Appetizers & Sides
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Slow Roasted Tomatoes
A perfect way to complement many entrees and a low effort way to use up all of the extra garden tomatoes. Perfect with some crusty bread or add some cheese and chop for a little bruschetta.
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Fresh Guacamole
Simple, smooth, creamy and delicious. Guac can take sandwiches to the next level, give a nice cool layer in burritos or just eat with chips. The mortar and pestel fancies it up a bit so don't forget that.
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Monkey Bread
A sweet crispy outside and a smooth yeast center makes this an incredible breakfast snack. The small puffy bites are easy to pull-a-part for a quick appetizer or side for parties.
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Garlic Bread
The hero of many italian dishes is garlic bread and this recipe rules the land.
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Baked Potato
The classic baked potato with a soft interior and slightly crispy outside.
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Cream Cheese Egg Salad
This is a perfect spread to have handy as an appetizer or with breakfast.
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Thanksgiving Stuffing (Dressing)
I was asked to bring stuffing for our Thanksgiving pitch-in, which to me means make something simple complicated (homemade). This was a huge hit and miles above the boxed equivalent.
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Tuna Salad
A simple staple to whip up when you need something quick or to pack for a picnic. Perfect for crackers, wraps, sandwiches or plain.
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Pasta with Garlic and Oil
A surprisingly simple and quick dish that produces a flavorful take on spaghetti. It has a little bit of heat and quite a bit of garlic, both friends of mine.
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Buttermilk Biscuits
The biscuit is the perfect pair for breakfasts, snacks and dinners. Top if with gravy, butter, jelly or even use it with chicken and dumplings.
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Fried Potatoes and Onions
One of the few dishes I remember my grandpa making, however I wasn't brave enough to try them back then.
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Zucchini Tian (Tian de Courgettes au Riz)
My favorite way so far to eat zucchini, shredded zucchini casserole with cheese and rice. The only thing missing is an episode of Julia Child making it in the background.
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Scalloped Potatoes (Gratin Dauphinoise)
Scalloped potatoes remind me more of holiday meals, probably because it is a little more involved than what most would take on for a week day meal. Add it to your list for a fancy Sunday dinner for the family.
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Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
With some time and practice you can have crispy diner style potatoes at home. Duck fat has a higher smoke point and allows for the potatoes to cook hotter and increases the browning.
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Ultimate Granola
This is less of a complete recipe and more of an excellent foundation to build a granola with all of your favorite ingredients. Combinations and add-ins are endless, you may find yourself sneaking some before bed as a treat, seriously.
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Seared Brussel Sprouts
It wasn't until I tried some roasted brussel sprouts and bacon at a local restaurant that they started to get on radar for a new vegetable to add to my diet. We have made this quite a few times and I am always quite pleased with the results.
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Baked Beans
Baked beans are a relatively new addition to my menu, but I found this recipe and it has way more flavor than the cans or any restaurant ones I have tried.
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Yeast Pretzels
Everyone loves a fresh soft pretzel, the possibilities are endless for mix-ins, dips and toppings. These smell amazing and are up there with the best pretzels I have ever had.
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Pork Belly Bacon
Bacon is a hero on its own, or add it to a number of meals to take it up to the next level. This is a great way to save some money and have some delicious treats in the fridge/freezer.
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Breakfast Granola Tart
Our family eats a lot of granola and yogurt, this was a simple recipe to make eating and serving it a little more exciting.
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Pomme Rosti – Hash browns
The bags of frozen hash browns never turned out well for me. This recipe takes a little time, but produces the best hash browns I have had to date.
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Glazed Sweet Potatoes
My glazed carrots recipe is one of the more popular recipes on the blog so I looked at adding some more options. These glazed sweet potatoes are much easier and reheat well the next day.
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Steamed Hard Boiled Eggs
Surprisingly enough, we struggled to get consistent results when making hard boiled eggs. Using this steam method has made this a foolproof recipe.
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Pie Crust (Pate Brisee)
Nothing beats homemade pie crust and with the help of a food processor it is actually pretty easy. With a 14 cup processor or smaller, you may want to split this into 2 batches.
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Simple No-Knead Bread
This amazing bread, requires no special tools or ingredients and very little effort. The only thing it does take, is a considerable amount of non-active time.
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Broccoli Casserole
Another quick side dish for holidays and gatherings, another one of my favorites from my mother-in-law. If I am not careful, I end up eating the whole pan.
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Crispy Braised Red Potatoes
These potatoes are crispy on the bottom and super soft and tender in the middle. Quickly, toss these in the skillet while you prepare other items and have an excellent side ready in no time.
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Sous Vide Corn on the Cob
The extra effort for this unconventional cooking method is rewarded with a crisp buttery taste that can't be replicated any other way.
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Kolaches
These beautifully golden pillows of breakfast goodness can be filled with anything from sweet to savory. Traditionally, Kolaches are not stuffed and served with a fruit preserve on top - but there are no rules in the kitchen.
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Fruit Roll-Up Leather
Sometimes you get a little crazy and decide to make something that takes more effort than just buying at the store. This is one of those times, however knowing what is in your snack and the extra flavor can maybe make up for it.
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Thai Salad with Peanut Sauce
After visiting a local Thai restaurant, I am on a pursuit to recreate the salad they offer with entrees. This one is a little different, but I like it quite a bit and isn't as sweet.
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Mashed Potatoes
A classic simple side dish that pairs with many main courses, mashed potatoes are a cheap addition to add to your menu.
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Glazed Carrots
Go ahead and file this one under the last carrot recipe you will ever need. If you have had Glazed Carrots at some fancy place, then you know how tasty these are. Don't like carrots? Try these and you will.
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Fried Morel Mushrooms
These scary looking mushrooms are covered in little honeycomb pockets to trap all of the butter and flavors. These will be unlike any other mushroom you are used to eating from the grocery store.
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Pepperoni Garlic Knots
These doughy knots cooked in the cast iron skillet, end up being like a deep dish pizza appetizer with individual pieces each wrapped in flavor.
