Spring snack time!

These crispy artichoke fritters are the perfect fried bite to drag through whipped goat cheese with a hint of lemon. The combo of warm fritter to cool goat cheese is incredible. Not to mention, it tastes fantastic. 

When I think of artichokes, I just automatically think of spring! Sure, these used canned artichokes which we can obviously use at any point in the year. But they make me think of fresh artichokes and all their buttery goodness. 

I adore them! 

The texture of artichokes – dreamy. Even the canned and jarred versions that are briney and tangy? I live for them.

I love that they can be added to nearly everything – salads, grains, burgers, pizza and more. The options are endless and it’s a good option to have! 

And I also love a good fritter!

If you’ve ever made my apple fritters… or brussels fritters… or broccoli fritters in Everyday Dinners, then you know!

Fritters are fabulous. 

A few weeks ago, I had an artichoke goat cheese popper appetizer. OH MY GOSH. It was so good. Now it was a little deep fried cheesy bite. It wasn’t the same as a fritter. 

But since I can’t be bothered to legitimately fry anything these days, I knew I could make them just like this. Crispy fried artichoke fritters, or patties. Yes, they are essentially little artichoke patties!

And whipped goat cheese that is so creamy, it practically melts in your mouth. Warm, crisp artichokes in cold, silky goat cheese.

I think I will remember this combo forever! (more…)

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Pickle lovers unite!

Now this is my kind of game day snack. A creamy homemade hummus with tons of dill relish, pickle juice, tahini and garlic, topped with diced pickles, chickpeas and fresh dill. Oh my gosh. It’s heaven! 

I am an absolute pickle freak. I love any and all things pickles, pickled, tangy, briney, vinegary and so on. And I crave those flavors – let’s just say that they bring me so much joy. 

I’ll gladly snack on pickles but also anything pickle-flavored. Ithaca is my favorite store-bought hummus brand and they make pickle flavored hummus. To say my mind was blown… yes. But at the same I also thought that maybe I could make it even MORE pickley.

Yes. Hello. I have a problem. It’s me! 

Into this hummus goes: 

Chickpeas, of course

Lots of tahini

Dill relish! 

Dried dill

Garlic

Spices 

And pickle juice. Right from the jar!

The pickle juice is my favorite part. I could be the freak that drinks it straight from the jar. Instead, these days I save it for hummus! 

For me, the key to super smooth hummus is adding in some ice water. This hummus gets extra smooth because we’re adding that water in, but also the pickle juice! It’s SO creamy and ridiculously spreadable, dippable and more.  (more…)

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I’ve got your weekend recipe!

These pizza fries are covered in sauce, cheese, crispy pepperoni and and enough parm to make anyone happy.

They taste like a DREAM.

Okay, so you know things have changed when I’m making a recipe requested BY MY CHILD.

Like what?

I still don’t even feel old enough to have a child, but here we are. 

For months, Max has been talking about pizza fries. I don’t know where exactly he heard about them, and I know he hasn’t tried them yet. But one of his friends has talked about them in school, so he keeps mentioning them over and over again. 

He even told me what kind of fries to use! If he hadn’t, these wouldn’t be as good. 

I would have grabbed the classic super crispy long french friends. But when I asked him more about pizza fries, he said “you have to use the chick-fil-a fries.” Ahhhh… okay.

Otherwise known as waffle fries!

Which let me tell you, is completely brilliant. Because each fry is like holding a mini pizza in your hand. IT IS PERFECT. 

So here we are with this ideal game day snack that everyone in my life is now losing their mind over. 

Crispy french fries

Melty, gooey cheesy

A drizzle of marinara

Super crispy pepperoni 

Lots of parm

Fresh basil

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

And that is how we’re here. 

It’s so easy. They’re ridiculously good and if you like pizza? Then, hello, you’ll love these. 

We make sheet pan nachos all the time. I also make fun versions of fries – like smashburger fries, chimichurri fries and hot honey feta fries. 

So, I don’t know why I’ve never thought of this before. But thanks to Max, we’re now enjoying it and you can too!! (more…)

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Just sharing a cool 50 of my favorite recipes with you today!

Ha. Yes, 50! Of course. I would have 50 favorites.

I know that the big big game is still a few weeks away, but if you’re watching the games this weekend, make some good eats!

Regardless of if you actually want to watch the game or just enjoy the snacks, these are my top picks. I used to do a huge football food post every september and I have a LOT of delish ideas for game day. These are my absolute top picks – all of which I wish could appear in my kitchen right now!

These are GOOD.

50 Game Day Recipes

Buffalo chicken guacamole pizza

Our favorite pimento cheese

Smoked cheddar and caramelized onion potato skins (more…)

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We’ve got game day snacks on tap! 

This buffalo chickpea dip tastes exactly like the classic favorite… but with chickpeas instead of chicken! It’s tangy and spicy and creamy and cheesy. Perfect spread on a cracker! 

I’ve wanted this dip forever because here’s the thing… my favorite thing to order? Buffalo chicken without the chicken.

Yes. 

I’m wacky. 

I want buffalo chicken pizza without the chicken. Dip without the chicken. I want the flavor, but without the chicken!! 

I don’t always mind the chicken, but I just LOVE the classic buffalo wing flavors I have put together over the last 15 years or so. A great combo of green onions, chives, cilantro, blue cheese and wing sauce. 

So much so, that I don’t even need the chicken!

Unless I’m putting it on top of a grilled chicken sandwich or something like that.

Anyway.

This is a lot of rambling.

But we all know how much I love chickpeas. I knew they’d be the perfect replacement! 

This dip gets mixed and baked until warm and melty and bubbly and cheesy!

These is nothing as good as a buffalo dip – it’s the epitome of football season. Right?!

It’s such a great game day snack because you can also throw it in a slow cooker after baking it.

Keep it warm and have your dippers out and that’s all you need!

Coarsely mashing the chickpeas keeps some texture in the dip.

This is the KEY! The other important thing is to do a mix of blue cheese and ranch dressing in the dip. This is always my secret as to why it tastes so good. Even if you don’t like blue cheese itself, the creamy dressing works magic in here and you can’t even tell. It simple tastes like the best buffalo dip ever.

Plus, crispy chickpeas on top for extra crunch. I live for it! (more…)

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Hi – I have the easiest recipe on earth for you today!

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but we’re simply filling mini sweet peppers with sauce and cheese and pepperoni and roasting them. They get melty and cheesy and poppable! 

Cute cute cute. 

I almost didn’t share this because it’s one of those embarrassingly easy “not really a recipe” things. It’s more of an idea.

But it’s an idea that you need for the current football season!!

We love the mini sweet peppers so much. I have them on our grocery list every single week – I slice them for salads constantly, put them in soups, use them in sheet pan meals, everything. And of course, we love them with hummus or feta dip. 

For years, I’ve been making the mini pepper nachos. I’ll fill them with ground turkey taco meat, top with cheese and toss them in the oven until melty. Before serving, sometimes I crush tortilla chips on top. They are SO good. It’s a staple for us! 

The peppers are so incredibly sweet that the kids love them too. Especially Jordan. 

So, obviously you can customize these however you’d like! Take your favorite pizza toppings and go to town. It’s soooo easy. 

My best tip for making these is the way that I make any stuffed pepper: season and roast them ahead of time! It’s an extra step but it makes such a difference. The peppers get even sweeter – and since these are tiny ones, they only need a few minutes in the oven. 

Here’s how I make them most often for our family: 

I season and roast the peppers first, just a bit! 

Next, I fill them with a bit of marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and tiny pepperoni. Some of the peppers are super tiny, so it’s only a few teaspoons of sauce and a tiny sprinkle of cheese. 

Throw them back in the oven and roast until cheesy and melty and bubbly. 

Top with some parmesan and serve!! These are easily handheld once they cool, but since they are delicious when super warm and cheesy, I suggest also serving with some plates and forks if you wish.  (more…)

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It’s a weekend meant for cheese!

Super bowl weekend is here and this hot honey chili crunch dip could not be more perfect. It’s cheesy, creamy, a little spicy and fluffy enough to be a dip, spread or stuffed in a grilled cheese.

It’s sure to be a hit of your game day gathering! 

This dip has so many ingredients that I love. Hot honey! Chili crisp! Sharp cheddar! Green onions! Cue all the exclamation points because it’s very delicious and super easy to make. 

It’s also a great dip to make ahead of time. Trust me, it only gets better as it sits. You can make this the night before or the morning of a party and it will be FANTASTIC. 

You can put it in the center of a snack dish piled high with just about anything because absolutely everything dipped in this is pure heaven.

It tastes so good! In these photos, I’m serving it with these red pepper cheddar crackers. 

And you guys know that I don’t love super spicy things, so if I love it… it’s manageable. 

This dip is served chilled and can be compared to the consistency of pimento cheese or my jarlsberg dip. It also reminds me of my chilled queso, which is another fabulous recipe you should make this weekend. 

It’s creamy but also mousse-like, making it the perfect dip for things like pretzel sticks, crackers, and even celery and carrots.  (more…)

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This is the week to celebrate cheese!

And there is no better time to do it than with whipped brie cheese. 

Oh my gosh. YES.

Whipped.

Brie.

Cheese. 

I can’t get over how delicious this is. And if you’re in the mood for the perfect cheesy appetizer for new year’s eve, this is it. 

It serves a crowd. It’s very customizable. You can add just about anything on top!

Last year I became obsessed with this idea of whipped brie after seeing it all over the internet. And this has become my favorite topping for it.

Enter: maple bacon and rosemary. 

I like to fry the bacon, adding a bunch of fresh rosemary at the end. It sizzles and crisps up and flavors the bacon in an excellent way. 

I drizzle maple syrup on the brie first, then add the rosemary bacon. It’s crunchy, savory, sweet and fresh. Super delicious! 

The method for this whipped brie is crazy! But it works. 

This is how I make it: 

First, remove as much of the rind as you can off a wheel of cold brie.

Next, cut it into pieces and let it sit at room temperature until softened. 

Then, throw the whole thing in your stand mixer and beat it into oblivion! Whip it until creamy and smooth and silky. Delicious. 

Finally, add your toppings. It’s that easy!

The brie is so impressive on its own. So decadent, creamy and smooth, it’s like a spreadable heaven for crackers, vegetables, crostini or more. 

This is something so special and fun – plus is lasts in the fridge too! It can be a spread on a sandwich or even base for toast. (more…)

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I’m here with your game day food.

Sheet pan cheese fries. Chimichurri cheese fries, to be exact. Sprinkled with crispy chipotle bacon for an extra pop of flavor. 

I wish I could eat these every single day! 

Ever since making my smashburger fries, we’ve been loving sheet pan fries of every variety. Some have cheese. Some don’t! I love a good salt and malt vinegar fry. 

These are clearly cheese-loaded fries. With a few other good things.

I’ve learned a lesson over the last few years of having kids: just buy frozen fries. I have countless recipes on this blog where I make a homemade version of french fries. 

But! 

You can get such excellent, crispy and delicious fries in the freezer section these days – and they are your best bet. You can fancy them up like this.

P.S. you can also put them on salad for a huge win.

I mean, think about it. You buy tortilla chips to make sheet pan nachos. So why not buy fries to make sheet pan fries?!

The best idea I ever had. 

Now let’s talk about how incredibly wonderful these are. Perfect for a party, game day snack, appetizer or late night treat. 

And I’ve even made chimichurri fries before. It’s one of my favorite condiments to put on fries and, frankly, potatoes in general. 

But these chimichurri cheese fries are legit. 

I make a cheese sauce.

And I make my chimichurri too! Unless I already have it made in the fridge. Which in most cases, I do. Because I make it frequently. 

Then I also make some chipotle bacon! Yes, this is a little high maintenance. My chipotle bacon is just diced bacon sprinkled with chipotle chili powder and cooked until super crispy and crunchy. You want to eat it on everything.

Next, I make a batch of frozen fries. Yes. You could use the air fryer, but I don’t like that because it can usually only handle one small batch at a time. So instead, I spread the fries on a sheet pan and roast them at 450 degrees (at least! Even if the directions specify a lower temp!) until crispy. You know, like it’s 1997 again. Before air fryers existed.

And that’s it!

I don’t think I need to go on and on and on about the amount of flavor these fries have – you can see it right on the plate. Cheesy sauce, chimi drizzle, crunchy bacon sprinkle.  (more…)

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Oh hello!

This is where I grill pizza dough, smother it with melted butter, tons of garlic and fresh herbs, then slice it into strips and call it breadsticks.

My kind of breadsticks.

I debated on calling them… pizza sticks? Grilled dough sticks? Grilled pizza bites? I had no idea what to call them for you. But we call them grilled breadsticks. Even if they are just grilled pizza dough. Sliced into strips. Doused in garlicky butter.

I just can’t get enough of the butter part. I mean you can straight up SEE the butter here, right? 

So here’s how I do it!

I like to use my pizza dough recipe. Usually half of the recipe. But you can use any pizza dough that you like! One from Trader Joe’s, one from your favorite pizza joint – anything. 

While the dough rises, I make the most delicious garlic butter. Butter, garlic, salt, fresh herbs like parsley and basil. Any herbs work! I melt this all together in a saucepan and let it sit and marry together. 

The grill is preheated to the highest setting. I roll out the dough like I’m going to make a pizza – but that’s it! The dough itself goes right on the grill, just plain. I grill it until it’s puffy and cooked and charred in a few places.

The minute it comes off the grill, I brush the garlic butter over every.single.inch. Don’t miss a spot! Then give it a big sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

I let this sit for a few minutes and slightly cool. Then I slice it into strips.

THAT IS IT. (more…)

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