Despite the name, strawberry pretzel salad is not a salad at all. It’s an old-fashioned layered dessert made with a pretzel crust, cream cheese filling, and a layer of strawberry jello. I was first introduced to this dish when my mom moved to Delaware and started ordering it at a local homestyle restaurant. Going gluten free meant I had to start making it myself – but nobody will even notice the difference!

I love to make jello desserts like this one and creamsicle jello mold (another old-fashioned classic!) in the summer because they’re so easy to make. Plus, in the case of this gluten free strawberry salad, summer means juicy, fresh strawberries, which taste so much better than frozen! I love using berries in the topping, versus just a jello layer, as some people do. And the crust is perfectly crunchy and such a nice and salty balance to the dish.

Why I Love This Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

• (Almost) no bake. The pretzel crust for this dessert does get popped into the oven for 10 minutes so that it doesn’t crumble as easily. Beyond that, there’s no baking or even actual cooking required.
• Made with fresh strawberries. While many strawberry pretzel salad recipes use frozen strawberries, I prefer to make mine with juicy, plump fresh strawberries. Then you get a real burst of fruit in every bite. The flavor is much better, too.
• Easily gluten free. The only swap needed to make strawberry pretzel salad gluten free is the pretzels. Everything else is the same and there’s no difference in texture or flavor. It’s a win-win when you’re serving this at a picnic or gathering where not everyone is gluten free.

Key Ingredients

• Gluten free pretzels – I used the Snyder’s brand of gluten free mini pretzels.
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter here. After testing it with both, I prefer salted.
• Brown sugar – A small amount of brown sugar sweetens the crust and helps bind it together.
• Strawberry gelatin – I used the family-size box of strawberry Jell-O.
• Strawberries – I like to make this in the summer with fresh strawberries. However, lots of recipes use frozen instead of fresh, and even though fresh certainly holds up and tastes better, you can easily use frozen when making this dish outside of strawberry season.
• Cream cheese – Be sure to use the brick-style cream cheese, as the type in the container is too soft. Bring it to room temperature first for a smooth, creamy filling.
• Whipped topping – aka Cool Whip. If it’s frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator (NOT on the counter) at least 4 hours before you intend to use it.

How To Make Gluten Free Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Cool the jello for an hour only. If left out too long, the strawberry gelatin will begin to set, and it won’t be possible to mix the strawberry slices in. I recommend not leaving it to cool on the counter for longer than 1 hour.
• Use fresh strawberries if possible. The fresh strawberries give such a nice bite of fresh fruitiness and is a much better alternative to frozen, flavor and texture-wise.
• Let each layer cool. This can happen simultaneously for the cream cheese filling and the gelatin, but you do want to bake the crust and let it cool before adding the cream cheese. It’s important to let the cream cheese filling chill in the fridge before adding the strawberries.
• Chill before slicing. The strawberry jello needs time to fully set in the fridge before it can be sliced. Otherwise, it will just fall all over the place. Four hours is usually just the right amount of time.

Proper Storage

Gluten free strawberry pretzel salad is best eaten fresh, as the crust will begin to lose its crunch over time. However, leftovers can be tightly covered and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

More Strawberry Desserts To Try

• Strawberry Trifle
• Strawberry Fruit Dip
• No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Greek potatoes are a Mediterranean-style side dish that’s known for their creamy interior, slightly crisp exterior, and strong lemony and garlicky taste. They are usually cooked in a broth mixture that absorbs during the baking/roasting process. It’s popular as a side dish to lots of different Greek dishes, like roasted lamb or chicken. Though not technically a Greek recipe, they pair beautifully with my lemon roasted chicken. That chicken, these potatoes, and a simple Greek salad, is my idea of a perfect dinner. It seriously brings me back to my favorite Greek restaurant!

These Greek potatoes are not an extremely crispy kind of potato. They’re soft and velvety after absorbing all of the broth liquid, and though they do have some crisp texture where it’s browned, the main star of the dish is the flavor and the fluffy, soft component. They’re garlicky and salty, and the fresh lemon gives them tang and brightens the whole dish!

Why These Greek Lemon Potatoes Are So Good

• Simple, fresh flavors. There are only five primary ingredients in these potatoes, which keeps the focus on just a few flavors. The fresh lemon juice and garlic really shine through, pairing nicely with the savory broth-infused potato.
• Soft, fluffy inside. Greek potatoes form a light crust on the outside but they don’t get fully crispy. Instead, the inside is delightfully soft and fluffy, almost velvety.
• Easy to make. My favorite thing about these potatoes is how simple they are to make, with just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep. The most time-consuming part is peeling and cutting the potatoes. After that, the oven does most of the work.

Key Ingredients

• Potatoes – I recommend Yukon gold potatoes as they yield the best, soft, buttery results for this kind of recipe. Other potatoes may be too starchy, and while your flavor wouldn’t be affected, the texture would. If you need to use something else, I’d stick with white or red waxy potatoes versus Russets.
• Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil as this does contribute to the flavor of the potatoes.
• Chicken broth – While I haven’t tried it, vegetable broth would also work for a vegetarian side. The potatoes just may not have the same rich flavor.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic, not jarred, will offer the best flavor.
• Lemon – I would highly recommend using fresh lemon for this recipe, as the lemon flavor is one of the stars of this dish!
• Seasonings – Dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

How To Store Leftovers

• Fridge: Store leftover Greek potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Reheat: To reheat, simply bake in a 350°F oven until warmed throughout. If you’re not concerned about the crisp exterior, you can easily reheat these in a microwave.

What do Greek beef kabobs, teriyaki beef skewers, and these beef kebabs have in common? They’re all made with tender, juicy pieces of beef threaded on a skewer for a quick, easy dinner. Instead of marinated beef souvlaki or shaved top round beef, these beef kebabs are made with chunks of sirloin cooked perfectly to medium. They’re also loaded with colorful veggies and mushrooms.

My favorite thing about these beef kebabs is that they can be prepared year-round. I love enjoying them on the grill in the summer months, but they’re just as easy to make inside. You can even bake them in the oven!

Why These Beef Steak Kebabs Are So Good

• Juicy, flavorful beef. Whether these kebabs are cooked on the stovetop or on the grill, the pieces of steak end up perfectly tender and juicy each time. The marinade is simple, with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, honey, and lemon to give it a tangy, savory, citrusy flavor. The lemon helps tenderize the steak, too.
• Loaded with veggies. Between each piece of steak is a bunch of bright, colorful veggies. I use a combination of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, plus red onion and button mushrooms, so there’s a variety of flavor, color, and texture.
• Ready in 45 minutes. I love that these beef kebabs can be whipped up as a busy weeknight dinner. While I do prefer to marinate the steak for a minimum of 1 to 3 hours, doing so for just 15 minutes also results in incredible flavor and a meal that’s on the table in under an hour. Win-win!

Key Ingredients

• Sirloin steak – You can use any cut of beef that you like, such as sirloin steak, sirloin steak tips, or beef tri-tips.
• Worcestershire sauce – In the U.S., the most popular brands of Worcestershire sauce, Lea & Perrins and French’s, are gluten free at the time of writing. This varies in other countries, as they often add malt vinegar. Check labels before making this recipe. You can always add a little more gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• Soy sauce – Be sure to check the label to confirm it’s gluten free, as many brands are not. Tamari also work as a gluten-free alternative.
• Avocado oil – I prefer avocado oil as it has a high smoke point
• Garlic cloves – If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use jarred garlic.
• Lemon – Make sure you use fresh lemon over store-bought lemon
• Honey – This balances out the acidity from the lemon juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
• Veggies – I used red onion and a variety of bell peppers on these kebabs. Feel free to use just one or two colors of bell peppers if that’s what you have on hand.
• Mushrooms – I like to use white button mushrooms because they hold up well on the grill. Other similar-sized mushrooms are great too.
• Parsley – I like to top my steak kebabs with chopped parsley, but it’s optional.

How To Make Beef Kebabs

It takes just a few minutes to prep these kebabs. I love that I can marinate the beef for a few hours if I have time or for just a few minutes while I prep everything else. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

• Prep the veggies & skewers. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Cut the onion and bell peppers into chunks the same size as the beef and any larger mushrooms in half.
• Assemble the skewers. Thread the steak, mushrooms, onions, and peppers on the skewers, in that order.
• Preheat the skillet. If using a skillet, griddle, or grill pan, preheat it to high heat; if using a grill, preheat it to medium-high. Use the remaining avocado oil if using a pan.
• Cook the kebabs. Place the skewers on the preheated pan or grill. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes, about 2 minutes on each side. This should cook the steak to medium with some pink inside.

Can I Bake These Instead?

Absolutely. Follow the recipe as directed and bake the beef kebabs at 425°F until they reach the desired doneness.

Proper Storage

• Fridge: Store leftover beef kebabs in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
• Reheat: You can reheat the kebabs in the oven at 300°F for eight minutes until they’re heated through. You can also put them in a skillet for 4 to 6 minutes.

Make It A Meal

• Rice: A side of rice, whether brown butter cauliflower rice or plain white rice, makes a quick and easy side for the kebabs.
• Potatoes: Potatoes make a great side for these beef kebabs because there are so many options. Some of our favorites are smashed potatoes, loaded baked potatoes, parmesan mashed potatoes, and pesto roasted potatoes.
• Salad: I often make these beef kebabs on the grill in the summer. They pair so well with classic summer salads, like Instant Pot potato salad, bacon ranch potato salad, Greek salad, and tropical broccoli salad.

• Carrots – Large carrots work best. I like making long ribbons with a vegetable peeler because they stay crunchy and look pretty. Thin ribbons absorb the dressing better than thick slices, but grated carrots get too soft too quickly.
• English cucumber – English cucumber has a milder flavor and fewer seeds. It keeps the salad crisp since they release less water. I think it looks pretty with unpeeled cucumbers, but you can peel them if you prefer.
• Sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil is the flavor backbone of the dressing. Just a little goes a long way.
• Sesame seeds – Sesame seeds add a nutty flavor and a little texture. I recommend placing them in a small skillet over low heat and tossing gently until they just turn slightly golden and/or release a nutty aroma.
• Hoisin sauce – Hoisin sauce is sweet, savory, and slightly thick. It brings depth to the dressing. If you are gluten free, you need to ensure you use gluten free hoisin sauce. This is available from brands like San-J and Lee Kum Kee. I often find Kikkoman Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce in my local grocery store, or you can order it. If you want a slightly saltier dressing up to half of the hoisin sauce with soy sauce, again, gluten free if needed.
• Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar adds a bit of tang but has a sweeter, less acidic taste than regular distilled vinegar or red wine vinegar. Look for unseasoned rice vinegar, especially if you are gluten free, since the seasoned version is not always gluten free.
• Spices – Ground ginger & garlic powder add just a bit of those classic flavors.
• Maple syrup – Maple syrup balances the acidity of the dressing. I like using maple because it gives a subtle sweetness. You can substitute honey.
• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is totally optional but highly recommended.

Easy Salad Variations

The fun thing about this Asian carrot cucumber salad is that there are lots of ways to customize it and even turn it into a heartier salad. Here are a few ideas:

• Make it spicy. If you like heat, drizzle a little chili oil or sriracha sauce on top of the salad or in the sauce.
• Add nuts. Peanuts and cashews are great for extra crunch. Feel free to toast them first.
• Make it a noodle salad. Toss the assembled salad in cold rice noodles for a heartier salad. You may want to make extra dressing to drizzle over the noodles.
• Add protein. Shredded chicken, tofu cubes, or shrimp work really well with this salad. Just cook the protein as desired and toss it with the salad.

Make Ahead & Storage

• Make ahead: For the best crunch, store the dressing separately and toss just before serving.
• Storage: Store leftover carrot cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best enjoyed within 24 hours, since the cucumbers release water over time.