Top Twelve Recipes of 2024!

 2024 was a shorter year in the kitchen for me. Due to some medical issues I didn't really start cooking until sometime in mid February, but once I got cooking I got lucky with some great dishes! Normally I only do about 10 top dishes for the year, but this year I have 12!

The dishes below aren't ranked from 1-12, but they are in calendar order of how I cooked them throughout the year, February thru December. If you click on the title of the recipe you'll be directed back to the original post with the recipe!

First up is How Sweet Eats Chicken and Bacon Ranch Puff Pastry Pizza. I truly love the puff pastry pizzas from How Sweet Eats. This version uses leftover chicken, or rotisserie chicken, with cheese, bacon, dill, scallions, and a drizzle of ranch dressing. If you love these flavors then this will be a big hit for you too! Easy enough for a weeknight, but delicious enough for a party or entertaining, you simply can't go wrong!

Next up is the dish I made more than anything else this year, How Sweet Eats Our Favorite Baked Cheesy Rice. I made this dish out of necessity because I was on a mild diet and we ended up loving the baked rice dish with bits of crispy sharp white cheddar on top and creamy white cheddar underneath. It became a staple dish everyone craved and went well with so many things. I bet I made it at least 25 times throughout the year!

Why make one puff pastry pizza when you can make two? How Sweet Eats Puff Pastry Breakfast Pizza was also a grand slam in the breakfast department. Again, it's hard to go wrong with flaky puff pastry with eggs, bacon, cheese, and herbs! If you want something easy that is rather impressive first thing in the morning go with this recipe! It is dressed to impress and tastes delicious! Would be great for a Sunday breakfast, a girls brunch, or any situation where you need to entertain.

How Sweet Eats Oreo Peanut Butter Pie is hands down THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER PIE we've ever had. I'm not the biggest Oreo fan, but Oreos do make for a great crust for the luscious peanut butter mousse that goes inside. The first day the peanut butter mousse is light and creamy, but after several hours in the fridge, or overnight, the peanut butter mousse gets thick and dense like cheesecake. When you top this pie with Oreos and peanut butter cups and whipped cream it is the most decadent and delicious of all desserts!

This favorites roundup is quickly becoming a How Sweet Eatspalooza, but her site offered many recipes I wanted to try and they all became instant hits! This One Pot Garlic Butter Shrimp and Orzo from How Sweet Eats was quick and delicious and we've had it a couple times since. I've noticed that people love quick shrimp dishes, as they tend to garner some of the most views on my site, so I wanted to include this one because it is a great weeknight dish!

This roundup makes it look like my family eats A LOT of puff pastry, but I can assure you we do not. It is always a hit though, and for a special treat these Cheeseburger Puff Pastry Pockets from How Sweet Eats are sure to be a favorite in your house too! What's not to like about savory beef and cheese pockets in a crispy-crunchety crust?

This Lemon Butter Chicken from How Sweet Eats is lemon forward, and you do have to like lemon, but the garlic and herbs also come front and center and the chicken bakes up so tender and flavorful. This is a healthy, quick, and delicious weeknight dinner that any lemon lover would adore.

I make a lot of regular ol' rice krispy treats, but I really love peanut butter so I wanted to try my hand at How Sweet Eats Salted Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats and it should be illegal how good these are. The balance of flavors is perfect and the peanut butter with the gooey marshamallow gives a this a fluffernutter feel. These are addictive and hard to stop eating! 

This summer I made 10 wonderful ice cream recipes from The Gourmet Cookbook, but it was this recipe for Maple Walnut Ice Cream that stood out from the rest. I loved this recipe so much. The consistency of the ice cream and the subtle flavor of the maple syrup with the crunchy walnuts...it was heaven!
 

Who doesn't love a good meatball recipe? These Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs from Half Baked Harvest are made with turkey and a pesto red sauce base with cheese on top and they were so good, and even better the next day. I enjoyed mine with some soft, fluffy naan bread, but they are also delicious on their own, and I bet just as good over pasta.

 

I knew Erin French's Glazed Butter Cake was going to be delicious, but it was mind-blowing delicious. Like probably ONE OF THE BEST DESSERTS I'VE EVER MADE! This isn't even my favorite type of dessert, but this is INCREDIBLE warm with whipped cream and berries. If you make any of the recipes on this post, make this one. It's just unbelievably delicious.

My last recipe of the year, Ina Garten's Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits, was the perfect way to end a great year in the kitchen. The biscuits were soft and fluffy with yummy pockets of cheese and we gobbled them up for breakfast in no time.

I'm excited to see what 2025 brings and hope that next year is just as delicious! 

 

Ina Garten's Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits {Last Recipe of 2024}!

Teens and older kids love to be up all hours of the night on Christmas Eve, which means Santa can't come until early morning hours. By that time, Santa has been riding around on his sleigh all night eating cookies and he's ready for something savory and breakfasty!

I think Santa would wholeheartedly appreciate Ina Garten's Buttermilk Cheese Biscuits all on their own, or with some eggs and bacon! Who wouldn't?

These biscuits come together really easy and bake up in no time! Perfectly golden brown from an egg wash with pockets of sharp cheddar cheese....these are the way to wake up!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who celebrate!

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Makes 8 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter), diced

1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken

1 cold egg

1 cup grated extra sharp Cheddar

1 egg, beaten with tablespoon water or milk

Maldon sea salt, optional

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making  8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm. 

For Santa @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!
 

 

 

How Sweet Eat's Cheesy Double Bean Quesadillas with Guacamole and Salsa

 

I've talked about my love for beans several times over the years. Beans just hang out in the pantry being all cheap and delicious and healthy. Waiting for you to use them in something delicious, satisfying, and healthy. What's not to love?

Cheesy Double Bean Quesadillas? Yes, please. Made all festive and delicious with some green Guacamole and red Salsa. Double yes!

If you're looking for something easy, economical, and fun to help save time and money this Christmas, then this recipe is it!

All you need are some flour tortillas, 1 can of black beans, 1 can of cannellini beans, pepperjack cheese, sharp white cheese, and butter or oil. Then for the Guacamole I used 2 avocados, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt. I almost always have some sort of salsa on hand. 

This is a meal that can come together for under $10 and less than 30 minutes. You simply grate the cheeses, mash the beans, whip up a fresh guacamole and then cook those quesadillas low and slow until the insides are hot and the tortillas are golden and crisp.

We loved these and will be having them again!

Cheesy Double Bean Quesadillas 

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Makes 2/Serves 4-6

1 can black beans

1 can cannellini beans

2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated

2 ounces pepperjack cheese, freshly grated

4 tortillas, about 10"

butter or olive oil, for frying

Guacamole and salsa, for serving

Guacamole 

Adapted from Homesick Texan

by Lisa Fain

Serves 4

2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Serrano chile, seeded and diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

To Make the Guacamole: Mash the avocado with a fork in a bowl or Mexican mortar and pestle (molcajete) until desired consistency. Stir in the garlic, Serrano, cilantro, lime juice, and salt, then taste and add more salt if desired. Serve immediately. 

To Make the Quesadillas: In a large bowl, mash together black and cannellini beans with a fork, spoon or potato masher. Heat an electric griddle or skillet over low heat. Add a bit of butter or olive oil.

Place 2 tortillas down, covering each with a bit of both cheeses, then evenly distribute the mashed bean mixture (feel free to warm the bean mixture slightly) over top. Place the tortilla on the griddle or skillet, then cover bean mixture with the remaining cheese and the other tortilla. Cook until the bottom is crispy and golden brown, then gently flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until beans are warm and tortilla is crispy and golden. You will want to cook the quesadillas low and slow to warm the beans through and melt the cheese. When they tortillas are golden brown and to your liking, take off the heat, cut, and garnish with guacamole and/or salsa.

Red and Green @ IHCC!
 

Ina Garten's Cinnamon-Spiced Shortbread

Dear Ina,

Shortbread cookies are delicious and Cinnamon-Spiced Shortbread Cookies are PERFECT for Christmas, but I think you left one vital ingredient out of your recipe!

Hands! The secret to getting shortbread dough to come together is using the warmth of your hands to shape the dough together. 

No matter what I do I'm always left with a very crumbly mess that looks like it will never come together with any mixer. I stared at the dough of this recipe and thought I'd have to though the whole batch out and then I scrubbed my hands real well and started forming and mixing and holding and shaping and combining until I got the dough into a ball.

I'm not sure if this happens in your neck of the woods, but I feel like this belongs in every shortbread recipe. The secret ingredient is hands and hot hands at that. You are the machine that will form the dough together!

I say this because I don't want beginning bakers and cooks to get scared off and they might not know what to do otherwise.

Now saying that, once your form that dough together with your hands, rolling it out and baking it is the easy part.

I love the flecks of cinnamon throughout the dough and the scent is amazing while baking. I didn't have nutmeg or cloves for the sugar coating so I opted for cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. My pumpkin pie spice had nutmeg and cloves but also some other warm spices that worked just great. 

These are the perfect cookie to enjoy while trimming the tree, or wrapping presents, or doing online shopping, or with tea and/or hot chocolate. We loved them!

But hands Ina, please tell the people to use hands.

Sincerely,

Kim 

Cinnamon-Spiced Shortbread

Adapted from Go-To Dinners

by Ina Garten

Makes 16 to 20 cookies*

For The Cookies

3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

salt

For The Sugar Coating

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Note: Amount of cookies the recipe makes depends on the size of your cookie cutter and how thin you roll the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, the 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon warm water on low speed until they are just combined (don't whip it). In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, the 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together in large clumps. Transfer to a floured surface and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for just 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2 inch thick on a floured board and cut with a large (3-1/2") star cutter or any other shape you like! Place the cookies one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. 

Meanwhile, for the sugar coating, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle them thickly with the sugar mixture and allow to cool on the sheet pans. When the cookies are cool, shake off the excess sugar mixture and serve warm or at room temperature.

A Tree Trimmin' Good Time @ IHCC!

Ina Garten's Roasted Vegetable Soup with Brioche Croutons

 

Dear Ina,

You published this recipe, and aired it on your cooking show, back in 2002. I have been wanting to make this soup recipe ever since then. Twenty-two years, Ina. It's not like I haven't been busy cooking away in my kitchen because I truly have. 

The problem is, there is just isn't enough time for all the recipes.

Something I wonder about all the time. How do cookbook authors and celebrities, such as yourself, have the time to try so many recipes? Do you cook and try new recipes all day every day? Morning to night? Do you ever sleep?

I'd really love to know the secret because I'm turning 50 next year and I need to figure out how to jam pack thousands of recipes in to the second half of my life. 

I happened to have all the ingredients for this soup on hand: carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. I set about roasting all the veggies, then followed your directions to blend them in a blender with some chicken stock. I returned the mixture to a dutch oven, adding chicken broth and bringing to a slow boil.

I plated some in a bowl with some leftover roasted veggies, the brioche croutons, and some parsley. I decided to top with a little Parmesan cheese. It looks very festive and seasonal and was really warming and comforting. We enjoyed it with some added spice, sprinkling and stirring in some cayenne pepper to really warm the soul. Happy to finally try it!

Hoping for answers to my above questions,

Kim 

Roasted Vegetable Soup with Brioche Croutons

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Serves 4-6

3 to 4 cups chicken stock

1 quart Roasted Winter Vegetables

salt and black pepper

Brioche Croutons

olive oil

Roasted Winter Vegetables

1 pound carrots, peeled

1 pound parsnips, peeled

1 large sweet potato, peeled

1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and seeded

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Brioche Croutons

6 ounces brioche or Challah

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the Roasted Veggies:  Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1-1/4" cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while roasting, so don't cut them too small. Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot. 

For the Brioche Croutons: Slice the bread about 3/4" thick. Cut off the crusts and then cut the slices in 3/4" dice. You should have 3 to 4 cups of croutons. Place the croutons on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 5-6 minutes, checking periodically, until they're nicely browned on all sides. Cool to room temperature before using and store in a sealed plastic bag.

For the Soup: In a large saucepan, heat 3 cups of chicken stock. Coarsely puree the Roasted Winter Vegetables and the chicken stock in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pour the soup back into the pot and season, to taste. Thin with more chicken stock and reheat. The soup should be thick but not like a vegetable puree, so add more chicken stock and/or water until it's the consistency you like. Serve with Brioche Croutons, a sprinkle of parsley, and a good drizzle of olive oil. 

 

November Potluck @ IHCC

Erin French's Glazed Butter Cake from The Lost Kitchen!

 Dear Ms. French,

Your Glazed Butter Cake has been on my mind since I binge watched your show, The Lost Kitchen, earlier this summer. The cake sounded like heaven and looked like something everyone would love. I knew instantly I needed to make it.

It took me a few months to acquire both of your cookbooks and now that it is officially "the holidays," I have a reason to make it.

Words cannot express how wonderful this cake is! A fluffy and buttery pound cake with a thick, sweet butter glaze scented with vanilla and almond extract...it truly is the quintessential dessert! I ate a slice warm with blueberries and whipped cream and it was like total bliss...the warm cake fragrant with almond and vanilla, the pops of the blueberries, and the clouds of fresh whipped cream. 

Then I had another slice all by itself and it was equally delicious, almost like stepping back in time and having the most wonderful homemade dessert made by mom or grandma. It is more than a dessert. It's comfort. It's a warm hug.

When my husband had a slice he said, "this is one of the best desserts you've ever made." Then he looked out the window and saw the neighbors raking leaves and he said "I kind of just want to go out with this cake and start giving it to everyone so they can taste how wonderful it is." 

Then he went ahead and had a second slice.

Between my husband and I we ate half the cake.

This is now my new GO TO DESSERT. I'll be making it with different flavored glazes and serving it with different fruits. If I'm called on to make something to take somewhere, it will be this cake. 

I will be singing praises for this cake for days and weeks to come. It will go down as one of my top recipes of 2024, but I will be making it for many years to come.

I am thankful for this recipe and I am thankful for you!

A Truly Devoted Cake Eater in Kentucky

P.S. I felt like this cake called for blueberries. An ode to Maine. 

 

Glazed Butter Cake

Adapted from Big Heart Little Stove

Recipe by Erin French

Serves 8-10

For The Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup buttermilk (well shaken before measuring)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For The Glaze

1 cup granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Make The Cake: Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan, line with parchment paper, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speeds until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the first egg before adding the second one.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

With the mixer on low, one large spoonful at a time, alternate adding the dry mixture and the buttermilk, mixing until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix just briefly to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Make The Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and 1/4 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze cool slightly; then whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts. The glaze will cool and thicken a bit as it sits.

For a quick and rustic finish, brush the glaze over the top of the loaf in the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely, remove from the pan and slice. Or, to really allow the cake to soak up all the delicious glaze, let the cake cool in the pan until it's comfortable to handle. Remove the cake and transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, to catch the drips of glaze. Brush the glaze over the entire cake; top, bottom, and, sides. You will need to work gently and carefully, but it's worth it to get every inch of this cake covered in glaze. Repeat until all of the glaze has been used.

Let the cake cool completely, then wrap tightly and store on the counter for up to 3 days. 

Desserts To Be Thankful For @ IHCC!
 

Thanksgiving Sides: How Sweet Eat's Mom's Cheesy Potatoes

 

If you're a potato lover you can't go wrong here.

Cheesy potatoes topped with crisp salty potato chips! A comforting holiday or winter side dish that is family-friendly.

Mom's Cheesy Potatoes

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant 

Serves 6-8

2 pounds frozen diced potatoes, like Ore Ida, thawed

8 tablespoons salted butter

16 ounces sour cream

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon dried parsley

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

2 cups crushed potato chips, I like to use kettle cooked chips

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. To thaw the potatoes, I just stick the bag in the fridge overnight. Be sure to drain any liquid from thawing.

Melt the butter in a large bowl - you can do this in the microwave or on the stovetop. Let it cool slightly.

Whisk the sour cream and the soup into the melted butter until combined. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper. You can also add a sprinkle of dried parsley if you wish.

Fold in the thawed potatoes. Fold and stir until the potatoes are completely incorporated and evenly distributed.

Spread the mixture in the baking dish. Top with the grated cheddar. At this point, you can stick the dish (covered) in the fridge until you're ready to bake, or you can bake right away.

If baking right away, sprinkle the top with the crushed potato chips.

Bake for 60 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Scoop to serve!

This freezes great! Once you spread the mixture in the baking dish, seal it tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze. To bake, let it thaw completely, then top with the cheddar and potato chips.

Leftovers of this are also delicious - maybe even better than when it's freshly made!

The Best Holiday Side Dishes @ IHCC!

Erin French's Pecorino Puffs

Life, at least for me, has been ALL ABOUT THE CHEESE lately! I have been craving cheese every.single.day!

And bread. Sometimes I just want cheese and bread.

So, when I saw these Pecorino Puffs in Erin French's Big Heart Little Stove cookbook I had to make them!

So quick. So easy. You simply bring the butter, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg o a boil, then add the flour and stir for about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a food processor, or just a mixing bowl, and stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the cheese and you're all set!

Easy peasy. I used a cookie scoop to measure them out and scooped the batter onto the parchment paper. The recipe was perfect and they baked up warm and cheesy in 12 minutes!

We loved them. They are light, airy, cheesy, fluffy and such a good snack with pepperoni and/or salami. I will be making them again! 

Pecorino Puffs

Adapted from Big Heart Little Stove

by Erin French

Makes 24

1 cup whole milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

a few grates of fresh nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Note: I cannot usually be bothered to bring out big kitchen appliances like blenders and food processors, so I skipped that part of the recipe. I simply put my batter into a bowl and stirred the eggs in one at a time, followed by the cheese and it was perfectly fine!

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter, salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the nutmeg and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Give the pan a stir and continue stirring as you add the flour. Stir vigorously for about 20 seconds, until the dough comes together. Increase the heat to high and stir just long enough to cook off the raw flour, about another 10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is ewll incorporated before adding the next. Add the cheese and pulse until combined.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe dollops of the batter about 1 inch tall and 1 inch wide onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and golden about 12 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Appetizers You Crave @ I Heart Cooking Clubs
 

 

How Sweet Eat's Cheeseburger Soup

 It is officially soup season when the nights get cold and dark and we turn the clocks back!

I made Cheeseburger Soup for the first time years ago and I remember it being a big hit! When I saw How Sweet Eat's share her family's favorite version, I knew I had to give it a try.

You start with browned ground beef, then add all the classic soup veggies like onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. You cook the cubed potatoes in broth with the veggies and meat, until tender and then you add in the roux, milk, and cheese.

In the soup world, I feel like there are two kinds of people: those who like thick soups and those who like brothy soups. This version is differently on the brothy side. We are not brothy soup lovers, but we did enjoy this with some pretzel garlic bread. It was cheesy and comforting and we loved dipping the bread in the soup.

Cheeseburger Soup

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup freshly grated carrots

1 cup diced celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound petite gold potatoes, quartered

4 to 5 cups chicken stock*

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

16 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

freshly chopped parsley or chives, for serving

*Note: If you are a brothy soup person, go ahead and use the 4 cups of chicken broth in this recipe. If you're into thicker soups, maybe start with 3 cups of broth and add more if you feel like it needs it.

Season the ground beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add beef. Brown the beef, using a meat chopped or wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles.

Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate.

Add the olive oil to the same skillet. Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the oregano. Stir. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add in the potatoes and 4 cups of chicken stock. Return the beef to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the butter in a separate skillet. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Whisk and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the color is golden and the mixture is fragrant.

Use a spatula to scrape the roux right into the soup pot. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the milk and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese. Stir until it is all melted. At this point, you can add in the additional cup of chicken stock or not. Sometimes I like to add it before I pack the soup up for the fridge since it thickens more as it sits. Taste and season the soup with more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the sour cream. Once melted, serve! Top with fresh chives or parsley to serve. 

 October Potluck @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!

Half Baked Harvest's Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs {So Comforting}

 Who doesn't love a giant casserole full of cheesy flavorful meatballs? Why haven't I made these before?

I was checking my email at work when I saw the recipe for these meatballs and I immediately stopped what I was doing to write down the list of ingredients so I could make them asap!

I could hardly wait to tuck into these meatballs in a creamy and flavorful sauce of onions, garlic, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato pesto, cream, and broth. The sauce is thick and creamy and the flavor is just on point.

 

Then you top the meatballs and sauce with mozzarella cheese and bake! It is the perfect dish  for those comfort food cravings you are having right now! Serve this with pasta or bread, either way it is delicious. I will be making this on repeat all winter long. So yummy!

 

Pesto Zuppa Toscana Meatballs

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

by Tieghan Gerard

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage*

1/2 pound ground chicken, turkey or pork* 

1/2 cup panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesa

1 egg

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme*

2 cups finely shredded kale

1/3 cup pesto*

3/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1 cup broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice*

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

*Note: I made a few changes to these meatballs, namely using all ground turkey (because it's what I had on hand. I also subbed fresh basil for fresh thyme, omitted the kale (I didn't have any), used sundried tomato pesto instead of basil pesto, and omitted the lemon juice. I also want to mention that you might need to cook the meatballs in batches, unless your pan is huge.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Add the sausage, chicken, panko, parmesan, egg, and 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Roll into meatballs and place each in a skillet. Add the onions to the skillet.

Set the skillet over medium heat, then cook the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning them 2-3 times, until crisp. Add the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, kale and pesto. Pour over the cream, broth, and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add the mozzarella, then bake until the cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

Spooktacular @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!