Why You'll Love This Turkey Taco Bowl Meal Prep Work lunches are a struggle, plain and simple. It's way too easy to end up grabbing something expensive (and not exactly nourishing) on a busy afternoon. This turkey taco bowl meal prep fixes that. Swap in lean ground turkey instead of beef, load up on fiber-rich brown rice and black beans, and you've got four lunches ready to grab straight from the fridge all week long. Ingredient Notes Ground turkey — lean and mild, it takes on all the ... continue reading...
Pickle Roll-Up Dip (aka Minnesota Sushi)
If you live in the Upper Midwest, you probably know about pickle roll-ups. They're not exactly fine cuisine, but they are DELICIOUS. I've also heard it called Minnesota sushi. Yes, fancy people on the coasts. Laugh it up about the tacky, kitschy taste of those of us here in flyover country. But I embrace my midwestern-ness. And I love this stuff. The only thing that might be better is a big vat of Top the Tater with Old Dutch Rip-L Chips. You feel me, Minnesota friends? I thought so. Why ... continue reading...
Frozen rosé (also known as frozé)
This Memorial Day weekend, it was been in the nineties alllll weekend long. In Minnesota. WUT? So I decided to whip up a batch of frozen rosé to cool down a little. And I do NOT regret it. Frozen rosé--also known as frozé--is basically just a wine slushy. I mean, come on. What's not to love? If you're anything like me, you love any kind of wine-based cocktail. What better way to be summery AND fancy than to sip on a frozen wine beverage while lounging in the sunshine on a hot summer ... continue reading...
Egg Bake Muffins
Looking for a meal prep breakfast option that can be at the ready for your grab-and-go convenience all week long? Try egg bake muffins, individually portioned egg bakes that can be made ahead of time and kept at the ready in your fridge or freezer. I'm kind of a sucker for egg bakes. There are a million versions out there, but most of them involve throwing a bunch of ingredients into a bowl, mixing them with scrambled eggs and pouring them into a casserole dish before baking. They're ... continue reading...
Blueberry Collins Cocktail (Gin Pitcher Recipe)
A blueberry collins is a Tom Collins made with homemade blueberry syrup: simmer 1½ cups blueberries with 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water, stir that syrup into a pitcher with 2 cups gin and ¾ cup lemon juice, then top each glass with club soda. It makes 8 drinks and takes 25 minutes (5 minutes of prep, 20 on the stove). It's also my go-to for the friend who swears they hate gin. I whipped up a big pitcher of this one spring, when summertime was already on my mind, and handed a glass to Kevin. He ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Whaddup, guys? Today I’m showing you how to make one of my all-time favorite instant pot chicken thigh recipes: Instant Pot Chicken Adobo. If you’re unfamiliar with Chicken Adobo, here’s the lowdown: It’s a popular Filipino recipe that normally involves marinating chicken for several hours in a crazy good sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky sauce before cooking. It’s great served with a side of rice and garnished with some thinly sliced green onions. With traditional Chicken Adobo ... continue reading...
Jello Poke Cake (Classic Strawberry Box-Mix Recipe)
Jello poke cake is a white sheet cake, baked in a 9x13 inch pan, poked full of holes, soaked with dissolved strawberry Jello, chilled for at least 3 hours, and finished with a layer of Cool Whip. It starts with a box of cake mix and takes about 10 minutes of hands-on work. When I was a kid, Jello Poke Cake was a staple at family gatherings and picnics. Somewhere along the way it disappeared from American get-togethers, which is a damn shame, as far as I'm concerned. It TOTALLY needs to make a ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Black Beans
Who needs canned beans when you can make perfectly cooked dried beans using your pressure cooker? These Instant Pot black beans are the cheapest, fastest, easiest way to get your beans on. Why use dried black beans instead of canned? A few reasons: Dried black beans are way better for you than canned beans. They don't have all that extra sodium that comes with canned beans, and since you're adding all the ingredients, you know exactly what you're eating. Dried beans are cheaper than ... continue reading...
Overnight French Toast Bake
Need to feed a crowd for breakfast or brunch? I got you. This overnight french toast bake will make you the absolute hero, and you'll barely lift a finger to do it. I'm one of those people who would eat breakfast for every meal if I could. And my favorite breakfast food? French toast. I am to french toast as Leslie Knope is to waffles. Only trouble with french toast is that it can be a little fiddly to make if you're trying to feed more than two or three people at a time. Dipping ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake (No Wiggly Middle, No Cracks)
If your Instant Pot cheesecake keeps coming out jiggly in the middle even after a night in the fridge, the fix is almost always time, not technique. This Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake needs the full 35 minutes on high pressure, a 10-minute natural release, and at least 6 hours in the fridge (overnight is better) before it's actually set. Skip any one of those and the center stays loose. This version has an Oreo cookie crust, crushed Oreos folded right into the filling, and a crushed Oreo topping, ... continue reading...
Classic Minnesota Tater Tot Hotdish
Tater tot hotdish. It's not the heathiest thing to eat, and it's certainly not the most fancy thing to make. But it's a Minnesota classic. And what kind of Minnesotan would I be if I didn't show you how to make it? What Is Tater Tot Hotdish? If you live outside of Minnesota, you'd probably call this something like "tater tot casserole." But for some reason, Minnesotans say hotdish. I didn't even know that was weird until talking to some out of town coworkers who laughed hysterically at the ... continue reading...
Banana Bread with Nutella Swirls
What do you do when you have leftover bananas that are getting too ripe? You make banana bread! But what if want to make banana bread, except you want to change it up a little and make it more dessert-y? You make banana bread with Nutella swirls, of course. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this: I buy fresh produce, and then life happens and I don't get around to eating it until after it's gone bad. Womp, womp. But, hey, that's the beauty of buying bananas. I know there's a ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Hummus with Garlic
Hummus with garlic is a staple at our house. It's our go-to dip for a big bag of pita chips. So you can imagine my delight when I recently discovered how easy it is to make hummus from dried garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) using the Instant Pot. No soaking required, and it only takes about an hour, from start to finish. It tastes so much fresher than store-bought! To use your Instant Pot to make hummus, all you need to do is throw some garbanzo beans into the Instant Pot with ... continue reading...
Three-Ingredient Banana Cinnamon Pancakes
You GUYS. You know how sometimes you crave pancakes, but you don't want to deal with the inevitable food coma that inevitably happens after you've crushed that big stack? Here's the answer to your problems: Three-ingredient banana cinnamon pancakes. They're quick, they're easy, and -- maybe best of all -- they use 100% unprocessed ingredients. I'm told that these are ZERO Weight Watchers points, if that's your thing. They are gluten free, dairy free, and contain no added sugar. Just a ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Chili Lime Chicken
During the cold winter months, I like to daydream about going somewhere a little more tropical. These shredded chili lime chicken thighs made in the Instant Pot did the trick! It's made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which I personally like a million times better than chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. There's more fat in the thighs, which I think lends itself better to pressure cooking because they come out juicy. Breasts are trickier. If you don't get them juuuuust right, they ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Penne with Turkey Sausage
You know those nights when you come home from a long day at work and you just want to dump a few things into a pot and push a button to make dinner? This suuuuuper easy Instant Pot penne with turkey sausage was made for those nights. I know I'm not alone in my love for the Instant Pot and pressure cookers in general, and the Instant Pot is just kind of the "it" appliance right now. But, hey, it's popular for a reason. This pasta in particular is a good old fashioned one-pot meal that ... continue reading...
Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)
I've got a friend from Puerto Rico and a few years ago, she introduced me to her favorite Christmastime cocktail from back on the island: coquito. You guys. If you don't already, you NEED to know about coquito. I grew up in central Minnesota, and I come from a long line of Eastern Europeans who settled in the Midwestern part of the U.S. So let's face it, Puerto Rican cocktails were never really in my purview. But let me tell you, ever since my friend introduced me to coquito, I'm sold ... continue reading...
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a mashed sweet potato dish sweetened with brown sugar, cinnamon and a splash of orange juice, then topped with marshmallows and baked until puffed and golden. It's a Thanksgiving tradition at my house, and it's the recipe that turned my husband Kevin from a sweet potato skeptic into someone who demands them every single year. Props to my Aunt Susie for introducing Kevin to these sweet potatoes a few years back and handing down the recipe that made him ... continue reading...
Easy Oven-Baked Asian Chicken Wings
Don't know about you, but I've never met a chicken wing I didn't love. Here's one of my favorite ways to make 'em: a quick and easy recipe for marinated and oven-baked Asian chicken wings. They're a tried and true favorite in Kevin's family, and there's a good chance they'll earn legendary status in mine too. This recipe came from Kevin's mother, who unfortunately passed away long before I ever met Kevin. At a recent visit to his dad's house, we found a bunch of old recipe cards and notes ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Kalua Pork and Cabbage
Is there anything better than a big pot of smoky, garlicky shredded pork? I don't think so. I made this Instant Pot Kalua Pork and it was, as we say here in Minnesota, not too shabby. (Translation for those of you who don't live here and don't understand our special brand of understated compliments: That means it's really, really good.) It's super easy too. You just need some basics: a little garlic, a little salt, a little smoky bacon. Stick it in the pressure cooker for 90 minutes, and like ... continue reading...
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies (No-Bake, 3 Ingredients)
Chocolate peanut butter Ritz cookies are a three ingredient no-bake cookie: creamy peanut butter sandwiched between two buttery Ritz crackers, dipped in melted chocolate, then left to set until the shell is firm. No oven, no mixer, no dough to chill. One batch takes about 30 minutes of hands-on time and makes 42 cookies. This is barely a recipe. It is assembly instructions. It is also the single most requested thing on our Christmas cookie tray, and my sister has made it extremely clear that ... continue reading...
Holly Jolly Peppermint Popcorn
Confession: I don't really care for the Christmas season. It's all too busy. Too much on the social calendar. Too much money being spent. Too many unnecessary things being accumulated. Too much stress. Too much fa-la-la. Bah-freaking-humbug, right? I know. But one thing I really DO love about the holiday season is the cookies and sweets that come along with this time of year. I mean, peppermint? Yeah. Bring it. I don't know who invented the candy cane, but he or she needs a ... continue reading...
Apple Crisp with Oat Crumble Topping
Apple crisp with oat crumble topping is a baked apple dessert: sliced apples tossed with cinnamon and sugar, buried under a mixture of rolled oats, brown sugar, flour and melted butter. It bakes in an 8x8 inch pan at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until the apples go tender and the topping turns golden and crisp. This version uses 4 Granny Smith apples and serves 6. Fall has been pretty great here in Minnesota this year. Lots of crisp, sun-drenched afternoons where everything glows orange. ... continue reading...
Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix
It's September. And you know what that means... It's pumpkin spice season! I know I'm not alone in my love for pumpkin spiced everything. What's that the kids say about people like me? Basic? Whatever. So I figured I'd try to combine pumpkin spice with trail mix. And you know what? It works. I'm always on the lookout for things I can snack on at work when the late-day hangries start to creep in. Trail mix to the rescue! I think I mostly like it because the name "trail mix" conjures up ... continue reading...
Classic Egg Salad with Dill and Lemon
Egg salad, you guys. It's one of things I make for dinner on the regular when I just don't have the time or energy to cook anything fancy, but I'm still jonesin' for something that seems at least a little like real food. Egg salad sandwiches are my go-to on those nights. Especially on hot summer evenings, which I know are pretty much behind us already this year. I guess you could say these are my way of clinging to summer, even in September. I know I've told you before how much I love hard ... continue reading...
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (Crispy and Splatter-Free)
Bake bacon at 400°F on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is deep brown and crisp. No flipping, no splatter, no standing at the stove getting popped with hot grease. A full pound fits across two sheet pans and cooks in one shot. That is the whole method. Everything below is the detail: the timing by thickness, the wire rack question, what to do with all that grease, and how to scale this up when you are feeding a crowd. I have been making bacon this way since 2016, ... continue reading...
Grilled Salmon Salad With Avocado
We had some fabulous weather last Sunday so we threw some salmon on the grill. There were leftovers to contend with, so I threw them into a salad. Perfection! Kevin's always been just so-so on salmon. But I love it, so I make it anyway. (Hey man, if I'm cooking, I get to decide what we're eating. House rules!) We recently discovered that Kevin does love salmon on the grill. And really, why wouldn't he? It's awesome! We've been using this recipe for basic grilled salmon that's topped with a ... continue reading...
Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon
If you've never had sautéed spinach before, you need to get out and try it. Like, right now. As a kid, I hated cooked spinach. (I know. Me & everyone else, right?) It was always that gross, bitter, nasty frozen block of spinach that turned into flavorless mush when it was cooked. And you know, now that I think of it, I probably hate that stuff as an adult too. Yuck. But don't worry, this recipe is nothing like that block of frozen spinach. It's pretty much the total opposite, in ... continue reading...
How to Make Amazing Hard Boiled Eggs in the Pressure Cooker
Let it be known that hard boiled eggs rank high among my favorite foods. I know we're coming off of peak Easter Egg season and many of you are probably hard boiled egged out right now. But me? I cannot get enough of them. They're portable, they're actually pretty good for you, they make an easy snack. Also they can be turned into all kinds of fabulous things like egg salad and deviled eggs. (Ugh, sorry, I feel like that Bubba guy from Forrest Gump who talks about all the awesome things ... continue reading...
Red Beans and Rice for Two
Jump right to the recipe I admit, when it comes to authentic New Orleans-style red beans and rice, I can't claim to be an expert. I've never even been to New Orleans. But I do love me some red beans and rice, even if the only version I've ever eaten was made here in Minnesota, waaaay up here at the opposite end of the Mississippi River. But, seriously, is there anything better on a chilly evening than a big spicy bowl of beans with sausage over a heap of rice? Not much, if you ask me. ... continue reading...
Old-School Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
I'm a big fan of nostalgia. I had a pretty kick-ass childhood (thanks, Mom & Dad!) so when something reminds me of being a kid again, that's always a good thing. Until I was about five years old, we lived in a trailer park on the outskirts of town. My mom calls those "the dark years" but I have nothing but great memories of my trailer park life. Well, except for that one time our trailer park was hit by a tornado. That's when my mom was like, yo, guys, we're outta here. Let's go find a house ... continue reading...
Spinach Quinoa Salad With Grapes & Goat Cheese
Sometimes you just want a nice easy salad for lunch, am I right? (Especially if you're still trying to get back on track after that week in all-inclusive food & drink heaven like I am.) I admit, I usually like the idea of eating leafy green salads a lot better than I actually like eating them. So often, they just fall short of my expectations. It seems like most salads are either horribly tasteless and boring, or else they're really complicated to make and probably lose most of the ... continue reading...
Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie
Hi, my name is Jen and I ate churros and bacon for breakfast every single day for a whole week. Kevin and I just got home from a week in Playa del Carmen, where we stayed at a lovely all-inclusive resort. It was our first time doing the all-inclusive thing, and we were totally unprepared for the nonstop parade of food and drinks that would be involved. Don't get me wrong, it was super rad. But oh my god did we consume an obscene amount of calories, followed by a whoooole lot of lounging around. ... continue reading...
Electric Pressure Cooker Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right One
An electric pressure cooker is a countertop appliance that cooks food in a sealed pot using steam pressure, which raises the boiling point of water and cuts cooking time dramatically. When you are choosing one, three things matter more than everything else combined: adjustable pressure settings, a stainless steel inner pot, and a brand that still sells replacement parts five years from now. A 6-quart model suits most households. Everything else is a bonus feature. I have owned two of these now. ... continue reading...
Rum Crunch French Toast
I'm pretty sure that french toast is one of the reasons weekend mornings were invented. Bread cooked in batter + syrup + butter = excellent. There's a little diner near our house that makes Rum Crunch French Toast. It's not on the menu all the time, but when it makes an appearance as one of their daily specials, it's my go-to. So I was inspired to try making it myself. ... continue reading...
Pulled Pork Nachos
Confession: I hate leftovers. There are few exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, I'm staunchly anti-leftovers. I know some people absolutely LOVE having leftovers, but not this girl. The consistency and texture is never quite the same after something's been sitting in the fridge and then reheated. Sometimes it's just downright funky. And who wants to eat the same old thing several days in a row? Booooorriiiing. That's why I'm on a never-ending mission to find creative ways to use ... continue reading...
Instant Pot Pulled Pork (Pressure Cooker)
The short answer: cook a 3.5 pound boneless pork shoulder on high pressure for 50 minutes, release the steam, and shred it with two forks. That's about 70 minutes from cutting board to dinner in an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker, compared with 10+ hours on a smoker or 9+ hours in a crockpot. This is the pulled pork that has been in heavy rotation at our house through two different pressure cookers. It's what I make on a weeknight when I didn't prep anything before work and dinner ... continue reading...
Easy Turkey Taco Bites
Originally, I was really excited about the subject of this post: a quick and easy appetizer recipe worthy of a Super Bowl party. My home team, the Minnesota Vikings, made it to the playoffs this year and have been kicking ass and taking names for much of the season. So I was all set to attend a bunch of super fun social gatherings in the upcoming weeks where we’d watch the remaining playoff games to root for the Vikings and - just as importantly - against the Packers. But then last Sunday ... continue reading...
Chorizo Corn Chowder with Chipotle
Chorizo corn chowder is a thick, creamy corn soup built on a pureed corn base instead of potatoes, with spicy Mexican chorizo and chipotle peppers in adobo for smoky heat. This one takes 50 minutes start to finish and serves 10. There is no flour roux: you puree most of the soup, then stir whole corn kernels and cooked chorizo back in so every spoonful still has texture. Yes, that is a lot of alliteration for one recipe name. Stick with me. This chowder earned its spot on this blog the hard ... continue reading...
Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies (Grandma Izzy’s Puffy, Crispy Recipe)
Grandma Izzy's sugar cookies are old-fashioned drop cookies, not the rolled and cut kind. You scoop the dough into balls, dip them in sugar, then flatten each one with the bottom of a glass before baking. That flattening trick is what gives them their signature look: crispy, slightly cracked edges with a puffy, airy center. My family calls them Wind Cookies, because Grandma always insisted “they're just wind.” (They are absolutely not just wind. But we let her have that ... continue reading...
Finding Cheap All-Clad: Get Rockstar Cookware for Less
The pots and pans I've been using on a day-to-day basis for most of my adult life aren't exactly high end. In fact, they're almost 20 years old and were certainly not built to last. When I was in my first apartment after graduating from college, I bought a set of cheap cookware on sale at Kohl's. I was in an entry-level job, making an entry-level salary, so cost was my sole consideration at the time. Quality wasn't a concern, since I mostly intended to use the saucepan to boil water for my ... continue reading...
