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This apple cheddar galette is giving me LIFE. 

Yessss I know I’m going over the top with apples. But can you blame me?

The best of the best are in season and to make them into almost-pie is the first step.

If you have a copy of my first book, Seriously Delish, then you know that I have a white cheddar apple cobbler in there. Or crumble! Maybe it’s a crumble.

Whatever it is, it’s fantastic and it’s one of the first recipes that got my family on board with the whole apple + cheddar combo.

I know that a lot of you have enjoyed the combo for ages. That there hasn’t been an apple pie slice served without cheddar cheese. But not here! 

At least, not in that way. Apples have always been one of my favorite snacks so it wasn’t unusual for me to have an apple AND cheddar on a plate as a snack, but never eaten together. You know?

Well. If you haven’t tried the combo, you must.

It’s everything!

I used my regular galette crust (why do I feel like the queen of galettes? I googled howsweeteats + galettes and I have so many! Because pie is terrifying?) and went with this cheddar version. I first shared it this past summer when I made tomato pie (it’s life changing, for real) and it’s a dreamy, cheesy crust! 

But! My favorite part of this whole thing might be the thyme butter. Brush just a touch of it on the apples once the whole thing comes out of the oven and you will be in heaven. It’s so decadent and buttery and indulgent and delicious. While still being a slightly lighter fruit dessert!

Before you tell me I’m crazy, I’m not saying this is LIGHT, but it’s not as decadent as a huge slice of double chocolate cake or something. Right?

I mean, it’s made with fruit… SO. 

Anyhoo, you know I love a galette because it’s quicker and easier than pie. There is no stress over perfection – you just fold it into a “rustic” shape and then serve it on a fancy tray or plate from “Pottery Barn” (read: Home Goods or TJ Maxx) for that whole rustic vibe. 

And it feels fancy! 

Seriously tastes like the best slice of fall you’ve ever had.

Apple Cheddar Galette with Thyme Butter

Those little triangles of love though!

The post Honeycrisp Galette with Cheddar Crust and Thyme Butter. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I never wanted an apple fritter until I made salted apple fritters!

Because say it with me: honeycrisp season is the best season.

I mean whyyyy are these apple babes so good?

Here’s the thing. To me, honeycrisps taste like caramel apples without the caramel. That probably makes zero sense. But I think it’s a nostalgia thing. Honeycrisps would be made into caramel or candy apples when I was a kid and they were around for such a short period of time (especially back then) that they were SO special. One bite of them instantly transports me back to those magical fall days as a kid and into my head pops CARAMEL. 

Obviously, I still find the apples super special today. And they will forever be my favorite apple variety. I don’t crave caramel with an apple (I’m much more of an apple + peanut butter girl) but I love the combination once or twice during the season. 

Enough about caramel, because that has nothing to do with this recipe. And just how fantastic honeycrisps taste.

But this recipe has evvvvverrrrrything to do with honeycrisps.

SALTED HONEYCRISP FRITTERS?!

Let me start by saying I know what a royal pain it is to fry, well… anything. Especially if you have kids! Lacy and I had this full blown discussion about just.how.good a recipe has to LOOK in order to convince us to fry something.

Well, this is it. The batter is easy. Embarrassingly easy, in fact. You stir in some chopped honeycrisps and then fry in a bit of oil. Remove the fritter, glaze it and shower with flaked sea salt.

Can you even take that?! 

If you’re a lover of apples and cheddar then you will freak over this. It’s salty and sweet and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.

I mean, OMG.

Are fritters more breakfast or dessert?

I couldn’t do them for breakfast because of the carb coma that would come over me. But I could possibly do them for brunch (definitely), a snack and then even as a late night treat. Wowzas.

I’m usually very much team-apple cider doughnut but it’s quite possible that I’m asking to be traded.

Salted Apple Fritters

The crunchiest salt bite though!

The post Salted Honeycrisp Fritters. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I present to you: sheet pan nacho chicken!

Otherwise known as, Eddie’s new favorite chicken. It’s true!

Remember a few years ago when I was dead set on creating new unboring chicken recipes constantly? I’m still in that mode (thanks to Eddie!) but it’s rare that I find something different and good enough to share. 

THIS IS IT.

It’s not super different, I mean, it’s a different way to make taco-like chicken. I always like to have one of those. Especially one that isn’t made in a slow cooker. And triple-especially one that isn’t made in the instant pot, because I still loathe that thing. Whomp whomp.

But I have the answer.

This recipe contains three things that I almost always have on hand: chicken, bell peppers and onions.

The major flavor comes from lots of spices. You can leave one or two out if you don’t have them! 

And… I love to sprinkle corn cut straight from the cob into the sheet pan and roast it with everything else.

This creates the most flavorful, juiciest chicken ever.

After that? Well, it’s all about your toppings. Or your favorite condiments or whatever you deem necessary to serve with this juicy flavorbomb bite! 

Because here’s the thing. 

There are so many things you can do with this chicken!

Serve it just like this, straight off the sheet pan smothered in pico, maybe with rice or something on the side.

Shred it and serve it in tacos, of course. Or on nachos, hence the name. (My personal fave, obvs.) 

Shred it or slice it and serve it on slider buns topped with guac and salsa. 

Shred it, slice it or chop it and serve it on top of a salad, on your own burrito bowl, in a wrap of some sort (that isn’t a taco, I guess!) 

I love it.

And one more reeeeeally good idea? This might be the ultimate.

When it’s finished? Before you add anything else on top, cover it with a slice of sharp cheddar or monterey jack and stick it back in the oven for a minute or two.

UM YES.

Then do any of the above like we talked about. 

Hello new favorite chicken! Right?!

Sheet Pan Nacho Chicken

Just give me some chips to scoop this up!

The post Sheet Pan Nacho Chicken. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This pesto chicken dip is going to change your weekends!

If you’re in major football mode like I am, then you need a good dip.

Right? It’s dip season after all.

I have lots of them here on the blog (I’m looking at you, white pizza dip) but am obviously always searching out new ones. Especially for this time of year, when it’s still super hot outside and we’re craving summer flavors. Yet, everyone wants potluck-like tailgate recipes.

While this dip is definitely a comfort food, it has a bit of summer swirl in to it. In my eyes, that definitely counts.

P.S. if you’re making out this outside of the summer, say, like, mid-January? Then totally use whatever you’ve got or can find in terms of ingredients. I mean, it might sound like a good idea when you’re snowed in. 

This feels so old-school to me; like a dip I would have posted ten years ago! It’s one of those dishes that you can bring to a potluck and it will be devoured. It’s one where you think you will just have a bite or two and end up scraping the bottom of the dish with a baguette slice or cracker. 

It’s one where EVERYONE ends up asking for the recipe and one where you will find yourself making it over and over.

Those are the recipes I live for.

This dip contains lots of delicious late summer things, like the end of the tomatoes and your own pesto. It gets mixed up with smoked cheddar, cream cheese and shredded chicken – AND a dash of liquid smoke.

That’s the kicker! Everything else may taste a leeeettle smoky with the cheese, but that liquid smoke is the key. I’ve been loving it lately! 

A note about the pesto? Use whichever is your favorite. I have a classic-ish pesto here, a pistachio pesto and even a kale pesto.

Pesto chicken dip is like a last late summer hug. Tastes a little bit like your garden and a lot like indulgence. You’re going to loooovvvve it.

Pesto Chicken Dip

Save me all the crackers.

The post Cheesy Smoked Chicken Pesto Dip. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This is how we make the best fig focaccia bread!

Remember earlier this year when I made that caramelized onion focaccia?! It’s one of my favorite recipes of this year because it’s JUST SO GOOD.

And I’ve been dying to make something else similar.

See? That’s what happens to me. It’s how so many of my recipes are born. I make something… and I love it. And I decide that because I love it so much, I should try to recreate it in another form.

Honestly, it barely works out. Usually the thing I make/do is never as good as the original that I love the most.

But! In this case?

WE HAVE A WINNER.

Figs on focaccia bread. If you’re a freak for alliteration like I am, enjoy. 

Not only does this focaccia bread have tons of fresh rosemary and garlic and lots of sliced figs, it also has prosciutto wrapped blue cheese stuffed figs.

YES.

Let me say that again. Prosciutto wrapped. Blue cheese stuffed. FIGS.

The prosciutto wrapped blue cheese stuffed figs aren’t a crazy phenomenon here. I’ve made a similar version before for my summer cheese plate (you still have time to make that happen, FYI!) and they are always a favorite appetizer when fig season rolls around.

But putting said prosciutto wrapped blue cheese stuffed figs ON something? Or IN something?

I mean, that’s a mouthful. Literally. 

So I did it. And it works! 

The key is to just make a few of the stuffed figs. Kind of “stud” your bread with the figs. That means that now, it’s prosciutto wrapped blue cheese stuffed fig studded focaccia.

Aren’t you so glad I didn’t name the entire recipe that above?

Once baked, the stuffed figs work their magic in the bread. The prosciutto that is exposed crisps up, as expected. The inside of the fig and blue cheese gets a little jammy, almost like you spread actual fig jam on the bread. 

Speaking of that, you could totally spread fig jam on the bread if you wanted. I wouldn’t turn it down. 

This is an appetizer. Or a pizza. Or a side dish. It’s actually whatever you want it to be. Where does it fit into your life?

For me, it fits right in with a late summer greens salad. So good.

For Eddie, it’s basically a starter to a larger meal. Shocking, right?

Stuffed Fig Focaccia Bread

This is a ridic amount of flavor. Because figs. And cheese!

The post Stuffed Fig Focaccia Bread. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I’ve got the BEST line up of fall recipes for you today!

For the last few years, I’ve shared some of my favorite football food recipes on Labor Day. You can find my ultimate tailgate menu here, 125 of my favorite football season recipes here and the perfect ALDI tailgate I shared last week here!

SO since that’s pretty much covered, I figured I’d look back through the archives and find a few recipes that I’m already DYING to make… and it’s still only September 2nd. It’s funny, sometimes I’m not ready for summer to end, and other years, I’m all in on fall immediately. This year, it’s definitely the latter. I cannot even WAIT for what this season has to bring! Here are 15 recipes that I can’t wait to make.

15 amazing recipes for Fall

I may be most excited to bring hasselback butternut squash back into my life. Sweet and savory versions!

And apple cider sangria?! THE BEST! I also have a white wine version here.

If you haven’t made these oatmeal baked apples yet, you must must must!

This slow cooker buffalo chicken chili is one of our all-time favorites. Such a great flavor.

These pumpkin protein pancakes were a HUGE hit last year.

And this pumpkin pie oatmeal brûlée is such an indulgent, fun seasonal breakfast!

Smothered skillet chicken might be my favorite dinner EVER.

And have you made this soft pretzel panzanella with mustard vinaigrette?!

Seriously, who can resist apple cider churros with cider beer caramel?!

Or these pumpkin cider donut holes with hot fudge. Amazing.

Verrrry excited for this pumpkin bisque with grilled cheese croutons.

This butternut squash chili isn’t the prettiest, but it’s super good.

Hello pumpkin fudge brownies. OMG.

And this pumpkin coffee cake with homemade chai ice cream is a dream.

Finally, celebrate all the things with pomegranate cider mimosas rimmed in salted caramel!

What recipes are you SO looking forward to this season?! I can’t wait to hear!

The post 15 Recipes I Can’t Wait to Make This Season! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

No more sad summer chicken salad lunches! 

This smoky chicken salad is going to make you want to have chicken salad every.darn.day.

Loaded with flavor. Super easy. And totally versatile!

It may come as a surprise, but I have to freaking LOVE a chicken salad recipe in order to share it. I still have nightmares from my childhood of chicken (or tuna… or egg…) salad swimming in mayo, with barely any flavor, and worst of all – loaded with celery.

I just can’t. 

I never HATED any of the salads like some people do, but the experience from a deli or cafeteria left a lot to be desired. So when I started making my own versions, I was blown away at how much I loved them. 

And yes, in case you think you’re going crazy: I’ve made a chicken salad similar to this before. My sweet corn and bacon chicken salad is creamier than this but just as good. But the winner by far is my lemon almond roasted chicken salad. You guys love this!

First off, this isn’t even my own recipe.

This recipe comes from Lacy (again!) and is a chicken salad she has been loving for years. She has wanted to recreate it forever, so we got down to business.

It’s SO GOOD.

The smokiness? We grill the chicken which imparts a smoky flavor (you could totally grab a rotisserie chicken in a pinch) but we also dropped some liquid smoke in the mix! Just a tiny tiny drop. Makes it tastes SO good. 

We added both corn cut from the cob (or course because #summer) and tomatoes. They are just so sweet right now, so combined with the smoky flavor? We knew it would be everything.

Scallions and cheddar cheese also found their way into the bowl.

The dressing is a yogurt and mayo hybrid with some seasonings and again, the liquid smoke. It’s amazing! 

This salad is SO delish served in lettuce cup (like the very crunchy iceberg ones). But it also works on top of salads and inside of sandwiches. I grabbed the multigrain croissants from my local grocery store and the combo was just dreamy. They are fabulous.

It’s also pretty amazing when you stand over the bowl with a fork and eat it like that. Or scoop it up with chips. I am very very into this.

Smoky Summer Chicken Salad

Crunch! Flavor! I can’t get enough.

The post Smoky Summer Chicken Salad. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

So chimichurri quinoa with flank steak may be my new favorite thing!

And say hello to the best summer dinner ever. 

Everything you want in this bowl, right here!

I love 2019. I love that we can throw whatever we want in a bowl, call it a “bowl” and have an acceptable dinner. Sure, I mean, maybe it wouldn’t happen like that if said bowl was filled with salted cookie dough ice cream, but this is almost as good.

Almost!

You know that I’m a flank steak freak. Or, should I say that I basically only cook flank steak because that’s what we grew up eating and it’s what I gravitate to the most for easy weeknight meals. It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s flavorful, it cooks quickly – what more do I need?! Of course, I make it with chimichurri all the time.

Since you might have leftovers from one of my many steak + chimichurri escapades, I figured I’d add another option to the list.

The flank steak here is MAJORLY marinated. I used my mom’s marinade from when I was a kid – I posted the marinade recipe on the blog during the first week or so that I was blogging, so needless to say, the post is horrifying. Thankfully, I included the marinade recipe down below (because, hi, I don’t want to go look at a million other posts for recipes either!) and it’s one of those that we just love and adore on everything. It works on all cuts of meat, salmon steaks and even vegetables. It’s really delish.

And what I love about that marinade here is that it doesn’t take away from the chimichurri quinoa!

Yes, let’s get to that.

Can I just call it the chimi quinoa? Because that’s what I’m calling it in my head. 

Also, excuse all the exclamation points. It’s a heavy exclamation point day over here.

ANYHOO. This is my new favorite way to flavor quinoa. I actually LOVE quinoa because it has that little pop of texture, but sometimes it’s just rather bland for my liking. This version is fantastic.

And the good news is that you can use pesto instead of chimichurri. 

Right now in this late summer season, I’m making a batch of pesto or chimichurri every other week or so. I store the leftovers in the fridge to add a bit of oomph to our weeknight meals. It’s such a good way of changing things up by having a prepared sauce in the moment. However, I often find myself left with a lot of it. Using it up in ways like this? It’s such a great idea. 

Together, the marinated steak and chimi quinoa are AMAZING. I love the combo. It’s a satisfying meal but also fairly light. Like, as light as steak can be, you know?

I know you know and that’s why I love you.

Chimichurri Quinoa with Flank Steak

p.s. throw it whatever else you have in your garden!

The post Summer Garden Quinoa with Marinated Flank Steak. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I’ll do almost anything to convince you to make kung pao cauliflower today.

Seriously if there is one other thing I can’t stop eating right now (I’m looking at you, green bean salad), it’s THIS.

I always find myself in limbo this time of year. I still love that it’s summer, that we can swim and enjoy all the incredible tomatoes and peaches and grill all the things. 

And at the same time, I start to crave fall. I become so excited for what’s to come – the recipes, the comfort food, the scents, the sounds, everything. 

Everywhere we go, whether it’s the grocery store or Target or the mall or farmer’s markets – it’s all in limbo. This past weekend, all of the apples were overflowing at our local farm and the peaches are dwindling. 

It’s a time of year where I’m caught between wanting to make an easy sheet pan dinner and making the best tomato panzanella. Once requires turning on the oven and the other just requires lots of salt and homemade dressing!

Like this. This felt more like a cooler-weather recipe to me, but I couldn’t even WAIT to make it.

I saw a bon appetit recipe for kung pao cauliflower a few weeks ago and couldn’t get it out of my head. It seemed a little complicated for what I wanted at the time. So I made it all work on a sheet pan with a quick sauce. Tons of flavor. We are talking TONS.

And I just love that you could make the cauliflower as a side dish to something else, or you could make the cauliflower with rice and serve it like that. 

I opt for the latter. Eddie likes it as a side dish to something else.

Of course! 

When I first when to PF Changs as a kid (which was super exciting, I must add. It was a rare  occasion that we got chinese take-out food at home and it was always the same thing – my parents would order szechuan beef, lemon chicken, maybe some egg rolls, and that’s it. When PF Changs came along, I felt like my options were endless!), their kung pao shrimp and scallops were my go-to. 

It’s crazy, because I never had an affinity for spicy food but I reeeeeally loved that dish. And it’s stuck.

Kung pao cauliflower just SOUNDS like something I’d like to eat everyday. 

This is SO flavorful. It’s crunchy and crisp. But it’s sweet and saucy. But it’s kind of spicy. And then it’s even good cold. 

It’s HEAVEN.

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Really, just grab a fork and eat it right off the pan.

The post Kung Pao Cauliflower, or My New Favorite Dinner! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

 This grilled cheeseburger pizza almost turned me into a crazy person. 

That probably doesn’t surprise you, since I’m the person putting a burger on a pizza. But still.

I don’t know why, but I could NOT stop thinking about this combination. Couldn’t stop. Remember a few years ago when I made a copycat smoke shack burger?! For some reason, a few months ago the idea of putting it all on pizza, like, yes, the idea of immensely trashing up TWO recipes, was stuck in my head.

Every time we are near a Shake Shack, we have to stop. I’m team Shake Shack over everything else, even In and Out (which we don’t have) and Five Guys (which we do have). Shake Shack all the way. Eddie agrees and I won’t even begin to tell you his order. It’s basically a sin. 

The crazy thing is that I usually just want a classic cheeseburger when it comes to a place like that. However, every single time I’m there, the smoke shack burger screams my name from the menu. It’s the first burger I ever tasted there and I just can’t pass it up. It’s smoky and slightly spicy and just so.dang.good. Bacon, cherry peppers, cheddar and special sauce… now tell me that doesn’t sound good? 

So I had to pizza it. Yes, a verb. To pizza something. Welcome to my English lesson.

It’s not the most photogenic pizza, but it is heaven off the grill.

Let’s get to it! 

It comes as no surprise since this is a cheeseburger pizza that there is beef and cheese. Shocking! The specials twist on here is the delish sauce that you’ll want to eat with a spoon, the crispy crunch bacon and the cherry peppers. 

Oh, and that it’s grilled! The smoky flavor is fantastic. 

When I first made a cheeseburger pizza (in a cast iron skillet!) I was really making it for Eddie. Figured he’d LOVE it. I never expected to love it as much as I did. And sometimes I get these crazy cheeseburger pizza cravings and want to make one – but they do take a little extra time. You have to brown the beef, make the sauce, grate the cheese, all that jazz.

It is so so so worth it though. This is a hearty, heavy pizza and you may only need one slice. Serve it with a big greens salad (spring greens, salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil) and it may just become your new favorite dinner. 

Grilled Cheeseburger Pizza

Definitely all the heart eyes.

The post Grilled Smoke Shack Cheeseburger Pizza. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This summer tomato pie is basically changing my life.

Hence the title!

And I’m here to tell you that I’ve been involved in another battle with pie crust and I surely didn’t win, but luckily we can judge this by taste. And then we win everything. This is like a fresh summer tomato pizza with a more flavorful crust and a creamy, cheesy topping.

It’s a real winner.

Much like this green bean salad, Lacy has been making a tomato pie for a million years. Or, eh, since 2010. Feels like a million years though!

And unlike the green bean salad, she had actually told me about the tomato pie year after year and tried to convince me to make it.

I don’t know why I wouldn’t get on board. 

Sometimes I’m like that with recipes. Something that I wasn’t interested in four years ago, something that didn’t have much appeal for me, ends becoming ALL I can think about. And it’s not like I hadn’t ever heard of a tomato pie, it just didn’t sound incredible to me. Until now.

Yes, file me under the worst. 

Here’s how I started my own tomato pie. There had to be a twist of course, a little bit of trashing up.

I did a sharp cheddar herb crust. Lots of sharp cheddar, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary. Oh and some garlic powder for fun! 

Layers of sliced tomatoes go on next – that’s nothing life-changing on its own. Then a mixture of more sharp cheddar, a little fontina, parmesan (triple cheese, what what!), mayo, herbs and breadcrumbs. Baked until hot and melty. 

YES.

As a note, there is a lot of mayo in this recipe. I was not a huge mayo fan until I fell in love with it via summer BLTs. I know some of you will be turned off because you hate mayo too. Unfortunately there isn’t a great replacement here. Even doing half yogurt will yield a watery result in the pie. The good news is that there is so much cheese in the top layer, some mayo-haters may not even know it’s mayo!

The bad news is that you can’t really swap it out for anything (I use avocado mayo, btw)… but maybe you could just top it with tons of cheese.

This is RIDICULOUS. There is so much flavor. More flavor than I ever expected. The filling is reminiscent of white pizza and it’s such a great dinner idea. 

Two people who I was unsure would enjoy it – my mom and Eddie – both loved it. Eddie actually ate an embarrassingly large triangle of the pie for dinner accidentally on purpose. I had made something else for dinner but set this out too and he couldn’t stop eating it. 

This pie is incredible when you serve it with a greens salad. It serves a bunch because it’s a heavy (oh-so cheesy!) dish. It’s very rich and indulgent and a little slice goes a long way, trust me. Eat your veggies with it, pour a glass of chilled wine and ENJOY the tomato bounty!

Summer Tomato Pie

Very very into all the savory pies now.

The post Life-Changing Summer Tomato Pie with Cheddar Herb Crust. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Blueberry ricotta cake is on tap for your weekend!

Just LOOK at that glaze!

BRB, going to eat a huge slice of this right now.

I always get so excited to bake a weekend treat come Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Something to have to snack on all weekend or, let’s be real – eat for breakfast. 

My mom is the queen of cake for breakfast. This is one of those treats that you can bake and snack on or share first thing in the morning.

It’s incredible with a cup of coffee – hot or iced! 

And the best part about it? It’s blanketed in that incredible lavender glaze. 

The blueberry lavender combo is one I love so much. Remember when I made this blueberry lavender chia jam? It’s quick and easy and incredible. The florals add a little bit of interest to the blueberries and mixed with the sugar, the combo is so delicious!

You know I’m crazy about the lavender glaze on top of banana bread too. I figured it could only be better on a blueberry loaf! Berries + lavender is a match made in heaven. 

And it’s just so gorgeous.

For the glaze, I used this lavender extract again. You don’t HAVE to use the extract – you can definitely use dried culinary lavender! That is what I’ve done for years and once I found the lavender extract, I realized it was a little easier than the dried flowers. 

If you want to use the dried culinary lavender instead, I suggest infusing the cream/milk with the flowers and letting it cool. Then straining it for an amazing lavender flavor. You can use it in hot coffee too, FYI. 

The ricotta cake is light but dense – sort of like a pound cake. You could use another fruit if you wish, like raspberries or blackberries. Throw it on the grill and serve it with extra blueberries. You can toast it too. 

Isn’t that the best sight ever?!

Blueberry Ricotta Cake with Lavender Glaze

I’ll take a cake full of antioxidants any day.

The post Blueberry Ricotta Cake with Lavender Glaze. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I should say: high maintenance tomato basil pasta.

Because that is definitely what this is.

It’s easily the BEST tomato basil pasta I’ve ever had, but yes… it’s high maintenance.

Technically, it’s going to take you two whole hours to make. Yes, two! It’s not a huge deal because those two hours are mostly hands off. 

But it’s dreamy. It’s a treat. A dinner treat!

Instead of pasta and chopped or burst tomatoes, I do basil oil and slow roasted tomatoes. 

YES.

Major flavor players.

And tons of freshly grated parm, of course.

However!

Let me tell you that this recipe works overtime. It does double duty, maybe even more.

First, I’m still mid-moment with slow roasted tomatoes because they are so good. You can make the tomatoes ahead of time – or make them for another recipe (like my farro!) and save extras for this pasta. Or just make a huge batch on a Sunday to keep you going all week.

Even though they do take two hours, you can make them while you do laundry, schedule your meals for the week or watch a Sex and The City marathon and whimper that the show is 20 years old. (I mean, HOW?!)

You can also obviously make the basil oil ahead of time. It’s pretty easy to do, makes a bunch and is incredible on salads or garlic bread too.

The shade is such a gorgeous, vibrant green. It seriously tastes wonderful drizzled on tomatoes or zucchini. It’s a delicious add in for a dressing or marinade. Basically, you will love it!

We should probably discuss the pasta itself. Cook some whole wheat spaghetti or bucatini or fettuccine, whatever your noodle of choice is. You’re going to toss the hot pasta with a bit of basil oil. It’s so pretty and actually, more striking to the eye than pesto because it’s not chunky. So it will turn your noodles a lovely shade of green.

That means HEALTH FOOD right?

Toss some cheese in there while you’re at it so it gets all melty and wonderful. I like to throw in minced garlic too. The warm noodles tend to take away some of the garlic bite, but this is a personal choice. You gotta love the garlic. 

Next, you add in the slow roasted tomatoes. A few more herbs, like torn fresh basil. Lots of extra parmesan and just keep tossing.

If you think about it, the pasta is really easy and doesn’t consist of that many ingredients! Just basil oil, tomatoes, cheese and herbs. But when we actually make all the ingredients, it’s a labor of love and one that truly tastes delicious. 

Very very very into it.

Tomato Basil Pasta

Keeping the whole bowl to myself, thank you very much.

The post Slow Roasted Tomato Basil Pasta. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Heirloom tomato pizza is theeee definition of summer!

Vibrant produce, grilled dough, every herb from your (hopefully overflowing garden) smashed into butter with salt and slathered on the crust… all I need is a glass of sauvignon blanc and I’ll be happy.

Doesn’t a sight like this make you so happy? I must frame it and hang it on the wall to remind me of the looong February days.

In the last few weeks I’ve had a Sunday dinner revelation.

See, I’ve always WANTED to be the Sunday dinner type. I want to be the Sunday dinner house. The place where everyone gathers for Sunday dinner before the week starts. The house that serves a hearty, filling meal on Sundays that warms your SOUL before the start of a week.

I’ve always wanted that! You may see it on my instagram too.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always suffered from the Sunday scaries, and I mean always. Probably since I was in kindergarten or first grade. And even though I’m obsessed with my work and kids and life in general, I still get the Sunday blues. You’d think that having a Sunday dinner would solve all that!

What I’ve learned though, is that at this stage of life, with little kids and work, Sunday dinner at, well, dinnertime? Just doesn’t work for me. I end up making a huge mess that has to be cleaned up. The kids need to get baths, a bedtime routine and then I need a make a completely clean kitchen happen (like complete – no clutter!) because early Monday morning starts a big work day for me. Eddie and I end up scrambling to get everything done without relaxing at all.

So I’ve started making Sunday lunch instead!

And this heirloom tomato pizza is riiiiight at the top of the menu.

Our Sunday lunches consist of grilled corn, tons of tomatoes, maybe grilled pizza, maybe grilled vegetables. It’s so hot that I have zero desire to turn on the oven, unless I’m making something like chocolate chip cookies because one will do anything for good chocolate chip cookies.

I love the idea of the Sunday lunch. Sometimes it does turn into dinner. Sometimes we have the leftovers for dinner. And sometimes the meal is so hearty that we don’t eat for the rest of the day! I love it. It’s stress free!

Every summer when heirloom tomatoes hit their peak, I try to come up with a delicious way to serve them that is similar to one of my favorite meals: grilled bread, sliced heirlooms and burrata cheese.

This is the 2019 version! It’s warm and buttery. A little smoky. Juicy and savory.

It can be an appetizer or a summer dinner entree. It can be your salad because, well, TOMATOES.

There is green on it too. Lots of green.

Get crazy and add some burrata! Because I said so.

Heirloom Tomato Pizza

Happy happy joy joy.

The post Grilled Garlic Herb Butter Pizza with Heirloom Tomatoes. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

We’re doing it! Major flavor game changer here with pretzel crusted chicken fingers!

I’ve basically never loved chicken fingers more in my life than I do right now.

If you’ve been around for a while then you are aware of the ridiculous arsenal of chicken finger recipes I have here on the blog. To this day, they remain one of Eddie’s favorite foods – they are his ultimate comfort food. Sometimes he even orders a salad with chicken fingers on it!

My go-to method for making the chicken is much like the way I showed you how to do this parmesan chicken a few weeks ago. A wire rack is necessary because it helps keep the chicken crispy all the way around. If you don’t have one already, I suggest putting one on your wish list because I use it all the time.

The other necessary ingredient is olive oil spray or some form of cooking spray. Back in the day when I started making chicken fingers like this, the only available option was Pam cooking spray! I would literally spray them with Pam. These days, you can find avocado oil spray (our fave), olive oil spray, coconut oil spray and so on. Spraying the crusted tender and using the rack when baking practically makes the tenders taste “fried.” Or least have that “fried” texture.

It’s imperative for my perfect chicken finger recipe.

Now… on to the flavor! First of all, crushed pretzels are what we use for the breading here and let me just tell you… it’s incredible. Max and Emilia LOVE pretzels. In fact, pretzels might be their favorite snack of all time. So I knew that making pretzel-crusted chicken would be a huge, gigantic, enormous hit.

I was right!

To make these a little more grown up-friendly, I added in the hot honey drizzle. We adore hot honey in this house too. I’ve used it on pizza, on pineapple wedges, sweet potatoes and even salmon. It elevates the simplest, most boring meal and makes it exciting.

For instance, I don’t necessarily want plain chicken fingers. But I definitely always want hot honey chicken fingers!

The honey is not overly spicy either. Well, technically I guess that depends on your peppers, but I remove the seeds before drizzling and it’s perfect. And I don’t love spicy food. To me, adding hot sauce on everything just… ruins it for me. Dishes that are ridiculously spicy aren’t enjoyable for me; it’s almost like they paralyze my taste buds and I can no longer taste the flavor of the food.

So when I say the hot honey is worth it… it’s worth it. However, it’s not the only sauce here.

My house sauce is from The Pretty Dish and it’s to die for. Creamy, a little tangy and the perfect dip for pretty much everything. Like every food under the sun.

Now go RUN and make these delicious crunchy bites!

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Fingers with Hot Honey

I want to float on a pretzel raft in that house sauce.

The post Hot Honey Pretzel Chicken Fingers with House Sauce. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Let’s add peach burrata crostini to this segment of things I love to eat on toast!

Just whyyyy is toast so perfect? Because it truly is.

It’s the crunch factor, right?

I’ve asked you all a million times how you like your toast. I like it super toasty. To the point of almost being burnt. Eddie likes warm bread. AKA, one round in the toaster on the lowest setting, no golden color and very little (if any) crunch.

Who wins?

Don’t let me down here.

Happy July 3rd! I love this week. It’s so fun, and we all know the days leading up to a holiday are always as exciting AS the day itself. I might just be the anticipation queen.

But now… peaches!

Raise your hand if you are freaking out that it’s peach season! Or, almost peach season. They are just getting good here and I’ll spare you my usual chat about how I’m lucky to get one or two good peaches a year, etc. It’s been 10 years after all!

But my way to solve the issue with peaches? Cook them or bake them or grill them. You should definitely make a grilled peach crostini too.

It’s been a while since I made a high-maintenance crostini. It was time! This baby here? We’re spreading a quick compound butter on a baguette, grilling it, grilling peaches, pulling burrata apart, frying pancetta and shoving it ALL on toast. As a result, it’s also pretty.

Now that is toast to me.

Good gosh. The day we photographed there I was losing my mind because they were SO good. Lots of crunch, some sweetness, the creamy burrata, the salty pancetta. Serious dreamboat.

My go-to summer crostini with grilled corn and whipped goat cheese has been a staple for years (people just die over it!), but these may be taking their spot. Or maybe I can make both for the 4^th of July and do a little savory and a little sweet?

I don’t know! Just give me all the toast.

Peach Burrata Crostini

These are absurdly mouthwatering.

The post Basil Butter Crostini with Burrata, Grilled Peach and Pancetta. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Today we’re making the cuuuuutest pineapple palm tree!

It will be your 4th of July party trick. Ready?

Two years ago for the 4^th of July, one of our family members made this pineapple palm tree and we were all DYING over it. I put it on Instagram and you guys were dying over it too! And I have wanted to recreate it ever since!

I can barely hammer a nail into the wall and I had no plans to attempt to stack pineapples with stakes. Sure, I can chop a lot of fruit, but could I really stack pineapples? Who knows. It was time to find out.

The good news is that it is so much easier than it looks. We used garden stakes (from a hardware store, the skinny ones) and bamboo skewers (yes, like the ones you would use on the grill!) and these things stuck together just fine.

The key is to not stack them too high! Three pineapples is the perfect height. Two would be great as well. No need for four (and certainly not more!) unless you’re making an INSANE spread for a wedding or party of a few hundred people. You know? It will just look unbalanced.

You can stick any sort of palms or ferns (we got some at Costco) in the top to create the leaves. Whatever fruit you love all chopped up on the bottom.

It’s just such a cute and fun way to display fruit for a party! No, I wouldn’t do it spur of the moment or for a small Sunday night dinner party, but it would be fantastic for your 4^th of July cookout.

Yes yes yes! I love it oh-so much.

The only downside is that you can’t really assemble it beforehand. Well, I should tell you that I didn’t try to assemble it before hand, because everything I found online told me not to do so. Since the pineapple is a softer fruit, if you try to assemble it the night before, it won’t hold up.

But luckily, it doesn’t take that long to put together, as intimidating as it may seem.

I suggest chopping the fruit ahead of time and storing it in the fridge. Then, once your pineapple tree is assembled, just add the fruit!

EASY.

Promise it gets easier once you do it. You’ll love it!

Some notes on the pineapple palm tree:

*Don’t worry if the pineapple tree is a little crooked! Real palm trees are crooked! It gives them more character. Ha.

*Some suggest coring the pineapple. I did not core the pineapple, because I thought it would be easier for it to stay together. It worked great for me, but it’s tricky to move once it’s set up.

*Have all the fruit washed and chopped for the bottom of the tree before assembling the pineapple tree.

*Decide where you want the tree to go and place it in the spot. Build it there so you don’t have to move it. Easy!

*This actually is transportable! Like I said above, a family member brought it to a party a few years ago. You can transport it in a large box or my preference would be to assemble most of it at the party. Just take the chopped fruit in glass containers.

This is how I want to eat the rainbow.

The post Let’s Make a Pineapple Palm Tree Fruit Tray! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

I don’t even know how to profess my love for this cauliflower rice arancini.

YES. You read that correctly!

Cauliflower.Rice.Arancini.

I can’t believe it’s a thing but it’s definitely a thing and certainly a thing that you should try for dinner tonight!

We are full-on obsessed with arancini – and I’m so picky about it too. We get it at a local restaurant and you are probably sick of seeing it on my instagram stories. I love to make it at home but it’s definitely time consuming… and also usually requires a hot pot of oil.

Until now.

Oh my gosh. How do I even begin about this cauliflower arancini?

It is SO GOOD.

This recipe comes from my friend Gina’s new cookbook, the Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook – and Gina also sent me her Skinnytaste air fryer to try out the recipes. And you know what? Now I want to shout from the rooftops my love for the air fryer.

If you’ve been following along for a while, then you might remember that this isn’t my first foray into the air fryer! I created some recipes for Crate and Barrel a few years ago when the air fryer first came on the scene. And while I liked the concept, I just couldn’t get over another appliance in my kitchen at the time. Especially when it felt like I could get the same results in my oven.

My oh my was I wrong.

Now, I’m crazy over it. If you’re a texture freak like I am, if you love crispy crunchy food but don’t want something deep fried, you will be in LOVE with the air fryer. The food comes out of it with so much of a crispy bite that you’d almost think it was fried.

I don’t store mine in the kitchen (yet?), but it is light enough to grab (sometimes even daily!) when I want to use it. It is so super user friendly.

The Skinnytaste air fryer also has a HUGE basket, and that was the predicament with the first air fryer I used years ago. The basket was small – like way too small for even just Eddie and I to use it. We’d have to cook things in multiple batches, not just one or two.

This basket is HUGE. Depending on what you’re cooking, you might need to do two batches, but it has a very large capacity and that’s the key!

I honestly can’t believe how crispy and crunchy the food gets in the fryer.

Let’s talk about the arancini though.

I always want the insides super cheesy and the outside super crunchy. Gina’s recipe is not like any other arancini I’ve had, but it is to die for. Cauliflower rice, Italian chicken sausage, and lots of cheese make for the most delicious bite here. These come together SO quickly, actually stick together with ease and get super crispy in the fryer.

The chicken sausage helps take the flavor over the top. But I think you could even skip it and do all cauliflower rice and cheese!

The flavor is insane. This is SO much more flavorful than I expected and it checks all the arancini boxes I want, with it being on the lighter side too.

And now that I’ve professed my undying love, I’m just going to let you have at it. Make this!!

Cauliflower Rice Arancini

The cheese pulls are everything.

The post Cheesy Cauliflower Rice Arancini. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

[This post is sponsored by The Home Depot! I am so so excited to be partnering with them through the rest of 2019 to share amazing grilling recipes with you, using the new Weber Genesis II E315 grill! You’re going to LOVE this grilled steakhouse pizza for Father’s Day.]

It’s no secret that pizza is one of my love languages.

Making it AND eating it, of course.

I get a thrill from both and it’s easily one of my favorite dishes to serve those I love. Easily! I mean, who can resist a perfect crust with tons of bubbly cheese? Not I.

And when it’s getting all cheesy and bubbly on the grill? Eeep! I can’t even contain my excitement.

Today, I’ve partnered with The Home Depot again to bring you the most delicious steakhouse pizza! I wanted to create something that Eddie would absolutely LOVE for Father’s Day, and this is it. I’ve been using the Weber Genesis II E315 grill that we are loving this year (so easy! So simple for me to use! Everything is seamless and it’s sleek and looks pretty!), and I’ve been grilling pizza like a mad woman. You’ve probably seen it on instagram. Maybe once a week already? And we’re barely in mid-June.

Things are about to get more pizza heavy over here.

While our usual grilled pizzas tend to be more of the pepperoni and margherita variety (because, let’s be real, it’s so simple and kid friendly and I don’t even have to think about a recipe), every now and then I love creating something fancy and high maintenance for our pizza. I mean, I even have a chapter partly dedicated to pizza in my first book, because pretty much EVERYTHING can be pizza-fied, right?

Right.

In this case, we’re going with steakhouse pizza. Think of super smoky, juicy filet topped high on your fluffy crust. Yep, I did it.

This steakhouse pizza is everything I want with my steak… and it’s NOT philly cheesesteak! That is probably one of Eddie’s favorite pizza flavors, but I wanted something a little… lighter?

Ha, I don’t think we can call this “lighter” per se, but I love the flavors on here and that they aren’t covered in cheese sauce. Instead, they are covered in crumbly gorgonzola and it’s melty and tangy and SO delicious.

Everything that goes ON the pizza can be made on the grill too. The steak, cooked however you like it, the mushroom caps, sliced and juicy, and the onions – grilled and filled with tons of flavor. Once everything is sliced and chopped and ready, it all goes back on the dough to be set on the grill!

We LIVE for grilled pizza in the summer. And I love to throw my dough directly on the grill, all toppings piled high. The key to this is moving quickly. Everything has to be ready, and once it’s ready, you have a maximum of two minutes to assemble the pizza so it doesn’t stick to the peel. And even with two minutes, it may stick a little so you have to be prepared.

You gotta move quick and slide it on to the hot grill like a pro, but I promise it is SO worth it. So so worth it.

LOOK at that. Bubbly crust. Loads of flavor.

I can’t get enough!

As crazy and wild as this pizza is – as loaded as it is – if you pair it with a crisp, chilled wine and serve it on a sunny patio, you have the most perfect dinner. It’s the loveliest bite!

Seriously, grilled steakhouse pizza forever.

Grilled Steakhouse Pizza

Gimme that slice.

The post Grilled Steakhouse Pizza. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Your Monday just got super dreamy; enter caprese skillet lasagna!

I MEAN. The only way to make caprese better is to lasagna it, right? Yes, we’re making it a verb.

I made my first ever skillet lasagna years ago (remember it?!) and we’ve been in love ever since. If you’ve been following for a while, then you know that it was a huge deal because Eddie claimed to “hate” ricotta cheese, so he didn’t think he’d like it. In reality, we think he probably had been eating lasagna with watery cottage cheese, and not creamy ricotta. Or something like that. Because now he loves it!

This is evidenced by my making of allll the skillet lasagnas. We have the classic, then a kale and sausage, then a butternut squash, then a spring vegetable.

Oh, and I’ve made white pizza lasagna before too, which is almost like this caprese version but takes a lot more work.

And it’s summer! So who wants to do work?

This caprese skillet lasagna has SO much the flavor. The bottom layer starts with a bunch of garlic, shallot and burst cherry tomatoes. This creates a rustic “sauce” of sorts without adding in tomato sauce and I just love that. You can mash the tomatoes into a sauce or leave them whole.

Make it your own!

It’s also loaded with tons of fresh basil, pesto, some extra sliced tomatoes and LOTS of cheese. Like, lots of cheese. Creamy ricotta cheese, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese.

Basically… all the cheese!

However, I did use brown rice noodles so can’t we just call this a health food?

I’m thinking yes. That cancels out all the cheese.

I live for a weeknight meal that is this delish.

Caprese Skillet Lasagna

Melty cheese in my caprese is just how I like it.

The post Caprese Skillet Lasagna. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Calling all cheese lovers! You need a cacio e pepe pie in your life.

Why yes.  I did say cacio e pepe PIE. A pie made of pasta and cheese.

This could be the only pie I want to eat.

Swear to me that before it gets too hot outside, like too-hot-to-turn-the-oven-on hot, that you will make a cacio e pepe pie for dinner!

Or brunch. Your call.

I’m a pasta convert. I’ve rambled for a million years on this blog about how I hated pasta when I was growing up. How every Thursday night was spaghetti night at our house and I would pout and eat scrambled eggs or something like it (for, like, 12 years? Maybe?) because I disliked pasta that much.

That has all changed (thank goodness!) but it’s still not a dish I gravitate towards. Or one that I order on a menu. It’s rare!

Unless… unless it’s cacio e pepe. Or something similar covered in tons of cheese and very much minus the tomato sauce.

The weird thing about my conversion is that this is not the first pasta pie I’ve shared on the blog! Remember when I made a bucatini pie with mini meatballs? Ooooh it’s such a fun and slightly high maintenance but delicious meal. I love how it looks so I love to serve it!

And I used bucatini here again because it’s easily my favorite cut of pasta. Those fat noodles are just to die for.

Perhaps the best part about the cacio e pepe pie? Those crispy edges.

Just LOOK at those edges down there.

The crispy, crunchy, almost-burnt cheese and pasta. The edges add so much texture to this and are the BEST part. Like the crunchy chips on top of a potato casserole or a cinnamon streusel on top of a muffin. I definitely either save it for last, or eat it all first. It’s SO GOOD.

Also! This is a meal that can be stretched. It serves about six or eight people (and is SO satisfying) but I like to make it for us too (a family of four) because it lasts and reheats well. And it’s amazing served with different veggies. A salad, roasted broccoli or asparagus, whatever you have in the fridge!

Oh and a big secret?

Eddie actually covered the leftovers with tomato sauce. So that’s a thing.

Even though I told him he RUINED IT.

And let’s be real. If you pair this with a HUGE kale salad, it cancels out all the pasta and cheese.

Cacio e Pepe Pie

I’d rather eat my pasta in a slice anyway.

The post Cacio e Pepe Pie. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

[these frozen peanut butter and jelly oatmilk bars are sponsored by So Delicious Dairy Free! I’m thrilled to be working with them in 2019 to create lots of incredible recipes for you!]

‘Tis the season for frozen treats!

Are we starting too early?! I think not. Give me a frozen peanut butter and jelly bar, some sunshine at happy hour and maybe a little rosé and we’re good to go. Now that’s my idea of the HAPPIEST hour.

I am SO excited to be working with So Delicious Dairy Free this year on a bunch of new recipes. For years I’ve used their creamers, coconutmilks and almondmilks.

And now? It’s getting even better!

You know I’ve loved the So Delicious Coconutmilk Frozen Dessert forever. Not because I’m dairy-free, but because I’m a coconut freak! And their flavors are so super good. The coconut macaroon? I die over. The mocha almond fudge? I can barely keep it in the house. It’s addictive. Max loves the mint chip. 

So when I got the chance to try their Oatmilk Frozen Desserts, I was insanely pumped. Ohhhh my gosh this stuff is fantastic. It is so smooth and creamy. Like so much so that I’m shocked they are dairy free. The Caramel Apple Crumble flavor?

It is amazing.  

We have been going absolutely nuts over these and I love having them as a treat for weeknights. It’s such a simple indulgence but after spending so much of the day cooking, prepping and running around like a crazy person, this is the perfect post-dinner snack that I look forward to.

Even if I’m sneaking some spoonfuls straight out of the carton in the afternoon too…

I opted for the peanut butter and raspberry flavor to make some frozen dessert oatmilk bars, because even though I don’t love raspberry, I freak over all things PB and J.

(hello, PB and J crumble muffins!)

The peanut butter raspberry is made with creamy peanut butter (a must, I tell you) and black raspberries, which are my favorite variety if I’m going to raspberry town. My biggest pet peeve is an ice cream with a skinny, very minimal swirl, so I’m happy to say that this pint is LOADED!

The frozen peanut butter jelly bars are so easy. Embarrassingly easy, as usual. I’ve made another (slightly more complicated) version in the past, but with these, you just scoop out the Oatmilk Frozen Dessert and make a… a frozen brick, if you will. Freeze it, slice it, dip it, devour it.

They are incredible.

The day that we photographed these? No one could keep their hands off of them. They are such a great dessert to get ready for summer.

And the only thing that can make PB and J better is chocolate of course. Of course!

One of these reasons I’m loving these is because they are so kid-friendly. My plan is to keep a stash of these in the fridge. Maybe even ones that are bite-sized mini bars for these warmer months to come. Sounds like the perfect idea to me. 

Frozen Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

Think we can pass these off as lunch too?

The post Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmilk Bars. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This pimento cheese flatbread is seriously one of the best things I’ve ever consumed.

Not being dramatic in the slightest. I swear.

So it’s officially pimento cheese season! This makes me madly excited. Sure, it may be pimento cheese season every season, but with the Kentucky Derby coming up, it’s extra pimento cheese season. I’m calling it.

I’ve done all sorts of things with pimento cheese over the years (burgers! Grilled cheese with spiralized pickle slaw! Crostini! Grits! Quesadillas!) but I’ve allllways wanted to put it on pizza. And if we’re really here in our little circle of trust, I initially planned on this being a 100% plain (pimento) cheese pizza.

But then… it just wasn’t doing anything for me. It had flavor from the cheese of course but not the kind of flavor I expect on my pizzas.

I went back to the drawing board and this time, crisped up some bacon, let the tomatoes burst IN the bacon grease (yes, do it) and sprinkled it with scallions and shredded lettuce.

Holy.flavor.explosion.

I cannot even begin to explain how delicious this pizza is. The crust is the flatbread crust I use in this recipe – it’s also the crust for the base of the buffalo cauliflower flatbread in The Pretty Dish! It’s an easy dough that can be rolled super thin and almost takes on a cracker-like crunch. We love it.

Another thing I love about this crust is that it can be shaped however you’d like, so it is great to make as an appetizer or as dinner for two. You could even use a biscuit cutter to cut circles out of the dough, making them perfectly round, then topping with all the delish toppings. And serve it to friends on a cute little dish.

The tomatoes are sweet, the bacon is salty and crunchy, the cheese is melty and creamy, the crust is crisp. Toss the fresh shredded greens on top and it’s a lovely meal. Or late night snack. Yes to that.

This will definitely be in my rotation all spring and summer long. Add a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc and we’re set!

BLT Pimento Cheese Flatbread

I mean is that the perfect bite, or what?

The post BLT Pimento Cheese Flatbread. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Hiiii. I made you cake! Chocolate dragon fruit cake, to be exact.

Chocolate dragon fruit cake that is as delicious as it is pretty. I promise you.

We can make a neon-glazed cake and eat it too!

I have lots of ideas for serving this cake. If I was into Game of Thrones, I’d probably tell you that you could serve it for the premier, considering it’s chocolate DRAGONfruit cake. Which instantly proves to you that I know nothing about GoT. All of my apologies.

But I did walk near the red carpet press event in NYC the other day which should give me some GoT clout?

SO. This picture above would be pink pitaya powder.

!!!! Cue all the exclamation points.

Otherwise known as, my new favorite ingredient. Are you even surprised?

Let’s talk about this GORGEOUS pan. It’s a magnolia bundt pan and the minute I saw it, I had to have it. Order it instantly. I love some of the other fancy bundt pans that I have and this looked like it would be so pretty. Really, I thought it would be great for some sort of Easter cake.

Did not disappoint!

It would be even more stunning in a lighter shade of cake.

Okay, so the pitaya powder!! I just about died when I found this too. So super excited.

I love to make pitaya bowls (my favorite version is in The Pretty Dish!!) and it’s no secret that it’s probably because of… the color.

Shocking!

But this hot pink makes me want to consume everything. It’s just so pretty!

You also get a peek here at how blue the lighting can be as it comes through my kitchen window. I didn’t want to do a lot of color correcting on these photos because I wanted you to see just how brilliant this color is. Just cannot get enough.

I mostly use this pitaya powder for smoothies, but it’s also fun to stir into yogurt! And chia pudding… just wait for that recipe. It’s so good for breakfasts and snacks.

But I knew that a glaze or frosting using the powder would be stunning. And I was craving dark chocolate cake. It’s rare that we see dark chocolate cake make an appearance for spring, you know? I figured this was the perfect way.

The dark chocolate cake itself is not too sweet. It has a very deep chocolate-y flavor and while the pitaya is subtle (especially mixed into a sugary glaze), it makes for a great topping. I crushed a few edible culinary rose petals on top for something extra – a little more seasonal, if you will.

To say that I am so ready for this sunshine… would be an understatement.

I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t want to cover this cake in a dark chocolate ganache! I bet it would be a show stopper – this glossy, shiny big magnolia cake.

Might just be my weekend project.

Or yours? Please try it and report back!

Dark Chocolate Dragon Fruit Cake

If I had to have a signature cake, this would be it.

The post Dark Chocolate Dragon Fruit Cake. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

All I can say to this asparagus one pot pasta: hello lover!

Now isn’t this just a beautiful sight to see?

All that goodness, right there in that pot! Ready to go. SO FRESH.

A few years ago I shared this one pot mushroom and swiss chard pasta and it remains a huge favorite here on the blog. You guys love it! You often remind me how much I love it too.

That classic tomato basil one pot spaghetti is another dish I really love. I think that Martha did it first? Either way, it was the first one that piqued my interest in these one pot dishes.

I mean sure, I can make a lot of stuff in one pot, but there is something secretly magical about throwing ingredients and dry pasta in a pot with liquid, cooking it for 15 minutes and it making a delicious bowl of dinner! Right?

It makes me feel like I’m Max in the kitchen, so excited with the possibilities of what I can cook and all the newness around me.

Max LOVES to be in the kitchen. He loves to be in our real kitchen and help me make things, but he plays in his toy kitchen every single day. He asks us what we would like and makes us the most perfect plates. Sure, they might include a burger with a pancake and a random bunch of grapes, maybe with a pat of butter on the side, but it’s adorable.

And on his “report card” last month, his teacher wrote that during school, he does “dramatic play in the kitchen.” Yes.

DRAMATIC PLAY IN THE KITCHEN?!

It’s essentially what I do daily and that makes me so, so happy. Warms my heart.

Needless to say, that is what I think a magic one pot pasta is all about. It’s amazing that we can throw everything in this pot and watch something like the below come to life.

Here’s the deal on the asparagus one pot pasta:

The asparagus would normally be cooked a little too much for my liking, so I was shocked at how much I love it here. I tend to roast my asparagus to golden, crispy bits. Boiling it with noodles is not my preferred method of consuming the veg. But when it’s combined with the lemon, garlic, mascarpone and pecorino, it tastes like a big bite of spring. It won’t be bright green and it won’t be crisp either, but it’s still delicious!

If you are extra particular about your asparagus, you can throw it in half way through the cook time OR you could even roast it and throw it in at the end.

Side note: If you’re in a pinch and don’t have asparagus – or find yourself making this in another season, you could sub in broccoli!

I stir in the mascarpone as soon as the noodles have absorbed all the liquid. It melts into this flavorful, slightly creamy but not heavy coating on the pasta. Super good. Extra cheese mixed in too. I like to top it with more fresh herbs and if you’d like, you could add more lemon too.

Crushed red pepper on top gives it a bite and freshly cracked black pepper is so good too.

And then you get this! A big bowl of spring magic.

Asparagus One Pot Pasta

Look at those twirls!

The post One Pot Asparagus Mascarpone Pasta. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Who else needs a fabulous sticky chicken recipe to add to your weeknight meal repertoire? *raises both hands*

Happy Monday! How are things? How was your weekend?

If you’re anything like me, you may be in desperate need of a good Monday night meal. Too many tacos and too much pizza this weekend if that could be a thing. Probably COULD be a thing, but shouldn’t be. Too much pizza and too many tacos are nevvver a sign of a bad weekend.

Also, I don’t think I’m supposed to include stuff like that in recipe posts anymore because the SEO gods say it’s terrible. But gosh, I am bored AF with all things SEO-related. And so bored with Instagram and I want to share other things and I mean, where is the REAL LIFE FUN?!

We actually had a few real like moments of fun this weekend because it was the first time that everyone was healthy in a few weeks! Whew, this last month has been a doozy. Felt like we hadn’t seen the sun or been outside in a full month. Which is so utterly cliche and ridiculous but it is what it is.

Okay so sticky chicken! I’m always looking for a good sticky chicken recipe and I’m pretty sure I’ve nailed it here. At least until I come up with a few new flavor combinations in another six months.

Story of my life.

But this! It has some honey and brown sugar! It’s required for that stickiness we all desire. Throw the chicken on a sheet pan and roast it with a few glazes of the sauce every now and then.

Once it comes out, top it with some pineapple salsa and you’re good. It’s super flavorful, has a hint of sweet and spice and is one of those recipes that will get you excited for chicken for dinner again. I ALWAYS need those. You know?

P.S. can we take a moment and remember when I had a full blown fruit salsa obsessed? I mean, clearly it is still here. But it was real in 2011.

I have lots of great side dishes to serve with this sticky chicken recipe – my go-tos are probably these sweet and spicy brussels sprouts or this spicy roasted broccoli, along with something simple like this grilled corn tomato salad once the warm season really kids in.

The best part is that it’s very versatile and you can obviously switch up the fruit in the salsa too.

Even though it’s just the start of spring and still a bit chilly, this is a recipe that makes you FEEL like it’s warm out. It brings summer vibes to your kitchen table but you can totally make it any time of year. It’s great as a stand alone dish or as something to add to a big dinner spread. Win win win.

I keep typing WINE which means it’s time to go get some.

Sheet Pan Sticky Chicken Recipe with Pineapple Salsa

The caramely goodness gets me.

The post Sticky Sheet Pan Chicken with Pineapple Salsa. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Your weekend now has loaded mashed potato pancakes on the menu!

This is such a total throwback recipe for me. My mom made mashed potato pancakes ALL THE TIME!

Wait. Not all the time, but my adult brain remembers them so well that it feels like she made them often. In reality, it wasn’t that often. But I loved them so much (remember how potatoes were my favorite food as a kid?!) and was giddy when she’d make them.

The thing was that she usually made them for dinner… but with breakfast. My mom was the queen of breakfast for dinner. It was the first time I ever learned about the words “comfort food.” I clearly remember her telling me scrambled eggs and bacon were comfort food and I loved having it at night. My dad didn’t love breakfast for dinner, so it wasn’t a frequent meal.

But I always was so excited when that was on the menu. I first shared these plain ones a million years ago!

P.S. in case you’re wondering, my go-to breakfast for dinner meal as a kid was a scrambled egg sandwich on toast with yellow mustard.

Yes, my mustard obsession goes waaaay back.

Today, I’d totally consider these mashed potato pancakes to be a meal. A comfort food meal, yes. But a meal, nonetheless. I’d be the only one in this house, but who cares!

The good news is that if you also consider them a meal, well – you’re set.

The better news is that if no one else considers them to be a full meal, they can be their side dish. And you can just have them eat cereal for dinner as their main.

Ha. Hahaha.

So here’s the deal.

I tend to be a purist (most of the time!) when it comes to mashed potatoes. Any leftovers I have are usually plain, so I like to chop a few delicious things up to go inside. Scallions, chives – you can add whatever you’d like! You could do different herbs, peppers – anything. This recipe below will greatly depend on exactly how you make your mashed potatoes.

Then, stir in some Irish aged cheddar, like this Kerrygold Dubliner (that’s what I used!), which is a game changer. It adds sharp, cheesy flavor and makes the loaded mashed potato pancakes taste incredible.

Of course, the best part? Fry some bacon before you make these, so it can be crumbled on top. Use the reserved bacon grease to cook the mashed potato pancakes. Be the happiest ever!

How to Make Loaded Mashed Potato Pancakes

This is how I’m eating green.

The post Loaded Irish Cheddar Mashed Potato Pancakes. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Not much makes me as happy as chocolate peanut butter cake.

Sometimes I seriously wonder… does anyone love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do? Like is it possible that there is someone else in the world who loves that combination MORE than me?

I doubt it.

It is theeee flavor for me. It is the flavor combination I always crave, the one I would choose every single time if I had to.

Even back to the time of my first real break up when I wanted to eat nothing for days but a chocolate chip covered peanut butter spoon.

Yes that was a real thing.

Just yesterday, Lacy and I were talking about these peanut butter fudge cupcakes I made so long ago for the blog. They were our go-to treat, the cupcakes I took absolutely everywhere, to every gathering, made for every party – everything!

They were tops.

And said chocolate chip covered peanut butter spoon has forever been my mental health snack. When I want something sweet, it’s always a go-to because it’s simple, chances are I have the ingredients, and it’s chocolate plus peanut butter, HELLO.

Comfort food at it’s finest, probably the most craved food I have if I’m in a moment of eating my emotions. I know you get it.

And I think back and wonder just where it was that I first learned about how delicious this pairing could be. I don’t think it was from my mom, because even though she enjoys sweets, she doesn’t seem to lose her mind over peanut butter + chocolate like I do. So I’ve assumed that it was from a stray Reese’s cup on Halloween or something, probably my first taste of one that gave me the choco PB high that I’ve never been able to quit.

That’s so funny now, because my palate is such a snob when it comes to chocolate that Reese’s barely fit the bill these days. Pretty sure I went the entire Halloween season without consuming one because a peanut butter melt away with better quality chocolate could be found.

But seriously.

I could give up all dessert in life if I was allowed to have a few chocolate chips dipped in peanut butter every now and then. It would be worth it.

Okay I’ll stop now. But do you get it? The intense love for the best flavor combo on earth?

Eddie does not get it. He does not love it. He likes both separately, but together? Nope.

That’s why I won’t be making this chocolate peanut butter sheet cake tomorrow for Valentine’s Day.

It’s why I made it a few weeks ago to enjoy then, so I could make something else he loves tomorrow instead.

I’m thinking chocolate dipped strawberries –  for sure. Maybe just chocolate chip cookies. Perhaps even brownies. No PB involved.

As for this lovely cake?

I live for a sheet cake because it seems easier than cupcakes.

Even if you’re making the same batter the same way, it FEELS easier. Do you get that?

In reality, it’s not like it’s that much easier, but at least you can frost one big slab as opposed to 24 single cakes.

This chocolate cake is not overly sweet but it is deeply cocoa-y.

Which is a fantastic contrast for the sweet, rich peanut butter frosting.

That you will definitely want to eat with a spoon.

Wowza.

The peanut butter frosting compliments the cake perfectly. Perfectly, I tell you!

I can state with certainty that I like peanut butter frosting better than peanut butter alone.

Can we just make peanut butter frosting toast a thing?

I share this chocolate peanut butter sheet cake on a Wednesday because it’s my ideal Valentine’s dessert. It’s not shaped like a heart and it may not be mousse or molten or truffled. But it’s one of those desserts that you love intensely because it tastes so good. It’s not some crazy or over the top treat, it’s not layered or ombre-ed.

But it’s chocolate and peanut butter. So therefore, it doesn’t have to be. It’s perfect by itself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Breakfast. Yep.

The post Chocolate Sheet Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Pro tip: shape your dough into a heart to make the best white pizza!

I mentioned last week that I might just make every food into a heart shape this week. And I’m sticking to it.

Remember when I first made the heart pizza with heart pepperoni?! I’ve made a version of that every year around Valentine’s Day for Eddie, and now for Max too because he loves pepperoni pizza.

Currently wondering if I could make heart-shaped sliders. Or tacos. Or smashed potatoes.

Nothing is safe from my heart cookie cutter.

This year, I decided that I could also make a white pizza for Emilia and myself. I mean, this babe will eat anything and gladly inhales pepperoni pizza, but I need someone on my cheesy white pizza side, right?! Someone to love it as much as I do.

So!

After I made a bunch of pizza on New Year’s Eve, so many of you asked on Instagram stories for my best white pizza recipe.

The thing is that I looooove white pizza. I always have, in fact, growing up it was really the only pizza I’d eat! I didn’t want anything to do with tomato sauce. Not a thing.

And I have a few recipes here for white pizza versions that we really love. Probably too many recipes. Do I just go start a pizza blog?!

This white pizza with garlic sauce and herbs is SO good. It has a ton of flavor.

This other fancier white pizza with slow roasted cherry tomatoes is incredible, because it’s both savory and sweet. The tomatoes burst and get a little caramely in the oven.

Why I find it appropriate to post an additional white pizza recipe?! Probably because to me, they can be made in so many different ways. I often make a white pizza at home with mushrooms and balsamic or even shredded brussels and bacon.

Super good.

This recipe here is a four cheese pizza that doesn’t require a homemade sauce, meaning it comes together fairly quickly! I like to make sure the crust tastes like garlic bread (um remember this garlic crust pizza?!) and then sprinkle it with crushed pepper flakes and lemon zest. It’s a take on the white pizza from Michigan and Trumbull at Federal Galley.

The result is to die for. It’s super cheesy with a hint of heat. There’s a little brightness from the lemon zest (don’t skip it!) and if you’re feeling it, you can drizzle some extra garlic oil on top.

As for cheeses, I like to go with freshly grated provolone, fresh mozzarella slices, scoops of fresh ricotta and a heavy handed sprinkle of parmesan. These four come together to create the perfect “pizza cheese” flavor.

And you obviously don’t have to shape your dough into a super cheesy (all puns intended) heart.

But I swear it tastes better than way.

Our Favorite White Pizza

And we get in our greens!

The post Cheesy White Pizza on Garlic Bread Crust. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

No one can resist mini heart pies, am I right?

Ever since having kids, I’ve become full on Valentine’s Day obsessed. I don’t know what it is! It’s not just the day – it’s the little season before each holiday that is so exciting to “celebrate” with them. Max gets ridiculously excited to put up the little décor we have for Valentine’s Day.

He also still calls it ValenTIMES day and I just can’t bear to tell him otherwise because it’s so cute.

It’s one of those words that I secretly hope he always pronounces as he says it now.

Anyhoooo.

I made these mini peach hand pies in the summer and have been dyyyying to make some into hearts all year!

It gets me super excited to have another use for Mother Lovett’s pie crust too. She is probably doing cartwheels in her grave right now because I’ve made more with her pie crust than we ever thought imaginable!

Says the person who grew up not caring about pie.

Crazy!

Full disclosure: raspberries are probably my least favorite fruit and I don’t lose my mind over Nutella like most people do. BUT. The combination of these two together? Ooooh it’s good. It’s decadent and tastes like heaven.

These are also super fun to make with kids! Well, the cutting dough part is. The filling… maybe not so much. But what I love about mini pies is when the gorgeous berry filling peeks out during bake time. It’s so vibrant and pretty and makes the crust on top taste that much better.

I used a mini heart cookie cutter that I found at Target a few years ago. You could make whatever size pies you’d like, so you may get less than the almost-two dozen I got, but that just means more room for ice cream!

Crunchy sugar on top for all of us texture lovers, okay?

I whipped up a quick makeshift raspberry compote (or… something like it?) using frozen raspberries. This way, if you can’t find any great berries at the moment, grab some frozen ones and you’re good to go. You could also use your favorite preserves in a pinch.

A dollop of both bursting, syrupy raspberries and nutella go in the center of a super flakey and buttery crust. These are SO good right from the oven, served with vanilla ice cream, extra raspberries drizzled on top and a nutella spoon, which gets all melty in the bowl.

Best Valentine’s treat ever!

p.s. let’s skip the part about how these mini heart pies may look like a scene from Dexter when covered in extra raspberries.

In case you need a few more ideas, I’ve made Nutella s’mores pop tarts with puff pastry and those are to die for. I also made ones with sour cherry jam and smoked cheddar! Equally as delish. This amaretto brownie heart will make you fall in love (as will the heart baking dish – HELLO!) and who can forget the cabernet latte that I shared last year?!

Making that for sure.

Maybe making it today. It has been a WEEK.

How to Make Mini Heart Pies

Don’t mind me while I go cut every food into a heart shape for the next week.

The post Mini Berry Nutella Heart Pies for Your Valentine! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.