Rather than increasing debt on Margaritas everytime you are out, then don't. Get your party IN this weekend with homemade margaritas! It's as easy as 1-2-3: For the Cointreau, lime juice and Tequila combination that is 1:2:3 ratio respectively. Shake, pour, sip!
Margaritas
If, for instance, like me, it gives you a stomachache thinking of how many cocktails you must have drunk in your lifetime you are now ready to join the band wagon of making margaritas at home. You could say that it's fantastically simple: it is perfect for a party, juicy, just a tad sweet and, I'm sure that people are going to feel a bit dizzy from the alcohol very quickly!
What goes in Margaritas
Here's what you need – it's easy as 1-2-3:
- 1 part of the Cointreau brand of liqueur or triple sec
- 2 parts lime juice
- 3 parts tequila
(To measure 'parts' simply take the using the same measurement device: a shot glass, a tablespoon, a mug or a bottle for every part, for each ingredient.)
No sugar! Cointreau is already sweet and infused cointreau is not really needed – margaritas are new and fresh spirits, they don't need to be artificially sweetened all the time!
What's Triple Sec?
Triple Sec can be described as an orange flavoured alcoholic syrup. The most popular brand of this liqueur is Cointreau it is produced in France. Triple Sec brands differ in sweetness and ratio of orange peel strength / flavor. Cointreau is less sweet than most, but has a clearer, better orange taste.
SKINNY Margaritas
Lime Margaritas have become really popular these days – and as far as the insanely sweet Margaritas that some restaurants offer, the Skinny Margaritas are light years ahead in terms of calorie content. It is not made with Cointreau; it comes with orange juice and agave syrup.
But here's what they don't tell you – Skinny Margaritas only possess 15 fewer calories than classic margaritas mixed rather traditionally with no sweetener.
So, you will need the following ingredients for the Skinny version – I've also placed the quantities for everything in the recipe card below. It is a delicious option though I find it don't prepare it as the low calorie option for original Margaritas!
at any type of the glass, but for the later differentiation we have the Skinny Margarita served in a tumbler with ice.
When to serve Margaritas – and what to serve it with!
Margaritas are one of the most popular cocktails within parties and anything socially related to Mexico! From a backyard Barbeque with friends, Nachos on Friday night to a Sunday Mexican Night!!!!
Begin a party with margaritas, chips and dip; the favorite: Guacamole or my famous Pig-Out Salsa that has individuals going nut-crackers over.
They're unbelievably gulpable – crisp not cloying which ain't retarded sugar-rush sweet so you don't get that depressed where all you can do is drink yourself to death. As per their size you can't taste the alcohol in it but over all they are pretty darn strong.
Plus they're convenient to make in large portions – just blend a jug and store in the refrigerator to serve as needed. That's how a man continues a celebration!
Ingredients
Margaritas:
- 45 ml / 1.5oz tequila
- 30 ml / 1 oz lime juice
- 15 ml / 0.5 oz Cointreau (or other Triple Sec) (Note 1)
Skinny Margaritas:
- 60 ml/ 2oz tequila
- 45 ml / 1.5 oz lime juice
- 30 ml / 1 oz orange juice
- 1 tsp light agave nectar (Note 2)
For serving / salt rim:
- 1 wedge of lime, and more for garnishing
- 1/4 cup coarse salt
Instructions
Salt rim:
- And have the glasses preferably chilling in the refrigerator for approximately half an hour.
- Place salt in small dish.
- Pull rim around lime, wetting rim, and place rim down into salt.
Margarita (both versions):
- Add liquids to the cocktail shaker with ice, shake 15 times- to properly cool it.
- Pour cocktail from tall glass onto cocktail glass or milk tumbler. Ice in glass is optional.
Recipe Notes:
- Triple sec is an orange flavored alcoholic beverage. The most popular brand is Cointreau.
- Agave nectar is a natural sweetening agent which is low calorie compared to sugar and all the liquid sweetening products such as honey, it has approximately half the caloric value of honey. Nowadays can be found in large supermarkets (Australia: Coles/Woolies/Harris).
- This big batch can be made in a jug and then refrigerated until it's ready to be served. Do not add ice – they will melt and water will weaken the smell. Of course, you can also utilize other non-melting ice solutions, such as, for example, artificial ice cubes (reusable ice cubes).
- Ingredients for Margarita as seen above: 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 cup fresh lime juice, 11/2 cups tequila, coarse salt. Skinny Margarita - 148 calories with 11g carbs, it has more carbs because of the sugar in the orange juice!
Espresso martini is what you cook for nightcap or when you are getting ready for a night out with your friends but you don't want to be left out because you have taken a siesta. Strong enough as a cocktail but dangerously easy to drink when given a good shot of bourbon, this coffee cocktail is made with espresso, vodka and Kahlua.
Espresso Martini
So, being a person who loves coffee to the shameless degree – this definitely goes to my list of top favorite cocktails. It's best for when I need a boost in spirits during events I attend; mainly social functions. I have it at fancy meals to pair with dessert or instead of dessert.
The food looks so appetizing that I'd order it all night long except for the fact that I attempt to be moderate about my coffee intake and therefore, I only order at most two!
What you need
This is what you need for an espresso martini: espresso coffee, vodka and Kahlua!
What is Kahlua?
Kahlua is a coffee-flavored liqueur from Mexico. It is sweet and the syrup formation is rather slimy. That means that the best substitute for Kahlua is another brand of coffee liqueur. I've seen some at my local liquor store and I'm sure Aldi has an imitation on the cheap!
They do not know which is which between Kahlua and Baileys often than not. The difference is that Baileys Irish Cream is made from Irish whiskey and cream and this drink has pale brown creamy shine. On the same note, Kahlua has a dark brown colour, the colour of coffee; the same as the colour of the bottle.
How many milligrams of alcohol is in an Espresso Martini?
It has a rather steep alcoholic level – 60 ml/ 2 oz total of Vodka and Kahlua which is equivalent to 2 standard drinks.
In spite of the fact that it contains a good whack of alcohol it is easy to drink because the true nature of the alcohol does not manifest itself because of the coffee taste.
How to make it
Here is how you make an espresso martini. All you have to do is shake with ice in a cocktail shaker, and that is it!
KEY TIP! Many people recommend that coffee should be cooled before its use; otherwise its use will result in melting of ice and its consequent dilution.
What is essential to make an espresso martini frothy?
For the pretty famous signature frothy layer on top of your Espresso Martini you need to use real espresso coffee made in a proper coffee machine to get the nice crema (a kind of froth on the espresso). So when it comes to using instant coffee granules, you won't get a similar result even with a French Press or similar no matter how much you shake your cocktail shaker.
HOT TIP! If you don't have a suitable coffee maker, just add egg white. It doesn't affect the taste and consistency of the cocktail but if after shaking drink, expect to have the best froth on the top. You need the foam to have the coffee beans float on it, or to be broken by the tossing in the cup.
When and what to accompany Espresso Martini
Turn this into an after dinner drink by garnishing it with caramel popcorn (or Christmas Popcorn Candy if it's the holidays) or plates of chocolate covered strawberries that people can munch on.
For those who can't get enough of coffee then order Tiramisu which is everybody's most loved Italian coffee flavored dessert. Or try it with a Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting – because chocolate and coffee = love deal!
Ingredients
- 40ml / 1 1/3oz Vodka
- 20ml (2/3 oz) Kahlua
- 20ml (2/3 oz) espresso coffee, lukewarm
- 3 coffee beans, garnish
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients and put the mixture in a cocktail shaker. Mode: Shake.
- Invert the cocktail shaker ten times then pour the content in a cocktail glass while there is a tip of the shaker. Remove interior foam if needed, scraping it out of the shaker.
- Sprinkle with 3 coffee beans and serve it fresh.
Recipe Notes:
TIPS:
- Minimize carrying cases by cooling the coffee so that it does not melt the ice = will not water down drink flavor
- Espresso coffee made from a proper coffee machine = a nice layer of crema on the coffee = nice layer of foam on the top of Espresso Martini
- Foam not possible with coffee granules of production Espresso Martini, French Press coffee, or similar. Need a proper machine!
- No coffee machine? Cheat! If you pour 1/2 egg white into it and shake, it will create a great foam layer, but you won't be able to taste it!
- Required foam under the vending coffee beans!
Recipe source: Absolut vodka producers company, Absolut Drinks
Any vegetable, together with pasta and tuna, makes it such an easy and quick meal to prepare whenever you have depleted your stocks. Canned tuna recipe skeptics – you have to read this; it's high time to trust our instincts! This really is seriously delicious, very frugal and incredibly swift which means that it takes a mere 15 minutes from start to finish.
Yes indeed – yes – canned tuna can be downright delicious!
I can't really imagine the words "tasty meal" and "canned tuna" together in the same context. Reminiscences of low wage bare surviving university times and low calorie diets, rushed tuna and rice meals, tasteless tuna salads, tunnel Tuna sandwiches soaked in mayo.
Still, you can prepare canned tuna to be enjoyable!!! A few moments of consideration, some ideas on how to accomplish the task, a tiny amount of work and a whole lot of enthusiasm for there being a delicious meal waiting for you at the end.
Today's reward in question? Tuna pasta. Squeezed lemon juice, few drops of capers and dressing it up with the tuna's own oil. You never thought that a canned tuna pasta can be so tasty!!!
Isolation and identification of ingredients that are found in canned tuna pasta
No capers? Chop pickles instead. No lemon? Add a dash of vinegar. No anchovies? Still worth making! By using the oil from the cans of tuna, we get a really good (free) flavour boost. Just a little bit of anchovies will enhance it even more!
- Canned tuna: Tuna in oil is the go here! From the can of tuna we take the oil to fry the garlic until it turns golden brown in color. No tuna in oil? It's ok! It is done so simply; just replace the olive oil for the liquid and pour the contents of the can of tuna onto the sauce.
- Anchovies: Yes, anchovies – in everything! Ground first then cooked in oil until tender and the taste of fish is gone and all you get is a burst of delicious flavours in that dish.
- Capers: For that sour zing to the recipe! I like to use baby capers. If all you have are large ones, it's best to tear them into even larger pieces, a rough chop would do.
- Lemon: For sour to make it juicy and zest to make lemon flavor. It really does lift the dish so I hope you have it!
- Garlic, crushed; Paprika; Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes: Basic stuff for a hint of warm. This isn't a spicy pasta.
- Parsley: For freshness. Not critical.
How to make canned tuna pasta
- Start setting the pasta boiling then move to preparing the ingredients for the sauce.
- Boil pasta in salted water according the packet instruction but for 1 minute less.
- Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water right before draining the pasta.
- Squeeze all the remaining oil inside the tuna can(s) and place the pot back on the stove with medium heat on.
- First brown the garlic for one minute followed by the anchovies and chilli flakes.
- Add the pasta, capers and 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Turn with two spatulas for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in tuna, parsley, lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Stir it carefully while it is cooking to prevent the tuna from breaking into many small pieces that are very fine.
TIP: Not all can tuna is created equal. A tin of quality canned tuna steep will cost more than home brand canola oil and cost a fraction of a decent fruity olive oil. But also, ever simple – premium canned tuna on crusty breads with the oil from the can poured over it is such a delight. I hope you try it one day. 🙂
Beef pasta cooked in a sugary garlic tomato creamy sauce with Italian seasoning. An easy homemade comfort food that's also single pot cooking!
Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta One Pot
One-pot pasta recipes are quite selective. Today's my only use case for it is saucy pastas. With less saucy pastas such as Puttanesca or pesto pasta, it just doesn't work properly, because there is not enough liquid to really cook the pasta thoroughly.
So any one pot pasta recipe you'll find on my blog is oozing with sauce, because there ya have it, therefore.
Never has anyone complained, I've never heard of it. Everybody loves sauce! 🙂
Today I am sharing a creamy tomato sauce beef pasta. That's basically a Bolognese with Italian seasonings and a cupboard stainless steel full of cream. Total crowd pleaser!
This One Pot Beef Pasta Ingredients
This all came after my one pot pasta sauciness post (nothing will surprise you when you see the name) the cardinal rule of cooking one pot pasta recipes is to ensure the pasta requires liquid to absorb it and so much of it! Liquid picked up by cooked dried pasta is two and a half times that amount. Today we use 4 cups of stock and 1 can of tomato for 360g/12ozs of pasta.
- Beef mince: I used 90% lean beef mince (ground beef), but any fat % will be just fine. Most people use 80/20. The fattier the beef, the beefier the flavor.
- Chicken stock/broth: The cooking liquid of choice. Tastier than water! If it's on sale, I stock up on the liquid cartons since I use them in my cooking all the time.
- Pasta: I used spirals (fusilli) but other similar sized short pasta will also do just fine. Don't use really small pastas like risoni or orzo.
- Cream: 3/4 cup, stirred in at the very end turns a regular tomato sauce into a creamy tomato sauce.
- Garlic and onion: Essential flavor base.
- Canned tomato: Adds extra tomato flavor and slightly thickens the sauce.
- Italian herbs: For seasoning! Use a store-bought mix or a combination of oregano, basil, and parsley.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional, for a tiny bit of warmth.
1 Pot Creamy Tomato Beef Pasta Recipe
- Sauté the garlic and onion, then cook the beef until it's no longer red.
- Add Italian herbs and cook for 30 seconds to toast the seasoning.
- Add tomato paste and stir for a minute.
- Pour in stock, canned tomato, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir well, then add the pasta.
- Bring liquid to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is just cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Stir in cream and simmer for another minute.
- Remove from stove, give a good stir, and ladle into bowls.
- Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley if desired, and enjoy!
As you pull that sucker off the stove, don't worry how saucy it is... that's what you want. Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so by the time you serve it, it will have gone from just a little too soupy to the perfect level of ooziness.
YUM. That is 100% me in that food. It's not fancy. It's fuss-free to make. It's hearty and cozy and easy, and rustic, and full of flavor.
This is why ricotta gnocchi is the easy way to make homemade gnocchi from scratch! Potato gnocchi, it's the same thing as these – soft and plump pillows to be tossed in your sauce of choice, but it takes 20 minutes total from the start to finish. Today - a creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect match!
How to make gnocchi – The easy way to ricotta gnocchi
It's not the first time I've shared a ricotta gnocchi recipe (see here and here), and I'm certain it won't be the last. I'm a fan because it doesn't take nearly as long or as much effort to make as the more famous potato gnocchi, which requires accuracy so they don't end up dense a doughy. Secondly, I love that ricotta gnocchi are lighter and less than potato gnocchi, so you aren't left feeling heavy.
Yes, ricotta gnocchi, while legit Italian! There are many ways to make gnocchi in Italy, one of which is ricotta gnocchi, as is with many traditional foods from around the world. 🙂
So deep into the difference – If we take it a bit further, potato gnocchi basically just consists of mashed potato and flour and an egg. The only difference is that instead of potato it's ricotta, and some parmesan is thrown in for good measure. But actually, they taste quite similar and true to tell, potato gnocchi doesn't taste much like potato once you've tossed it with the sauce. Likewise, ricotta is a neutral flavoured cheese, so you can't taste it much, if at all, in ricotta gnocchi.
The big difference, however, is texture and speed making. As above, potato gnocchi are harder and heavier than ricotta gnocchi. How about making time, 20 minutes vs 1 hour minimum!
PS Note: This recipe wasn't being mean to potato gnocchi. I adore them. I just can't remember the last time I made them. It wasn't ricotta gnocchi, it was a regular!
Ingredients
What you'll need to make ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce is here.
FOR THE RICOTTA GNOCCHI
- Regular ricotta that is kind of lumpy when you scoop it up (Ricotta is the word itself, see video). Not the creamy, smooth spreadable type of ricotta (usually labelled "spreadable ricota" or whatever.) That's too wet and loose, and makes the dough sticky.
- My favorite mainstream brand is Paesanella, which is very widely available in NSW. In Victoria that's Amore.
- Got the wrong ricotta? If you didn't order the spreadable smooth type and got it mixed up, then you'll need around 450g/15 oz – and once this is poured into a paper towel lined colander you'll need to remove excess liquid by leaving this for an hour, or even overnight. With the recipe, then measure out 250g/8 oz.
- Just plain / all purpose flour – flour. And not self raising flour, so it will make the ricotta puff up, and it will just sort of fall apart (told you!).
- Parmesan – This also helps flavour the dough and gives a bit of structure. Without it, the dough is a little too fragile and the gnocchi more susceptible to falling apart if the dough consistency isn't just perfect. It's kind of like cheese glue holding your gnocchi together!
- Gnocchi Sauce: Egg + egg yolk – To hold the gnocchi together, and a little richness.
CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE
This creamy mushroom sauce with subtle thyme flavour requires only these items.
- Just regular white mushrooms, or Swiss Brown/cremini if you prefer (aka Chinese).
- Thickened cream / heavy cream is as the name suggests thicker! That way the sauce will thicken faster. Also, that starch will thick the sauce up relatively quickly when you start tossing them together, so it's fine to use regular pouring or whipping cream here.
- Wine – I almost always deglaze the pan using wine for sauces. Deglazing is just adding a liquid to break up some flavour bits that the saute of things (mushrooms and onion in this case) cooked up on the bottom of the pan and into the liquid because..well..that flavour is free. Add more flavour into the sauce, you could use water or stock but wine. We don't flavor the alcohol when we cook it out so it doesn't taste like wine.
- Chardonnay has taken over: it's my white wine of choice for the best flavour, and best in terms of all round functionality for cooking too. Any dry white wine will do fine here but I'd much prefer, for the summer seasoning, to use one blessedly light and fresh chilled. Otherwise stay away from something too sweet. Additionally, if you're not able to drink the wine, go ahead and skip it. It will still taste good!
- The liquid for the sauce: chicken stock / broth If you want to go vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable stock. Most of the time I use low sodium so I know exactly how much salt goes into my dishes. If you only have full salt stock on hand, reduce the salt amount listed in the ingredients (start with half, if you'd like more salt afterwards, then add some more).
- Fresh thyme sprigs – Using fresh thyme sprigs means better thyme flavour, sub in dried thyme leaves if needed.
- Onion and mushrooms – To be cooked in butter. You can even swap olive oil (but butter really makes it taste good!).
- Add extra flavour in the sauce: onion and garlic. Onion can be skipped, but I really recommend not skipping the garlic! (PS You can also use eschallots/French onions, which are known as shallots in the US – not to be confused with garlic.)
How to make ricotta gnocchi
So the trick with ricotta gnocchi is to use as little flour as you possibly can. Smaller sized little dumplings = sticky dough = lighter gnocchi! Ricotta gnocchi are much more forgiving than potato gnocchi so as long as you put in more flour than you should, they will still be lovely and soft inside. I have tested 1 1/4 cups of flour (making recipe 3/4 cup up to 1 cup – it worked great!!!
1. HOW TO MAKE RICOTTA GNOCCHI
Step 1
Ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly with wooden spoon or firm-ish rubber spatula. If needed, smear the ricotta up the side of the bowl to cream it. Starting with 3/4 cup of flour just add that to the mixer and mix.
Step 2
Shaggy (not smooth or elastic) dough: This following should look something like pictured above (video is super helpful too). As I mentioned, if the ricotta is getting too wet then add a bit more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get up to 1 cup (ie 4 extra tablespoons, this will all depend on how wet your ricotta is).
Step 3
Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and give it a light knead and bring it together into a ball and pat into a disc.
Step 4
Cut it into 8 equal wedges. (So this is the hardest part in this whole recipe, I swear.) I've always had my wedges very uneven, but they always pull out rope of varying length as you will see in the video).
Step 5
Roll the logs into 25 cm / 10″ lengths 1.25cm / 1/2″ thick.
Step 6
Use a sharp dough scraper and cut into little pieces 1.5cm / 3/5″ pieces (I cut 4 logs at a time). And that's the gnocchi, done!
Take them from the fridge, scrape them onto a tray, dust very lightly with flour (as needed to prevent the scrapes from sticking to the tray and each other). You can make the mushroom sauce and they will stay on the tray – they wont dry out in that time. If you want to faff around, that's fine, Cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate them if you're making them to cook later that day.
They can also be frozen; freezing gnocchi. You can free them in single layers (use baking paper to separate layers). It then goes into an airtight container and freezes until it is used. It will cook from frozen, but it'll only take a minute or two more. They come out just like freshly made. How handy is that!
Cook them next! Mushroom sauce first.
2. COSTRELLI ITALIAN SAUCE REMOVED FROM A PAN
Heads up: It will seem a little thin, the sauce. But when you put in the gnocchi it will thicken very quickly from the gnocchi starch. So have faith!
Step 1
The thyme sprigs go into onion and garlic first. Cook the mushrooms until they soften then. Should take around 5 minutes (look at the pic and by the end the mushrooms should be very wet and slightly over cooked)
Step 2
The wine (see under the ingredients section regarding deglazing the pan) is deglazed in the pan. The wine will cook in 2 minutes or until nearly all of it is evaporated. That will cook out most of the alcohol, and all winey flavour.
3. COOKING GNOCCHI AND HOW TO TOSSE WITH THE SAUCE
Tip: Set one pot to boil the gnocchi separately next to your mushroom sauce, to then simply scoop it out from the water and into the sauce.
Step 1
Pour a large pot of water to the boil, and add a couple of teaspoons of salt. Then tumble the gnocchi in.
Step 2
The gnocchi tells you when it's cooked by floating to the surface (~ 2 1/2 minutes), then another 30 seconds are cooked through before scooping it out. It should (for pot and stove size) take 2 1/2 minutes +/- about 30 secs (eg pot = larger and stove = stronger will cook faster).
Step 3
When it's time for the sauce, just pop the gnocchi right into it!
Step 4
Using a spider or slotted spoon cut the gnocchi out into piles. In case you'll need to thin the sauce, keep the pot of cooking water nearby.
Step 5
Place sauce in the pan, gently tossing in the sauce the gnocchi for 1 to 2 minutes on a medium low stove. Now the starch in the flour that's in the gnocchi will release into the sauce, thickening it so your gnocchi are actually coated in sauce rather than sitting in the bottom of the pan.
Step 6
Voila — there is proof of thick sauce coating gnocchi! And we are done. Then sprinkle with parmesan and serve it up immediately!
Important: serve it straight away!
As with all pasta, gnocchi is best the moment it is cooked. Every minute it's sitting around, the quality erodes. Harsh but true fact. Gnocchi rolls out hot and pillowy and sauce is creamily slick. Once cool, they harden up and firm up more, the sauce thickens up more, too. In the microwave it can be resurrected to a degree, but it's never as good as when freshly made.
When I haven't got time, the big batch easy pasta salad I make. Everyone always tells you why it tasted so good. So I'll let you in on my secrets! (No bottled dressing either.)
My big, easy pasta salad
Newsflash! You don't need a million add-ins to make a good great pasta salad. No baby bocconcini required, no need to buy several bunches of herbs and snip out a teeny amount of each use (a teeny amount) and you don't need much time.
To make this salad all you need to do is to toss in hot fresh pasta iced in a simple, tangy, Dijon vinegar dressing and let sit to cool. You will find yourself shocked to what flavour the pasta takes up! That means your pasta salad is already terrific before we've even started working with any ingredients. It will be even better too whatever you toss!
Pasta salad tips galore!
More pasta salad tips … also today. It says a lot about me that I have so many thoughts about a damn pasta salad 😂
- Soft pasta – Cooked pasta that is too soft. It cools down hard, pasta does, and it gets harder in the fridge. We hate rock hard pasta salad.
- Honey – To make the vinegar less sharp and add the honey to the dressing so we can use less oil. I guess I just think pasta salads shouldn't be swimming in oil. I even lighten the mayo dressing on my macaroni salad with a lot of yogurt.
- Ingredient combination streamlined – The pick of all the add ins I can drop into a pasta salad to get all the flavour and texture I want with the minimum number of ingredients possible. As such, it's also important to stay well overnight! My picks: pops (to find the best, seedy juicy ones, try many varieties, but don't take them to mausoleum level), slippery crunch from finely sliced cucumber, briney spark (olives), a treat (feta), and a finishing touch (basil, or any of the suggestions in the recipe notes).
Wing it, use what you've got, use what you love. Of course. Pasta salads are so versatile – such beauty!
What you'll need for this pasta salad
1. THE PASTA
This pasta is shortish and medium pasta, any pasta shape will work here but I think pasta shapes with nooks and crannies for the little chopped up bits of olives and feta to get stuck in are especially good. Established thought – shells, orecchiette, twirls and bow ties (farfalle). But then again, I chose bow ties because – fun!
2. PASTA SALAD ADD-INS
This is what I put in to the pasta salad (see above for why).
- Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes – Or chop large tomatoes.
- Kalamata olives roughly chopped. This pasta salad gets brought a little briny goodness. This is a great shortcut, it gives salt, tang and sharp freshness so I don't feel the need to add some oniony twist like in this recipe, one less ingredient to chop. The olives are natural for addition to a pasta salad as long as you like them, I like to roughly chop them so it spreads easier throughout the pasta salad. Less olives… with higher impact!
💡TIP: If you live in the UK you probably think black olives are tastier then kalamata olives but I promise you they really aren't as I am sure they are cheaper for a reason!!
I don't have a preference on how thin the slices of cucmber are as long as they're one with the pasta, not as big and flavourless in your mouth when you bite into them as they're usually in large chunks. OK, these are the kinds of things I ask myself — Cooking Nerd Alert!🫣
A general rule in my life is that every salad – besides plain side salads – should have some sort of "treat" in it: nuts, or crisped panko, or a mountain of finely grated parmesan. Today's pasta salad features Feta, playing that role.
💡TIP: Feta is not all the same! Greek feta, labelled "PDO" ("Protected Designation of Origin"), is a few steps up from the economic versions found at the grocery store. Do it once, and you're never the same again.
Or another finishing touch – I like to add a finishing touch in this case that takes this pasta salad over from straight to get out of the house. Basil is available and cheap enough much of the year around here in Australia. However, if I can't get it (or won't pay the price for it), here are other things I use instead which plays the same role:
- Another fresh herb: Parsley or parsley + mint (second choice), or dill (first choice).
- Toasted pine nuts: I find it suits me to roughly chop the half to get the bits out throughout really.
- Dried oregano: To give it an extra hit of flavour I add this into my dressing. Dried oregano is a pantry staple, this is my last resort, fall back. I totally get away with telling people its a Greek Pasta Salad.
3. THE DIJON-CIDER VINEGAR DRESSING
This dressing is so simple (and easy) that I only make it with pantry staples so I can make this pasta salad any day without having to go to the store. Italian herbs (customisable) get a great hit of flavour, plump garlic cloves and a dash of Dijon mustard.
Heads up: Hence, the dressing is sharp and intense of itself. It has to be but it gets tossed through a lot, so it gets really diluted and we have the perfect amount of flavour in every bite.
You don't need to use an extra virgin one for this pasta salad the way I sometimes suggest for salad dressings. Just remember to use extra virgin olive oil, as regular olive oil has less flavour.
My go to vinegar for dressings – Apple cider vinegar. Mild flavour nice but not too sharp and very economical indeed.
This thickens the dressing a bit and helps it coat the pasta and veggies better also — and a little flavour. It is not an overpowering taste, it is a background taste.
Vinegar – Just 2 teaspoons tames the vinegar's sharpness enough for us to make something far less oily. This recipe uses 1/3 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup oil (2: Which has the right amount of oil for my taste (3 ratio). But it was a little sharp and a easy way to dial that down without adding more oil is with a hit of something sweet — like honey (the exact cut of oil is a personal taste).
In contrast, for typical western salad dressings, 1/3 cup vinegar would usually call for 1 cup of oil (1 : I hope other people haven't tried this pasta salad out on only one of the more rational ingredients because I can't taste the other two for the oil it has — a ratio of (3), which means this pasta salad is far too oily for my taste.
Italian herb mix – a standard store bought spice mix of herbs and spices which saves me having to pry open 7 different jars to add to a dish. Alternatively you could use Herbs de Provence mix, or dried oregano, or finely chopped fresh herbs (my first thought is dill).
2 garlic cloves – The garlic smell of this garlic will be in the air over a little hot spaghetti.
The feta and olives will give us some salt, so this whole huge batch only needs 3/4 teaspoon of salt and some salt and pepper.
Big Easy Pasta Salad How To make it
If you've got decent chops you can chop the add ins while the pasta is cooking. So really what that means is it's only about 15 minutes of active cooking / prep for this amount of food, very efficient! (I easily fed 5 to 6 as a meal, and had many more at a buffet spread at a gathering).
Step 1
Shake the Dressing ingredients in a jar.
Step 2
There's a reason to be overcooking the pasta!!! So we don't want to cook the pasta until it's al dente, we want to cook the pasta until it is over al dente and so soft that nothing else is going to make it even firmer when it cools down or more firmer when it is refrigerated. Nobody desires rock hard pasta in their pasta salad!!!
Then cook the pasta well past the point it would be on the packet; i.e. the pasta would be very, very soft, about 2 to 3 minutes past the time indicated on the packet, which would be very, very unpleasant, and not at all cutting for a pasta dish that should be served hot. Once you've dressed your pasta salad and given it time to rest in the refrigerator to cool until room temperature or overnight in the fridge, your overly soft pasta is the perfect texture on the cold side!
Step 3
Chicken absorption – Place the hot pasta into a large bowl (big enough to toss the pasta salad with the vegetables added). Toss well with half the Dressing, then pour over rest.
Leave the pasta to soak up the flavour of the Dressing then cool until it's down to room temperature (around 40 mins). If you remember toss once or twice.
Step 4
Add and toss – Tomato, cucumber, feta, and olives. Toss well over remaining Dressing. Some feta crumbling – some are chunks, some are crumbed is good.
Step 5
Tear the basil leaves roughly with your hands then toss through basil last – last.
Step 6
Serve! Place the pasta salad into a very large serving bowl. Then dig in!
Simple, easy to make and nice and colorful this pasta salad is perfect for summer picnics or parties. Many years ago now I was given this recipe by a dear friend and have been making it ever since!
It is so easy. Once convenient ingredients combine with colorful vegetables, you can have this in minutes.
How to Make Pasta Salad
You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:
Pasta Salad Ingredients
What fancies does go into pasta salad this year? These are the ingredients you'll need:
- Pasta: This colorful, top rated pasta salad begins with one pound of tri colored spiral pasta.
- Dressing: If you're feeling fancy, make your own Italian style dressing at home, or use a bottle of store bought Italian style dressing.
- Seasoning mix: It's also wonderful to add tons of savory flavor with salad seasoning mix.
- Vegetables: You'll also want cherry tomatoes, three bell peppers (green, yellow, and red), and a can of black olives.
Homemade Pasta Salad:
Here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make pasta salad at home:
- Cook and drain the pasta.
- Make the dressing with the seasoning mix and whisk it.
- After that, toss in seasoned dressing with the vegetables and stirred in pasta.
What Goes With Pasta Salad
This is going to be a great pasta salad to have around, next to other potluck and picnic favorites. Do you still need some motivation? Check Out our collection of 15 Best Potluck Side Dishes Are So Good Everyone Will Be Begging You for the Recipes. Here are a few of the crowd-pleasing recipes you'll find:
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Authentic German Potato Salad
- Perfect Summer Fruit Salad
Can You Make Pasta Salad Ahead of Time?
Pasta salad is a great make ahead dish, yes! Again, since the flavors need time in the fridge to meld, it could actually be a good thing to make a day or two in advance.
For How Long is Pasta Salad Good In the Fridge?
Once you've done, store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator at least 5 days.
Can You Freeze Pasta Salad?
If you toss cooked pasta into the freezer and then take it out, the pasta may keep its texture or it may change. But if you have extra pasta salad left, you can freeze it for up to three months.
Community Tips and Praise
Jean adds that 'adding the seasoning packet takes the flavor way up there.' "Chopped broccoli adds some colour but I also steam it for just a few seconds."
Laura Leal says: 'I made this for 18 servings for a potluck at work and everyone loved it.' I followed the recipe, and just added some broccoli. It was easy to make."
It's going ga ga over 'katherinebond' says 'awesome' pasta salad for starting the day. As a topping I added boiled eggs around the bowl and sliced. Got many compliments!"
Ingredients
- 3 cups tri-colored spiral pasta
- 1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian-style salad dressing
- 6 tablespoons salad seasoning mix
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, chopped
Directions
Step 1
Gather all ingredients.
Step 2
Put in a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the boiling water, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes; drain under cold water; drain.
Step 3
Mix together Italian dressing and salad spice mix until smooth. Combine pasta, tomatoes, bell peppers and olives in a salad bowl.
Step 4
Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
Step 5
Refrigerate the pasta salad for 8 hours or overnight for the best flavor.
Step 6
Enjoy!
It's a thick, flavorful recipe for this broccoli soup. This is cheap, delicious and fast to make. Enjoy (I know you will)!
This top rated recipe will make restaurant worthy cream of broccoli soup at home. It's thick and flavorful, creamy, and easy to whip together in a pinch with some basic stuff.
Cream Of Broccoli Soup ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make the best cream of broccoli soup ever:
Butter
In this recipe you'll use butter twice. I sautéed the onions and celery (butter adds richness to sautéed vegetables), once to sauté and then again at the end to make a roux.
Onions and Celery
As so many great soups do, this recipe begins with onions and celery. They do add a bit of complexity and depth in flavor.
Broth
This cream of broccoli soup consists of the liquid base, or broth, of chopped chicken. If you are looking for a vegetarian option you can substitute Vegetable broth.
Broccoli
Having cream of broccoli soup without broccoli is impossible. Select dark green broccoli, with firm stems.
Flour, Milk, and Butter
Our first step is to make a roux, cooking together all of the milk, the rest of the butter, and all purpose flour. It's also added to the soup to give it a thick, velvety texture that's impossible to resist when added to the soup.
Pepper
Finished with ground black pepper, IT's perfect. Give other spices and seasonings to taste.
Cream of Broccoli Soup, How to Make
This broccoli soup recipe is a speedy one—barring prep time, you can have it in under half an hour, and that makes it a perfect busy weeknight pick. You'll find the full recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:
Cook the Vegetables
In butter, sauté the onions and celery until tender. Now add the broccoli florets and the chicken broth, replace the lid and simmer about 10 minutes.
Blend the Ingredients
Purée (in a refrigerator or countertop blender or in an immersion blender) the soup. Pulse a couple of times, then blend until soup is entirely smooth.
Thicken the Soup
Make a few more tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan and melt. Mix the milk with the flour, then stir the milk in. Once the milk is thick and bubbly, you cook it in the soup. Then top it off with a dash of pepper (along with the other seasonings of your choosing.)
How to Store Cream of Broccoli Soup
This soup should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate three to four days.
Can You Freeze Cream of Broccoli Soup?
Yes! Cream of broccoli soup also freezes well — freeze it if you think you might not use it in the next few days.
Place the soup into freezer bags for serving size and ladle into zip-top freezer bags. Write the date on the bags and freeze flat (no stacking) with no less than 2 to 3 months of freezer shelf life.
Community Praise and Tips from Allrecipes
LoriT howls: "Delicious and buttery." I used skim milk and it's great. I scooped out about a ladle of cooked broccoli and didn't puree it, though like some of the other reviews, I did that. It added heft to the pureed soup, and I added it back in to the pureed mix."
"CP says this is a very easy recipe." "With a little chopping up of the broccoli stalks and sauteeing with onion and celery, I simmered in the broth until it was tender enough to blend until smooth with the immersion blender." I steamed a few florets and used them a garnish with toasted croutons.
Julia Courtney adds "I make this soup a couple times a month and freeze it for future use." "The problem is that ... we always eat it all." I put mine in a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese! SO good!"
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1
Gather all ingredients.
Step 2
In a medium stock pot, over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute onion and celery until tender.
Step 3
Add broth and broccoli and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Pitcher just the soup into a blender, up to about half way full. Put your hand over the lid of the blender and use a folded kitchen towel to hold the lid down while blinking power on to puree. Then, start the blender on a few quick pulses to get the soup moving, and after that, leave it running. In batches puree until smooth, then pour into a clean pot.
Step 5
In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium to medium low heat and stir in flour; add milk. Mix until thick and bubbly, adding to soup. Season with pepper and serve.
Step 6
Serve hot and enjoy!
If you want an easy recipe to make with chopped boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and green onions to get some color and crunch in your egg salad, this is the recipe. I do enjoy it in a sandwich, and sure to be eaten at picnics! It's really good on rye.
Make this top rated egg salad recipe to make deli worthy egg salad sandwiches at home! You'll be back to it a thousand times.
How to Make Egg Salad
You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:
Egg Salad Ingredients
These are the ingredients you'll need to make the best egg salad of your life:
- Eggs: Yes, the egg salad recipe starts with…and I don't just mean the eggs.
- Condiments: You will certainly require mayonnaise and mustard.
- Green onion: Another pop of flavor and color comes from green onions but.
- Seasonings: This egg salad is simple, salt, pepper, paprika.
Egg Salad Sandwich How To Make
Here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make egg salad sandwiches:
- Peel, and cut the eggs into pieces, then boil.
- Blessed be egg slicing, or something like that, and then add everything else to the mushy lump.
- I eat it on bread or crackers.
How Long Does Egg Salad Last?
Now that the leftovers egg salad can be stored in a shallow, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can You Freeze Egg Salad?
Freezing egg salad is not recommended because it will change the texture and flavor. If you're OK with that, you can freeze it for up to one month. Refrigerate overnight, thawing in the refrigerator.
Egg Salad Sandwiches: What to Serve It With
With classic side dishes, classic egg salad sandwiches are best. A leafy green salad, potato chips, French fries or coleslaw.
Tips and Praise from allrecipes Community
"Very good," raves Susan May. "I subbed pickles vs green onion and Dijon mustard." I was glad there was paprika added. "It served that to me on a bun with lettuce and tomato and a few more pickle planks."
NADIGIRL says, "Great recipe." Used shallots instead of green onions. Came out great! Will make it again."
Teri Peters Sheldon says: "Superb." To make things easier, the best place to begin with improvising something is with something that is perfect, so I used this as a base recipe, and put some of my own little touches. I use chives instead of a green onion, just because I have a glut in the garden."
Kids love this homemade pancake recipe for breakfast…everyone! This easy pancake recipe with real ingredients and no weird boxed stuff I don't even really know what it is made from is something my kids always ask for.
Best Pancake Recipe
But the best fluffy pancake recipe does it differently with the eggs than most. To give the pancakes that texture of when you go out for a mega brunch and those heavenly stacks of homemade pancakes I like to separate my yolks from my whites.
Pancake Ingredients
So many easy old fashioned pancake recipes do away with fancy ingredients you likely don't have on hand.
- Separate yolks from whites – when learning how to make homemade pancakes the best way to get perfect fluffy pancakes is to separate yolks from whites.
- In order to achieve the best pancake mix, baking powder is used by baking powder to help the flour rise, so that your pancakes come out as fluffy as you want them to from pancake house.
- Melt the butter, so it mixes in to that sublime taste.
- Pancake batter recipes are incomplete without sugar – it isn't exactly a critical component, but it gives you that sweet taste you so love.
Making pancake from scratch
A pancake recipe from scratch is just as simple to make as any other, and these ones will taste better and be better for you because they're made from pure ingredients. Then you'll mix the yolks in with sugar and melted butter, add milk. After that you'll add the dry ingredients and give it a stir. You then whisk your egg whites, mix it in with the other mix and then mix them together. However, don't mix too much so it remains lumpy. Lumpy pancake batter is the best pancake from scratch!
Can you make homemade pancake mix?
And if you don't want to make old fashioned pancakes from scratch, then you can always do your prep for your dry ingredients in advance. That way, when you and your crew want fluffy pancakes from scratch, all you need is mix in the wet ingredients. Storage of dry ingredients in your homemade pancake mix recipe are a must to keep it fresh.
Easy Pancake Recipe
If you're a beginner, this is a simple pancake recipe with detailed instructions as a beginner. Separating eggs doesn't make it more complex; just because the eggs are separated doesn't make it more complex. And in fact, you will have it ready to cook in 10 minutes. Once that's done it's another 10 minutes and you've got yourself some gorgeous stacks of easy homemade pancakes for the whole family to enjoy.
Pancakes: Expert Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Version
- Most people never check the expiration date on their baking powder. You know your pancakes will come out flat instead of fluffy if your baking powder is old or expired.
- By sifting or whisking you dry ingredients you'll ensure that you don't get lumps in your pancakes and you'll have nice smooth pancakes.
- So do not overmix – don't over-mix when you're learning how to make pancake batter as this will change the texture of the pancakes.
- When it comes to pancakes, use oil rather than butter – use oil or oil cooking spray instead of butter. Oil browns and burns much more easily than butter. With any oil you will get even brown crispy edges without burning them.
- Start with a lot – if learning how to cook pancakes, use a big skillet. The thing about pancakes and small skillet? It takes a while for all your little pancakes to cook, but they spread in the skillet and making pancakes turn good enough in little skillets is really REALLY difficult. I like my large 12 inch skillet because it puts more room under the pancake for the spatula to get under the pancake all the way.
What is the best pancake mix?
This is the best mix ever though for this quick pancake recipe. The dry ingredients are always prepared in portions and if you put the wet in when you are ready to make them, everything comes together perfectly. Also make sure to keep them in an airtight container!
Can I make pancake mix better with something?
A shake of baking soda, some vanilla or sugar will perk up anything in a box mix you're trying to jazz up. You can also add a bit of maple syrup into the batter.
Are Pancakes Gluten-free?
Yes, you would; but with a couple of simple tweaks, you can make them gluten free using gluten free flour.
Are Pancakes Vegan?
Pancakes aren't vegan because eggs, butter, and milk are used. The good news: vegan pancakes are possible by simply replacing the butter with vegetable oil, eliminating the eggs, and using soy milk instead.
What is the process for making fluffy pancakes from scratch?
This is one very important step if you want fluffy pancakes. The secret is in the eggs. The key to these fluffy results, and it doesn't take any extra time or stress, is separating them. When you do it this way, you'll never come back to just dumping eggs in your mix.
What happens to cause light fluffy pancakes?
In this recipe, I use separate baking powder, flour, and I use vinegar and baking soda, but it never is as fluffy as I can always make it when I separate the whites and the yolks of the eggs.
Apparently, does milk or water make pancakes fluffier?
Milk is better because besides adding flavor, it supplies fat to make your pancakes taste better. With water, they'll have a better texture than they would normally. If you're out of milk, of course, you use water, although it's not the same.
Can you get fluffy pancakes by baking soda?
Baking soda will add a leavening quality to your pancake batter (more on this later). There you go in this recipe, baking powder is used, which has the same effect to make your pancakes all airy and fluffy!
Types of Pancakes toppings
The old tried and true pat of butter and maple syrup is always a classic, though you can use different toppings:
- Whipped cream
- Fresh fruit
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Blueberry or boysenberry syrups (flavored)
- Jam
- Nutella
Can You Freeze Pancakes?
Yes! That's the best part! Again, airtight is the key. Pop those babies up in the freezer, then seal them up. This will last well up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Pancakes
And if you can, the microwave is the fastest and easiest way to reheat your pancakes. Heating up one serving of pancakes in your microwave requires about 20 to 30 seconds if your microwave has a wattage of at least ten.
And your toaster, of course, but use your oven if you have many of them to pop up. Just preheat to 350F then put your pancakes into a single layer on foil lined baking sheet. Then, cover the pancakes with foil and put it into the oven until it comes to up to 10 minutes or until all of them have finished cooking.
Planning a dinner with your guests or staying overnight at the company or just had a family brunch? You will love this tasty and easy to prepare breakfast casserole for all ages. The smell is just amazing as it bakes up and anyone else I've ever made it for asks me for this delicious breakfast casserole recipe. My husband loves it and it's the kind of breakfast he wants during the Christmas season and my kids love it too. Keep on reading my friends and unveil all my secrets!
Breakfast Casserole Recipe:
Just like with any other Jiffy mix recipe, here, wholesome ingredients combine in a breakfast casserole with potatoes. Never patronize some convenient store-bought coffee cake or re-heat packaged food that contains varieties of preservatives. This breakfast recipe is one sure way in which you will feel pleased as you make and serve breakfast to each and every one.
Breakfast Casserole Ingredients:
- Shredded hash browns – I prefer the frozen hash browns in the 20-ounce bag for this hash brown egg casserole.
- Crumble sausage – Due to the fact that you cannot mention the breakfast without a breakfast sausage. But crumbled sausage fits well in this sausage breakfast casserole.
- Onion – Dice it up!
- Green bell pepper – Slice this up also.
- Eggs – It is required 8 pieces for this Eggs and hash browns bake breakfast recipe.
- Evaporated milk – This gives this a most delicious consistency.
- Cheddar cheese – A very important ingredient to add for any sausage egg and cheese casserole!
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste for this breakfast bake.
Here is an easy breakfast casserole recipe that will help you kick start the New Year!
All you need to spend only 25 minutes of your time to prepare this simple breakfast casserole recipe. Then you can just relax and sip your coffee listening to it bake up and waking up your entire house to the fabulous smell of a sausage, egg, hash brown casserole!
Tell the outline of how to prepare breakfast casserole from scratch
Before par cooking hash browns for a breakfast casserole, first get your oven prepared for baking. During this time, sausage will be browned and then it will be drained while you wait for oven to heat. Then beat the eggs with evaporated milk and seasonings until you get a smooth mixture. Place your ACCOMPANIMENT vegetables and cheese in a greased casserole then pour on the egg mixture and spread the cheese. Bake it until it's done!
Who doesn't want their breakfast casserole to turn out perfect every time, here are the tricks that the experts shared.
- Brown your sausage. Though the sausage will be cooked in the sausage egg casserole and some of them even comes pre-cooked, browning develops sausage casserole significantly more flavor. Plus, it enables you to siphon it off so that your sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole does not feel greasy in the throat.
- Hash those hashed browns first. It's much easier to mix them up and won't release too much liquid this way.
- Use evaporated milk. This is especially true for this egg bake recipe, as adding the ingredients above will make it even more decadent and fancy!
This article will teach you the easiest ways of preparing breakfast casserole from the morning to the evening.
Breakfast casserole can be prepared in the oven, in a pan that is referred to as a casserole. Sausage that you will use in your casserole must be first cooked on the stove top so that the fat can be drained out. So you can add the remaining ingredients in this sausage and egg casserole.
Great question – if you are like me, you love to entertain and sometimes don't plan ahead for breakfast meals; therefore, hash browns bought previously are frozen while fresh potatoes are bought at some convenient time making it difficult to use them for this dish.
Yes, you can, though it is a bit more work for you. Still, if you do not wish to do so, you will have to start with new grated potatoes, and continue with washing the potatoes to get rid of their starchy liquid. This takes a bit of time which I why the frozen hash browns are very valuable when making this meal.
For how long is the breakfast casserole good to be left in the refrigerator before being cooked?
In fact, you can assemble your breakfast casserole the night before you plan on cooking so all you are left having to do is to bake it in the morning. But I do not suggest that your overnight breakfast casserole be ready the more, more than twenty four hours before.
How Long to Bake Breakfast Casserole
It takes 55 to 65 minutes to cook this breakfast bake casserole at 350F.
When is breakfast casserole ready?
Simply put the knife into the center of your egg casserole recipe after 55 minutes to bake. When it is Golden brown and no sticky texture on the surface your baked egg casserole is done.
What can you do to prevent egg casserole from sinking in the middle?
The temperature of 350F is low enough so that it does not start decreasing. Slow and low is the best way to prepare this particular type of breakfast casserole?
Why is my breakfast casserole wet?
If you did not allow the hash browns to thaw before adding it to your casserole it will make it soggy. When adopting this technique of making your breakfast egg casserole, then you will have a casserole with the right texture.
What other dishes are compatible with Breakfast Casserole
Every time I prepare hashbrown breakfast casserole recipe, I prepare orange juice, coffee, toast, and breakfast pastries. For a larger crowd, the additional would be sides of bacon, sliced avocado, fresh fruits and pancakes.
How To Store Breakfast Casserole
Leftovers from breakfast casserole preparations should and must go into the refrigerator. Cover them well!
How many days does hash brown casserole last in the refrigerator?
If your breakfast casserole has been properly stored, you can freeze it and keep it in your fridge for a maximum of five days. If you can't finish it up, put it in the freezer.
Freezing a breakfast casserole is actually quite easy and the following questions will be answered in this article:
Yes, when well wrapped, it will last for up to 2 months in your freezer.
Freezing egg casseroles is a question that a lot of folks have asked themselves many times they asked me.
Yes, you can. As you prepare huge portions if intending to serve many persons, ensure that huge quantities are covered properly to freeze. It will last almost two months.
How can I get a good reheating of Breakfast Casserole?
It is perfect to let it thaw out in your fridge overnight. The next day take it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until it is thoroughly heated.
What is the best way to reheat this kind of meal without making the egg overcooked?
Many of them depend with the proportion of egg casserole remaining. If you think it's still pretty full, baking the potatoes at 350F in an oven should just take about 20 minutes.
This must be the absolutely outstanding slow cooker minestrone soup recipe – a tried and true Italian recipe with tomatoes, white beans, vegetables and pasta.
Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
This soup recipe is SO easy to make in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot, and I've included instructions for both below. If you don't fancy the idea of purchasing additional appliances, don't worry – you can view my stove top minestrone soup recipe. One thing I like about this soup, I blend the beans and this gives it a thickness which I also like for the fussy eaters.
My suggestion is to include the rind of a wedge of parmesan or Romano cheese to the soup when cooking next time! I always put them in my freezer for these purposes alone. If you don't have one, then sprinkle some grated cheese on the soup while it is still cooking.
Helpful Cooking Tips
In order to preserve pasta texture, I boil pasta separately and add it later when serving instead of adding it directly into the soup – it just absorbs all the liquids. Well, it's completely up to you; you can even just stir in the pasta into the soup at the last minute.
Freezer Directions
You can put the leftovers in the refrigerator to freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool then pour it into appropriate freezer-safe containers.
Minestrone Soup Variations:
- Replace the spinach with Swiss chard or baby kale, if available.
- If you want to keep this low-carb, you can just leave out the pasta as you wouldn't miss it with all the other ingredients in the soup.
- You could throw in some mini turkey meatballs or you could do crumbled turkey sausage that has been sauteed.
Simple, wholesome and cozy, this Potato Leek Soup is the perfect homegrown soup ready in a snap!
Creamy Potato Leek Soup
This is the kind of soup you can make so easy you think you probably have a clue what the hell you're doing in a kitchen. When I was a kid I loved this classic soup, and eating it always reminds me of a good place. I've got a ton of soup recipes because I grew up with my parents making soup from scratch.
When I eat a bowl of potato leek soup I always think about my childhood. I know I sure had my fair share of soup since my parents made soup for dinner as their starter or as a main dish almost every day. The purees were the soups I enjoyed most as a kid, because I was pretty picky. The weather is cold, and I still crave this soup, yet on nights we had potato leek soup, I never complained!
Potato Soup Ingredients
- Onions and Leeks: Chop 4 medium leeks with dark green stems removed and 1/2 large white onion.
- Potatoes: Peel your 2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes and cut into cubes.
- Roux: All purpose flour or gluten free such as the Cup4Cup and salted butter
- Broth: Use 4 cups chicken broth, or use vegetable broth for vegetarians.
- Milk: 2% milk or dairy free milk of choice (1/2 cup)
- Chives: Fresh, optional to garnish
- Salt and fresh pepper: To taste
How To Make Potato Leek Soup
Once you've cleaned the leeks, making potato leek soup is easy!
- Roughly chop the leeks.
- Roux is used most often to thicken soups and stews in a heavy pot or Dutch oven, along with butter and flour.
- Add leeks, onion, chicken stock and potatoes to potatoes and simmer until potatoes are tender then.
- Now we blend the soup with an immersion blender or if you'd like, in batches with a regular blender until it's smooth.
Tips and Variations
If you are looking to make potato leek soup, I made that one very easily because it has mild flavors that go so well together. I actually like mine pureed but if you prefer it with chunks just use an immersion blender instead of mashing your potatoes with a potato masher for bigger chunks.
- Gluten Free– Substitute wheat by using an all purpose gluten-free flour mix like Bobs Redmill or Cup4Cup.
- Easy Dairy Free– No problem if you want dairy free, simply leave the milk out and replace with some broth.
- Cheese: To top: some shredded cheddar cheese
- Vegan: Use dairy free milk instead of milk and use vegetable broth in place of the stock.
- Add herbs: When you cook, use bay leaves or thyme sprigs to the pot.
- Refrigerate– Refrigerate in an airtight container 1-4 days or in the freezer 1-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat on stove or in microwave.
How To Clean Leeks
How to clean leeks as it's the most important thing to know about making this soup. They're sandy and dirty and they do so good work hiding the fact, so make sure to wash them well.
- First cut of and then discard root ends and thick dark green stuff.
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise & rinse under cold water, separating leek layers as you go to remove any grit tucked inside.
- When they are clean, you can go ahead to chop them.
Although cleansing your face might appear easy, it actually requires time and care. The proper technique could make the difference between glowing skin and an acne outbreak.
Interested in a fresh start? Follow these professional face-washing instructions.
1. First, properly remove all of your makeup
Before you begin cleansing, especially before bed, use a mild makeup remover to get the job done. Pores are accustomed to eliminating pollutants over night, so if they become blocked, everything will back up and appear clogged.And even if you've got quite the resilient outer layer, this is true for all skin types.
2. Avoid washing your face with harsh bar soap
Bar soaps have the potential to change the pH balance of the skin, which promotes the growth of more bacteria and yeast, unless they are specifically made for the face.It comes as no surprise that facial cleansers—particularly cleansing balms—are designed for sensitive skin.
3. Use lukewarm water
Let's bust a misconception: Pores are not doors. Cold water doesn't close them, and hot water doesn't open them.The reality is that it's ideal to maintain a moderate water temperature because going too hot or too cold might irritate skin. When you look in the mirror, you shouldn't see red skin.
4. Try out micellar water
Micelle-containing water contains molecules that cling to and break down cosmetics and other debris.Micellar water can effectively cleanse your skin without the need for rinsing, so some people, especially those who don't wear makeup, can get away with using it as their primary cleanser.
5. Avoid using unnecessary tools
Unless you are cautious about regularly cleaning them in a bleach solution, studies suggest that the amount of bacteria that accumulates on loofah sponges is evidence that these may not be a good idea.Simply use your hands as tools.
6. Bear in mind your jaw and neck
Your neck and jawline are prone to dirt and debris accumulation. And they too require love.To stimulate circulation and help your skin stay tight and naturally lifted, gently rub your fingers upward while massaging your face to remove makeup and dirt.
7. Dry with a gentle cloth
Time to reconsider using air drying. Leaving water to drip on your face won't hydrate it; in fact, it could cause dryness after the water evaporates.Remember to pat gently and very carefully around the delicate under-eye area with a soft, antimicrobial towel.
8. Avoid over-washing your face
According to research, keeping your circadian rhythm in check may help shield your skin from harm. Especially people with dry skin should consider cutting back on washes.9. Use a toner
Although not strictly a step in face washing, many people often overlook the significance of rebalancing your skin.Toners are light liquid formulations that were originally used to restore the pH of your skin so that it could defend itself against infection and damage. Nowadays, many toners have added advantages that address particular problems.
10. Do not forget to moisturise
Make sure you're keeping your skin hydrated in addition to toning. Some people enjoy how "tight" their face feels after washing it, but this is an indication of excessive dryness.Consider switching cleansers if your skin feels dry after washing all the time. Choose a gentle cleanser or one that contains oil.
Takeaway
All of this is to imply that washing is only the first step in preserving the health of your skin.The remaining steps depend on all the other serums, moisturizers, mists, face masks, and so forth. Additionally, your diet, exercise routine, and stress levels all have an impact on your skin and overall health.
