There’s no denying that an Instant Pot® is a must-have for every kitchen. What’s not to love about a slow-cooker, pressure cooker and stovetop stand-in all wrapped into one compact appliance? With a few accessories and the right recipes, your multicooker can get cozy soups, crowd-pleasing chicken dinners, healthy weeknight meals and even desserts on the table with ease. Ready to put your Instant Pot® to good use? You’re in the right place—we’ve got plenty of delicious options for you to choose from.
When you think of planning a summer cookout, you might immediately think you’ll have to drop serious $$$. But we’re here to say that balling on a budget does not mean you have to skip out on any of the barbecues you plan or attend this season Hardly! With a few (quite delicious, might we add) swaps, you’ll have a full spread of barbecue sides, appetizers, and grilled favorites that more than deliver (without breaking the bank). Making a few of these 51 cheap & easy BBQ recipes might be the best budgeting has ever tasted, TBH.
Newsflash: Some of your favorite BBQ recipes are already pretty affordable! Pasta salads, potato salads, slaws, and pretty much everything with beans will not only save you a few bucks at the store, but also are always first to go at the cook-out. So do yourself a big favor and make a double batch of antipasto potato salad, Thai-style slaw, and Hawaiian macaroni salad. When in doubt, building a dish based around affordable summer produce (like watermelon, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini) will guarantee you won’t go too wild at the grocery store.
Learn to make your favorite brand-name snacks and confections using all natural ingredients in this “masterpiece of reverse engineering” (SeriousEats.com)
A cream-filled chocolate cupcake for dessert. Caramel popcorn while watching a movie. An ice cream sandwich on a hot summer day. Everyone enjoys indulging in their favorite guilty pleasures. But wouldn’t it be nice if junk food wasn’t full of junk?
With Classic Snacks Made from Scratch, you can make your own beloved snacks and vending machine classics using all-natural ingredients. You’ll discover that these simple, preservative-free recipes taste better than the brand-name originals!
This volume includes seventy salty and sweet recipes, including:
Dave’s Hot Chicken has been on a roll since its humble beginnings as a parking lot pop-up in Los Angeles. With its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, cult-like following, and celebrity investors like Usher, Samuel L. Jackson, and Maria Shriver, it’s no wonder they now boast over 100 locations across 4 countries. A few years into their meteoric rise, they debuted a vegetarian option, swapping out the chicken for cauliflower. Dubbed “Dave’s Not Chicken,” this dish offers all the bold flavors and textures of their classic hot chicken—minus the meat. If you don’t live near a Dave’s or simply want to re-create the experience at home, this recipe is your answer.
Cauliflower tenders: For the cauliflower “tenders,” which are essentially steaks, I used 2 small heads, 1 to 1 1/2 lb. each, to ensure they fit neatly on the bun. When cutting the steaks, make sure to cut them from the center where the stem holds the florets together. Save the loose florets to bread and fry as bonus bites! If only large cauliflower is available, cut 2 center steaks, then halve them.
Crispy crust: For maximum crunch, I went with a double dredge—it takes a bit more time but is totally worth it. Each steak gets dipped in the buttermilk mixture, dredged in seasoned flour, then the process is repeated. Letting the coated cauliflower rest for 30 minutes at room temperature helps create a sturdy, crispy crust.
Spice level: Dave’s also stands out for its seven spice levels, ranging from “No Spice” to the daring “Reaper,” which features the Carolina Reaper, the world’s hottest chile pepper. For context, the Reaper is twice as hot as the infamous ghost pepper! For this recipe, I went light on the spice, using 1 Tbsp. cayenne in the spice blend to achieve a medium-hot heat. Want more heat? Add 1 to 2 more Tbsp., or turn it up even further with a spicier powdered chili. Maybe you can get your hands on some of that fiery Reaper chili powder if you really want to bring the heat.
Storage: For ease, prep components like the kale slaw and creamy sauce ahead of time. The slaw keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, while the sauce lasts up to 5 days.
The highly anticipated, limited-time release of the Chicken Big Mac came and went in the blink of an eye, leaving many fans scrambling to get their hands on one before it disappeared. If you missed out, don’t worry—I’ve got some great news for you! I’ve taken matters into my own hands and created a copycat that’s just as delicious and much easier to enjoy at home. This homemade version is similar to the iconic Big Mac, with two key differences: crispy fried chicken patties swap in for the traditional beef, and the onions have been eliminated (no crying over here). Aside from that, everything else stays the same, so you can still enjoy all the Big Mac goodness, but with a delicious, chicken-filled twist.
The chicken: The Chicken Big Mac patty is essentially a larger version of a McNugget, so I used that as the blueprint. Ground chicken is combined with a bit of flour to absorb moisture, making it easier to form patties, and seasoned with onion and garlic powder for extra flavor. Here’s a helpful tip: Keep a bowl of water nearby when forming your patties. Dipping your hands in the water will keep the chicken from sticking and make the process much smoother.
Once shaped, the patties are popped into the freezer for a brief chill. This step helps firm them up, making it easier to dredge and batter them later. For the batter, McDonald’s describes it as “tempura-style,” so after checking their ingredient list, I decided on a blend of flour and fine-ground cornmeal, a touch of baking powder for leavening, and ice-cold water for a light and crispy texture.
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree 