Summer dishes abound! 

This tortellini salad is filled with roasted red peppers, feta cheese, arugula, tortellini and diced shallots. It’s drizzled with my zesty italian dressing which has a zingy bite – it is super flavorful and so satisfying. It’s one of those dishes that you will find yourself craving over and over again!

And… I bet a bunch of your friends and fam will request it too.

My kitchen ingredients thrive during this season. Fresh, vibrant produce along with all the herbs, a bit of cheese – I’m in heaven. This is the season where I love to make different dishes to share with family and friends, meals for last minute gatherings, summer hang outs, happy hour treats and more. 

Summer meals and snacks are just the best. And here’s the thing: I would totally even consider this tortellini salad a snack. An actual SNACK. I can’t tell you how many times I grab a bowl of it from the fridge… for a snack. 

Yep. 

The thing is, I make a lot of tortellini salads that we enjoy. This copycat one from the nordstrom e-bar is incredible. My summer chicken tortellini salad is great too. And the lunchtime chickpea version is a staple for my own meals. 

But this one takes the cake. Or the pasta. Or the salads! 

It’s truly the best cheese tortellini salad I have ever tasted. Eddie kept calling it an antipasto tortellini salad, and it does have a similar flavor profile. 

It is just delicious!

Here’s what we’re working with:

Cheese tortellini, of course. Whatever variety you love works. 

Salami, diced up. You could also use a spicy one! I’m a baby. 

Baby arugula greens. They are peppery and perfect. 

Shallots, diced into tiny chunks! 

Roasted red peppers – quite possibly my favorite pantry ingredient. 

Feta cheese. The crumbled kind is perfect here. So tangy and creamy.  (more…)

The post The Tortellini Salad I’m Making All Summer Long. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Let me tell you how I’m officially OLD.

I love these lettuce wrap burgers.

Like, LOVE THEM. Blue cheese burgers piled high with caramelized onions, drizzled with creamy honey mustard and served in lettuce wraps. Freaking delicious.

I just adore them!

A few years ago, you couldn’t have paid me to eat a burger wrapped in lettuce. 

And trust me, this is nothing about cutting out the bun or the bread. Has nothing to do with that. It’s all about the CRISP LETTUCE.

Refreshing, crisp iceberg lettuce that we all usually treat like garbage. You know? We say it tastes like stale water and is worthless in a salad.

But as a wrap? TOP NOTCH. It is supreme. 

Sure, we kind of already know this from lettuce wrap – the famous ones with the sesame chicken and all that. 

But lettuce wrap burgers are the one way I have always avoided using the lettuce… thinking it would be too messy, not sturdy enough and just not as… good? Sort of like a give me brioche or give me death situation. Nothing can beat the brioche bun. 

However, it was definitely my cheeseburger salads that started to change my mind a few years ago. Something about the crisp lettuce is part of that classic cheeseburger flavor – mixed with the cheddar and the ketchup and the mustard and oh! It’s fabulous. 

So I started making cheeseburger lettuce wraps. Dreamy. And so easy. The lettuce wraps add this cooling, refreshing bite on a hot summer day. 

Now here is why THESE burgers are the best: 

They are topped with blue cheese which gets extra melty. 

Caramelized onions, which we know make every burger better.

And a drizzle of creamy homemade honey mustard! 

All wrapped up in that cold iceberg lettuce leaf. Juicy as heck, melty with cheese, so flavorful I could scream.  (more…)

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We’re making an easy Monday meal today!

This is one of those meals that my kids go wild for. Crispy lemony chicken, creamy spaghetti and a ton of fresh herbs. It’s light but comforting at the same time. It’s easy to make and easy to love! 

And I almost want to tell you to double the chicken because it’s incredible. Little crisp lemon chicken bites. Sometimes I take one and dip it in dill sauce. 

Mind blown deliciousness. 

I don’t even know how to describe it… 

These lemon chicken bites are SO good – they are perfect on their own. Or thrown over rice or any other kind of grain. Also incredible in a wrap or on top of a salad. They don’t even look that special but they are tender and juicy and cook fast. 

And they are super easy to make! I chop up chicken breasts, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and add a sprinkle of cornstarch. Oh and some fresh lemon zest of course. It’s a dream!

Then, I crisp them up in a skillet and it takes mere minutes. Ridiculously easy, I tell you. They make the kitchen smell wonderful. The kids come in and want to steal a piece before the meal is even ready.

While the chicken is cooking, I boil some spaghetti. I like to use the same pan I cook the chicken in, so once it’s finished, I transfer it out. I throw the cooked pasta in, add some starchy pasta water, just a drop of cream, lots of fresh herbs and more lemon zest.

Oh! And parmesan. How could I ever forget?!

The spaghetti is similar to the lemon spaghetti with roasted chickpeas in Easy Everyday. That meal is such a staple for us – it’s so easy, the textures are great and it’s very satisfying. We make it all the time, so I’m always looking for a way to add more excitement or make it taste different! 

Yes, I even change up my own recipes. All the time, in fact!  (more…)

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Tacos and margaritas coming in hot today!

Today I’m sharing over 30 of my favorite tacos and margaritas! A bunch of delicious tex-mex options, all paired with some of my favorite margaritas that I’ve made here on the blog. Since anything tex-mex is basically a staple of our weekly menu, I have tons of dishes that I absolutely love. Some days we do tacos, sometimes it’s enchiladas, often it’s a version of a burrito bowl and I can always go for a sheet pan nacho situation.

I mean, who wouldn’t?!

And! I’m a bit partial to the bubbly jam margaritas below but also ADORE my classic margarita recipe that I’ve been making for over a decade. It’s just so darn good. Scroll down and let me know what your pick would be! I’m thinking bang bang cauliflower tacos for tonight…

35+ Favorite Tacos and Margaritas

Bang bang cauliflower tacos

Sheet pan roasted shrimp tacos

Summer carnitas tacos

Grilled fish tacos

Weeknight baked ground turkey tacos

Summer salmon tacos

Honey chipotle shrimp tacos

Crispy cheese breakfast tacos

Our favorite ground beef tacos

Sheet pan lime shrimp fajitas (more…)

The post 35+ Of My Favorite Tex Mex and Margarita Recipes! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Here’s an embarrassingly easy meal for you today! 

These baked cheeseburger quesadillas are so highly requested in our house. The cripiest tortillas, cheeseburger filling with sharp cheddar, topped with refreshing romaine, juicy tomatoes and the tangiest pickled onions. All finished with a drizzle of house sauce!

This is such an easy weeknight meal, a great happy hour snack, a fun late night treat or even something you can share for an easy lunch!

This is a cheater sort of recipe. I’ve already shared with you how I make crispy baked cheeseburger tacos and cheeseburger tostadas. The combo is just so good!

It’s something I make often for the kids. Eddie also loves the cheeseburger flavor. And it feels a little lighter than eating an actual cheeseburger. 

I like to use ground turkey or beef, sharp cheddar, lots of lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions and of course – how sweet eats house sauce. 

The house sauce is my everything. I make this almost once a week. It’s like my version of chick fil-a sauce and it’s delicious. Super creamy, a little tangy. You can dip basically anything in it. Or drizzle it on anything from burgers to bowls to potatoes to pizza and more.

It’s super versatile and makes the meal feel ever more special! 

The baked quesadilla is my go-to today, and here’s why: it is SO easy to feed a crowd. You can make multiple large quesadillas at once, as opposed to making just one at a time in a skillet.

There is no sketchy flipping – the fillings will not fall out when you gently flip. (more…)

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I’m unlocking the secret to one of our favorite meals. 

These chicken tacos are going to become a staple in your menu! They have so much texture, flavor and they are reqeusted over and over again in our house. Simple, crispy, satisfying and customizable.

The perfect recipe!

I’ve shared a recipe before that uses this same cheesy tortilla method: my crispy cheesy breakfast tacos. And they are INCREDIBLE. As in, just writing this out means that I need to make them tomorrow or I won’t be able to stop thinking about them. 

I even like them for dinner, but we love breakfast for dinner. It’s a go-to. 

Here’s the thing though. I make these crazy chicken tacos… my weeknight chicken tacos… and I have for YEARS. It’s an embarrassingly easy recipe, where you make chicken thighs and then shred them in your stand mixer with a ton of seasonings. And then, boom. Chicken tacos. 

It’s an odd way to make the taco filling but it works. It works so well that you’re usually shocked and surprised at how good they are.

So months ago I started thinking… what if I combined them? What if I made the chicken taco filling but used the method for the cheese crispy taco shells?

Um, I must have had a moment of brilliance!

Because these are incredible. 

They are simple. Chicken, some taco seasonings, a quick pico. 

All stuffed in a tortilla that is fried in a skillet with melted cheese. It wears a crispy cheese jacket, if you will. 

When I tell you that the whole family is obsessed with this for dinner, I mean it. These tacos are such a crowd pleaser.

Now they are a little high maintenance, because each tortilla has to be crisped up with some melty cheese. But!

I have a way around that. If you have an electric griddle or a large griddle pan, this is the key. That is what I use to make pancakes, so it’s in rotation often. If you use one of these, you can make four tortillas at a time for the tacos. Which makes it so much easier to serve when everyone is around the table. 

The best part is that you can truly stuff anything in these cheesy flour shells. They are super versatile, so delicious and very easy to make. Warm and cozy and cheese too!  (more…)

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And chipotle crema! 

These beer battered fish tacos are the ultimate dream: light and airy crunchy exterior with a buttery, flaky interior of white fish. A refreshing mango slaw, a little heat from a chipotle crema drizzle and maybe some guac on the side. 

This truly is one of my dream meals. 

I love a beer battered fish because it’s so light and crisp! Even though we’re frying the fish, it’s still so airy and crunchy. Plus, the fish is super flaky to begin with. 

My preference is to use a white fish – usually cod – because it’s pretty easy to find. 

But!

There is nothing I hate more than deep frying or filling a pan with oil and making my entire house smell like bar food. But!

Beer batter is super light and airy and it doesn’t necessarily have to be deep fried. I use just a swirl of olive oil in the pan so it covers the bottom. As long as your pieces of fish are fairly thin, they fry up so nicely in the pan. A little shallow fry, if you will. 

That makes it SO much easier. And the fish cooks super quickly, so these are done in a flash. 

When I make fish like this, I prepare the other ingredients ahead of time. 

I make a quick slaw, which is just thinly sliced green cabbage, thinly sliced mango and lots of cilantro. Toss it with lime juice and a touch of olive oil, some salt and pepper. This is so crunchy and crisp and adds such a refreshing pop against the warm fish. 

Sometimes we eat the fish with the slaw on top, alone! No tortilla in sight. 

I also make the chipotle crema ahead of time too. Not only will letting it sit marry the flavors even more, but it’s easy and really to go for the fish as soon as it’s done cooking.

I even char my tortillas ahead of time too! I would suggest sticking them in a low oven to keep them warm. The only way I char them is either on the grill or over my gas burners. Super fancy! 

To make the fish, I season it super well. The batter is just flour, an egg, spices and beer (or even club soda, if you want to skip the alcohol). The fish gets dipped in the batter, fried in some avocado oil and it’s done!

Assembly is simple:

Tortilla > slaw > fish > crema 

Oh and guac, if you wish! Or even just slices of avocado.  (more…)

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This is a dinner to please everyone! 

It’s a little one pot wonder (almost) packed with so much flavor, texture and satisfying ingredients. Sausage asparagus pasta is mixed with burrata and a touch of parm to create a creamy dinner skillet that comes together super fast.

It tastes amazing. 

Can be made in 30 minutes (or less!).

Serves a crowd. 

And works as leftovers too. I love a cold pasta lunch! 

I’ll be the first to admit that sausage is not my favorite thing. It’s why I barely have any sausage recipes here on the blog! I only crave it every once in a while. It’s the fennel seeds for me. I just can’t do it! 

But this dish is SO good. The sausage is so crisp and almost crunchy. It flavors the vegetables. The sauce is light because it’s just a mix of what’s in the pan, some starchy pasta water, parmesan and burrata!

It doesn’t get much easier.

P.S. If you are not a marinara sauce fan, this one’s for you.  (more…)

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Here’s what you can eat for the next few weeks!

This pasta chopped salad is filled with all sorts of spring produce, sharp cheese, microgreens and a deliciously tangy sun dried tomato vinaigrette. 

It’s easy, simple, tastes amazing and looks pretty darn cute too!

Tiny pasta. It’s cute!

I can’t help myself. 

There is something about an asparagus pasta salad that we just love! I think it’s because it is SO simple – I toss the asparagus in with the pasta for the last few minutes and it comes out perfectly crisp and tender.

Add some other additions, a wonderful dressing, and you’ve got an easy side or even a lunchtime pasta salad. 

It’s no secret how much I love a good chopped salad. There is just something about every piece being the same size… you can get a bite of everything off the fork. I love how crunchy it is and the combo of flavors that come together since it’s all evenly chopped!

So, I took a tiny cut of pasta and made something similar to a chopped salad. Basically a chopped salad with some pasta.

This combo isn’t entirely new for us as I already make a spring pasta salad with asparagus that we really enjoy. It has honey mustard dressing. It’s wonderful any time of year! 

But this version, with all the tiny bits of flavor, the adorable pasta and the sun dried tomato dressing? SO, so good.  (more…)

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Time to taco! 

These chili lime shrimp tacos are a super easy 20 minute meal, made with skillet crisp shrimp, a juicy fresh mango salsa and crumbled cotija cheese. There is so much texture, flavor and all around ease when it comes to this dish. You could have it on the table tonight in no time. 

This is a go-to for us when I have no time and we want something delicious. When we are craving something super fresh and light, but savory and tasty all at the same time. These fit the bill! 

Plus, you can use this shrimp in all sorts of different ways. Throw it in a quesadilla, on a taco salad or even enjoy it alone with your favorite side dish. 

The star of the show here is tajin! Or any chili lime seasoning. Tajin is my absolute favorite. I LOVE it so much and it blows my mind how it has so much chili lime flavor without being too salty or too spicy. 

It’s fabulous. 

And it packs such a punch for one spice! You really don’t need anything else. 

P.S. if you’re a tajin freak like I am, you should get this tajin snack mix. It is so darn good. 

So let’s talk about how fast these come together.

It’s SUPER fast! 

First, I make the mango salsa. Quickly chop up a mango, jalapeno, cilantro and red onion. Easy as that! Salt and fresh lime juice too. 

Next, the shrimp. I use peeled and deveined shrimp and season it all over with the tajin. Then, I sear it in a hot skillet for just a few minutes. That’s all it needs! This will cook super quick. 

I like to use yellow corn tortillas. Sometimes I char them over my gas stovetop – super fancy! 

Finally, I assemble the tacos with the shrimp, spoonfuls of mango salsa and crumbled cotija cheese. You could even add another sprinkle of tajin if you wish. 

See? Embarrassingly easy!  (more…)

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