Best French and Italian Food Recipe

Leftover Turkey's Last Stand

You had some on Friday, and maybe Saturday; but by today, leftover turkey is the last thing you're craving. Well, we may have just the thing(s). The following recipes are perfect for using up the last of that holiday bird, while at no time reminding anybody of that holiday bird. If you're interested in seeing the full post, just click on the recipe title, and away you go. Enjoy!

	Turkey Manicotti The moist filling will bring the driest turkey back from the dead, and you can literally add anything that can be chopped up. Leftover green beans? Throw it in. Peas and Onions? You bet’cha. Cranberry Sauce? Don’t be ridiculous.
	Turkey Matzo Ball Soup If chicken soup is called, "Jewish penicillin," then we're going to have to refer to this as "American amoxicillin." Really doesn't have the same ring to it. Regardless, this is a great soup.
	Turkey Noodle Casserole Come for the great way to use up leftover turkey, stay for the crispy potato chip topping.

Cranberry Almond Christmas Cake

Cranberry Almond Christmas Cake has only a handful of ingredients and comes together in a snap! Truly a simply perfect holiday cake.

My thoughts have been consumed with cranberries.  This Cranberry Almond Christmas Cake is exactly what I need to cure my craving.

All of my social media networks have been flooded with fall flavors and I tell you cranberries have been screaming at me.  After seeing this cranberry cake on my friend Mary's blog and Taste of Home I had finally had enough.  I had to try it!

Click here for Recipe»

Candy Cane Crinkle Cookie

Candy Cane Crinkle Cookies are the best peppermint cookies you will ever eat!  Perfect cookie for you cookie swap with an easy recipe!  Chewy inside, creamy texture, loaded w/ chunks of candy cane.

Peppermint is absolutely my husbands favorite holiday flavor.  He would probably eat peppermint burgers if they were available.  Candy Cane Ice Cream, Peppermint Oreo Candy Bark, Chewy Double Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies, Candy Cane Martini and Candy Cane Shooters. have all made the site and we have a ton of other candy cane recipes just waiting to make their debut.

Click here for Recipe»

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! We’re taking a couple days off, but I’ll be back with a new video before you can say, “Man, I can’t believe I ate that much turkey.” Enjoy your holiday!

.

Thanksgiving Leftover Special: Tom Turkey Kha Gai

One of the great blessings, and curses, of Thanksgiving is leftover turkey. The next day it’s great reheated, or made into sandwiches, but by Day 3 you want something that tastes like not turkey. That’s where this spicy Thai coconut soup recipe comes in.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Your favorite chicken Parmesan transformed into these popable chicken Parmesan meatballs.  This recipes is ready in just 30 minutes.

I love chicken Parmesan, but come party time serving a plated meal is too much work.  The perfect solution is a a popable meatball.  Made with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese this is a meatball to remember.  Pop 'em, serve 'em over pasta or eat 'em on a sub.

Click here for Recipe»

Best Tasting Sugar Cookie Icing

Best Tasting Sugar Cookie Icing - 4 ingredients and 5 minutes! People have been begging for this recipe for years. Now you have it!

Chad and I were married a few days before Christmas, 8 years ago, in a Winter Wonderland wedding. We had snowflakes everywhere and a cocoa and cookie table. So, needless to say after our wedding we decided that the perfect thank you would be snowflake cookies.

Ever since I have been on a mission to create the perfect cookie.  I had the most incredible cookie recipe but I worked for a few years to create the perfect recipe for the icing.

Click here for Recipe»

Cranberry Sauce Like a Boss

Just in case you’re still deciding on which of the roughly one million different cranberry sauces you’ll be going with this Thanksgiving, here are a few ideas. Technically, the Cumberland isn’t a cranberry sauce, but it’s close enough, and serves the same delicious purpose. If you're tempted, just click on the bold titles, and away you go. I hope you give one of these great sauce a try, and as always, enjoy!

	Tangerine Cherry Cranberry Sauce Could you just use orange, and call it "tangerine?" Sure, why not, it's only your family you'd be misleading.
	Ginger Pear Cranberry Sauce This one just sounds like it will be great with roast turkey. In fact, when you tell people what it is, they'll say, "Oh, that sounds great." Try it, and see.
	Cumberland Sauce Do you think they just name any old sauce after the Duke of Cumberland? Well, they don't
	Maple Walnut Cranberry Sauce As you'll read, there was a time when I didn't think putting nuts in a cranberry sauce was a good idea. I've evolved on the issue.

Classic Slow Cooker Stuffing

Classic Slow Cooker Stuffing starts with sausage, bacon and fresh herbs. An American favorite now comes to you in a simple crockpot recipe. With options for a simple prep of this dish you can have it ready to cook in about 10 minutes. Now, you can't beat that! Stuffing that is bursting with flavor is sure to be the star of the show. Sorry turkey!

It is almost Thanksgiving and all I can think about is the stuffing. I know I shared my stuffing love affair with you a few weeks ago with our fabulous Sausage, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffing recipe. It really is my best ever all time favorite stuffing. But, honestly not everyone wants 'fancy' stuffing. I get that. So with all the requests we have been getting for crockpot recipes for Thanksgiving I recreated a family classic.

Click here for Recipe»

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes prepared in a crockpot! They are rich and creamy with the perfect texture and flavor. A decadent side dish fit for a special occasion with a simple recipe that makes them easy enough to make any night of the week. 

I am a potato lover though and through. Last week I shared my Best Ever Mashed Potatoes and immediately my email was flooded with requests for a slow cooker version. You may be wondering what the big deal is. Why can't you just make them on the stovetop? Well, you certainly can make it on the stovetop.  But, I completely understand the passion surrounding crockpot recipes.

Click here for Recipe»

Whole Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey – As Close to Turducken as I’ll Ever Get

If you’re a turkey, and you’re getting boned-out, there’s a good chance you’re about to become Turducken, which in this chef’s opinion, is one of the most overrated recipes of all time. When was the last time you sat down in a restaurant and thought, “I hope the chef’s doing a turkey, duck, chicken trio.”

• My turkey was about 15 pounds, but this will work on any sized bird.
• I wanted to try salt only on the outside, without butter or oil, like in our salt chicken recipe, just to see what would happen, but nothing did. So, feel free to slather on the butter.
• You’ll need about 3-4 cups of prepared stuffing depending on the turkey.
• My pan sauce was nothing more than the drippings with a big splash of cream, reduced until slightly thickened, and strained.  

Top 10 All Time Favorite Meatball Recipes

Food doesn't get much more fun than meatballs.  Here are our top 10 all time meatballs recipes.  Chicken meatballs, turkey meatballs, beef meatballs, and sausage meatballs.  Stuffed with cheese, stuffed with bacon.  You will find them all here!

Click here for Recipe»

Best Ever Herb Roasted Turkey

Our Herb Roasted Turkey is so moist and flavorful it is the only recipe you will ever need.   Nothing beats this buttery herb infused flavor in your turkey.  A simple recipe that you will use again and again. So easy there is no basting required!

Click here for Recipe»

Singapore Chili Crabs – King of the Crab Recipes?

Living in San Francisco, I’ve had more than my fair share of crab; prepared in more ways than I can remember, but I’ve never enjoyed it more than in this Singapore-style chili crabs recipe. Just be sure to have lots of napkins around. Lots of napkins.

Crazy Caramel Apple Pie Bombs

Crazy Caramel Apple Pie Bombs are the pull apart bread of your dreams.  This fabulous recipe is packed with caramel and apples and baked to perfection.  Pull one open and a river of sweet caramel runs over the apple pie bombs.

They are the perfect fall treat or holiday dessert.  We love these and are going to be sharing them with our family this year.

Click here for Recipe»

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Chicken and Rice in Just 25 Minutes

Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Chicken and Rice goes from prep to plate in under half an hour, a one pot simple recipe.  Loaded with delicious ooey gooey cheese, nutty jasmine rice, chicken and did I mention cheese?  Oh, broccoli too.  I almost forgot about the broccoli with all the cheeeeeese in there!

Click here for Recipe»

Homemade Flatbread – If You Have Flour, You Have Bread

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, possibly in our last post, today is National Homemade Bread Day. So, I decided to do a flatbread video, demonstrating what was probably the world’s first wheat-based bread.

Jalapeño Popper Cheesy Pretzel Bombs

Soft and chewy pretzel poppers are stuffed with ooey gooey cheese, crispy bacon and spicy jalapeños.  This scrumptious recipe is like nothing you have ever eaten before.  Game day, girls night or a Tuesday night with the family these Jalapeño Popper Cheesy Pretzel Bombs will rock your world!

Munchkin and I made these together.  It was so much fun.  Once they went into the oven the whole family gathered in the kitchen anticipating the incredible magic that was going on in the oven.  The jalapeno's, bacon and cheese all melding together with the pretzel as it bakes to create a sensational firecracker of an appetizer that will explode in your mouth.

Click here for Recipe»

Lose Weight and Live Longer with the New Homemade Bread Diet!

Word on the street is that tomorrow, November 17th, is National Homemade Bread Day, and to celebrate I thought I'd post a few of our most popular, and critically acclaimed videos. By the way, I have this idea for a diet where you get to eat bread, but only if you bake it fresh yourself. 

Since most of us are fairly lazy, this would become maybe a once a week thing, which has to be a better alternative than that daily dosage of supermarket, pain d'preservative. It's still in the brainstorming stage, and there's no book deal yet, but I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, go make some homemade bread. Click on the title to see the original post, and as always, enjoy! 

	No-Knead Beer Bread You like beer. You like bread. So, what are you waiting for? Pro Tip: Even though you only need one beer, get a six-pack.
	Perfect French Baguette This is the video French bakers don't want you to see. People don't think they can make bakery-quality loaves at home, but those people are wrong.
	No-Knead Ciabatta One of the most popular Food Wishes videos of all time. If you've never made bread, this is the recipe for you. Warning: The dough is going to be sticky. Don't be afraid.
	Pita Bread What this amazing bread lacks in height, it more than makes up for in stuffability. And yes, that is a word.

Best Ever Thanksgiving Sides

Click here for Recipe»

Simple 4 Layer Pizza Dip

Simple 4 Layer Pizza Dip is perfect for any party, happy hour or an anytime snack! With an easy recipe this appetizer is utterly simple to prepare. This dip is packed with layers of ooey gooey cheese, marinara sauce and your favorite pizza toppings.  It’s out of this world delicious!!!

Click here for Recipe»

Bite Size Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Bite Size Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Puffs in 30 Minutes are just like your favorite pizza in bite size!  A Simple recipe and a scrumptious game day appetizer.  Can't get much more fun than that. They freeze perfectly.  Spritz them with water and either microwave them until heated or defrost and pop them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Click here for Recipe»

How to Make Puff Pastry Shells – Vol au Venting!

As promised, here’s the video for how to make your own puff pastry shells, or vol au vents, as they'd be called in France, and select U.S. locations. These are fairly simple to make, and once baked the real fun begins, as they can hold so many amazing fillings, both sweet and savory.

The key is making sure your puff pastry dough is very firm, and very cold, preferably still partially frozen, before you start cutting it. You want nice clean cuts, because if you mash the layers of pastry together, your shells will not rise as high, and they can also bake into some strange shapes. Having said that, even though I was filming, and working way too slowly, these still came out pretty well.

Once they’re filled they look great, so it’s not that big of a deal, but in general, the colder the dough, the nicer the final product. Other than being too rough with the dough, the other common mistake is under cooking. Your shells might look beautiful at 15 minutes, but may still be kind of raw inside. As long as the outside is not getting too dark, don’t be afraid to let them bake a bit longer.

Regarding the scraps. You can’t re-roll the trimmed puff pastry and have the shells come out the same, but what you can do is cut it into irregular shapes, egg wash it, and dust with cinnamon and sugar. Once baked to a crispy, golden-brown, you’ll have a great little sweet treat to serve with coffee or tea. I hope you give this easy and fun technique a try very soon. Enjoy!

10 Thanksgiving Desserts That'll Make The Turkey Blush

I know you are looking for the Best Thanksgiving Desserts Ever. Look no further, here are 10 Thanksgiving desserts so good they will make the turkey blush.

Thanksgiving dinner is all about the turkey for so many people, but I am not one of them.  That turkey could stay in the kitchen and I would be perfectly happy to load my plate with stuffing, potatoes, gravy, corn, and desserts.

Oh the many desserts that I make for Thanksgiving.  Boring pumpkin and pecan pie move over.  We have gathered our favorite Thanksgiving desserts for you here.  There is truly something for everyone; pumpkin, pecan, chocolate, lemon, strawberry.  There is simple, complex, decadent and individual servings.

Click here for Recipe»

Best Ever Mashed Potatoes

The Best Ever Mashed Potatoes are rich and creamy with the perfect texture and flavor. A decadent side dish fit for a special occasion with a simple recipe that makes them easy enough to make any night of the week. With make ahead instructions these are the ultimate mashed potatoes!

Growing up my favorite dinners were ones that corn and mashed potatoes were served. Whether it was meatloaf or chicken my picky palate was so happy to see mashed taters and corn on my plate. Well as I grew up my picky palate has become a little more refined but I still
Click here for Recipe»

Lobster Newberg… I Mean, Wenberg

How Lobster Newberg got its name is one of my all-time favorite food stories. It’s also a fascinating glimpse into the twisted mind of someone crazy enough to own/run a restaurant. 

As the story goes, this dish was invented by a Mr. Ben Wenberg, who showed it to his buddy, Charles Delmonico, at the famous Delmonico’s Restaurant, in New York City. Chuck puts it on the menu, calls it “Lobster Wenberg,” and everyone loves it.

Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars

The Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars are so good people offer to pay me for them.  A fabulous recipe with a caramelized pecan pie set atop a shortbread crust is the absolute perfect nut bar.  My family requests more of this dessert than any other every year.

Every Christmas I ask our families what they would like to see in the homemade gifts that we give each year.  My family always says the same thing.  "Lots and lots of your pecan bars."

Click here for Recipe»

Pumpkin Time

Yes, it's that time of year already. Time to unpack the sweaters, buy scented candles, and of course, figure out some new and exciting ways to cook with pumpkin. Here’s a collection of some of my favorite seasonal recipes. To read the original post, and get the ingredient amounts, just click on the recipe title, and away you go, Enjoy! 

	Best Pumpkin Pie Ever The name says it all. And, you know you can't just make a claim like that on the Internet, unless it's true.
	Holiday Pumpkin Bread It's like banana bread, only with pumpkin. By the way, and you didn't hear this from me, but this is great served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
	Pumpkin Scones If you think scones are dry, crumbly, and boring, then you've never made these.
	Pumpkin Cheesecake I used to think that there was no way to improve on the classic New York style cheesecake, but this has me reconsidering that notion.
	Pumpkin Pancakes 10 years from now, your family will still be talking about the time you made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast.

Sriracha Honey Slow Cooker Meatballs

This is for the sriracha lover in you. Sriracha Honey Slow Cooker Meatballs are hot, sweet, tangy and wildly addictive. A simple recipe, this dish just about cooks itself. Add the sauce ingredients, form the meatballs.  Toss them in the slow cooker and voila. The best make ahead game day or any day food. What more could you ask for?

Chad and I fell in love with the sriracha honey a few years ago and ever since, sriracha has been a staple in my pantry. A little bit here a little bit there.  Then I created the ultimate Easy Crockpot Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings and there was no turning back. The sweet and spicy combination is absolutely incredible.

Click here for Recipe»

Best Ever Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Best Ever Slow Cooker Creamed Corn recipe doesn't get much easier. Simply toss 6 ingredients into the slow cooker or crockpot and a few hours later you have the silkiest, creamiest most divine creamed corn you have ever eaten. 

You might want to print this recipe out, because everyone is going to ask for it! As a matter of fact it is sooo good that my picky 4 year old said to me tonight "Mommy, we should eat dinner before we eat dessert" as she was devouring her creamed corn. Yes that good.

I know I have mentioned a time or 10 how much I love corn, honestly I love it so much that I when I was younger I would eat a bowl of sweet corn for breakfast.  Well, now I am a bit more practical (most days), but I still love corn just about anyway I can get it. Whether it is oven roasted, stovetop, grilled, corn casserole, corn salad or this most fabulous slow cooked creamed corn, I would be happy to eat it every single day.

I have been working on my Best Ever Thanksgiving Sides list.  It of course includes corn! So far I have gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, best ever mashed potatoes and garlic rolls (coming this week) and can you believe I didn't have a creamed corn recipe on our website?  Well, we had to remedy that immediately.

Click here for Recipe»

Pastrami-Spiced Duck Breast "Reuben" – Prepare to Open Face

I first tasted pastrami-spiced, smoked duck breast about 15 years ago, and ever since I’ve wondered how it would be used in a classic Reuben sandwich. I never got around to actually trying it, but this is close, and I’m going to say, way, way better.

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

This Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole recipe comes together in just 20 minutes. It is the perfect make-ahead breakfast to create an extra special holiday morning. Prepare the night before and toss it in the oven while you get ready for the day. This casserole is bursting with gingerbread flavor and layered with the perfect spiced streusel topping. It is destined to be on your menu again and again!

Can you believe it is November already? I am nearly in heaven. This is my season. The weather is cooler, soon we will start decorating the house, putting up our favorite tree decorations and getting in the spirit of the season as we enjoy these holiday moments.

Can you tell I am counting the minutes until Christmas already? There are so many special moments during the season. I love cooking for my family. Every year I make a special
Click here for Recipe»