Snacks + Appetizers Archives - A Beautiful Mess

Best Stuffing Recipe

Emma Chapman — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:14:00 +0000

This is my all-time favorite stuffing recipe. It’s a classic with pretty basic ingredients and it’s chock full of fresh herbs which not only give this recipe tons of flavor, it makes your whole kitchen smell like Thanksgiving or Christmas too.

This homemade stuffing recipe is one of my favorite side dishes, alongside mashed potatoes. It may be a regional thing but I know some people call this dressing. However, I’ve always called it stuffing as you can also use this recipe to stuff a turkey with. Whatever you call it, this is essentially a savory bread pudding and I am here for it!

Related: Try our Green Bean Casserole, Broccoli Casserole, Corn Casserole, the Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese, or Jello Salad. And if you have leftover herbs from this recipe, try this Thanksgiving Stove Simmer.

Ingredients

Bread – stale bread is great! Any kind: sourdough bread, Italian, cornbread, white sandwich, etc will work for this recipe. Choose your favorite.
Butter
Shallots
Garlic
Celery
Sage
Parsley
Rosemary
Thyme
Chicken broth or stock
Eggs
Salt and black pepper

How to make stuffing casserole

Cube the bread the night before into bread cubes. I like to leave it in a bag, loosely sealed, so it dries out some. It doesn’t have to be completely dry or stale, but fresh soft bread isn’t as good for this recipe.

Chop up the shallots and celery. Mince the garlic. Chop up the fresh herbs.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Then stir in the shallots, garlic and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then stir in most of the fresh herbs, reserving around 1/3 of them to top the stuffing with before baking.

Stir together the chicken stock and eggs until well combined.

In a large bowl, or two if needed, add the breadcrumbs, cooked shallot mixture, and the chicken stock mixture. Stir until everything is well coated and combined. Season well with salt and pepper.

Butter a 9×13 baking dish, or coat in nonstick cooking spray. Add the stuffing mixture to the pan. Top with the remaining herbs. Cover in aluminum foil.

Bake in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 25-28 minutes. The total bake time will be 45-48 minutes. The stuffing should look golden brown along the edges when done.

Tips & Substitutions

You can substitute the shallots for a yellow onion or white onion if needed.
Another great addition to this classic stuffing recipe is some cooked sausage. YUM!
I like to buy the day-old bread that’s on sale at the grocery store for this, if I don’t have leftover bread to use. Also, you can save random bits in a bag in the freezer leading up to making this recipe.
If you want to make this ahead, simply follow this recipe until the point of baking. Instead, store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
You can use this recipe to stuff a Thanksgiving turkey, but keep in mind depending on the size of bird this may make too much stuffing to all fit inside the cavity. You may have enough to cook this stuffing in an 8×8 size pan in addition to stuffing the turkey. But, again, it depends on the size of bird you are preparing.
Use the leftovers in other recipes like a Thanksgiving sandwich, burger or wrap.

Serving Suggestions

To me, this is a Thanksgiving stuffing recipe and that’s usually when I make this each year. That being said, here are some main course recipes that would be delicious alongside this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make stuffing casserole ahead of time?

Honey Butter

Emma Chapman — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 14:26:00 +0000

Nothing quite says holiday meal like HONEY BUTTER. Although this is such a simple recipe, it really elevates any special meal, and it will always remind me of Thanksgiving dinner at my great-aunt Ina’s house growing up.

In this post, not only am I sharing how to make honey butter, including an easy ratio so you can make whatever quantity your next party needs, but we will also be discussing butter boards. Have you seen this trend? As an avid butter lover, I am INTERESTED.

Ingredients for Honey Butter:

Unsalted butter, softened
Honey
Optional additions: cinnamon, nutmeg or other spices like cayenne

How to Make Honey Butter:

In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine all the ingredients and whip until combined. It’s truly that simple!

Honey Butter Ratio:

Honey butter is made with a 2:1 butter to honey ratio.

For example, you could use 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter to 1/4 cup honey. Or 1 cup of butter (2 sticks) to 1/2 cup of honey. You can make larger or smaller batches based on this ratio.

You will also want to adjust any other mix-in ingredients you use like cinnamon or nutmeg.

Serving Suggestions:

What is a Butter Board?

A butter board is a cutting board that has softened butter spread over the top with other ingredients either mixed into the butter or sprinkled over the top.

You can use a knife to remove some butter and spread over bread or crackers, or you can dip directly into the board. I like to think of it as the butter version of a cheese plate—it’s a great appetizer or accompaniment to a meal.

There are so many different ways to create a butter board! I decided to take some of the honey butter from this recipe and add a few drops of food dye to create this artist palette-inspired butter board.

Click to shop each item below:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best method for softening butter?

Garlic Toast

Emma Chapman — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:47:00 +0000

This easy garlic toast recipe can be made from start to finish in about 15 minutes in the oven or air fryer. This is a great way to use up stale bread. You only need 5 ingredients to make this simple and delicious side!

I love homemade garlic toast alongside soup, chili, meatballs in marinara or a pasta dish like lasagna or manicotti.

Related: Another great way to use stale bread is to make French Toast.

Ingredients

French bread
Butter
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

How to make Garlic Toast

In a small bowl mix together the softened butter, parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and garlic powder. If your butter isn’t soft melt it in the microwave for 30 seconds or less. The goal being very soft butter but not melted into a liquid.

Cut the french loaf in half lengthwise, as if you were going to make a giant sandwich. I then like to cut off the ends and cut into individual pieces as I like more crispy edges on my garlic toast. But this isn’t necessary, you could leave the loaf in two large pieces.

Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes.

Tips and Substitutions

I like french bread for this recipe but any kind of bread can work! You could use sourdough, focaccia or even sandwich bread. If you use something thinner than french bread you may need to adjust (lessen) the baking time.
I use unsalted butter most of the time. If you use salted butter omit adding salt until after baking to taste and see if it’s already salty enough.
If you don’t have fresh parsley you could use Italian seasoning instead.

Soup & Stew Recipes

Garlic Toast

Easy homemade garlic toast made from just 5 ingredients in under 15 mintues.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword garlic toast

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 264kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Instructions

In a small bowl mix together the softened butter, parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and garlic powder. If your butter isn’t soft melt it in the microwave for 30 seconds or less.
Cut the french loaf in half lengthwise, as if you were going to make a giant sandwich. I then like to cut off the ends and cut into individual pieces as I like more crispy edges on my garlic toast.
Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the bread.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top.
Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

I like french bread for this recipe but any kind of bread can work! You could use sourdough, focaccia or even sandwich bread. If you use something thinner than french bread you may need to adjust (lessen) the baking time.
I use unsalted butter most of the time. If you use salted butter omit adding salt until after baking to taste and see if it’s already salty enough.
If you don’t have fresh parsley you could use Italian seasoning instead.

Nutrition

Candy Salad

Elsie Larson — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

If you’re on TikTok, you’ve likely seen the viral Candy Salad. Today, we’re going to share the recipe for Candy Salad as well as tips for customizing it. My children loved helping make our Candy Salad and we’ve been using it alongside homemade popcorn for family movie nights.

What is Candy Salad?

Candy Salad is a fun way to served a mixed assortment of different types of candies. Our recipe is for gummy candy salad, combining all our favorite gummy candies into a large serving (salad) bowl. We store our candy salad with a scoop for easy serving. The airtight container keeps the candy fresh and we serve scoops in small bowls for family movie nights.

This recipe became viral on TikTok. Candy Salad videos have been sweeping the internet, creating a fun and very sweet candy salad trend. When I saw it, I knew it was an immediate yes for my family because we love gummy candy and I knew my children would enjoy the activity of creating this candy mix together. Try making this for your summer get-togethers.

Candy Salad Ingredients

Gummy Bears – Choose your favorite flavors.
Gummy Worms – Choose sour or sweet.
Sour Punch Bites
Watermelon Gummies
Starmix – Or any variety pack gummies.
Nerds Gummy Clusters
Peach Rings – Or peach gummies.
Gummy Sharks
Happy Cola Gummies
SweetTarts Chewy Fusions
Sour Brite Crawlers
Mini Starbursts

Important note: Substitute any favorite gummy candies of your own. Eyeballing the ingredients is sufficient and anything goes.

We mixed some bags of store-bought gummies such as Haribo with a big bag of mixed candy we purchased from a bulk candy store. We used a salad bowl with a wood lid as well as a metal scoop for serving the candy mix.

Instructions

In a large salad bowl, decant a variety of gummy candies. Mix together with a large wooden spoon.

If you have any long candies such as sour straws or nerds rope, cut them into smaller pieces before adding to the mixture.

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use a scoop to serve portions.

Tips for Making

When stored in an airtight container, this candy salad will stay fresh for several months.
This is a great recipe to bring for a road trip or a family vacation.
Feel free to substitute your favorite candies. This is the key to making the perfect candy salad.
Choose flavors that blend well together.

Variations

Chocolate Candy Salad – Combine miniature candy bars, M&Ms and chocolate candies.
Reeses Candy Salad – Mix various types of Reese’s candies along with peanuts and chocolate candies to create a peanut butter cup-themed candy salad.
Sour Candy Salad – Use sour candies such as Sour Patch Kids and Warheads to create a mouth puckering sour candy mixture.
Fruit Candy Salad – Use fruit flavored candies and Skittles, Starburst and Twizzlers or any fruity candy.
Halloween Candy Salad – Choose candies in a yellow, lavender, black and white color scheme. Find themed candies such as gummy eyeballs or gummy fingers for a creepy vibe.
Christmas Candy Salad – Choose candies in a color scheme of red, green and white. Incorporate stars, candy cane stripes and gumdrops into your mix.
4th of July Candy Salad – Choose candy in a color scheme of red, white and blue.
Easter Candy Salad – Mix jelly beans, candy eggs and pastel gummy candies for a fun Easter-themed mix.

More Movie Night Recipes

Candy Salad

Learn to make Candy Salad with assorted gummy candies.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Candy Salad

Prep Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 224kcal

Author Elsie Larson

Equipment

1 salad bowl with airtight lid
1 scoop

Ingredients

1 cup gummy bears
1 cup gummy worms
1 cup nerds gummy clusters
1 cup peach rings
1 cup gummy sharks
1 cup mini starbursts

Instructions

In a large salad bowl, decant a variety of gummy candies.
Mix together with a large wooden spoon.
If you have any long candies such as sour straws or nerds rope, cut them into smaller pieces before adding to the mixture.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use a scoop to serve portions.

Notes

When stored in an airtight container, this candy salad will stay fresh for several months.
This is a great recipe to bring for a road trip or a family vacation.
Feel free to substitute your favorite candies. This is the key to making the perfect candy salad.
Choose flavors that blend well together.

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 6g | Sodium: 28mg | Sugar: 30g

Caramel Apples

Laura Gummerman — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Nothing says fall weather like a caramel apple and we’ve got the easiest way to make one at home! While you can do a complete homemade caramel apple and make your own caramel from scratch, this recipe uses store-bought caramels so you can get to the dipping (and eating!) part of your treat sooner—no candy thermometer needed!

Caramel apples also make great gifts so you can make a batch to hand out at Halloween parties, as a thank-you present, or just make a few for your family on a crisp fall day. Add fun toppings to make it a gourmet treat!

Looking for more fall recipes? Check out:

What kind of apples are best for caramel apples?

The variety of apple that you choose for your caramel apple depends entirely on your taste! If you have a sweet tooth, you would probably enjoy a sweeter variety like a Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala, or a Pink Lady as your apple base. For a more tart contrast to your sweet caramel topping, Granny Smith apples are the most popular choice. These are all firmer choices than say a softer Macintosh variety and give you a better crunch factor when eating your treat.

Caramel Apple Tip! Look for apples that are small to medium in size and round in shape for that perfect caramel apple look!

Caramel Apple Ingredients:

Wrapped Caramels: Using premade caramels is the fastest and easiest way to go about making your caramel apples. Most grocery stores sell these in the baking area or right next to the apples in fall, but you can also get them online if your local store doesn’t carry them.

Fresh Apples: Choose a firm apple that is either more sweet or more tart depending on how much sweetness you want to add to the caramel layer. Make sure to wash off the wax before dipping your apple so that the caramel has a better chance of sticking and won’t slide off.

Heavy Cream or Milk: Just adding a little heavy cream or milk to the caramel will help thin it out a bit to make it more “dippable.”

Toppings (optional): For a gourmet caramel apple, you can do a second dip after the caramel into fun toppings like crushed candy bars like Butterfingers or mini M&Ms, pretzels, sprinkles, flaked sea salt, chopped pecans or other nuts, crushed Oreos, or coconut! You can also use chopped dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips as well.

Looking for a delicious caramel dip to eat with apples? Try our Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (4 Ways!)

Tools You Need To Make Caramel Apples:

Skewers: While the classic caramel apple is usually perched upon a wooden stick, you can also use a popsicle stick, or, in a pinch, even just stick a fork into it if you don’t have any thick skewers at home.

Melting tools: To melt your caramel, you want either a microwave and microwave-safe bowl, a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl to set on top of a saucepan of boiling water.

Nonstick Cooking Spray: You’ll want to make sure your apples don’t stick to the plate or pan you are placing them on, so use some nonstick cooking spray on the surface first to make sure you can remove them easily. You can also use a lined baking sheet to cool your apples on, so just lay some wax paper on a baking sheet or flat surface.

Dipping container (optional but helpful): While you can just roll your apple around in the bowl or pot you melted the caramel in, for smaller batches it’s also nice to have a Pyrex glass measuring cup to melt the caramel in so you have a nice little container to dunk the apple right in to.

Tips for Making Caramel Apples:

Remove the wax from your apples. You’ll want to wash your apples and try to remove the wax from the apples before dipping them so the caramel will stick better. Run the apples under some hot water and use a fruit wash or dish soap and a clean scrubby pad or textured towel to rub vigorously over the apples to help remove some of the wax. Dry apples very well so no moisture remains.

Chill apples before and after dipping. After you add your skewer, you can chill your apples in the fridge so that the caramel sets up faster and less will run off the surface when dipping (and then put them back in the fridge so the caramel will set up faster).

Have toppings already prepped. If you are dipping your apple into toppings, make sure you already have your bowls of toppings ready so the caramel doesn’t set before you can get your toppings together.

Drizzle chocolate after cooling: You can also drizzle melted chocolate over your apple for a yummy addition, but wait until the apples are cool so the warm caramel doesn’t melt the chocolate.

How to Make Caramel Apples:

Prepare the apples: Once clean, make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.

Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the mixture seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass Pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient).

For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

Dip apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like.

Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.

After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!

If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.

Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set on your nonstick sprayed parchment paper or lined wax paper surface. Now your apple is ready to eat!

How do I store caramel apples?

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in cellophane or clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

Caramel Apple Tip: Don’t cut into your apples until you are ready to eat them, otherwise they will start to turn brown.

Looking for more apple recipes? Check out:

Easiest Homemade Caramel Apple

Make delicious caramel apples at home and add gourmet toppings

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel apple, homemade caramel apple

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 97kcal

Author Laura Gummerman

Cost $15

Equipment

8-10 wooden skewers
microwave or saucepan or double boiler if using the stove
microwave or heatproof bowl

Ingredients

2 11-ounce bag of wrapped caramels like Kraft brand
8-10 small to medium apples
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
chopped toppings of your choice

Instructions

Prepare the apples: Make sure the apples are thoroughly dry before dipping! Skewer your apple with your stick or fork and set aside.
Melt the caramel: Put your caramels and heavy cream/milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating session, until the caramel is smooth and melted. If the caramel seems thin, let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up a bit before dipping.
Dip the apples: Now that your caramel is melted, spray a tray or plate with nonstick cooking spray and dip your apple into the melted caramel at an angle, twisting it around until the apple is coated as well as you would like. Lift the apple to let the excess caramel drip off and scrape the bottom over the side of the bowl to get extra excess. As the caramel gets lower in the bowl, you can also use a spoon to pour the caramel over the apple to cover the sides or tilt the bowl or pan so the caramel pools in one spot.
After dipping in your caramel, you can do a second dip into your topping of choice to give it some added flavor before setting it on your tray or plate. Try some black and orange sprinkles for a Halloween caramel apple treat!
If your caramel starts to set as you continue dipping your apples, reheat it for 15 seconds at a time in the microwave until the texture is dippable again.
Let the caramel set: Let your apples cool in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to allow the caramel to fully set. Now your apple is ready to eat!

Notes

Can I make caramel apples on the stovetop without a microwave?

Yes! If you don’t have a microwave, you can still make caramel apples easily in a saucepan, a double-boiler pot, or a glass pyrex-type bowl set on top of a saucepan of boiling water (it will take longer to melt this way, so be patient). For a regular saucepan, add caramels and milk to the pan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. If using the double-boiler or bowl on top method, just bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, set the top of the double boiler or glass bowl on top with your caramel and milk, reduce the heat to a low boil/simmer and stir occasionally until melted.

You can store caramel apples in the fridge for up to two weeks and you can also wrap them in clear treat bags individually to give as gifts!

Nutrition

Easy Chicharrón Recipe

Emma Chapman — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

If you love crispy bacon or pork rinds, I highly recommend you try this chicharrón recipe! Chicharrones are an appetizer or snack made of crispy pork belly. Much like thick cut bacon, you can fry these on the stove top or bake in the oven. I think the oven method is much easier and results in this crunchy, salty and flavor-packed dish! You can enjoy chicharrones all on their own with a little fresh lime juice, or use in other recipes like chopped up over pasta, salad, rice dishes or even in ramen.

Chicharrón means “crackling” in Spanish. This is a popular dish in Spain and Latin America. To make homemade chicharrones, you only need three ingredients and an oven, so this popular finger food can easily be made by any home cook!

Related: Carnitas, Pozole, Al Pastor, Arepas, Agua Fresca, Elote, Cantarito.

Ingredients

Pork belly
Baking soda
Limes
Seasoning – salt and pepper or a mix like Pappy’s Seasoning, which you see in my photo below

Pork belly is also sometimes called or labeled “side meat” and you could also use pork skin.

The lime juice and baking soda help with better browning of the meat because it creates an alkaline environment. Science!

How to make Chicharrones

Cut the pork belly into roughly 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) strips. Try to keep them relatively uniform, but it’s OK if they aren’t all exactly the same thickness. Then cut notches along the bottom, the opposite of the skin/fat side.

Season the pork belly pieces with salt and pepper or whatever seasoning you are using on both sides.

Whisk or stir together the baking soda and lime juice in a small bowl. This will bubble and fizz (a normal chemical reaction). Brush the mixture on each of the pieces, front and back.

Place on a baking sheet or pan lined with aluminum foil, making sure the baking sheet has a lip or raised edge as quite a bit of fat/grease will cook off during the baking (oven frying). These are essentially going to fry in the oven. Bake at 300°F (149°C) for 90 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time. I use tongs to flip these easily.

Move to a cooling rack to let any excess grease drip off. Serve warm with fresh lime wedges.

Tips and Notes

Alternatively to the notches/chain style of cutting, you could cut into strips and then score the skin on top. The goal here is to give the heat and hot oil spaces to move around as these cook, creating lots of crispy edges.
If you feel the chicharrón is not crispy enough by the end of baking, broil for 1-2 minutes on each side as needed.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I feel chicharrones are best the day they are made, but we will use the leftovers much like you would leftover bacon: chopped up in salads, soups or other dishes. I’m not above chopping it up to put in our dog’s food too—no need to waste any leftovers.

More Latin American-Inspired Recipes

Chicharron

A crispy baked pork belly snack with only 3 ingredients!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Spain

Keyword chicharron

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 473kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

3 pounds pork belly
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 limes
2 teaspoons seasoning salt

Instructions

Cut the pork belly into roughly 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) strips. Try to keep them relatively uniform, but it’s OK if they aren’t all exactly the same thickness. Then cut notches along the bottom.
Season the pork belly pieces with salt and pepper or whatever seasoning you are using on both sides.
Whisk or stir together the baking soda and juice from one lime. This will bubble and fizz (a normal chemical reaction).
Brush the mixture on each of the pieces, front and back.
Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, making sure the baking sheet has a lip or raised edge as quite a bit of fat/grease will cook off during the baking. These are essentially going to fry in the oven.
Bake at 300°F (149°C) for 90 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time.
Move to a cooling rack to let any excess grease drip off. Serve warm with fresh lime wedges.

Notes

Pork belly is also sometimes called or labeled “side meat” and you could also use pork skin.

Alternatively to the notches/chain style of cutting, you could cut into strips and then score the skin on top. The goal here is to give the heat and hot oil spaces to move around as these cook, creating lots of crispy edges.

If you feel the chicharrón is not crispy enough by the end of baking, broil for 1-2 minutes on each side as needed.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I feel chicharrones are best the day they are made, but we will use the leftovers much like you would leftover bacon: chopped up in salads, soups or other dishes.

Nutrition

Rotel Dip

Emma Chapman — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 13:02:00 +0000

If I had to pick one nostalgic food that reminds me of family gatherings at my grandma’s house, it would be Rotel Cheese Dip. Made with Velveeta cheese, rotel tomatoes and spices—this dip is easy to make for your next party.

Related: Check out our Pico De Gallo, Homemade Salsa, Avocado Salsa, Guacamole , Taco Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip, 50+ Easy BBQ Side Dishes, and our snacks and appetizers archive for more recipes!

What is Rotel Cheese Dip?

I’ve seen people call this different things, like “cowboy dip” or “ugly dip,” but in our family, we just call it Rotel. It’s made of Velveeta, a can of Rotel tomatoes, and a couple spices and herbs.

But truly, you can make this with just two ingredients in about five minutes. It’s that simple!

My grandmother usually makes this in a crockpot (or slow cooker) by adding all the ingredients and cooking on low until melted. This is a great option if you want to have this dip sitting out, but still warm during a longer party or gathering.

Another option is to make Rotel cheese dip on the stovetop. You just add all the ingredients to a pan and melt on low heat, stirring every now and again.

How Do You Make Rotel Cheese Dip Without Velveeta?

I will be the first to admit that we always make this with Velveeta (processed cheese). It’s not an ingredient I use often—in fact, this is probably one of the only recipes I use it in. But there’s just something a little nostalgic about it to me.

That being said, you can substitute the processed cheese for cream cheese and a little shredded cheddar. The consistency will be a little different, but it’s still delicious.

My family typically makes this dip without meat. But, if you want to add some cooked ground beef, sausage, or a vegetarian ground meat to this dip, it’s a great addition!

And, I’m curious, how many of you make this dip at family get-togethers? I sort of think of it as a Midwest thing, but honestly I am not even sure that’s true.

So, let me know in the comments if your family makes a version of this too. xo. Emma

Rotel Cheese Dip

a quick and easy cheese dip recipe made from Velveeta cheese

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword cheese dip, dip, rotel, Rotel Cheese Dip

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 126kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

16 ounces Velveeta cheese
1 can Rotel tomatoes 10 ounces
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2-3 tablespoons water
1-2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
salt and pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a medium size pan or pot, add the cubed cheese, Rotel (do not drain), chili powder, cayenne, and a little salt and pepper.
Melt on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Once melted, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin slightly.
Stir in the cilantro. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Notes

You could also cook this in a crockpot on low heat.

You can add 8-10 ounces of ground beef, sausage, or a vegetarian ground meat. Cook the meat before, then stir in once the other ingredients are melted.

Nutrition

One-Pan Baked Dumplings (Tik Tok Viral Recipe)

Emma Chapman — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 13:10:00 +0000

Whether you’ve seen a version of these one-pan baked dumplings on social media recently or not I urge you to try this easy dinner idea. These baked dumplings are super flavorful, easy to make and essentially what we call a ‘dump recipe’ here in the Midwest. Lol. You dump a few ingredients in a pan, stir and bake. Anyone can make this and there are SO many ways to customize!

These baked dumplings are creamy, lightly spicy and super comforting. This is delicious all on it’s own but serve it over rice for an even more filling meal (like red curry). I used frozen chicken pot stickers but any frozen dumpling can work well. This recipe also only requires one pan to make and bake so clean up is a breeze!

Related: If you love creamy curry recipes next try Yellow Curry, Green Curry or Massaman Curry.

Ingredients

Frozen dumplings – I used chicken potstickers
Coconut milk
Red curry paste
Soy sauce
Garlic
Bok choy

How to make One-Pan Baked Dumplings

Mince the garlic and chop the bok choy (green parts only).

In a small the medium size casserole pan add the coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce and water if using. Whisk to combine. Then stir in the garlic and bok choy. Nestle the frozen dumplings in the liquid, seam side down.

Cover the pan with foil (unless it has an oven safe lid, then use that) and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.

Tips, Notes and Substitutions

There are many kinds of coconut milk, so it can be a confusing ingredient. If you are using canned, full fat coconut milk I would add up to 1/4 cup water to the mixture. This will create a very creamy liquid, super comforting! You can also use canned lite coconut milk, in which case you do not need to add any water. You also do not need to add water if you use a coconut milk from the refrigerated section (like Silk brand).
You can use any kind of curry paste in this recipe: red, yellow, green, etc. If you don’t want to use curry paste other options would be pad thai sauce or peanut satay sauce. These options will change the overall flavor, but the recipe will still be creamy baked dumplings.
You can use other veg besides bok choy or skip it altogether. If you want to use something else I would recommend napa cabbage or spinach.
I kept this recipe very basic but here are some other great additions after baking: cilantro, basil, green onions (scallions), sesame seeds or chili crunch.
I think a small rectangle or square baking pan will work well but other pans can also work depending how thick you want the final dish / sauce to be. My main tip is if the dumplings are 90% covered by the liquid before baking then drizzle it over the tops of them before covering and baking.
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two. But IMO this is best the day its made as the dumplings may soften more the longer they sit in the liquid in your fridge and they could become gummy in texture over time.

More Thai & Asian Fusion Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I thaw the frozen dumplings before baking?

Homemade Cookie Butter

Laura Gummerman — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:56:00 +0000

Yes. Yes, it’s true. All your problems are solved now that this information has come into your life.

Homemade cookie butter from any cookie! I hope you appreciate the hours I’ve spent with cookies over the last couple of days—all the tasting and sampling of cookie after cookie. It was all for you guys!

But seriously, we wanted to bring you a recipe that would work for any cookie. So we searched until we found the perfect base for our cookie butter, and I think we found it!

You can either make one of our many delish cookie recipes to use for this, or you can buy some at the store to get started.

Cookie Butter (with any cookie!), makes 1 1/2 cups

2 cups cookie crumbs
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup evaporated milk
water as needed
jars with lids for gifting/storage

First, you’ll want to make your cookie crumbs. If you have a cookie with no creamy middle filling (like a chocolate chip or sugar cookie), then you can put them straight into the food processor.

If you do have a filling (like an Oreo or Nutter Butter would), then you’ll want to open the cookie and scrape out the filling with a butter knife first. You want a dry crumb to work with, so the filling has to be removed.

Some cookies have a solid middle that you can’t open and get to (like a Milano cookie), but I think that would be OK since the chocolate chip cookies have some chocolate bits mixed in and they turned out fine.

Place your cookies into a food processor and blend until it forms a very fine powder.

You’ll need 2 cups, so just keep blending cookies until you get there (since all the cookies are different sizes or have two sides per cookie, the number of cookies needed won’t be the same).

In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted, and then stir in your sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk until it’s all melted together.

Starting with 1/2 cup of the liquid, pour it into your cookie crumbs and mix together with a spoon. Keep adding small amounts of the liquid until the cookie butter is just wet enough to stay together.

Depending on how dry the cookie is to begin with, you’ll need more or less liquid. Really buttery cookies (like the sugar cookies) didn’t need nearly as much as the drier Oreo cookies, so just keep checking and stirring as you add the liquid.

Once your cookie butter is blended, allow it to cool in the fridge for an hour or two. If you want to, you can actually stop at this point, and it will taste delicious.

But if you want to make the cookie butter smoother and easier to dip things in, then remove the cookie butter from the fridge and stir very small amounts of water (start with 1/8 teaspoon) into the dough.

At first it will look like the water is separating from the dough, but just keep stirring and mashing.

You should start to notice that the cookie butter loosens up a bit as you stir in more water. Keep adding and stirring until you get to a consistency you like and refrigerate the mixture again.

Store your cookie butter in the fridge and it should be good for at least a week or two. It may be good for even longer but it usually doesn’t last long enough to find out! And here’s a quick video tutorial of the process:

I love all my cookie butter children equally, buuuut, the Oreo is my secret favorite. I am addicted to chocolate-covered pretzels, so you can imagine how good dipping pretzels into the Oreo cookie butter is. Elsie ate it with apples one morning for breakfast!

And of course, spooning the cookie butter into jars (these small jars with wooden lids are really cute for gifting) and adding a simple paper label makes your homemade treat the perfect gift!

If you’d rather just skip to the eating part, you can also just buy some already made cookie butter and get to the good part faster.

If you are gifting these, they would be a great gift with a cute apron or some pretty kitchen utensils, too. What cookies would you use to make yours? xo. Laura

Homemade Cookie Butter

an easy homemade cookie butter recipe (using any cookie!)

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookie butter

Servings cups

Calories 1307kcal

Ingredients

2 cups cookie crumbs
½ stick butter
½ cup condensed milk sweetened
¼ cup milk evaporated
water as needed

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

First you’ll want to make your cookie crumbs. If you have a cookie with no creamy middle filling (like a chocolate chip or sugar cookie), then you can put them straight into the food processor.
If you do have a filling (like an Oreo or Nutter Butter would), then you’ll want to open the cookie and scrape out the filling with a butter knife first.
You want a dry crumb to work with, so the filling has to be removed. Some cookies have a solid middle that you can’t open and get to (like a Milano cookie), but I think that would be OK since the chocolate chip cookies have some chocolate bits mixed in and they turned out fine.
Place your cookies into the food processor and blend until it forms a very fine powder.
You’ll need 2 cups, so just keep blending cookies until you get there (since all the cookies are different sizes or have two sides per cookie, the number of cookies needed won’t be the same).
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over low heat until melted, and then stir in your sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk until it’s all melted together.
Starting with 1/2 cup of the liquid, pour it into your cookie crumbs and mix together with a spoon.
Keep adding small amounts of the liquid until the cookie butter is just wet enough to stay together. Depending on how dry the cookie is to begin with, you’ll need more or less liquid.
Really buttery cookies (like the sugar cookies) didn’t need nearly as much as the drier Oreo cookies, so just keep checking and stirring as you add the liquid.
Once your cookie butter is blended, allow it to cool in the fridge for an hour or two. If you want to, you can actually stop at this point, and it will taste delicious.
But if you want to make the cookie butter smoother and easier to dip things in, then remove the cookie butter from the fridge and stir very small amounts of water (start with 1/8 teaspoon) into the dough.
At first it will look like the water is separating from the dough, but just keep stirring and mashing.
You should start to notice that the cookie butter loosens up a bit as you stir in more water. Keep adding and stirring until you get to a consistency you like and refrigerate the mixture again.
Store your cookie butter in the fridge and it should be good for at least a week or two. It may be good for even longer but it usually doesn’t last long enough to find out! And here’s a quick video tutorial of the process:

Nutrition

Chick-fil-A Sauce Recipe

Emma Chapman — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 13:10:00 +0000

We make air fryer chicken tenders (store-bought and homemade) at home with our toddler a LOT. And while I am all for a drive-thru meal when we are on a road trip or at an airport, it’s not a big part of our regular life. So, it’s nice to know how to make your own Chick-fil-A sauce.

This Chick-fil-A sauce recipe is made from just four simple ingredients. These are things I usually already have in your refrigerator most of the time. The recipe I’m sharing below, to me, tastes exactly like the restaurant version. But when you make it yourself you can customize it to your preferences.

Related: I love this sauce recipe on everything from baked chicken, air fryer wings (as the dipping sauce) to air fryer French fries. It’s great on store-bought air fryer fries, like waffle fries, too! Try our spicy mayo recipe.

Ingredients

Mayo – I like real mayo but Miracle Whip is fine too
Mustard – Standard, yellow mustard
BBQ sauce – Any store-bought brand you like works
Honey

I will note, if you want this to taste like a copycat Chick-fil-A sauce then you will want to use the most basic (plain) ingredient options. If you use a spicy BBQ sauce, for example, it will not taste as much like the restaurant version.

How to make Chick-fil-A Sauce

In a small- to medium-size mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir until well combined, the sauce will be an orange color.

The amounts listed will make about 1/3 cup of sauce. Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you want to make a larger amount.

Tips & Substitutions

If you want to add a little heat, use a spicy BBQ sauce or add 1/4 teaspoon or more of cayenne.
If you want to make a vegan version of this, you can substitute the mayo for Vegenaise (or similar vegan mayo option) and the honey for maple syrup or agave.
Sometimes I will use dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard as I like the slightly more spicy flavor.

More Sauce & Dressing Recipes

Chick Fil A Sauce

how to make a copycat version of this beloved sauce

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword sauce

Prep Time 2

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 239kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

¼ cup mayo
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

In a small- to medium-size mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.
Stir until well combined, the sauce will be an orange color.
The amounts listed will make about 1/3 cup of sauce. Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you want to make a larger amount.

Notes

If you want this to taste like a copycat Chick-fil-A sauce, then you will want to use the most basic (plain) ingredient options. If you use a spicy BBQ sauce, for example, it will not taste as much like the restaurant version.

Nutrition