Jan
2021

Roasted Italian Veggie Medley

categories: Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Roasted Italian Veggie Medley is yummy broccoli, carrots, and red peppers covered with Italian spices, baked, and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Roasted Italian Veggie Medley is yummy broccoli, carrots, and red peppers covered with Italian spices, baked, and topped with Parmesan cheese.

Roasted vegetables are so delicious! There’s something magical that happens when fresh veggies are roasted, rather than being boiled in water. There is more depth to their flavor, and the vegetables slightly caramelize on the outside, which makes it my favorite way to fix them. 

This roasted Italian veggie medley is very simple to prepare. It uses three fresh veggies: broccoli, carrots, and sweet, red bell peppers. The veggies are drizzled with olive oil and then seasoned with an Italian-inspired spice mix before baking. The finished veggies are topped with finely grated Parmesan cheese before serving, which adds another layer of FLAVOR. Here’s how to make this simple side dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Seasoning Mix

Making the seasoning mix is ridiculously EASY! Measure Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes into a tiny dish. Stir well, to combine spices, then set aside.

An Italian-inspired seasoning mix is combined in a small dish.

Prepare The Veggies For Baking

Peel, slice off the ends, then cut six medium-sized carrots in half lengthwise. Once sliced in half lengthwise, cut the carrots into 1½-2 inch slices. Cut the broccoli into florets, then cut the red bell pepper into bite sized chunks, after removing the seeds. Arrange the veggies in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, and toss, to lightly coat all sides. Sprinkle the reserved spice mixture over the top of the vegetables, evenly distributing all the seasoning.

The vegetables are drizzled with olive oil before seasoning.Italian spice mixture is sprinkled over olive oil-drizzled veggies on baking sheet.

Bake The Seasoned Veggies

Roast the veggies, uncovered, in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and quickly turn the veggies over, to roast the other side. Make sure to keep the veggies in a single layer.

Seasoned vegetables are baked in an oven for ten minutes before turning.

Place the veggies back into the oven and continue roasting them for 10 more minutes, and then they should be done (and tender). Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and quickly transfer the hot roasted Italian veggie medley to a serving plate or bowl.

Immediately grate Parmesan cheese over the top of the veggies before serving. The heat from the vegetables will help melt the Parmesan cheese.

Flipping the veggies halfway through baking time helps roast both sides.

Serve the Roasted Italian Veggie Medley

Serve the roasted Italian veggie medley as soon as you have the cheese grated on top. I love to finely grate the cheese from a wedge of fresh Parmesan I usually keep in our refrigerator. It adds a nice additional layer of Italian flavor to this simple dish. YUM!
TIP: If using bagged, pre-grated Parmesan, you might need to pop the dish in the microwave to help melt the cheese. 

Roasted Italian Veggie Medley is served, topped with finely grated Parmesan cheese.Grated Parmesan cheese garnishes the top of the roasted Italian veggie medley.

And there you have it… a lovely vegetable medley side dish, without a whole lot of work! I hope you will find the time to give this delicious dish a try. Pretty confident you will enjoy it, as we did. It is a wonderful and versatile side dish, which beautifully compliments a wide variety of chicken, fish, pork OR beef dishes.

The recipe, as written below, make four side servings, but can be EASILY doubled to serve more! Have a wonderful day, and thank you for stopping by. I sincerely hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More VEGGIE Recipes?

You can find all of my veggie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few yummy dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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Roasted Italian Veggie Medley
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Roasted Italian Veggie Medley is yummy broccoli, carrots, and red peppers covered with Italian spices, baked, and topped with Parmesan cheese.

Category: Side Dish, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Roasted Italian Veggie Medley
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 143 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Italian Spice Mix:
  • 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
For Rest Of Dish:
  • 5 medium carrots , peeled
  • 3 cups broccoli florets , approx. 1/2 head broccoli
  • ½ large red bell pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. Measure Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes into a tiny dish. Stir well, to combine spices; set aside.

  3. Peel, slice off ends, then cut carrots in half lengthwise, then cut carrots into 1½-2 inch long slices. Cut broccoli into florets; cut red bell pepper into bite sized chunks, after removing the seeds. Arrange veggies in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss, to lightly coat all sides. Evenly sprinkle spice mix over top of vegetables.

  4. Roast veggies, uncovered, at 400°F. for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; quickly turn veggies over, to roast other side, keeping them in a single layer. Place veggies back into oven; bake 10 more minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove from oven; transfer hot veggies to serving dish. Immediately grate Parmesan cheese over the top of the veggies before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Roasted Italian Veggie Medley
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 143 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 425mg18%
Potassium 512mg15%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 13851IU277%
Vitamin C 92mg112%
Calcium 111mg11%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Roasted Italian Veggie Medley is yummy broccoli, carrots, and red peppers covered with Italian spices, baked, and topped with Parmesan cheese.

 

 


Jan
2021

Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce

categories: Mexican / Southwestern, Sauces and Dressings
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Make a batch of Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce in 10 minutes to use to make your favorite enchiladas, with this step by step EASY tutorial.
Make a batch of Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce in 10 minutes to use to make your favorite enchiladas, with this step by step EASY tutorial.

Do you like enchiladas? We sure do in our family! I typically keep a large can of store-bought enchilada sauce (for backup) in our pantry, but many times I forget to buy another one once it’s gone. If you’re like me, you don’t want to stop everything and run to the grocery store for one item (especially during Covid-19, right?). Have no fear!

It is so very simple to make it right at home. It’s a cinch to make 4 cups (32 ounces) of easy homemade enchilada sauce in only a few minutes! A LARGE can of enchilada sauce at the store is 28 ounces, so this recipe will give you a bit more that that (and it freezes well), so it’s a win-win.

Today I want to show you, step by step, how EASY it is to make this flavorful enchilada sauce. I found the handwritten recipe in my old recipe box, but there was no source noted to give credit where it is due! I’ve had the recipe for many years, and let me tell you, this is one great tasting red enchilada sauce! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe At The Bottom Of The Page

What Ingredients Will I Need To Make The Sauce?

The ingredients you will use to make this delicious enchilada sauce are olive oil, flour, cocoa, tomato paste, sugar, water, and fresh garlic. You will also use the following spices to add the perfect flavor: chili powder, salt, oregano, basil, thyme, and ground cumin.

A collection of the ingredients used to make this enchilada sauce.

How To Make Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan on medium-low heat. Add flour, cocoa powder, salt, chili powder, sugar, minced fresh garlic, oregano, basil, cumin and thyme into a large saucepan. Stir these ingredients together until blended.

The mixture will be very thick and will be dark brown in color. Perfect! Cook for 1 minute on medium-low heat, stirring often.

Ingredients for the sauce are combined, then cooked until slightly thickened.Ingredients for easy homemade enchilada sauce are stirred before water is added.

Whisk or stir a small (6 oz.) can of tomato paste and 3 cups of water into the mixture until fully combined. Cook the easy homemade enchilada sauce on medium heat (uncovered) for 5-6 minutes. Stir often while it cooks. The enchilada sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks.

Once the sauce is slightly thickened, it is ready to be put to good use in a favorite enchilada recipe. That’s it! See how easy it is to make this sauce? 

Sauce is cooked until blended and slightly thickened.Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce is now ready to use in recipes.

Time To USE Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce!

I like to use a good flavored red sauce for my Easy Cheesy Enchiladas, and this sauce is perfect for that! Simply pour a base of the sauce on the bottom of the dish, add rolled filled enchiladas, and top them with more sauce, cheese and onions before baking. YUMMO!

A baking dish of enchiladas covered in easy homemade enchilada sauce.

After baking, I serve enchiladas (made with my easy homemade enchilada sauce) with dollops of sour cream and some chopped fresh cilantro. They’re delicious, and this wonderful homemade sauce plays a large part of that.

Baked enchiladas ready to serve, garnished with sour cream and cilantro.

I hope you will consider trying this easy to make homemade enchilada sauce. It really does taste GREAT! Any leftover sauce freezes well, so even if I only make 4-5 enchiladas for my husband and myself, I know I always have sauce ready for another round in our freezer.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day, filled with love, laughter, and encouragement. Please come back for another visit soon to find more delicious recipes to make for those you love.

Looking For More MEXICAN-INSPIRED  Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few Mexican-inspired recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (old recipe found written on a recipe card from years ago)

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EASY Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Make a batch of Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce in 10 minutes to use to make your favorite enchiladas, with this step by step EASY tutorial.

Category: Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: easy homemade enchilada sauce
Servings: 12 (1/3 cup per serving)
Calories Per Serving: 66 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 6 cloves fresh garlic finely minced
  • 1 Tablespoon chile powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 6 ounces tomato paste (canned)
  • 3 cups water
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil on medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add flour, cocoa, salt, chili powder, sugar, garlic, oregano, basil, cumin and thyme to pan. Stir until blended. Mixture will be thick and dark brown in color. Cook for 1 minute on medium-low heat, stirring often.

  2. Whisk or stir tomato paste and water into the mixture until fully combined. Cook sauce on medium heat (uncovered) for 5-6 minutes. Stir often while it cooks. The enchilada sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks.

  3. Once sauce has slightly thickened, remove from heat, and use in your favorite recipes. Sauce may be frozen, if stored in a sealed, airtight container. Thaw fully before using.

Recipe Notes

The recipe makes approx. 4 cups enchilada sauce. Caloric calculation is made based on using 1/3 cup per portion.

Nutrition Facts
EASY Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/3 cup portion))
Calories 66 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 708mg31%
Potassium 169mg5%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 414IU8%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 12mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a batch of Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce in 10 minutes to use to make your favorite enchiladas, with this step by step EASY tutorial.


Jan
2021

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts
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Make a batch of 4 dozen delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (with raisins), for family or friends to enjoy! Easy, chewy, and so yummy!
Make a batch of 4 dozen delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (with raisins), for family or friends to enjoy! Easy, chewy, and so yummy!

I don’t know about you, but I really love oatmeal raisin cookies. My husband isn’t the biggest fan (“oatmeal is for breakfast”), but I’ll take one of those cookies any time of day. I’ve had a recipe for many years for the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies I am sharing with you today. The recipe (from one of my old recipe boxes) had been cut out of a magazine and didn’t have a source listed, so I don’t know who to give credit to for this yummy recipe.

Cinnamon chips can be a bit difficult to find in the grocery stores (in the chocolate chip section) unless it is around the holidays. I discovered about a year ago that they are available for purchase in bulk (three 10oz. bags per package) on Amazon, so at least I can keep them on hand in my pantry to make cinnamon chip scones or these cookies any time I want!

This cookie recipe uses a whole bag of cinnamon chips, so the flavor is amazing! It’s such an easy recipe to make, and yields about 4 dozen of these super flavor-filled chewy cookies. Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Batter

Before making the batter, preheat your oven to 350°F. The batter doesn’t take long at all to prepare, so you want your oven heated and ready to go! Place the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat these ingredients until they become creamy.

Butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar are beaten well in large bowl.

Add two eggs and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl, and beat well, until they have been incorporated into the batter. In a separate bowl, combine the all purpose flour and baking soda, and then add these dry ingredients to the mixing bowl full of batter. Beat well, until the flour mixture has been fully incorporated into the batter.

Eggs and vanilla are mixed into the cookie batter, then dry ingredients are added.

To finish off the batter for the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies, it’s time to add the three remaining ingredients. Add old fashioned oats (or substitute quick-cooking oats), raisins, and a 10 oz. bag of cinnamon chips to the bowl. STIR them into the batter. The finished cookie batter will be very thick!

Cinnamon chips, raisins, and oats are stirred into the cookie batter.

Time To Bake Some Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies!

Drop the batter by generous Tablespoons onto UNGREASED cookie sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie. NOTE: You will probably need to make a couple batches, since the recipe makes approximately 48 cookies. I used two baking sheets per batch, so all the cookies were done in two batches.

Bake the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. When done they should be light brown on top. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and let the cookies rest in the pan for 1 minute, before trying to remove them. 

Batter for the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies on baking sheet ready for oven.

After they rest a minute, transfer them from the pan to a wire rack to finish cooling. They will firm up a little bit more as they cool, and then they are ready to gobble up! There are a lot of cinnamon chips in these cookies, which makes them POP with cinnamon flavor!

After baking, the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies cool on wire racks.Chewy, flavorful oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies taste wonderful!

I sure hope you get the chance to try these delicious oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies. They’re really good, and truly are a cinch to make! Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon.

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of ’em you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
11 mins
Total Time
26 mins
 

Make a batch of 4 dozen delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (with raisins), for family or friends to enjoy! Easy, chewy, and so yummy!

Category: Desssert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies
Servings: 48 cookies (approx.)
Calories Per Serving: 129 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened *equals 2 sticks
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 ounces Hershey's cinnamon chips *equals 1 bag
  • 2½ cups old-fashioned oats *can substitute quick cooking oats
  • ¾ cup raisins
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. Place softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until they become creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well, until incorporated into the batter.

  3. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda; add to the batter. Beat well, until flour mixture has been fully mixed into the batter. Stir in oats, raisins, and cinnamon chips. Cookie batter will be thick!

  4. Drop batter by generous Tablespoons onto UNGREASED cookie sheets, leaving space between each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. When done they should be lightly browned on top. Remove baking sheets from oven; let cookies rest for 1 minute before removing them from baking sheet. Transfer cookies to wire rack to finish cooling before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies
Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
Calories 129 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 18mg6%
Sodium 76mg3%
Potassium 70mg2%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 129IU3%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make a batch of 4 dozen delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (with raisins), for family or friends to enjoy! Easy, chewy, and so yummy!


Jan
2021

Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad

categories: Salads
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Enjoy Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!Enjoy Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!

I really love a good spinach salad… do you? Today I want to share a great recipe for a Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad. I called it that, because, between the abundance of crispy crumbled bacon ON the salad, there is also a warm bacon dressing that is poured OVER the salad when serving. If you LOVE BACON and enjoy spinach salads like I do, then this simple, flavor-packed salad will be a big hit.

The recipe as written makes two servings, and can be used as a side salad for a variety of entrees. Hard-boiled eggs on top add wonderful protein to the salad, so it can be a delicious main dish salad if you choose to enjoy it that way, as well. With just a bit of prep ahead of time, this delicious salad can be ready to enjoy! Let me show you how easy it is to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

First Things First!

You will need to have two hard-boiled eggs cooked and cooled for this salad. Get them ready first using your favorite method, so they will have time to cool, peel, and slice before adding to the salad. I usually cover them with water in a saucepan, and bring them to a boil, cooking them for 22 minutes total, from start to finish.

Hard-boiled eggs are used in this recipe for spinach salad.

You will also need cooked, crispy crumbled bacon for the salad. You can also pre-cook this ingredient or make this while the eggs are cooking, if more convenient time-wise. I usually cut the bacon into small pieces with either a knife or kitchen scissors. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until very crispy. It cooks much faster when pre-chopped into small pieces!

Once the bacon is cooked and crispy, remove it to paper towels to cool. Set aside a generous Tablespoon of the bacon crumbles to add to the warm bacon dressing later, keeping the rest set aside for the salad itself.
NOTE:  LEAVE 1 Tablespoon of the bacon grease in the skillet for the salad dressing (discard the rest).

Chopped bacon is quickly fried until crispy in a skillet.

Prepare The Warm Bacon Salad Dressing

In the same skillet, cook the chopped red onion in the reserved Tablespoon of bacon grease for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally until done. Add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water, black pepper and Dijon mustard to the red onion mixture, and stir, to combine.

Cook for approx. 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The dressing will thicken very slightly as the water cooks away. During the last minute of cooking, add the reserved 1 Tablespoon of the crumbled crisp bacon to the salad dressing. Make sure the salad dressing is served warm! TIP: Build the salad while the bacon dressing is heating!

Chopped red onion is cooked in a small bit of bacon drippings.Vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup is added to the cooked red onion.Warm bacon dressing is heated until sugar dissolves.

Prepare The Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad For Two

Line each plate with baby spinach leaves. Evenly distribute thin slices of red onion, and the remaining bacon crumbles to each salad. Slice each hard-boiled egg, and decoratively fan them out on top of each serving.

Spoon the warm bacon dressing over the top of each salad, and then you’re ready to enjoy this delicious dish for two. I think you will love the bacon flavor that shines in this simple, but absolutely yummy salad!

Two plates full of the Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad, before adding salad dressing.Warm bacon dressing tops each plate full of Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad.

The warm bacon dressing really MAKES this salad, in my opinion! Don’t leave it out! The crispy bacon pieces, combined with warm salad dressing, the tang of the red onions, and the creamy hard-boiled eggs provide taste, texture, protein, and color for this simple salad. It’s so very good!

Crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, red onion, and warm bacon dressing on each salad.

I truly hope you enjoy this Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad. The recipe can be easily doubled, and is sure to be a favorite! Thanks for stopping by… come back soon.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my SALAD recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (found a handwritten recipe card-no source noted- in a really OLD recipe box.)

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Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad

Enjoy Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bacon lover's spinach salad
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 407 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 5 slices bacon cooked crisp, crumbled, divided use
  • 2 large eggs hardboiled
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • ¼ medium red onion divided use *SEE NOTE*
  • 1 Tablespoon bacon grease
  • 1½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Prep:

  1. Hard boil the eggs. Let cool, then peel. Cook bacon in large skillet until very crispy. It cooks much faster chopped into small pieces! Once the bacon is crispy, remove to paper towels to cool. Set aside a generous Tablespoon of bacon crumbles to add to warm bacon dressing later, keeping the rest set aside for the salad itself. NOTE:  LEAVE 1 Tablespoon of the bacon grease in the skillet for the salad dressing (discard the rest).

Make Bacon Dressing:

  1. Cook chopped red onion in reserved Tablespoon of bacon grease in skillet 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water, black pepper and Dijon mustard; stir to combine. Cook 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Dressing will thicken slightly as water cooks away. During last minute of cooking, add reserved Tablespoon of crumbled crisp bacon to salad dressing. Dressing is served warm.

Build Salad:

  1. Line plates with baby spinach. Evenly distribute thin slices of red onion and remaining bacon crumbles over spinach. Slice each hard-boiled egg into thin rounds, and decoratively fan slices out on top of each serving. Spoon warm bacon dressing over the top of each salad, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES:

  • Use one thin round slice of red onion to garnish salads. Cut the round slice in half, and use one half of the slice (separated) to garnish each salad.
  • Chop the remaining red onion (approx. 1/8 cup) to use in the warm bacon salad dressing.
Nutrition Facts
Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/2 of total))
Calories 407 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 229mg76%
Sodium 538mg23%
Potassium 533mg15%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 5896IU118%
Vitamin C 18mg22%
Calcium 95mg10%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!


Jan
2021

Easy Baked BBQ Chicken

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that… EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!
Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that... EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!

Today I want to share a recipe (from my trusty old recipe box) that I’ve had for years and years, for easy baked BBQ chicken. I don’t know the source of the original recipe, because I jotted the ingredients/directions down on an index card over 20 years ago, but it is very easy! Basically, you will cook a quick and delicious BBQ sauce, lightly pan-sear chicken pieces, then douse the chicken with the sauce and put it all in the oven to bake.

This recipe is a perfect way to enjoy good BBQ chicken when it’s just too cold, rainy or snowy to get out and cook BBQ chicken on the old family grill.

The prep time is only about 20 minutes total, and then the chicken bakes for about an hour, filling your kitchen with a delicious aroma as it cooks. You can start watching a Hallmark movie, remodel your house, or play with the kids while the chicken bakes… yahoo! The end result? Absolutely DELICIOUS easy baked BBQ chicken, with minimal hands-on time! Here’s how easy it is to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

What Ingredients Will I Need?

First and foremost, you will need approx. 8 pieces of chicken. Use whatever type of pieces you want (legs, thighs, breasts, skinless, skin-on, bone-in, boneless, or any combo, etc.). IT’S YOUR CHOICE.

The ingredients you will need for the easy BBQ sauce are: onion, butter, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, worcestershire sauce, water, salt and pepper.

The ingredients used to make BBQ sauce for chicken.

Make The BBQ Sauce

In a medium saucepan, sauté chopped onion in melted butter. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring often, then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the chicken). Let the sauce simmer (uncovered) on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, set aside.

TIP: If you are a multi-tasker and like to save time, you can brown the chicken pieces (see below) while the sauce cooks. That way they will be done about the same time.

Chopped onion is cooked in melted butter to start the bbq sauce.The BBQ sauce is fully cooked and ready to use.

Lightly Brown The Chicken Pieces Before Baking

Pat each of the chicken pieces you will be using with paper towels to absorb extra moisture before cooking. Pour just enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom. Heat the oil on medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking.

Carefully add the chicken pieces in a single layer to the hot oil and do not move them once they hit the pan. You may find it necessary to brown the chicken in batches, but it doesn’t take long at all to brown them, so nor worries! Brown the first side for 2-3 minutes, then carefully turn over each piece to lightly brown the other side.

Place the lightly browned chicken pieces in a single layer in a 13″x9″ baking dish. Repeat browning process with 2nd batch, if necessary. I cooked mine in two batches. You do not want them to be fully cooked or very brown, just enough to lightly brown and to help seal the juices in the meat.

Chicken pieces are lightly browned in hot oil on both sides.Lightly browned chicken pieces are placed in baking dish.

Time To Cook Easy Baked BBQ Chicken

Once all the chicken has been browned and added to the baking dish, pour all of the BBQ sauce over the chicken. Turn to make sure both sides are fully coated in that yummy BBQ sauce!

Bake the chicken (uncovered) at 350°F. for 1 hour, or until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Once done, remove from oven. Let chicken “rest” for 3-4 minutes, and then the easy baked BBQ chicken is ready to be served.

Homemade BBQ sauce is poured over chicken, to coat, before baking.Easy Baked BBQ Chicken, hot from the oven!

Time To Eat Some Easy Baked BBQ Chicken!

Place chicken onto a platter or individual plates. Before serving, spoon some of the extra sauce from the baking dish over the top of each piece of chicken.

That’s it! With minimal prep, and a lot of “inactive” baking time, this meal is ready to be enjoyed. The flavor of the bbq sauce-coated chicken is wonderful, in my humble opinion. We enjoyed our meal of easy baked BBQ chicken with mashed potatoes and a spinach salad (with warm bacon dressing) on the side. It was wonderful! 

The easy baked bbq chicken, served with mashed potatoes and spinach salad.

I truly hope you have the opportunity to make this easy chicken recipe for those you love. It doesn’t matter what kind of chicken pieces you use (breasts, legs, thighs or a combo); the result will be delicious. Have a great day, and thank you for visiting. Come back again soon!

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find all of my chicken recipes (there’s a LOT) in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. There are many delicious chicken recipes there, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Original Recipe Source: unknown

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Easy Baked BBQ Chicken
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 

Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that... EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!

Category: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy baked bbq chicken
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 217 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For BBQ Sauce:
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • ⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar , light or dark
  • 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
  • 1½ Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Rest of Dish:
  • 8 pieces chicken (breasts, thighs, legs)
  • vegetable oil (enough to cover bottom of large skillet)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. In a medium saucepan, sauté chopped onion in melted butter. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, then add remaining ingredients (except for chicken). Let sauce simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, set aside. TIP: If you are a multi-tasker and like to save time, you can brown the chicken pieces (see below) while the sauce cooks. That way they will be done about the same time.

  3. Pat each of the chicken pieces you will be using with paper towels to absorb extra moisture before cooking. Pour just enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Carefully add chicken pieces in a single layer to hot oil. Do not move them once they hit the skillet. Brown first side for 2-3 minutes, then carefully turn over each piece to lightly brown other side. Place chicken in single layer in a 13"x9" baking dish. Repeat browning process with 2nd batch, if necessary.

  4. Pour all of the BBQ sauce over chicken. Turn to make sure all sides are fully coated with sauce before baking. Bake chicken (uncovered) at 350°F. for 1 hour, or until chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Once done, remove from oven. Let chicken "rest" for 3-4 minutes. then place chicken on platter or individual plates. Spoon extra sauce from baking dish over each piece, then serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

***PLEASE NOTE: This caloric calculation is an estimate only, because the sizes/weights, and variety of chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless, skinless or skin-on) YOU use will be different. The caloric calculation for this recipe was made using boneless, skinless chicken breasts as a point of reference. Using thighs and legs or any combination of pieces/sizes, will result in a different caloric value per serving.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Baked BBQ Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 breast)
Calories 217 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 84mg28%
Sodium 493mg21%
Potassium 530mg15%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 281IU6%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that... EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!


Dec
2020

Merry Christmas 2020

categories: Holidays!
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Merry Christmas 2020. It’s been quite an unexpected, interesting year, hasn’t it? Whew. As this year draws to a close, I want to say “thank you” for your encouragement, e-mails, and visits to this blog. I hope you’ve found lots of delicious recipes to prepare for yourself and those you love. They have been fun, and my great honor to share with you!

Merry Christmas greeting from our home to yours.

I will be taking a couple weeks off to enjoy the holiday (and take a break), then look forward to sharing some wonderful and delicious recipes with you in the New Year! In the meantime, if you’re looking for great recipes, be sure to check out my Recipe Index, because it has over 850 categorized recipes I’m confident you will enjoy. 

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year from our home in Oregon to yours. May God bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, and give you PEACE.

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Dec
2020

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

categories: Breads, Breakfast
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a delicious, easy-to make treat. The recipe yields two 9×5 loaves, perfect for gift-giving or snacking.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a delicious, easy-to make treat. The recipe yields two 9x5 loaves, perfect for gift-giving or snacking.

Do you enjoy banana bread? We sure do! Years ago I made some simple tweaks to my mom’s recipe for banana nut bread, and started making golden brown loaves of moist, chocolate chip banana bread (filled with chocolate chips and without the nuts). How can you go wrong by adding chocolate to just about anything? Not sure it’s possible.

Anyways, this simple recipe was born from her recipe. The recipe makes two big loaves of this delicious, moist bread. It hardly takes any time at all to whip up the batter, and then all that is left to do is pop ’em in the oven, and wait for them to be done. Easy Peasy! Here’s how to make this yummy bread, which can be a snack or a breakfast treat. We like to eat our slices warm, with a dab of soft butter on them. YUM. Here’s how to make this bread:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Batter

Making the batter is simple. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar into a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips, reserving some (1/4 cup) to add to the top of the loaves before baking. These are the “dry ingredients”.

Dry ingredients are sifted, together then chocolate chips are added.

In a separate bowl, whisk or stir together eggs, oil, lemon juice, and mashed (very ripe) bananas. You will want to use bananas that have brown spots all over the peels (very ripe), because they will be the sweetest, which is perfect for this bread. These are your “wet ingredients”.

Once combined, pour the “wet ingredients” into the bowl with the “dry ingredients”, and stir well, only until all the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix the batter.

Mashed bananas, eggs, oil, and lemon juice are combined in bowl.The wet ingredients are poured into the bowl of dry ingredients.The banana bread batter is stirred only until ingredients are combined.

Bake The Chocolate Chip Banana Bread 

Now it’s time to bake the chocolate chip banana bread. Spray two 9×5″ loaf pans with non-stick baking spray (bottom and sides). Evenly divide the batter between the two pans. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread batter.

Place the loaves on the middle rack in a preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean. I recommend checking the bread at 50 minutes, then again, until done. The chocolate chip banana bread should be golden brown on top. Let the loaves cool for 10-15 minutes (in the pan) on a wire rack, before attempting to remove them from the pans.

Chocolate chip banana bread batter is divided into two loaf pans for baking.Two loaves of chocolate chip banana bread cool on wire racks after baking.

Time To Eat!

Once the loaves have cooled, run a butter knife around the edges of the pan. Place a platter on top of a loaf, and holding both the platter and the loaf pan… invert the loaf upside down. It should come out of the pan easily (if you greased your pan well!).

Slice and serve. Each loaf should give you about 8 slices of this delicious bread. It is delicious slightly warmed, with butter, too! YUM.
NOTE: This bread also freezes very well, if wrapped well, in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

A view of the inside of the bread, once sliced. Lots of chocolate chips.A slice of the chocolate chip banana bread, sliced and ready to eat.

I hope you enjoy this yummy chocolate chip banana bread. It has been a favorite in our home for many, many years! Thank you for stopping by, and I sincerely hope you will come back soon. Have a wonderful day.

Looking For More “Sweet” Bread Loaf Recipes?

You can find all of my sweetened bread loaf recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
55 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a delicious, easy-to make treat. The recipe yields two 9x5 loaves, perfect for gift-giving or snacking.

Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chip banana bread
Servings: 16 (2 loaves)
Calories Per Serving: 386 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips , divided
  • 2 large eggs , slightly beaten
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups mashed VERY RIPE bananas (approx. 4 med. bananas)
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray two 9x5 loaf pans with non-stick baking spray.

  2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar into a large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips (reserving 1/4 cup) to add to the top of loaves before baking.

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk or stir together eggs, oil, lemon juice, and mashed (very ripe) bananas. Once combined, pour it into bowl with the "dry ingredients". Stir well, only until all ingredients are incorporated. Don't over-mix batter.

  4. Evenly divide batter between pans. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top. Place loaves on the middle rack of oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean. I recommend checking bread at 50 minutes, then again, until done/golden brown on top. Let loaves cool 10-15 minutes (in the pan) on a wire rack, before attempting to remove from pans.

  5. Once cooled, run a butter knife around edges of pan. Place a platter on top of a loaf, and holding both the platter and the pan, invert the loaf upside down. It should come out of the pan easily (if you greased your pan well!). Slice and serve. Each loaf should yield 8 slices. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If making mini-loaves, you will probably get 5-6 mini-loaves. These should be baked between 30-35 minutes.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 386 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 25mg8%
Sodium 299mg13%
Potassium 371mg11%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 63IU1%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 67mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is a delicious, easy-to make treat. The recipe yields two 9x5 loaves, perfect for gift-giving or snacking.


Dec
2020

Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash

categories: Air Fryer Recipes, Vegetable Dishes
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Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash is an easy veggie dish, with air fried squash cubes covered in a butter, maple syrup and cinnamon glaze.
Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash is an easy veggie dish, with air fried squash cubes covered in a butter, maple syrup and cinnamon glaze.

If you have an air fryer and are looking for a great veggie side dish, I would love to recommend this air fryer glazed butternut squash to you. It’s been fun trying so many recipes using the air fryer I got last year.

For this recipe I tweaked one of my recipes for BAKING maple cinnamon butternut squash, and adapted it (through trial and error) for use in an air fryer. This recipe is the result of my experiments. And boy… is it GOOD! Slightly caramelized on the outside, and creamy soft on the inside, this is a delicious, slightly sweet, butternut squash side dish. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Butternut Squash

Use a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, and peel the butternut squash. Cut off a slice of both ends, and discard. Slice the squash lengthwise, and then scoop out all the seeds (discard).

Slice each half squash into 1″ thick crescent-shaped slices, and then cut each slice into bite-sized cubes (about 1½” square). Place all the squash cubes into a large mixing bowl.

A vegetable peeler is used to peel the butternut squash.A butternut squash is sliced in half lengthwise, then seeds are removed.Crescent-shaped slices of the butternut squash are then cut into cubes.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the squash cubes, and then sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Stir well, to fully coat the squash with the oil and cinnamon.

Cinnamon and olive oil are sprinkled onto the squash, then stirred in to coat.

Cooking Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash

Now it’s time to cook the butternut squash! Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. This will take a couple minutes. When ready, place the squash cubes in the basket of the air fryer, spreading them out in a single layer as much as possible. 

The air frying process is fairly simple. Basically you will cook, shake the basket, cook, shake the basket, cook, shake the basket and then cook until soft. Got that? The occasional “shaking” allows the squash to get browned on all sides from all that “bumping” around.

Once done, the squash will have reduced in size as it cooked, will be slightly caramelized on the outside, and soft on the inside. You can give one a taste test to make sure it is cooked through.

Air fryer basket with cubes of butternut squash, ready to cook.When done, the squash has reduced in size, and is caramelized on the outside.

Time To Glaze And Serve!

Immediately pour the hot butternut squash into a large bowl. Add melted butter, pure maple syrup and a pinch or two more of ground cinnamon. Stir well, to ensure all the squash gets coated with this glaze.

Transfer to a serving plate or bowl, and serve the air fryer glazed butternut squash while HOT! The buttery cinnamon maple flavors give the squash just a bit of delicious sweetness that kids and adults will love! Serve alongside your favorite chicken, pork or beef dish, and enjoy!

Air fryer glazed butternut squash, served in white bowl.

Thank you for stopping by, and trust you will come back for a visit again soon. I hope you have the opportunity to try this air fryer glazed butternut squash. It’s really good, and I’m confident you and those you love will really enjoy it. Have a GREAT day, and may God bless you.

Looking For More Butternut Squash Recipes?

You can find all of my veggie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several delicious butternut squash recipes you might be interested in, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash is an easy veggie dish, with air fried squash cubes covered in a butter, maple syrup and cinnamon glaze.

Category: Side Dish, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer glazed butternut squash
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 134 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons butter melted
  • 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to peel butternut squash. Cut off a slice at both ends, and ends. Slice squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds (discard). Slice each half into 1½" thick crescent-shaped slices, then cut each slice into bite-sized cubes (about 1½" square).

  2. Place squash into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir well, to fully coat squash with oil and cinnamon.

  3. Preheat air fryer to 400°F. When ready, place squash cubes in the basket of the air fryer, spreading them in a single layer as much as possible. 

  4. Cook 5 minutes. Shake the basket to move the squash around. Cook 5 minutes. Shake again. Cook 5 minutes. Shake again. Cook for 3-5 more minutes until the squash is caramelized on the outside and is soft to the bite on the inside (taste test). When done, remove basket from air fryer.

  5. Immediately pour squash into a large bowl. Add melted butter, maple syrup and 1-2 pinches of ground cinnamon. Stir well, to ensure squash gets coated with glaze. Transfer to a serving plate or bowl, and serve HOT! Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash
Amount Per Serving
Calories 134 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 26mg1%
Potassium 671mg19%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 19994IU400%
Vitamin C 39mg47%
Calcium 95mg10%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Air Fryer Glazed Butternut Squash is an easy veggie dish, with air fried squash cubes covered in a butter, maple syrup and cinnamon glaze.


Dec
2020

Crunchy Caramel Corn

categories: Appetizers, Candy, Desserts
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Learn how to make yummy, crunchy caramel corn at home! This delicious, easy treat is made with only a few ingredients and will be a big hit!Learn how to make yummy, crunchy caramel corn at home! This delicious, easy treat is made with only a few ingredients and will be a big hit!

Do you enjoy caramel corn? I sure do! I’ve been making it for over 30 years with the same recipe I drag out of my old and tattered recipe box! It is super easy to make, is NOT sticky, and stays crunchy when stored in an airtight container! I am finally getting around to photographing and sharing the process for making it on the ol’ blog today.

The recipe as written makes approximately 24 cups of crunchy caramel corn when all is said and done, and did I mention just how absolutely DELICIOUS it is? Uh huh… addictively YUMMY. I have NO CLUE where the original recipe came from all those years ago. It was handwritten on an old 3×5 card with no source noted. Here’s how to make crunchy caramel corn:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

The Ingredients Needed

The ingredients you will need include popping corn, brown sugar, butter, light corn syrup, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Cream of tartar can be found in grocery stores in the Spices and Seasonings section.

A photo of the ingredients needed to make this recipe for caramel corn.

Pop the Popcorn!

The first thing you will need to do is pop the popcorn! You will need 3/4 cup of UNPOPPED plain popcorn kernels to end up with 6 quarts  of popped corn (approx. 24 cups) , which is necessary for this recipe.

Make the popcorn (in batches) using an air popper, or your own favorite popping method (stovetop/microwave, etc.). Once it is all popped, make sure to remove and discard any uncooked kernels from the batch. Set the popcorn aside in a very LARGE bowl while you make the caramel sauce. NOTE: It’s important to have the popcorn ready, so as soon as the hot caramel sauce is done, it can be added immediately!

Plain popcorn is popped and ready to turn into caramel corn.

Make The Caramel Sauce

Now it’s time to make the yummy caramel sauce for the popcorn. It’s EASY, and no candy thermometer is needed! Melt butter in a large saucepan. Once it’s melted, add brown sugar, light corn syrup, and salt. Stir well, to fully combine ingredients.

Bring the sauce to a boil on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, continue boiling for exactly 5 minutes, stirring the caramel sauce often.

The ingredients for caramel sauce are added to saucepan.Caramel sauce ingredients are cooked in large saucepan.

The sauce for the crunchy caramel corn will get pretty “foamy” as it continues to boil, and will rise a bit in the pan (which is why you start with a large saucepan!). Just keep on stirring! As it gets close to the 5 minute mark, it will darken in color, as well.

Once you’ve boiled it for 5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in the baking soda, and a pinch of the cream of tartar. The cream of tartar and the baking soda add air to the sauce, which is what helps create the crunchy texture on the popcorn!

Crunchy caramel corn sauce is boiling in pan.Baking soda is added to the finished caramel sauce.

Pour And MIX, MIX, MIX!

Immediately pour the hot caramel mixture over the popcorn. Use a large spoon and stir and stir, until all the popcorn is well coated in caramel sauce. Just keep stirring! A word of warning: The sauce is VERY HOT, so be careful. This would NOT be a job for the kids!

Pouring the hot caramel sauce over the popcorn in large bowl.Popcorn is stirred until coated with the sauce.

Time To Bake The Crunchy Caramel Corn

Once the popcorn is well-coated with the caramel sauce, spread it out on two large rimmed cookie sheets. Try to keep the popcorn in a single layer, and separate pieces with your fingers, if necessary, to break up any large “globs”.

Bake the caramel corn in a preheated 200°F oven for 90 minutes (1½ hours). Stir the caramel corn every 20 minutes during the baking time.  Stirring it that much is important, because it keeps the pieces moved around and broken up (for even heat distribution). This will also help the caramel to crisp up nice and crunchy, just the way it should be. Here’s what I do: Put on a great movie, set a timer, then just get up to give the caramel corn a stir every 20 minutes. It’s a WIN-WIN!

Once done, remove the pans from the oven, and let the crunchy caramel corn cool to room temperature before serving. Break up any large pieces, once cool. Store the crunchy caramel corn in an airtight container to keep it crunchy and fresh for weeks!

Crunchy caramel corn is baked until very crispy, turning at times during baking.

Crunchy Caramel Corn Is A Yummy Homemade Christmas Gift

Crunchy caramel corn also makes a fantastic food gift to give to those you love during the holidays! I like to buy inexpensive little Christmas goodie bags at the store, and fill them up with this crispy sweet snack!

Good luck staying out of the entire bowl of crunchy caramel corn… it is so incredibly good! It will be hard to stop eating, once you bite into it and get a taste!

Christmas goodie bags, filled with crunchy caramel corn are a fun homemade treat!

Thanks for stopping by! I truly hope you have the opportunity to make some yummy, crunchy caramel corn for yourself or those you love. It’s such a great recipe, and is so easy to make. Come back soon for another visit, and have a great day.

Looking For More CHRISTMAS GOODIE Recipes?

You can find all of my Christmas goodie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of them you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
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Crunchy Caramel Corn
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
 

Learn how to make yummy, crunchy caramel corn at home! This delicious, easy treat is made with only a few ingredients and will be a big hit!

Category: Appetizer/Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crunchy caramel corn
Servings: 24 approx.
Calories Per Serving: 177 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup popcorn kernels (UNPOPPED) (to make 6 quarts popped)
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks or 16 Tablespoons)
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch cream of tartar
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°F.

  2. Make popcorn using an air popper, or a favorite popping method (stovetop/microwave, etc.). Once popped, remove/discard any uncooked kernels. Put popcorn in a LARGE bowl; set aside. NOTE: It's important to have popcorn ready before cooking caramel sauce!

  3. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stir to combine. Bring sauce to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring often. Sauce will get "foamy" as it cooks, and will rise in the pan (which is why you use a large saucepan). Keep on stirring! Near the 5 minute mark, it will darken in color, as well. Once it's boiled 5 minutes, remove pan from heat. Stir in baking soda and a pinch of cream of tartar (this helps create crunchy texture-don't skip this).

  4. Immediately pour hot caramel over popcorn. Use a large spoon and stir, until all popcorn is well coated in caramel sauce. Just keep stirring! TIP: Sauce is VERY HOT, so be careful.

  5. Spread coated popcorn onto 2 large cookie sheets. Try to keep popcorn in a single layer, separating pieces with your fingers to break up large "globs". Bake at 200°F for 90 minutes (1½ hours), stirring every 20 minutes, to keep pieces moved around and broken up (for even heat distribution). Once done, remove from oven; let caramel corn cool completely. Break up any large pieces before serving. Store in airtight container to keep it crunchy for weeks! Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts
Crunchy Caramel Corn
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 177 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 124mg5%
Potassium 48mg1%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 236IU5%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Learn how to make yummy, crunchy caramel corn at home! This delicious, easy treat is made with only a few ingredients and will be a big hit!


Dec
2020

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

categories: Holidays!, Main Dishes, Pork
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Brown Sugar Glazed Ham is perfect for dinners or holiday feasts! A honey, brown sugar, OJ and spice glaze coats the ham (boneless or bone-in).Brown Sugar Glazed Ham is perfect for dinners or holiday feasts! A honey, brown sugar, OJ and spice glaze coats the ham (boneless or bone-in).

My husband LOVES ham! We don’t have it that much during the year, but wow, does he ever love it at Christmas time and at Easter. In the past we’ve bought pre-glazed hams (at Honey-Baked using gift certificates). We’ve also bought hams at the grocery that come with the cute little glaze package attached (where all you add is water).

Those are all wonderful options, but truthfully, it is sooo easy to make your own homemade brown sugar glazed ham. Today I will show you how you can make your own sauce to baste your holiday ham. The “recipe” is incredibly simple, and the ham tastes wonderful after being fully glazed at 3 different points during the baking time.

The recipe as written is for a six pound ham, but can be easily adapted for a much larger one, too! Here’s how easy it is to make this delicious glazed ham:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Brown Sugar Glaze

Simple, simple, simple. The sweet glaze is super easy to make! Basically it involves placing the ingredients in a pan and cooking for a couple minutes. That’s it!

Place brown sugar, orange juice, honey, white vinegar, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together. Once combined, bring the sauce to a simmer on medium-low heat. Let it cook for about 2 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until the sauce has slightly thickened, then remove the pan from the heat source.

Brown sugar, OJ, honey & spices are combined in saucepan to cook the glaze.The brown sugar glaze is cooked for 1-2 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Time To Glaze The Ham – Glaze #1

TIP: Take the ham out of the refrigerator about an hour before beginning, so some of the “chill” can be take off the meat. *It will cook more evenly if you do this.

Lay two large pieces of aluminum foil on counter (overlapping slightly in middle). Place your ham right in the middle of the foil. Use 1/3 of the brown sugar glaze to cover the entire outside surface of the ham. If you are using a spiral sliced ham, let some of the glaze drizzle down between slices, if desired.

Wrap up the ham tightly with the aluminum foil, until it is well sealed. Place the ham in a large baking dish, flat side of the ham facing down in the dish, then place the dish into a preheated 325°F oven (on a middle rack).

A ham is place on aluminum foil, then coated with brown sugar glaze.Aluminum foil tightly seals the brown sugar glazed ham for baking.

Baking The Brown Sugar Glazed Ham – Glaze #2

Bake the brown sugar glazed ham at 325°F for 15 minutes for every pound of meat you are cooking, OR until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 100-110°F. For example, this 6 pound ham was cooked for 90 minutes. As the weight of your ham may vary, it is important to follow these guidelines to ensure a juicy ham!

Remove the ham from the oven, but TURN up the oven temperature to 400°F, as you remove it. Carefully open the foil wrap, and brush the ham with another 1/3 of the brown sugar glaze all over. Place the ham STILL UNCOVERED back into the now 400°F oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes more. Keeping it uncovered will help the sugar to slightly caramelize on the ham.

Glaze # 3- The Final Glaze

Remove the ham from the oven after 15-20 minutes OR when the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Brush the remaining glaze over the surface of the ham, then tightly seal the foil back up, and let the ham rest for 10 minutes (covered), before slicing.

The ham’s internal juices will redistribute throughout the meat during this 10 minute “resting” time. This will help it to stay juicy when serving. Once “rested”, the ham is ready to slice and eat.

After baking, another coating of glaze is applied to the ham, then cooked longer.Final glaze is applied to ham after baking, then it rests to redistribute internal juices.

Ready To Eat

Slice the ham and serve to your hungry family or guests. This boneless brown sugar glazed ham sliced easily, the meat was fully cooked and juicy, and the glaze added extra flavor!

Boneless brown sugar glazed ham is sliced for serving.

You can also use this glaze for your spiral-sliced bone-in hams, too. The simple, but sweet glaze adds a wonderful layer of extra flavor to any ham.

A spiral-sliced ham can also be used for this recipe.

We enjoyed our delicious ham slices with French-style green beans and maple cinnamon sweet potatoes. It was a simple, but absolutely delicious meal. The ham leftovers were pretty incredible too, and were used to make ham and cheese scrambled eggs, ham sandwiches, and more. YUM.

Green beans and a sweet potato are served with a brown sugar glazed ham slice.

I hope you will consider trying this simple brown sugar glazed ham. I’m confident you will enjoy it on your favorite variety of ham. Thank you so much for visiting this blog. May God bless and keep you, and make His face shine upon you. Have a GREAT day, friends.

Looking For More HAM Recipes?

You can find my recipes that use ham (or pork) in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: Melissa, at: https://www.blessthismessplease.com/brown-sugar-glazed-ham/

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Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
 

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham is perfect for dinners or holiday feasts! A honey, brown sugar, OJ and spice glaze coats the ham (boneless or bone-in).

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brown sugar glazed ham
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 598 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 pound ham (bone-in or boneless) pre-cooked (intact or spiral cut)
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1½ Tablespoons honey
  • ⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Remove ham from fridge 1 hour before beginning, to take chill off. Preheat oven to 325°F.

  2. Place remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk together, to combine, and bring to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cook for 2 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until sauce has slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat source.

  3. Lay two large pieces of aluminum foil on counter (overlapping slightly in middle). Place ham in middle of the foil. Brush 1/3 of the brown sugar glaze on, to cover surface of ham. If using spiral sliced ham, let glaze drizzle down between slices. Wrap ham with foil, until well sealed. Place ham in a large baking dish, flat side down. Place dish on middle rack in 325°F oven.

  4. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes for every pound of meat you are cooking, OR until the internal temperature of the ham reaches 100-110°F. As ham weights vary, it is important to follow these guidelines to ensure juicy ham! Remove ham from oven, and TURN up oven temperature to 400°F. Carefully open foil, and pull it slightly away from the meat (but leave it in pan); brush ham with another 1/3 of the brown sugar glaze. 

  5. Place ham (STILL UNCOVERED) back into 400°F oven. Cook 15-20 minutes more. Remove ham after 15-20 minutes OR when the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Brush ham with remaining 1/3 glaze; seal the foil back up, and let ham rest for 10 minutes (covered), before slicing to allow juices to redistribute through meat. Once "rested", it's ready to slice and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Amount Per Serving (1 (8 ounce slice))
Calories 598 Calories from Fat 342
% Daily Value*
Fat 38g58%
Saturated Fat 14g88%
Cholesterol 141mg47%
Sodium 2709mg118%
Potassium 671mg19%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 49g98%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 23mg2%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Brown Sugar Glazed Ham is perfect for dinners or holiday feasts! A honey, brown sugar, OJ and spice glaze coats the ham (boneless or bone-in).