Gluten-Free

November 18, 2021 Air Fryer

Roasted Air Fryer Carrots

These air fryer carrots are perfectly roasted in just 20 minutes! With five very simple ingredients, these will quickly become your favorite healthy side dish.

air fryer carrots in air fryer basket with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese on top

What Makes This Recipe So Good

It requires just five ingredients you probably already have on-hand! Carrots, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper are all you’ll need to make this delicious side.
They’re perfectly seasoned and cooked until tender! This recipe works to bring out the flavor of fresh carrots. The simple seasoning allows their naturally delicious taste to shine!
It comes together in two very quick and easy steps! Start by tossing all ingredients in a bowl before transferring to your air fryer. Then, give the carrots a quick shake halfway through cooking before serving and enjoying.

Key Ingredients

Carrots – To prepare the carrots for this recipe, start by giving them a quick rinse under cold water. Once dry, peel and remove the skin from each carrot along with 1/2-inch from the top. Last, slice the carrots any way you’d like before roasting and eating!

Fresh Thyme – A sprinkling of fresh thyme does an incredible job at bringing out the natural earthy flavor of the carrots. I prefer fresh thyme for how light and complimentary it is in this air fryer carrots recipe. However, you can use any fresh herb you’d like in place of the thyme in this recipe.

Chef’s Tips

Depending on the size of your carrots, they may cook in less or more time than instructed. I cut my carrots into about 2-inch pieces, then after 20 minutes they were perfectly roasted. However, evaluate how quickly your carrots are cooking at the halfway mark and adjust the time from there!
Finish these carrots off with an extra sprinkling of fresh herbs and maybe some savory parmesan cheese. Again, keep the seasonings light as to not overpower that delicious, fresh carrot flavor.
Serve these air fryer carrots however you’d like! I love enjoying mine as a healthy side dish with lunch or dinner. I’ve even tossed them into salads for an exciting and healthy addition!

Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love

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Print Recipe

Air Fryer Carrots

These air fryer carrots are perfectly roasted in just 20 minutes! With five very simple ingredients, these will quickly become your favorite healthy side dish.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fewer than 5 ingredients, healthy side dish, less than 20 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 56kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Air Fryer
Large bowl

Ingredients

1 pound carrots peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil see Notes
1 sprig fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat carrots in seasoning.
Transfer carrots to air fryer tray or basket and cook at 380° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, pausing to shake halfway through.

Notes

Olive Oil: Feel free to use any vegetable oil in place of the olive oil in this recipe. Avocado oil also works perfectly and has a delightfully mild taste!

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including toppings. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 4. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

November 4, 2021 Dairy-Free

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast

A bacon wrapped turkey breast is a simple but mind-blowingly delicious entrée that’ll enhance any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or weeknight dinner. Tender boneless turkey breast is smothered in a garlic-and-herb butter sauce, then wrapped up tight in strips of savory bacon and baked until golden and juicy. Naturally low carb and keto, and super easy to make dairy free and paleo, too!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The garlic-herb butter sauce sandwiched between the turkey and the bacon keeps the turkey delectably juicy while adding an incredible level of flavor to the entire dish. For a different flavor, submerge the turkey breast overnight in this easy turkey brine and skip the butter sauce here.
Bacon wrapped turkey breast pairs beautifully with a variety of side dishes. Southern Smothered Potatoes, Italian Green Beans, Sweet Potato Pudding, Broccoli Cornbread – the possibilities are endless!
Don’t feel like you have to save this main for a holiday dinner. Bacon wrapped turkey breast is perfect any time of year, and it’s so easy to make that you don’t have to feel like it’s a special-occasion recipe.

Key Ingredients

Boneless Turkey Breast – Fresh or frozen turkey breast will work here! If you’re using frozen, just be sure to thaw it completely first. If you’re using a turkey breast larger than 3 pounds, you’ll likely need to increase the cook time and the amount of bacon you use. Oh, AND! Some turkey breasts will have a netting around them. If yours does, be sure to remove that netting before you get started!

Bacon – Any type of bacon will work here, even turkey bacon! For a nicer presentation, try basket-weaving the bacon strips together around the turkey.

Chef’s Tips

This would be a great option to serve alongside (or in place of) a whole turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner if you’re feeding a large group or just want to mix things up a little. If you’re not sure how much turkey you’ll need to feed your guests, use the super easy formula in this post: How Much Turkey Per Person?
If you have trouble tucking the bacon strips under the turkey breast enough to hold them in place, use toothpicks to pin them down! After baking, you can remove the toothpicks to serve and the cooked bacon will hold its shape.
Don’t skip the wire rack! It’s super important. The rack elevates the turkey breast so the grease from the bacon will drip off and away. If you don’t use the rack, the turkey and bacon will just sit in the grease, and the bacon won’t get crispy all the way around.

Slices of Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast on a plate with green beans and a fork

Other Turkey Recipes to Make Your Mouth Water

Print Recipe

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast

A bacon wrapped turkey breast is a simple but mind-blowingly delicious entrée that'll enhance any Thanksgiving, Christmas, or weeknight dinner. Tender boneless turkey breast is smothered in a garlic-and-herb butter sauce, then wrapped up tight in strips of savory bacon and baked until golden and juicy. Naturally low carb and keto, and super easy to make dairy free and paleo, too!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas dinner, holiday dinner, thanksgiving dinner

Servings:

Calories: 334kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Oven
Small bowl
Baking sheet
Wire baking rack
Internal meat thermometer

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salted butter melted
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1 sage leaf chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 3-pound boneless turkey breast
8-10 slices bacon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. In small bowl, mix together butter, thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage, and garlic.
Place wire baking rack on baking sheet and set turkey breast on rack. Liberally coat turkey breast in butter-herb mixture, being sure to apply mixture evenly.
One by one, wrap strips of bacon around turkey breast and tuck ends of bacon under turkey to stay in place. Start by placing 2-4 slices of bacon horizontally across turkey breast to cover ends of turkey, then lay remaining slices of bacon vertically across turkey breast to cover sides.
Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake 2 hours or until turkey reaches internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit. Once temperature is reached, remove turkey from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

If your turkey breast has a netting around it, be sure to remove that before you get started!
Don’t skip the wire rack! It’s super important. The rack elevates the turkey breast so the grease from the bacon will drip off and away. If you don’t use the rack, the turkey and bacon will just sit in the grease, and the bacon won’t get crispy all the way around.
Make it Dairy Free: Use dairy-free butter.
Make it Paleo: Use ghee instead of butter, and use a paleo-friendly bacon without sugar or other non-compliant additives.

Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

November 2, 2021 Easy

How to Thicken Mashed Potatoes (5 Ways!)

Cook confidently with a handful of tricks to easily and quickly thicken mashed potatoes! These methods take no more than a few minutes and just one ingredient.

overhead image of mashed potatoes in a pot with butter and a wooden spoon

What Makes These Methods So Good

They’re perfect for when you’re short on time! Simply and effectively use any of these five methods to thicken mashed potatoes and have them on the dinner table in no time.
Some require no additional ingredients. We include five options so that anyone with any ingredients or cooking equipment is able to salvage their potatoes.
They won’t affect the taste of your delicious mashed potatoes! The only thing these do is thicken the texture. Therefore, you can use any of these methods confidently, knowing they won’t at all ruin your potatoes.

The 5 Methods

Use a Thickening Agent – Thickening agents such as corn starch or flour are super effective in, you guessed it, thickening recipes. I recommend corn starch when thickening mashed potatoes as it does very little to affect the taste of your side dish. Flour, on the other hand, can sometimes give potatoes a chalky taste/texture. To use a thickening agent to thicken mashed potatoes, simply add just one tablespoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Heat in a Pot – Place thin mashed potatoes in a pot over medium heat and stir every minute or so. Leave the pot uncovered to allow moisture to evaporate, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Add Dehydrated Potatoes – My personal favorite quick and easy method involves stirring one tablespoon of dehydrated potatoes into your mashed potatoes at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Dehydrated potatoes not only do an amazing job at thickening mashed potatoes in mere seconds, but they enhance that delicious, smooth flavor.

Bake in a Shallow Dish – This method works similarly to heating the runny potatoes in a pot. By baking them, uncovered, in a shallow baking dish, we encourage moisture to evaporate out of the potatoes. To do this, transfer your mashed potatoes to a baking dish and place them in a 350° Fahrenheit oven. Leave them to cook for about 10 minutes or until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Cook Additional Potatoes – Another one of my more preferred thickening methods is adding in extra cooked potatoes. For this trick, peel and boil/cook potatoes exactly how you would to make mashed potatoes. Once super soft, give them a quick mash before adding them straight into your thin mashed potatoes. Continue adding cooked potatoes until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Chef’s Tips

Avoid over-mixing and mashing your potatoes! Over-worked mashed potatoes will cause them to take on a gluey and unappetizing texture.
Learn from your mistakes and avoid runny mashed potatoes next time you make them. My trick for this is to mash the potatoes before introducing any liquid. Boiled potatoes will hold on to a surprising amount of water that will only become visible once mashed. Therefore, give them a “dry” mash to determine their consistency before adding any milk or butter.
Whatever you do, don’t give up and throw away your mashed potatoes! Unsalvageable thin mashed potatoes can be turned into a delicious soup and/or added to a casserole.

Dehydrated potatoes being poured into a pot of mashed potatoes

Other Helpful How Tos

Print Recipe

How to Thicken Mashed Potatoes (5 Ways)

Cook confidently with a handful of tricks to easily and quickly thicken mashed potatoes! These methods take no more than a few minutes and just one ingredient.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: side dish, thanksgiving, tips and tricks

Servings:

Calories: 106kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Medium pot
9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

4 cups runny mashed potatoes
cornstarch optional
dehydrated potatoes optional
additional potatoes peeled, boiled, and mashed; optional

Instructions

Method 1 – Use a Thickening Agent

Add one tablespoon of corn starch at a time until you've reached your desired consistency.

Method 2 – Heat in a Pot

Stir in a pot over medium heat, uncovered until moisture evaporates and you’ve reached your desired consistency. Stir every minute, but be careful not to over-stir as this can result in gummy mashed potatoes.

Method 3 – Add Dehydrated Potatoes

Add one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Method 4 – Bake in a Shallow Dish

Bake in a shallow baking dish at 350° Fahrenheit, uncovered for about 10 minutes, allowing moisture to evaporate.

Method 5 – Cook Additional Potatoes

Cook additional potatoes, then mash them and stir into your runny mashed potatoes until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 8 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

October 26, 2021 Desserts

Sweet Potato Pudding

Classically Southern sweet potato pudding is a must-have for your holiday dinner table. Rich, earthy sweet potatoes mixed with evaporated milk and eggs until creamy, then topped with a nutty brown sugar pecan crumble and baked until crisp and hot. This is everything you love about Thanksgiving baked into one incredible dish!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

No offense to grandma’s classic Thanksgiving turkey or holiday ham, but… It’s no real surprise that the side dishes and desserts are the actual stars of a holiday dinner. Set this pudding dish out on the table and watch it disappear in no time! It’s similar to a Sweet Potato Casserole, but so much better.
The flavors and textures in this recipe are absolutely unbelievable. Rich, smooth, creamy sweet potato topped with crisp, crumbled pecans and brown sugar.
This is a great recipe to make into individual servings for a fancier presentation. Just portion the sweet potato pudding into individual ramekins instead of one large dish, top with the pecan crumble, and bake.

Key Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes – If you’re short on time or energy, or just want the holidays to be a little simpler, you can use canned sweet potatoes here. Just don’t use any that have added sweeteners, because they’ll throw off the other flavors in the recipe.

Pecans – Usually a dessert superstar in their own right, pecans add a delightful crunch and nuttiness to the sweet potato pudding. If nuts aren’t your thing, you can skip them and just stick with the brown sugar crumble.

Evaporated Milk – This is what makes the pudding SO rich and creamy. Since evaporated milk has the liquid evaporated out, it’s thicker than regular milk, though not as thick or sweet as condensed milk. If you only have regular milk at home, you can make evaporated milk yourself just by simmering regular milk over medium-low heat for roughly 20-30 minutes until reduced. You’ll need roughly 2 cups regular milk to yield 1 cup evaporated milk.

Chef’s Tips

For an even deeper, richer flavor, add a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice to the crumble topping and/or the sweet potato pudding mixture. YUM!
If your brown sugar topping is browning too fast, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to keep it from burning.

Overhead view of sweet potato pudding in a casserole dish

You’ll Love These Holiday Recipes

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato Pudding

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, holiday dinner, thanksgiving dinner

Servings:

Calories: 356kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Medium bowl
Fork
Large pot
Colander
Large bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer
2-quart baking dish, greased

Ingredients

For the Topping

⅓ cup all-purpose flour see Notes
⅓ cup brown sugar or Brown Swerve or coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cold butter cubed
½ cup chopped pecans

For the Sweet Potato Pudding

2 pounds sweet potatoes rinsed, peeled, and diced into even 1" chunks; see Notes
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup sugar or granular Swerve or coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Instructions

For the Topping

Place all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cold butter cubes, and chopped pecans in medium bowl. Use fork to mix and mash mixture until crumbled, similar to streusel topping. Place mixture in fridge until ready to bake.

For the Sweet Potato Pudding

Add diced sweet potatoes to large pot and cover with water. Bring water to boil over high heat and boil 15 to 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes can be pierced with tines of fork. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Drain sweet potatoes then transfer them to large bowl. Add evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Using hand mixer or stand mixer, mix ingredients together until just combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, to sweet potato mixture, mixing after each egg until just combined, then adding next egg. Repeat until all eggs have been incorporated.
Transfer sweet potato mixture into greased baking dish. Top with brown sugar pecan mixture, spreading topping out into one even layer.
Place dish in oven and bake approximately 30 minutes or until topping is crisp and crunchy. Serve warm.

Notes

Sweet Potatoes: The amount of potatoes you’ll need depends on their size. 2 pounds of sweet potatoes will be approximately 4 large sweet potatoes or 5-6 medium sweet potatoes.
Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Make it Dairy Free: Use coconut milk and dairy-free butter.

Recipe yields approximately 8 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

October 21, 2021 Dairy-Free

Instant Pot Turkey Stock

This Instant Pot turkey stock is the perfect use for that leftover turkey carcass! It’s rich and deeply flavorful, packed with nutrients, and takes a fraction of the time to make as regular stock.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

It’s extra healthy and nutritious! The vitamins and minerals from both the turkey bones and the vegetables are released into the stock while it cooks. Once strained, the stock holds onto all of those good-for-you nutrients.
It’s quick and easy to make! Traditional stock can take hours to cook, though this Instant Pot method takes just 45 minutes. Simply add all ingredients to the Instant Pot, set it to pressure cook, and then return to delicious homemade turkey stock every time.
It’s the perfect use for any leftover turkey bones you might have lying around after Thanksgiving dinner! Reduce your waste and use every single part of the turkey this holiday season.

Key Ingredients

Turkey Carcass or Turkey Wings – If you don’t have a leftover turkey carcass for this recipe, you can easily use three pounds of turkey wings in its place. I’ve tried this method with both variations, and they’re equally as delicious! So the next time you have turkey or even chicken bones lying around, don’t forget to save them for this recipe.

Onion – My favorite part about this recipe is how hands off it is. This even goes for preparing the vegetables, especially the onion. No need to finely chop or even peel an onion for this recipe! Simply leave the skin on and cut it into four equal pieces. Once cut, throw it in the Instant Pot with the remaining ingredients – it’s that easy!

Chef’s Tips

Allow the stock to cool completely before transferring it to the fridge. The stock will be super hot right after cooking, it might even continue to boil for a few minutes after the lid is removed. Therefore, to help speed up the cooling process, strain the turkey stock and transfer it to a large bowl on the counter to bring down the temperature.
Store this Instant Pot turkey stock in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week! Though if you won’t be using this stock within a week, you can easily freeze it instead. To freeze it, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in your freezer for up to three months.
Feel free to switch up the seasonings in this recipe any way you’d like! Add more spice with additional peppercorns or even red pepper flakes. You can even add some fresh herbs, such as parsley.

overhead image of instant pot turkey stock with fresh herbs on the side

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Turkey Stock

This Instant Pot turkey stock is the perfect use for that leftover turkey carcass! It's rich and deeply flavorful, packed with nutrients, and takes a fraction of the time to make as regular stock.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: leftover turkey, super easy, thanksgiving

Servings:

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

1 turkey carcass or 3 pounds turkey wings
1 stalk celery sliced in half
1 large carrot cut into 3 or 4 pieces
1 onion unpeeled and cut into quarter
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Instructions

Add all ingredients to an Instant Pot, then fill with water to the max fill line.
Set to manual high pressure for 45 minutes, then manually release pressure before removing lid.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Let cool before transferring to airtight containers to store.

Notes

I used a 6 quart Instant Pot and produced about 2 quarts of turkey stock.

Recipe yields approximately 10 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using ingredients listed. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

October 19, 2021 Easy

How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes (3 Ways!)

These are the best and easiest ways to reheat mashed potatoes! Whether you’re prepping your potatoes ahead of time, or simply looking to enjoy leftovers, give these methods a try for perfectly smooth and hot mashed potatoes.

pouring milk into a bowl of mashed potatoes and butter

What Makes These Methods So Good

Each method involves additional milk and butter, making them extra rich and delicious! These reheated mashed potatoes are arguably even more delicious than the fresh kind.
They’re not dry at all! I’m sure if you’ve tried to reheat mashed potatoes before, you’ve found they turn out unappetizingly dry. Well these methods introduce and lock in as much moisture to the potatoes as possibly, making them extra soft and creamy!
They’re all equally as quick and easy! Each reheat method involves only two steps, helping you get warm mashed potatoes on the dinner table in no time.

close-up image of mashed potatoes, milk, and butter in a pot

How to Reheat Leftover Mashed Potatoes

In the microwave: I’m sure we’ve all tried this method before, but trust me, you’ve never tried it quite like this. First, you’ll want to heat your potatoes in the microwave set at half power. This will avoid drawing out too much moisture from your mashed potatoes. Then, once warm, stir in some extra butter and milk to bring your potatoes back to life – they’ll be good as new!

In the oven: This hands-off technique requires a bit more time than the other two, but is probably my favorite. Transfer your mashed potatoes to a baking dish and cover with a couple tablespoons of butter and milk. Don’t stir anything, instead just cover the dish with foil. Then, bake it for about 25 minutes or until warm throughout. Once warm, give the potatoes a stir and trust me when I tell you they’ll taste fresh and delicious!

On the stove: Place leftover mashed potatoes in a pot with a tablespoon of butter and some milk. Warm the potatoes over low heat on the stove, being sure to give them a quick stir at least every minute. Once warm throughout, remove them from the heat and enjoy!

Tips for Success

It is essential that you reintroduce at least some moisture to reheated mashed potatoes. Therefore, do not skimp on the additional butter or milk in these methods!
Feel free to doctor up your mashed potatoes with extra herbs if you’d like! While reheating, you can stir in additional flavorings to switch your potatoes up however you choose.
You can easily double up on the amounts for each method, or cut them in half based on how much leftover mashed potatoes you have. If I’m reheating a bowl for just myself, I’ll sometimes cut these methods down by a quarter of their listed amounts!

mashed potatoes in a baking dish with milk and butter

Other Helpful How-Tos

Print Recipe

How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes

These are the best and easiest ways to reheat mashed potatoes! Whether you're prepping your potatoes ahead of time, or simply looking to enjoy leftovers, give these methods a try for perfectly smooth and hot mashed potatoes.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday sides, how to keep mashed potatoes hot, reheat

Servings: servings

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Microwave-safe bowl
9×13 baking dish
Medium pot

Ingredients

4 cups mashed potatoes

In the microwave:

butter as needed
milk as needed

In the oven:

½ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter

One the stove:

½ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

In the microwave:

Place mashed potatoes in the microwave and reheat at half power for 5 minutes.
Remove potatoes, give them a quick stir, then mix in additional butter and milk as needed.

In the oven:

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and transfer potatoes to a baking dish.
Pour milk and disperse butter over potatoes then cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until warm throughout.

On the stove:

Add mashed potatoes, milk, and butter to a large saucepan over low heat.
Stir every minute until warm throughout, should take about 8-10 minutes.

Notes

Each method is based off of using 4 cups of mashed potatoes, though adjust amounts depending on how much mashed potatoes you’re looking to reheat.

Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving of reheated mashed potatoes in the oven. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

October 14, 2021 Appetizer

Puking Pumpkin with Guacamole “Vomit”

Take your Halloween festivities to the next level with a delightfully disgusting puking pumpkin! This is a great centerpiece for your Halloween snack table, not to mention a fun way to serve a guacamole appetizer.

Close-up of a puking pumpkin with guacamole and tortilla chips

What’s So Great About This Recipe

It’s super fun, and a little gross – both perfect for Halloween! This is one that adults and kids alike will LOVE. Plus it’s a fun Halloween activity you can do with your kids (though you might want to handle the actual carving).
You can make a puking pumpkin as mild or as stomach-turning as you want! Instead of vomiting guacamole, your pumpkin could spew wrapped candies – much more chill. If you want to get really wild with it, the pumpkin could puke worms (spaghetti) and blood (tomato sauce). A taco dip with ground beef or even just a bean dip would work well, too – plus all those chunks and textures would be SO gross!
This guacamole appetizer goes really well with a batch of Halloween Monsteritas (cucumber and jalapeño margaritas). Talk about a perfect Halloween party spread!

What You’ll Need

Pumpkin – Any size, any color, any shape of pumpkin will work here! Don’t be afraid to get creative. Choose a size that matches your needs – for a large party and a lot of guac, you’ll want a larger pumpkin. Whatever size you choose, just make sure to get a pumpkin that’s relatively flat on the bottom so that it sits up well. You don’t want it to roll around and “vomit” guac all over the place.

Guacamole – Store-bought or homemade guacamole will both work for your puking pumpkin. You’ll want something that’s thicker, as opposed to an avocado salsa, so it holds a decent shape. Also, the chunkier the guacamole, the more visually interesting the whole arrangement will be!

Sharp Knife – Carving a pumpkin can be more difficult than it needs to be sometimes. One thing that makes a big difference is using the right tools. Make sure your knife is really sharp, and use a small, flat knife (like a paring knife) as opposed to a large knife. You’ll have better control over your cuts that way.

Chef’s Tips

If you want to use your puking pumpkin as a centerpiece or jack-o-lantern after the guac is gone, rub a little Vaseline (petroleum jelly) onto the cut-out edges of the face. Vaseline will help the edges stay fresh a little longer.
To make carving your pumpkin a little easier, use push pins! Draw your design (or place a stencil) on the side of the pumpkin. Then, insert push pins along the lines of your design, pressing hard enough to make holes in the pumpkin shell. Once you’ve done the whole design, it’s just a matter of connecting the dots with the knife!
I cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin to access the insides, but you can cut yours around the stem on top if you’d rather. I think it looks a little nicer without the cut seam around the top, and supposedly cutting the bottom instead of the top keeps the pumpkin fresher longer, too.

Angled puking pumpkin with guacamole on a plate surrounded by tortilla chips

Be Sure to Try These Pumpkin Recipes, Too!

Print Recipe

Puking Pumpkin with Guacamole “Vomit”

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time0 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: halloween, kid friendly, party food

Servings:

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Sharpie
Sharp knife (paring knife or other small knife)
Large metal spoon (or ice cream scoop)
Parchment paper or plate

Ingredients

1 pumpkin wiped clean, then dried
guacamole or other thick dip of choice
tortilla chips optional, for serving

Instructions

Using Sharpie (or similar marker), draw large circle on bottom of pumpkin, encircling center point. Circle should be big enough to allow your hand inside pumpkin.
Use sharp paring knife to cut along Sharpie circle, inserting knife deep enough to cut completely through bottom of pumpkin shell. Once entire circle is cut, remove center of shell and set aside.
Use large spoon to scoop out all seeds, strings, and guts from inside of pumpkin. Discards innards or set aside for another purpose. Continue scraping inner wall of side you intend to carve, until wall is roughly 1" thick.
Carve desired face into thinned side of pumpkin using sharp paring knife, following stencil or hand-drawn design of choice. Discard excess pieces from side of shell. Replace bottom circle of shell.
Set carved pumpkin on long sheet of parchment paper, or place large plate beneath carved mouth. Scoop guacamole onto parchment paper or plate, then build dip up and into pumpkin mouth, to give appearance of vomit. Serve with tortilla chips (or fresh veggies, or crostini).

Notes

Dip: If you don’t want to use guacamole, use an equally thick dip in its place. Something thin (like queso) won’t work here because it won’t hold any sort of shape without a container. You’ll end up with a huge mess! A taco dip with ground beef or even just a bean dip would work well, or you could just use wrapped candies for a less-gross version.
I highly recommend NOT trying to move the pumpkin once you’ve added the guacamole. If you’re using this as a centerpiece for a party or snack table, place the pumpkin where it needs to be first, then add the guacamole. Moving everything together is too risky.

Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes and the amount of guacamole used.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving of guacamole, not including any tortilla chips. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used

Nutrition

October 12, 2021 Easy

Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes

These sous vide mashed potatoes are irresistibly soft and fluffy! The sous vide cooks potatoes until perfectly tender while locking in as much flavor as possible. Switch up your mashed potatoes this holiday season with this simple sous vide recipe!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

They’re extra rich and flavorful! Instead of cooking the potatoes in a pot of boiling water, we cook them in milk and butter. This means each potato absorbs and holds onto as much flavor as possible!
They’re lightly, yet perfectly seasoned! Garlic, butter, milk, and salt are really the only seasonings you need to make the most delicious mashed potatoes. This uncomplicated recipe is also super tasty and enjoyable.
They’re the perfect addition to any holiday table! These crowd-pleasing sous vide mashed potatoes will have everyone reaching for seconds. This simple recipe will also be on repeat for every holiday meal going forward.

Key Ingredients

Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes – Russet potatoes are what is most traditionally used in mashed potato recipes. However, I’ve found that Yukon gold potatoes have this natural buttery flavor that is totally irresistible! Though use whichever potato you’d like, just be sure to peel and slice them into even-sized rounds before using them in this recipe.

Whole Milk – Whole milk yields super velvety and smooth mashed potatoes. I prefer whole milk for how rich and indulgent it makes this recipe taste. Though you can use any kind of milk you’d like. For a vegan option, use unsweetened almond or coconut milk instead!

Chef’s Tips

Feel free to add any herbs or spices you’d like! For garlic and herb mashed potatoes, add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and/or rosemary to the sous vide bag along with the other ingredients. I also love topping my potatoes off with a sprinkling of fresh herbs for extra bright flavor!
If your sous vide bag floats to the top of the water bath, then add heavy utensils into the bag to help weigh it down. Floating is common when cooking lighter vegetables, as they’re simply not heavy enough to sink on their own. Therefore, easily solve this problem with a few heavy spoons or butter knives.
Don’t forget to separate the liquid in the bag from the potatoes before mashing. You probably won’t end up needing all of the milk and melted butter to mash your potatoes. So keep the two separate and slowly incorporate the liquid until you’ve reached your desired mashed potato texture.

close up image of sous vide mashed potatoes in a bowl with a spoon

Other Delicious Side Dish Recipes

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Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy side dish, garlic butter, thanksgiving

Servings: servings

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Sous vide
Zip-top freezer bag
Large bowl

Ingredients

2 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes
6 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves minced
1 cup whole milk see Notes for vegan
salt to taste

Instructions

Place sous vide in a large container on water and preheat to 194° Fahrenheit (90° Celsius).
Peel skin from potatoes then cut into ½-inch slices.
Place all ingredients into a zip-top bag then remove air from the bag. Place bag in sous vide bath and cook for 1 hour.
Remove bag from bath, then transfer the just cooked potatoes to a large bowl and mash until pretty smooth. Reserve the milk and butter liquid for the next step.
Stir in half of the liquid from inside the bag into the potatoes before tasting and adjusting any seasoning as desired.

Notes

Make it Vegan: For vegan sous vide mashed potatoes, replace the butter with vegan butter and the whole milk with almond or coconut milk.

Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving, using russet potatoes. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

October 7, 2021 Dairy-Free

Sous Vide Potatoes

These sous vide potatoes are perfectly cooked until creamy and tender! Potatoes, butter, salt, and a sprinkling of your favorite fresh herbs is all you’ll need to make this savory side dish.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The sous vide traps flavor, making them buttery and delicious! Compared to other cooking methods, these sous video potatoes absorb so much more flavor.
They’re super easy and hands-off! Simply place all ingredients in a large zip-top bag, then place in the sous vide. Return an hour later to perfectly tender potatoes!
With a few tablespoons of your favorite fresh herbs, they pair well with virtually any meal! These potatoes are the perfect all-purpose side dish. I love serving mine with grilled steak or salmon for a complete and healthy meal.

Key Ingredients

Baby Potatoes – This small variety of potato cooks up super soft and creamy. I love baby potatoes for their naturally buttery flavor. However, if you prefer a different kind of potato, go ahead and use it. Really any potato will work in this simple sous vide recipe.

Fresh Herbs – I used fresh parsley and fresh chives in my sous vide potatoes, though feel free to use whichever herb(s) you like best! A sprinkling of fresh thyme would make for a great and cozy side dish. Even fresh dill would make for an exciting twist in this recipe.

Chef’s Tips

Be sure to place a few heavy utensils into your plastic bag, along with the other ingredients. Potatoes are relatively light and have a tendency to float in the water bath. Therefore, to ensure they cook fully and evenly, weigh the bag down with two or three utensils.
Switch up the flavors in this recipe however you’d like! Substitute butter for any oil you’d like. A few cloves of minced garlic or even a couple lemon slices would also make delicious additions to these sous vide potatoes.
Meal prep these potatoes to enjoy all throughout the week! I love making this easy side dish at the start of my week to have in the fridge for busy weeknights. To reheat, I simply toss the potatoes in a hot pan with a little oil until warm throughout.

close-up overhead image of sous vide potatoes

Other Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love

Print Recipe

Sous Vide Potatoes

These sous vide potatoes are perfectly cooked until creamy and tender! Potatoes, butter, salt, and a sprinkling of your favorite fresh herbs is all you'll need to make this savory side dish.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy potato recipe, easy side dish, holiday recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Zip-top freezer bag
Sous vide

Ingredients

1 pound baby potatoes sliced in half
2 tablespoons butter see Notes for vegan option
½ teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs such as chives or parsley

Instructions

Set sous vide to 190° Fahrenheit (87° Celsius).
Add all ingredients to a large zip-top freezer bag along with a few heavy utensils to weigh the bag down.
Remove air and seal the bag using the displacement method then submerge the bag in the sous vide water bath and cook for 1 hour.

Notes

Make it Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, simply use 2 tablespoons of olive oil in place of the butter.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving, using butter. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition

October 5, 2021 Appetizer

Red Cabbage Soup

Vibrant and gorgeous red cabbage soup deserves a place on your dinner table! This bright purple soup adds a pop of color and a hearty helping of vegetables to your diet. Thickened with potatoes and onion, it’s naturally gluten free and vegetarian, but you can easily make it dairy free and vegan if needed.

What Makes This Soup So Good

Red cabbage soup is a delicious, nutrient-rich soup that you’ll absolutely want to make a part of your autumn and winter soup rotation. It’s full of antioxidants, vitamins A and K, and it’s high in fiber.
It’s beautiful! How often do you get to eat a delicious bowl of vibrantly purple soup? The soup’s signature color comes from the red cabbage, which contains anthocyanins that make the cabbage naturally purple.
This is a great make-ahead or freezer meal option, so go ahead and start carving out freezer space! Once the soup is completely cooled, portion it into freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. It’ll keep up to 4 months in the freezer. You can also refrigerate any leftovers up to 5 days, so feel free to make some extra for lunch.

Key Ingredients

Cabbage – When you’re picking out your fresh red cabbage, there are a few things to keep in mind. Look for a head of cabbage that doesn’t have loose leaves or soft spots. The cabbage should be shiny and a deep, vibrant purple or maroon color. The leaves should be tightly closed, almost like a flower that hasn’t bloomed.

Potato – Potato thickens up the red cabbage soup, so you want to use the right kind of potato for the best texture. Starchier potatoes, like russets or Yukon gold potatoes, will give you a creamier soup. If you want to lower the carb count, you can use cauliflower florets instead of potatoes.

Chef’s Tips

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can purée your red cabbage soup in a standard blender instead. Just be very careful. Blending hot liquids can result in a really dangerous mess. See our notes on the recipe card below to safely purée the soup.
Don’t worry about being too precise with your chopping. Since you’ll be cooking the vegetables and then blending them completely smooth, it really doesn’t matter how well you cut them up to start. Just make them small enough to be manageable. Not sure the best way to dice or chop your vegetables? Check out the tips in this post all about dicing onions easily!
We kept the seasonings really simple here, just using salt and pepper to play up the natural flavor of the cabbage. You could add ginger, cinnamon, lime, or bay leaves to change up the flavors a little.

Angled photo of red cabbage soup with a heavy cream swirl in a white bowl

Try These Delicious Soups, Too!

Print Recipe

Red Cabbage Soup

Vibrant and gorgeous red cabbage soup deserves a place on your dinner table! This bright purple soup adds a pop of color and a hearty helping of vegetables to your diet. Thickened with potatoes and onion, it's naturally gluten free and vegetarian, but you can easily make it dairy free and vegan if needed.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: autumn recipe, meatless monday, one pot meal

Servings:

Calories: 217kcal

Author: Cheryl Malik

Equipment

Large pot with lid
Immersion blender (or standard blender)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
5 cups red cabbage roughly chopped
1 large potato peeled, cubed
1 medium apple peeled, chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt to taste
pepper to taste
¼ cup heavy cream plus more for serving if desired

Instructions

In large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions and garlic. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant and translucent.
Add cabbage, potato, and apple to pot. Stir and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until cabbage is softened.
Pour in vegetable stock and red wine vinegar. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Bring liquid to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot with lid. Simmer 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove pot from heat. Insert immersion blender and purée until smooth. Alternately, transfer soup to standard blender – see Notes. Stir in heavy cream and portion soup into serving bowls. Serve warm.

Notes

No immersion blender? No problem. See the notes below for tips to purée your soup in a standard blender.
Make it Dairy Free: Use coconut cream or a dairy-free heavy cream substitute.
Make it Vegan: Use coconut cream or a dairy-free heavy cream substitute.

Tips for Blending Hot Soup in a Standard Blender

Fill the blender no more than halfway. You may have to blend your ingredients in a few batches.
After pouring the liquid into the blender, let it sit a few minutes to cool slightly before blending.
Before blending, remove the center cap from the blender lid and cover the hole with a dish towel instead. This will keep pressure from building up inside the blender. Keep your hand on the lid to hold it down while blending.

Recipe yields approximately 4 servings. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using ingredients listed, not including additional heavy cream. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

Nutrition