Every parent knows that early August feeling with back to school just around the corner. It’s the Sunday scaries of the summer—you’re still enjoying leisurely evenings, but you know busy weeknights are just ahead.

The first thing to fall apart around here is a good dinner schedule. So I’ve developed a routine of go-to meals that I can throw together with minimal time and effort any night of the week.

Next time you’re trying to figure out what to have for dinner, put away the takeout menu and reach for this list of easy weeknight dinner recipes instead.

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I watched along with everyone else when Costco released their Marshmallow Crispy Cookies last year. And after months of craving them between shopping trips, I decided it was finally time to come up with a copycat recipe that I could make at home.

I started with my cornflake cookie recipe and started tweaking it until I replicated the flavor and thin yet chewy texture of the Costco cookies. In the end, after about 6 rounds of testing, I finally nailed it.

These rice krispie cookies have all of the flavor of classic rice krispie treats packed into drop-cookie form. They’re perfectly chewy with a crisp bite thanks to the rice cereal, and we can’t forget the melty, gooey marshmallows dotted throughout. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt balances the sweetness for the perfect finish.

Even better? This is a no-chill dough, so you can mix the dough together and bake the cookies right away. You can go from craving rice krispie treat cookies to eating them in less than an hour.

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This beer cheese dip is a recipe that is very, very special to me. It was the recipe that my best friend and neighbor Heather would bring to every single party. And every single time, it would get absolutely demolished. Everyone loved it.

Heather passed away in early 2025. I have missed her every single day since, but making some of the recipes she shared with me helps me feel closer to her. When I make her lunch lady bars and this beer cheese dip recipe, I remember all of the best times we shared together. 

I’ll never stop missing her, but taking this dip to parties and sharing her recipes with all of you keeps her memory alive. I guess that’s just the power of food, right?

Heather’s ranch beer cheese dip only takes about 5 minutes to make; just mix everything together with an electric mixer, then chill for an hour before serving. It’s thick and creamy, with plenty of cream cheese, beer, and ranch seasoning. Add it to your next party menu and watch it disappear.

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If you’ve been an MBA reader for a while, you know how much I love making recipes using cake mix. As much as I love baking from scratch, being able to turn a box of cake mix into something that tastes homemade is a super useful skill in the kitchen.

After all, you never know when you’ll need to bring a dessert to a party but won’t have time to spend more than a few minutes in the kitchen!

This pistachio poke cake recipe is the latest in my lineup of easy poke cakes. It starts with a cake mix and instant pistachio pudding mix and adds a few simple ingredients for a super easy, delicious, crowd-pleasing dessert that requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time.

Make this one for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter celebrations, summer cookouts, game-day parties, or simply because you’re craving a pistachio cake.

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I love baking from scratch and do so all of the time. But there are times when I need to throw together a dessert quickly, and that’s when I love bringing out a box of cake mix.

My doctored cake mix recipe was the original recipe that made me realize how easy it was to take any flavor cake mix and turn it into something special with just a few simple ingredients.

Over the years I’ve made dozens of recipes using cake mix. Not just classic cakes and cupcakes, but cookies and bar desserts and coffee cakes and more. 

Whether you’re just learning to bake and want an easy place to start or need an easy recipe to take to your next potluck, you’ve come to the right place.

The post 30 Easy Dessert Recipes Made with a Box of Cake Mix appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

Remember when I shared my dill pickle dip recipe a few weeks ago? Well, I’m back with more pickle goodness. What can I say: I’m obsessed with Grillo’s pickles right now, and so is my family.

I have made this dill pickle pasta salad recipe multiple times over the last month. I’ve shared it with neighbors, taken it to parties, and snuck bites of it right from the fridge late at night. It never lasts long because it gets absolutely inhaled every time I make it.

There’s just something about the crunchy pickles paired with salty, crispy bacon, bits of cheese, and cooked pasta. The creamy dressing gets extra tang and dill pickle flavor from some of the pickle juice.

You can throw this recipe together in less than 30 minutes. It’s as easy as cooking the pasta, whisking together the dressing, and tossing everything together.

I recommend letting this creamy pasta salad chill for about 3 hours before serving it, so it’s great for making ahead. Take it with you to cookouts, pack it up for picnics, add it to a game-day spread…your friends and family will thank you.

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I love when I make a recipe that combines all of my favorite things. With this lemon gooey butter cake recipe, I get the best cross between lemon bars, cheesecake, and a doctored cake mix recipe.

This recipe only requires about 15 minutes of prep time. After baking for 40 minutes, let it cool before digging in. You’ll have a dessert that was easy to make but your friends and family will ask for again and again.

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What is broccoli cranberry salad?

Here in the Midwest, it seems like every family has their version of this easy broccoli salad, kind of like how every seems to have their own version of macaroni salad. Some have a sweeter dressing. One of my friends has an aunt who makes it without the cheese and uses raisins instead of dried cranberries.

If you’re not familiar with broccoli cranberry salad, it’s an easy no-cook salad that uses broccoli florets as the base. Dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese are added, and the whole thing gets tossed with a creamy mayo-based dressing.

It’s a salad that’s full of great contrasts in both flavor and texture. Crunchy raw broccoli, crisp and salty bacon, sweet and chewy dried cranberries, and the creamy dressing. It’s a combination of ingredients you wouldn’t expect to go together, but it really does work!

Since this recipe is so easy and doesn’t require any cooking, it’s always a popular side dish at cookouts and summer potlucks. But it also makes a great addition to holiday tables, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Mayonnaise: For the best flavor, use a good mayonnaise. Duke’s is one of my favorite brands. You could also use homemade mayonnaise.
• Red wine vinegar: Adds tang to the dressing. You could use apple cider vinegar instead.
• Sugar: To add sweetness to the dressing. If you prefer a sweeter dressing, increase the sugar and reduce the vinegar.
• Broccoli: Cut into bite-sized pieces. Don’t cook it! You want the crunchy texture from the raw broccoli. You can also swap some or all of the broccoli for raw cauliflower if you prefer.
• Diced red onion: Substitute diced shallot for a more subtle flavor. You can also soak the diced red onion in ice water for 15 minutes, then drain well before using. This will tone down some of the “bite” that usually accompanies raw red onion.
• Dried cranberries: The tart sweetness and chewy texture both add a lot of depth to this salad. 
• Cooked and crumbled bacon: You could also use real bacon bits, although I like the added crispy texture from freshly cooked bacon.
• Shredded cheddar cheese: Optional, but highly recommended. You can shred your own or used pre-shredded cheese.
• Salted sunflower seeds: Make sure to grab salted ones! If you don’t like sunflower seeds, you could roughly chop roasted and salted almonds to use instead.

Print

Broccoli Cranberry Salad

Crisp broccoli, sweet dried cranberries, salty bacon, and a creamy dressing make for an easy and delicious side dish for all of your summer cookouts and holiday meals!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon, broccoli, cheese, cranberries, Vegetables

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 361kcal

Author Jamie

Equipment

• Mixing bowl set

Ingredients

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 heads fresh broccoli cut into small, bite-size pieces
• ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• ½ pound bacon cooked until crisp and chopped into bits
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese optional
• ⅓ cup salted sunflower seeds

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add in broccoli, onion and cranberries and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 heads fresh broccoli, ⅓ cup finely diced red onion, ¾ cup dried cranberries
• Before serving, stir in bacon, cheese and sunflower seeds.
  ½ pound bacon, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ⅓ cup salted sunflower seeds
• Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

• Salad can be made up to a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Wait to add the bacon, cheese, and sunflower seeds until just before serving.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Variations

• Salad can be made with cauliflower in place of the broccoli, or with a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.
• If you prefer a sweeter, less tangy dressing, you can reduce the red wine vinegar and increase the sugar in the dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 891IU | Vitamin C: 109mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 1mg

More easy salad recipes

If you love this broccoli salad recipe, you might also enjoy my cranberry chicken salad. It also pairs sweet dried cranberries into a savory salad base that’s great for lunches or picnics.

Pasta salad is always a favorite around here. Bacon ranch pasta salad is super easy and brings in the same bacon and cheese pairing as this recipe.

If you can’t have a cookout or potluck without potato salad, give my easy potato salad recipe a try! The secret to maximum flavor: tossing the hot potatoes in vinegar and salt.

And another regional favorite: Amish pea salad with ham and cheese. It’s another one that can be made in advance and is always a hit at summer gatherings!

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S’mores are one of my favorite summertime treats. In fact, they might come second only to cheesecake.

I love the gooey toasted marshmallows. I love the warm, melty chocolate. I love the sweet, crisp graham crackers.

They’re pretty much the perfect summer treat.

I love them so much, that I have spent years coming up with fun twists on the classic campfire combination of marshmallow + chocolate + graham crackers. And I thought it was about time to pull some of my favorite variations into one place!

The post 12 Summer-Ready S’mores Recipes appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

I’ve been making strawberry pretzel salad pretty much my whole life. I fondly remember making it with my Nana for all types of occasions. Our whole family loved that classic combination of sweet and salty flavors.

As an adult, I’ve branched out and started experimenting with different fruits in this family favorite dessert. This pineapple version is a newer favorite, but one that we really love. 

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