Steak Tacos, Meet Your New Favorite Salsa

I’ve never met a steak taco that I don’t love, but this one has quickly become one of my new favorites. ♡

The surprise starring ingredient is that creamy avocado salsa verde, which is inspired by the famous salsa cruda at Contramar in Mexico City. Raw (not roasted!) tomatillos, avocado, cilantro and lime are blended into a tangy, silky sauce that’s SO GOOD spooned over warm, lime-garlic steak. Pile on some crunchy limey cabbage, chopped onion and cilantro, and every bite has the perfect balance of smoky spice, a little char, bright salsa and soft corn tortillas all going at once.

There are a few components here to prepare, but the timing is easy. Get the steak marinating first, then use that time to blend the salsa, toss the cabbage and chop the toppings. Once the steak comes off the grill or skillet, all that’s left is a short rest, a quick slice and assembling your tacos. Definitely be generous with the salsa!

Let’s make some steak tacos!

Let The Crock-Pot Handle The Potatoes!

One less pot on the stove, one big bowl of creamy mashed potatoes for everyone to enjoy. ♡

If you love my mashed potatoes recipe, this slow cooker version is for you! I adapted it to make holiday cooking a little easier, especially when every burner on the stove is already spoken for. The potatoes cook right in the Crock-Pot with garlic, a little water and butter until tender. Then just mash and fold in warm milk, the remaining butter and softened cream cheese for that rich, creamy finish. I like to mash the potatoes coarsely so that there are still some chunks remaining for texture, but feel free to make your potatoes as smooth as you prefer. And if you’d like to sprinkle on some extra chives, cheese or crispy bacon, go for it!

I’ve found this recipe to be a very welcome shortcut, especially on busy holidays like Thanksgiving. So I hope you’ll love it too!

Our Favorite Homemade Falafel Recipe

I’ve always loved falafel. But then I married a man who really loves falafel, and orders it just about every chance he gets. So naturally, it was time to get a really good homemade version into our rotation. ♡

We’re both partial to falafel packed with fresh herbs, so this recipe goes big on the parsley and cilantro, along with plenty of garlic, bright lemon and warming spices. The centers are tender and beautifully green, with so much fresh flavor packed into every bite.

This is also one of the rare recipes in my kitchen that I think is worth taking the extra time and effort to deep-fry. That traditionally golden, crispy crust with the tender, herby center is just the perfect combination, especially when the falafel are still warm and drizzled with tahini sauce. That said, if you prefer not to deep-fry, I’ve included those options below for how to air-fry or pan-fry these falafel, although the texture will be different.

Tuck these little guys into pita with crunchy veggies and pickled onions, pile them onto a salad, or serve up a platter with hummus and plenty of sauce for dipping. Just have everything ready before you start frying so you can enjoy them while they are hot and crispy!!

My Favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup

I absolutely love tortilla soup and have made more versions over the years than I can count. But over the past few years, this version has become my forever favorite. ♡

It’s inspired by the authentic sopa azteca I learned to make in a Mexico City cooking class a few years ago. The tomato-chile broth has a depth of flavor that sets it apart from the Tex-Mex tortilla soups I grew up eating, thanks to two dried chiles: pasilla and guajillo. If you haven’t cooked with dried chiles before, they’re so much easier to work with than you might think! A quick toast, a short soak and a spin in the blender are all they need, and the extra depth of flavor they add is 1000% worth it.

One detail I love about the traditional way of serving tortilla soup is that the crispy tortilla strips go into the bowl first, and then you ladle the hot soup over them. Some soften into the broth, while a few extra strips on top keep their crunch. I like to fry a quick batch of corn tortillas, but you could use store-bought tortilla strips or just crumble up tortilla chips if you’d like.

I’ve also written this recipe using a can of fire-roasted tomatoes as a shortcut, instead of roasting fresh tomatoes. (I tested this recipe both ways and couldn’t taste a difference, so let’s save some time!) And I also like to add in a can of black beans for extra fiber and protein. Load up each bowl with avocado, cheese, crema, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, or whatever your favorite toppings may be. Then dive in and enjoy every last delicious spoonful.

Let’s make some tortilla soup!

Easiest Way To Cook Chicken Breasts

The air fryer is probably the easiest, fastest way I know to cook chicken breasts. And on a busy night, I’m all for making dinner a little easier! ♡

A quick brush of olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic and smoked paprika, and into the air fryer they go. The seasonings are simple, so the chicken can fit right in with whatever you’re making, whether that’s a big salad, a grain bowl, wraps or a simple chicken dinner with your favorite sides.

If you have an extra 15 minutes, I’ve also included the optional saltwater brine from my baked chicken breasts recipe, which so many of you have loved over the years. It’s an easy little step that can making a big difference in keeping the chicken juicy! Just be sure to pound the breasts to an even thickness so that they cook evenly, keep your thermometer handy, and give the chicken a few minutes to rest before slicing. Yet again, the air fryer is making our lives easier.

A Little Something Sweet This Fall

Warm apple crisp, soft spiced cookies, pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting…fall dessert season is here! ♡

I’ve rounded up 25 of my favorite fall dessert recipes that I’ve shared over the years, with plenty of pumpkin and apple classics plus chai cookies (pictured above), cranberry crisp, homemade caramel corn and more. There are cakes and pies for a dinner with friends, cookies and bars to share, and a few sweet snacks and coffee cakes for those days when you just feel like making a little something sweet and cozy.

So give this list a scroll, and I hope you’ll find a few new favorites to add to your fall baking list!

My Favorite Huevos Rancheros Recipe

Lightly crisped tortillas, creamy black beans and fried eggs with smoky tomato sauce coming right up! ♡

I absolutely love ordering huevos rancheros whenever I see them on a menu. And after years of tinkering with my homemade version, this is the one I keep coming back to. The ranchero sauce starts with broiled tomatoes, onion, chiles and garlic, plus a little chipotle powder for extra smoky flavor and a squeeze of lime to brighten everything up. Spoon it over corn tortillas spread with warm refried beans, add your eggs, then pile on whichever toppings you love best. So much to love in every bite! (Plus plenty of protein and fiber too!!)

There are a few components here to make, but each one is simple. You can get the beans going while the vegetables broil, then crisp the tortillas and cook the eggs just before serving. Set out some crumbled cheese, avocado and cilantro, let everyone load up their plate, and ENJOY. So good!

A Quick Fish Dinner Our Family LOVES!

Smoky, spicy, lemony fish in a matter of minutes? Count me in. ♡

Tilapia has long been one of my favorite back-pocket dinner options because it’s easy to keep a bag in the freezer and cooks SO quickly with whatever seasonings you throw its way. This blackened version gets a little brush of butter and a generous coating of smoky paprika, garlic, dried herbs and cayenne, then a quick sizzle in a hot skillet. And the result is the most tender, flaky fish with a bold, beautifully seasoned crust. Bonus, my kids love this one too!

I usually serve it up simply with rice and air fryer veggies (also ready in a flash!). But you could easily tuck it into tortillas with crunchy slaw to make blackened fish tacos, layer it into a big green salad, or build rice bowls with avocado and your favorite veggies. However you serve this blackened tilapia, I promise it’s such a winner!

Smoky Lentil Andouille Soup

This smoky andouille lentil soup is exactly what I want simmering on the stove this time of year. ♡

It has that mix I’m always looking for: plenty of protein, fiber and veggies, with lots of bold, zesty flavor in every spoonful. It’s one of those soups that’s nice and filling without feeling too heavy, and most of the cooking time is just the lentils doing their thing on the stove. My kind of dinner!

The broth is filled with layers of savory flavors, thanks to the smoky andouille, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic and smoked paprika. Then everything is finished with lots of fresh kale and a squeeze of lemon to brighten everything up. Ladle it into bowls, grab some crusty bread if you’d like for dipping, and dive on in!

My Favorite Easy Fall Dinner Recipes

Looking for some cozy fall dinner ideas to work into your weeknight rotation? Here are more than 40 of my favorites! ♡

Fall cooking is hands-down my favorite kind of cooking. It’s soup season, stew season and big-pan-of-pasta season, and it’s when so many of my favorite ingredients show up at once: butternut squash, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, apples, cabbage and of course, pumpkin. Most of these dinners come together in one pot or one pan, and plenty of them take care of themselves once everything’s in.

So whether you’re after something slow and cozy for a Sunday or something you can get on the table in 30 minutes on a Tuesday, I’ve rounded up my favorite fall dinners below. There are soups and chilis, cheesy pastas and casseroles, sheet pan and slow cooker options, and lots of vegetarian picks too. And if you need the perfect fall dessert recipe to wrap up your meal, I highly recommend trying my new pumpkin sheet cake (with the dreamiest cream cheese frosting). Divine!

Let’s make some dinner!