The perfect salad for Christmas Dinner

No matter what your entree is for Christmas dinner, I’m willing to be that this Christmas Salad will go with it.

It’s a combination of peppery arugula and crisp radicchio, topped with juicy oranges, creamy goat cheese, cinnamon roasted almonds and beautiful pomegranate seeds.

But the thing that sets this salad apart is the zesty orange dressing. It’s creamy but not too creamy, filled with the flavor of fresh orange juice, sweetened with a bit of honey, and made a bit tangy by white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard.

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Air Fried Brussel Sprouts

Have you seen that meme about how everybody hated Brussels sprouts in the 80’s and 90’s because they didn’t have the same marketing person they have now? Back then, they were steamed and bland, but now they’re fried and flavorful!

The Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts I’m sharing today have the NEW marketing person, but with the healthful twist of air frying rather than deep frying.

Because we all know that a boiled or steamed sprout just can’t compare to a crispy one. It’s all about that deep golden brown deliciousness, and your air fryer can get it done!

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Green Bean Casserole Crockpot Recipe

If you’ve been underwhelmed by classic green bean casserole made with canned soup, I really don’t blame you. It’s not my favorite, either.

So I set out to not only give it a fresh and flavorful upgrade, but also do it in a crockpot, so your casserole doesn’t have to take up valuable oven space on Thanksgiving or Christmas. What can I say, I enjoy a challenge.

I ended up testing this recipe five times to get it just right for you. It uses fresh green beans and fresh mushrooms (no gloppy canned cream of mushroom soup).

It’s the perfect balance of cooked but not mushy, saucy but not too liquidy, and it’s the epitome of comfort food with the convenience of slow cooking.

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Ever wonder what to make with Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Here is the answer!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but with a gathering of just five people, we’re often stuck with quite a bit of leftovers after the big meal.

While you can simply reheat leftover mashed potatoes and drizzle them with homemade gravy a second time around, my favorite way to serve leftover mashed potatoes is this Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole.

Make this, and you’ll use up 4 cups of mashed potatoes, so this might be the only leftover recipe you need (or, you can easily make a half batch of this if you have less leftovers).

It’s loaded with all the good stuff, like bacon, cheese, sour cream and two kinds of onions, and topped with crushed cheese crackers for good measure.

“This recipe is a winner! Easy to improvise if needed. I made it yesterday and it turned out to be melt in your mouth, delicious and memorable. Absolutely perfect way to use up leftovers!”

—Melinda

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Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe

If you see all types of fall squashes at the grocery store, but are intimidated by preparing them, I’m here to take the mystery out of roasting delicata squash, at least.

Delicata squash is one of the easiest fall squashes to turn into a side dish, because it’s easy to cut, the skin is edible (no peeling), and the sweet, mellow flavor pairs well with a variety of entrees.

To go above and beyond most roasted delicata squash recipes, this one has a no-cook, two-ingredient glaze that transforms the humble squash into something you’d find at an upscale restaurant.

What is Delicata Squash?

Delicata squash, which is also sometimes known as sweet potato squash, is a winter squash with a creamy texture and sweet, nutty flavor.

It has thin, edible skin, which sets it apart from many other winter squash varieties. It’s easy to prepare because you don’t have to peel it!

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This Instant Pot Sweet Potato recipe couldn’t be easier

Is your stovetop full on Thanksgiving? Or do you just love using your pressure cooker?

Or, perhaps your goal is to make the most luscious mashed sweet potatoes of your life. These are the ones for you.

Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes come together quick, and with little fuss. Where the magic happens is all the things we’re going to mix into them, including bourbon, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Everybody is going to want a second scoop of these velvety sweeties, I guarantee it.

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Fajita Veggies are a nostalgic classic.

If you also came of age in the 1980’s and 90’s, maybe you can relate: fajitas were (are!) THE BEST!

When I was a kid, and we went to a restaurant that served chicken or shrimp fajitas, I was definitely ordering them.

The excitement of them coming to the table in a sizzling skillet couldn’t be beat! Even now, a homemade fajita bar is one of my favorite ways to throw a party.

My family also made fajitas at home quite a bit when I was growing up. And, as was typical for the time, we used a packet of “Fajita Seasoning Mix” to flavor our meal.

It tasted great, but upon closer inspection recently, I’ve realized the packet contained sketchy ingredients like “corn syrup solids” and “caramel color.”

You know what? I’ll pass. The good news is that now that I’m a confident cook with a well-stocked spice drawer, I don’t need the packet. These homemade fajita veggies have all the flavor you need with no weird additives that you don’t.

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This is the BEST Stuffing Recipe

You know how you hear about people taking recipes to their grave? My husband’s grandma seriously did that with her Thanksgiving bread stuffing.

It was the best turkey stuffing in the whole wide world, and I consider myself a stuffing aficionado. It had a simple, comforting flavor and was toasted to perfection.

Try as we might, we never got Mary Ellen to give up the recipe for her turkey stuffing. The only detail she ever gave us was “well, I just soak the bread in milk, really.”

So, ever since Mary Ellen passed, it’s been my mission to try to recreate this recipe. Using some flavor memories based on what Jeff and I can recall about Grandma’s stuffing, I first published my best educated guess of how this stuffing was created back in 2014.

Using reader comments and e-mails ever since, I’ve made revisions to the recipe to keep getting it closer and closer to the original.

The recipe card below reflects nine years of work, and at least a dozen tests. At this point, I think I’m a close as I can get to honoring the flavors of Mary Ellen’s stuffing.

The recipe in the card below will yield you a delicious old fashioned bread stuffing to serve alongside your Thanksgiving turkey, I guarantee it.

“I ran across your Grandma Mary Ellen’s stuffing recipe last year and what a hit it was!! Thank you!! I too have been searching for a recipe similar to my Grandmother’s and your recipe is spot on!”

—Mary

What is stuffing?

Stuffing, also known as dressing, is a quintessential part of holiday feasts, specially where turkey is served. It’s a mixture of cubed bread, vegetables, and seasonings, and it produces a very comforting blend of flavors and textures.

Technically, it’s called “stuffing” when it gets stuffed into the bird, and “dressing” when its cooked in a separate baking dish.

But, since you tend to have to overcook the turkey to make sure the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, we just cook ours in a baking dish, but we’ve always still called it stuffing.

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Deliciously classic Russet Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Cream

Mashed potatoes are my ultimate comfort food, and I was taught to make them the best they can possibly be in culinary school.

This homemade mashed potatoes recipe takes the dish to a new level of creaminess and indulgence with heavy cream and butter. It’s also seasoned to perfection with four secret spices I learned from some of the best chefs in the country.

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Get ready for the Best Thanksgiving Salad

For me, Thanksgiving dinner usually isn’t complete without a salad, and I’ve made this same really good Thanksgiving green salad recipe year after year. 

This salad for Thanksgiving is a combination of sweet and savory flavors using seasonal ingredients, and it’s easy to prep a lot of it in advance. Simply toss it together right before dinner!

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