Caesar salad was the gateway salad for my kids—it’s the first one they enjoyed and the way they learned that they do, in fact, like salad. For a while we relied on salad kits from the store, but as our family (and appetites) have grown, I wanted an easy homemade option I could use that cost less and made the logistics of salads for my family straight forward. This recipe is the answer....

If you love German food as much as we do, be sure to also try my Sauerbraten, Red Cabbage (Rotkohl), German Apple Cake, and Apfelstrudel! If you haven’t realized yet, I’m a huge fan of German cuisine! It’s so good and always makes me miss one of my favorite countries I’ve ever been to. Every time I go, I make sure to eat my fill of spaetzle while I can!...

Gnocchi was the first thing I ever cooked. I must have been 4 or 5, and I remember watching PBS (that’s the public television channel, for my non-US readers) and there was a cooking show on. And on that show they were making gnocchi. I watched raptly for long enough to know that I NEEDED to have gnocchi in my life immediately! So I ran over to my dad and told him they were cooking something on TV and we had to make it....

Sweet Potato Recipes I have always loved cooking and baking with sweet potatoes, and have relied on them as an ingredient from everything from pancakes and muffins, to casseroles, skillet dinners, crock pot meals, desserts, and more. I started with Sweet Potato Baby Food, then moved on to more complex flavors and recipes. With the naturally sweet flavor, you can use sweet potato to enhance so many recipes, both sweet and savory....

I love making simple frostings to top kids birthday cake recipes, cupcakes, and treats for family holidays, and this yogurt-based one is one of my favorites. (It ranks right up there with my Cream Cheese Frosting!) It’s easy to make, simple to add flavor to, and spreads on so easily. The key to this frosting is to start with thick Greek yogurt. This ensures that it won’t be too liquid when you go to spread it onto the cake and that it has a texture similar to classic frosting recipes....

Traditional Sauerbraten Recipe Sauerbraten is one of the national dishes of Germany, and this version is the most authentic I can make it. The flavor is absolutely amazing, I always get rave reviews about it when I make it. Served with rotkohl and spaetzle, it’s a filling meal that everyone will love! I have long loved German food, German culture, and the German language. I even lived in Frankfurt for a time, and the very first meal I ever ate in Germany was a plate of sauerbraten with spaetzle and rotkohl, and you can bet I ate the whole thing....

From hearty one dish meals like Chicken Pot Pie Casserole to Johnny Marzetti, to sides like Squash Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole, they are must-haves in my life. Yes, my friends, we deserve to have easy, cozy, undemanding days. This green rice casserole will make sure you have all that and some more. More when it comes to taste and flexibility. Creamy, cheesy mishmash of just a few things and the goodness of spinach....

What is Street Corn? Mexican street corn, (aka “elote,”) is a popular Mexican street food made with lightly charred grilled corn on the cob coated with a creamy sauce with hints of garlic and lime, then topped with various toppings like cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. It’s a delicious snack or side dish that’s especially popular during outdoor festivals, fairs, and gatherings, and it’s sure to be a hit at your next backyard cookout!...

If you’ve never grilled your greens yet, it’s time to change that. It takes lettuce from basic sustenance to something spectacular. A little smoky from the charred bits, extra tender and juicy, but maintains some of that crunch. Remember the wedge salad? Well this is also a knife and fork sorta salad, but even better. Elevated, if you will. It’s a striking way to serve that traditional first course. In fact, I found myself gobbling down an unprecedented portion size of salad (like, this entire head of radicchio y’all)....

Wish every day could be payday? With this Payday Pie it will feel like it! Gooey peanut butter nougat and roasted peanuts fill this delicious dessert. It’s a candy bar favorite made into pie form with a flaky buttery crust and plenty of peanuts and chewy nougat in every bite. If you love peanut butter and peanut buttery desserts, be sure to try our Peanut Butter Blondies, Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Chocolate Peanut Butter Whirligigs next!...

Peach season is too short, so don’t miss making these delightful Peach Hand Pies! They are a handheld version of your favorite summer pie full of juicy, sweet peaches at their peak freshness. Made with a buttery, flaky crust, and homemade peach pie filling, these are always a hit at pool parties and backyard BBQs. Make the most of peach season with more reader-favorites like our wildly popular Peach Ice Cream, Southern Peach Pie, Easy Peach Milkshakes, and Homemade Peach Cobbler!...

Reese’s has a different shape for their classic peanut butter cup treats every season. I love the trees at Christmas and the pumpkins at Halloween, but it’s the oval eggs at Easter that are my favorite. These taste like the real deal, except even better. Paul and I kept walking through the kitchen and slivering off pieces of the eggs and congratulating ourselves on how egg-cellent they were. Groan all you want, but I feel like that pun is mandatory at least once every Easter season....

How to Store Strawberries Berries are notorious for spoiling really quickly, which makes sense given they are delicate fruits. But there are easy ways to store strawberries that can help extend their life and give you and your family the chance to eat them all before they start to spoil. We’ll cover the best ways for how to store strawberries, whether to wash before storing, how to freeze strawberries, and favorite strawberry recipes to share with the kids....

Kids Gardening Ideas Ever since I first met my husband, he’s been an avid gardener. Each year in the late winter, he starts seedlings under heat lamps in our basement and works with the kids to get it all planted each spring. And while I’m not directly involved (I’m just responsible for cooking what they grow!), I’ve learned a few things that make gardening with kids easier. We’ve learned a few very practical strategies for involving the kids in the garden to grow some food, learn about biology (in the most laid back way possible!...

I’m a sucker for lemony treats with their lip-puckering tart flavor. And right now our lemon tree is overwhelming us with bags and bags of fresh lemons that I’m trying to use in all the things when I can’t give enough of them away. This fresh lemon brownie recipe has a dense, fudgy texture just like a regular brownie, but it is loaded with bright, citrusy flavors and covered in a tangy glaze!...

For many, sneaking a bite of raw cookie dough while baking chocolate chip cookies is a cherished childhood memory. But it was only in recent years that cookie dough transformed from a sneaky treat to a stand-alone delicacy, often enjoyed in the form of cookie dough balls and, more innovatively, as cookie cake pops. These Lofthouse Cookie Cake Pops are so easy to make, they’re great for getting the kids involved in a bit of no-bake baking!...

This Greek Eggplant Dip is so super simple, yet the end result is too good. Once I whip this up, all I need is a big pile of pitas to scoop it up. Make my version of easy Greek Eggplant Dip for your next get together, and watch the crowd gather round… I’ve made quite a few homemade dips here on GypsyPlate, but some of my favorites feature eggplant. Moroccan Zaalouk and Middle Eastern Moutabal are both so delicious that it’s tough to pick a favorite....

Succulent, tender chicken is coated in a perfectly seasoned panko coating, and then baked to crispy perfection. Yes, crispy! If you crave fried chicken without all the grease and mess, our finger lickin’ recipe is just what you need! It’s tough to beat good old fashioned fried chicken. It really is one of the ultimate comfort foods. But all those calories! And the clean up. What to do with all that oil?...

We’ve all seen the videos of how this works where you pour hot milk over the chocolate bomb inside a mug and it cracks open, revealing a flurry of the yummy hot cocoa mix and marshmallows goodies inside. It’s as fun to watch as it is to drink! This peppermint version of the classic hot chocolate bomb is a fun holiday twist for all my peppermint fans out there! If you love all things peppermint & chocolate like we do, be sure to try our Homemade Peppermint Patties, Candy Cane Peppermint Pie, and Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms next!...

Just a quick whir in the blender, and I can have my very own homemade Peri Peri Sauce. But let me warn you, these flavors are very addictive! I love making my own sauces, they’re so much better than bottled stuff. Some of my top spicy sauces are Salsa Taquera, Harissa Sauce and Jamaican Jerk Sauce. This latest addition is right up there with the best of them. What is Peri Peri?...