Healthy Carrot Soup

Though this gingery carrot soup recipe may seem ideal for spring it's actually an excellent soup to serve any time of year because you can almost always get good quality carrots at the store year round. And they are a staple food most of us keep stocked in the fridge.

This soup has such a delicious inviting flavor between it's sweet carrot goodness, the bright ginger and garlic, a light background spice boost, and the richness of the coconut milk.

It's a vegan soup but can also be adapted to use what you have on hand if you don't intend to make it vegan. Ingredients such as chicken broth, and half and half or heavy cream can be used.

Guests will love it as an appetizer for dinner, or serve it as a main course at lunch with whole grain bread or no knead homemade bread (great for dipping of course), or a grilled cheese sandwich.

The Best Easy Risotto Recipe

So, what is risotto, anyway? Risotto is sometimes described as being the rice version of mac and cheese. A northern Italian dish, it is made by cooking starchy, short-grain rice with stock or broth until it becomes tender and creamy. It is also often given a boost of flavor with butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese as you’ll find in this recipe. 

If you’re wondering if risotto is difficult to make, the answer is not at all. A cross between rice and pasta, it comes together on the stovetop for a fairly hands-off recipe. You’ll find that one batch makes enough to feed up to 6 people, making it perfect for family-friendly weeknight meals. You can also easily half or double the recipe to fit your needs. Plus, it stores and reheats well, meaning you can enjoy leftovers throughout the week. 

Simple yet elegant, the tender rice bursts with savory flavor and a satisfying, creamy texture. Warm and satisfying, this Parmesan risotto recipe is the ultimate comfort food that will make you feel like you’re dining at a 5-star restaurant. 

One bite and it will become a new favorite in your recipe lineup. 

An Easy Shrimp and Rice Recipe!

One pot dishes are a staple for those busy weekdays in our lives. This one pot shrimp and rice is quick cooking, perfectly flavorful, and clean up is a breeze.

The rice is infused with chicken broth and garlic for a boost in flavor, and the shrimp is upgraded with that classic lemon butter combo to really highlight it.

It's a simple process that takes minimal effort but yields an impressive finished result that will please everyone.

If you are wondering what to make with shrimp and rice I'd suggest serving with buttery cooked broccoli, asparagus or peas to finish it off. It can really benefit from a nice fresh pop of green to compliment it.

You can't go wrong with this simple dinner!

Crispy Onion Rings

When the craving for onion rings strikes sometimes you just don't want to leave the comfort of home to get them. Or perhaps you have a hungry crowd to feed and want to impress with this crave-worthy appetizer or side dish.

Luckily making onion rings at home is easier than you may think and once you learn the method it's a breeze from then on out.

You follow a simple breading process to coat the onion rings, then deep fry in hot oil in batches until beautifully golden brown and crisp. You'll just need a little patience to work in batches.

From there serve with your favorite sauces. Excellent choices are fry sauce, ketchup, ranch dressing, or bbq sauce. Then just prepare for them to disappear as quickly as you put them out!

Note that I've shared other options to cook them if you'd prefer not to deep fry. You can bake in the oven or cook in an air fryer as well.

With any of the three options though you'll end with something completely delicious!

My Favorite Way to Make Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie

Most often you'll see chicken pot pie with puff pastry made two ways. Either prepared and baked as a whole "pie" in a single baking dish, or made in individual ramekins or bowls.

Both work but I created this variation because I wanted something easier, a dish that finished with perfectly flakey and non-soggy puff pastry, an option that didn't waste puff pastry scraps (precious!), and something that wasn't so messy.

If you bake in a single dish the puff pastry doesn't cut cleanly, and if you do individual servings it's tedious to work with single bowls and get the puff pastry to stick well. You also may likely find the end result of both said options yields a soggy layer on bottom.

This method works beautifully, and it's so convenient that the filling only needs to cook on the stove top so you can bake the puff pastry and make the filling at the same time.

And honestly who can resist those cute little puff pastry bites? I want to put them on everything and it's hard not to eat half of them before dinner is served.

All around this creamy chicken pot pie with buttery puff pastry makes for the perfect homestyle dinner!

Love a good stuffing recipe? Also try my classic stuffing recipe, crockpot stuffing, and apple rosemary stuffing.

Our Favorite Cornbread Stuffing!

Once you try this recipe you'll likely want to make it over and over again. It's so good in fact it may take the place of your favorite bread-based stuffing.

There's just something about that extra corn flavor here that really makes it shine. And no drying out bread cubes is necessary in this recipe.

Of course, it's perfect for a holiday meal (Cornbread Stuffing is ideal for Thanksgiving!) but it's actually simple enough that it fits well into a weekend meal, paired with a roast chicken and mashed potatoes of course.

It has browned and crisp edges, a soft buttery interior and there's layer after layer of flavor throughout. In other words, it's destined to become the highlight and talk of any dinner meal!

Lots of Broccoli Broccoli Soup

When we think of broccoli soup we often think of the incredibly popular broccoli cheese soup. Cream of broccoli soup may be its not as popular cousin but it deserves no less attention.

It doesn't require many ingredients nor a whole lot of prep, and the completed soup is not bold but perfectly balanced with flavor leaving room for the broccoli to shine.

It's creamy goodness makes it perfectly dip-able for a homemade bread or a fresh loaf you picked up at the market, and a side salad of some sort pairs beautifully (this season I'd suggest kale salad or pear spinach salad). Or you may choose to keep it super basic for lunch and just pair it with crackers.

This is just simple goodness and easy comfort food that doesn't need much.

This post is sponsored by Danish Creamery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Best Pumpkin Soup!

This is my idea of the best pumpkin soup! It's like autumn in a bowl and it has such an inviting flavor. Plus, it couldn't be easier.

No chopping, seeding, roasting, or pureeing pumpkin is necessary in this recipe. Believe it or not, this starts with canned pumpkin and you will be wowed by the end result!

Part of the secret to what makes it so good is the indulgent Danish Creamery Butter. This premium butter takes a bland fruit or veggie and turns it into something that is perfectly highlighted with rich flavor (sometimes I even sneak in 2 extra tablespoons of the butter!).

Danish Creamery has been using the same recipe to make their butter since 1895. Using just two ingredients, high-quality cream and a touch of sea salt.

It’s just the way butter should be. It's the perfect compliment to this soup!

Wondering what to serve with this pumpkin soup? It pairs beautifully with rustic bread for dipping (a hearty French bread or whole wheat are great options), and a fall-inspired side salad such as this delicious kale salad.

One Pot Chili Mac

This is the perfect sweater weather recipe! It's hearty, homemade comfort food that's brimming with flavor and it's just the dinner friends and family of all ages will love on a cold day.

One thing I think you'll really appreciate about this recipe is that many of the ingredients are things you may likely already have on hand, especially if you keep a pack or two of ground beef stashed away in the freezer. I love a one-pot meal, especially for weeknight dinners.

And just like regular chili (or American goulash), it's so versatile that you can swap in other ingredients you have on hand for those you don't (see ideas below for substitutes). I've added carrots to chili before so really just about anything goes.

Then top it as you'd like with all your favorite toppings. You can't go wrong with a sprinkle of green onions and more cheese!

Creamy Cozy Mushroom Soup

So what is the secret to perfect creamy mushroom soup? Browning the mushrooms first. In my opinion it's the only way to make mushroom soup.

It's key to building up that golden brown, rich depth flavor. It also gives the soup a warmer more appealing color as well, rather than being a unappetizing dull grey. We eat with our eyes first after all.

While yes it does take 30 minutes of sautéing and makes the process go slower it's easily worth the effort. Trust me the patience pays of in the end result as it becomes a golden soup with perfectly tender mushrooms.

The other ingredients that highlight it are dry white wine to build up flavor, and a parmesan rind for a hint of cheesy goodness (never toss those things, they are great simmered in soups and sauces).

It is the best mushroom soup I've had and I'm hoping you agree!

Serve it with artisan bread for dipping and a simple side salad to complete the meal.