Meals Under 30 Minutes
Spider Cider
The name may be catchy but the flavor really delivers in this crowd-pleasing Halloween cocktail that you’ll want to enjoy throughout the fall and winter. Easy to mix one cocktail or a pitcher! It seems the older I get, the more I enjoy playing with my food! Holidays, of course, provide an abundance of…
Pumpkin Spice Roasted Delicata Squash (air fryer or oven method)
Warm spices add seasonal appeal to this easy side dish that quickly cooks to golden perfection in the oven or air fryer. Feel free to mix things up with a different variety of winter squash (or sweet potatoes) and a short list of optional toppings if inclined. If you’ve never tried delicata squash, you may…
No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites
Capture the flavors of the season with these no-bake, satisfying bites that come together quickly and offer an option with no added sugars or syrups. Filling protein and fiber. Satiating fats. Warm spices. And pumpkin! These bite-size gems are packed with staying power and seasonal flavor, and a big batch comes together easily thanks…
Easy Cheesy Pepper Poppers
A flavor-packed appetizer that can also be served as a tasty side dish, these 3-ingredient bites are quick to assemble and bake to golden, cheesy perfection. An optional fourth ingredient offers a spicy-sweet variation! Jalapeño poppers have long been a party favorite. But what if you could make a quicker, easier, every-bit-as-tasty popper with mild…
Baked Ham & Cheese Bunwiches
The classic ham sandwich is redefined with two kinds of cheese, a flavorful spread, and a quick trip to the oven. Toasty bunwiches are easy to make ahead and party perfect! Over the course of two decades and three houses, these toasty sandwiches appeared at many of our game day parties and casual get-togethers.…
Loaded Hummus Toast
Don’t feel like cooking? “Assembled” meals solve that problem. Hummus toast happens to be one of the easiest, plus it’s filling, flavorful, and loaded with options! People occasionally ask me if I ever get sick of cooking. The answer is an unequivocal yes! There’s also a difference between cooking because you have the time…
Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
A few key ingredients add vibrant color and flavor to this classically creamy, protein-rich dip. And while perfect as a filling snack or easy appetizer, hummus can be enjoyed in other unexpected ways as well! Traditional hummus pulls its weight as a filling snack and easy appetizer, but the creamy, protein-rich dip doesn’t stop there.…
Homemade Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
You control the ingredients with this copycat recipe that’s easy to make with everyday spices. Fast, fresh-tasting, economical, and endlessly versatile! A packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing provided a convenient shortcut for me for years. I first discovered it when I was dating my husband and we were invited to a coworker’s…
Jack’s Favorite Tomato & Cucumber Salad
You barely need a recipe for this garden-fresh summer salad that will round out a broad range of meals, from corn on the cob and burgers to grilled chicken and fish. Normally, my husband would consider dinner incomplete without some form of protein on his plate. However, when corn on the cob is in…
Replenish Smoothie
This make-at-home rendition of a local cafe’s customer-favorite smoothie offers natural sweetness, filling fiber, and plant-based protein with just five simple ingredients! This is my at-home rendition of a smoothie my husband and I have ordered many a Saturday morning from the café at a wonderful local market called Lemon Street. The names of…
Classic Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Sweet and tangy with a hint of heat, this easy sauce is the perfect complement to chicken, chops, ribs, brisket, and pulled pork sandwiches. Or stir some into mayo for a delicious sandwich spread! When I make this barbecue sauce, I still think of the day over 20 years–and a different career–ago when I…
The Essential Marinade (equal parts of 3 easy ingredients!)
This may be the easiest, tastiest, and most versatile marinade you’ve ever tried, and all you need is equal parts of three basic ingredients. (Video included!) This is perhaps the easiest marinade ever. Even better, this recipe demonstrates how three basic ingredients can be the foundation for a multitude of meals that are doable enough…
