Cooking Classy https://www.cookingclassy.com/ with a sprinkle of fancy Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:45:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 44235149 Pumpkin French Toast https://www.cookingclassy.com/pumpkin-french-toast/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/pumpkin-french-toast/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:00:29 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=14002 Pumpkin French Toast is the coziest fall breakfast! Made with hearty bread, a mildly sweet pumpkin egg custard, pumpkin pie spices, and creamy half and half. Then when highlighted with the goodness of warm maple syrup it creates a pairing of dreamy morning decadence.

Three slices of homemade pumpkin french toast with maple syrup and whipped cream swirled on top.Can you really ever have too many pumpkin recipes? With fall nearing the corner, I definitely don't think so. Especially when it's an inviting yet simple breakfast like this.

This rich pumpkin French toast is near effortless but yields delicious payoff. It's the ideal dish for Thanksgiving morning, Christmas morning, or simply any autumn or winter weekend brunch.

Not only will everyone love its scrumptious fall infused flavor but also the sweet pumpkin spice aroma that fills your kitchen. Both young and old alike will enjoy each and every bite.

Pair pumpkin French toast with a cup of hot coffee or warm apple cider and slices of crispy bacon for the ultimate trio. A mouthwatering morning treat!

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Autumn Apple Chicken https://www.cookingclassy.com/apple-chicken/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/apple-chicken/#respond Wed, 03 Sep 2025 05:28:00 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=77368 Autumn Apple Chicken - made with pan seared chicken thighs, warm spices, fresh sautéed apples, and a lightly sweet and tart apple pan sauce. An excellent homestyle dinner that tastes like it came straight from an orchard!

Apple Chicken in a cast iron pan shown from overhead sitting on a green cloth.

This chicken and apple skillet recipe is an ideal dinner to welcome the season.

In this delicious fall dish tender chicken thighs are seasoned and browned in a hot cast iron skillet, then thin apple slices are sautéed in rich butter, and for more apple flavor they are drenched in a reduced pan sauce of fruity apple juice, bright spices and fresh herbs.

To finish it's all layered together for the ultimate cozy chicken dinner. The apple + chicken combination was a duo meant to be. Apples aren't just for snacking and desserts anymore.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala https://www.cookingclassy.com/crockpot-chicken-tikka-masala/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/crockpot-chicken-tikka-masala/#comments Sun, 24 Aug 2025 04:06:15 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=75969 Rich and well spiced Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala! Made with bite size pieces of chicken, bright tomato puree, plenty of earthy spices, plus yogurt and cream to highlight. It's a go-to dinner for busy days!

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala garnished with cilantro in a black crockpot.

Yes that's right a crockpot chicken tikka masala that doesn't require any browning meat, sautéing aromatics, or the extra step of pureeing sauce. Everything is simply added right into a slow cooker, tossed together, cooked through, then finished off with a fair amount of cream.

It is the simplest way to cook this savory Indian-British dish and the final result is a full flavored, perfectly impressive curry style dinner. Who doesn't love a dinner recipe that takes minimal effort but yields maximum flavor!

This near effortless dish simmers low and slow allowing all the flavors to meld and soak into the chicken, and its generous allotment of cooking time allows for all those spices to marry together in a overall unified flavor.

The key to a good slow cooker curry style dish like this is just to use plenty of spices, fresh aromatics (garlic, ginger and onion), and never forget the cream (it compliments the tomato beautifully). Serve it with basmati rice cooked in a rice cooker for continued ease, and pair with a side of steamed peas or green beans to include a veggie.

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Easy Homemade Yogurt https://www.cookingclassy.com/homemade-yogurt/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/homemade-yogurt/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2025 03:55:39 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=76429 Easy Homemade Yogurt - The absolute best rich and creamy plain yogurt that can be sweetened and flavored exactly as you wish! It's made with just two ingredients and no yogurt maker required.

Homemade yogurt with fresh berries, granola and honey in a teal bowl over a blue cloth.This homemade yogurt is my favorite! Once you try this homemade version it's hard to turn back to the store-bought stuff. It tastes so fresh and creamy with just enough tang.

It's made with just a half gallon of milk and a small container of yogurt as a starter. It's made in a pot on the stovetop, then it's fermented using the warmth of your oven light. That's right it's made without a dedicated yogurt maker, because who needs one more bulky piece of kitchen equipment to buy and store?

You will just need an instant read thermometer but this common kitchen tool can have many more uses so I highly recommend investing in one if you haven't already.

I recommend preparing this the night before, then the resting period can happen overnight for 10 to 12 hours in the oven while you sleep. From there just chill it through and if you prefer it thicker you can strain during the chilling period.

To finish, customize it as you'd like. To make it extra special add vanilla bean paste and serve as parfaits with honey, homemade granola, and fresh berries. It's a true breakfast treat!

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Pork Carnitas {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker} https://www.cookingclassy.com/pork-carnitas/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/pork-carnitas/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2025 21:07:36 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=7539 Easy pork Carnitas tacos made simple! Pork shoulder is slow simmered in a crockpot or pressured cooked in an instant pot until perfectly tender, then it's shredded and broiled to flavorful, crispy perfection!

These are easily just as good as what you'd find in any Mexican restaurant but you get to enjoy them at a fraction of the price in the comfort of your own home.

Pork carnitas shown in tortillas as tacos.

What are Carnitas Anyway?

If you haven't had Carnitas you are probably trying to figure out exactly what "Carnitas" means. It's a spanish word meaning "little meats."  It's a Mexican dish and generally it's made by braising or roasting pork then shredding it and simmering in lard or vegetable oil until crispy.

But here we switch that up and use the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours or use a pressure cooker and cook for 1 hour. And the pork carnitas are broiled it instead of sautéing it in oil to get that same crispy effect. Broiling it takes less time, creates less mess, and requires less oil.

And I go for semi-crispy. I like the ends of the meat to be nice and crispy but I recommend that you don't overdue it. You don't want to dry the meat.

With this simple recipe you end with tempting, crispy little pieces of pork that you won't be able to stop "taste testing."

Throw the finished carnitas into warmed corn or flour tortillas, add some cilantro and diced onion and voila. Such a simple, satisfying dinner that everyone will love!

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Breakfast Bowls https://www.cookingclassy.com/breakfast-bowls/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/breakfast-bowls/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2025 05:03:17 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=77078 Full flavored Breakfast Bowls - piled high with lean turkey breakfast sausage, tender scrambled eggs, fresh tomato and bell pepper pico de gallo, creamy avocado and tangy feta. It's a hearty way to kick start your day!

Breakfast bowl served with toast.

This is one of those recipes that could pass for any meal of the day - breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's savory, substantially filling, and well rounded with protein, veggies, fruit, and even grains if you opt to serve with whole grain toast or tortillas.

It's an adaptable recipe where you can add other veggies, switch out the protein, or include other fillers such as breakfast potatoes. And if you prefer a make ahead breakfast it does work well for meal prep, just hold the avocado and add that when you're ready to serve it.

As a time saving tip you could skip this homemade version of pico de gallo and use a fresh store-bought option, or simply try it with your favorite salsa.

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Burger Bowls https://www.cookingclassy.com/burger-bowls/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/burger-bowls/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2025 03:33:05 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=77042 A summery Burger Bowl that can be prepared any day year round, no grill required! Made with seared ground beef, tender oven fries, tart baby dill pickles, tangy cheddar, sweet tomatoes, vibrant onions, crisp lettuce and a flavorful burger sauce.

Single serving burger bowl showing ground beef, pickles, tomatoes, cheese, onion, baked fries and lettuce.

Burger bowls may seem all wrong at first glance because many of us grew up eating a classic burger not long after we could chew. So to take that special something that's American tradition that we've eaten for decades and modifying it to something that looks like a salad can just seem so strange. But to that I'd say, wait to give it your final opinion until you've tried them yourself and tasted of their exceptional flavor!

Burger bowls are simply a deconstructed burger made with the best things you get in a diner style burger and then some. The typical bun is traded for golden brown oven fries and it's polished off with a generous drizzle of savory burger sauce. A sauce that's similar to the spread at In-n-Out or Smash Burger sauce - being lightly sweet, slightly tangy, and extra creamy.

It's an exciting new way to switch up the typical piled high burger on a bun, into a piled high bowl spread out into an appetizing blend of colors and a satisfying variety of textures. It's a must try recipe for all burger lovers!

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Lemon Blueberry Salad https://www.cookingclassy.com/blueberry-salad/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/blueberry-salad/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:12:50 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=76905 Sun-kissed Lemon Blueberry Salad - made with crisp baby arugula and spinach, sweet juicy blueberries, tangy creamy feta, toasted crunchy pecans, and a balanced sweet and tart lemon poppy seed dressing. It may likely become your new go-to summer salad!

Overhead photo blueberry salad poppy seed dressing.

This is truly such a super simple salad that packs in so much flavor! It's a breeze to throw together and can easily be turned into a main entree by adding some chopped rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken to make it more hearty.

You'll love the lemon, poppy seed, and blueberry combo here. It may not be the first thing you'd think to add to salad, maybe perhaps more along the lines of a baked treat, but it works exceptionally well for a salad too.

Its sweet, tart, fruity, nutty, cheesy flavor fusion is completely crave-able, and it's bursting with fresh, nutritious goodness in every bite.

It's a different salad for a change, that's set to satisfy every tastebud and I'd say will likely even brighten your day!

Blueberry salad with spinach, arugula, pecans, feta and lemon poppy seed dressing.

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Tortellini Pasta Salad https://www.cookingclassy.com/tortellini-pasta-salad/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/tortellini-pasta-salad/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:26 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=76910 Flavor packed Tortellini Pasta Salad made with stuffed cheese tortellini, peppery arugula, crisp salty bacon, bright tomatoes, and a tart lemon dressing. It's a hearty pasta dish served at a mild temperature making it an ideal summer entree!

Tortellini, arugula, bacon, tomato, bell pepper salad.

Who doesn't love a abundantly cheesy tortellini dish drenched in a rich, creamy tomato sauce or smothered with fresh pesto? Those are family favorites but during these really hot months it's so nice to have something like this that's served at room temperature not steaming hot.

This tortellini pasta salad doubles as a weeknight dinner or a summer lunch for a picnic at the park or a barbecue cook out.

Its blend of flavors pair so harmoniously together with it's cheesy, bacon, tomato combo and the arugula, bell pepper and lemon for added flavor enhancement. Plus the chewy, crisp, and soft textures of each layered bite compliment each other beautifully.

Then to highlight it all let's not forget the final finish of parmesan. And please not the shelf stable kind, if you really want to elevate the dish use high quality fresh ingredients.

Tortellini pasta salad with four cheese tortellini, arugula, bacon, tomatoes and bell peppers.

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No-Bake Cheesecake https://www.cookingclassy.com/no-bake-cheesecake-bars-with-fresh-blueberry-sauce/ https://www.cookingclassy.com/no-bake-cheesecake-bars-with-fresh-blueberry-sauce/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:36:52 +0000 https://www.cookingclassy.com/?p=20214 This chilled and refreshing No-Bake Cheesecake is utter dessert bliss! The texture is melt-in-your-mouth light and fluffy (similar to a mousse) and it has a sweet and tangy, rich and creamy vanilla kissed flavor. It's the perfect summer treat!

No Bake Cheesecake bars shown with strawberry sauce and blueberry sauce, plus mint.

The Best No Bake Cheesecake!

My favorite no bake cheesecake recipe!

Why go the no bake route? Because you don't even have to turn on your oven during these hot summer months, and because this version is easier to make. No water bath required (like a traditional cheecake) and no tending to it, it just sets in the fridge.

I think you'll also love to switch things up for a change from the heavy and dense cheesecake to something with more of a light and airy with just enough body to it.

When you pair this sweet cream cheesecake with a fresh summery strawberry sauce or blueberry sauce you create the ultimate flavor pairing. You will truly be savoring each and every bite!

If you wanted to make it even easier you could use a can of blueberry, raspberry or cherry pie filling - but for the tastiest cheesecake bars possible I highly recommend making it fresh.

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