Tag: #homecooking

Posted in From My Kitchen

Best Fudge Recipes for Every Occasion

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Fudge comes in all shapes, colors and textures, but our 30 best fudge recipes have earned high marks (and rave reviews) for their best-in-class flavors. When the holidays roll around, be sure you’re stocked with these festive favorites.

Fudge is one of those indulgent recipes that’s surprisingly easy to make. There’s a reason you’ll find it at bake sales, tucked into gift tins or on holiday dessert tables alongside barks and brittles. A traditional fudge is made with sugar, milk (or cream), butter and chocolate, but easy recipes rely on shortcuts like canned condensed milk. No matter how it’s made, fudge becomes more than just a quick treat when the texture is right—creamy, firm and smooth enough to slice. It’s so good, you can’t just have one bite!

This collection of easy homemade fudge recipes includes technique-driven fudges alongside no-bake fudge recipes made with just two ingredients and a microwave. We included options that layer in flavor and texture with warm spices, toasted nuts and marshmallows. You’ll also find a Mackinac-style version inspired by classic candy counters. There are plenty of flavors to satisfy every sweet tooth, from raspberry to peanut butter, marshmallow, peppermint and butterscotch.

Whether it’s prepared as an easy Christmas dessert or packaged with creative wrapping ideas for homemade gifts, these recipes are timeless favorites for whenever your fudge cravings strike.

Taste of Home

Posted in From My Kitchen

Feeding the Frasers: Family Favorite Recipes Made to Feed the Five-Time CrossFit Games Champion, Mat Fraser

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Based on Sammy Moniz’s popular Instagram page, Feeding the Frasers is a book that any CrossFit aficionado—or just someone curious about how to cook with whole foods without sacrificing the world—will want to get their hands on.
Filled with 100 terrific recipes of high quality delicious food that promote balance, togetherness, indulgence, and athletic recovery.
Sammy Moniz is well known in the CrossFit community as an activist, and she is also the wife of five time champion Mat Fraser, the winningest athlete in CrossFit history and one of the most beloved.
This is her cookbook where she shares the secrets behind feeding the greatest champion of the sport.

Posted in From My Kitchen

Chili Nachos

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A recipe for chili nachos is excellent when the weather turns brisk and you need something fast and filling. A mashup of traditional chili con carne and the standard queso nacho dip, our excellent chili filled with ground beef, pinto beans, spices and creamy Velveeta easily feeds a crowd.

Serve this cheese chili nachos recipe over crunchy corn or tortilla chips, on grilled hot dogs or in a bowl with cornbread. Kick up or tone down the spice, or add vegetables to make it your own. Anything goes! Cheese chili nachos is an ideal game-day potluck recipe—just keep the chili warm in a slow cooker for weekend tailgating. Or, prep chili nachos for movie nights in the backyard, barbecues and other fun gatherings.

Ingredients for Chili Nachos

  • Ground beef: Use the type of ground beef you prefer. After browning the meat, drain it well so you don’t end up with a greasy chili base.
  • Tomato sauce: Three cans of tomato sauce give chili nachos a wonderfully saucy base with a hint of sweetness.
  • Pinto beans: Our cheese chili nachos recipe uses two cans of pinto beans. Pinto beans are a bit plumper and creamier in the center than other chili beans like kidney beans.
  • Canned diced tomatoes and green chiles: This made-in-Texas ingredient is a chili must-have. Rotel is the standard brand many cooks use, but you’ll likely see multiple brands of this popular canned item at the store.
  • Envelopes of chili mix: Not to be confused with the spice blend “chili powder,” chili seasoning mix combines spices made specifically for chili and similar dishes. It may contain a thickener like flour or cornstarch to help thicken your chili, and it has a concentrated amount of herbs and spices meant to flavor an entire batch of chili.
  • Velveeta: You could very well call this recipe cheese chili nachos due to the plentiful amount of Velveeta. It’s the not-so-secret ingredient that gives this chili its irresistible cheesy, creamy, luscious texture and consistency.
  • Heavy whipping cream: Along with Velveeta, heavy whipping cream adds a creamy richness and velvety feel to this chili.
  • Corn chips: Corn chips are the “nachos” in this chili nachos recipe. Salty and full of sweet corn flavor, corn chips make an awesome crunch against the smoothness of the creamy chili.
  • Optional toppings: While optional, sour cream, sliced jalapeno and lime wedges tie all the flavors of our chili together for the ultimate finish. Skip the jalapeno if you don’t need the extra heat.

Taste of Home

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

Our Best Pot Pie Ideas

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Pot pie is always delicious—it’s comforting and full of complex textures. Filled with hearty meat (like chicken, beef or turkey) and packed with nutritious vegetables, it’s a full dinner all in one, and pie crust or puffed pastry adds buttery flavor and flaky texture. Regardless of how you make it, this filling dinner is the definition of family-friendly comfort food. Better yet? It’s a classic one-pot meal that cuts down on cleanup. These recipes, which range from traditional to twists on the classic (pretzel topping, anyone?) all share one thing in common: they’re sure to satisfy the whole family.

This classic dish is as hearty and wholesome as it gets. It’s creamy and meaty with bold flavor from fresh thyme, bay leaves and black pepper. Mushrooms, peas, carrots and pearl onions add fresh, vegetal flavor to help round out the rich filling. A buttery, crunchy topping gets baked until golden and crispy.

Food Network

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in Book Tours

The Ultimate Make-Ahead Cookbook

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Make-ahead cookbook meals just got freezer friendly—now even more convenient.

Make-ahead cookbook meals let you spend more time with your family and less time cooking. The Ultimate Make-Ahead Cookbook gives you delicious recipes for amazing meals that freeze well, so you can make them when you have time and eat them when you don’t.

Just an hour or two with this make-ahead cookbook is all you need to prepare an entire week’s worth of fresh, homemade meals that your family will love. Two different techniques show you how to save time and money by creating several meals all at once. The batch cooking method takes just an extra 15 minutes to make four meals instead of one, while the prep now/cook later method is a super simple way to get a whole week’s worth of meals into the freezer.

This make-ahead cookbook includes:

  • Ready fast—You’ll always be just a few minutes away from a delicious meal with 125 tasty recipes like Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Sweet Thai Chili Sausages.
  • Planned ahead—Complete meal plans give you step-by-step instructions to prepare mouthwatering meals for a weekend with company or big family feasts.
  • Cook for everyone—Color-coded labels make it a snap to choose recipes for dietary restrictions, and easy-to-read nutritional info means you know exactly what you’re preparing.

Start prepping today and have a freezer full of ready-to-go meals whenever you want them with this make-ahead cookbook.

Continue reading “The Ultimate Make-Ahead Cookbook” →