Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

June 20, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars made with Whole Wheat and flavored with brown butter. Conveniently made in bar form these Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are perfect for bringing to parties, potlucks, and more!

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A stack of 3 whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars on a white plate showing off melty chocolate.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies…in Bar Form

This recipe came as a marriage between a chocolate chip cookie recipe and a cookie bar recipe that I absolutely both love.

I loved the chocolate chip cookie recipe but the baking took forever because usually 3 batches had to be rolled out and baked every time I made them. Not to mention you needed all that space for the cookies to cool on a wire rack.

I loved the cookie bar recipe but it was lacking in complex flavors. AKA it needed some brown butter in my opinion. Plus cookie bars are great for a crowd, so easy to bring to a gathering of friends or a potluck!

So thus these amazing (if I do say so) Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars were born.

Overhead view of a while baking dish with cut whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars wit one positioned so the insides can be seen.

Equipment

You won’t need anything too out of the ordinary for these (so no stand mixers). You will need a 9×13 baking dish, bowls, a skillet, and typical kitchen utensils like measuring cups, whisks, and rubber spatulas.

Ingredients

whole wheat flour – At the base of these cookies is whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour gives these cookie bars a nuttiness flavor that adds some complexity to the dessert. I prefer to use King Arthur’s Whole Wheat Flour. Because whole wheat flour absorbs liquid differently from all-purpose flour I recommend not trying to substitute it out for a different kind of flour.
kosher salt – Using kosher salt is my little secret to great recipes. Kosher salt has a different structure than other types of salts making it easier for it to dissolve into the food. If you need to use a different kind of salt that is okay you can use fine sea salt but use 3/4 teaspoon instead of the full amount.
baking soda– Baking soda to leaven in this recipe.
light brown sugar – Light brown sugar is what I opted for over dark brown sugar because I didn’t want the sugar overpowering the flavors of the brown butter and flour. Make sure you use a packed cup!
granulated sugar – Also granulated sugar to keep the structure of the cookie bars.
unsalted butter – make sure you use unsalted butter otherwise you risk the cookie bars being too salty. It is a good general rule to always use unsalted butter when baking.
eggs – two large eggs
vanilla extract – to make sure the vanilla flavor really comes out you will use 2 teaspoons of extract.
semi-sweet chocolate chips – To ensure the cookie bars aren’t too sweet opt for semi-sweet chocolate chips over a sweeter milk chocolate variety. I would even say if you are serving this to a crowd of adults who like a darker chocolate a bittersweet or dark chocolate kind would be so good here.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars laid out on a table top.

Instructions

Begin by preheating the oven to 350º F. Line a 9×13 dish with parchment paper.

Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Collage showing the steps of adding the whole wheat flour to a bowl with the other dry ingredients.

Place a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. A light color skillet like a stainless steel will work best for this because of the light color you can see the butter brown better, if using a darker colored skillet just make sure you really keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Add and heat up the butter stirring occasionally until the butter begins to brown, little brown specks will appear, at this point keep stirring the butter so the bits won’t burn. Keep stirring the browning butter until the flecks reach a deep golden brown. From the time the butter has melted to when it is at a good brown butter stage can take about 7 to 8 minutes. Watch out because once the butter reaches the right temperature the browning process happens fast. It is normal for the butter to crackle and foam slightly during this process. Take off the heat and very carefully transfer to a heat safe bowl.

A stainless steel skillet with browned butter.

Add both the granulated and brown sugars to the hot butter and mix together well, it will still be a little clumpy.

Collage showing the steps of adding the brown butter and sugars in a bowl and mixing them together.

Add the vanilla and eggs to the mixture. With a whisk mix together continuously for 1 minute. Let the butter sugar mixture rest for 3 minutes. Whisk again for 1 minute. Rest 3 minutes. Whisk one last time for 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and should have lightened slightly in color.

Collage showing the steps of mixing the sugar, butter, and eggs together with the whisk until it is smooth.

With a rubber spatula fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir together until just mixed and flour streaks are gone but careful not to overmix. This should take about 1 minute.

Add and stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the dough to the lined 9×13 dish. Press the dough out evenly in the pan.

Collage showing the steps of making while wheat chocolate chip cookie bars by adding the flour and chocolate chips.

Collage showing adding the dough to the baking dish and before and after the cookie bars go in the oven.

Transfer to the oven and bake 21-25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

A white baking dish with sliced whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars and a knife.

pro tip

For a softer more gooey cookie bar take them out at the earlier end of the cook time so around 21 minutes. For a more lighter and crunchier cookie bar towards the end on the cooking time, around 25 minutes. I like to take them out usually between 22 and 23 minutes.

A close up of a stack of whole wheat chocolate chip cookies showing off the insides full of melty chocolate.

tips, tricks and questions

If time permits you can chill the dough! Chilling will increase the flavor of the cookies, the cookies are basically ‘marinating’ together, but this is total optional.

This recipe is made specifically for whole wheat flour, subsititutions may not work well. I recommend using King Arthur Flour’s Whole Wheat Flour.

Can I add nuts?

Absolutely. If you like walnuts in your cookies you can definitely add them to these cookie bars. If you do that though I would advise to only use 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and then use 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with ice cream, you could even serve the bars while they are a little warm with some ice cream right on top!

A small white plate with 3 whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars stacked up.

If you like these Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars you might also like:

what to serve with this

Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Salted Maple Cold Brew

Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

overhead shot of a cast iron on a table filled with apple crisp topped with ice cream and part of it scooped up with a spoon

Grilled Apple Crisp

Yield: 24 servings

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Name: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 12-ounce bag)

The most perfect dessert to bring along to anything, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. These bars are full of complex flavors from the whole wheat, browned butter, and salt surpassing any other cookie bar out there. I mean why individually roll out and cookie cookies when you can have cookie bars as good as these!?

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Total Time 47 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 12-ounce bag)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a 9x13 dish with parchment paper.
Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Place a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add and heat the butter stirring occasionally until the butter begins to brown, little brown specks will appear, at this point keep stirring the butter so the bits won’t burn. Keep stirring the browning butter until the flecks reach a deep golden brown. Take off the heat and very carefully transfer to a heat safe bowl. From the time the butter has melted to when it is at a good brown butter stage can take about 7 to 8 minutes.
Add both the granulated and brown sugars to the hot butter and mix together.
Add the vanilla and eggs to the mixture. With a whisk mix together continuously for 1 minute. Let the butter sugar mixture rest for 3 minutes. Whisk again for 1 minute. Rest 3 minutes. Whisk one last time for 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and should have lightened slightly in color.
With a rubber spatula fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir together until just mixed and flour streaks are gone but careful not to overmix. This should take about 1 minute.
Add and stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the dough to the lined 9x13 dish. Press the dough out evenly in the pan.
Transfer to the oven and bake 21-25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes

A light color skillet like a stainless steel will work best for this because of the light color you can see the butter brown better, if using a darker colored skillet just make sure you really keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

For a softer more gooey cookie bar take them out at the earlier end of the cook time so around 21 minutes, for a more lighter and crunchier cookie bar towards the end on the cooking time, around 25 minutes. I like to take them out usually inbetween 22 and 23 minutes.

If time permits you can chill the dough! Chilling will increase the flavor of the cookies, the cookies are basically 'marinating' together, but this is total optional.

If you don't have kosher salt you may use 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt in it's place.

This recipe is made specifically for whole wheat flour, subsititutions may not work well. I recommend using King Arthur Flour's Whole Wheat Flour.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Orange Cilantro Dressing

June 13, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

A perfect make-ahead salad and side dish! This Black Bean Quinoa Salad Recipe is packed with black beans, fresh avocados, bell peppers, and red onions. Then tossed in an easy homemade dressing with fresh orange juice, cilantro, honey, and a touch of jalapeño!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Spring and Summer are times of the year when you can never have too many shareable salads in your repertoire.

This salad was purely made by accident (as is most of my favorite salads). It was made from things I had laying around the kitchen with no intention of turning it into a recipe BUT it came out so good that first time I wrote it all down so I could replicate it again (and again).

With a few refined tweaks from the initial salad I threw together, this Black Bean Quinoa Salad was born.

What I most love about this one is the out of the ordinary salad combo of the fresh orange, cilantro, and just a tad of jalapeño. It gives it a freshness and makes it stand out from a lot of the other salads you might find on a potluck table!

Overhead view of a bowl with a kitchen towel, filled with black bean quinoa salad and topped with orange cilantro dressing.

Equipment

For this salad we are making our own dressing that will require a blender/food processor. You can use either option and if I am being honest if you have a single serve blender this works best for the amount of dressing we are making!

Ingredients

Uncooked Quinoa – Quinoa comes in a few different colors, typically the classic tan color is what you see most often but at the store trim-color blends are red quinoa are also common. You really can use whichever one you want for this salad. Anyway you go quinoa is a nutrient rich food being high in protein, fiber, folate, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins B1, B2 and B6. Long list right?!
Black Beans – Another nutritional powerhouse. You will want the beans to be drained & rinsed well for the salad.
Avocado – I say that the trickiest part of this salad is making sure you have an avocado ripe at the right time you want to use it! If you can’t find a ripe avocado you should check the frozen foods section of the store, more and more often now I am seeing frozen chunks of avocado, just thaw and use!
Orange Bell Pepper – I though orange bell pepper held the perfect amount of sweetness for this salad compared to some of the other colors of bell pepper, it also looked nice too! But of course if you can’t find an orange one you can substitute, yellow would be my next choice than red.
Red Onion – Red onion gives a little zing to the salad, out of all of the ingredients this is probably the one you can use more of less of the most judging on tastes, personally I love the red onion so if it was just me eating it I would add a little more but my kids aren’t huge fans so I sometimes will use a little less.
Navel Orange – Fresh juice is key here, so you will need 1 navel orange. One orange should be plenty to provide for both the zest and the juice.
Olive Oil – For the dressing, a nice flavored olive oil will be best here since it isn’t being cooked, so not extra virgin olive oil, something full bodied.
Honey – Just a tad to offset the cilantro and jalapeño, feel free to use a different sweetener if you would like to make this dish vegan friendly.
Cilantro – You won’t need a lot for the actual dressing itself but I recommend chopping up a little extra for garnishing the top of the salad.
Jalapeño – I know that people will question the spiciness level because there is a jalapeño in the dressing. Because you are going to deseeded it and remove the pith (white insides) the jalapeño won’t be spicy but it will have that wonderful jalapeño flavor. Capsaicin, the chemical that contains fiery heat, is concentrated in the inner white pith of the pepper. So when you remove that you will just get all of the flavor of the jalapeño but without the heat! So just be sure to get that all out of the pepper, I find using a spoon to scrape it out is actually the easiest way!
Salt – Use kosher salt or fine sea salt

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients to make black bean quinoa salad with orange cilantro dressing laid out on a tabletop.

pro tip

Feel Free to cook the quinoa ahead of time and then assemble the salad when you are ready, no need to freshly make the quinoa. You could even have it cooled down in the fridge so it is chilled and ready to eat.

instructions

We will start be making the quinoa. Add 2 cups water to a medium sized pot. Cover and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling add the uncooked quinoa. Bring the pot back to a boil then reduce to low and simmer. Simmer covered about 10 minutes, until the quinoa is softened and absorbs all the water. Fluff the quinoa and set aside to cool.

While the quinoa is cooking prepare the rest of the salad. To make the dressing add the fresh orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, honey, cilantro, jalapeno, and salt to a blender or food processor (a single serve blender works great for this amount). Blend until smooth about 30 seconds.

Collage showing before and after of making homemade orange cilantro dressing.

To build the salad add the cooked quinoa, black beans, avocado, orange bell pepper, and red onion to a large bowl. Add the dressing a toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate to cool before serving.

Collage showing the steps of adding the quinoa, black beans, and avocados.

Collage showing the steps of adding the bell pepper, onions, and dressing.

Mixing bowl filed with just mixed black bean quinoa salad.

tips, tricks and questions

How long does this Black Bean Quinoa Salad keep?

This salad only keeps okay… because of the avocado I find that it will keep for one night in the fridge but not much longer than that otherwise the avocado starts to get too brown and mushy.

Is quinoa and black beans good for you?

Yes! Both of these foods are full of nutrients you body needs. Quinoa is a nutrient rich food being high in protein, fiber, folate, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins B1, B2 and B6. Black Beans are rich in antioxidants, protein, fiber, and healthy carbs!

A large white bowl filled with black bean quinoa salad with orange cilantro dressing.

If you like this Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Orange Cilantro Dressing you might also like:

Close up of a large bowl of black bean quinoa salad with orange cilantro dressing garnished with orange slices and cilantro.

what to serve with this

Grilled golden brown spatchcocked chicken sitting on butcher paper and a cutting board next to grilled lemons and parsley.

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken

over shoulder shot of a man carrying a large board filled with grilled chicken, buns, and toppings

Epic Grilled Chicken Sandwich Board

Blackberry Bourbon Smash

Grilled Apple Crisp

Yield: 8 servings

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Orange Cilantro Dressing

A perfect make-ahead salad and side dish! This Black Bean Quinoa Salad is packed with black beans, fresh avocados, bell peppers, and red onions. Then tossed in an easy homemade dressing with fresh orange juice, cilantro, honey, and a touch of jalapeño!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Salad:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 14-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 avocado diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1/4 small red onion, diced

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 packed tablespoon cilantro
1/4 jalapeño, deseeded & white insides removed
1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Add 2 cups water to a medium sized pot. Cover and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling add the uncooked quinoa. Bring the pot back to a boil and reduce to low to simmer. Simmer covered about 10 minutes, until the quinoa is softened and absorbs all the water. Fluff the quinoa and set aside to cool.
While the quinoa is cooking prepare the rest of the salad. To make the dressing add the fresh orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, honey, cilantro, jalapeno, and salt to a blender or food processor (a single serve blender works great for this amount). Blend until smooth about 30 seconds.
To nuild the salad add the cooked quinoa, black beans, avocado, orange bell pepper, and red onion to a large bowl. Add the dressing a toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate to cool before serving.

Notes

The jalapeño will not make this spicy if you remove all of the seeds and the white insides, that is where the heat is. By using the green outside of the pepper you will get a great jalapeño flavor without the heat. (But keep in mind that spice will vary from jalapeño to jalapeño.)

To make this vegan swap out the honey for your favorite vegan sweetener.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/8th of the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 302mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 8gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Easy Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

June 6, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt 2 Comments

These Grilled Chicken Street Tacos are an instant dinner classic. One of my personal favorite recipes they are easy to prep, quick to cook, and absolutely delicious. With this juicy grilled chicken taco marinade you will be wishing every night was taco night!

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A grilled chicken street taco laid out on a table top filled with chicken and topped with salsa, onions, and cilantro.

Grilled Chicken Tacos

This is one of those meals it is hard not to love. It is easy, delicious and everyone loves it.

And while I call these Grilled Chicken Street Tacos you can use the grilled chicken taco filling for just about anything you can brainstorm!

The meal comes together easy enough with a marinade made up of lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. This marinade only makes the chicken more yummy the longer it sits.

The chicken is then grilled. After a quick rest the chicken is then diced up and ready for serving. Easy right!?

Overhead view of 3 corn tortillas filled with grilled chicken street taco, with garnishes like limes and cilantro.

ingredients

Boneless Chicken Thighs – One of the keys to this recipe is using chicken thighs, they are going to give you the exact texture and juiciness you are looking for when making chicken tacos. Because of the higher fat content in dark meat they will give you what are looking for over if you were to use chicken breasts. If you still want to use chicken breast (because I know someone will inevitably ask) you can. I will warn you that you will really want to watch the temperature while cooking and pulling them off right when they hit 165ºF. If they get overcooked you might have a hard time cutting them up into pieces, it will likely just shred instead as well as being a bit more dried out.
Lime Juice – I am always a fan of using fresh squeezed lime juice in recipes, for this recipe you will need 2 or 3 limes depending on their size.
Olive Oil – As for the marinade I love using olive oil for the flavor, but if you would rather substitute a different oil like vegetable that would work here.
Kosher Salt – I prefer cooking with kosher salt because of its structure it dissolves into the food best. If you are looking for a substitute I would recommend using a fine sea salt.
Cumin – To help give it that taco flavor
Chili Powder – Also to help with the taco flavor. Just to note you can use typical chili powder here or try using chipotle chili powder for a twist!
Cilantro – Add some fresh cilantro to the marinade but also keep some for adding to your tacos at the end

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for grilled chicken street tacos laid out on a table top.

pro tip

Warm your tortillas while your chicken is resting.

instructions

You will begin by making the marinade. Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Add the chicken thighs. Let marinate at least 1 hour or up to overnight, the longer the rest the more flavorful the chicken will come out.

Making the marinade for grilled chicken street tacos.

When you are ready to cook heat your grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is nice and hot transfer the chicken to the grill, dripping off any excess marinade first. Cook 4 minutes.

Flip over the chicken, cook another 4 minutes.

Flip again and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken reads at least 165º F on a meat thermometer. While 165ºF is the minimum temperature for chicken, chicken thighs are usually best around 175º F so that is when I recommend pulling them off the grill.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Collage showing the chicken marinating and then grilled laid out on a plate.

After the chicken has rested transfer to a cutting board and chop into bite sized pieces. Serve with warm tortillas and add your favorite toppings.

Freshly cut grilled chicken taco filling on a wood cutting board.

Street style tacos typically get served on corn tortillas and garnished with simple toppings like diced onion, cilantro, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Corn tortillas filled with grilled taco chicken and garnished with pico de Gallo, onions, and cilantro.

tips, tricks and questions

This chicken doesn’t have to be limited to street tacos, it is equally has good in crunchy tacos, burritos, quesadillas, grain bowls, salads, or nacho toppings!

What is the difference between street tacos and regular?

There are a couple things that make them different. Usually street tacos are smaller in size and served on a corn tortilla. Street tacos also follow the more traditional Mexican serving of only using meat, onion, salsa and cilantro. Where as ‘regular’ tacos in the United States will be served with lettuce, cheese, cheese, sour cream, ect…

Warming the Tortillas

With corn tortillas is is necessary to warm them before using them. For this recipe in particular I like to warm mine quickly on the grill once I pull the chicken off because it is already hot and on, it also allows me to warm up many at a time. Keep the grill at medium-high heat. Carefully add 4-6 tortillas to the grill depending o your grill size. They will only need to cook 30 to 60 seconds each side, sometimes I even keep the cover open while I warm them because they cook so fast. So flip after the first 30 to 60 seconds, cook again for 30 to 60 seconds and remove. You will want to then keep the tortillas warm so if you have a tortillas warmer use that, otherwise just keep them tightly wrapped in a clean kitchen towel. If you don’t want to grill the tortillas follow the instruction on the tortilla bag.

Cheese on Street Tacos

If you do want to use cheese on your street tacos I recommend getting cotija cheese or queso fresco. These are both mild milk cheeses that can be crumbled on top of your taco.

Overhead view of 3 grilled chicken street tacos garnished with salsa, onion, and cilantro and sitting next to lime wedges.

If you like this Grilled Chicken Street Taco Recipe you might also like:

what to serve with this

Classic Margarita

Mexican Rice

Quick Pickled Red Onions

Large what bowl filled with Mexican Street Corn Dip and tortilla chips surrounded by more chips, cilantro, and limes.

Easy Mexican Street Corn Dip

Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

These Grilled Chicken Street Tacos could be the prefect meal. Chicken thighs marinated in an easy zezty sauce, grilled to perfection on the grill, and chopped for serving street tacos style (but not limited to that, try it in a quesadilla or burrito too)!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 18 minutes

Ingredients

1.5-2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
1/4 cup lime juice (2 to 3 fresh limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt)
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro

Instructions

Mix together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Add the chicken thighs. Let marinate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
To cook heat grill to medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken to the grill, dripping off any excess marinade first. Cook 4 minutes.
Flip over the chicken, cook another 4 minutes.
Flip again and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken reads at least 165º F on a meat thermometer but thighs are usually best around 175º F.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and chop into bite sized pieces. Serve with warm tortillas and add your favorite toppings.

Notes

Street style tacos typically get served on corn tortillas and garnished with simple toppings like diced onion, cilantro, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

This chicken doesn't have to be limited to street tacos, it is equally has good in crunchy tacos, burritos, quesadillas, grain bowls, salads, or nacho toppings!

Homemade Cuban Sandwich

May 30, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This Tampa-Style Homemade Cuban Sandwich is a perfect blend of delicious cultures into one amazing sandwich, even better if you can get your hands onto come authentic Cuban Bread! Filled with ham, salami, mojo pork, swiss cheese, and pickles this is one sandwich that is truly irresistible.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A Cuban sandwich sliced in half and stacked on top of one another showing the ingredients on the inside.

Easy Cuban Sandwich

What makes up a Cuban sandwich?

This should be a straightforward answer but it’s not. Depending on if you are in Tampa or Miami you might have a slightly different version.

Everyone can agree that the best cuban sandwiches are all served on Cuban bread with ham, mojo pork, pickles, Swiss, and mustard.

Where they differ is the salami. Now being that I have spent more time in Tampa than Miami I side with Tampa and put salami on my Cuban sandwich.

So before I get any haters, this is a Tampa Cuban Sandwich Recipe.

Why the salami in Tampa? Most give credit for a large group of Italian immigrants who moved to Tampa, specifically Ybor City. With them they brought salami which led to the addition on the Cuban sandwich.

So here is the recipe I have made based off of Tampa’s influence.

Overhead view of cut open cuban sandwiches revealing the ingredients on the inside.

Equipment

For this recipe you will need a way to make a grilled/pressed sandwich. This can be done two ways.

On a griddle/flattop grill/skillet with a cast iron grill press or large heavy pan.

With a panini press or George foreman style grill that will press and cook the sandwiches on both sides at once.

I really don’t think either way is ‘better’, it is more about what you have available to you. I personally use a griddle with a Cast Iron Grill Press.

Ingredients

Cuban or French Bread – See below in the tips & trick section for finding the best cuban or French bread for this sandwich
Salami – The Ybor City/Tampa influence, if you are a hater just simply leave it off
Deli Ham – Specifically smoked ham, try not to use anything to sweet like honey ham or it might throw off the flavor
Mojo Pork – I recommend making my recipe for easy crockpot mojo pork
Sliced Swiss Cheese – Swiss cheese isn’t just here for the flavor (because it does totally rock), it is also here to help hold the sandwich together
Dill Sandwich Pickles – I prefer using the longer flat sliced sandwich pickles, just for ease. I also found that if you try to add more than one long line of pickles the flavor tends to take over so I wrote the recipe for that but obviously add more pickles if you would like
Mayo – Now I found in Ybor City where the Cuban Sandwiches originate that most places didn’t tend to use just yellow mustard on their sandwiches, it was more a ‘secret sauce’ that I am guessing is mayo and dijon or regular mustard combined. And so I played around with a sauce that is equal parts mayo and dijon mustard, this was the absolute hands down best when comparing it to just plain yellow mustard. I have a feeling some people might try to knock me on this one but I am going to stand by it. You will also need extra mayo for spreading on the outside of the sandwich before grilling. This will help get the perfect golden brown crust, you could use butter on the outside if you prefer but if you have never used mayo on the outside of your gilled sandwiches you are seriously missing out
Dijon Mustard – While some might argue the case for yellow mustard I am going to argue that the dijon mustard tastes so much better in this sandwich

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Overhead view of ingredients for making cuban sandwiches laid out on a tabletop.

pro tip

This sandwich can be made with freshly made Mojo Pork or leftover mojo pork! Whichever one works best for you!

Instructions

Preheat a griddle, skillet, panini press, or george foreman grill to medium.

Mix dijon mustard and mayo together in a small bowl.

Mixing of mayo and mustard to make a sauce for the sandwich.

Cut the loaf of bread in half the long way to open up to make the sandwich.

Layer ham, salami, pork, pickles, and cheese on the bottom piece of bread. Slather the dijon/mayo mixture on the inside of top piece of bread, depending on the shape and size of your loaf you might not use it all.

Collage showing the steps of adding hah, salami, and mojo pork to bread to make a homemade cuban.

Collage showing the steps of adding pickles, Swiss cheese, and sauce to the bread to make a homemade Cuban sandwich.

Add the top piece of bread to the sandwich and using a serated knife carefully cut into 4 pieces to make individual sandwiches.

With a butter knife slather a thin layer of mayo on outside of the bread on both the top and bottom before cooking.

Using your appliance of choice on medium heat cook sandwiches in batches, one at a time. If using a griddle or skillet without a top use a cast iron press or a heavy skillet to weigh the sandwich down while cooking, cook 2 to 3 minutes then flip weigh down again and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. If using a panini press or george foreman grill that cooks both sides at once you will want to cook the sandwich about 2 to 4 minutes on a medium heat. Sandwiches will be done when the bread is a golden color and slightly crunchy. Serve immediately.

A stack of homemade Cuban sandwich halves showing of the ingredients on the inside.

tips, tricks and questions

What makes Cuban bread different?

Cuban bread is white bread that is baked in long loaves. Unique in its texture, it is soft due to a different ingredient than most breads, lard. The top also has unusual marking because a fresh palmetto leaf is placed on top of each loaf before it gets cooked to keep moisture in the bread. It is debated that this Cuban-American bread originated in Tampa or Miami. Either way if you want to get your hands on authentic Cuban bread La Segunda Bakery in Tampa, the world’s largest producers of Cuban bread will ship it to you! Check out La Segunda Bakery Website Here. And I can personally vouch for La Segunda’s bread, I have been there and ate as much of it as I personally could, even took a loaf home!

What bread is closest to Cuban bread?

While Cuban bread might be easy to find in some areas (like if you live in Flordia) it might be near impossible to find in others. When looking for a loaf as a replacement look for a large soft loaf of french bread. You don’t want anything too crunchy. Find a bread that will squish slightly when you grab it.

Don’t feel to glued to the amounts in on the ingredients list, once you find a loaf of bread that works fill it up to how you see fit.

If you like this Cuban Sandwich Recipe you might also like:

what to serve with this

Strawberry Mojito Mocktail

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Air Fryer Home Fries

Lemon Squares

Yield: Serves 4

Cuban Sandwich

This Tampa-Style Homemade Cuban Sandwich is filled with ham, salami, mojo pork, swiss cheese, and pickles! A perfect blend of delicious cultures into one amazing sandwich, even better if you can get your hands onto come authentic Cuban Bread!

Prep Time 6 minutes

Cook Time 24 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

15-16 ounce Cuban or French bread
3 to 4 ounces salami
6 to 7 ounces deli ham
3 cups mojo pork
4 to 5 ounces sliced swiss cheese
7 to 8 long dill sandwich pickles
1/4 cup mayo + more for bread
1/4 cup dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat a griddle, skillet, panini press, or george foreman grill to medium.
Mix dijon mustard and mayo together in a small bowl.
Cut the loaf of bread in half the long way to open up to make the sandwich.
Layer ham, salami, pork, pickles, and cheese on the bottom piece of bread. Slather the dijon/mayo mixture on the inside of top piece of bread, depending on the shape and size of your loaf you might not use it all.
Add the top piece of bread to the sandwich and using a serated knife carefully cut into 4 pieces to make individual sandwiches.
With a butter knife slather a thin layer of mayo on outside of the bread on both the top and bottom before cooking.
Using your appliance of choice on medium heat cook sandwiches in batches, one at a time. If using a griddle or skillet without a top use a cast iron press or a heavy skillet to weigh the sandwich down while cooking, cook 2 to 3 minutes then flip weigh down again and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. If using a panini press or george foreman grill that cooks both sides at once you will want to cook the sandwich about 2 to 4 minutes on a medium heat. Sandwiches will be done when the bread is a golden color and slightly crunchy. Serve immediately.

Notes

Cuban bread is white bread that is baked in long loaves. Unique in its texture, it is soft due to a different ingredient than most breads, lard. While Cuban bread might be easy to find in some areas (like if you live in Flordia) it might be near impossible to find in others. When looking for a loaf as a replacement look for a large soft loaf of french bread. You don't want anything too crunchy. Find a bread that will squish slighty when you grab it.

Don't feel to glued to the amounts in on the ingredients list, once you find a loaf of bread that works fill it up to how you see fit.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cuisinart XL Cast Iron Griddle Press

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 sandwich
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 5735Total Fat: 367gSaturated Fat: 139gTrans Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 198gCholesterol: 1307mgSodium: 13802mgCarbohydrates: 233gFiber: 22gSugar: 57gProtein: 366g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Cuban Bowl with Pork, Black Beans, & Rice

May 23, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Easy to assemble these delicious Cuban Bowls are full of pork, cuban black beans, fried plantains/bananas, and rice. Making for a fun and fresh meal!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A cuban bowl filled with rice, mojo pork, cuban black beans, and fried bananas garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.

Cuban Rice Bowl

After working on my Slow Cooker Mojo Pork recipe I realized that there is so much you can do with Cuban Pork!

One of these things are these delicious Cuban Bowls. I personally think these cuban bowls are the perfect leftover meal. Make and enjoy your mojo pork one day and then make these the next!

With the pork in the slow cooker all you really need to do is make some rice (hello parboiled minute rice), make cuban black beans, and fry a few plantains or bananas.

The best part (as with all bowl meals) is that each family member can make up their own bowl. So personally I love piling high the black beans, my one son and husband pile on the pork, and my other son is more of a rice and fried banana kid. It’s perfect!

Overhead table view of bowl filled with cuban bowl recipe with rice mojo pork, black beans, and fried bananas.

ingredients

Cooked Brown Rice – For this recipe I left this part a little open to interrelation so you can cook rice the way that fits your family best. I like to use brown rice for the nutritional value. You can use parboiled minute rice for a quick cook! You can use traditional brown rice that takes a bit more time. You cook on the stovetop or a rice/pressure cooker. You can have the rice make ahead of time! Make what is right for you.
Mojo Pork – Hop over to my Crockpot Mojo Pork Recipe. You can make this the day of for a fantastic meal or use leftovers to make a leftover mojo pork cuban bowl! Both options are great and a wonderful way to stretch a meal.
Olive Oil – For the black beans, for sautéing the pepper, onion, and garlic.
Red Bell Pepper – Just half of a bell pepper minced for the black beans.
Yellow Onion – Just half of the onion for the blackens as well.
Garlic – Preferably a fresh clove minced, or about 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic.
Ground Cumin – To flavor the black beans.
Black Beans – With their liquid from the can!
Red Wine Vinegar – To bring some acidity to the black beans, a little goes a ways here.
Bay Leaves – To help flavor the black beans.
Kosher Salt – For the black beans, feel free to add more if needed
Plantains/Green Bananas – You can use either for this recipe. Plantains might be harder to find for some people, so just grab a few large green bananas instead. The biggest differences are that plantains are thicker skinned and more starchy.
Coconut Oil – For frying the plantains/bananas, you can use a different high heat oil in the place of coconut if you want. For the second batch you might need to add more oil, so keep an eye on skillet.
Limes & Cilantro – For serving as garnishes!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

All the ingredients needed to make cuban rice bowls laid out on a tabletop.

pro tip

Before you begin cooking the dish make sure you know what rice you are using and how long that rice takes to cook. It is likely that if you are making rice fresh for the bowls you are going to want to start that cooking before everything else so it is done in time.

instructions

Start with the cuban black beans, they will simmer while you fry the plantains/green bananas.

For the cuban black beans place a small/medium pot over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the oil, diced peppers, and diced onion. Sauté about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

Sautéing pepper and onions to make the cuban black beans.

Add in the minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in the cumin, black beans, vinegar, bay leaves and salt. Once it starts to simmer reduce to low and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

A collage showing making cuban blacks beans in a small pot.

For the plantains/bananas. Peel and cut them into thirds and then cut each piece in half the long way.

Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the skillet, once the oil is hot and shiny add about half of the bananas, making sure they aren’t touching.

Cook about 3 minutes or until brown. Gently flip and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and cover to keep warm. Cook the second batch the same way. Add more oil if it is needed.

Collage showing cutting and frying of the the plantains/green bananas.

Warm the pork/rice if needed. Begin building the Cuban bowls. Add to each bowl the rice, black beans, and pork. Top with the fried bananas, chopped cilantro, and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.

Overhead view of a cuban bowl filled with rice, mojo pork, black beans, and fried bananas.

tips, tricks and questions

This recipe is intended to use my Crockpot Mojo Pork recipe, I found this a great way to use up leftovers!
Depending where you live you might have a difficult time finding plantains (I know they are near impossible to find where I live), so using large green bananas work just great instead!
Feel free to add whatever else you want to the bowl, yuca is popular in Cuban cuisine and could be added! Make yellow rice or cuban black rice instead of using plain rice if you wish.
This meal would be easy to turn into a meal prep for the week!

Close up of a large cuban bowl filled with rice, pork, black beans, and fried bananas.

If you like this Cuban Bowl Recipe you might also like:

what to serve with this

Refreshing Strawberry Mojito Mocktail

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Simple Spinach Salad

Lemon Whipped Greek Yogurt

Yield: 4 servings

Cuban Bowls with Pork, Black Beans, & Rice

Easy to assemble these delicious Cuban Bowls are full of pork, cuban black beans, fried plantains/bananas, and rice. This recipe can be prepped ahead or even made into a weekly meal prep! A fun and flavorful rice bowl that will keep you full and satisfied!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups mojo pork

For the beans:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans of black beans with their liquid
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1½ teaspoons Kosher salt, or to taste

For the plantains/bananas:

3 bananas
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Toppings:

Limes
Cilantro

Instructions

For the cuban black beans place a small pot over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add oil, diced peppers, and diced onion. Sauté about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add in garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the cumin, black beans, vinegar, bay leaves and salt. Once it starts to simmer reduce to low and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the plantains/bananas. Cut into thirds and then cut each piece in half the long way. Place a skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil, once hot and shiny add about half of the bananas making sure they aren’t touching. Cook about 3 minutes or until brown. Flip and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and cover while you cook the second batch the same way. Add more oil in as needed.
Warm the pork/rice if needed. Begin building the Cuban bowls. Add to each bowl the rice, black beans, and pork. Top with the fried bananas, chopped cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Notes

This recipe is intended to use my Mojo Pork recipe, I found this a great way to use up leftovers!

Depending where you live you might have a difficult time finding plantains (I know they are near impossible to find where I live), so using large green bananas work just great instead!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 bowl (1/4 the dish)
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 819Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 595mgCarbohydrates: 101gFiber: 24gSugar: 14gProtein: 40g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork

May 16, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt 2 Comments

Let’s get the Cuban party started with Crockpot Mojo Pork! This easy to make slow cooker meal is bursting with flavors from oranges, limes, cumin, and garlic plus it is easy to make! Great for a weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Crockpot Mojo Pork

This recipe is inspired by a recent trip to Tampa, more specifically the Ybor City historic district. Ybor City historically is know as being a town almost entirely compromised of immigrants, one of the large populations of Cuban immigrants came to this area in the 1880’s. Without getting into too much more of the history you can guess, there was some pretty amazing food, specifically Cuban cuisine.

After stuffing my face with a few Cuban Sandwiches I knew I was going to need to recreate them at home. So my first job was settling in on a Mojo Pork recipe, and here we are.

Mojo Pork is a cuban style roast with a basic marinade consisting or orange, lime, garlic, oregano, and cumin.

Making it the perfect contender for the slow cooker.

You can make Mojo Pork with the pork shoulder/pork butt, also called in some cases a Boston Butt. It is actually the cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the front shoulder. It is the cut of pork typically used for making pulled pork.

The pork cooks slowly with the marinade in the crockpot and comes out tender and ready to eat.

Now my one problem with some recipes like this is that the meat sometimes can come out a little soggy, so to alleviate that I am using that same trick I use for my Crockpot Carnitas. After pulling the pork apart I place it on a sheet tray and place it under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes. This crisps the pork right up, solving the texture problem. Of course this part is optional but I think it makes the pork more enjoyable to eat.

Equipment

For this recipe you don’t need anything fancy. A standard 6 quart slow cooker will do the trick!

Ingredients

Pork Butt – Around 4 pounds & preferably boneless, also called a Boston Butt. It is actually the cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the front shoulder. It is the cut of pork typically used for making pulled pork. If you only have one with a bone available it should work just fine.
Fresh Orange Juice/1 large orange – Part of the key to this recipe is using fresh squeezed citrus juices, so buy the actually fruits instead of the juices. You should only need 1 large orange.
Fresh Lime Juice/2-3 limes – Same goes for the lime, if possible try to grab fresh limes, you will need to use between 2 late limes or 3 small limes. If by chance you try to use bottled lime juice just note that some of the true lime flavor might get lost and your dish will most likely be relying on citric acid for flavor (which is totally fine but you might loose any lime flavors).
Kosher Salt – If you don’t have kosher salt substitute for sea salt. if you need to use table salt use half of the amount. I always recommend using kosher slat for cooking, the structure helps is dissolve better into the food.
Cumin – One of the two spices typically found in Mojo Pork
Oregano – The second spice typically found in Mojo Pork
Garlic – And garlic, you will use quite a bit of garlic in this recipe, since it is a fairly garlic heavy recipe I recommend trying to use the fresh stuff instead of the pre minced garlic if possible.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

pro tip

Pre-heat your crockpot as you are getting everything prepped and added! So before you start all the prep get the crockpot out and turn on to LOW. This ensures that your food starts the cooking process immediately once everything is added instead of waiting for the crockpot to come to temperature.

Instructions

Begin by carefully cutting the pork butt into 4 equal sized pieces. Add them to the crockpot.

In a mixing bowl add the orange juice, lime juice, salt, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Mix together to make a sauce.

Cover the pork pieces with the sauce. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours until tender. Or on high for about 3 to 4 hours.

For optional crisping up of the pork, transfer the cooked pork to a sheet pan. Turn your oven to broil (high).

Shred the pork with two forks and spread it out across the sheet pan. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce from the crockpot and sprinkle it over the pork. Transfer to the oven and broil about 5 minutes or until the tops of the pork start to turn brown and cirspy. Serve immediately on it’s own or in your favorite Cuban recipes.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Can you marinate pork shoulder overnight?

Yes! This is a great recipe to actually prep ahead the night before for a more flavorful dish! Proceed with the cutting of the pork and adding it so a large container with a lid or a ziplock bag. Make the sauce as written and add it to the pork. Make sure you give is a stir or shake so everything is covered. You can let it marinade for up to 24 hours before dumping into the crockpot to cook! This will give your dish extra tenderness and flavor!

How is mojo pronounced?

You look at the word mojo and think it might be pronounced, “mo-joe” but it is Spanish. So Mojo is pronounced “mo-ho” because the letter j is pronounced as an h, just like jalapeño.

What to make with mojo pork?

You can of course serve it as a main dish by itself but I enjoy it most as a Cuban Bowl (recipe coming soon) or in a Cuban Sandwich (recipe coming soon).

But in general you might want to serve it with rice and black beans!

If you like this Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork you might also like:

what to serve with this

Cuban Bowls

Strawberry Mojito Mocktail

Homemade Cuban Sandwiches

Cooking Rice on the Stovetop

Yield: 16 servings

Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork

Cuban style Mojo Pork made in the slow cooker with flavors of fresh orange, lime, cumin, oregano, and garlic. This easy crockpot recipe can be made into many different meals making it a family favorite!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 pound pork butt, boneless
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (1 large orange)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Cut the pork butt into 4 equal sized pieces. Add to the crockpot.
In a mixing bowl add the orange juice, lime juice, salt, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Mix together to make a sauce.
Cover the pork pieces with the sauce. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours until tender.
For optional crisping of the pork, transfer the cooked pork to a sheet pan. Turn oven to broil (high). Shred pork with two forks and spread it out across the sheet pan. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce from the crockpot and sprinkle it over the pork. Transfer to the oven and broil about 5 minutes or until the tops of the pork start to turn brown and crispy. Serve immediately on it's own or in your favorite Cuban recipes.

Notes

If you don't have kosher salt use sea salt as a substitution.

A bone-in pork butt may be used if you can't find a boneless one.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/16 of the dish (about quarter of a pound)
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 311Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 234mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 26g

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Easy Air Fryer Home Fries

May 9, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Love home fries but hate the soaking and frying on the stovetop? Well these Air Fryer Home Fries are the answer! Using baby potatoes helps skip the soaking process and using the air fryer cuts down on oil and work! These are truly the best breakfast potatoes.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Home Fries in the Air Fryer

I love home fries and one of the first great uses I found for my air fryer when I bought it was that it makes amazing home fries.

It was little after that I was at a cute little diner with my husband for breakfast when they served us home fries that were baby potatoes. Well you know from there I just had to try it!

The best part I discovered by using the baby potatoes I could totally skip the soak in an ice bath that you need to do for regular potatoes and they would still be perfect crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

It also helps that most all baby potatoes come pre-washed, so no scrubbing peeling is also a plus. A quick half of each potato and you are almost all the way done with the prep.

From there I went on to work on a spice blend that could give the potatoes the perfect flavor. I wanted them to be able to pair well with eggs and bacon so I went with a savory mixture of salt, garlic & onion powder, dried parsley, and paprika.

These breakfast potatoes are great because they really only take about 5 minutes to put together and have in the air fryer. Leaving plenty of time and space to get the rest of breakfast done.

Equipment

This recipe uses an air fryer. It is a fairly simple recipe and should work for any size and type of air fryer.

If you are still looking to purchase an air fryer I use the Ninja Air Fryer XL that I would definitely recommend.

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes – The trick to no soaking, you can choose any variety you wish here, although I did test a bunch of different varieties and found that the baby gold worked best and that those cute purples ones didn’t work very well at all, the red were about in the middle. So while you can use any kind I recommend the baby golds.
Olive Oil – I tested different amount of oil quite a bit and found that although the potatoes still got done with less oil they didn’t have that “home fry” flavor, I found 1 tablespoon to be a good balance and still less than if you fired them on the stovetop.
Kosher Salt – I always recommend cooking with kosher salt, as it dissolves into food better than table salt. If you only have table salt available use half the amount. (If using sea salt use the same amount as kosher salt).
Garlic Powder, Dried Parsley, Onion Powder, & Paprika – A small mixture of these spices makes up the seasonings for the home fries. Nice and savory without being overpowering.

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 390º F. You will want to make sure your air fryer preheats a minimum of 3 minutes.

Half the potatoes and add to a mixing bowl.

Add the oil to the potatoes and toss to combine.

Collage showing the steps of adding olive oil to the halved baby potatoes to make home fries.

Combine the salt, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder, and paprika. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the oiled potatoes. Toss to coat.

Collage showing the steps of adding and tossing the baby potatoes in seasoning for the air fryer.

Add the poatoes to the air fryer basket. Cook for 18 minutes at 390º F, tossing every 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Before and after collage of the home fries in the basked of an air fryer.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Feel free to add diced onions and bell pepper to make a ‘Potatoes O’Brien’ version of home fries
You can use the same method and change up the seasoning if you wish, I tried homemade ranch seasoning one morning, it was really good!

Looking to make it a meal?

Pair these home fries with some of my other breakfast recipes for a complete meal:

Over head view of a white plate filled with air fryer home fries next to some ketchup and a fork.

You might also like:

Yield: Serves 4

Air Fryer Home Fries

Super easy to make and perfectly crisp on the ouside and smooth on the inside these air fryer home fries from baby potatoes will become your new favorite breakfast. Serve up with eggs and bacon to have your diner favorites at home!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 pounds baby potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 390º F.
Half potatoes and add to a mixing bowl.
Add the oil to the potatoes and toss to combine.
Combine the salt, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder, and paprika. Sprinkle over the potatoes. Toss to coat.
Add the poatoes to the air fryer basket. Cook for 18 minutes at 390º F, tossing every 4 to 5 minutes.

Notes

If you aren't using kosher salt but table salt instead only use 1/2 teaspoon. If using sea salt keep the measurment at 1 teaspoon.

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola

May 2, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Crunchy, Salty, and Sweet this delicious Homemade Peanut Butter Granola is sure to become your new favorite snack! With a trick to get those amazing big granola clumps you will forget store bought granola even exists!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Peanut Butter Granola

Granola is is such a popular snack and breakfast food and food good reason, it is delicious! But often times store-bought granola can tend to be filled with a lot of extra sugar and preservatives, which kind of stinks…

Luckily it is so easy to make at home! Especially this Peanut Butter Version!

The peanut butter granola is so good, it is sweet salty and crunchy all at the same time! And my favorite part to any granola, big chunks!

This is the best granola to make into delicious big chunks, I mean sometime I feel like I am basically making a granola bar. And if big chunks aren’t your thing don’t worry you don’t have to make it that way!

A mason jar full of large chunks of peanut butter granola surrounded by granola clusters and peanuts.

Ingredients

Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats – Do not use steel cut oats those will be too hard and won’t work, quick cook oats won’t work well either because they are cut into small pieces and might crumble apart during cooking. Look for Oats called either old fashioned or rolled oats
Natural Peanut Butter – This can be either creamy or crunchy, I do recommend making your own peanut butter if you can, it is one of those things that is crazy simple if you have a food processor, you can check out How to Make 100% Peanut Butter. Obviously not everyone can make their own so when shopping for peanut butter look at the ingredient list try to find one that just lists ‘peanuts’ or one with very few ingredients and no added sugars or oils.
Pure Maple Syrup – To keep this granola on the healthier side I opted to vitamin rich maple syrup. Make sure you are using real maple syrup and not the kind with corn syrup made to taste like real syrup.
Coconut Oil – I prefer coconut oil in this recipe but it can be substituted with canola oil
Vanilla Extract – To help give the granola flavor
Ground Cinnamon – I felt that the addition of just a little cinnamon really helped elevate this granola to the next level.
Kosher Salt – If you are using table salt instead of kosher salt you will want to use half of the amount, if you are using sea salt it is an even substitution for kosher salt. You may adjust the salt to taste, most natural peanut butters may have no salt added, in that case you may want 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Or your peanut butter is already salty you may want to use less. Taste test the warm peanut butter mixture to test for the salt.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for homemade peanut butter granola laid out on a tabletop in bowls.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325º F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 to 45 seconds until the mixture is melted and warm. Mix together.

Collage with two photos showing the peanut butter mixture before and after being mixed together.

Add oats to a mixing bowl.

Pour warm peanut butter mixture overtop the oats and mix well to combine.

Steps in mixing the homemade peanut butter granola showing the oats, peanut butter mixture being added, and being mixed together.

Transfer the oat mixture to the parchment paper. Spread the oats out evenly but keeping them together in a large circle shape. For the big clumps push the granola down making the granola about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. No stirring as it cooks or while it is still cooking otherwise the chunks won’t form. Once it is cool completely you can break into pieces to eat.

Steps showing making the peanut butter granola onto a sheet pan, spreading it out, and then the result when it comes out of the oven.

If you aren’t looking for chunky granola you can either follow the instructions as they are and just break it into smaller pieces when it cools or you may give the granola a stir when it comes out of the oven.

Close up of homemade peanut butter granola on a sheet pan, some of it broken into clusters.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

How do you get granola to stick together?

For this recipe the peanut butter helps act as a binder so as long as you cook it per instructions and let it cool completely the granola will break off into large chunks.

How long does homemade granola last?

Well this granola never lasts more than a few days in our house BUT on the off chance this homemade granola should keep for about a month at room temperature.

Add-In Options

If you are looking to add more into this granola feel free! Some good options would be:

Peanuts
Coconut Flakes
Other nuts or filling that won’t burn

If you are wanting to add chocolate or raisins to this granola it might be a little tricker, the raisins have the potential to burn in the oven and the chocolate chips might melt, both of these items would be better to add after cooking.

Mason jar full of large chunks of homemade peanut butter granola surrounded by granola clusters and peanuts.

If you like this Homemade Peanut Butter Granola you might like to use it in these recipes:

Yield: 3 cups

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola

Crunchy, salty, and sweet this homemade peanut butter granola is delicious! The best part is you can make large chunks, you will become obsessed!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter creamy or crunchy
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt*

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325º F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine peanut butter, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 to 45 seconds until the mixture is melted and warm. Mix together.
Add oats to a mixing bowl.
Pour warm peanut butter mixture overtop the oats and mix well to combine.
Transfer the oat mixture to the parchment paper. Spread the oats out evenly but keeping them together in a large circle shape. For the big clumps push the granola down making the granola about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. No stirring as it cooks or while it is still cooking otherwise the chunks won’t form. Once it is cool break into pieces to eat.

Notes

*You may adjust the salt to taste, most natural peanut butters may have no salt added, in that case you may want 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Or your peanut butter is already salty you may want to use less. Taste test the warm peanut butter mixture to test for the salt.

Keep an eye on the granola towards the end to ensure the edges don't overcook.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/3 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 104mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 4g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Tuna Salad with Cranberries

April 25, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Looking for a delicious tuna salad without celery? Look no further this Tuna Salad with Cranberries is easy to make and super delicious! With sweet cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and tangy red onion this is one tuna salad you will be excited to eat!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

A tuna salad sandwich with cranberries cut in half with lettuce, showing the insides of the tuna sandwich.

Tuna Salad without Celery

This is one of those food blogger recipes that has a personal touch to it. I know that is passé but that is just how recipes work sometimes, the actual human that develops them as personal touches that go into what they work on.

For this recipe it is because I have an allergy to raw celery.

Having an allergy to raw celery really puts a dampen on any of the tuna/chicken/egg salads that you find readily available because it is in all of them almost all the time.

Every so often you will find inspiration for a salad that doesn’t contain celery. For example Whole Foods has a Tuna Salad with Cranberries that doesn’t contain celery (part of this recipes inspiration) but those types of finds are few and far in-between.

So maybe you have a celery allergy like me or maybe you plain don’t like it, never fear because I have your back with this No Celery Tuna Salad with Cranberries.

Bowl of tuna salad with cranberries with a gold spoon surrounded by lettuce and bread.

Ingredients

Tuna in Water – 4 of the 5-ounce cans, these will need to be well drained
Mayo – A classic addition to tuna salad
Red Onion – Diced small
Dried Cranberries – One thing I have noticed about a lot of dried cranberries that if they are older and have been sitting around a while they tend to get hard, make sure the dried cranberries are more fresh and still have some chew in them
Fresh Lemon – You will want the juice of one lemon which is usually about 2 tablespoons
Kosher Salt – Add more to taste if needed
Chopped Walnuts – A much needed crunch for this tuna salad

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for tuna salad with cranberries and no celery laid out on a table top.

Instructions

Add mayo, diced onion, dried cranberries, lemon juice, salt, and walnuts to a mixing bowl. Combine.

Add in the drained tuna. Mix together. Serve immediately or keep in an air tight container in the fridge 3 to 5 days.

Two photo collage showing off the mix-ins for the tuna salad in the bowl and then stirred together.

Drained tuna being added to the mixing bowl with the add ins and then being mixed together to make tuna salad.

Close up of just mixed tuna salad with cranberries in a glass bowl with a spoon.

Tips, Trick, & Questions

Serving ideas include:

On it’s own
with crackers
lettuce cups
with lettuce on a crossiant or bread as a sandwich

Close up of a tuna salad sandwich with cranberries cut in half and stacked on top of each other showing off the middles.

If you like Tuna Salad with Cranberries you might also like:

Yield: Serves 4

Tuna Salad with Cranberries

Surprisingly delicious Tuna Salad with Cranberries. This simple tuna salad without celery packs big on flavor but easy and simple to make! Great on it's own or as a sandwich!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 (5oz) cans albacore tuna in water, well drained
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 cup dried cranberries
juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Add mayo, diced onion, dried cranberries, lemon juice, salt, and walnuts to a mixing bowl. Combine.
Add in the drained tuna. Mix together. Serve immediately or keep in an air tight container in the fridge 3 to 5 days.

Notes

Serving ideas include: On it's own, with crackers, lettuce cups, or with lettuce on a crossiant or sandwich bread as a sandwich.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/4 the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 478Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 604mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 4gSugar: 31gProtein: 13g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple

April 6, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

A great way to use up leftovers this Ham Fried Rice with Pineapples is a delicious and quick dinner! With salty ham, sweet pineapple, and fresh bell peppers you will be looking for an excuse to make a ham!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Overhead view of a skillet filled with ham fried rice with pineapples and red bell pepper.

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice

I have spent quite a bit of time lately perfecting my newest Bourbon Glazed Ham recipe for the blog and with that comes so so so much leftover ham. Lucky for me it freezes great but it still leaves a lot of extras for me to play with for new recipes.

Something I thought would be oh so perfect to make was fried rice. I got inspired by the pineapple fried rice my son likes to order from our local Thai restaurant and just knew I could combine that with with the leftover ham for some dinner perfection.

The first time I played around with this recipe my family got mad at me, why? Because there wasn’t enough for a second helping! That is when I know I have a winner!

This recipe goes a little non-traditional with bell pepper as the added veggie instead of the classic peas/carrots/mixed veggies combo. Trust me on this one it adds just the right flavor and pop of freshness against the salty ham and sweet pineapple.

Close up view of Ham fried rice with pineapples and red bell peppers.

Ingredients

Soy Sauce – I use regular soy sauce, feel free to use low-sodium if you prefer.
Pineapple Chunks/Juice – Grab a can of pineapple chunks. Drain to measure out the juice needed. Measure out the pineapple chunks, if needed half the pineapple chunks to a better bite size.
Coconut Oil – The pan will be hot so a high smoke point like coconut oil works great here. You may sub out for a different oil if needed, just make sure it has a high smoke point (a lot of olive oils do not).
Leftover Ham – You only need 1 cup, so not even a lot for this recipe!
Red Bell Pepper – The freshness yet subtle sweetness of the res bell pepper works great in this recipe, if needed sub out either a yellow or orange bell pepper.
Garlic – Minced
Ginger – fresh either Grated/Minced
Long Grain Rice – Cooked the day before and left in the fridge overnight works best. I like to use either jasmine or basmati rice when making this dish, but any long grained rice will work.
Eggs
Salt – If needed, between the ham and soy sauce I usually find I don’t need the salt, make sure you give the rice a taste at the end and add salt if you think you need it.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for to make ham and pineapple fried rice laid out on a tabletop.

Instructions

Combine the pineapple juice and soy sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil. Add the diced ham and pineapples. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture starts to get golden and caramelize.

Add the bell pepper to the pan and cook another 2 minutes stirring everything together. Transfer all of the ham mixture to a plate, set aside.

Collage showing the first steps of cooking ham, pineapple, and red bell pepper for ham fried rice with pineapple.

Add 1 ½ tablespoon of the oil to the hot pan. Add the garlic and ginger, cook about 30 seconds stirring around the pan. Add the rice to the pan mixing with the garlic and ginger. Spread out the rice in the pan. Cook the rice only stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until it is starting to get toasted.

Transfer the rice to one side of the pan leaving room to add the eggs. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the empty side of the pan. Add the eggs into the empty side of the pan scrambling together until they are mostly cooked but still a little runny. Begin to mix the rice and egg together until they are combined.

Collage showing steps of cooking rice and eggs then adding a sauce mixture while making ham fried rice with pineapple.

Once the rice and eggs are mixed add the soy sauce and pineapple juice overtop the rice. Stir together slowly getting the liquids mixed into everything. Add the ham mixture back in. Stir everything together.

Continue to let cook a few minute stirring occasionally until the liquid is all cooked off. Serve immediately.

Collage showing seasoned rice with eggs and the ham mixture being added back in when making fried rice with ham and pineapple.

Close up of fried rice in a skillet with ham, pineapple, and red bell pepper.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

If the rice or eggs starts to stick to the bottom of the pan don’t fret too much it should scrape off when you add the liquids to the pan.

All fried rice is going to be best if you can make the rice the day before, unfortuntely that isn’t always the case. Second best option would to make it the morning of so that it still has time to cool down. IF you need to make the rice right before you are getting ready to make this recipe I recommened trying to give it as much time as possible for the rice to cool down. To help aid the cooling down process transfer the rice to a sheet tray and spread it out, this should help with faster cooling, try to get the rice cooled down as much as possible before cooking.

A skillet with a serving spoon in ham fried rice with pineapple and red bell pepper.

If you like this Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple you might also like:

Yield: Serves 4

Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple

With salty ham, sweet pineapple, and fresh bell peppers you will be looking for an excuse to make a ham! This meal is a great way to use up leftovers, Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice is a delicious and quick dinner!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup leftover ham, diced
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
3 cups cooked long grain rice, in the fridge overnight
3 eggs, beaten
Salt , to taste

Instructions

Combine the pineapple juice and soy sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil. Add the diced ham and pineapples. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture starts to get golden and caramelize.
Add the bell pepper to the pan and cook another 2 minutes stirring everything together. Transfer all of the ham mixture to a plate, set aside.
Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil to the hot pan. Add the garlic and ginger, cook about 30 seconds stirring around the pan. Add the rice to the pan mixing with the garlic and ginger. Spread out the rice in the pan. Cook the rice only stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until it is starting to get toasted.
Transfer the rice to one half of the pan leaving room to add the eggs. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the empty side of the pan. Add the eggs into the empty side of the pan scrambling together until they are mostly cooked but still a little runny. Begin to mix the rice and egg together until they are combined.
Once the rice and eggs are mixed add the soy sauce and pineapple juice overtop the rice. Stir together slowly getting the liquids mixed into everything. Add the ham mixture back in. Stir everything together.
Continue to let cook a few minute stirring occasionally until the liquid is all cooked off. Serve immediately.

Notes

If the rice or eggs starts to stick to the bottom of the pan don't fret too much it should scrape off when you add the liquids to the pan.

All fried rice is going to be best if you can make the rice the day before, unfortuntely that isn't always the case. Second best option would to make it the morning of so that it still has time to cool down. IF you need to make the rice right before you are getting ready to make this recipe I recommened trying to give it as much time as possible for the rice to cool down. To help aid the cooling down process transfer the rice to a sheet tray and spread it out, this should help with faster cooling, try to get the rice cooled down as much as possible before cooking.

I like to use eather jasmine or basmati rice when making this dish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/4 the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 1684mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 18g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Bourbon Glazed Ham

March 28, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This Orange Marmalade and Bourbon Glazed Ham is not only delicious but easy too! With just a few ingredients this glazed ham is the perfect centerpiece for any special occasion like Christmas, Easter, or Family Gathering.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

An Orange Bourbon Glazed Ham on a white platter garnished with orange slices.

Orange Bourbon Glaze for Ham

Ham is by far the easiest of the holiday meals to prepare. So if you are a first timer looking for something easy to make when you host you are in the right place.

What makes ham so easy is that the ham is already pre-cooked, all you are really doing is warming it up and adding a glaze to the outside! Totally takes the stress out of it being fully cooked right!?

The glaze I am sharing with you is just as easy and so delicious. So throw out that gross packet that comes with the ham and make this one instead!

With bourbon and orange marmalade being the base of the glaze you know you can’t go wrong! The flavors work so well together! Along with maple syrup, dijon mustard, and cloves it is ham perfection that everyone will love!

A glazed orange and bourbon ham on a white platter showing off the spiral side shining with glaze.

Ingredients

Bone-in Spiral Cut Ham – For this recipe you can use any size that works best for you. Down below in the questions section you can see about serving sizes if you are wondering about how big of ham you will need.
Orange Marmalade – You will want to make sure it is actually marmalade that has all the zested peel in it, not just jelly!
Bourbon – If you are looking at this recipe chances are the world bourbon caught your eye, in that case you know your bourbons so use which one you would like. I do suggest, if it isn’t obvious no need to use top of the shelf here. If you are unfamiliar with bourbons I suggest using Makers Mark or a similarly priced one. I used Markers on my hams and it came out beautifully.
Maple Syrup – You will want to make sure you use real maple syrup here not any of the fake substitutes.
Dijon Mustard – Just a little to take away from the sweetness of the glaze to even out the flavors.
Ground Cloves – A very little amount to just a bit of spice to the glaze.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients for ham with an orange bourbon glaze on a sheet pan.

Instructions

Move the oven rack to the bottom of the oven, ensure there is enough room for the ham to be situated in the center of the oven and not too close to the top. Preheat the oven to 325º F.

Add the orange marmalade, bourbon, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and cloves to a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Orange Marmalade and Bourbon glaze to go on ham in a measuring cup.

Place a wire rack in a sheet pan, or use a shallowing roasting dish with an insert to keep if off the bottom.

Remove the ham from packaging and transfer bone side up to the wire rack. Pat dry with paper towels if needed.

Using a very small amount of the glaze use a brush to just moisten the outside of the ham and in between some of the slices with the glaze. Just enough to dampen some of the ham but not so much the the glaze runs down the side, less is more here definitely applies. Most of the glaze will be used at the end. Using too much glaze right away might cause the sugars to burn so being on the cautious side is okay. Loosely cover the ham in tin foil.

Collage showing the ham prepping for the oven by placing it on a wire rack and then covering it with aluminum foil.

Transfer to the oven. Cook in the oven at 325º F for 15 minutes per pound, so example a 7 pound ham would be 1 hour 45 minutes while a 10 pound ham would be 2 hours 30 minutes.

Once the ham has hit its time and is fully warm remove the ham from the oven. Turn the oven to 450 Fº.

Uncover the ham, glaze generously with a brush. Transfer back to the oven and cook 3 minutes. Repeat the glazing and 3 minute cooks two more times until all the glaze has been used. Keep watch on the ham during this last step to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Once the glaze is all cooked on the ham, let it rest a few minutes before carving.

To carve transfer to a cutting board and run a knife down near the bone in each section of the ham releasing the pre-sliced sections.

A ham with orange bourbon glaze on a white platter garnished with orange slices.

Tips,Tricks, & Questions

How much ham do I need per person?

About 3/4 pound of bone-in ham per person. So a 7 pound ham should feed about 9 people and a 9 pound ham should feed 12. However, if you are hosting a hungrier crowd, you can increase it to 1 pound so you have plenty of leftovers (Plus leftover ham keeps so well in the freezer).

How to store baked ham?

Baked ham can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Ham also freezes really well and can keep for up to 2 months, giving you plenty of time to make more meals out of the leftovers.

What to serve with Bourbon Glazed Ham:

Overhead view of an orange bourbon glazed ham on a white platter with the serials open up to see the inside of the ham.

Leftover recipes for Ham:

Easy Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham (Save the ham bone)
Leftover Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple

You might also like:

Yield: 10 servings

Bourbon & Orange Marmalade Glaze for Ham

A perfect celebratory main dish, this ham is cooked with an Orange Marmalade and Bourbon Glaze. Giving with ham the perfect balance of sweet without being overpowering. Perfect for Easter, Christmas, or any family get together!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

8-12 pound bone-in spiral cut ham*
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Move the oven rack to the bottom of the oven, ensure there is enough room for the ham to be situated in the center of the oven and not too close to the top. Preheat the oven to 325º F.
Add the orange marmalade, bourbon, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and cloves to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Place a wire rack in a sheet pan, or use a shallowing roasting dish with a insert to keep if off the bottom.
Remove the ham from packaging and transfer bone side up to the wire rack. Pat dry with paper towels if needed.
Using a very small amount of the glaze use a brush to just moisten the outside of the ham and in between some of the slices with the glaze. Just enough to dampen some of the ham but not so much the the glaze runs down the side. Most of the glaze will be used at the end. Using too much glaze right away might cause the sugars to burn so being on the cautious side is okay. Loosely cover the ham in tin foil.
Transfer to the oven. Cook in the oven at 325º F for 15 minutes per pound, so example a 7 pound ham would be 1 hour 45 minutes while a 10 pound ham would be 2 hours 30 minutes.
Once the ham has hit its time and is fully warm remove the ham from the oven. Turn the oven to 450 Fº.
Uncover the ham, glaze generously with a brush. Transfer back to the oven and cook 3 minutes. Repeat the glazing and 3 minute cooking process two more times until all the glaze has been used. Keep watch on the ham during this last step to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Notes

* You may really use whatever size suits you best, just follow the cooking rule of 15 minutes per pound at 325º F.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

3/4 pound
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 475mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 10g

Nutritional data is automated, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all the latest recipes!

Peace & Love

Lauren, The Schmidty Wife

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet

March 21, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This easy to make healthy Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet meal is one to save for a quick weeknight meal. Full of fresh delicious flavors from black beans, sweet potatoes, spices, tomatoes, ground turkey, and I can’t forget that easy 2 ingredient sauce. This is a perfect meal for when you are short of time but looking for full flavor!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Cast iron skillet holding ground turkey and sweet potato skillet with black bean garnished with diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, and a drizzle of sauce.

Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Skillet

This is one of those winner dinners. Like when you have 30 minutes until you have to leave the house to be somewhere you can still get this one made and have 10 whole minutes to sit and eat it (for real this is a true story that happened to me).

This recipe truly comes together because of one special ‘cheat’, the microwave oven. The microwave is used in this recipe to help speed up the cooking process of the sweet potatoes. The diced potatoes are added to a plate and pre-cooked before adding them to the skillet. This ensure that everything is done at the same time and ready to eat!

Besides the sweet potatoes we are using heart heathy ground turkey, black beans, and spices for the main portion of the dish.

Over the top of the dish cheese is melted at the very end to get all melty and delicious. Then it is topped with diced tomatoes and green onions.

Lastly comes to what my husband refers to as the ‘super sauce’. Amply named because it was the “cherry on top” that really helped our kids eat up this meal. I mean what kid doesn’t love a fun sauce?! In reality it is the simple combination of salsa and sour cream, which is really good on anything? But it takes 1 minute to make and definitely elevates this whole meal!

A gold serving spoon in a turkey and sweet potato skillet with black beans and garnished with diced tomatoes and a drizzle of sauce.

Ingredients

Ground Turkey – At the base of this dish, use whatever fat content you would like, any will work here!
Sweet Potatoes – You should just need one large sweet potato, it should come out to about 2 cups. If you are using little sweet potatoes you might need 2.
Black Beans – Adding the black beans both add extra texture to this dish but also a power house of nutrients. You will want to make sure the can is drained and well rinsed before adding to the skillet.
Kosher Salt – I recommend kosher salt (or sea salt) for all cooking but if all you have available is table salt start by using half of the amount and then taste test from there towards the end before adding more if needed.
Chipotle Chili Powder – Now I would like to point out that this is Chipotle Chili Powder, not regular Chili Powder. The Chipotle Chili Powder has that lovely smokiness flavor that you think of when you think of Chipotle peppers. A little goes quite a long way in this dish. And if you hate buying a single spice for one meal no worries I have your back, it is also in my Crockpot Carnitas, Southwest Sauce, or my Southwest Chicken!
Cumin – To go along with the southwest flavors of this dish the cumin is a great companion to the chipotle chili powder.
Cheddar Cheese – I always like to recommend getting a block of cheese and grating it yourself because it gets a better melt. The pre shredded cheese comes with anti-caking powder which makes the cheese less melty. You can also feel free to use a different cheese as you wish, if I was just making this for myself (and no kids) I would totally use pepper jack on top!
Green Onions – These add a bit of freshness! My kids don’t care for them too much so I just include them on the adult plates.
Tomato – Just one medium to large tomato diced, this is for some added freshness. It contrast beautifully with the southwest flavors.
Sour Cream – One part of the sauce. You will use equal parts. You can also use greek yogurt or plain yogurt in its place.
Salsa – The second part of the sauce. You whatever salsa your family enjoys best. I use Mild Pace Salsa for my family. If you are a family that doesn’t like chunky salsa or sauce try using taco sauce instead.

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make turkey sweet potato skillet laid out on a table top.

Instructions

Add diced sweet potatoes to a microwave safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside until you are ready to use.

Collage showing the before and after of diced sweet potatoes being cooking in the microwave.

Make sauce by combing the sour cream and salsa in a small bowl. Set aside for serving.

Collage showing making the salsa and sour cream sauce for on top of turkey sweet potato skillet.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (I like to use my cast iron). Add the ground Turkey. Cook and crumble for about 5 minutes until just a little pink remains. Drain the skillet if necessary.

Add in the hot sweet potatoes, black beans, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cumin. Cook stirring occasionally 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft and turkey is fully cooked. Remove from heat and sprinkle on the cheese to melt. Top with the green onions, diced tomatoes, and sauce for serving. Serve immediately.

Collage showing cooking ground turkey sweet potato skillet showing ground turkey, sweet potatoes and black beans.

Sweet potatoes and turkey skillet with black beans covered with melted cheddar cheese and topped with diced tomatoes and sliced green onions.

Tips, Tricks, and Questions

If you are in a situation where everyone eating this dish loves thier food spicy you can add an extra 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili powder!
If you don’t have a microwave oven available to you you can pre-cook the potatoes in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Add the potaotes to a sheet tray and let them cook until the are slightly soft about 10 to 15 minutes.

Is this turkey sweet potato skillet spicy?

Sort of. I know that isn’t the best answer. The Chipotle Chili powder does have a slight kick. But it isn’t so spicy that when the sauce is put on top my kids will still eat it. If you have a person particularly averse to spicy this dish might not be for them. I will say my 6 year old is a big ‘not spicy’ kid and he will eat it with the tomatoes and sauce on top and he thinks it is okay!

Close up of a cast iron skillet with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, and black beans, topped with diced tomatoes, green onions, and a sauce drizzle.

If you like this Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet you might also like?

Yield: serves 4

Ground Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet

This one dish skillet meal is full of flavors and made fast! With help of the microwave oven this turkey sweet potato skillet is ready to serve in 20 minutes. And with healthy ingredients like ground turkey, black beans, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes it will have you feeling good too!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
2 cup diced sweet potatoes (1 large)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3 green onions, sliced
1 tomato diced

Sauce

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup salsa

Instructions

Add diced sweet potatoes to a microwave safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Carefully remove and set aside until you are ready to use.
Make sauce by combing the sour cream and salsa in a small bowl. Set aside for serving.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground Turkey. Cook and crumble for about 5 minutes until just a little pink remains. Drain the skillet if necessary.
Add in the hot sweet potatoes, black beans, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cumin. Cook stirring occasionally 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft and turkey is fully cooked. Remove from heat and sprinkle on the cheese to melt. Top with the green onions, diced tomatoes, and sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

For the sauce use a salsa that will fit your family best. I use Mild Pace Salsa for my family. If you are a family that doesn't like chunky salsa or sauce try using a taco sauce instead.

If you are in a situation where everyone eating this dish loves thier food spicy you can add an extra 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili powder!

If you don't have a microwave oven available to you you can pre-cook the potatoes in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Add the potaotes to a sheet tray and let them cook until the are slightly soft about 10 to 15 minutes.

Irish Lemonade

March 14, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

A super refreshing cocktail, an Irish Lemonade is easy to make and a total crowd pleaser! Try one for St. Paddy’s Day or they are perfect for a warm summer’s evening.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Whiskey glasses on a table filled with ice and Irish Lemonades, garnished with lemon peel and mint leaves.

Jameson and Lemonade Cocktail

I first saw multiple versions of this drink on the Jameson website a few years back when I was looking for an alternative to drink for St. Patrick’s Day.

Not joking the site has like 6 different cocktails all called Irish Lemonade.

Well I did what I do best and made my own version based off all of the different ones they had posted.

I tried to make it the perfect blend of sweet and bitter that goes so perfectly with a smooth Irish whiskey.

So if beer hurts your tummy like me, this is a great alternative to still be festive with all of your friends who are drinking their green beers. It is even topped with mint for an extra green garnish (okay it is garnished because it adds to the aroma of the drink but it is also green!).

And even though I intended this drink for St. Paddy’s Day I found myself continuing to make them throughout the summer. They are a great chill beverage on a hot summer’s evening.

Overhead view of the Irish Lemonade cocktail in whiskey glasses garnished with lemon peel and mint leaves.

Barware for an Irish Lemonade

Irish Lemonade’s use pretty common place barware and kitchen items.

Cocktail Shaker – Now if you don’t have a cocktail shaker no worries, do you know what works really well!? A Jar with a tight fitting lid, or even dare I say it (college flashbacks) a water bottle.
Jigger – A jigger is a specific measuring device for alcohol, it measures ounces. If you don’t have one, you can easily use a Tablespoon. 2 Tablespoons = 1 Ounce in liquid measurements.
Citrus Juicer – No citrus juicer? Okay so this is a kitchen tool that even if you don’t make a ton of cocktails is worth investing in, need lemon for a vinaigrette? No problem for a citrus juicer! Now if you don’t have one you can just squeeze it by hand, or use a tongs, slide half a lemon in-between the tongs and squeeze!
Cocktail Glass – I found that making these in a classic whiskey glass worked best! A good alternative might be a highball glass filled with ice.

You will also need commonplace items like a knife, cutting board, & ice.

Ingredients

Irish Whiskey – I use Jameson, but there are many types of Irish Whiskey’s available that you can use.
Lemon for Fresh Juice – Now you will notice that instead on using store bought lemonade this recipe calls for making your own by combing fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Now if you are big into cocktails I recommend making it this way as the fresh lemon juice is far superior tasting.
Simple Syrup – Need some simple syrup? It could not be easier to make! Simply combine 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar in a sauce pan. Heat until simmering, stirring occasionally, until all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, cool, and transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator. (Makes about 2 cups, to make less just cut the ingredients in half)
Ginger Beer – I personally think that not all ginger beers are created equal, some have a lot more of a sugary flavor while other are more ginger forward. While any brand will work for this drink I do prefer Fever Tree for cocktail making.
Mint Sprig – Try not to skip this, the aroma of the mint helps elevate this cocktail to new levels!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make an Irish Lemonade including Jameson Whiskey, Ginger beer, simple syrup, and fresh lemons.

Instructions

Add irish whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake until cold, about 10 seconds.

Add ice to a glass. Pour the contents of the cocktail shaker over the ice. Top with the ginger beer. Stir gently. Top with fresh mint to garnish.

Close up of a whiskey glass full of Irish Lemonade and ice garnished with a lemon peel and mint leaf.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Can I use store bought lemonade instead?

Of course. You can swap out the lemon juice and simple syrup for 2 ounces of Lemonade.

If you like this Irish Lemonade check out some of my other cocktails:

Yield: 1 drink

Irish Lemonade

Super refreshing this Irish Whiskey Cocktail is made up of Jameson Whiskey, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, and Ginger Beer. Topped with a mint sprig it is equally as perfect for St. Paddy's Day as a hot summer evening.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 ounces Irish whiskey
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
2 to 3 ounces ginger beer

Instructions

Add irish whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake until cold, about 10 seconds.
Add ice to a glass. Pour the contents of the cocktail shaker over the ice. Top with the ginger beer. Stir gently. Top with fresh mint to garnish.

Easy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts

February 28, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

Tender and delicious these Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts only take minutes to prep. Perfect as a main dish, on a salad, or even meal prepping, the possibilities are endless!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

A great meal to add to you repertoire, tender and juicy chicken breasts baked with sweet and savory homemade honey mustard sauce.

This baked chicken is perfectly paired with some roasted or steamed veggies for a perfectly balanced dinner that is just bursting with flavor.

The chicken is gently pounded so that you get a perfectly juicy result.

A quick sauce is made from two different types of mustards and of course honey.

Then baked together the result is a delicious dinner!

Close up of a white casserole dish with four chicken breasts covered with honey mustard sauce and garnished with fresh thyme.

What You Need

This recipe doesn’t call for anything crazy for supplies you will need:

9×13 Baking Dish – or similar sized baking dish
Measuring Spoons & Cups
Whisk
Meat Tenderizer – or rolling pin or heavy pan, honestly I find that using my heavy marble rolling pin works best for tenderizing chicken, no need to buy a tenderizer
Spoon or Spatula – something small to get the sauce all out of the bowl on to the chicken
Aluminum Foil – for covering the chicken to rest once it is out of the oven
Meat Thermometer – piece of mind that the chicken has hit 165ºF
Other Typical Kitchen Items – like knifes, small bowls, ect.

Ingredients

Olive Oil – A little goes into the sauce to not only to help the flavor but to also ensure that the chicken doesn’t stick to the dish or each other.
Honey – Obviously the first part of honey mustard
Whole Grain Mustard & Dijon Mustard – A good balance of two type of mustards really helps the sauce come together. The whole grain gives a more upfront mustard flavor while the dijon brings a creaminess into the sauce.
Salt – I always recommend using kosher salt when cooking due to the structure the salt blends into the food better, if you don’t have kosher salt sea salt also works well!
Garlic – If you like a good garlic presence then I suggest you use freshly minced garlic. If too much garlic bothers you feel free to half the minced garlic amount.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – 4 trimmed chicken breasts, you will be pounding them to get them extra juicy. See my Tips, Tricks, and Questions section to read about how I pick out my chicken for this recipe.
Fresh Thyme (optional) – If available a toss of a few fresh spring of thyme will amplify this recipe!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed to make baked honey mustard chicken breasts laid out on a table top.

How to make Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Add oil, honey mustards, salt, garlic together in a bowl.

Collage showing the steps of mixing all of the ingredients together to make a honey mustard sauce for the chicken.

Add the chicken breasts in between two sheets of plastic wrap on top of a cutting board. Pound the chicken gently until about 1 inch thickness using a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or heavy pan.

Collage showing the steps of placing the chicken breasts in plastic wrap and tenderizing with a rolling pin.

Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Evenly add the honey mustard sauce over top the chicken breasts. Add the thyme to the dish around the chicken.

Collage of adding the chicken breasts and homemade honey mustard sauce to the white 9x13 casserole dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes covered. 10 minutes uncovered until temp reaches 165º F. Cover and Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

A white baking dish showing the fully cooked honey mustard chicken.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Choosing and Buying Chicken Breasts

The size of chicken breasts can vary greatly at the store. A typical pack of chicken breasts at any given grocery store can contain anywhere from 2 large chicken breasts weighing 2 pounds to 4 smaller chicken breasts weighing 2 pounds. This difference has a lot to do with what brands and if it is organic/natural or not. Now I recommend buying natural chicken breasts that are naturally about 4 breasts in a 2 pound package (this won’t be exact but close). Now if this isn’t an option for you and you can only find large chicken breasts, no sweat! To keep the chicken properly portioned you can butterfly-cut your chicken breasts in half. Typically when I am at the grocery store for a recipe like this I look for a 2-ish pound package of breasts with 4 small breasts, if I can’t find that I look for 2 large chicken breasts I can cut in half to make 4.

What to Serve with Honey Mustard Chicken

Typically at our house I will serve it with a side salad and a vegetable side. Here are some of the recipes I use:

Angled white baking dish with four baked chicken breasts, covered with honey mustard sauce and garnished with fresh thyme.

If you like this Baked Honey Mustard Chicken you might also like:

Yield: 4 servings

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breast

Tender and delicious these Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts only take minutes to prep. Perfect as a main dish, on a salad, or even meal prepping, the possibilities are endless!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, (4 trimmed chicken breasts)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Add oil, honey, mustards, salt, and minced garlic together in a bowl.
Over top a cutting board add the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken gently with a meat tenterizer, rolling pin, or heavy pan until about 1 inch thickness.
Remove the chicken from the plastic wrap and place the chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly add the honey mustard sauce over top the chicken breasts. Add the thyme to the dish around the chicken.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes covered. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes uncovered. The chicken will be done when it hits an internal temperature of 165º F. Cover and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Classic Margarita

February 21, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

The Classic Margarita, a mainstay cocktail. Surprisingly easy to make with three ingredients lime juice, cointreau, and tequila.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

How to make a Classic Margarita

My favorite drink!

Is it yours too? So many people I know will say a Margarita is their favorite and luckily it is so darn easy to make!

With only 3 ingredients, you will never need a mix again! Plus feel free to add a sweeter if you wish, or a salted rim.

Margaritas, usually synonymous with Mexican food have an unclear origin story. Legally tequila must be of Mexican origin, but it is unclear if the drink originated in Mexico or in the United States sometime in the 1940’s. Irregardless of the multiple claims of origin the Margarita caught on and is commonly one of the most popular cocktails in North America.

So let’s make one…

Close up of a glass with a salted rim filled with ice and a margarita cocktail garnished with a lime wheel.

Barware for the Best Margarita

Margaritas use pretty common place barware and kitchen items.

Cocktail Shaker – Now if you don’t have a cocktail shaker no worries, do you know what works really well!? A Jar with a tight fitting lid, or even dare I say it (college flashbacks) a water bottle.
Jigger – A jigger is a specific measuring device for alcohol, it measures ounces. If you don’t have one, you can easily use a Tablespoon. 2 Tablespoons = 1 Ounce in liquid measurements.
Citrus Juicer – No citrus juicer? Okay so this is a kitchen tool that even if you don’t make a ton of cocktails is worth investing in, need lemon for a vinaigrette? No problem! Now if you don’t have one you can just squeeze it by hand, or use a tongs, slide half a lime in-between the tongs and squeeze!
Margarita Glass OR Other Cocktail Glass – In the modern times I feel like we have ditched the traditional looking margarita glasses. I get it, I have a few and rarely use them, they are kind of heavy, awkward, and easy to spill. I usually will just grab a whiskey glass honestly. So use what you have.

You will also need commonplace items like a knife, cutting board, & ice. Also if you want a salted glass, a small plate for the salt.

Three classic margaritas with salted rims and lime garnishes on a table top with bottles and lime halves.

Ingredients for a Traditional Margarita

The margarita, like so many other cocktails will greatly depend on the quality of alcohol used. So I have included my favorite ‘everyday’ and favorite ‘special’ tequilas below.

Tequila – In a classic margarita you will want to use a Blanco or Plata (White or Silver) tequila. Tequila is broken out into four categories; Blanco/Plata, Joven Abocado (Gold), Repasado, and Añejo (aged). If you would like to use a tequila from a different category that is perfectly okay. I recommend using your favorite tequila, that will make the drink all that much better. If you don’t have a favorite my favorite ‘everyday’ tequila is Tres Agaves and my favorite ‘special’ tequila is Casamigos.
Cointreau – Cointreau is a classic bar staple also used in a Cosmo. This orange flavored liqueur can also be swapped out with Triple Sec.
Lime Juice – For the best margarita I urge you to use a fresh lime, it makes a world of difference from the bottled stuff. Typically 1 medium sized lime is the perfect amount of juice you will need for your drink.

And if you want to garnish your drink you will also need a lime slice or wedge. And for a salted rim some salt (sea salt or kosher salt work best).

The steps for salting the rim of a margarita glass.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Is Triple Sec the same as Cointreau?

Both are orange liquors, each made a little different, with just a very slight difference in tase. The biggest difference you might notice is price and alcohol percentage. Cointreau is going to be a little bit more money but the alcohol percentage will be over double that of triple sec, so if you like a strong drink this is your choice. Triple Sec on the other hand has a very familiar flavor but is less money and with a much lower alcohol percentage, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing, I like to use triple sec when I plan on having a couple of drinks.

A glass with a salted rim filled with a margarita and garnished with a lime wheel on a wood platter.

If you like a Classic Margarita you might like some of my other drinks:

Yield: 1 drink

Classic Margarita

The classic three ingredient Margarita Cocktail. Enjoy this refreshing beverage without a pre-mix, it's so easy you will wonder why you haven't always made it this way! This simple margarita is sure to become your new favorite!

Prep Time 3 minutes

Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

1 oz lime juice (1 medium lime)
1 oz cointreau
2 oz tequila

For Garnishing:

Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
Lime wedges or wheels

Instructions

To salt the rim of the glass take a lime wedge and run it all along the top rim. Add salt to a small plate and dip the juiced rim into the salt. Add ice to the glass.
Add the lime juice, cointreau, and tequila to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Shake until cold about 10 seconds. Strain over top the ice. Garnish with a lime slice.

Notes

One average sized medium lime produces about 1 oz of lime juice given it is freah and ripe.

Triple Sec may be replaced for the cointreau.

For a sweeter beverage add ½ ounce agave or simple syrup.

Baked Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

February 14, 2022 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

This versatile Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe is a great fresh and family friendly option to make for dinner tonight! Made with heart heathy oats these turkey meatballs bake in marinara sauce for an easy meal.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

White casserole dish with baked turkey meatballs in sauce covered with cheese and fresh parsley.

Turkey Meatballs with Oats Baked in Marinara Sauce

This recipe for turkey meatballs is not your nana’s meatball recipe. These turkey meatballs were developed with a busy adult in mind, one who wanted a healthier option and ease of baking and not standing over a stove to brown the meatballs.

Simple ingredients like oats, milk, cheese, and more are mixed with ground turkey. And then formed into meatballs.

A casserole dish is then lined with marinara sauce where the turkey meatballs will be added and baked in the sauce. I found that baking in the sauce helps keep the meatball nice a moist and tender! Plus the meatballs are already sauced, it makes it easy to simply plop them on the plate once it is time to eat!

A white casserole dish at an angle filled with baked turkey meatballs in sauce and covered with mozzarella cheese and topped with parsley.

Ingredients

Oats – These should be the Old Fashioned/Rolled Oat type (these are the same, it really just depends on labels). These types of oats are the type that appears whole and flat. In a pinch using instant/quick cooking oats will work as a sub. But do not use steel cut oats, that type will not work for this recipe.
Milk – I recommend using cow’s milk here. For flavor I also recommend whole milk but any milk really will do.
Egg – Used to help hold the meatballs together.
Parmesan Cheese – For flavor and to help keep the meatballs together. I prefer to grate the parmesan from my own block to avoid any anti-caking additives, but you can definitely use the pre-grated for convince!
Minced Garlic – Okay so I use like A LOT of garlic in these meatballs, sorry not sorry. As most of us might know ground turkey has a reputation for being a little bit flavorless. So the best way to combat that is by adding some reliable flavors. You would think that with a lot of garlic these would seem like they come out super garlicky but honestly I all during testing I did not find them to be over garlicky. If you find yourself not being able to handle garlic very well feel free to back off the amount a little bit.
Fresh Parsley or Dried Parsley – I tested both. I will admit I prefer the fresh parsley, but that might not always be in your fridge right? So use what you have.
Salt – For cooking I always recommend using Kosher Salt over Table Salt. The structures of the actual salt is different and kosher salt will dissolve better and more evenly into your food.
Ground Turkey – If you aren’t overly picky I did find that the ground turkey that is 85/15 works a little better for meatballs because the fat content helps keep the balls together. If you want to use a ground turkey with less fat content that is okay but just note the meatballs might not keep their shape as well.
Marinara Sauce – When picking out a marinara sauce I like to really read the ingredients list, it is one of those foods that can vary a lot on ingredients. For example some brands are going to be full of additives, sugars, and gross oils. I like to grab Rao’s (not sponsored) because they have a pretty clean ingredients list with simple things like tomatoes and olive oil. Although most, but not all labeled ‘organic’ are more likely to have a simpler ingredients list as well! Just read the back of a few to help you make the best choice for your family!
Shredded Mozzarella – For topping the meatballs to add some cheesy goodness!

For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.

Ingredients needed laid out on a tabletop to make turkey meatballs baked in tomato sauce.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

Add the oats and milk to a mixing bowl. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes.

With the oats and milk add the egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt to the bowl. Stir a few times to lightly mix everything.

Add the ground turkey to the top and gently mix everything together until it just holds together. Don’t over mix. I find that using your hands works best for this step.

Steps showing the first steps of mixing together baked turkey meatballs with oats.

Steps showing adding ground turkey to the other ingredients to make a mixture for baked turkey meatballs.

Layer half the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Use a tablespoon to scoop and roll the turkey mixture into meatballs. Add meatballs in the dish.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Steps showing adding marinara sauce to a casserole dish along with a tablespoon of the ground turkey mixture.

Steps showing all the meatballs rolled and added to the baking dish and then baked and covered with cheese.

Uncover and add the remaining marinara sauce in top of the meatballs, followed by sprinkling the shredded mozzarella over the meatballs. Cook uncovered another 10 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the meatballs hit a internal temperature of 165º F. Serve over pasta, on thier own, or with veggies.

Overhead view of a white casserole dish filled with baked turkey meatballs covered in Mozzarella cheese.

Tips, Tricks, & Questions

Why are my turkey meatballs rubbery?

Rubbery Meatballs will happen if you over-mix the meatball mixture before forming it into meatballs. You will want all the ingredients to be just mixed so that it holds a shape, once you have achieved that stop mixing!

What can you serve with turkey meatballs?

These turkey meatballs are super versatile. I personally have served these to my family a couple different ways. First with some spaghetti, I used the remainder of the jar of marinara for the sauce. Second I served the meatballs as is along side some broccoli and a side salad. If you are looking for some side dish to serve with the meatballs you could check out:

I will also note that this is a great recipe to make for meal prep! The meatballs can easily be transferred into containers and reheated throughout the week!

Close up of baked turkey meatballs in a white casserole dish with marinara sauce and covered in cheese and garnished with parsley.

If you like Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce you might also like:

Yield: serves 4

Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

This versatile Baked Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe is a great fresh and family friendly option to make for dinner! Made with heart heathy oats these turkey meatballs bake in marinara sauce for an easy meal you can add on top of pasta, have on their own, or with veggies.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

¼ Cup Oats, old fashioned/rolled
¼ Cup Milk
1 Egg
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Fresh Parsley (or ½ teaspoon dried)
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Pound Ground Turkey
12 Ounce Marinara Sauce (1 ½ Cups)
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Add oats and milk to a mixing bowl. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes.
Add egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt to the bowl. Stir a few times to lightly mix everything. Add the ground turkey to the top and gently mix everything together until it just holds together. Don’t over mix.
Layer half the sauce on the bottom of casserole dish.
Use a tablespoon to scoop and roll the turkey mixture into meatballs. Add meatballs in the dish.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and add the remaining marinara sauce followed by sprinkling the shredded mozzarella over the meatballs. Cook uncovered another 10 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the meatballs hit a internal temperature of 165º F. Serve over pasta, on thier own, or with veggies.

Notes

A typical jar of marinara is 24 ounces, so you will be using half for this recipe.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies…in Bar Form

Equipment

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Black Bean Quinoa Salad

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Salad:

Dressing:

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Grilled Chicken Tacos

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Easy Cuban Sandwich

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Cuban Rice Bowl

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