Spring and summer are the perfect time to enjoy strawberries, and to turn them into delicious desserts like our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe! I love everything about this recipe! The cornmeal biscuits are so good on their own (especially served warm with some soft butter, sea salt flakes and honey), but they also go really well with the lightly macerated strawberries and whipped cream! I think the biscuits also make this traditional dessert just a little bit more special. The fact that we’re making from scratch drop biscuits also make things a lot easier and less messy; no need to roll and cut them out.

This is also a great make ahead dessert for a group of people. You can make the biscuits up to 3 days ahead of time and then just have the macerated strawberries and whipped cream made the morning of your get together and refrigerated until you’re ready to use them. You may want to give the strawberries and whipped cream an extra stir before assembling the shortcakes, but that’s it!

How to Make Our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Ingredients

Cornmeal Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together.

3. Add butter to flour mixture and break apart, using the back of a fork or your hands until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms throughout.
4. Pour buttermilk over crumbly mixture.

5. Stir in buttermilk until just combined and no dry spots remain.
6. Scoop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheet (using an ice cream/cookie scooper), 1 inch apart, and bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

7. Once biscuits have baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Strawberries

8. While biscuits bake, place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into another mixing bowl and toss together.
9. Set aside to allow berries to macerate.

Whipped cream

10. Place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a medium bowl.
11. Whip together until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly

12. Slice each biscuit in half crosswise, and top each bottom half with a couple spoonfuls of the lightly whipped cream. Top whipped cream with a couple spoonfuls of macerated strawberries and serve.

What is Polenta Style Cornmeal?

Polenta style cornmeal is cornmeal that is usually medium-grind coarseness (although it can also be found to be medium-fine, medium-coarse and coarse ground).

It’s our preferred style because not only does it add a great flavor, but it also adds a nice texture to the biscuits. You can use finely ground cornmeal that will still result in really delicious biscuits, but you will lose the tiny bits of crunchy texture within the biscuits that we love so much.

Variations for Our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

• You can make this recipe dairy free by replacing the butter for vegan butter, the buttermilk for nut or rice milk with a squeeze of lemon juice and whipped cream for coconut whipped cream.
• You can omit the sugar and lemon juice from the strawberries if you prefer to tone the sweetness down a little bit.
• Add some lemon zest into the strawberry mixture for a light, bright burst of fresh flavor!
• Although these are called strawberry shortcakes, we love adding other berries for mixed berry shortcakes.

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Make Ahead

After biscuits have baked, cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 5 to 7 minutes, just to warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, in the microwave, until heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Freezing Raw Dough

Drop the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet as per the recipe and instead of putting them into the oven, freeze them until completely frozen then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake them, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 425˚F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Thawing/Rewarming Baking Biscuits

When ready to use, place frozen biscuits onto a baking sheet and place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 6 to 8 minutes, just to thaw and warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave until thawed and heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

More Strawberry Recipes You Will Love

Print

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

The BEST Strawberry Shortcake Recipe you will ever make! Our recipe is simple, totally delicious and just a little bit special with our cornmeal drop biscuits!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 14

Calories 317kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

cornmeal biscuits

• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cup (polenta style) cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup buttermilk

strawberries

• 1 ½ pounds strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

sweetened soft whipped cream

• 2 cups cold whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

cornmeal biscuits

• Preheat oven to 425˚F: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
• Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Add butter to flour mixture and break apart, using the back of a fork or your hands until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms throughout.
• Stir in buttermilk until just combined and no dry spots remain.
• Scoop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, and bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Once biscuits have baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

strawberries

• While biscuits bake, place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into another mixing bowl and toss together. Set aside to allow berries to macerate.

whipped cream

• Place cream, sugar and vanilla into another mixing bowl and whisk together until soft to medium peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

assembly

• Split each biscuit in half crosswise, and top each bottom half with a couple spoonfuls of the lightly whipped cream. Top whipped cream with a couple spoonfuls of macerated strawberries and serve.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Make Ahead

After biscuits have baked, cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 5 to 7 minutes, just to warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, in the microwave, until heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Freezing Raw Dough

Drop the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet as per the recipe and instead of putting them into the oven, freeze them until completely frozen then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake them, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 425˚F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Thawing/Rewarming Baking Biscuits

When ready to use, place frozen biscuits onto a baking sheet and place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 6 to 8 minutes, just to thaw and warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave until thawed and heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 737IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Strawberry Shortcake Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Spring and summer are the perfect time to enjoy strawberries, and to turn them into delicious desserts like our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe! I love everything about this recipe! The cornmeal biscuits are so good on their own (especially served warm with some soft butter, sea salt flakes and honey), but they also go really well with the lightly macerated strawberries and whipped cream! I think the biscuits also make this traditional dessert just a little bit more special. The fact that we’re making from scratch drop biscuits also make things a lot easier and less messy; no need to roll and cut them out.

This is also a great make ahead dessert for a group of people. You can make the biscuits up to 3 days ahead of time and then just have the macerated strawberries and whipped cream made the morning of your get together and refrigerated until you’re ready to use them. You may want to give the strawberries and whipped cream an extra stir before assembling the shortcakes, but that’s it!

How to Make Our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Ingredients

Cornmeal Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together.

3. Add butter to flour mixture and break apart, using the back of a fork or your hands until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms throughout.
4. Pour buttermilk over crumbly mixture.

5. Stir in buttermilk until just combined and no dry spots remain.
6. Scoop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheet (using an ice cream/cookie scooper), 1 inch apart, and bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

7. Once biscuits have baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Strawberries

8. While biscuits bake, place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into another mixing bowl and toss together.
9. Set aside to allow berries to macerate.

Whipped cream

10. Place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a medium bowl.
11. Whip together until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly

12. Slice each biscuit in half crosswise, and top each bottom half with a couple spoonfuls of the lightly whipped cream. Top whipped cream with a couple spoonfuls of macerated strawberries and serve.

What is Polenta Style Cornmeal?

Polenta style cornmeal is cornmeal that is usually medium-grind coarseness (although it can also be found to be medium-fine, medium-coarse and coarse ground).

It’s our preferred style because not only does it add a great flavor, but it also adds a nice texture to the biscuits. You can use finely ground cornmeal that will still result in really delicious biscuits, but you will lose the tiny bits of crunchy texture within the biscuits that we love so much.

Variations for Our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

• You can make this recipe dairy free by replacing the butter for vegan butter, the buttermilk for nut or rice milk with a squeeze of lemon juice and whipped cream for coconut whipped cream.
• You can omit the sugar and lemon juice from the strawberries if you prefer to tone the sweetness down a little bit.
• Add some lemon zest into the strawberry mixture for a light, bright burst of fresh flavor!
• Although these are called strawberry shortcakes, we love adding other berries for mixed berry shortcakes.

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Make Ahead

After biscuits have baked, cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 5 to 7 minutes, just to warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, in the microwave, until heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Freezing Raw Dough

Drop the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet as per the recipe and instead of putting them into the oven, freeze them until completely frozen then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake them, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 425˚F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Thawing/Rewarming Baking Biscuits

When ready to use, place frozen biscuits onto a baking sheet and place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 6 to 8 minutes, just to thaw and warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave until thawed and heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

More Strawberry Recipes You Will Love

Print

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

The BEST Strawberry Shortcake Recipe you will ever make! Our recipe is simple, totally delicious and just a little bit special with our cornmeal drop biscuits!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 14

Calories 317kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

cornmeal biscuits

• 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cup (polenta style) cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup buttermilk

strawberries

• 1 ½ pounds strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

sweetened soft whipped cream

• 2 cups cold whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

cornmeal biscuits

• Preheat oven to 425˚F: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
• Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Add butter to flour mixture and break apart, using the back of a fork or your hands until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms throughout.
• Stir in buttermilk until just combined and no dry spots remain.
• Scoop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, and bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Once biscuits have baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

strawberries

• While biscuits bake, place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into another mixing bowl and toss together. Set aside to allow berries to macerate.

whipped cream

• Place cream, sugar and vanilla into another mixing bowl and whisk together until soft to medium peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

assembly

• Split each biscuit in half crosswise, and top each bottom half with a couple spoonfuls of the lightly whipped cream. Top whipped cream with a couple spoonfuls of macerated strawberries and serve.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Make Ahead

After biscuits have baked, cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 5 to 7 minutes, just to warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, in the microwave, until heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Freezing Raw Dough

Drop the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet as per the recipe and instead of putting them into the oven, freeze them until completely frozen then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake them, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 425˚F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Thawing/Rewarming Baking Biscuits

When ready to use, place frozen biscuits onto a baking sheet and place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 6 to 8 minutes, just to thaw and warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave until thawed and heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 737IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Strawberry Shortcake Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

During a trip to Spain, I fell in love with the light and crispy texture and barely sweet flavor of Spanish Churros (covered in decadent chocolate sauce, of course!). When I couldn’t find the same texture and flavor anywhere I looked in the States, I recreated the recipe myself.

The dough is incredibly simple, made with just flour, baking powder, salt, and boiling water, and once pushed through the churro mold, it fries into beautifully crisp, lighter-than-air churros, ready to be sprinkled with sugar, dipped, and devoured. If you’ve been on the hunt for an authentic egg-free Spanish churro recipe, you’re about to be in churro heaven!

Differences Between Spanish Churros and Mexican Churros

Before I went to Spain, I had only ever enjoyed Mexican-style churros, which are delicious in their own right, but much denser and chewier. While Mexican churros typically use egg and butter in the dough for a softer, bread-like interior, Spanish churros are naturally vegan, using just flour, baking powder, salt, and water, which makes the texture incredibly light and airy.

The other big difference between the two is in the toppings. Straight out of the deep fryer, Mexican churros are often rolled in cinnamon sugar, so each bite is spiced with warm sweetness. Spanish churros rely less on sugar. They sometimes get a light sprinkle of plain sugar, or leave the sugar out entirely, getting all their sweetness from a rich chocolate dipping sauce.

How to Make Spanish Churros

Ingredients

Process

1. Pour oil into a tall sided pot and place over medium heat. Preheat oil to 350˚F. Place flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
2. Add boiling water to flour mixture.

3. Stir together with a wooden spoon until mixture is fully combined, with no dry spots. Cool for a few minutes.
4. Push dough into a churro maker with a medium star insert.

5. Pipe 6 inch long churros directly into the hot oil, snipping the ends off with scissors, before piping another churro. (Pipe a few churros at a time)
6. Fry churros for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

7. Transfer Spanish churros onto a paper towel lined baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack, and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat frying and sprinkling sugar with remaining dough.
8. Once all churros have been fried, transfer them all onto a platter. Serve with chocolate sauce for dipping.

Tips for the BEST Spanish Churros

• Make sure your water is boiling before adding it to the dough. This is what activates the starches in the flour to create the light and crispy texture these churros are known for. Just hot or lukewarm won’t cut it; it has to be boiling.
• A single-use gadget doesn’t always seem worth it, but trust me and use a churro maker. The dough is very stiff, and while you can use a piping bag fitted with a star tip, it’s a lot harder than it needs to be. If you don’t want to use a churro maker, you can also roll the dough into thin, long snakes by hand, snip them into 6-inch pieces, and carefully transfer them into the hot oil.
• For the best results, monitor your oil temperature and keep it at 350°F. If it cools too much, your churros will absorb too much oil and become greasy instead of crispy. If it gets too hot, the outside will burn before the dough inside cooks. To prevent the oil temp from dropping, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
• To help the sugar stick to the churros, sprinkle it while the churros are still hot.

Can Churros Be Made Ahead of Time and Reheated?

Churros are best when eaten fresh, hot from the fryer, but with a couple of adjustments, you can make them up to two days ahead of time.

To store churros for later, take them out of the oil and let them cool completely according to the directions, without adding the sugar. Once cool, store them in a single layer in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to two days.

When you’re ready to serve the churros, preheat the oven to 350˚F and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until they’re hot and crispy again. Sprinkle with sugar as soon as you take them out of the oven.

We DO NOT recommend reheating churros in the microwave, as it makes them soft, greasy, and chewy rather than light, crisp, and airy.

What to Serve with Spanish Churros?

In Spain, churros are traditionally served with a rich chocolate sauce (try our spicy chocolate sauce with or without the chili powder!), but you can’t go wrong with any of these sweet pairings:

• Homemade Chocolate Sauce
• Homemade Milkshake
• Cajeta (similar to dulce de leche and caramel)
• Nutella
• Whipped cream
• No Churn Ice Cream
• Marshmallow Fluff

More Delicious Dessert Recipes You Will Love

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Spanish Churros

These Spanish churros are light and crispy with a simple dough that comes together in minutes and fries up golden and perfect every time.

Course Dessert

Cuisine spanish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 126kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

• churro maker

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 4 cups oil for frying
• 3 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Add boiling water to flour mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon until mixture is fully combined, with no dry spots. Cool for a few minutes.
• Pour oil into a tall sided pot and place over medium heat. Preheat oil to 350˚F.
• Push dough into a churro maker with a medium star insert and pipe 6 inch long churros directly into the hot oil, snipping the ends off with scissors, before piping another churro. Fry a few at a time.
• Fry churros for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
• Transfer churros onto a paper towel lined baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat frying and sprinkling sugar with remaining dough.
• Once all churros have been fried, transfer them all onto a platter. Serve with chocolate sauce for dipping.

Notes

*Makes ~16 churros (Each serving is 4 churros)*

**Although you can use a piping bag, fitted with a star tip, it’s a bit difficult because the dough is so stiff. I highly recommend buying a churro maker….OR you can roll the dough out into a thin, long snake and snip into 6 inch piece and carefully lift and transfer into the hot oil. They won’t be quite the same, but still crisp and delicious!**

Tips for the BEST Spanish Churros

• Make sure your water is boiling before adding it to the dough. This is what activates the starches in the flour to create the light and crispy texture these churros are known for. Just hot or lukewarm won’t cut it; it has to be boiling.
• A single-use gadget doesn’t always seem worth it, but trust me and use a churro maker. The dough is very stiff, and while you can use a piping bag fitted with a star tip, it’s a lot harder than it needs to be. If you don’t want to use a churro maker, you can also roll the dough into thin, long snakes by hand, snip them into 6-inch pieces, and carefully transfer them into the hot oil.
• For the best results, monitor your oil temperature and keep it at 350°F. If it cools too much, your churros will absorb too much oil and become greasy instead of crispy. If it gets too hot, the outside will burn before the dough inside cooks. To prevent the oil temp from dropping, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
• To help the sugar stick to the churros, sprinkle it while the churros are still hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 397mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Spanish Churros appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Our homemade chocolate sauce is ready to drizzle over ice cream, coat fresh fruit, or spread on top of Leige Waffles in less than 15 minutes! With just five ingredients, you’ll have a rich, velvety sauce that’s guaranteed to be better than anything you’ve had from a jar or bottle.

The secret is using unsweetened cocoa powder and heavy cream as the base, which creates a sauce that’s intensely chocolatey and silky smooth without any of the artificial flavors you’ll find in store-bought versions. We love keeping a jar in the fridge for everything from impromptu sundae nights to drizzling over our Buttermilk Pancakes for a special weekend treat.

How to Make Our Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

Process

1. In a small saucepan combine cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
2. Whisk together.

3. Add cream and stir until combined (a few lumps are okay). Mixture will become very thick.
4. Place pot over medium-low heat and simmer mixture over medium-low heat until mixture loosens, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook chocolate over low heat until sugar dissolves and chocolate sauce is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool chocolate sauce for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Why We Prefer Using Unsweetened Cocoa Powder vs. Chocolate Chips

Melted chocolate chips can act as a quick last-minute chocolate sauce, but using cocoa powder will give you a much better result.

Chocolate chips are often diluted with stabilizers, fat, fillers, and sweeteners, which can interfere with the texture and taste of the chocolate sauce. Using unsweetened cocoa powder allows you to control the sweetness and keeps the texture velvety smooth as the powder dissolves into the heavy cream.

Tips for the BEST Homemade Chocolate Sauce

• Since this chocolate sauce uses only a handful of ingredients, the type of cocoa powder you use can make a big difference in the flavor and quality. A Dutch-processed cocoa powder will make the sauce a bit darker and fudgier, while natural cocoa powder will be a bit more intense and tangy.
• For the smoothest consistency, whisk the dry ingredients together before adding the cream.
• Letting the mixture simmer low and slow will help the sugar fully dissolve, developing into a rich and velvety sauce. If you crank the heat too high, you may end up with a grainy sauce.
• Don’t panic if the sauce is lumpy at first! When you first stir the cream into the dry ingredients, it will be lumpy. Once everything is heated through and dissolved, those lumps should smooth right out.
• Add the vanilla extract after you’ve taken the sauce off the heat for the best flavor, as high heat can cause some of the extract (and the flavor) to evaporate.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Storing

To store leftover chocolate sauce, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks. The sauce will thicken significantly as it chills, turning it into more of a chocolate fudge-like topping!

If you want your chocolate sauce to last even longer, you can store it in the freezer! Once cool, store the chocolate sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. When ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then follow the reheating instructions below.

Reheating

To return cold sauce to a pourable consistency, you can either heat it in the microwave or on the stove. For both methods, you may need to add a splash of cream if it feels too thick after reheating.

• To heat it in the microwave, spoon the amount you want to heat into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 15-second intervals, stirring between each session, until it’s the consistency you prefer.
• To heat it on the stove, place the sauce in a small pot and stir it over low heat until it loosens and becomes smooth and pourable again.

What to Enjoy with Our Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Here are some of our favorite foods to drizzle, dip, and spread with this rich and creamy chocolate sauce!

• Liege Waffles
• French Toast
• Banana Cream Pie
• No-Churn Ice Cream
• Brown Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Old Fashioned Donuts
• Bunuelos
• Milkshakes
• Peanut Butter Pie
• Strawberry Shortcake

More Delicious Sweet Spread and Sauce Recipes You Will Love

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Homemade Chocolate Sauce

This 5-ingredient homemade chocolate sauce is rich, glossy, and so easy to make, you'll never buy the bottled stuff again!

Course condiment

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Calories 84kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a small saucepan combine cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
• Whisk together.
• Add cream and stir until combined (a few lumps are okay). Mixture will become very thick.
• Place pot over medium-low heat and simmer mixture over medium-low heat until mixture loosens, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook chocolate over low heat until sugar dissolves and chocolate sauce is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool chocolate sauce for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Notes

**Makes about 1 1/4 cups**  **Each serving is 1 tablespoon**

Tips for the BEST Homemade Chocolate Sauce

• Since this chocolate sauce uses only a handful of ingredients, the type of cocoa powder you use can make a big difference in the flavor and quality. A Dutch-processed cocoa powder will make the sauce a bit darker and fudgier, while natural cocoa powder will be a bit more intense and tangy.
• For the smoothest consistency, whisk the dry ingredients together before adding the cream.
• Letting the mixture simmer low and slow will help the sugar fully dissolve, developing into a rich and velvety sauce. If you crank the heat too high, you may end up with a grainy sauce.
• Don’t panic if the sauce is lumpy at first! When you first stir the cream into the dry ingredients, it will be lumpy. Once everything is heated through and dissolved, those lumps should smooth right out.
• Add the vanilla extract after you’ve taken the sauce off the heat for the best flavor, as high heat can cause some of the extract (and the flavor) to evaporate.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Homemade Chocolate Sauce appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

The most requested meal by my parents to me is hands down always my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. I think it’s because my parents cook primarily Korean food that things like gumbo intimidate them a little. Flavor-wise this is right up their alley, especially for my dad. He LOVES stewy dishes with a lot of flavor (and some spicy heat) – which is exactly what we have with our gumbo!

I learned to cook gumbo in culinary school from a chef who had spend most his career in Louisiana. Our recipe today takes inspiration from that chef instructor who also taught me a great dark roux shortcut! We get into that below! Our recipe isn’t completely traditional as we include things like corn and omit the file powder, but my goodness is it DELICIOUS!

What is Gumbo?

Gumbo is a stew is popular in Louisiana (and is the state’s official cuisine). It’s made with a dark, flour-based roux, the “holy trinity”(onion, celery, and green bell pepper), often times shellfish, and meat (chicken, sausage, etc).

Although it is a well known U.S. southern dish, it was originally created with heavy influences from African, French, Spanish, and Native American cultures and cuisines.

How to Make Chicken and Sausage Gumbo?

Ingredients

Process

1. Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside. Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until well browned with a nutty flavor, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Place butter into a large pot or Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pot.

3. Add onion, celery and bell peppers and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to sausage.
4. Stir in toasted flour and continue to stir until no lumps remain. Cook flour mixture for 4 to 5 minutes or until roux has darkened even more. (should be a deep reddish-brown color with a nutty smell).

5. Add sausage, vegetable mixture, garlic oregano, thyme, and spice-blend to roux.
6. Stir together until everything is well and evenly coated.

7. Add stock, while stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add bay leaves.
8. Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered for 25 to 30 minute or until gumbo has thickened.

9. Remove cover and add corn, shrimp, chicken, and okra. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
10. Raise heat up to medium, stir together and cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp have just cooked through. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve gumbo over rice, topped with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of gumbo file, if using.

Why Toast the Flour Ahead of Time?

Toasting the flour ahead of time is a trick I learned decades ago and it’s one of my favorite cooking hacks to date! By toasting the flour ahead of time you will save yourself loads of time on making a deep-dark roux without compromising any flavor!

I know some purists may be against this method, but I urge you to give it a try, especially if you’re tight on time! I promise you will still end up with deeply flavored, delicious gumbo!

Tips and Tricks for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Success

• We’ve already gone over the toasted flour trick above and I cannot stress how helpful and time saving this hack is!
• Another time saving trick is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up. I like to do this instead of poaching my own chicken breasts.

Variations

• You can change the shellfish used and add bay scallops, crab legs, or even crawfish.
• You can omit the corn for a more traditional taste.
• We like to serve gumbo over steamed rice (which is more common), but you can also serve it on its own or with a crusty baguette for dipping.
• You can sub the okra out for nopales or for chopped zucchini (although the zucchini wont have the same thickening effect).

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Storing and Reheating

Gumbo can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 2 days. Cool gumbo completely before storing and refrigerating.

To reheat, pour gumbo into a pot and simmer over medium heat until just heated through.

Freezing and Reheating

Gumbo can be stored in an airtight, freezer-proof container, in the freezer, for up to 2 months. Cool gumbo completely before storing and freezing.

To thaw and reheat, pour frozen block of gumbo into a pot and simmer over medium heat until melted and just heated through. If frozen gumbo is stuck to container, refrigerate overnight to thaw, then pour into a pot and simmer over medium heat until heated through.

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Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

A rich and delicious recipe for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. Everyone will fall in love with this flavor packed dish and think you spent hours over the stove!

Course dinner

Cuisine creole

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 322kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

cajun seasoning blend

• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 ½ tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

gumbo

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 Andouille sausages, chopped
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons oregano, minced
• 2 tablespoons thyme, minced
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and cleaned with tails intact
• 1 ½ cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
• 8 okra, cut into ½-inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

garnishes

• ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
• gumbo file, optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place all spice-blend ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• Pour flour into a skillet and toast over medium heat until golden brown and nutty, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place butter into a large pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add Andouille and brown for 5 minutes. Remove from heat using a slotted spoon.
• Add onion, celery and bell peppers and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Stir toasted flour into pot and continue to stir until no lumps remain. Cook flour mixture for 4 to 5 minutes or until flour has browned even more and there's a nutty smell.
• Add sausage, vegetable mixture, garlic oregano, thyme, and spice-blend. Stir together until everything is well coated and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• While stirring, slowly pour in stock, to prevent lumps from forming. Add bay leaves and stir together.
• Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer covered for 25 to 30 minute or until gumbo has thickened.
• Remove cover and stir in corn, shrimp, chicken, and okra. Raise heat up to medium and cook for about 5 minutes or until shrimp have just cooked through. Adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serve gumbo over rice, topped with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of gumbo file, if using.

Notes

Why Toast the Flour Ahead of Time?

Toasting the flour ahead of time is a trick I learned decades ago and it’s one of my favorite cooking hacks to date! By toasting the flour ahead of time you will save yourself loads of time on making a deep-dark roux without compromising any flavor!

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Storing and Reheating

Gumbo can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for 2 days. Cool gumbo completely before storing and refrigerating.

To reheat, pour gumbo into a pot and simmer over medium heat until just heated through.

Freezing and Reheating

Gumbo can be stored in an airtight, freezer-proof container, in the freezer, for up to 2 months. Cool gumbo completely before storing and freezing.

To thaw and reheat, pour frozen block of gumbo into a pot and simmer over medium heat until melted and just heated through. If frozen gumbo is stuck to container, refrigerate overnight to thaw, then pour into a pot and simmer over medium heat until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 779mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2394IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Chicken and Sausage Gumbo appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

I grew up eating Pork Katsu all the time because it was one of my aunt’s specialties and she often made it when we would go over to her house. She usually made hers a la carte over a bed of finely shredded cabbage, with a bowl of rice on the side. I loved it! It was always so perfectly crispy, not greasy in the slightest, and very juicy in the center.

Our version today is a recipe for pork katsu sandwich! I love the crispy exterior of the katsu against the soft milk bread. It’s such a simple sandwich, but every works so well together. The crispy and juicy pork, the pillowy soft milk bread, the finely shredded cabbage for added crunch and freshness, the thin spread of mayo for creamy balance, along with the tangy katsu sauce – delicious!

What is Pork Katsu?

Katsu itself consists of a thin piece of protein breaded in Japanese breadcrumbs (called panko), fried until super crisp, then cut into thin strips, and served with a tangy sauce called tonkatsu sauce.

In our version we use pork, but also chicken is also very popular to use for katsu. We’ve also made our pork katsu into a sandwich, which is another very popular way to serve it!

How to Make a Pork Katsu Sandwich

Ingredients

Process

1. Season each pork chop generously with salt and pepper, on both sides.
2. Dredge each pork chop in flour, until fully coated, and shake to remove any excess coating.

3. Next, dip each pork chop in the beaten egg until fully coated.
4. Then dredge into panko breadcrumb and Italian breadcrumb mixture until completely coated, shaking to remove any excess coating. Transfer coated pork chops onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Remove pork chops from the refrigerator and carefully drop into the hot oil and fry for 3 ½ to 4 minutes, until golden brown and pork has just cooked through. Remove both chops from oil and transfer to a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Season with salt.

6. Spread mayo over slices of bread. Top two of the slices each with ½ cup shredded cabbage. Place a fried pork over each pile of cabbage and drizzle with katsu sauce. Top with remaining slices of bread.Gently press down on the sandwiches while slicing each in half and serve.

Tips for Making the BEST Pork Katsu Recipe

• Place the coated cutlets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will really help the breading to adhere to the chops and prevent it from sliding off.
• Allow the fried katsu to drain on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack instead of paper towels. I prefer using this method because it still allows for any excess oil to drain, but ensures your katsu won’t get soggy from sitting against paper towels.
• Don’t try to replace the panko with all Italian breadcrumbs. Part of the greatness of pork katsu is the extra crisp exterior, which can only be achieved with panko breadcrumbs.
• Although you don’t have to add any additional breadcrumbs we love using a little bit of Italian breadcrumbs in combination with the panko, in our pork katsu sandwich, bc the fine granules of Italian breadcrumbs help to absorb some of the moisture, which equals a very crisp coating!

Air Fryer Pork Katsu Instructions

We love using our air fryer to make our pork katsu because you still get the same extra crispy and juicy results without the excess oil.

To make the pork katsu in the air fryer, follow the same breaded and refrigerating instructions, but instead set your air fryer for 360˚F. Coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray and also generously coat each side of the katsu with cooking spray. Air fry for about 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

Freezing Instructions

I love making some of these ahead of time and freezing them, so whenever the craving strikes I can just fry or air fry one up. I don’t really recommend cooking them ahead of time, just taking them through the breading steps.

Once the chops are breaded, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until frozen solid, 1-2 hours. Once the chips are frozen, transfer them to a freezer safe resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to use follow the same frying the air frying instructions, but increase the cooking times by about 1 to 2 minutes.

What to Serve with Pork Katsu

We love eating our katsu in sandwiches, but you can also serve it sliced up á la carte with the sauce on the side for dipping.

You can also serve it Hawaiian style with a couple scoops of steamed rice and a couple scoops of macaroni salad!

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Pork Katsu (Sandwich)

A simple and delicious Pork Katsu Recipe with the crispiest and juiciest pork! We turned our pork katsu into simple sandwiches that are great for on the go and will satisfy even the pickiest tastebuds!

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 1036kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

pork katsu

• 2 (4 ounce) boneless pork chops (about ½” thick)
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cup vegetable oil for frying

assembly

• 4 slices soft, milk bread, crusts removed soft, white bread is fine
• 1/2 cup tonkatsu sauce
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup very finely shredded green cabbage

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Fill a pot, with tall sides, with about 1 ½” oil and preheat to 325˚F.
• Season each pork chop generously with salt and pepper, on both sides.
• Dredge each pork chop in flour, until fully coated, and shake to remove any excess coating.
• Next, dip each pork chop in the beaten egg until fully coated, then dredge into panko breadcrumb and Italian breadcrumb mixture until completely coated, shaking to remove any excess coating.
• Transfer coated pork chops onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (this step is optional, but will help the coating stay on the pork chops).
• Remove pork chops from the refrigerator and carefully drop into the hot oil and fry for 3 ½ to 4 minutes, until golden brown and pork has just cooked through.
• Remove both chops from oil and transfer to a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Season with salt.
• Spread mayo over slices of bread. Top two of the slices each with ½ cup shredded cabbage.
• Place a fried pork over each pile of cabbage and drizzle with tonkatsu sauce. Top with remaining slices of bread.
• Gently press down on the sandwiches while slicing each in half and serve.

Video

Notes

Air Fryer Pork Katsu Instructions

We love using our air fryer to make our pork katsu because you still get the same extra crispy and juicy results without the excess oil.

To make the pork katsu in the air fryer, follow the same breaded and refrigerating instructions, but instead set your air fryer for 360˚F. Coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray and also generously coat each side of the katsu with cooking spray. Air fry for about 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 1036kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 3677mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 7mg

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We don’t call this the Best Pasta Salad Recipe lightly. It’s loaded with fresh, zesty flavors, hearty ingredients, and works just as well for lunch meal prep as it does for a summer potluck or picnic. Chilled cavatappi pasta is loaded with salty bites of salami, creamy mozzarella pearls, kidney beans, and briny, juicy bursts from Castelvetrano olives and cherry tomatoes, then tossed in a simple Italian vinaigrette.

With just 30 minutes of hands-on time, this pasta salad comes together for hot-weather meal prep or to feed a crowd. If you love the flavors of our Italian Chopped Salad or our favorite Grinder Sandwich, you will love this pasta salad recipe!

How to Make the BEST Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Process

1. Place a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and continue to bring to a boil. Pour pasta into water and stir. Boil pasta for 8 to 9 minutes or until full cooked and tender. Drain and rinse pasta in a colander, under cool water, until room temperature.
2. Pour pasta into a large bowl and toss together with 1/3 of the vinaigrette. Refrigerate pasta for 30 minutes.

3. Add remaining ingredients, except mozzarella pearls and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, and toss together with 1/3 cup more of the vinaigrette.
4. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

5. Add remaining vinaigrette, mozzarella pearls, and toss pasta salad one last time.
6. Top with remaining Parmesan and serve.

Why We Think This is the BEST Pasta Salad EVER!

You get a bit of everything in each bite: Zesty, meaty, creamy, and cool. A little brine, a little juiciness. The ingredients complement each other so well that together each bite tastes as good as the last.

The flavors get better over time: You can absolutely eat this pasta salad straight after making it, but remember all those flavors? They taste even better the next day.

It’s hearty enough for a meal: With pasta, beans, salami, and mozzarella, you can easily enjoy this cold pasta salad as your main course. It’s got enough hearty and protein-rich ingredients to satisfy you and keep you full.

It’s the easiest dish to feed a crowd: From start to finish, you can have this pasta salad ready to serve up to 16 people. And because it’s so easy to make ahead, it’s the perfect dish for any summer BBQ picnic, work potluck, or passing party dish.

Tips and Tricks for Success

For the best results, don’t skip these steps!

• After cooking your pasta, make sure you run it under cool water. This stops the cooking process so you don’t end up with mushy pasta.
• Add the dressing in three stages, not all at once. This way, your pasta and other ingredients will better absorb the flavor of the dressing instead of the dressing sitting on top of all the ingredients. You’ll get more flavor and a better texture by adding the dressing this way.
• Black or green olives will work if that’s all you have, but we highly recommend Castelvetrano olives. They have a meaty texture and a much milder and buttery flavor than other types of olives, which works really well with the other ingredients.
• Don’t skip the chill time! The two thirty-minute chill times are essential for maximum flavor and texture.
• Add the mozzarella pearls last to help them stay creamy and intact. If you add them with the other ingredients, they’ll get gummy and start to fall apart as they’re mixed in and absorb too much dressing. If you’re making this at home as meal prep, add the mozzarella pearls just before eating each time.

Prepping Ahead and Storing Instructions

Prepping Ahead

This pasta salad is one of the best make-ahead dishes for a party, as you can prep the entire salad up to 24 hours ahead or the individual ingredients for quicker assembly.

To prep ingredients, dice the red onion, bell pepper, and celery and store them in individual containers for up to two days. If you’re making a homemade vinaigrette, you can make this two days in advance as well.

To prep the pasta salad ahead of time, make it as directed up to the second chill time. At this point, you can keep the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, add the mozzarella pearls, the final third of the vinaigrette, and remaining salt, pepper, and parmesan.

Storing

Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. As the salad sits, the pasta will absorb even more vinaigrette, which could start to dry out the dish. In that case, just drizzle a little extra over top just before serving.

Variations

This pasta salad is perfect as is, if we do say so ourselves. But here are some of our favorite ways to change it up, use what you have on hand, and add a little variety to suit your tastes!

• Swap the salami for another protein, such as pepperoni, chopped prosciutto, diced grilled chicken, or even chopped ham.
• Swap the mozzarella pearls for cubes or provolone, Swiss, or crumbled feta.
• Use a different pasta. The corkscrew shape of cavatappi is ideal for catching all the flavors with its long, hollow shape, but you can easily swap it for a pasta you have on hand. Penne, rotini, fusilli, or orecchiette work well.
• To add volume and an extra nutritional boost, add more veggies like diced cucumber, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini peppers, or marinated artichoke hearts. You can also toss in a handful of fresh greens like arugula or baby spinach just before serving.
• Make it vegetarian by skipping the meat and adding extra beans, like white cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, or just extra kidney beans.

What to Serve with Pasta Salad

If you’re in charge of the menu, serve this pasta salad along with some of our other favorite potluck and warm-weather dishes:

• Caprese salad
• Grilled Chicken Satay
• Broccoli salad with bacon
• Juicy Lucy Burgers
• Heirloom Tomato, Peach, and Burrata Summer Plate

More Delicious Non-Leafy Salad Recipes You Will Love

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The BEST Pasta Salad Recipe

This Italian-inspired pasta salad is packed with salty salami, creamy mozzarella, briny olives, and juicy tomatoes. With max flavor and texture in every bite, it's earned its place as the best pasta salad recipe around!

Course lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 252kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dry cavatappi pasta (or pasta shape of choice)
• 8 ounces diced salami
• 1 cup canned kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 diced red onion (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 seeded and died red bell pepper (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 diced celery stalk (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces halved cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 cup sliced Castelvetrano olives (about 2.5 ounces)
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan divided
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 cup Italian Vinaigrette

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt and continue to bring to a boil. Pour pasta into water and stir. Boil pasta for 8 to 9 minutes or until full cooked and tender.
• Drain and rinse pasta in a colander, under cool water, until room temperature.
• Pour pasta into a large bowl and toss together with 1/3 of the vinaigrette.
• Refrigerate pasta for 30 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients, except mozzarella pearls and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, and toss together with 1/3 cup more of the vinaigrette.
• Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
• Add remaining vinaigrette, mozzarella pearls and toss pasta salad one last time. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Top with remaining Parmesan and serve.

Notes

**Recipe Makes About 16 cups**

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 1mg

The post The BEST Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

A good dressing can completely change the quality of a meal, and our Italian Vinaigrette makes everything it touches better. Plus, it takes just a handful of staple ingredients, 5 minutes to shake together, and lasts for a week in the refrigerator!

Whether you drizzle it over an Italian Chopped Salad, stir it into pasta salad, or layer it on our famous Grinder Sandwich, this Italian Vinaigrette will become a new kitchen staple. Trust us, once you try this, store-bought just won’t cut it any longer!

How to Make Simple Italian Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Process

1. Pour all ingredients into a jar and close the lid.
2. Shake jar vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. (If refrigerated, when ready to use, allow vinaigrette to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, before shaking and using).

Why We Love This Italian Vinaigrette

• It’s the easiest way to enjoy fresh dressing. Just measure the ingredients into a jar, pop the lid on, and shake. Within 5 minutes, you’re ready to pour!
• It will ruin you for store-bought dressing (in the best way). Our homemade vinaigrette is bright, fresh, herby, and the perfect balance of tangy and rich, made with quality olive oil and vinegar. The bottled stuff isn’t even comparable.
• It’s insanely versatile. While it’s the obvious choice for salads, you can use this vinaigrette for everything from pasta to marinades to dips, or a way to jazz up roasted veggies.
• It uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. Dried herbs, olive oil, vinegar, parmesan cheese, and a little lemon juice are all you need to whip up a batch that will last a week in the fridge.

Why We Use (and Prefer) Dried Herbs Instead of Fresh

Most of the time, you can’t beat the flavor of fresh herbs, but for this Italian vinaigrette, dry herbs are 100% the way to go.

Not only are dried herbs conveniently found in your pantry, but they have a more concentrated flavor than fresh, meaning you have to use less to get a similar punch of flavor. With just a quick shake, the small flakes distribute evenly in the dressing, so you end up with maximum flavor in every drizzle. Fresh herbs, on the other hand, tend to clump together, so you get a big pop of flavor in one bite and nothing in the next.

And if this is part of your weekly meal prep, you can expect the dry herbs to retain their flavor, so you can make this vinaigrette once and enjoy it all week, which isn’t always the case when fresh herbs are used.

Variations

For a slight spin on this Italian vinaigrette, try some of these fun variations:

• Whisk a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt into the dressing for a creamy, more decadent texture.
• Make it dairy-free by leaving out the Parmesan cheese.
• For a pop of sweetness, add a tablespoon of honey to the mixture.
• Instead of white wine vinegar, use red wine vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar, for a bolder, tangier flavor. Start with just a tablespoon and increase it from there to avoid it being too tangy with a vinegar swap.
• If you’re going to use this dressing in a day or two, swap the garlic powder for a clove of minced garlic for a bolder flavor.

Different Uses for Our Italian Vinaigrette

Yes, you can use this on salad, but it’s so much more versatile than that! Here are some of our favorite ways to use this dressing:

• On salads (obviously): it goes especially well with our Chopped Italian Salad and Panzanella Salad.
• As a marinade: Use it to marinade chicken, venison, steak, or pork before grilling or roasting.
• On pasta salad: This dressing is made for a cold pasta salad, especially one loaded with Italian flavors like salami, olives, and peppers.
• On roasted veggies: Toss veggies in the vinaigrette before roasting or drizzle it on top as soon as they come out of the oven. We love it on Roasted Cauliflower, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and onions.
• Drizzled on grain bowls: Dress Grain Bowls or Buddha Bowls with this dressing for a fresh, bright pop of flavor.
• Serve it as a dip with crusty bread!

More Delicious Vinaigrette and Dressing Recipes You Will Love

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Italian Vinaigrette Recipe

This zesty, Parmesan-packed Italian Vinaigrette comes together in just minutes with a jar and a good shake. You'll want a jar on hand at all times to add a burst of flavor to salads, meat, pasta, and more!

Course vinaigrette

Cuisine American-Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 135kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• freshly ground pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients into a jar and close lid tightly.
• Shake jar vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve.
• Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

  **When ready to use, allow vinaigrette to sit at room temperature before shaking and using.**

Notes

**Each serving is about 2 tablespoons**

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post Italian Vinaigrette appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

We’re so excited to share our Mongolian Beef Recipe with you all! The first time I had the dish was P.F. Changs Mongolian Beef and I immediately fell in love. The tender beef coated in a sweet and savory sauce was absolutely delicious! Our version is very similar in flavor and texture to their version in the best way! This Chinese takeout inspired dish also couldn’t be easier (and a bit healthier) to make at home and is one of our top, family loved recipes on our entire site!

Our Mongolian beef is incredibly quick and easy to make. In fact, it can be made in under 30 minutes making it a perfect weeknight dinner! Serve it with a little steamed rice and broccoli and you have a quick, delicious and flavor packed complete meal! We love making a double batch so we have plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day.

What is Mongolian Beef?

Mongolian beef is a popular stir-fry beef dish, made in a wok, served in Chinese restaurants. It was created in Taiwan, during the 1950’s, when Chinese BBQ was becoming a trendy cuisine. Its most notable trait is the tenderized slices of beef simmered together in a sweet and savory sauce.

The name of the dish refers to Mongolian barbecue style of cooking, which is quick and over high heat. The dish itself isn’t actually associated with Mongolian cuisine.

How to make our Mongolian beef recipe

Ingredients

Process

1. Slice steak into 1/4″ thick piece, against the grain and season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss steak pieces in cornstarch until fully and evenly coated. Set aside.

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add some oil. Sauté the ginger and garlic until fragrant.
4. Add soy sauce, water and sugar and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Pour sauce into a measuring cup and set aside.

5. Place skillet back over heat and add more oil. Add steak and sear until evenly browned on both sides.
6. Pour sauce back into skillet and stir together with meat. Allow sauce to thicken. Add green onion and continue to simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Serve Mongolian beef over steamed rice. So easy!

Best Cut of Beef to Use for Mongolian Beef

Flank steak is the most traditional cut used for Mongolian beef and a cut we often use as well. It has great flavor, cooks quickly and can get incredibly tender. It’s still a great option to use today!

The reason we use NY strip steaks for our recipe is because NY strip steaks have similar qualities in flavor and cooking speed, but it’s a naturally tender cut (so less velveting is needed) and with flank steak getting increasingly popular and pricey, the price per pound are comparable these days.

What is velveting?

Velveting is an ancient Chinese meat tenderizing technique used by coating thin slices of meat in cornstarch and/or rice wine, egg whites, and flash frying it or blanching the meat in water for a few seconds before cooking it a second time to finish (often with a sauce/coating).

Our recipe technically doesn’t velvet the beef. Although the process tenderizes the beef with cornstarch, we do not flash fry or blanch our beef, before finishing it off.

Prep, make ahead and freezing instructions

Prep ahead

To make sauce ahead, cool sauce and pour into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To make steak ahead, slice steak and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

When ready to cook, toss beef in salt, pepper and cornstarch.  Sear coated steak in skillet as written in recipe. Warm the sauce in a saucepan for a few minutes before adding it to the seared meat. This will help to avoid the temperature dropping in the skillet, not allowing for quick and even cooking.

Fully make ahead

Make recipe as written and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, pour entire mixture into a large skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Freezing

To freeze, cool Mongolian beef completely before transferring into a freezer friendly container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer freezer bag to refrigerator and thaw overnight. Pour thawed mixture into a skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until sauce has thickened up and beef has just heated through.

Variations for our Mongolian beef stir fry

• Incorporate some veggies into the dish! We love adding some bite sized broccoli florets into the mix. Mongolian beef and broccoli is SO good! We also love throwing in a handful of spinach to the dish for added fiber or sliced red peppers for crunch!
• Add some heat with some dried thai chiles, crushed red pepper flakes or a spoonful of chile sauce ( like sriracha or sambal).
• Use chicken instead of beef! Yes, this recipe is called Mongolian beef, but subbing in chicken is such an easy and equally delicious substitute!
• Make it vegetarian friendly by swapping the beef out for cubes of firm tofu or strips of seitan. Gently press excess liquid from the tofu before cutting it into pieces and continue on with the recipe as written!

Tips and tricks for Mongolian beef success

• Coating beef in cornstarch is important because it helps to tenderize the beef. It also helps to thicken the sauce, allowing it to fully coat the beef.
• Flank steak (sliced against the grain) is most commonly used to make Mongolian beef, although any quick cooking beef works great. New York strip steaks are our cut of beef of choice, as flank steak isn’t always found at all grocery stores and New York strip steak generally is readily available Flank steak has also gotten quite expensive in the last 5 years or so and prices are now similar between cuts. Both flank steak and NY strip steaks work really well for this recipe and we recommending whichever you’re able to find and prefer.
• Sear the sliced beef in batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan. This will allow the beef to sear properly and prevent the slices from steaming.

Can this be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker?

Yes, you can definitely make Instant Pot Mongolian Beef, but we really don’t think there’s a need to do so unless you don’t have access to a stovetop. Our recipe is so quick and easy that it will actually take longer setting up your instant pot, cooking it and waiting for the steam function to complete, then it will be just making on the stove in a pan!

We do not recommend making this dish in a slow cooker. As we mentioned above, this recipe is too quick and easy to need extra equipment (that’s meant to make things easier). The texture of the beef can easily go from perfectly tender to mush or very dried out using an instant pot and we don’t think it’s worth the effort of using a slow cooker.

What to serve with our easy Mongolian beef recipe

This dish is commonly served with a side steamed rice. We usually like to serve ours over a bed of steamed rice so some of the sauce absorbs into the rice. It’s so good! We also love serving this dish with garlic noodles, chow mein and a side of lightly roasted green beans.

In the U.S. Mongolian beef is also commonly served over a bed of fried cellophane noodles, which adds a light, crisp texture to the overall dish. We opted out of the fried noodle version since frying the noodles would add an extra step and more clean-up in the end, but it is a delicious alternative!

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Mongolian Beef Recipe

The BEST Mongolian Beef Recipe you will ever taste! A quick, easy and ridiculously delicious stir fry dish of tender beef coated in a slightly sweet and savory sauce, Inspired by P.F. Changs Mongolian beef recipe. Serve it over steamed rice and a side of sautéed or steamed veggies for a complete meal everyone will love!

Course dinner, main dish

Cuisine asian, Chinese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 501kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

Mongolian beef

• 2 thinly sliced New York Strip Steaks about 1 1/2 pounds
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 green onions sliced into 1 inch pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds optional

Serving suggestion

• steamed rice for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Season sliced steak with salt and pepper. Toss steak in cornstarch until fully and evenly coated. Set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, water and sugar and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
• Pour sauce into a liquid measuring cup and set aside.
• Place skillet back over heat and add remaining oil. Add steak and sear until evenly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Pour sauce back into skillet and stir together with beef. Simmer and allow sauce to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Toss in green onion and continue to cook for 1 more minute until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
• Pour Mongolian beef over steamed rice and serve.

Video

Notes

**Nutritional information does not include steamed rice**

Tips and Tricks for Success

• Coating the sliced beef in cornstarch is important because it helps to tenderize the beef. It also helps to thicken the sauce, allowing it to fully coat the beef.
• Flank steak (sliced against the grain) is most commonly used to make Mongolian beef, although any quick cooking beef works great. We use New York strip steaks in our version, as flank steak isn’t always found at all grocery stores and New York strip steaks generally are. Both flank steak and NY strip steaks work really well for this recipe and we recommending whichever you’re able to find and prefer.
• Sear the sliced beef in batches to avoid overcrowding in the pan. This will allow the beef to sear properly and prevent the slices from steaming.

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 2085mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Mongolian Beef Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Chicken Satay is one of my favorite skewered meats to eat! The flavors are outrageously good and pair so well with the creamy and tangy peanut sauce! We use chicken thighs in our recipe to ensure every bite is tender and juicy. Chicken thighs are also a little more forgiving when it comes to cooking them up.

Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. Most of the ingredients are easy to find or you probably have them in your pantry. Once you have the ingredients gathered and measured, the recipe is SO easy!

What is Chicken Satay?

Chicken Satay originated in Indonesia but has become a popular dish throughout Southeast Asia like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines. Although there are tons of varieties of satay that exist today – to be considered true satay there must be a grilled meat and dipping sauce component.

What Does Chicken Satay Taste Like?

As we mentioned, there are many varieties of satay that exist today. Our marinade uses flavors that include peanuts, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, limes, and brown sugar. The results are a sweet, bright and savory peanut and char-grilled flavor. We pair our skewers with a similar, but more peanut forward dipping sauce with a kick (from Thai chiles).

How to Make our Chicken Satay Recipe

Chicken Satay Ingredients

Chicken Satay Process

1. Place all marinade ingredients into a blender, except 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and blend until smooth. Reserve ⅓ cup of marinade for peanut sauce.
2. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Toss together until all chicken pieces are completely covered. Allow mixture to marinate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).

3. Soak wood skewers.
4. Skewer 5 to 6 cubes of chicken onto each bamboo skewer, until all chicken has been used.

5. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat (or use an outdoor grill on medium heat setting). Pour oil into pan and grill skewers for 4 minutes, on each side. Repeat until all skewers have been grilled.
6. Top chicken satay skewers with crushed peanuts and cilantro leaves.

Spicy Peanut Sauce Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Sauce Process

7. Place all ingredients for peanut sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. (If sauce is too thick, blend some water into the sauce, ½ tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency has been achieved).
8. Pour mixture into a small bowl or ramekin, top with crushed peanuts (optional) and serve as dipping sauce for satay.

What to Serve with Chicken Satay

When served as an appetizer, its best to serve the skewers on their own with the dipping sauce to keep things simple. When served as the main course we love pairing them with steamed jasmine or basmati rice and a simple cucumber salad (especially sunomono, a Japanese cucumber salad).

They’re also delicious with Yum Woon Sen, a bright and refreshing glass noodle salad dish!

Cooking Tips for Chicken Satay

We love using a grill or grill pan to cook our satay because it gives it a great char-grilled flavor! If you don’t have a grill or grill pan you can still cook them in a pan. If you have a cast iron skillet, it’s the next best thing as you’ll still get charred bits of chicken.

You can also broil the skewers for a few minutes on each side. You will just need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. The oven is also an option for cooking these skewers. If baking the chicken satay in the oven we recommend baking them at 400˚F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Prep Ahead and Reheating Instructions

Prep Ahead

• The chicken can be marinated up to 2 days ahead of time. Store marinated chicken in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, stirring each day for even marination.
• The dipping sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use. Leave out at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes and stir well before serving.

Reheating Instructions

• Oven: Place chicken skewers in a lightly greased baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350˚F, for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until just heated through.
• Stovetop:
• Alternately, place skewers onto a gently heated skillet, over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons water around the perimeter. Cover with a lid and steam for 1 to 2 minutes. remove lid and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from heat and serve with dipping sauce.
• Dipping sauce stovetop reheat: Pour sauce into a saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring, until just heated through.

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Chicken Satay

A simple and delicious recipe for juicy, char-grilled, flavor packed Chicken Satay with an equally delicious peanut dipping sauce! They make great appetizers or even a delicious dinner served with some steamed rice and simple cucumber salad!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine filipino, indonesian, thai

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes minutes

marinating time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 44 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Calories 464kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

• 15 (10 inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6)

satay marinade

• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ stalk lemongrass, chopped (about 3 inch piece)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 makrut lime leaves, chopped OR 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

spicy peanut sauce

• ⅓ cup reserved marinade
• ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 to 3 Thai chiles, seeded depending on desired heat
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

garnish

• 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
• cilantro leaves

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

chicken satay

• Place all marinade ingredients into a blender, except 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and blend until smooth.
• Reserve ⅓ cup of marinade for peanut sauce. Pour remaining marinade over chicken.
• Toss together until all chicken pieces are completely covered. Allow mixture to marinate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).
• Skewer 5 to 6 cubes of chicken onto each bamboo skewer, until all chicken has been used.
• Place a grill pan over medium-high heat (or use an outdoor grill on medium heat setting). Pour oil into pan and grill skewers for 4 minutes, on each side. Repeat until all skewers have been grilled.
• Top chicken satay skewers with crushed peanuts and cilantro leaves.

spicy peanut sauce

• Place all ingredients for peanut sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. (If sauce is too thick, blend some water into the sauce, ½ tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency has been achieved).
• Pour mixture into a small bowl or ramekin, top with crushed peanuts (optional) and serve as dipping sauce for satay.

Notes

**Makes 15 skewers (serving size is 3 skewers with 1/3 of peanut sauce)**

Cooking Tips for Chicken Satay

We love using a grill or grill pan to cook our satay because it really gives it a great char-grilled flavor that takes this dish over the top! If you don’t have a grill or grill pan you can still cook them in a pan. If you have a cast iron skillet, it’s the next best thing as you’ll still get charred bits of chicken.

You can also broil the skewers for a few minutes on each side, but you’ll need to keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. The oven is also an option for cooking these skewers. If baking the chicken satay in the oven we recommend baking them at 400˚F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1491mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Chicken Satay appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

I love a big entree salad and our BBQ Chicken Salad recipe is a sure favorite! Packed with so many fresh ingredients, this salad always hits the spot. This is probably one of my favorite summer salads (that I totally eat year round)!

Our bbq chicken salad is one of our favorite prep ahead salads. When you’re ready to dig in, it takes just a few minutes to throw everything together and enjoy!

How to Make a BBQ Chicken Salad

BBQ Chicken Ingredients

Chicken Process

1. In a hot skillet cook seasoned boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
2. Chop cooked chicken thighs.

3. Add cooked and chopped chicken thighs and bbq sauce to a bowl.
4. Toss chicken and bbq sauce together. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the salad.

BBQ Yogurt Ranch Dressing Ingredients

Yogurt Ranch Dressing Process

5. Add all dressing ingredients into a small bowl.
6. Whisk together until fully combined.

Salad Assembly Ingredients

Salad Assembly Process

7. Toss together shredded cabbage and chopped romaine lettuce and spread onto a large platter. Arrange black beans, tomatoes, corn, red onions, and jicama over greens. Top salad with bbq chicken and sliced green onions. Serve with dressing on side or drizzle dressing over salad.

What is Jicama?

Jicama (also called, yam bean, Mexican turnip or Mexican Potato) is a root vegetable native to Mexico. It’s most commonly eaten peeled and raw with a flavor that’s a cross between a potato, carrot and apple. It’s light, crunchy and very mildly sweet and perfectly adds texture to dishes like our loaded bbq chicken salad.

Make Ahead Instructions for our BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

Dressing

The dressing can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

Chicken

The chicken can be cooked, chopped and tossed in bbq sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

Salad Assembly

The salad can be built on a platter or in a large bowl 1 day ahead of time, tightly covered in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. When building the salad ahead of time, add the bbq chicken and dressing right before serving to avoid the greens getting soggy.

Tips for the BEST BBQ Chicken Salad

• Don’t dress the salad too early to retain the crunch from all the delicious bits in the salad!
• If you deviate from the recipe, make sure you’re including different textured ingredients. One of the best things about this salad is the mix of soft, crunchy, juicy textures.
• If making this recipe ahead of time, I highly recommend each ingredient be stored in its own airtight container. This will help to keep each ingredient as fresh as can be until you’re ready to serve the salad!
• Speaking of make ahead, this may seem like a no brainer, but I’ve seen people forget one too many times – If you’re making the dressing ahead of time, don’t forget to give it a good shake before pouring it over the lettuce/salad. No one wants a separated, half watery dressing in their salad!

Variations and Substitutions

There are indefinite ways to make this entree salad, but a few variations we like from this version is:

• Adding chopped apples in place of the jicama.
• Finely dicing cauliflower and tossing it in a little oil and salt for a healthier option to replace the corn.
• Adding some crumbled queso fresco for a salty bite.
• Adding diced avocados in place of or in addition to the black beans for a fresh and creamy texture.
• Replacing the chicken for some flaked salmon
• Replacing the chicken thighs with boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Some seared and diced tofu or roasted chickpeas also works great to replace the chicken for a vegetarian option
• Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save on time.
• Replace the green onion for fresh cilantro leaves or sliced chives.

Looking for more salad recipes? Check out our post for all of Best Salad Recipes!

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BBQ Chicken Salad

Large, fresh and totally an entree type dish, our delicious BBQ Chicken Salad is full of flavor and texture! We paired our salad with a bbq ranch dressing that's made a little healthier by using yogurt instead of mayo and/or sour cream! It can feed a bunch of people and takes only 30 minutes to throw together!

Course lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 371kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

bbq chicken

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup prepared bbq sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

bbq ranch yogurt dressing

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives
• 2 tbsp minced parsley
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup prepared bbq sauce

salad

• 1 romaine heart, shredded
• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 fresh corn on cobb, charred under broiler and kernels removed (cobbs discarded)
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/2 jicama, peeled and diced
• 2 green onions, sliced on bias

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

bbq chicken

• Place large skillet over medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot add oil.
• Generously season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Sear thighs for 3 to 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium and flip thighs. Continue to cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until thighs have just cooked through.
• Transfer thighs to a cutting board and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add bbq sauce andtoss together until well coated. Set aside.

dressing

• Place all dressing ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.

assemble salad

• Combine romaine and cabbage together in a large bowl and toss together. Transfer mixture to a platter.  
• Top greens with black beans, tomatoes, corn, red onion, jicama, and bbq chicken.
• Sprinkle salad with sliced green onion. Serve with dressing.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions for our BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

Dressing

The dressing can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

Chicken

The chicken can be cooked, chopped and tossed in bbq sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

Salad Assembly

The salad itself can be built on a platter or in a large bowl 1 day ahead of time, tightly covered in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. When building the salad ahead of time the bbq chicken and dressing should be added right before serving to avoid the greens getting soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1369mg | Potassium: 872mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 2333IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 3mg

The post BBQ Chicken Salad appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

If you typically reserve kabobs or skewers for summertime grilling, you’ll love our air fryer chicken skewer recipe! Pieces of juicy chicken are infused with honey garlic marinade, air-fried to perfection, and then coated with a sweet and sticky glaze just before serving. All served on a skewer for easy presentation and eating!

Whether you serve them as an appetizer or overtop of rice for an easy dinner, you’ll love having this chicken skewer recipe in your back pocket.

Like our lamb kabobs, these chicken skewers can be served with rice, over mashed potatoes, with romaine leaves, or on their own as an appetizer.

How to Make Honey Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Skewers

Ingredients

Process

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk them together.
2. Transfer the chicken to a resealable plastic bag or airtight container.

3. Pour half the marinade over the chicken, tightly seal it, shake it up to mix it, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
4. Pour the remaining marinade into a small pot and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly reduced (Glaze will thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Once the chicken has marinated, pierce 7 to 8 pieces of chicken through each skewer. Repeat until all chicken has been used.
6. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and top it with skewers, leaving about a 1/2-inch space between each one (cook in batches to avoid overcrowding). Brush each skewer with glaze.

7. Air-fry chicken skewers at 400˚F for 8 minutes. Flip each skewer and brush with more glaze. Continue to air-fry for an additional 6 to 8 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through.
8. Remove skewers from the air fryer basket and brush with glaze once more.

9. Transfer skewers to a serving dish, top with green onion, and serve.

Why Soak Wooden Skewers in Water?

Soaking your wooden skewers in water for at least thirty minutes is an essential step in making these chicken kabobs. This helps prevent the wood from burning or becoming too charred while the chicken cooks.

Not only would burnt wood be a safety hazard, but it can add an unpleasant flavor to the chicken. By soaking the skewers ahead of time, they’ll hold your chicken without catching fire or charring and affecting the flavor of the meat.

Variations

We love this recipe as is, but feel free to make these substitutions for a little variety!

Swap the meat. Instead of chicken thighs, you could use chicken breast or another type of meat altogether. Beef sirloin or ribeye, lamb, pork tenderloin, or turkey breast are all great options for these kabobs.

Make it spicy: Add a tablespoon of sriracha or chili paste to the marinade.

A citrus twist: add the zest and juice of a lemon or an orange.

BBQ: add a few tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce (or our sweet and range BBQ) to the marinade.

Make Ahead, Storing and Reheating Instructions

From start to finish, this recipe takes around four and a half hours (including marinade time), but there are plenty of things you can do ahead of time to make dinner as easy as possible.

Make Ahead

Mix the marinade and add the cubed chicken up to 24 hours before cooking. Not only does this make dinner easy, but it also helps add maximum flavor to every bite!

You can also make the glaze ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it, or up to 3 days.

Storing

Store any leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Reheating

To reheat the chicken:

Microwave it, covered, on a plate for 30-60 seconds or until warmed.

Bake it in the oven at 350˚, covered, for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through.

In a pan on the stove over medium heat, add a small amount of oil to help keep the chicken from sticking. Add the chicken and saute for 3-5 minutes or until heated through, tossing occasionally.

In the air fryer, preheat the basket to 350˚, add the chicken, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

What to Serve with Our Air Fryer Chicken Skewers

For a complete meal, try serving our air-fried honey garlic chicken skewers with:

• Steamed or fried rice
• Farro risotto
• Garlic bread
• Creamy baked cauliflower
• Greek salad
• Caprese salad
• Stewed lentils
• Corn salad

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Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers (Air Fryer Recipe)

Marinated in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce, these chicken skewers are tender and juicy, taking just minutes to cook in the air fryer!

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Snack

Cuisine asian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes minutes

marinating time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 31 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 337kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

• 1 air fryer
• 8 (6") wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

Ingredients

marinade/glaze

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil

chicken

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 thinly sliced green onion

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl combine all sauce ingredients and whisk together.
• Transfer chicken to a resealable plastic bag or airtight container.
• Pour half marinade over chicken, tightly seal, shake up to mix and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Pour remaining marinade into a small pot and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly reduced (Glaze will thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and set aside.
• Once chicken has marinated, pierce 7 to 8 pieces of chicken through each skewer. Repeat until all chicken has been used.
• Lightly spray air fryer basket with cooking spray and top with skewers, leaving about1/2 inch space between each one (cook in batches to avoid overcrowding). Brush each skewer with glaze.
• Air-fry chicken skewers at 400˚F for 8 minutes. Flip each skewer and brush with more glaze. Continue to air-fry for an additional 6to 8 minutes or until chicken has cooked through.
• Remove skewers from air fryer basket and brush with glaze once more.
• Transfer skewers to a serving dish, top with green onion and serve.

Video

Notes

**recipe makes 8 skewers – 2 skewers make 1 serving**

 

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1972mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers (Air Fryer Recipe) appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Our addictive Chicken Flautas is what you get when you fill a tortilla with cheesy shredded chicken and poblano peppers, roll it up, and fry it until the tortilla is crispy and golden brown and we’re here for it! We seriously can’t get enough of this easy and flavorful Mexican favorite. It’s decadent and simple all in one and a fun way to switch up our favorite taquitos recipe or chipotle chicken nachos.

We love using leftover rotisserie chicken for this flauta recipe, making it super simple to whip together on a busy weeknight. The filling is loaded with pepper jack cheese and poblano peppers for just a touch of heat, pairing perfectly with scoops of fresh pico de gallo and cool and creamy guacamole.

What Are Flautas?

Flautas are a traditional Mexican dish, literally meaning “flutes”, which is exactly what they look like! They’re made by filling flour tortillas with shredded meat and often a mixture of cheese, beans, and vegetables, rolling them up tightly (like a little flute), then frying them until golden brown and crispy.

Differences Between Flautas and Taquitos

Flautas and taquitos look very similar, but there are some key differences between the two. Depending on what region you’re in or where you order one, they may use the names interchangeably, or call both just one or the other, but traditionally, there is one major difference between the two: the tortilla.

Flautas are often made with larger flour tortillas, while taquitos are made with smaller corn tortillas. After frying, a flauta made from a flour tortilla will have a much more delicate crunch and crispness than taquitos, with their chewier corn tortillas.

But, because the method changes by region, you may order a flauta and find that it’s made from a large corn tortilla, the size you’d expect, but with a denser texture.

How to Make the BEST Crispy Flautas

Flautas Ingredients

Sauce Ingredients

Flautas Process

1. Preheat oil over medium heat to 350˚F. Place chicken into a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Pour oil into a medium sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Saute onion, poblano and corn for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour onion mixture over chicken and toss together.
4. Add remaining filling ingredients to chicken and onion mixture and stir together until mixed together. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Place a heaping ⅓ cup of the filling into one of the tortillas and spread into a log.
6. Tightly roll tortilla and secure with a toothpick or two and transfer to a baking sheet.

7. Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling have been used.
8. Fry flautas, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a cooling rack lined baking sheet. Repeat until all flautas have been fried.

Sauce Process

9. Place all sauce ingredients into a small bowl.
10. Whisk together until completely combined.

Alternate Cooking Instructions

If you’d rather skip the mess of deep frying and use a healthier cooking method for your flautas, we have you covered.

Air Fryer

Making flautas in the air fryer is the second-best way, in our opinion. The tortilla will crisp up almost as well as deep frying, but with less oil and less mess.

To air fry your flautas:

• Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F and brush or spray the assembled flautas with oil on all sides.
• Place the flautas seam side down in the air fryer, being careful that none are touching. (Take the toothpicks out as you place them with the seam down, as that should be enough to hold them together.) You will most likely need to air fry them in batches.
• Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the tortilla is crispy and golden brown on all sides.

Oven Baked

If you’re making a big batch of flautas all at once, baking them in the oven is the easiest method. They’re less crispy than deep-frying or air-frying, but still delicious!

To make flautas in the oven:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a large sheetpan with parchment paper.
• Spray or brush the flautas with oil on all sides, then place them seam side down (without the toothpick) on the sheet pan, careful to leave an inch of space between them.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. For extra crispiness, place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes in the final minutes of cooking. Just be careful to watch them closely, as they can go from golden to burned quickly!

Flauta Filling Swaps and Variations

While flautas are traditionally filled with shredded meat, the options are truly endless. Once you’ve got the technique down, you can really fill them with a variety of ingredients and flavor combinations. Here are some of our favorites:

• Swap the chicken for shredded beef, carne asada, brisket, or pulled pork.
• Make vegetarian flautas by skipping the meat and using refried beans, seasoned black beans, or pinto beans. Add roasted sweet potato or russet potatoes to make the filling a bit heartier.
• Swap the pepperjack cheese for cheddar, colby, or mozzarella for a milder, but still creamy and cheesy filling.
• Increase the heat by swapping the poblano pepper for a slightly spicier Anaheim pepper or an even hotter jalapeno.
• With your toppings, you can get even more creative in how you serve these flautas. Serve with any variety of freshly chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, pico, tomatillo salsa, guacamole, queso, queso fresca, avocado slices, lime, mango salsa, or roasted tomato salsa.

Tips for the Best, Most Crispy Flautas

For perfectly golden flautas every time, don’t forget these details:

• If your tortillas aren’t pliable enough to roll tightly without cracking, wrap them in a damp paper towel and warm them in the microwave for just 15 seconds or so. This will warm them up just enough to roll easily without breaking.
• Avoid overfilling the tortillas. We get it. The filling is so good, you want to pack as much as you can into each tortilla. But stick to the 1/3 cup of filling, or you’ll risk the flautas bursting open while frying.
• We’re not going loosey goosey with the roll, here. You want to roll each tortilla TIGHT so that the filling stays put, and you avoid soft air pockets inside the flautas.
• Make sure you check the temperature of your oil before frying. 350°F is hot enough to prevent the tortillas from absorbing too much oil and low enough so the outside doesn’t burn before the inside warms through.
• Avoid overcrowding the pan. Adding too many at once will drop the temperature of the oil too much, leading to soggy flautas (not what we want). Frying just a few at a time will keep the oil hot and prevent them from sticking together.
• Use a wire rack to cool the flautas so that the tortillas stay crispy. Placing them on a plate or a paper towel after you take them out of the fryer will cause the bottoms to become soggy before you get a chance to enjoy them.

More Delicious Fried Recipes You Will Love

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Flautas

These crispy chicken flautas are loaded with a creamy, cheesy filling of roasted chicken, sautéed poblano, fresh corn, and pepper jack cheese, then fried to golden, crispy perfection.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Calories 537kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

flautas

• 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small, diced yellow onion (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 poblano, seeded and diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2/3 cup fresh corn kernels (or canned corn, rinsed and drained)
• 1/3 cup prepared salsa
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 ounces shredded Pepper Jack cheese (about 1 cup)
• 14 6-inch flour tortillas warmed
• 5 cups frying oil of choice
• salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (of choice)
• 1 zested and juiced lime (about 3 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Flautas

• Preheat oil over medium heat to 350˚F. Place chicken into a mixing bowl and set aside.
• Pour olive oil into a medium sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Add onion, poblano and corn and sauté for about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (if using canned or frozen corn, add after sautéing onion and poblano for 5 minutes)
• Pour onion mixture over chicken and toss together.
• Add remaining filling ingredients to chicken and onion mixture and stir together until mixed together. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a heaping 1/4 cup of the filling into one of the tortillas, off to the side a bit, and form mixture into an even log.
• Tightly roll tortilla and secure with a toothpick or two and transfer to a baking sheet.
• Repeat until all of the tortillas and filling have been used.
• Fry flautas, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a cooling rack lined baking sheet. Repeat until all flautas have been fried. Serve with dipping sauce.

Spicy Dipping Sauce

• Place all ingredients into a bowl.
• Whisk together until fully combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Notes

*Each Serving is 2 Flautas (+ 1.7 tablespoons of sauce)*

Nutrition

Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1256mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Flautas appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

We love this Cashew Chicken Recipe so much y’all. We have been creating a lot of quick and easy, Chinese-style takeout dishes to make at home lately and this is definitely one of our favorites! It’s been really nice to be able to make simple, flavor packed dinners at home. We love being able to control the amounts of each ingredient we use, making some of our favorite takeout dishes slightly healthier too.

Not only is the flavor of our cashew chicken off the charts good, but this entire dish comes together in under 30 minutes, which is out favorite type of weeknight dinner to make! Our recipe makes enough to feed a family of four, but we do recommend doubling the recipe.

Leftovers are even better the next day and our cashew chicken recipe reheats (and travels) incredibly well, making this a great grab and go lunch the next day!

What is Cashew Chicken?

Cashew chicken is a Chinese-American dish consisting of stir-fried chicken and cashews that are tossed and coated in a brown garlic sauce with a gravy consistency.

What is Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken?

Springfield Style Cashew Chicken is the deep-fried version, created by Chef David Leong in Springfield, Missouri. The bitesized pieces of chicken are deep-fried before getting tossed together with the sauce.

How to Make Cashew Chicken

Sauce Ingredients

Sauce Process

1. Combine all sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

Chicken Ingredients

Chicken and Assembly Process

2. Combine all ingredients, except chicken, cashews, sesame seeds, and green onion into a mixing bowl.
3. Whisk together.

4. Pour mixture over chicken and stir until evenly coated. Allow chicken to sit for 10 minutes.

5. Place a large pan or wok over high heat and add oil. Add half chicken and partially cook, stirring frequently.
6. Transfer chicken to a plate and return pan to stove.

7. Add remaining oil and chicken pieces to pan and partially cook.
8. Stir plated chicken back to pan and cook.

9. Stir sauce into pan and lower to medium-high heat. Simmer sauce and chicken together until sauce thickens enough to coat chicken.
10. Stir cashews into chicken mixture until evenly combined.

11. Remove from heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Cashew Chicken Recipe

Make Ahead

Cook cashew chicken as per instructions, but leave the cashews out. Cool dish and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, transfer cashew chicken to a skillet and warm over medium-low to low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. If sauce begins to dry out, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Once dish is hot stir in cashews, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve.

Freezing

Cook cashew chicken as per instructions, but leave the cashews out. Cool dish and transfer to an airtight container. Place in freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, transfer container to refrigerator and thaw. Once thawed, pour cashew chicken into a skillet and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. If sauce begins to dry out, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Once dish is hot stir in cashews, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve.

Tips and Tricks for Success

• Don’t overcrowd the skillet when initially cooking the chicken. You’ll end up with excess liquid in the skillet, causing the chicken to steam instead of sear. Cooking the chicken in batches will give them the ever so slight seared and crisp exterior.
• Use unsalted (and roasted) cashews in this dish! Salted cashews will be too much and make this dish too salty. If salted cashews are all you can find, give them a quick rinse, pat dry and throw them in a skillet over low heat for a few minutes to gain their crunch back.

What to Serve with Cashew Chicken?

We love serving our cashew chicken recipe with steamed rice (brown or white!) or cauliflower rice and a side of steamed or roasted broccoli, but there are other serving options we love:

• Garlic Noodles
• Roasted Green Beans
• Chow Mein
• Citrus Sautéed Beet Stems
• Blistered Shishito Peppers

Cashew Chicken Variations

We kept our recipe pretty basic, although you’ll find other versions add chopped bell peppers and onions to this dish. Some other simple variations are below:

• Add some steamed broccoli to this dish to include some green veggies right with your cashew chicken.
• Some sautéed mushrooms like shiitake or oyster would also make a really nice addition to the mix!
• Make this recipe gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce out for tamari and using a gluten free hoisin sauce!
• Use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of dark meat.
• Although the dish is called cashew chicken, you can always swap the chicken out for cubes of extra firm tofu for a vegetarian friendly version! Just place a baking sheet over a block of tofu and weight it down (cans work great!) for at least an hour. This will release excess liquid in the tofu, allowing it to cook and crisp up a bit. After the tofu has been pressed, chop into bite sized pieces, toss in a small amount of cornstarch, so cubes are just barely coated and fry in the skillet as you would the chicken.
• Add some heat to the dish by stirring in some chili garlic sauce.

More Easy and Delicious Chicken Recipes You Will Love

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Cashew Chicken

The best Cashew Chicken Recipe you'll ever have! It tastes just like it came from your local takeout spot. Soft and tender garlic chicken thighs are cooked and coated in a mouthwatering hoisin based sauce and it's all made in under 30 minutes!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese-American

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

marinating time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 505kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

sauce

• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 minced garlic cloves

chicken

• 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1/2" pieces

assembly

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
• 2 thinly sliced green onions
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

sauce

• Combine all sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

chicken

• Combine all ingredients, except chicken into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
• Pour mixture over chicken and stir until evenly coated. Allow chicken to sit for 10 minutes.

assemble

• Place a large pan or wok over high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add half chicken and partially cook, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Transfer chicken to a plate and return pan to stove.
• Add remaining oil and chicken to pan and partially cook, another 4 to 5 minutes. Stir plated chicken back to pan and cook for an additional minute.
• Stir sauce into pan and lower heat to medium. Simmer sauce and chicken together until sauce thickens enough to coat chicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir cashews into chicken mixture until evenly combined.
• Remove from heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve.

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks for Cashew Chicken Success

• Don’t overcrowd the skillet when initially cooking the chicken. You’ll end up with excess liquid in the skillet, causing the chicken to steam instead of sear. Cooking the chicken in batches will give them the ever so slight seared and crisp exterior.
• Use unsalted (and roasted) cashews in this dish! Salted cashews will be too much and make this dish too salty. If salted cashews are all you can find, give them a quick rinse, pat dry and throw them in a skillet over low heat for a few minutes to gain their crunch back.

Make Ahead

Cook cashew chicken as per instructions, but leave the cashews out. Cool dish and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, transfer cashew chicken to a skillet and warm over medium-low to low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. If sauce begins to dry out, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Once dish is hot stir in cashews, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve.

Freezing

Cook cashew chicken as per instructions, but leave the cashews out. Cool dish and transfer to an airtight container. Place in freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, transfer container to refrigerator and thaw. Once thawed, pour cashew chicken into a skillet and warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. If sauce begins to dry out, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Once dish is hot stir in cashews, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 772mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Cashew Chicken appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

If you’re looking for a flavorful alternative to pesto pasta, Tallarines Verde is exactly what you need. This dish literally translates to “green noodles” and gives traditional pesto pasta a Peruvian spin, turning simple ingredients like basil, spinach, walnuts, queso fresco, and evaporated milk into a restaurant-quality, refreshingly light sauce.

While the emerald green hue is show-stopping all on its own, you’ll love the balance of rich creaminess and fresh herbs in every bite. It’s like a cross between comforting, simple Cacio e Pepe, rich, creamy Alfredo, and vibrant chimichurri. So when you can’t decide which feeling you’re after, you can’t go wrong with this Peruvian green spaghetti! The entire dish takes just 20 minutes to toss together, making it one of our favorite flavor-packed weekday dinners.

What is Tallarines Verde?

Tallarines Verde translates to “green noodles” and is a mashup of Peruvian and Italian cuisine. Playing on Italian pesto, this version relies on ingredients more common in Peru, replacing the bulk of basil for leafy spinach, swapping parmesan cheese for queso fresco, using less-expensive and ultra-flavorful walnuts, and giving it a creamier feel by blending everything up with milk.

Traditionally, the sauce is heated before adding it to the pasta, but our take has a more pesto-like vibe by leaving the ingredients raw before blending, then tossing with noodles.

How to Make Tallarines Verde?

Ingredients

Process

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a handful of salt followed by spaghetti. Boil spaghetti until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and toss in a small amount of olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Place shallots, garlic, walnuts, spinach, basil, cheese, milk, and oil into a food processor.

3. Blend until mixture is super smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour mixture into a large bowl and top with spaghetti.

5. Toss together until fully combined. Adjust seasonings. Top with more crumbled cheese and serve.

Tips for the BEST Tallarines Verde

• For the best deep nutty flavor, toast your walnuts first! An easy way to toast them is to spread walnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven at 350°F for about five minutes, or until fragrant. Be sure to keep a close eye on them, as they can go from toasted to burnt in just a minute.
• After cooking your pasta to al dente, be sure to drizzle and toss it with olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other while you finish the sauce.
• We know it’s tempting to just toss all the ingredients into the food processor and whirl away, but don’t do it! By processing the ingredients in intervals: breaking down the coarser walnuts, shallots, and garlic first, then the softer ingredients before drizzling in the liquid, you’ll get the smoothest sauce possible.
• You can use other types of milk for this recipe, but evaporated milk gives it a light and creamy texture, which we absolutely love!

Variations

To use what you have or make this recipe your own, try these substitutions and variations:

• Swap the walnuts for other nuts, like pine nuts, for a more classic pesto, or use almonds, pecans, or cashews to switch up the flavor.
• In addition to, or in place of, the spinach, you can use a variety of greens, including baby kale (for a heartier green), arugula (for a peppery flavor), more basil, or even some cilantro for a brighter spin.
• Make this recipe dairy-free by skipping the cheese and replacing the evaporated milk with canned coconut milk or even oat or almond milk. If you want a cheesy flavor boost without dairy, a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast will add a pop of earthy cheesy flavor to the sauce.

What to Serve with Our Tallarines Verde?

To make this recipe a complete meal, serve it with:

A protein:

• Shrimp scampi
• Coconut shrimp
• Grilled steak
• Chicken thighs
• Pistachio crusted pork chops
• Air fryer pork chops
• Air fried chicken breast
• Salmon

A side:

• Roasted green beans
• Garlic bread
• Side salad
• Shaved Brussels sprout salad
• Panzanella salad

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

Storing

You can make the sauce up to two days ahead of time and store it in the refriferator until ready to use. Let it sit out at room temperaure while you’re making the pasta, then toss with hot, freshly drained noodles just before serving.

To store leftover Tallarines Verde, add the noodle and sauce mixture to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta may absorb some of the moisture from the sauce, so this tends to be better when eaten within 24 hours, but still tastes delicious up to 3 days.

Freezing

You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months before adding it to pasta. Just add it to an airtight container and freeze in portions. When ready to use, just let the sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheating

To reheat the Tallarines Verde, add the pasta to a skillet over medium-low heat and gently heat, stirring as it warms, adding a splash of milk if needed to thin the mixture out.

More Delicious Pasta and Noodle Recipes You Will Love

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Tallarines Verde

Tallarines Verde turns weeknight pasta into a Peruvian feast with a vibrant green sauce that's creamier than pesto, easier than Alfredo, and so delicious you won't even realize you're eating your greens.

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine peruvian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 450kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 3 roughly smashed garlic cloves
• ⅔ cup toasted and roughly chopped walnuts
• 2 cups packed baby spinach (about 1.8 ounces)
• 1 cup packed basil leaves (about 0.8 ounces)
• 4 ounces queso fresco plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt
• cracked black pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a handful of salt followed by spaghetti. Boil spaghetti until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and toss in a small amount of olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.
• Place shallots, garlic, walnuts, spinach, basil, cheese, milk, and oil. into the well of a blender and blend until smooth. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Pour mixture into a large bowl with spaghetti. Toss together until fully combined. Adjust seasonings. Top with more crumbled queso and serve.

Notes

Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

Storing

You can make the sauce up to two days ahead of time and store it in the refriferator until ready to use. Let it sit out at room temperaure while you’re making the pasta, then toss with hot, freshly drained noodles just before serving.

To store leftover Tallarines Verde, add the noodle and sauce mixture to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta may absorb some of the moisture from the sauce, so this tends to be better when eaten within 24 hours, but still tastes delicious up to 3 days.

Freezing

You can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months before adding it to pasta. Just add it to an airtight container and freeze in portions. When ready to use, just let the sauce thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheating

To reheat the Tallarines Verde, add the pasta to a skillet over medium-low heat and gently heat, stirring as it warms, adding a splash of milk if needed to thin the mixture out.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1354IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Tallarines Verde (Peruvian Green Spaghetti) appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

I couldn’t be more excited about our parmesan and Panko-Crusted Lamb Chops Recipe! This recipe is DELICIOUS and so easy to make. These lamb chops make a great main dish, but I also LOVE serving it as a hand held appetizer!

I also love these panko-crusted lamb chops because they come together from start to finish in under 30 minutes! This means you can make these even on a busy weeknight! The parmesan and panko crust with the bits of tarragon and chives really take the rib chops to the next level. They’re just so so good, and I hope you love them as much as I do!

How to Make Panko Crusted Lamb Chops Recipe

Process

1. In a shallow bowl combine flour, garlic powder and paprika. Whisk together.
2. In another shallow bowl combine panko, Parmesan, tarragon, and 1 tablespoon chives. Whisk together.

3. Generously season lamb chops with salt and pepper.

4. Dredge lamb chops in flour and shake off any excess. Next dip lamb chops in beaten egg, shaking off any excess. Finally dredge each lamb chop in the panko mixture until fully coated. Shake off any excess mixture.

5. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Once oil is hot, add lamb chops and sear for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip each chop and continue to sear for another 4 to 5 minutes or until panko mixture has browned and lamb has an internal temperature of 130˚F (for medium-rare doneness) or 140˚F (for medium doneness).

6. Remove from heat, lightly season with sea salt flakes and remaining sliced chives.

Why Panko is the Best Breading

Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb. It’s made of crustless bread that is processed in a way that the flakes don’t absorb as much oil as other breadcrumbs. This results in a crispier product overall when baked, air-fried or fried.

What to Serve with Our Lamb Chops

When we serve our panko-crusted lamb chops as an entree, there are so many amazing side dishes to serve with it that comes to mind. A few of our favorites are below!

• Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin
• Roasted Cauliflower
• Caesar Salad
• Cauliflower Parsnip and Roasted Garlic Mash
• Apple Fennel Stuffing
• Avocado and Gem Lettuce Salad

Tips and Tricks for Success

• If you have time, remove lamb chops from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before coating and cooking them. This will help with even cooking.
• If you’re having an issue with the breading not sticking, you can bread the chops and refrigerate them (on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack) for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, which will help the breading stick.

More Delicious Lamb Recipes You Will Love

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Panko-Crusted Lamb Chops Recipe

A crazy-delicious and very simple Parmesan and Panko-Crusted Lamb Chops Recipe, made in under 30 minutes! Our recipe is perfect to serve as an appetizer, but hearty enough to stand alone as the main course for dinner! Just pair the chops with a side of Roasted Cauliflower and some Buttery Spatzle and you have an incredible meal that will satisfy anyone!

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 703kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced tarragon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
• 1 rack lamb chops, cut into individual ribs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a shallow bowl combine flour, garlic powder and paprika. Whisk together.
• In another shallow bowl combine panko, Parmesan, tarragon, and 1 tablespoon chives.Whisk together.
• Generously season lamb chops with salt and pepper.
• Dredge lamb chops in flour and shake off any excess.
• Next dip lamb chops in beaten egg, shaking off any excess.
• Finally dredge each lamb chop in the panko mixture until fully coated. Shake off any excess mixture.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat and add oil.
• Once oil is hot, add lamb chops and sear for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Flip each chop and continue to sear for another 4 to 5 minutes or until panko mixture has browned and lamb has an internal temperature of 130˚F (for medium-rare doneness) or 140˚F (for medium doneness).
• Remove from heat, lightly season with sea salt flakes and remaining sliced chives.

Notes

Tips and Tricks for Success

• If you have time, remove lamb chops from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before coating and cooking them. This will help with even cooking.
• If you’re having an issue with the breading not sticking, you can bread the chops and refrigerate them (on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack) for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, which will help the breading stick.

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 804mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 7mg

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