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When you are planning out a dinner menu for a special occasion, some of our other simple but elevated favorites are Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles, Easy Creamy Corn Casserole, and Southern Cornbread Dressing. These individually portioned twice-baked sweet potatoes are going to be the star of your holiday feast! They are a like a sweeter, Fall version of my favorite Twice Baked Potatoes. There is a casual sophistication to serving creamy mashed sweet potatoes in their own skins!...

I always buy produce with the best of intentions: to consume as quickly as possible and eat many fruits and veggies as I can. But, it happens sometimes that I don’t get to something right away–I’ll get distracted by last minute cravings, other cooking projects, or over estimate how much food we can eat in a week (whoops). And so it happened that I ended up with a sad bunch of carrots, their crispness just a faded memory....

This hearty white bean soup is filled with everyday aromatics like onions, garlic, tomatoes, and celery. But the real magic happens when I add a generous drizzle of olive oil at the end. The result? Unbelievably creamy, velvety bean deliciousness that I absolutely adore. It’s no wonder it’s often called the national dish of Greece. Surprised? A humble bean thing can be as equally revered and adored as their popular moussakas, souvlakis and tzatziki....

For the longest time, I didn’t think I liked Bran Muffins—or raisin bran muffins—so I had no interest in making them. And then I realized I simply hadn’t gotten the recipe right. Now that I figured out this recipe, all I can say is I am officially a Bran Muffin super fan! With a nutty flavor and texture, the versatility to add any fruit you like, and perfect results when serving straight out of the fridge of freezer, this is the very best Bran Muffin recipe I’ve ever made....

Silicone Plates Choosing kids plates made from food-grade silicone is an affordable, nontoxic, BPA-free, and phthalate-free option that lasts for years–and often through subsequent kids. To help you sort through the options on the market, I’m going to share the best ones we’ve found that can withstand years of testing, washing, and using in real life. They are easy to wash, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe. Many can even go into the oven....

Vanilla Yogurt I always have at least one container of plain yogurt in my fridge, and often I have both regular and Greek-style because I use it in recipes and we eat it as the base of meals. It’s so easy to turn it into vanilla yogurt that’s just sweet enough and seriously delicious. I love this method for making vanilla yogurt at home since I can ensure it tastes exactly how my family likes it....

Zucchini Baby Food All year round, though for sure more in the warmer weather, zucchini is always available as an easy veggie option. And it’s such a great baby food since it’s quick to cook, endlessly versatile, and can be prepared one way to serve baby-led weaning style or as a puree. This easy method takes about 15 minutes start to finish, freezes well, and can be combined with other baby foods if you want to add other nutrients and flavors....

I’m of the opinion that the internet needs more pasta recipes. Particularly those that involve olive oil and garlic linguine on beds of vegan whipped ricotta!! And so, I am here for you with this tasty dish! This delicious combo was born after I had some serious pea ricotta cravings. The creamy, sweet pea and soft cheese combo is so good I’m hard put to not just eat it straight with a spoon....

We love to barbeque at our house! Some of our other favorite recipes are my Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends, Grilled Ribeye Steak, Sriracha Mayo Marinated Lamb Chops, and Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs! This isn’t the first recipe I’ve shared extolling the merits of good barbecue, and it won’t be the last. Americans love their BBQ! But each state does it a little differently, often because of the influence of available ingredients or the backgrounds of the people living there....

We love easy pastries made with frozen puff pastry! If you have some in your freezer, be sure to also check out our Easy Blackberry Turnovers or for a savory option this Asparagus Tart. I have been dying to share this ridiculously simply guava pastry recipe with you. I’m using it to kick off Florida Week as part of my American Eats series. Which is apparently going to be more like Cuba week because when I was researching the foods that Florida is well-known for, most of foods mentioned were Cuban in origin!...

When it comes to the best ham glaze recipe, I find that a sweet, spiced, and slightly citrusy approach is the perfect balance with the smoky, salty flavor of ham. This brown sugar glazed ham recipe takes only a few minutes to prepare and combines brown sugar, fresh orange juice, molasses, spicy mustard, horseradish, and warm spices like allspice and cinnamon for the most amazing ham ever. Every juicy, succulent slice of meat gets treated with this delicious glaze that soaks in and caramelizes around the edges as the ham heats in the oven....

There are quite a few unofficial Harry Potter cookbooks out these days with recipes for some of the more creative, imagined foods like chocolate frogs or cockroach clusters. But as I was recently re-reading the Harry Potter books with my kids, I was inspired to gather together a list of foods for a more authentic Harry Potter experience that focuses on the wizarding fare that even us muggles frequently make and enjoy in the real world, especially ones that we can recreate without a lot of fussy decorating skills....

Homemade Chicken Nuggets I know many kids love chicken nuggets, and they are a great option for easy meals that are filled with nutrients, including protein. And this homemade version also has sweet potato, for more flavor and nutrition. If you start with ground chicken, rather than breast or thigh meat, you can get right to the mixing and shaping the nuggets, without any grinding or chopping of meat required. It’s such an easy method to make a favorite toddler chicken recipe for kids....

These Healthy Oatmeal Cookies have a batter loaded with nutritious ingredients including a full cup of carrots, a grated apple, raisins, and oatmeal—and they taste SO good. I love baking these with my girls because there’s no need for electric tools and you can mix the batter together in one bowl. The kids usually nibble on the carrots and apples as they help! The sweetness in this recipe comes from the produce and honey....

When I was growing up Little Debbie brownies were just regular frosted brownies with walnuts on the top. Still definitely a yummy childhood lunchbox treat, but it wasn’t until 1999 when Little Debbie introduced their cosmic brownies with the rainbow colored chocolate pieces on top that they seemed to gain a cult following! While some folks might guess that the name comes from their colorful chips giving these galaxy brownies an intergalactic look, the moniker was actually in tribute to the popular cosmic bowling craze of the 90’s!...

Looking for more super satisfying meatless options for your family? Be sure to try our Vegetarian Swiss Chard and Pinto Bean Burritos, Grilled Summer Vegetable Quesadillas, and Creamy Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Risotto! Veggie Pizza Recipe There is so much to love about a good veggie pizza! It’s easily customizable, you can load it with all your favorite healthy vegetable choices, and it’s meatless so it’s great if you vegetarians in your family!...

Last year our daughter was in 3rd grade, which in California means it was her year to learn to play the recorder. Which means we heard an awful lot of squeaky, ear-splitting renditions of the childrens’ nursery rhyme song “Hot Cross Buns” on a regular basis. I would get “hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns” stuck in my head for days. It made me wonder, not for the first time, what hot cross buns actually tasted like since I didn’t grow up with them....

If you are a seafood-lover like we are at our house, be sure to also check out our Pan Seared Scallops, Easy Grilled Shrimp Skewers, and Maine Lobster Rolls! How to Cook Alaskan King Crab Legs When I was planning the recipes I wanted to share for Alaska Week in my American Eats series, I knew I wanted to make Alaskan king crab legs. Mostly because even though I always see them at the store, I had truthfully never actually purchased them before!...

I make a lot of food that I never photograph or share with you guys. It’s not because it’s not delicious, but because I’m too hungry (or occasionally too lazy) to plan or take photos or measure ingredients and generally be meticulous about the process. This chickpea and kale recipe was originally one of those meals. We were at home on our last night before a short trip, and had a big beautiful bunch of lacinato kale to use up....

This Indian curry is so good it’s going to make you want to buy extra kale every week. You would never guess while eating it, but the spiced kofta hides an entire huge bunch of curly kale in it! When kale is mixed with some mashed potato and chickpea flour, then fried (or baked, your call) to golden perfection, the resulting kofta tastes like a fully guilt-ridden indulgence, until wait!...