining 8 cups of water from the freezer. Stir and allow the brine to completely cool down. About another 5-10 minutes.
Now carefully add the turkey breast inside the pot with the brine. If your pot is not big enough to hold the turkey breast and the brine, then add it to a turkey size brining bag and pour the cooled brine over the turkey breast. Make sure the turkey breast is completely submerged in the brine, then cover the pot or seal up the bag. Place the pot in the refrigerator for 6 hours. *(total brine time will depend on the size of your turkey breast)
After the turkey has brined, remove the turkey breast from the brine and rinse it well under cold water. Then pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Now you’re ready to cook the most flavorful turkey breast that you’ve ever tasted.
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