Coleslaw Recipe {Only 4 Ingredients!}

Homemade Coleslaw with the simplest coleslaw dressing! This recipe only requires 4 basic ingredients, it couldn’t be easier to make, and it’s so creamy and refreshing.

Coleslaw Recipe

• Servings: 4
• Prep Time 5 minutes
• Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz.) pkg. coleslaw mix
• 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey (or granulated sugar)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt (optional, to taste)

Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl whisk together mayonnaise honey, apple cider vinegar and a pinch or two of salt if needed.
2. Place coleslaw mixture in a medium mixing bowl pour mayonnaise mixture over then toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

• Try it with mix-ins too! I love it with bleu cheese, apples, dried cranberries or sliced almonds.
• If you are looking to boost flavor try it with some of these seasonings to taste: onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, dry mustard or dijon mustard, and black pepper

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Classic Macaroni Salad

Homemade Macaroni Salad! A classic pasta salad recipe made with tender macaroni tossed with colorful veggies and eggs, and covered in a rich and creamy dressing.

Classic Macaroni Salad

• Servings: 8 servings
• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Cook Time 20 minutes
• Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt*
• 1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard,** then more to taste (I like about 4 tsp)
• 2 tsp honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Macaroni Salad:

• 8 oz dry elbow macaroni
• 2 steamed or hard boiled eggs , peeled and chopped
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup matchstick carrots , roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 - 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni in salted water according to directions on package (I added about 1/2 tbsp salt to the water). 
2. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Let drain very well.
3. In a medium mixing bowl stir together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, vinegar, mustard, honey, and season with salt and pepper to taste (start with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper then add more salt after you've added the dressing to the pasta).
4. Add well drained macaroni to a large mixing bowl along with eggs, bell pepper, carrots, celery and onion (if you like to have some color over you salad I like set aside some of the veggies to sprinkle over the top).
5. Pour dressing over top, add in parsley and toss mixture to evenly coat. Serve or store in refrigerator up to 1 day.

Recipe Notes

• *If you want an even richer, creamier dressing you can omit Greek yogurt, just use 1 cup mayonnaise and a few tablespoons milk to thin.
• **If you don't have Dijon on hand, feel free to use a different type of mustard instead.
• Try it with other mix-ins. You don't have to use those listed. Some ideas include - minced baby dill pickles, pickle relish, bacon, green onions or chives, paprika, capers, cucumbers or tomatoes.

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Stuffed Mushrooms {with Spinach and Cheese}

Stuffed Mushrooms – filled with rich cream cheese, tender spinach, melty mozzarella and parmesan, and vibrant garlic then topped with crispy panko bread crumbs. An appetizer or party snack recipe that’s sure to impress! They’re easy to make and perfect for entertaining. 

Stuffed Mushrooms

Servings: 10

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 22 large cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 (10 - 12 oz.) bag frozen spinach, thawed
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 large garlic clove, minced (1 1/2 tsp)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Optionally you can line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier clean up.
2. Squeeze moisture from spinach: Place spinach on several layer of paper towels, spread it out a little then fold paper towels over and squeeze most of the excess moisture from spinach. Place in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Mix cheeses and seasoning: Add in cream cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir mixture to blend.
4. Oil mushrooms: Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet and spray top and bottom sides with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Fill mushrooms: Scoop out a spoonful at a time and stuff into mushrooms. Set on baking sheet, filling upright.
6. Prepare topping, add to mushrooms: In a small mixing bowl stir together panko, remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle over each mushroom.
7. Bake: Bake in preheated oven until filling is hot, mushrooms have softened and topping is golden brown, about 20 - 24 minutes (if topping didn't brown enough you can broil just briefly). Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

• Use fresher mushrooms for better flavor and texture.
• Go for the larger mushrooms (about 2-inches across) so you can fit more filling.
• Try to use mushrooms that are almost even in size so they'll bake more evenly.
• Use olive oil spray to add flavor and keep the mushrooms from being dry.
• Be sure to squeeze most of the moisture from the spinach or the filling will be too runny.

Possible Variations:

• If you don't have panko bread crumbs on hand regular bread crumbs can be used.
• Try swapping parmesan for Romano cheese or mild provolone for the mozzarella.
• Use a half the spinach and add some chopped (canned or frozen, thawed and squeezed dry) artichoke hearts.
• If desired use fresh spinach (equal weight) instead of frozen, just steam first then cool and squeeze out excess moisture.

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Baked Buffalo Wings {with Blue Cheese Dip}

Easy to make Buffalo Wings – crispy baked chicken wings are coated in an addictive, fiery hot buffalo wing sauce and served with a side of creamy, tangy blue cheese dip for dunking. This is how you do game day snacking!

Baked Buffalo Wings {with Blue Cheese Dip}

Servings: 10

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Wings

• 4 lbs chicken wings, cut into wings and drumettes*
• 4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buffalo Sauce

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter**
• 1 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot Original
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch*** (optional)
• 1 Tbsp honey

Blue Cheese Dip {Optional}

• 2/3 cup natural sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 3 oz. blue cheese, finely crumbled

Instructions

For the Wings

1. Arrange oven racks in upper middle and lower middle portion of the oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then set a large wire rack over baking sheet, spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl whisk together baking powder with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

3. Dab chicken pieces dry with paper towels then place in a large bowl, sprinkle baking powder mixture over chicken. Toss well to evenly coat.

4. Arrange chicken pieces on wire rack leaving space between each. Bake in preheated oven on lower middle rack 30 minutes.

5. Move wings to upper middle rack, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Continue to bake until chicken is golden brown and crisp, rotating pan once halfway through, about 45 - 50 minutes longer.

6. Place wings in a large clean bowl and toss with desired amount of buffalo sauce.

For the Sauce

1. Near the end of wings baking: Whisk together cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water until blended.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add hot sauce and honey, cover and bring to a light simmer.

3. Add cornstarch mixture and cook and stir about 20 seconds, until lightly thickened. Remove from heat cover and keep warm.

For the Blue Cheese Dip

1. Mix together all ingredients, season lightly with pepper and salt if needed. Preferably let rest at least 30 minutes in refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

• *Buy pre-cut wings to save prep time. To cut whole wings, cut at joints and discard the wing tips. Here is a video tutorial.
• **If you'd like you can double up on the butter for a richer sauce.
• ***The cornstarch just helps thicken the sauce up a little, it can be omitted just omit the water too. Then just heat sauce until warmed.
• Nutrition estimate is for wings only, does not include dip as it is optional.
• Wings cooking method adapted from Cook's Country.

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Breadsticks Recipe (Olive Garden Copycat)

My favorite homemade Breadsticks Recipe! These always turn out perfectly soft, fluffy and chewy and no one can resist that garlic butter topping! And since they’re made fresh from scratch they’re even better than Olive Gardens!

Breadsticks Recipe (Olive Garden Copycat)

Servings: 12

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Resting Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 6 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil

Topping

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together warm water, yeast and 1/2 tsp granulated sugar until yeast has dissolved. Allow to rest 10 minutes.

2. Add in remaining 1 Tbsp + 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 3/4 tsp salt and vegetable oil, then fit mixer with paddle attachment and blend mixture until well combine.

3. Switch mixer to dough hook attachment, add in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and knead mixture on low speed, adding up to 1/4 cup additional flour as needed, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic*.

4. Transfer dough to a large buttered mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place free from draft until double, about 1 1/2 hours.

5. Punch risen dough down, divide into 12 equal portions (2 ounces each by weight), keep them covered with plastic wrap as you work. Roll each piece into a 9 inch rope on a lightly floured surface, then transfer to two parchment paper lined baking sheets.

6. Cover and let rise 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 during the last 10 minutes of rising.

7. Bake in preheated oven 11 - 13 minutes until golden**. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together 1/4 tsp salt and garlic powder.

8. Remove breadsticks from oven and run a stick of butter over hot breadsticks (using 2 Tbsp, or brush with melted butter) and immediately sprinkle with garlic salt mixture.

9. Serve warm. Let any left over cool and store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

*Dough should pull away from sides of the bowl but should still be slightly sticky. If you add too much flour dough becomes too hard to shape and breadsticks will be drier and denser.

**If you want rolls more golden brown on top you can move oven rack up one level to bake. Just keep an eye on them too, every oven varies.

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One-Hour Dinner Rolls

One-Hour Dinner Rolls

 Servings: 15 rolls

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp rapid rise yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cool water
• 2/3 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces, plus more for tops
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together 3 3/4 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
2. To a medium bowl add water, milk and butter and heat in microwave on HIGH power until it reaches 120 degrees on a thermometer, about 1 minute 15 seconds. Stir to partially melt butter (you just want to make sure it's softened through).
3. Pour milk mixture into dry mixture in bowl of electric stand mixer along with lemon juice.
4. Set mixer with a hook attachment then set mixer on low speed and gradually increase to medium-low, knead about 3 - 4 minutes until smooth and elastic while adding additional flour as necessary (dough should be lightly sticky but manageable).
5. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
6. Drop dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an evenly level square, about 9 by 9-inches. Cut into 16 equal portions (don't have to be exact)
7. Shape dough into 15 balls, while using excess dough from the 16th portion to add to smaller rounds as needed, and place shaped dough portions into prepared baking dish.
8. Dampen hands with water and brush tops of dough with the water (just so they don't dry while rising in oven). Transfer to oven, close oven and turn oven off, allow rolls to rise 20 minutes (don't open oven door).
9. Remove from oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees (this should take about 5 minutes, so just allow rolls to rest on counter while oven preheats).
10. Bake in preheated oven 14 - 16 minutes until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and run the top of a stick of butter along tops of rolls just to coat. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container (I recommend rewarming cool rolls in microwave for best results.

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