Blog - Page 31 of 41 - Ahead of Thyme

Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Moist chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting and chocolate sprinkles, are a chocolate triple threat. These rich and decadent treats are moist, sweet, flavourful. The easy chocolatey batter takes just 10 minutes to make, and less than 20 minutes to bake. You need to make these moist cupcakes for your next celebration -or when you're just craving something sweet.

Why You'll Love Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

The perfect moist cupcake. Fluffy butter, cocoa powder, yogurt, and more come together to form the perfect batter that rises into even more perfect moist chocolate cupcakes. These chocolate cupcakes bring an impeccable chocolatey taste and a perfectly dense, moist texture.
It's topped with rich chocolate buttercream frosting. Do I need to say anything more? This decadent frosting is easy to make. All you need is softened butter, milk, vanilla, cocoa, sugar, and salt, a hand mixer or stand mixer, and less than 5 minutes of time.
It has actual health benefits. Seriously. Maybe eating cupcakes every day isn't great for your health, but cocoa powder has many health benefits, including lowered blood pressure, heart health, improved mood, and it can even help manage asthma. So, the next time someone tells you that chocolate cupcakes aren't healthy, let them in on this superfood.
There's no better way to indulge. These triple chocolate cupcakes are the best way to treat yourself. From the moist cake to the creamy frosting, these moist chocolate cupcakes will answer all your sweet tooth cravings.

Ingredients

To make rich and moist chocolate cupcakes, you will need the following ingredients:

all-purpose flour
cocoa powder
baking powder - helps the cupcakes rise.
salt
butter
sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
plain yogurt - yogurt is the secret ingredient that makes these cupcakes super moist and soft. I used whole fat plain yogurt but you can also use Greek yogurt or sour cream as a substitute.
water
chocolate buttercream - you can use store-bought or homemade frosting. To make homemade chocolate buttercream, you will need butter, vanilla, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and a pinch of salt.
chocolate sprinkles

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, stand mixer or hand mixer, 12-tin muffin pan, piping bags, and a no. 2D decorating tip.

How to Make the Best Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Combine dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Prepare wet ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together vanilla, yogurt, and water. Set aside.
Combine ingredients. Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter-egg mixture and beat until just combined. Then, add half of the yogurt mixture, and beat until just combined. Repeat, until you end with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
Divide the batter. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop up the batter and divide in into a 12-tin muffin pan lined with cupcake liners, filling the liners ⅔ full with batter.
Bake. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer into a wire cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

How to Make Chocolate Buttercream and Decorate

Homemade chocolate buttercream is really easy to make in just 5 minutes. First, in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Then, add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add in confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder and continue to beat until incorporated.

Finally, add milk and beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk if the buttercream is too thick, add more confectioners' sugar if the buttercream is too thin. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth until you are ready to use the icing to prevent it from drying out.

To frost the cupcakes, use a couplers to secure a no. 2D decorating tip onto a piping bag. Fill the bag with icing and pipe the icing onto each cupcake starting at the edges and move in an overlapping circular motion until you reach the center and gently lift up. Add chocolate sprinkles on top, if desired.

Tips for Making and Storing Cupcakes

Follow the recipe. Whenever you bake, it's important to follow the recipe to a tee. Baking is part art and part science, so mixing things up can have consequences for your final product.
Use room temperature dairy products. Leave your dairy products out for an 30 minutes to allow them to warm up to room temperature (except butter should be left out for an hour). Using room temperature butter, yogurt, milk, and eggs will ensure your cupcakes have the best results. Softened room temperature butter should still be cool to the touch and should hold its shape well. But if you poke it, your finger should leave an indent-not slide into it.
How to store: Allow the chocolate cupcakes to cool completely, then store them at room temperature inside an airtight container unfrosted. This will give the best results with the best texture because because cooler temperatures will dry out your cupcakes. If you've already frosted them, they'll need to go in the fridge. Eat them up within four days.
How to freeze. You can freeze these cupcakes either before or after icing.
- Before frosting: You can freeze unfrosted chocolate cupcakes by wrapping them tightly with plastic cling wrap, and then placing them in an airtight container and freezing for up to 3 months.
- After frosting: Place frosted cupcakes on a baking tray and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Then wrap them tightly in plastic cling wrap, and then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To serve: Allow them to completely thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for a few hours at room temperature, before icing or serving.

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Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Creamy Tuscan shrimp packed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and garlic, is creamy, rich, and delicious. Seared shrimp swim in a thick and delicious, buttery, creamy sauce. Seafood had never tasted so indulgent. Made in just 15 minutes (including prep!), creamy Tuscan shrimp brings the wow-factor to the table without the time or the energy. Serve this comforting meal with crusty bread for dipping, or over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Why You'll Love Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Creamy comfort food at it's finest. For some, the star of this creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe is the shrimp. For others, it's the sauce. Made with butter, flour, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and more, this thick creamy sauce is liquid comfort.
Packed with protein. Creamy Tuscan garlic shrimp is absolutely delicious, and it's good for you, too. Shrimp is a healthy protein that's low in calories and high in nutrients. It's a good source of iodine, selenium, iron, and B12, which are not commonly found in many other foods.
Loaded with so much flavour. If you've ever dreamed of Italy, you might know that the flavors of Tuscany include sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, basil, and parmesan-and we've got all that and more in this creamy Tuscan shrimp recipe.
It's surprisingly quick and easy. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to make creamy Tuscan garlic shrimp. This one-pan recipe is ready in under 20 minutes. Simply sear the shrimp, cook the sauce, wilt the spinach, and voila! Some other quick shrimp dinners to try are: Creamy Garlic Shrimp, Baked Coconut Shrimp, and Seafood Fried Rice.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make delicious creamy Tuscan shrimp, you will need the following ingredients:

olive oil - for searing the shrimp.
shrimp - I used 1 lb. of white shrimp, but you can use any kind shrimp or prawns. You also want to use shrimp that has been peeled and deveined. I kept the tails on but you can also remove the tails if you would like. To prepare the shrimp, cut through the shell along the back with kitchen scissors. Remove the shells (and tails), and rinse to remove the veins. Pat dry each shrimp completely with a paper towel.
salt and pepper - to season the shrimp.
butter
garlic
sun-dried tomatoes
all-purpose flour - helps to thicken up the sauce.
heavy cream
Parmesan cheese - asiago cheese also works well as a substitute.
baby spinach
fresh basil

You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a large skillet (I used a cast-iron skillet).

How to Make the Best Creamy Tuscan Shrimp

Sear the shrimp. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil is sizzling hot. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until the shrimp becomes nicely browned on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
Sauté aromatics. In the same skillet, add butter, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and mix until well combined.
Make the creamy sauce. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and keep stirring until thickened to a desired consistency. Stir in spinach and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
Toss with shrimp and serve. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss well to coat. Sprinkle basil on top and serve immediately over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

How to Serve Creamy Garlic Shrimp

There are so many ways that you can serve creamy Tuscan shrimp. They are delicious on their own with a side of crusty bread to dip into and soak up all of that creamy sauce. You can also serve them over a plate of pasta, mashed potatoes, garlic mashed cauliflower, or rice.

To balance the meal, I like to serve this with a fresh salad on the side such as Chopped Asparagus Salad, Lemon Kale Salad, Greek Salad or Mediterranean Chickpea Wedge Salad.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

How to store: You can store creamy Tuscan shrimp with pasta or separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to reheat: Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until shrimp is warmed through, or in the microwave. The sauce may have thickened up in the refrigerator, so add a little water to thin out the sauce a bit until you achieve a desired consistency. You can also reheat in the microwave. Place leftovers in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a paper towel, plate, or lid. Reheat creamy Tuscan shrimp in the microwave in 15-30 second increments until hot. Only heat as much as you'll eat.

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Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro lime rice is a fresh, bright and vibrant side dish that will add extra flavour to any meal you serve it with. It's exactly what it sounds like: white rice with fresh cilantro and lime, and some added flavour from minced garlic and olive oil. The best part? This is a quick and easy, forget about it, one pot recipe that simmers on the stove while you are busy doing other things in the kitchen. Serve it in a burrito bowl or inside burritos, or alongside grilled skewers.

Why You'll Love Cilantro Lime Rice

It's packed with authentic Mexican flavours. We all love a good serving of rice, but it can get boring and too plain after a while. This cilantro lime rice recipe will keep things exciting in the kitchen with just a little extra effort, a few simple ingredients, and a lot of flavour.
Cilantro lime rice is super easy to make. This cilantro lime rice is so easy to make that it's one you can make while cooking other dishes. Mix the rice with a few simple ingredients, let it cook on the stovetop, then add in the cilantro and lime at the end. Other than that, you can forget about it while you multitask in the kitchen.
It's a side dish with nutrients. Cilantro is more than just a delicious herb. It's been used for thousands of years as a medicinal plant. Cilantro contains vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, and manganese. So you can feel good about eating an extra serving or two.

Ingredients

To make this delicious and easy cilantro lime rice, you will need just a few ingredients:

long grain rice - you can use any long-grain rice such as basmati or jasmine rice.
water
olive oil or vegetable oil
garlic
salt
lime juice + lime zest
fresh cilantro

You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a medium cooking pot.

How to Make the Best Cilantro Lime Rice

In a medium sized cooking pot, wash the rice thoroughly and drain. Add water, olive oil, garlic and salt., and give it a good stir. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, about 4-5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is soft and fluffy. Add lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro, and toss to combine. Fluff with a fork and serve.

How to Serve and Store

How to serve: Serve cilantro lime rice as a side dish to all your favourite Mexican meals. It's perfect in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl or as part of a Beef and Bean Burrito. You can also drizzle on some Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing for added flavour.
How to store: Store cilantro lime rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4. days.
How to reheat: Reheat rice by steaming it in a steamer, or putting it in a microwave-safe container and covering it with a damp paper towel. Ensure there are no gaps for air to escape. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments or until you notice steam rising from the paper towel. This method steams the rice, so it is soft and light instead of hard and dry. You could also reheat over the stove but you may need to add some water to soften it up a bit.

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Chickpea Greek Salad

Chickpea Greek salad is a fresh, healthy, vibrant, and colorful salad, packed with traditional Mediterranean ingredients. The classic components of Greek salad - tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and feta, are elevated with the addition of chickpeas. All tossed in a light lemon Greek salad dressing, this chopped salad tastes delicious and you can feel great about eating it. Being healthy doesn't mean sacrificing deliciousness. It means adding foods that contain essential nutrients. And this chickpea Greek salad proves that!

Why You'll Love this Chickpea Greek Salad

Chickpeas are packed with plant-based protein-and more! Low in calories and high in nutrients like iron, phosphorus, and copper, chickpeas bring this chickpea Greek salad to the next level. Chickpeas can help you lower your blood sugar, manage your weight, and control your appetite.
Kalamata olives are another superfood. Full of healthy fats that you need to absorb essential vitamins, Kalamata olives add a pungent kick of flavor to this chickpea Greek salad-plus vitamins A, B, C, E, K, and calcium.
Garden veggies are delicious and healthy, too! While they may not be the stars of the show, the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and greens bring more flavor and health benefits to the table. With the fiber and variety you need in your diet, this chickpea Greek salad is what you need in your life.
Serve it whenever you want. Chickpea Greek salad makes a great side salad at a dinner party, or it is filling enough to be the star of the show. Serve it as a main course on its own or with some added protein.

Ingredients

To make this quick and easy chickpea Greek salad, you will need the following ingredients:

mixed greens - I used romaine lettuce, but you are free to use any greens that you like. Try romaine, spinach, arugula, or an assorted pack of mixed greens.
chickpeas - I used a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for convenience. You can also make chickpeas from scratch using dried beans, but the process will be much longer.
grape tomatoes - You can substitute with cherry tomatoes, or with regular tomatoes cut into 1-inch pieces.
Persian cucumbers - These are smaller cucumbers and are the perfect size when sliced. You can substitute with ½ of a larger English cucumber, just cut it into 1-inch pieces.
red onion
kalamata olives
feta cheese - you can make this salad vegan and dairy-free but just leaving out the cheese, if you prefer.
Greek salad dressing - The lemon dressing is essentially the same Greek salad dressing as in a typical Greek salad. It is made with olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano (or Italian seasoning), salt, and pepper.

This chickpea salad is a complete and wholesome dish on it's own, packed with plant-based protein from the chickpeas. You can also add in some extra protein if you would like. Try shredded chicken, grilled shrimp, salmon, hard-boiled eggs, or tuna.

How to Make the Best Chickpea Greek Salad

Combine salad ingredients. In a large serving bowl, combine the salad ingredients including mixed greens, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, cucumber, olives and feta cheese.
Make salad dressing. In a small mixing bowl, make the Greek salad dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper.
Toss to combine. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add more salt and black pepper to taste.

Storing Instructions

Make ahead instructions to avoid a soggy salad: To make ahead, store the salad and Greek salad dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week. Add the dressing just before eating. This will prevent the salad from getting soggy. In addition to waiting to dress the salad, you can store paper towels in the container that your greens and veggies are in. This will absorb excess moisture and keep your salad looking alive and fresh.
How to store: If you anticipate leftovers, do not add all the dressing to the salad, rather serve the dressing on the side and add it to your own plate. You can store the salad with the dressing but depending on which greens you use in the salad, it may cause them to go limp when stored. If storing salad that has been mixed with the dressing, you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. If storing separately, it will last up to 1 week.

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Spring Vegetable Frittata

Spring vegetable frittata makes a delicious breakfast, but it can be served at any time of the day. Full of yummy spring vegetables like asparagus, broccolini, peas, spinach, and leek, this spring vegetable frittata is packed with ingredients that are nutritious as they are delicious! This one-pan meal starts on the stove and moves to the oven, making for a hot meal and an easy clean-up. With a fluffy, creamy egg base, spring vegetable frittata is the perfect meal this season.

Why You'll Love Spring Vegetable Frittata

Seasonal vegetables add freshness. Cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables is one of the privileges that arrives with spring. Crisp asparagus and fresh broccolini bring earthy flavors into the frittata, creating a delicious eggy meal.
It's quick and easy to make. Ready in under 35 minutes, this savory dish is the perfect breakfast or brunch meal. Similar to quiches (like Spinach and Feta Quiche), frittatas are delicious and healthy, but they take a lot more effort than frittatas. Without the crust, this frittata is easy to make, bake, and clean up after. For an even faster recipe, try 15-Minute Caprese Frittata.
It has the best light and fluffy texture. The heavy cream in this spring vegetable frittata adds volume and air to the eggs, creating a wonderful light texture that surrounds the spring vegetables.

Ingredients

To make this delicious and easy spring vegetable frittata, you will need the following ingredients.

olive oil - to sauté the vegetables in.
scallions - you can substitute with leek or spring onions.
asparagus - I recommend using the thin asparagus, as they are easier to cut into. You could use the larger ones but since they are too heavy, they may sink to the bottom of the frittata and not be as visible on top.
broccolini
peas - I used frozen peas as they are super easy and convenient.
baby spinach
eggs
heavy cream
paprika
salt and pepper
feta cheese - you can also use goat cheese, or leave out the cheese for a dairy-free option.
fresh basil - optional, for serving on top. You could substitute with whatever fresh herbs that you have. Dill, oregano, and parsley are some other great options.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a large 10 to 12-inch oven-safe skillet. I used my 12-inch cast-iron skillet.

How to Make the Best Spring Vegetable Frittata

Cook the vegetables. In a large oven-proof skillet or cast-iron skillet, heat oil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add scallions and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add asparagus and broccolini and stir well to cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in peas and spinach and season with pepper and paprika. Stir well until evenly combined, allowing them to soften.

Prepare the egg mixture. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and cream until smooth. Season with salt. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and gently shake to distribute. Sprinkle feta cheese evenly on top.
Bake. Bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 20 minutes until completely set. Let the frittata rest for 5-10 minutes to stabilize since it will puff up fresh out of the oven.
Serve. Garnish with basil and extra feta on top, if desired. Slice and serve.

How to Serve Vegetable Frittata

Serve this delicious spring vegetable frittata with a fresh spring salad on the side, such as a Chopped Asparagus Salad, Lemon Kale Salad, Arugula and Roasted Carrot Salad, or Greek Salad. Or serve it as part of an epic brunch spread with your other favourite breakfast dishes including Old Fashioned Pancakes, Triple Berry French Toast, and Poached Eggs. I always include this one when preparing Mother's Day Brunch.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

How to store: Keep leftover spring vegetable frittata in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil. Allow it to cool completely before storing. You can eat leftover frittata straight out of the fridge cold or reheat until warm or hot in either the microwave or the oven
How to reheat: Cover frittata in tin foil with enough room to air to circulate. Heat in a 350F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until it reached the desired temperature. You can also reheat in the microwave on a low setting in 20-second increments until the frittata reaches the desired temperature.

Spring Vegetable Frittata | aheadofthyme.com

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Shrimp Avocado Tostadas

Shrimp avocado tostadas are delicious, crunchy, and so quick and easy to make. They are loaded with seasoned shrimp, avocado, purple cabbage, and cilantro to bring the best combinations of flavor in every bite. Top these shrimp tostadas with your favourite taco fixings including sour cream and lime juice. The best part of it all? You can make this easy Mexican dish in just 15 minutes.

Why You'll Love Shrimp Avocado Tostadas

The perfect pairing. Shrimp and avocado are a match made in food heaven. There's nothing better than the creamy, fatty, firm texture of a ripe avocado-until you add seasoned shrimp and put it all on a crunchy tostada. Serious food goals.
Crunchy tostada base. A tostada is a hard tortilla that functions like a little plate. They're meant to be a little messy and very delicious. These shrimp and avocado tostadas are piled high with yummy toppings that you'll love!
Light and refreshing. In addition to the basics, these shrimp tostadas feature shredded purple cabbage, fresh cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime juice. It's a light meal that leaves you feeling refreshed and just full enough.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make easy and delicious shrimp avocado tostadas, you will need the following ingredients:

white shrimp - You will need one pound of white shrimp. To prepare them, use scissors to cut through the shell along the back of the prawns, and remove the shells and tails. Rinse to remove the veins and pat dry with paper towel.
shrimp taco seasoning - olive oil, ground cumin, chili powder (optional for a kick), paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano (or Italian seasoning), salt, and pepper.
tostada shells - or you can use small soft corn or flour tortillas and crisp them up in the oven with cooking spray. We used a gluten-free coconut tortilla, so we did not get the traditional bubbles that you will see on tostadas made with corn or wheat tortillas.
red cabbage - this adds a delicious flavour, crunch and color to these tostadas. You can also substitute with regular cabbage for that same crunch.
avocado
fresh cilantro
sour cream
lime

Shrimp tostadas are super easy to customize as well. Consider adding pico de gallo, mango salsa, diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, jalapeño or chili peppers, onions, bell peppers, hot sauce, or anything other taco toppings that you love.

How to Make the Best Shrimp Avocado Tostadas

Prepare the shrimp. In a medium bowl, add shrimp, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes (if you have the time).
Cook the shrimp. You can cook the shrimp in the oven, air fryer, or over the stove.
- Oven instructions: Spread the shrimp evenly on a parchment lined quarter sheet baking pan and bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the shrimp turns pink.
- Air fryer instructions: Cook the shrimp in the air fryer at 350 F for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway through.
- Stovetop instructions: Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until shrimp turns pink and nicely browned.
Prepare the tostada shells. If using tostada shells, they are ready to be used. If using soft tortillas, then you will need the crisp them up. Lightly spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and place them in a single layer on two large half pan baking sheet. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely brown and crispy.
Assemble the tostadas. Add a handful of purple cabbage on each tostada, topped with 3-4 shrimp on each tostadas, some avocado and cilantro. Add a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice, to taste.

Storing Instructions

How to store: Assembled shrimp and avocado tostadas are prone to getting soggy when stored. To store, I would recommend storing the tostada shells and the toppings separately. When you are ready to eat again, spend just a minute or two assembling.
How to store tostada shells: Tostada shells will keep at room temperature for up to a week-you should never refrigerate tostada shells as they will dry out and become too hard.
How to store tostada toppings: Store all the toppings in separate airtight containers and store in the refrigerator. They will last up to 3-4 days.

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30 Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

Is it even Cinco de Mayo without an epic spread of delicious Mexican recipes? It certainly is not. The food might just be the highlight of the day, so you want to get it right. If you are wondering what to make for a Cinco de Mayo Mexican fiesta, then you have come to the right place. Today, I am sharing over 30 of the best and most popular Mexican recipes including all the classics from tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, dips, salads, and more.

What is Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo (literally translated as the "Fifth of May") is a minor holiday in Mexico that is also referred to as Battle of Puebla Day. It's a commemoration of the Mexican Army's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Cinco de Mayo represents a historic triumph of the indigenous Mexican people over European invaders and symbolizes the power and strength of Mexican culture. Although this holiday is literally a celebration of a battle won, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, and one that is more popular celebrated in the United States.

Best Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

Fish Tacos with Lime Crema

Flavourful, easy fish tacos with lime crema is made with seasoned white fish, cabbage slaw, and lime sauce. It takes less than 25 minutes to prep and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas

Easy baked chicken enchiladas brings the taste of authentic Mexican food into your kitchen -- saucy, spicy, and savoury. Perfect for a Mexican fiesta on Cinco de Mayo.

Easy Basic Guacamole

Incredibly tasty, this easy and basic guacamole takes less than 5 minutes to make. It is the perfect dip for a Mexican-inspired fiesta party.

Sheet Pan Nachos

Oven-baked loaded sheet pan nachos are a crowd pleaser for an easy weeknight dinner or a crave-worthy appetizer to serve on Cinco de Mayo.

Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

Crispy Refried Bean Tacos are made with crispy, golden-brown tortillas, perfectly seasoned refried beans, and a handful of your favorite taco garnishes.

Skillet Chicken Fajitas

Skillet chicken fajitas are a light, fresh, and sizzling dish bursting with flavour, packed with colorful vegetables, and wrapped in warm tortillas.

Mexican Ground Beef Tacos

Ground beef tacos are delicious, authentic, and so easy to make. They're savory, spicy, creamy, and fresh. The perfect recipe for a Mexican fiesta.

Homemade Taquitos

Homemade Taquitos are crispy, delicious and flavorful. These rolled tacos are filled with seasoned ground beef and melty cheese - and can be fried or baked!

Shrimp Taco Salad

Shrimp taco salad with cilantro lime dressing is flavourful, delicious, and easy to make. It has all the fixings and of shrimp tacos, but without the mess.

Queso Mexican Cheese Dip

Homemade queso Mexican cheese dip is smooth, creamy, delicious, flavorful, and so easy to make. It's so much better than store-bought in every way.

Baked Chicken Quesadillas

Baked Chicken Quesadillas are cheesy, crispy, flavorful, and delicious. This family-friendly recipe is quick and easy to make in just 30 minutes!

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

Mexican street corn (elote) is a delicious corn on the cob loaded with a cheesy sauce elevated with cilantro and lime. Creamy, cheesy, spicy, and flavorful.

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast dish that features fried eggs perched atop a bed of warm tortillas and beans and topped with salsa.

Chicken Tacos

Chicken tacos are juicy and tender, loaded with flavor, delicious, and so easy to make. They are perfect for Taco Tuesday or a Cinco de Mayo Mexican fiesta.

Beef and Bean Burritos

Hearty and filling beef and bean burritos are easy to make ahead, freezer-friendly, and take just 30 minutes for restaurant-quality Mexican food at home.

Vegetarian Quesadillas

Vegetarian quesadillas are quick and easy, completely customizable, loaded with veggies and beans. Serve this kid-friendly Mexican meal for lunch or dinner.

Cilantro Lime Slaw

Cilantro lime slaw is fresh, light, crunchy, and zesty. Ready in 5 minutes, it's the perfect pairing for tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and barbecued meats. =

Carne Asada

Juicy and tender Carne Asada with perfectly charred edges is flavorful, delicious, and so easy to make. Cook this Mexican steak in under 15 minutes.

White Chicken Chili

White chicken chili is an easy and delicious one pot meal made with shredded chicken, hearty veggies, and a creamy broth that's loaded with flavor.

Shrimp Avocado Tostadas

Shrimp avocado tostadas are a delicious, crunchy, quick and easy Mexican dish you can make in just 15 minutes, loaded with the best combination of toppings.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro lime rice is a fresh, bright and vibrant side dish that will add extra flavour to any meal you serve it with. It's a quick, easy, one pot recipe.

Cheese Quesadilla

This Cheese Quesadilla has the perfect combination of crispy, cheesy, and flavorful. Ready to serve in just a few minutes with your favorite toppings.

Refried Beans

Homemade Refried Beans are simple, easy to make, and taste better than store-bought refried beans by a mile. They are creamy, chunky, and delicious!

Chilaquiles Verdes

Chilaquiles Verdes feature crispy baked tortilla chips smothered in a homemade sauce loaded with salsa verde and features classic Mexican toppings.

Chicken Nachos

Chicken nachos are an easy to make when you're craving something filling, crunchy, cheesy, and satisfying. Perfect game day appetizer or late-night snack.

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne asada tacos are delicious, juicy, and tender Mexican street tacos loaded with steak bites that everyone will be raving about on Taco Tuesday!

Shrimp Fajitas

Shrimp fajitas are healthy, flavorful, and delicious. This one skillet recipe is loaded with shrimp and vegetables and is ready in just 20 minutes.

Mango Salsa

Fresh mango salsa is sweet, tangy, and delicious. It's a quick and easy recipe that you can whip up with just 6 ingredients and in under 10 minutes.

Pinto Bean Soup (Sopa Tarasca)

Spice up your weeknight dinners with Mexican Pinto Bean Soup (Sopa Tarasca) made with creamy pinto beans, spicy chipotle, and a tomato broth in 30 minutes.

Beef Taco Salad

Beef taco salad is a simple, filling, and delicious meal loaded with your favorite taco fillings, and a creamy lime dressing. Make it in 20 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hearty chicken tortilla soup is a delicious, wholesome and filling soup that you can make in about 30 minutes, packed with classic Mexican flavours.

Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw

Quick and easy shrimp tacos with lime crema slaw are ready in less than 30 minutes and are packed with flavourful crispy shrimp and creamy cabbage slaw.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Sizzling and hot sheet pan chicken fajitas are on the table in less than 30 minutes! The best part is that you just throw everything into one sheet pan.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade flour tortillas are delicious, soft, and so easy to make! They are easy to make with just 5 pantry staple ingredients and ready in under an hour.

Cauliflower Tacos

Vegetarian cauliflower tacos are loaded with air-fried or baked cauliflower, a delicious seasoning blend, and creamy lime cilantro slaw inside a tortilla.

Mexican Chicken Breast

Mexican chicken breast is juicy, tender, and flavorful. It's easy to prep with a quick marinade before cooking on the stove, air fryer, or oven.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican street corn salad adds a twist to a classic street food, loaded with freshly grilled corn, a creamy cheesy dressing, and authentic flavor.

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

These Sheet Pan Quesadillas are loaded with veggies and gooey cheese, baked in the oven until crispy, and made to feed a crowd in just 30 minutes.

Mushroom Fajitas

Mushroom Fajitas have all the sizzle and flair of traditional fajitas without the meat! Made with portobello mushrooms, peppers, and onions in 30 minutes!

Salsa Verde Green Chicken Enchiladas

Salsa verde green chicken enchiladas are delicious and flavorful, quick and easy to make, and saucy and spicy. Authentic Mexican food ready in 40 minutes.

Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos (Carnitas)

Mexican pulled pork tacos with juicy and tender traditional carnitas wrapped in corn tortillas and topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and jalapeños.

Pico de Gallo Chunky Salsa

Easy 5-minute pico de gallo chunky salsa is packed with fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime juice (and optional jalapeños for a spicy kick).

Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup is a delicious take on tacos, transforming it into a hearty, wholesome, filling soup topped with all the taco fixings. Ready in 30 minutes.

Tortilla Strips

Homemade tortilla strips are crispy, crunchy, delicious, and easy to make using 3 simple ingredients. Serve as a snack or a topping on soups and salad.

Vegan Burritos

Easy homemade Vegan Burritos are the most flavorful version of beans and rice you've had, all rolled up in a large tortilla and served with homemade guac.

Mexican Caesar Salad

This Mexican Caesar Salad is loaded with Mexican ingredients. It's fresh, light, delicious, flavorful - and might even taste better than the original!

Air Fryer Mexican Shrimp

Air fryer Mexican shrimp is juicy, tender, fresh, and delicious. It's packed with classic Mexican flavors and ready in just 10 minutes. So quick and easy.

Mexican Tuna Cakes (Tortitas de Atun)

Mexican tuna cakes, or tortitas de atun, are quick, easy, and delicious. Made with canned tuna, these tuna patties come together in about 20 minutes.

Black Bean Soup

This Black Bean Soup is hearty, healthy, and cozy - everything you want in a soup! It's loaded with black beans, spices, and your favorite Mexican toppings.

Fish Stick Tacos

Fish stick tacos are fun, quick, easy, and delicious. Crispy breaded fish sticks are topped with a homemade mango salsa and a drizzle of lime crema.

Black Bean Nachos

These loaded Black Bean Nachos are the ultimate vegetarian appetizer or snack - warm, crunchy, gooey, and so easy to make.

Summer Corn Salad

Take fresh-off-the-grill corn on the cob and turn it into a light, flavourful summer corn salad, topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and cheese.

Vegan Chickpea Tacos

When it comes to vegetarian tacos, these vegan chickpea tacos are some of the best. They are delicious, filling, easy to make, and loved by all.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole is cheesy, saucy, and packed with layers of enchilada classics like chicken and beans, tortillas, and cheese. A family favorite!

Creamy Mexican Corn Soup

This vegetarian, hearty and filling, creamy Mexican corn soup is dense, bright, and full of flavour! It is the perfect Cinco de Mayo recipe.

Black Bean Salsa

This quick and easy Black Bean Salsa is a delicious Mexican dip loaded with black beans, veggies, cilantro, and lime juice for the best summer flavor.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Mexican stuffed peppers are a delicious, wholesome, healthy meal loaded with fun Mexican flavors. It freezes well and is perfect for meal prep.

Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad

Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad is a delicious, flavorful twist on a classic Caesar salad with Mexican flavors and ingredients tossed in Caesar dressing.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Shredded Beef Enchiladas are flavorful, saucy, and cheesy. They are easy to make for family dinner using just a few ingredients including leftover beef.

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls

It's time for a fiesta with chipotle chicken burrito bowls served with lime cilantro rice, sautéed bell peppers, corn, black beans and guacamole.

Vegetarian Chili

Easy one pot vegetarian chili is the perfect warm and cozy comfort meal - it's hearty, filling, wholesome, flavorful, delicious, and loaded with protein.

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

Oven-roasted corn on the cob with homemade garlic butter is buttery, juicy, crunchy, and perfectly charred on the outside - without a grill.

Vegan Queso

Vegan Queso is a 5-minute dip that is creamy, cheesy, and perfectly spiced to mimic the classic dip - without any dairy! It tastes like the real thing!

Korean Beef Steak Tacos

Fusion-style Korean beef steak tacos are made with tender, flavour-packed slices of beef and topped with caramelized pineapple, kimchi, and spicy mayo.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup is loaded with the savory spices and bold flavors of classic tortilla soup but without any meat. Ready in 30 minutes!

Chili Nachos

Homemade chili nachos are crispy, cheesy, delicious, and flavorful. This modern twist on a Mexican classic are the best way to use up any leftover chili.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Nothing beats homemade creamy cilantro lime dressing. It's fresh, vibrant, easy to make in 5 minutes, and tastes better than store-bought salad dressing. Serve it over salads, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, grilled vegetables and meat.

7 Layer Dip

This easy and delicious 7 layer dip is the perfect dip to serve at your next party, made with layers of beans, guacamole, salsa, cheese, and more.

Vegetarian Breakfast Quesadillas

Vegetarian Breakfast Quesadillas are quick and easy to make, loaded with eggs and veggies, and flavorful. Perfect for meal prep and freezer-friendly too.

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Hearty slow cooker beef chili is an easy, comforting, low-maintenance dinner in fall and winter months. It's a family favourite crockpot chili.

Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Chicken and Kale

Quick and easy butternut squash quesadillas with chicken and kale is the best fall weeknight meal. It's flavourful, so cheesy, and has the perfect crunch.

Grilled Chicken and Avocado Burritos

For something quick and satisfying, grilled chicken and avocado burritos are the kind of creamy, gooey goodness with a bit of a crunch that you will want to make over and over again. So serve this up at your Cinco de Mayo party or at your next get-together, and even the pickiest of eaters will ask for more!

Red Enchilada Sauce

Easy homemade enchilada sauce requires just one pot, an assortment of flavourful spices, four simple steps, and less than 15 minutes to make.

Turkey Chili

Turkey chili is hearty, filling, flavorful, and delicious. It's warm and cozy, quick and easy to make in one pot, and can be made faster in the instant pot.

Cinco de Mayo Party Tips

Plan your menu ahead of time. You can prepare many of these recipes and party food ahead of time. Some can stored in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and some can even be frozen, according to recipe directions.
Prep your ingredients as much as possible. Once you have decided on the dishes that you are going to serve, prepare as much as you can in advance, whether that is chopping ingredients or prepping the dish and storing in the refrigerator until ready for the oven. Any little bit that you can prepare in advance will make things much less stressful when you just want to kick up your feet and enjoy the fiesta.
Set the table the night before. Take out the special party serving dishes, festive napkins and whatever else you need to set up your meal table the night before. It's one less thing to worry about on Cinco de Mayo.

Did You Make Any of These Mexican Recipes?

Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of Mexican recipes for Cinco de Mayo. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more recipe updates.

50 Best Bread Recipes

There is truly nothing better than the smell and taste of freshly baked bread. Homemade bread is just tastier, cheaper and easy to customize. So if you are wondering "how to make bread", then you have come to the right place. Today, I am sharing my 50 most popular and best bread recipes, from quick and easy bread, no knead bread, sandwich loaf bread, sourdough bread, no yeast options and sweet bread. Plus, many of these recipes take just 10 to 15 minutes of active prep time making them perfect for beginners learning how to make bread.

Quick and Easy Bread Recipes

Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread

No knead, easy rosemary garlic focaccia bread is thick with a perfect golden and crispy texture on the outside, but soft, fluffy and tender inside.

Cheesy Garlic Dinner Rolls

Quick and easy, 90-minute cheesy garlic dinner rolls are soft and fluffy, buttery and garlicky, and full of cheese inside. The perfect side for dinner.

Homemade Pita Bread

Nothing compares to freshly baked, quick and easy homemade pita bread. It's soft and puffy, with a perfect pocket. It takes just 15 minutes of actual prep.

Easy Homemade Everything Bagels

Easy homemade everything bagels with a signature everything bagel seasoning blend on top are just like bakery-style bagels and so easy to make at home.

Green Onion Dinner Rolls

Soft and fluffy, quick dinner bread rolls are loaded with green onions and topped with flaked sea salt and sesame seeds. Ready in just 1.5 hours.

Pull Apart Garlic Bread

Pull apart garlic bread is fluffy, buttery, flavourful, melts in your mouth, and tears easily for optimal sharing. You don't need any other bread at the dinner table.

Garlic Naan Bread

Freshly baked small batch garlic naan bread is buttery, garlicky, soft and pillowy, and full of perfect blistered air pockets. It's quick and easy to make.

No Knead Tomato Focaccia Bread

Easy no knead tomato focaccia is so flavourful, packed with olive oil, tomatoes and fresh herbs. It's crispy and golden outside, fluffy and pillowy inside.

Garlic Knots

Garlic knots are fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and topped with delicious savory garlic herbed butter that will have you begging for more.

Easy Salted Soft Pretzels

The best quick and easy salted soft pretzels are buttery, salty, and so delicious. They are golden brown and chewy on the outside, yet warm and soft inside.

Garlic Breadsticks

Soft garlic breadsticks are fluffy, airy, buttery, and delicious. They're an easy recipe that is perfect for beginners at baking bread.

Easy Skillet Dinner Rolls

Quick and Easy Skillet Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, and served warm right out of the oven making them the only bread recipe you'll need with dinner.

Easy Homemade Hamburger Buns

Soft and fluffy, artisan, easy homemade hamburger buns topped with sesame seeds are light, airy, so flavourful and take just 15 minutes of actual prep work.

Parker House Rolls

Notoriously light and fluffy with a little fold in the middle, these Parker House Rolls are the perfect dinner roll. They're buttery and incredibly tender.

Easy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Quick and easy pumpkin dinner rolls are soft and fluffy, flaky and butter, and perfect to serve alongside Thanksgiving dinner.

Pesto Babka

Pesto babka is a showstopping loaf of bread that is savory, delicious, and flavorful with beautiful twists and turns. Plus, it is surprisingly easy to make!

Pumpkin Focaccia with Fresh Herbs

Delicious, easy pumpkin focaccia bread with fresh herbs is soft, fluffy, and springy, yet so crispy on the outside. Just 15 minutes of actual prep required.

Homemade Pizza Dough

This easy homemade pizza dough makes the best crisp pizza crust that is soft, airy, chewy and flavourful. It's a perfect recipe for beginners.

Steamed Scallion Buns

Steamed scallion buns (hua juan 花卷) are delicious flower rolls made of a light and fluffy dough layered with green onions that is twisted and steamed.

Potato Dinner Rolls

Potato Dinner Rolls are soft, light, and fluffy. These quick and easy dinner rolls are loaded with leftover mashed potatoes and simple pantry staples.

No Knead Bread Recipes

Small Batch No-Knead Bread

If you have never made bread before, then homemade, fluffy and airy small batch no-knead bread with a perfect crust is the best artisan bread to start with.

No Knead Sesame Bread

No knead sesame bread is chewy, springy and airy with the perfect crunchy crust coated with sesame seeds. Easy to make with 10 minutes prep and no kneading.

Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls

Easy small batch ciabatta rolls are fluffy and airy with a perfect crunchy, crackly crust. They take only 10 minutes to prepare and require no kneading. These are the most popular bread recipe on our entire site!

Easy No Knead French Baguettes

These homemade no knead French baguettes are just what bread dreams are made of -- light, tender and airy crumb inside, and a crispy, crunchy crust outside.

Sandwich Loaf Bread Recipes

Whole Wheat Cranberry Bread

Whole wheat cranberry bread is chewy, fluffy and airy, packed with dried cranberries and seeds, and has a perfect crunchy crust topped with oats and seeds. The perfect toast to serve on Christmas morning.

Easy Challah Bread

Beautiful three-strand braided loaves of easy challah bread are light, soft and fluffy, with a golden brown crust. Rich in flavour and slightly sweet.

Brioche Bread

Brioche bread is a buttery, soft and pillowy pastry-like bread rich in flavour with a beautiful golden brown crust. Made with 20 minutes of prep work.

Sunflower Seed Bread

Learn how to make a delicious, golden brown loaf of homemade sunflower seed bread today! It is soft and fluffy on the inside, and crispy on the outside.

Sourdough Bread Recipes

Small Batch Sourdough Bread

Small batch sourdough bread is airy and chewy with a crisp crust and a mild flavour. It takes less than 15 minutes of actual prep and requires no kneading.

Artisan Green Olive Sourdough Bread

Artisan green olive sourdough bread is airy and chewy, has a signature crispy crust, and is loaded with tangy green olives for a Mediterranean flair.

Small Batch Sourdough Ciabatta Bread

Soft, airy, artisan small batch sourdough ciabatta bread is light and fluffy inside with perfect air holes and a crunchy, crackly crust. Delicious and easy.

Fruit and Nut Sourdough Bread

Fruit and nut sourdough bread is chewy and airy with a crunchy crackly crust is so delicious, packed with dried figs, raisins, walnuts, and seeds.

Seeded Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Small batch multi-seeded whole wheat sourdough bread is airy and chewy, is loaded with seeds inside, and has a signature crispy crust coated in more seeds.

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Sourdough sandwich bread is chewy with the perfect air holes inside, and has a crispy crust with a delicious signature sourdough taste.

Sourdough Discard Crackers with Sesame Seeds

Quick and easy sourdough discard crackers are thin, crispy, crunchy and flavoured with sesame seeds, dried herbs and flaked salt. They are so crave-worthy.

Quick and easy sourdough discard crackers are thin, crispy, crunchy and flavoured with sesame seeds, dried herbs and flaked salt. They are so addictive. | aheadofthyme.com

Savoury Chive Pancakes

Don't let your sourdough starter go to waste, use your discard to make this easy one bowl recipe for crispy, light and fluffy, savoury chive pancakes -- a popular Chinese flatbread.

Sourdough Pizza Dough

Use excess sourdough starter discard to make the best, easiest homemade small batch sourdough pizza dough to make an airy and chewy sourdough pizza crust.

Need a sourdough starter? Start one today with my complete sourdough starter recipe and guide with frequently asked questions. You can start baking with your fully mature starter in just 7 days.

No Yeast Bread Recipes

Buttermilk Biscuits

These classic Buttermilk Biscuits are perfectly tender with buttery, flaky layers. Quick and easy to make in just 30 minutes using a handful of ingredients.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade flour tortillas are delicious, soft, and so easy to make! They are easy to make with just 5 pantry staple ingredients and ready in under an hour.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Flaky Garlic Cheddar Biscuits are a simple but delicious and flavorful no yeast bread that is ready for the oven with less than 15 minutes prep.

Popovers

Popovers (or Yorkshire pudding) are light, puffed rolls that "pop over" the top of the pan and are a must-have to serve with your Sunday roast.

Flaky Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits

Flaky cornmeal cheddar biscuits are simple, buttery, cheesy, and so delicious. These savoury biscuits with perfect golden tops are quick and easy to make.

Rosemary Cornbread

Sweet and savoury, buttery rosemary cornbread is soft and moist with golden crispy edges, flavourful and delicious, and so easy to make this holiday season.

Easy Cornbread Muffins

Easy Cornbread Muffins are moist, fluffy, tender, and sweet. They're the perfect side dish to serve with a Southern barbecue or Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

Easy Homemade Biscuits

Flaky, fluffy, buttery, and soft, these easy homemade biscuits come together with only a handful of ingredients you already have at home! To serve, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and serve with your holiday meal.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin Cornbread is a sweet and savory side dish loaded with real pumpkin, and is moist, fluffy, and crumbly with crisp edges.

Sweet Bread Recipes

Quick and Easy Butter Croissants

Quick and easy butter croissants are flaky, buttery, airy, and authentic, and are made in the fraction of the time using a special simplified technique.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Soft and fluffy, pumpkin cinnamon rolls are packed with pumpkin, layered with pumpkin spice, and topped with cream cheese icing. Best Christmas breakfast and brunch treat ever.

Cinnamon Raisin Challah Bread with Almonds

Sweet cinnamon raisin challah bread is airy, soft and fluffy with a beautiful golden crust coated with almonds. It is braided and baked in a loaf pan.

Star Bread

This pull-apart star bread is a beautiful, buttery, sugary, and delicious holiday bread that tastes as good as it looks and is actually easy to make.

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread

Soft and fluffy sourdough cinnamon roll twist bread is buttery and layered with cinnamon sugar. Prep it the night before and freshly bake it for breakfast.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns is a timeless classic Easter bread made with raisins, cinnamon, and a honey glaze. They are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or snack alongside your Easter meal.

Cranberry Pumpkin Steamed Buns

Cranberry pumpkin steamed buns (baozi) are light, spongy, and fluffy Chinese buns packed with colourful cranberries and pumpkin puree for the best flavour.

Tips for Baking Bread with Yeast

Use good quality and active yeast. Use yeast that has been stored in a cool, dark place. If stored in a warmer area, the yeast may no longer work. Also check the expiration date and make sure you are within that date.
How to tell if yeast is active. When mixing the yeast with water, the mixture should start to bubble and develop a yeasty aroma. If nothing happens after 5-10 minutes, then the yeast is not active and you will have to use a different batch otherwise your bread will not rise.
Let the dough rise at room temperature (as opposed to a warmer area of your home). This will allow the dough to rise slowly and longer (over 3 hours). The slower rise at room temperature yields a light and chewy texture, and a more pleasant flavour.

How to Make Ahead and Store Bread

You can make all of these bread recipes ahead of time. You can store them in a bread basket or airtight container at room temperature for a few days, in the refrigerator for up to one week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat bread, just toast individual slices in the toaster or heat the whole bread up in in the air fryer or oven at 350 F for about 5-10 minutes until warmed through and crisp on the outside. If heating from frozen, let the bread thaw first in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat.

Did You Make Any of These Popular Bread Recipes?

Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of bread recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more recipe updates.

Vegan Soba Noodle Salad

There's nothing better on a hot day than a cold and refreshing vegan soba noodle salad. Tossed with fresh cucumber, carrots, and cabbage, swimming with a delicious, saucy dressing, and topped with sesame seeds, this vegan soba noodle salad boasts so much flavor in every bite. The best part? This better than takeout dish can be made at home in about 10 minutes. AND leftovers taste just as good the next day, if not better.

Why You'll Love Vegan Soba Noodle Salad

Soba noodles! If you've never had soba noodles, you're missing out. And if you have, you know what I'm talking about! Soba noodles, made from buckwheat, taste naturally earthy and nutty. They are somewhat similar to pasta-but they're more versatile, Japanese, and tastier! Soba noodles have great flavor and texture, and tastes great when served cold.
A different take on salad. Let's be honest. It's painfully easy to get bored of salad. That's why you need to mix things up with this vegan soba noodle salad! A distinctive dressing, tasty noodles, and veggies you might not normally eat with salad make this dish extra special.
Fast and easy to make. Vegan soba noodle salad comes together in 20 minutes or less, making it a great meal to have when you're short on time or energy. Plus, it's super easy to customize with whatever veggies that you have on hand.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this easy and delicious vegan soba noodle salad, you will need the following ingredients:

buckwheat soba noodles
red cabbage
carrots
cucumber
fresh cilantro
sesame seeds
creamy sesame garlic dressing - tahini (or peanut butter), soy sauce, black rice vinegar (or balsamic vinegar), garlic, and black pepper bring incredible flavours to the dressing, making it a delicious sauce to cover the cold noodles in.

You can also customize this vegan soba noodle salad with other ingredients, including: broccoli, peanuts, edamame, mushrooms, green onions, bell peppers, and red chili flakes.

How to Make the Best Soba Noodle Salad

Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium high heat. Add soba noodles and and cook fully according to package directions, about 7-8 minutes. Stir occasionally to help separate the noodles. Once cooked, rinse under cold water and drain well in a colander.
Make the dressing. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk together until blended and smooth, about 1 minute.
Assemble the salad. In a large mixing bowl, add soba noodles, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, sesame seeds and dressing. Toss well to coat and serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks

How to store: You can store vegan soba noodle salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Made-ahead tips: You can make this salad up to 3 days ahead of time. For the best results, you can wait to add in the cucumber and cilantro as they may absorb more water the longer they sit. Either way, it's still delicious.
Add in extra protein: For a vegan- and vegetarian-friendly protein, try tofu or chickpeas. If you are not vegan, add in any protein that you like, such as chicken satay, roasted pork, pan-seared salmon, or shrimp.

More Asian-inspired Salads

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Skillet Chicken Fajitas

If you love Mexican food and haven't tried making your own chicken fajitas yet, now is the time. These skillet chicken fajitas are best served hot and fresh when the colorful bell peppers and onions are still sizzling. Topped with fresh lime juice and eaten with warm tortillas, chicken fajitas taste great whether you're craving a delicious lunch or dinner. The best part is that you can have these prepped and on the table in just 25 minutes.

Why You'll Love Skillet Chicken Fajitas

It's quick and easy. These chicken fajitas are easy to prep with just a few veggies to chop and no fancy kitchen gadgets. Plus, it's quick to cook in just 15 minutes. It's the perfect weeknight dinner.
Healthy and nutritious. No matter what kind of protein you choose to put in your fajitas, sautéed bell peppers and onions are always at the heart of a good fajita. Low in calories but high in fiber and vitamins, these delicious veggies make a fajita, a fajita.
It's. family favorite. Just like our Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, when you bite into a chicken fajita served with a warm tortilla, you'll be transported to your safe place. It's comforting, soothing, and downright delicious. Plus, it's one that the whole family will love.
Packed with flavor. The homemade Mexican fajita seasoning packs on the flavor. For an even deeper flavor, you can marinate your chicken for at least 20 minutes (time permitting) in the delicious fajita seasoning mix that brings Mexican-inspired flavors right to your home. Or use storebought chicken fajita seasoning mix -- whatever makes your life easier!

Ingredients

To make these delicious sizzling skillet chicken fajitas, you will need a large skillet (I used a cast-iron skillet), and the following ingredients:

chicken breasts - skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch strips.
fajita seasoning - you can make your own homemade fajita seasoning using ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano or Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper. You can also use 2-3 tablespoons of storebought fajita seasoning mix.
olive oil
red onion
bell peppers - I used a combination of green peppers, red peppers, and yellow peppers.
lime juice
soft tortillas - you can use any kind of tortillas. Try flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or any other kind of tortillas you would like. I often make my own homemade flour tortillas - they are easier than you think!

Garnish with your favorite fixings, such as avocado, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream, or cilantro, and you have the perfect meal.

How to Make the Best Skillet Chicken Fajitas

Season the chicken. In a large ziploc bag, combine chicken strips with 1 tablespoon oil and fajita seasoning including cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the seasoning around the chicken strips to coat. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes (if time allows), up to overnight in the refrigerator.
Cook the chicken. When ready to cook, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add the chicken strips and stir well to cook evenly until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Stir constantly to keep the strips separate. Once done, transfer onto a plate.
Cook the vegetables. In the same skillet, add onion and bell peppers and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and add in lime juice. Toss well until evenly combined.
Warm the tortillas and serve. To heat the soft tortillas, follow the package instructions, or heat in an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds per side. You can also heat it directly on a gas burner for a few seconds to get char marks on the edges. Serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks

How to store: Store your tortillas and chicken fajita mixture separately in airtight containers. If storing them together, they will get soggy. The chicken fajita mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. The tortillas can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, but will stay fresh longer in the refrigerator (up to one week).
Use different protein: Traditionally, fajitas are made with skirt steak, so if you're not in the mood for chicken, consider using beef. You can also make this recipe vegan by using portobello mushrooms or tofu instead of chicken.
How to make it spicy: If you like your chicken fajitas to be spicy, then consider adding more chili, cayenne pepper, or fresh jalapeños to the mix.

More Mexican Recipes

Tried this recipe?

Potato Galette with Arugula and Crème Fraîche

Potato galette with arugula and crème fraîche is a rich and delicious savoury tart that you can serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's all about light, spring flavours coming to life. A crispy pastry exterior with a creamy crème fraîche, cream cheese, and tarrogan base (the perfect, unexpected pairing!). Top it up with comforting potatoes, fresh arugula, and Parmesan, and you've got a fancy meal that will impress. It's a total crowd pleaser.

Why You'll Love Potato Galette with Arugula and Crème Fraîche

The easiest one bowl pastry dough. In addition to a miracle combination of flavours, you may just hold on to the dough recipe forever. If you struggle to work with pie or tart dough, you absolutely must try making this galette. It will forever change how you view pastry dough! It comes together easily - everything in one bowl, and you can mix it with your hands! It's completely foolproof.
A delicious vegetarian option. This French potato dish is a great meatless meal if you're looking to add more vegetarian options to your family's meal plan. Serve it for dinner and enjoy any leftovers the next day for lunch (if there are any!).
It's restaurant-worthy. This potato galette made with layered thinly sliced potatoes on top and baked until tender throughout and crispy on the edges, is then turned this into a restaurant-worthy dish by topping the whole thing with fresh baby arugula, shaved Parmesan, and another little drizzle of crème fraîche. You can't even begin to imagine how delicious this is. I dare you to try and stop yourself from going back for seconds!

Ingredients

To make this fancy and delicious potato galette with arugula and crème fraîche, you will need the following ingredients.

pastry dough - the easiest pastry dough made with all-purpose flour, salt, butter, and ice water.
crème fraîche - gives the tart a tangy, acidic taste.
cream cheese - helps give it some structure, and will also keep your potatoes from moving around.
tarragon - if you don't have tarragon, you could mix in any herb you have on. Try oregano, thyme, or rosemary, whatever you've got.
ground black pepper
russet potato - you could also use Yukon gold potatoes.
olive oil
baby arugula
Parmesan cheese

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, rolling pin, and half sheet baking pan.

How to Make the Best Potato Galette with Arugula and Crème Fraîche

Prepare the pastry dough. Combine flour and ½ teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl, then add cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter (or 2 knives) to incorporate butter into the flour until large pea-sized pieces remain. Add ice water and mix with your hands until most of the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to rest and firm up for 30 minutes.
Prepare the crème fraîche mixture. In a small mixing bowl, combine crème fraîche and cream cheese. Add chopped tarragon, ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
Shape the dough. Once the dough has firmed up, use a rolling to pin to roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a circle or oval shape, about ¼-inch thick (The edges will be folded over, so the shape doesn't have to be perfect). Transfer the dough to a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Assemble the galette. Use a spatula to evenly spread the crème fraîche mixture onto the base of the dough, making sure to leave a clear 1-inch border around the edge. Layer sliced potatoes on top of the crème fraîche mixture, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a little black pepper.

Shape the galette. Carefully fold over the outer edge of the tart, overlapping about every inch. Brush melted butter along the edge of the tart dough.

Bake. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the dough is brown and the potatoes are cooked through.
Add toppings and serve. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then top with fresh arugula, shaved parmesan, and a drizzle of crème fraîche. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Storing and Reheating

How to store: Allow the potato galette to cool to room temperature, then store in an air tight container or wrap it in aluminum foil, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to freeze: Allow the potato galette to cool to room temperature, then store wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. I would recommend storing it without the arugula topping, as it's best served with fresh arugula. When ready to serve, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to reheat: Reheat in a preheated 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. You could reheat with the arugula topping but it will cause it to cook and wilt. For the best results, I would recommend heating it without the arugula topping, and adding fresh arugula on top after it's been reheated.

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Beef Taco Salad

Beef taco salad is a simple and delicious meal loaded with your favourite taco fillings. It's a creative take on classic beef tacos packed with all the veggies, and topped with fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese, and a creamy lime dressing. And instead of wrapping your tacos in a tortilla, you'll garnish this beef taco salad with crushed tortilla chips. The best part? This filling meal comes together in under 20 minutes. Trust me guys, this a taco bowl you'll never forget.

Why You'll Love Beef Taco Salad

Family-friendly, no mess tacos. Tacos are delicious, but they can also be messy. If you don't want to have to wash your hands (or your kid's hands) after a meal, beef taco salad is the perfect alternative to Ground Beef Tacos.
Great for picky eaters. Who doesn't love tacos? If you're dealing with picky eaters or serving a group, you can create a build your own taco salad bar for people to enjoy. No onions? Extra avocado? Everyone can have what they want with beef taco salad!
Salad has never tasted so good! With beef taco salad, you get all the benefits of having a salad (including the feel-good emotions of making a healthy decision) and all the flavor of beef tacos! Whether you're a salad-lover or salad-averse, this beef taco salad is a winner.

Ingredients

To make this delicious and easy ground beef taco salad, you will need the following ingredients:

vegetable oil
ground beef
taco seasoning - made with cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, dried coriander (or dried oregano), salt and pepper.
tomato paste
beef broth or water
romaine lettuce
grape tomatoes
red onions
avocado
corn - you can use canned corn or frozen corn (boiled in water for 5 minutes).
cheddar cheese - you can also use a Mexican blend (Tex-Mex) of cheese, or any cheese that shreds easily such as Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella.
fresh cilantro
tortilla chips - I used plain unsalted tortilla chips. You can also use seasoned tortilla chips such as Doritos, or tortilla strips.
lime dressing - a combination of Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and lime juice. You can also serve this with a creamy cilantro lime dressing.

This beef taco salad is completely customizable, and you can substitute with any of your favorite taco fixings such as pico de gallo salsa, black beans, jalapeños, queso, or hot sauce, and more.

How to Make the Best Beef Taco Salad

Cook the beef. Heat oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add ground beef and stir well to cook evenly until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Make sure to break up beef into small pieces to help even browning.
Add seasoning. Add cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato paste and beef broth. Reduce heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and set aside while you assemble the salad.

Assemble salad. In a large serving bowl, add all salad ingredients including lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, corn, cheese, cilantro, and tortilla chips (or tortilla strips).
Add dressing. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the Greek yogurt and lime juice. The dressing will be a little thick. You can add extra lime juice to taste or to thin it out. Dollop a spoonful of dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Storing Instructions

Make ahead instructions: If you're not going to eat all your beef taco salad in one go, or if making this ahead of time, refrain from combining all the ingredients to avoid wilted lettuce and soggy tortilla chips. Instead, store ingredients separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days, and build your salad when you're ready to eat it.
How to store and reheat ground beef: Allow beef to cool to room temperature. Then transfer it into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, heat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave in 15-30-second increments until hot, stirring occasionally.

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Yellow Curry Mussels

Yellow curry mussels are the epitome of delicious seafood -- creamy, spicy, and savory. This one pot dish is packed with fragrant spices, quick and easy to make, and will bursting with flavour. You can serve them on their own with a side of crusty bread or overtop of rice or pasta. And if you don't have a lot of time, don't worry. Yellow curry mussels are ready in just 25 minutes. Fancy enough for a special meal on date night, but easy enough as a weeknight dinner to feed the whole family.

Why You'll Love Yellow Curry Mussels

Yellow curry is a power move in the kitchen. You might love curry, but do you know what's in it? Cumin. Coriander. Turmeric. Fenugreek. Garlic. Salt. Bay leaf. Lemongrass. Cayenne pepper. Ginger. Mace. Cinnamon. Not only do these ingredients taste great-they boast health benefits, too.
It is packed with flavor. On top of the yellow curry spices, these mussels draw lots of flavor from fragrant spices like garlic, red pepper, and cilantro, while are balanced out with white wine, cream, soy sauce, olive oil, and sour cream. These yellow curry mussels are flavourful and a little spicy in every single bite.
You should be eating more mussels. Yellow curry mussels are delicious and healthy! With essential omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, and C, iron, and calcium, mussels are a great addition to a healthy diet. For more mussel recipes, try Thai Red Curry Mussels or Steamed Mussels in Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients

To make these easy and delicious yellow curry mussels, you will need the following ingredients:

fresh live mussels, scrubbed and debearded 2 lb.
olive oil - you can also use any other oil that you like to use for cooking, such as coconut oil or vegetable oil.
onion
garlic
white wine
sour cream - or heavy cream.
soy sauce
yellow curry powder
crushed red pepper
ground black pepper
fresh cilantro - for garnish.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a large pot or skillet.

Tips for Preparing Fresh Live Mussels

How to clean live mussels: Whether you buy wild or farmed mussels, they need to be cleaned. Use a scrubbing brush hands to rub off any mud, algae, particles, or debris from the shell. Then remove the beard (a small stringy mass that sticks out of the side of each mussel). Hold the mussel in one hand, and gently pull the beard off using your other hand, pulling towards the bottom of the mussel where the clasp is. Once you've removed all of them, give the mussels a rinse under cold water.
How to tell if mussels are fresh: Fresh mussels should be alive with their shells closed. If a mussel is slightly open, tap it against the counter-if it closes, it's alive and fresh. If it doesn't move, throw it away. Fresh mussels have a fresh salty ocean smell, and not a fishy smell. If they smell fishy, I would not recommend eating them. If your mussels are store in the refrigerator, give it a smell just before cooking to ensure freshness.
How to store fresh mussels: It's best to cook mussels the day that you buy them. To store for up to 2 days, transfer the mussels to a bowl or unsealed container and covered with a clean damp cloth or paper towel. Drain any water that collects in the bottom of the bowl every day. Do not store the mussels in water as they will die from it.

How to Make the Best Yellow Curry Mussels

Sauté aromatics. In a large pot or skillet, heat oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles and shimmers. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and soft, 2-3 minutes.
Cook mussels. Add mussels and wine. Cover the lid and steam for 6-8 minutes until all shells are wide open. If you don't have a lid to cover, stir occasionally to help cook evenly.
Add sauce. Add sour cream, soy sauce, curry powder and red pepper. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer, about 3-5 minutes. Season with pepper and garnish with cilantro.
Serve. Serve immediately. You can serve yellow curry mussels as a delicious appetizer with a side of crusty bread to soak up all that juicy yellow curry sauce. You can also serve them over rice or pasta.

Tips and Tricks

How to store cooked mussels: You can store cooked mussels for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, heat in a skillet over low heat until warmed through. You may have to add a little water if the sauce has thickened up too much in the refrigerator. I would not recommend freezing mussels.
How to make this dairy free: Substitute equal parts coconut cream for heavy or sour cream. You can buy coconut cream from many grocery stories or Asian supermarkets. You can also make your own using coconut milk. To make coconut cream, buy a can or two of full-fat coconut milk. Chill overnight in the fridge. The fat will separate from the liquid and settle on top-that's your non-dairy cream.
How to make this vegan: To make this dish vegan, use the non-dairy substitute above and swap out the mussels for tofu, chickpeas, or your favorite vegan "meat"!

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Miso Garlic Chicken Wings

Miso garlic chicken wings are crispy, delicious, and so easy to make. They are marinated in a savoury Asian-style marinade made with miso, garlic, and soy sauce, which packs on so much flavour. Plus, you can make things ever easier by marinating the miso wings overnight for a stronger taste and less prep the next day. Serve these as a delicious appetizer, main course meal, side dish, or as part of an epic party platter on game day. Plus, these wings are baked or cooked in the air fryer so they are so much better for than deep fried wings.

Why You'll Love Miso Garlic Chicken Wings

Try something new with your wings. When it comes to chicken wings, there are the basics like Buffalo Hot Wings and BBQ Chicken Wings. While these classics will never get old, it can be nice to try something different.
Miso is a secret flavor weapon. Miso paste is a fermented soy product that packs a lot of great flavor in a little package. Depending on what kind you get, the taste may be a little different. You can even experiment with this recipe by using different kinds of miso!
Baked in the oven or air fryer. You can bake your wings in the oven or in the air fryer, which means that these wings use less oil, making them so much better for you. They're just as yummy as fried wings (if not better!) without the added grease.

Ingredients

To make these easy delicious miso garlic chicken wings, you will need the following ingredients:

chicken wings - 1 lb. of chicken wings, about 10 split wings.
miso paste
garlic
soy sauce
olive oil
ground black pepper
for garnish - sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

How to Make the Best Miso Garlic Chicken Wings

Marinade the chicken wings. In a small mixing bowl, combine miso paste, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil and black pepper. Mix well with a spoon until smooth. In a large zip-loc bag, add chicken wings and miso mixture. Press air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the marinade around the wings to coat. Place bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least one hour, up to overnight.
Cook the chicken wings.
- To bake the chicken wings: Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the marinated wings out of the bag and place them on a quarter sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the wings over half way to ensure even cooking.
- To air fry the chicken wings: Place the wings in the air fryer basket and cook at 350 F for 22-25 minutes. Open and shake the basket halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Serve. Let the wings rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Tips and Tricks

Marinate longer for more flavor. While you can marinate these miso garlic chicken wings for only one hour before cooking, you'll get the best flavor if you wait all day-or overnight. Patience can be so rewarding!
How to make vegan and gluten-free chicken wings. You can easily make this recipe vegan and gluten-free. To remove the gluten, simply use a gluten-free soy sauce. And to make vegan "wings," use diced firm tofu.
How to store. Keep miso garlic chicken wings refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to reheat. You can reheat these wings easily in the microwave in 20-second increments until warmed through. But for best results, reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through and crispy.

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Lemon Kale Salad

Lemon kale salad is a simple, flavorful, and healthy meal that's thrown together in just minutes! The star of the show is kale, but cherry tomatoes, cheese, and croutons add more great taste and textures to this delicious salad. And the lemon dressing? Well that is ridiculously easy to make as well, with just a few ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. This shredded kale salad is perfect for a quick lunch, but is just as great served as a side or appetizer with dinner.

Why You'll Love Lemon Kale Salad

Super simple recipe. This lemon kale salad recipe is so easy anyone can make it. Essentially, you throw all the ingredients together into one bowl, and voila! You have a delicious shredded kale salad.
Healthy and delicious. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, packed with Vitamins A, K, and C as well as beneficial antioxidants and more-plus, it has great flavor! Lemon kale salad is a healthy and delicious meal that feels light and still fills you up.
Versatile dressing. With a dressing primarily composed of lemon juice and olive oil, you can adjust the seasoning in this lemon kale salad to fit your taste perfectly or give you some variety when you decide to make it again.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this delicious and light lemon kale salad, you will need a large mixing bowl and the following ingredients:

kale - you will need about 5 cups of shredded kale. To shred kale, you will need to cut the leaves off of the stem, and then slice them into thin strips.
cherry tomatoes - or grape tomatoes.
croutons - I used seasoned garlic croutons, but you can use plain croutons or any flavor that you would like.
cheddar cheese - or substitute this with your favourite kind of cheese that is easily grated. A popular option is Parmesan cheese.
lemon dressing - made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. You can also adjust the flavors in the dressing by adding in your favorite dried herbs.

Thinking of adding in any other ingredients? Go for it. This salad is completely customizable. You can add in your favourite veggies such as cucumbers, onions, and spinach. You can also add in some protein for a complete meal such as shredded roast chicken, chickpeas, shrimp, or salmon.

How to Make the Best Lemon Kale Salad

This shredded kale salad with lemon vinaigrette is one of the easiest salads that you can make. You literally just combine all your salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl or serving plate. Make the dressing in a smaller bowl and then pour it into the salad, and toss to combine.

Make Ahead and Storing Tips

Make ahead instructions: Easily prep the ingredients ahead of time (chop up the vegetables and make the dressing). Store the salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week. Be sure to wait to add the croutons and cheese until just before serving as they can become soggy when tossed with dressing.
How to store: Typically, you will want to store the salad ingredients and the dressing separately to avoid the greens from getting wilted. However, kale is one of the heartiest greens out there, so it can withstand the dressing quite well. So, if you are unable to store them separately, it can last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If there are still croutons in there, you can choose to remove them as they will get soggy.

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Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs

Roasted asparagus with poached eggs is a light spring meal that you might have never known that you need in your life. It's so easy to prepare with just a few simple ingredients that are just perfect when combined together -- crisp yet tender roasted asparagus, perfectly poached eggs, and fresh dill. I don't know whether to call it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, because it's a meal that you can eat any time of day. Either way, it's one that you that will leave you feeling light, but completely satisfied.

Why You'll Love Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs

Fresh seasonal ingredients. I am kind of obsessed with all things asparagus, and you may have noticed this by the abundance of new asparagus recipes that I feature on the blog every spring. So I get super excited when they are finally in season (although we can find them here all year round, nothing beats the fresh harvest from the farmer's market). The newest this year are some of my absolute favourites: Asparagus Tart, Chopped Asparagus Salad, and Lemon Asparagus Soup with Parmesan.
Packed with flavour. My favourite way to prepare asparagus is roasting it because it develops a much more deeper and intense flavour, as opposed to steamed asparagus. Plus, top this meal with fresh herbs and lots of black pepper for a classy, elevated brunch dish, or simply to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Perfectly poached eggs. The only way to serve eggs with roasted asparagus is poached. Poaching the eggs ensures runny yolks (that are not too runny), and the asparagus is perfect for sopping it up with.

Ingredients

To make this delicious roasted asparagus with poached eggs, you will need the following simple ingredients:

asparagus - I roast the asparagus in this recipe, but you can easily cook it any way that you like. You can sauté them (Sautéed Asparagus), cook in the air fryer (Air Fryer Asparagus), steam them, or boil them.
olive oil
salt and pepper
eggs
white vinegar
fresh herbs - I used fresh dill but you can use any other herbs that you would like (try parsley, thyme, or oregano).

How to Make the Best Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs

Roast the asparagus. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place trimmed asparagus on a rimmed half sheet baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 12-15 minutes, or until asparagus is just tender.

Poach the eggs. While asparagus is in the oven, crack each egg into their own small bowl, being careful not to break the yolk. Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil, then add vinegar. Lower heat until water is simmering. Gently lower the eggs into the simmering water and cook for 4 minutes, or until egg whites are set and yolks are soft and runny.
Assemble and serve. Carefully remove eggs from the water with a slotted spoon. Serve eggs on top of roasted asparagus, and season eggs with additional salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh dill or other herbs, if using.

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Asian Sesame Soy Turkey Roast

Tender and juicy Asian sesame soy turkey roast is a creative take on a holiday classic. It's packed with traditional Asian flavours in its marinade made of soy sauce, sesame, ginger, brown sugar, and garlic. Plus, after cooking the turkey, the marinade doesn't go to waste. Simmer it into a flavourful and thick gravy sauce to pour over the roasted turkey and your favourite sides. This turkey roast is perfect for a family dinner or a smaller holiday meal for up to 6-8 people. And those leftovers will make for some amazing turkey fried rice.

Why You'll Love Asian Sesame Soy Turkey Roast

Robust flavours of soy and sesame. Although roasted turkey is fairly flavourful on its own, the tasty soy sesame marinade adds ginger, garlic, onion, and sugar to the mix. The result is an Asian sesame soy turkey roast packed with sweet, salty, and savoury umami flavours, in every single bite.
Flavourful Asian glaze sauce. Don't throw away that marinade! You'll use it to create a thick and delicious gravy sauce that tastes great drizzled over roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, green veggies, rice, crispy leaf potatoes, and anything else you make for dinner.
Crispy, juicy roasted turkey. After two and a half hours of roasting (or a little longer if cooking directly from frozen), your Asian sesame soy turkey roast will come out of the oven tender and juicy. And if you like an extra crispy crust, you're in for a treat after you oil and broil your bird.

Ingredients

To make this delicious Asian sesame soy turkey roast, you will need the following ingredients:

boneless turkey roast - you will need one boneless turkey roast (about 3 lbs.). I used a Butterball turkey roast which I found easily at my local grocery store.
soy sauce
onion
brown sugar
garlic
sesame seeds
ginger
sesame oil
olive oil - if you choose to broil at the end for a crispier and more browned crust.

You also need measuring cups and spoons, a roasting pan, and a meat thermometer.

How to Make the Best Asian Sesame Soy Turkey Roast

Allow the boneless turkey roast to thaw completely in the refrigerator for one day. Then, remove the plastic bag, but leave the attached netting on.
In a food blender, add soy sauce, onion, brown sugar, garlic, sesame seeds, ginger, and sesame oil. Blend for one minute until smooth.
Transfer the thawed turkey into a zip-loc bag and slowly pour in the prepared marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the marinade around the turkey to fully coat. Transfer the turkey into the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Remove turkey from the zip-loc bag and place it on the rack of a shallow roasting pan. Reserve the marinade and set aside.
Roast the turkey uncovered for about 2.5 hours, until internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer. Turn the turkey roast over once, halfway through cooking.
To develop a darker brown crust, brush olive oil over the turkey roast and broil for 3-4 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Transfer the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and add one teaspoon of flour. Whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat, and stir continuously until thickened to a desired consistency, about 2-3 minutes.
Use kitchen scissors to carefully remove the netting from the turkey roast and carve into slices. Pour the sesame sauce on top, as desired.

How to Cook Turkey Roast from Frozen

You can also cook this Asian turkey roast directly from frozen. To do so, just skip the marinating step, and instead cook the turkey roast for one hour at 325 F. Then, take it out and brush a generous amount of the marinade sauce all over the turkey. Return the turkey to the oven and baste it every half an hour (30 minutes) by brushing it with the marinade, until the roast is cooked according to package instructions, or once the temperature of the turkey reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer.

How to Use Roast Turkey Leftovers

You can use those leftovers to make something completely new, like any of these delicious leftover turkey recipes:

Prep, Storing and Freezing Tips

How to thaw: For the best results, thaw the frozen turkey in the refrigerator overnight. You can also cook this recipe directly from frozen (see instructions above in post or in the notes on the recipe card below). If you have the time, I would recommend thawing first as marinating the turkey ahead of time will allow it to absorb the most flavour.
How to store: Allow the turkey roast to cool to room temperature, then transfer it into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the sauce in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator, if possible.
How to freeze: Extend the shelf life of your roasted turkey by freezing it for up to four months. After cooling, portion the turkey roast into airtight, freezer-safe bags or airtight containers before placing in freezer.
How to reheat: Reheat turkey in the oven at 300F for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Thinly sliced turkey will take less time to reheat compared to thick ones. Alternately, reheat in the microwave in 20-second increments until heated all the way through.

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Spring Vegetable Stir Fry

Quick and easy spring vegetable stir fry is made with delicious seasonal vegetables including carrots, asparagus, green beans, and mushrooms (or whatever veggies that you have on hand!). It's packed with savoury and salty flavour from a few simple ingredients in a light sauce that coats all the vegetables. The best part? It comes together in under 20 minutes including prep. Serve it with sprinkle of sesame seeds alongside a bowl of steamed rice and/or your favourite protein.

Why You'll Love Spring Vegetable Stir Fry

Fresh and delicious. Spring vegetable stir fry takes a classic stir fry recipe and makes it seasonal. Fresh carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, and green beans make this recipe shine with their natural, earthy flavours.
A saucy situation. The liquids from the vegetables combined with the olive oil, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar create a yummy sauce that tastes great on the spring vegetable stir fry and whatever else you eat it with! Pair with steamed rice, fried rice, noodles, or get creative and have it with some couscous or quinoa, and choose any yummy protein from fish and chicken to chickpeas and peanuts.
One-pan, no problems. This spring vegetable stir fry is incredibly easy to make. Once you've got all your veggies cut, everything goes into (one wok or skillet), and it takes less than 10 minutes to cook.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this easy 10-minute spring vegetable stir fry, you will need a wok or skillet and the following ingredients:

olive oil
vegetables - you can use any combinations of vegetables. I used carrots, shiitake mushrooms (or brown mushrooms), asparagus, and green beans.
garlic
seasoning - salt, black pepper, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar.
sesame seeds - to sprinkle on top for serving (optional).

This stir fry is completely customizable with whatever vegetables that you have on hand. Some of my favourite veggies in stir fries are: sugar snap peas, edamame, broccoli, watercress, bell peppers, and baby corn. You could also add some chilis for a kick.

How to Make the Best Spring Vegetable Stir Fry

Stir fry the vegetables. Heat oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles. Add carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and stir fry for another 2 minutes until fragrant and tender. Stir in asparagus and green beans and season with salt and pepper.
Add sauce. Add in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Stir well until evenly combined. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons water if desired to make a bit more saucy.
Serve. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Storing Instructions

How to store: Let stir fry vegetables cool to room temperature before placing them in an airtight container. Then, store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
How to reheat: For best results, reheat leftovers on the stovetop over low to medium heat to avoid overcooking. Stir frequently to ensure even reheating. You can also reheat in the microwave, covered, in 15-second increments until hot.

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Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Easy homemade enchilada sauce requires just one pot, an assortment of flavourful spices, and four simple steps to make. The best part? It takes less than 15 minutes to make but tastes like something that took a lot of effort. It's flavoured with a delicious combination of spices including cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic, and oregano. Homemade enchilada sauce is most popularly served with enchiladas, but you can even use it in soups, stuffed peppers, casseroles, rice, and more.

Why You'll Love Easy Enchilada Sauce

Timeless Mexican flavours that just work well. Red enchilada sauce is made with a combination of dried Mexican spices including paprika, garlic, chili, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper which are all standard seasonings every cook should have in their kitchen-and there's a reason why. They're timeless classics. And they taste great together.
Non-perishable ingredients. The chances are, you have almost everything you need to make this enchilada sauce right now. Dry seasoning, vegetable oil, and tomato paste all have long shelf lives, which means you can stock up on these ingredients and make it whenever you want without worrying the ingredients going bad.
Ingredients that you recognize. Plus, since you know all the ingredients that are going into the sauce, you know exactly what is in homemade enchilada sauce. So you can rest assured that there are no unnecessary ingredients or fillers in here, unlike some of the store-bought alternatives.
Enjoy this thick, indulgent sauce. This easy red enchilada sauce is thick thanks to the flour and the time you spend reducing the liquid out. The sauce has the perfect consistency to eat with enchiladas or anything else you want to dip in it.

Ingredients

To make easy homemade enchilada sauce, you will need a small saucepan and the following ingredients:

avocado oil - or any vegetable oil that you have. This is use to sauté the spices to really bring out their flavours.
all-purpose flour - helps to thicken the enchilada sauce.
ground cumin
chili powder
paprika
garlic powder
dried oregano - you can also substitute with Italian seasoning.
salt and pepper
tomato paste
chicken stock - you can make this easy red enchilada sauce vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

How to Make the Best Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Make a roux. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until sizzling hot. Stir in flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to create a roux. (This is used to thicken the enchilada sauce).
Add spices. Whisk in cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well to mix evenly.
Add liquids. Add tomato paste and chicken stock and stir well to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency.
Cool. Set aside and let the enchilada cool to room temperature before using.

Tips and Tricks

Make it yours: Although this easy enchilada sauce is a standard and authentic recipe, don't be afraid to make it your own with substitutions. Add more or less spice depending on your taste. Take out some spices altogether if you don't like them. And add other dried spices like parsley, coriander, cilantro, basil, cayenne pepper, or onion.
How to store: Store leftover sauce enchilada sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to to one week. You may have to thin out the sauce with a little water or chicken stock if it has thickened up when storing in the refrigerator.
How to freeze: Allow enchilada sauce to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, allow the sauce to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for a few hours at room temperature until completely thawed.
How to reheat: Enchilada sauce is typically served cold or at room temperature. If you would like to reheat it, just heat it up in the microwave in 10-20 second increments until hot. You can also reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, frequently stirring until hot. If the sauce becomes too thick, add some water or stock to thin it out.

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

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Chicken Enchiladas

Easy baked chicken enchiladas brings the taste of authentic Mexican food into your kitchen - saucy, spicy, and savoury. Baked to perfection, this restaurant-quality meal can be made easily at home. With a delicious red enchilada sauce, Mexican cheese blend, and a pop of jalapeño peppers, these easy chicken enchiladas are a flavourful dish the whole family with enjoy. They are complete and filling on their own, or you can create an entire Mexican fiesta and serve with lime cilantro rice and beans. Enjoy Mexican enchiladas any time of the day!

Why You'll Love These Baked Chicken Enchiladas

Baked. These easy chicken enchiladas are baked in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes. The results are crispy, cheesy tops and perfectly blended flavours in a hot meal that tastes amazing fresh out of the oven or reheated the next day. Seriously, leftovers might even taste better.
Chicken. Chicken is a mood-boosting protein that helps provide a balanced flavour to these baked enchiladas. Boneless, skinless breasts are easy to cook and a healthy, lean source of protein.
Enchiladas. Easy baked chicken enchiladas are a take on a Mexican favourite that dates back to the Aztecs. It's no wonder why the tradition of rolling food in tortillas is still around. It's delicious! These enchiladas are slightly spicy, too, with a little kick from some jalapeño.

They're baked chicken enchiladas. What more is there to say?

Ingredients

To make these easy baked chicken enchiladas, you will need the following ingredients:

vegetable oil - I used avocado oil.
yellow onion
chicken breasts - you need two chicken breasts (or 1 pound total). You can also substitute with 1. cup shredded chicken, leftover roast chicken, or store-bought rotisserie chicken.
jalapeño peppers
salt and pepper
red enchilada sauce - you can use homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought - whatever makes your life easier!
flour tortillas - make your own homemade flour tortillas - they are easier than you think!
cheese - I would recommend a Mexican blend (Tex-Mex) of cheese. You can also use any cheese that shreds and melts easily such as cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese.
fresh cilantro - for serving
sour cream - for serving.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large skillet or shallow saucepan, and a 9x13 baking pan.

How to Make the Best Chicken Enchiladas

Make the chicken. Heat oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes over medium high heat until sizzling hot. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Then, add diced chicken and stir well to cook evenly until fully cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Add jalapeño, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce. Stir well until evenly combined. Set it aside.

Roll up the enchiladas.
- Evenly spread 1-2 tablespoons enchilada sauce on each tortilla wrap.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded cheese across the centre and top with 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on top.
- Carefully roll up each tortilla wrap with chicken filling.

Assemble.
- Add and evenly spread 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.
- Arrange the rolled enchiladas in the baking pan with the seam side down.
- Pour and spread the remaining sauce evenly over top, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake the enchiladas. Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve. Serve warm with cilantro and sour cream, if desired.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

How to serve: Enchiladas taste great in their own but are even better when served with rice and beans. Whether you prefer Cilantro Lime Rice, Spanish Rice, Steamed White Rice, or brown rice, you can't go wrong. For beans, consider black beans, pinto beans, or Refried Beans.
How to store: Store baked chicken enchiladas in a shallow airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow the enchiladas to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge, and eat within 3-4 days.
How to reheat: Easily reheat enchiladas in the microwave. Cover the top, but allow the air to escape in they are in a container. Reheat in 20-second increments until hot. You can also reheat these easy chicken enchiladas in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes, or in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes or until hot.

More Mexican Recipes

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Chicken and Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Simple, healthy, and flavourful chicken and couscous with sun-dried tomatoes takes under 30 minutes to prep and cook. Pan-seared and sliced chicken cutlets are tossed into a bowl of light and fluffy couscous, pan-fried red onions and sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. This quick and easy dinner is perfect for busy weeknights. In fact, you can make things even faster by using rotisserie chicken. Either way, once you pick up a fork you won't be able to put it back down. This one is definitely a keeper.

Chicken dinners are always on the menu around here because they are so quick to make, super tasty, and perfect for weeknight meal planning. Especially when we are talking about chicken and couscous which checks off all the boxes and more. There's no reason you can't get this on the table tonight!

Some of my other favourite dinners for busy people are: Healthy Lemon Chicken, Glazed Honey Balsamic Pork Chops, Italian Meatballs, Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken, and Kung Pao Chicken.

Ingredients

To make this easy chicken and couscous with sun-dried tomatoes, you will need the following ingredients:

butter
couscous - I used whole wheat couscous, but you can use any kind. Couscous is perfect if you are in the mood for something light, yet satisfying. It's not as heavy as pasta, but it's filling just the same.
chicken cutlets - you will need 2 chicken cutlets (about ½ - ¾ pound total). A chicken cutlet is a chicken breast that has been sliced in half horizontally into 2 thinner pieces. This makes the chicken cook up incredibly quick on the stove. But this meal would be equally delicious with shredded chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. Use whatever makes your life easier!
salt and pepper
olive oil
red onion
sun-dried tomatoes - I love cooking with sun-dried tomatoes. They have such an intense flavour so you only need a small amount to pack a big punch. Start with ¼ cup, but if you love the flavour as much as I do, you can drizzle some of the reserved oil that they're packed in onto the cooked couscous in place of regular olive oil. So delicious!
fresh basil

You will also need a small saucepan and a skillet (or sauté pan).

How to Make the Best Chicken and Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Make the couscous. In a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add couscous, stir, then cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Set aside until needed.
Cook the chicken. Use a paper towel and pat dry the chicken cutlets completely. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When shimmering, add chicken and cook until evenly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken and place on a plate. When cool, cut into bite-size pieces.
Sauté aromatics. In the same skillet, add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
Combine and serve. In a large bowl, combine cooked couscous, chicken, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. Stir to combine, then serve garnished with additional basil and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tips and Tricks

How to serve. Chicken and couscous is a complete meal on it's own. But you can certainly pair it with a few more dishes if you would like. I often pair this with a fresh salad on the side such as Chopped Asparagus Salad, Mediterranean Chickpea Wedge Salad, Persian Shirazi Salad with Cucumber and Tomato, and Greek Salad.
Use rotisserie chicken. The chicken cutlets cook up so fast on the stove, but this would be just as delicious with shredded rotisserie chicken. Use whatever makes your life easier.
How to store. Chicken and couscous with sun-dried tomatoes is best served fresh. You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat on the stove over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You may want to add another drizzle of olive oil if it has dried up too much when stored and reheated.

More Chicken Breast Recipes

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Two Fast Second Birthday Party

Our cute and smart little man officially turned 2 years old! We are still in denial as to how fast this has happened. What they say about the days being long and the years being short is so true. In celebration of his second birthday, we got so lucky that some restrictions were lifted in our province just before his birthday so we were able to host an outdoor party for up to 10 people. We invited his closest little buddies and families and celebrated with a "Two Fast" second birthday party. If you are looking for some party inspiration, then you have come to the right place. I am sharing ideas on every detail for an epic race car theme party including decor, party favors, desserts and recipes.

Two Fast Birthday Party

The craze these days is all about birthday themes that focus around a pun based on the age of the child. Last year, we threw a "Wild One" Safari Birthday, so it was only fitting to follow in tradition and throw something fit for our two year old. We considered a few popular themes like a space theme (Two the Moon), a jungle party (Two Wild), and an ice cream theme (Two Sweet). But based on Kai's interests, we ultimately picked a race car theme (Two Fast, Two Fast Two Furious, or Do Not Grow Up Two Fast) as he is obsessed with all things cars and wheels.

If you have planned a themed party for your child, you know that it takes countless hours of research and planning to put it all together. The party was not as elaborate this year as it was last year (since I wasn't sure we would even be able to throw something for him this year), but nonetheless, it still took a lot of time to put together. Lucky for you, I am sharing every last detail with you so that you don't have to spend too much time planning.

Two Fast Dessert Table with Decor

>> Two Fast Car Theme Decor

Let's talk about the decor, aka the items that basically brings the theme of your party to life. I have linked everything I used for Kai's two fast second birthday party below (in affiliate links).

Balloons - This year, I went with helium balloons instead of a balloon garland. I picked a race car themed balloon pack with a combination of red balloons, white balloons, and black balloons, with a large silver number 2 balloon in the middle, and secured with a red balloon weight. You can pump your own helium balloons using a helium tank, or get them pumped at your local party store.
Checkered flags - These checkered flags are a great addition to a race car birthday. A checkered garland would also look amazing.
Toy cars - I placed a few die cast toy cars on the dessert table to complete the look.
Traffic signs - I used this traffic light from my son's train set. This set of traffic signs would also look great on the dessert table.
Speed limit sign - I made a "Speed Limit 2" sign on the computer and printed it out. I cut it out and framed it in a clear picture frame.
Traffic cone - I placed two of the checkered flags into a small traffic cone.
Table cloth - A black tablecloth was perfect for this theme.
Road - A great decor piece are these play tape black roads. You can stick them on the table, on the wall to create a backdrop, or anywhere else.
Plates - Red plates fit well in the theme. You can also use white plates, black plates or checkered plates. And don't forget checkered napkins and checkered straws.

>> Two Fast Car Theme Desserts

The desserts are also something that needs to be carefully planned. These items are basically extra decorations on your dessert table.

Cake - we purchased Kai's birthday cake from a local baker. We topped it off with a "Two Fast" cake topper and long thin silver candles. For a more economical option, you can make your own cake. You can adapt the following recipes to make a layered cake: vanilla cake, double chocolate cake, or lemon cake, and decorate with fondant. To decorate your cake in line with the race car theme, try using car fondant cutters. You could also top the cake with small race cars.
Cupcakes - I made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream, topped them with an oreo, and called them "spare tires". I placed the cupcakes in striped cupcake cups. You could also top any cupcakes with race car cupcake toppers.
Sugar cookies - we purchased two fast sugar cookies from a local baker, but for a more economical option you can make your own sugar cookies with royal icing.
Cake pops - Cake pops are always a fun addition to any birthday party. Try our vanilla cake pops or chocolate cake pops. You will also need cake pop sticks and a cake pop display such as this wooden cake pop stand that we used last year.

Browse through following bite-sized desserts for more inspiration on some of my favourite bite-sized desserts and treats to serve at any birthday party.

Homemade Fudgesicles

Chocolate Mousse Cake

M&M Christmas Cookies

Old Fashioned Apple Fritters

The Best Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Nanaimo Bars

This Mother's Day, treat someone special (or yourself!) to these beautifully light, airy, and fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream. | aheadofthyme.com

Mother's Day Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream

No Bake Bird's Nest Cookies

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Icebox Cake

Fresh Fruit Tart

Vanilla Cake

Strawberry Cupcakes

Crepe Cake

Chocolate Layer Cake

Millionaire's Shortbread

Homemade Glazed Donuts

Peanut Butter Balls

Palmiers

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Nutella Cookies

Chocolate Covered Oreos

Monster Cookies

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

S'mores Bars

Strawberry Muffins

Rice Krispies Treats

Brownie Cookies

Robin's Egg Cupcakes

Italian Easter Cookies

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Oreo Brownies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Madeleines

Lofthouse Cookies are super soft, moist, and thick, classic grocery store cookies made of a cakey sugar cookie, sweet buttercream frosting, and sprinkles. | aheadofthyme.com

Lofthouse Cookies (Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies)

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Pecan Pie Brownies

Jello Jigglers

Apple Cake

Blueberry Cake

Cherry Crumb Bars

Lemon Curd Cookies

S'mores Cookies

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Sugar Cookie Bars

Vanilla Pudding

Banana Pudding

Mango Sago

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

French Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Nutella Mousse Cups

Easter Bark

Easter Blondies

Persian Love Cake

Flourless Banana Brownies

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Caramel Brownies

Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Butter Cookies

Individual Apple Crisp

Applesauce Bread

Mango Frozen Yogurt

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones

Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

Fudgy Brownies

Lemon Sweet Rolls

Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Cute raspberry and white chocolate heart-shaped shortbread cookies literally melt in your mouth. They are the perfect Valentine's Day treat. | aheadofthyme.com

Raspberry and White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Pecan Snowball Cookies

Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Trick or Treat! Easy to make and decorate, bite-sized spooky chocolate cake pops packed with chocolate and sprinkles are the perfect Halloween treat. | aheadofthyme.com

Spooky Halloween Chocolate Cake Pops

Caramel Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

Chewy chocolate chip peanut butter granola bars are healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Prep them in just 10 minutes to snack on for weeks. | aheadofthyme.com

Chewy Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

These melt-in-your-mouth, homemade baked jelly donuts, coated in sugar and filled with sweet strawberry jam, are so soft, fluffy, spongy and airy. | aheadofthyme.com

Baked Jelly Donuts with Strawberry Jam

Small batch almond biscotti are crunchy, crumbly and packed with almonds, perfect for dunking into tea or coffee, and they are super easy to make. | aheadofthyme.com

Easy Small Batch Almond Biscotti

Brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip banana bread cookie bites are thick, fluffy, pillowy, cake-like little bites of banana bread heaven. | aheadofthyme.com

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

Grab a tall glass of milk and start dipping the best homemade, soft-centered, chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies you will ever try! | aheadofthyme.com

The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Vanilla Cake Pops from Scratch

Easy Homemade Apple Hand Pies

Caramel Cheesecake Brownies

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Heart Cookies

Four Quick and Easy RITZ Cracker Recipes

Persian Rice Cookies with Poppy Seeds (Nan-e Berenji)

Food and Snacks for a Car Themed Birthday Party

When it comes to birthday parties, it's all about the finger foods and dips (the less messy the better right?). Swipe through my favourite hand-held party food recipes below. Don't forget some squeeze pouches or crackers for any little ones.

Healthy Vegan Chickpea Tacos

Baked mashed potato spring rolls combine creamy cheesy mashed potatoes with crispy golden wrappers for the ultimate JOEY copycat appetizer. | aheadofthyme.com

Baked Mashed Potato Spring Rolls (JOEY Copycat)

Apple Nachos are a quick, healthy snack made with crisp apples, nut butter, and toppings. Fun, customizable, and ready in minutes! | aheadofthyme.com

Apple Nachos (Easy and Healthy Snack)

Baked Cheddar Cheese Sticks

Mexican Ground Beef Tacos

Fresh, light, and healthy Vietnamese Salad Rolls are filled with shrimp, vegetables, and herbs, and served with a delicious homemade peanut dipping sauce. | aheadofthyme.com

Vietnamese Salad Rolls with Shrimp and Peanut Dipping Sauce

Easy Tzatziki Sauce is a cool, creamy Greek dip made with thick Greek yogurt, crisp cucumber, zesty lemon juice, and fresh dill. Quick and easy too! | aheadofthyme.com

Easy Tzatziki Sauce (Yogurt Cucumber Dip)

French Bread Pizza

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw

Cheeseburger Sliders

Pico de Gallo

Guacamole

Ricotta Crostini with Peas and Mint

Sweet Potato Tater Tots

Homemade Baked Potato Chips

Cheese Board

Air Fryer Pizza Rolls

Pizza Fries

Caprese Skewers

Cauliflower Tots

Homemade Taquitos

Cheese Quesadilla

Chicken Meatballs

Baked Chicken Quesadillas

Toasted Ravioli

Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Homemade Kettle Corn

Turkey and Cheese Sliders

Cheesy Baked Zucchini with Marinara

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Bites

Homemade Ranch Dip

Green Bean Fries

Lobster Rolls

Tortilla Strips

Shrimp Cakes

Deviled Eggs

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites

Chicken Salad

Spinach Cheese Rolls

Chicken Nachos

Pizza Dip

Vegetarian Quesadillas

Pizza Crescent Rolls

7 Layer Dip

Greek Fries

Chili Nachos

Homemade Popcorn

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

This easy charcuterie board is the perfect appetizer to impress with minimal effort- made with cheese, cured meats, crackers, dips, olives, fruit, and nuts. | aheadofthyme.com

How to Make a Charcuterie Board

Veggie Tray

Tex Mex Egg Muffins

Candied Pecans

Homemade Applesauce

Grilled Cheese Roll Ups

Caramelized Onion Dip

Fish Stick Tacos

Homemade Fish Sticks

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Mango Salsa

Homemade Pickles

Fig crostini topped sweet, juicy figs, tangy goat cheese and crunchy pistachios is flavourful, delicious, and perfect for snacking on or entertaining. | aheadofthyme.com

Fig Crostini with Goat Cheese and Pistachios

Baked Cauliflower Nuggets

Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs

Pesto Hummus

Sweet Chili Chicken Bites

Sheet Pan Nachos

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze

Whipped Ricotta Dip

Whipped Ricotta Crostini

Homemade Tater Tots with Bacon

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Homemade Calzones

Baked BBQ Chicken Wings

Baked Spinach Dip

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

Baked Apple Chips

The Best Egg Salad Sandwich

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Korean Beef Steak Tacos

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

The BEST breaded fried chicken wings -- extra crispy and crunchy outside, tender and juicy inside. You can't even tell they're air fried, not deep-fried! | aheadofthyme.com

The Best Breaded Fried Chicken Wings (Air Fryer)

Classic Hummus

Curried White Bean Crostini with Toasted Pepitas

Turkey pinwheels are bite-sized finger food perfection and will make back-to-school lunch planning for the kids, entertaining guests at lunchtime, or serving appys at game day a total breeze! | aheadofthyme.com

Back to School Turkey Pinwheels

You will be amazed by how crispy these baked Asian chicken wings turn out! We add sriracha for heat, honey for sweetness, and ginger to balance the flavours. | aheadofthyme.com

Crispy Baked Asian Chicken Wings

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spicy Mayo (Cactus Club Copycat)

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Cracker Bites

Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

Four Quick and Easy RITZ Cracker Recipes

Fish Tacos with Lime Crema

Some of the most popular recipes that are always a hit with kids are:

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls - Easy pepperoni pizza rolls are crispy on the bottom, tender and chewy inside, packed with pepperoni and cheese, and baked until bubbly. A total crowd pleaser!
Homemade Tater Tots - Homemade tater tots with bacon are golden and crispy on the outside, yet soft and tender inside. They're packed with flavour and a total family favourite.
Fried Mac and Cheese Balls - Fried mac and cheese balls are crispy on the outside, creamy and cheesy on the inside, and have the perfect crunch. Best way to use leftover mac and cheese.
Baked Mozzarella Sticks - Crunchy, cheesy, and paired with an awesome dipping sauce, these baked mozzarella sticks are just as amazing as what you would find in a restaurant!
Homemade Calzones - Homemade calzones are delicious little pizza pockets filled with cheese and toppings and baked until golden. This Italian favourite is easy to make at home.
Egg Salad Sandwich - The best egg salad sandwich is a quick and easy picnic classic loaded with perfect hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, a touch of dijon mustard and green onions.

In line with the race car theme party, label little tent cards with creative phrases to describe the food such as:

spare tires
pit stop
fueling station
service your engine
dip sticks
transmission fluid
nuts and bolts

Birthday Party Drinks

You can't have a birthday party without some juice. Serve some refreshing lemonade or iced tea, or even some bubble tea.

Strawberry Lemonade

Homemade Peach Iced Tea

Three ways to make bubble tea at home is a lot easier than you think! Made with real ingredients, this recipe is delicious, refreshing, and healthy. | aheadofthyme.com

How to Make Bubble Tea

Car Party Favors

For the party favors, I created little portable fuel tanks for each child using a red favor box with a black nozzle rolled out of black construction paper and tape onto the side. I then used black alphabet stickers to stick on the words "Gas" on top of each box.

I filled each box with 2 ballons, car themed stickers, a small car, and a pack of play-doh. To complete the look, you can add a car thank you sticker on the other side of the favor box. For the display, I create a tent card with the phrase "fueling station".

Baked Curried Chicken Drumsticks

Baked curried chicken drumsticks are an easy to make dinner with quick prep and minimal dishes. These drumsticks are tender, delicious, and packed with so much flavour from its delicious marinade made of yellow curry powder, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and paprika. It's seriously the most flavourful way of adding protein into your diet. Plus, marinate the chicken in advance to make dinner even faster on a busy weeknight -- all you have to do is pop them in the oven about 45 minutes before dinner. Plus, the longer you marinate them, the more flavour they will absorb.

Why You'll Love Baked Curried Chicken Drumsticks

Yellow curry is delicious and nutritious. Baked curried chicken drumsticks are full of flavour thanks to yellow curry powder. This special blend of coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek provides great taste and boasts health benefits.
The secret ingredients. Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce shine in the marinade for these baked curried chicken drumsticks. These two ingredients help break down the proteins and fats, which means more tender meat. Plus, they add a dash of sweetness with no added sugars.
Great on their own or with sides. These baked curried chicken drumsticks make a great meal by themselves, and they pair well with any sides you can think of such as Coconut Rice, Crispy Leaf Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, or Roasted Cauliflower.

Ingredients

To make baked curried chicken drumsticks, you will need a large half sheet baking pan and the following ingredients:

chicken drumsticks - You need about 3 lbs. or 10 drumsticks. I keep the skin on because crispy skin is everything. You can remove the skin if you prefer, but the texture may be slightly drier.
olive oil
garlic
salt and pepper
paprika
yellow curry powder
Worcestershire sauce
balsamic vinegar
fresh parsley - optional, for garnish when serving.

How to Make the Best Baked Curried Chicken Drumsticks

Marinate the chicken. In a small mixing bowl, combine oil, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, curry powder, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and mix well with a spoon until smooth. Using a paper towel, pat dry the chicken drumsticks. Place them into a ziploc bag, along with the marinade, and toss to combine with the chicken. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Press the marinade around the chicken thighs to fully coat. Place the ziploc bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
Bake the chicken. Arrange the marinated chicken drumsticks on a large half sheet baking pan and bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, turning over once halfway through baking, until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature for the chicken reaches 165 F as read on a meat thermometer.
Serve. Let the drumsticks cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store: Allow the chicken drumsticks to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a shallow airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to reheat: Reheat these baked curried chicken drumsticks uncovered in a 325 F preheated oven for about 20 minutes until warmed through. You can brush or spray them with oil for extra crispy skin. You can also reheat them in the microwave (in increments of 20 seconds until heated all the way through), but they retain their taste and texture better when reheated in the oven.
How to freeze: Allow the cooked chicken drumsticks to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Eliminate as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Chicken Recipes

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Italian Meatballs

Quick and easy homemade Italian meatballs are juicy, flavourful, and delicious. They are seasoned with herbs, garlic, and Parmesan cheese, pan-seared in olive oil, and simmered in a rich and savoury tomato sauce. The best part? You can make these Italian meatballs in just 30-minutes, making them the perfect weeknight dinner. Serve them on their own, over pasta, or in a meatball sandwich. Plus, you can make a bigger batch and freeze any extras for an even quicker meal on a lazy day.

Why You'll Love Italian Meatballs

The beef flavours the sauce. For this recipe, you'll sear the Italian meatballs before transferring them out of the pan. Then, using the juices left behind, you'll create the flavourful and rich tomato sauce with garlic, onion, bay leaves, and crushed tomatoes. The result is an amazing and flavourful tomato sauce to smother your meatballs in.
And the sauce flavours the beef. Once you've created the sauce, the meatballs return to the pan to simmer, allowing the naturally occurring msg in the tomatoes to bring out the umami flavour in the beef. The result is beefy, saucy goodness all around.
Meatballs are more versatile than you think. When you make them, serve them with your favourite pasta. The next day, reheat some leftover Italian meatballs in tomato sauce to have on their own or in a meatball sandwich. After that, mix them into a meat sauce. The options are endless!

Ingredients

To make these easy Italian meatballs in tomato sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

ground beef
breadcrumbs
milk
egg
garlic
fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
olive oil - for cooking.

There are plenty of ways to customize these family-favourite meatballs to change things up every once in a while. You can experiment with different flavours, but always be sure to include binding ingredients such as eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, or milk.

For the tomato sauce, you will need:

onion
garlic
crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
bay leaves
salt and pepper

You will also need a large mixing bowl and a large skillet or shallow saucepan.

How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Prepare the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef with breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well and form the mixture into a uniform consistency. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll them into meatballs. Set aside.
Cook the meatballs. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or shallow saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles. Slowly add the meatballs and gently stir to cook until browned on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Make sure to stir gently to prevent meatballs from disintegrating. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside (Note that the meatballs are not fully cooked at this point).
Make the tomato sauce. In the same skillet, add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper.
Add meatballs and simmer. Return the meatballs to the skillet and bring the sauce mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover the lid and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked.
Serve. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan if desired and serve immediately over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store: If you have any leftover Italian meatballs in tomato sauce, store them in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to allow the meatballs to cool to room temperate before storing them in the refrigerator.
How to freeze: Meatballs freeze beautifully (both cooked and uncooked).
- To freeze uncooked meatballs: Place the shaped meatballs on a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Then, transfer the meatballs into a freezer bag or freezer-safe airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook, allow the meatballs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then cook as per recipe instructions on the stove.
- To freeze cooked Italian meatballs: Once they have cooled, store the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container or freezer bag (leaving room for expansion) for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: Reheat in a shallow saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may need to add a little water if the sauce thickened up too much in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can reheat the meatballs in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments. Be sure to cover the bowl to avoid tomato sauce splatter.

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Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs

Slow cooker Korean short ribs deliver complex Asian flavours with little effort. Simply add all your ingredients into the crockpot, leave it to cook all day, and impress the whole family for dinner. Layers of soft and tender bone-in short ribs, carrots, and potatoes swim in a delicious sauce made of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sesame. Settle for sweetness or turn up the heat by adding crushed red pepper-either way, these slow cooker Korean short ribs will turn out amazing.

Why You'll Love Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs

Incredible flavour in every bite. Bathed in a Korean-inspired marinade for over 4 hours, the potatoes, carrots, and ribs absorb all the delicious flavours of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame, and honey. Paired with white rice, these slow cooker Korean short ribs give you the perfect bite every time.
Forget about it. Crockpots are the unsung heroes of the kitchen. Prepare this recipe when you have time, then forget about it. Cook for 4-10 hours-whatever fits into your schedule-and reap the benefits of a timely process without investing your energy. The easiest dinner ever.
Be careful, you might get addicted. Korean barbecue features some of the best flavours out there. Adjust to your desired level of spiciness and rejoice in these slow cooker Korean short ribs with potatoes and carrots. Total comfort food.

Ingredients

To make these easy slow cooker Korean short ribs, you will need a crockpot and the following ingredients:

beef short ribs - you need 4-6 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs, about 10 two-inch pieces.
potatoes
carrots
soy sauce
beef broth - use storebought beef broth or homemade beef bone broth.
honey - honey adds sweetness can is often replaced with fruit, such as 1 cup of cubed pear instead.
onion
garlic
sesame seeds
ginger
sesame oil
crushed red pepper - optional, for a spicy kick. For a more authentic Korean spice, check your local grocery's international foods aisle for gochujang-Korean chili paste. Add as much as you like and enjoy.
for serving - steamed rice, sesame seeds, and green onions.

How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs

Add ribs and vegetables. Add short ribs, potatoes and carrots into a 6-qt slow cooker (crockpot).
Make the sauce. In a food blender, add remaining ingredients and puree for 1 minute until smooth. Transfer the the sauce into the crockpot. The sauce should almost cover the short ribs. If not, add a little more beef stock or water.
Cook. Close the lid and set to cook for 8-10 hours on LOW or 4-6 hours on HIGH. When time is up, the slow cooker will automatically switch to the WARM setting.

Thicken the sauce. Transfer 1 cup of the cooked sauce to a shallow saucepan and add 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, until thickened to a desired consistency. Transfer the thickened sauce back in the slow cooker and stir well to mix. This is to thicken up the sauce.
Serve. Serve the short ribs over steamed rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions on top.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store: Store any leftover crockpot Korean short ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to reheat: Reheat slow cooker Korean short ribs covered in the microwave in increments of 20-30 seconds until hot. Alternately, reheat in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
How to freeze: Allow the short ribs to cool to room temperature before freezing. Transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container, and leave some room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

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Baked Cauliflower Nuggets

Healthy baked cauliflower nuggets are crispy and toasty on the outside, and soft and tender inside. With a crispy and well-seasoned panko breadcrumb and Parmesan breading, these healthy cauliflower bites taste even better than they look. They're a delicious vegetarian alternative to traditional chicken nuggets, and you won't even miss the meat! Plus, they are baked in the oven for just 15 minutes, making them even healthier than a fried option. Serve cauliflower nuggets as an appetizer, snack or lunch dipped in your favourite sauce, or serve it for dinner as a delicious side dish.

Why You'll Love Healthy Baked Cauliflower Nuggets

Parmesan panko breading! Turn roasted cauliflower into healthy baked cauliflower nuggets by coating them with a Parmesan-panko breading. The breading adds incredible flavour and helps the exterior of the cauliflower become super crispy.
Tastes and feels fried-but isn't. By spraying these healthy baked cauliflower bites with cooking oil, you replicate an air fryer in your oven. The results are perfectly cooked breaded cauliflower bites that taste fried but are so much healthier!
A delicious way to add cauliflower to your diet. Cauliflower is high in fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants. Because of this, some people consider cauliflower a superfood. Either way, it's a veggie you want in your diet-and making healthy baked cauliflower nuggets is the perfect way to do just that.

Ingredients

To make these healthy baked cauliflower nuggets, you will need the following ingredients:

cauliflower florets - you need 3 cups of small cauliflower florets which is what you will get from roughly one small head of cauliflower.
Panko breadcrumbs - or you can make these cauliflower bites gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs or crush up a gluten-free cereal like Rice Chex or Corn Chex.
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
paprika
salt and pepper
eggs
cooking oil spray

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, and a large half sheet baking pan.

How to Make the Best Baked Cauliflower Nuggets

Combine breadcrumb mixture. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, until evenly combined.
Coat the cauliflower. Place beaten eggs into a small bowl. Dip the cauliflower florets in the eggs and then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture. You can gently press the crumbs into the cauliflower florets to adhere as much as possible to them. Transfer the breaded cauliflower to a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper. Spray them evenly with cooking oil spray.
Bake. Bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately with a side of your favourite dipping sauce such as ranch or BBQ sauce.

Tips and Tricks

How to store: Healthy baked cauliflower nuggets will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
How to reheat: Reheat cauliflower bites in a 300F preheated oven or air fryer for 5-10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the microwave but their texture will be different as they won't be as crispy.
How to make vegan cauliflower nuggets: You can make these dairy-free by omitting the Parmesan cheese. If you don't want to lose out on the cheesy flavour, you can substitute it with vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast. To make them completely vegan, you can also substitute the egg with a vegan egg binder substitute.
How to make gluten-free breaded cauliflower bites: You can make these cauliflower bites gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs or crush up a gluten-free cereal like Rice Chex or Corn Chex.

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Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are basically my go-to cookie for any holiday. And one of my favourite holidays for making and decorating sugar cookies is Easter. The gorgeous pale tones, the intricate designs, the colourful variety. Easter egg sugar cookies are the definition of edible art.

Easter egg sugar cookies are golden brown and crisp on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, and decorated with cute patterns using a meringue-based royal icing. And who says art has to be complicated? You certainly don't have to be Picasso to create a masterpiece. A few swirls here, a few polka dots there, and a few stripes is all you need to create adorable, simple Easter egg sugar cookies.

For more cute Easter treats, browse through my most popular Easter dessert recipes.

Ingredients in Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

You will need the following ingredients to make these cute Easter egg sugar cookies:

unsalted butter - If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it, but leave out the extra salt in the recipe.
granulated sugar
egg
vanilla extract
baking powder
salt
all-purpose flour
royal icing - Easy to make with confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, water, vanilla extract.
gel food colouring - for decorating the cookies with different colours.

Kitchen Tools and Equipment

You will also need the following kitchen tools and equipment:

measuring cups and spoons
mixing bowls
hand mixer or stand mixer
rolling pin
egg-shaped cookie cutter
half sheet baking pan and silicone baking mat (or parchment paper)
wire cooling rack
piping bags
couplers - for securing the tips to the piping bag.
no. 5 round tip for the base colour and no. 1 round tip or no. 2 round tip for piping the patterns.

How to Make the Best Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Turn the mixer to low speed and add baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour and mix until combined. Form the dough into a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour, up to overnight).
Cut out the cookies: Remove the dough from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is ¼-inch thick. Use an egg-shaped cookie cutter to cut out egg cookie shapes. I used a 2-inch one. Transfer the cookies onto a half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, placing them an inch apart. Re-roll any scraps and repeat to cut out more cookies.

Bake: Bake the cookies at 350 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the edges start to turn golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

How to Make Easy Royal Icing for Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Once you've baked the Easter egg sugar cookies and they have cooled completely, you can start making the royal icing. Traditionally, royal icing is made with raw egg whites, but you can actually use meringue powder in place of the egg whites (as we did) and still get icing that hardens beautifully with the same taste, texture and consistency as royal icing.

To make royal icing:

Combine ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with meringue powder. Add water and vanilla extract and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed, until smooth. If you find that the icing is too thick, add a little water (a teaspoon at a time). If you find the icing too thin, add a little more sugar.
Add colour: To colour the icing, add gel food colouring. You can also use liquid food colouring, but this will have a slight effect on the consistency of the icing. You may need to add a little more sugar to get the consistency right.

TIP: Once you have made the icing, I would suggest dividing it into smaller portions so that you can mix a few different colours. Note that when you are not using the icing, cover the bowl with a wet towel to prevent it from drying out.

How to Decorate Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Use a no. 5 round tip to outline the base colour on the sugar cookie, leaving about ⅛-inch from the edge, and fill in the inside. To get the icing completely to the edges, use the back of a spoon to spread the icing to the edge.
Allow the base to dry enough so that when you add icing on top, it won't smudge or blend into it. It doesn't have to be fully set, but set enough, about 20-30 minutes.
Use a thin no. 1 round tip to decorate the Easter egg cookies in cute patterns such as lines, squiggles and dots.

Tips

Plan ahead. You will need to plan ahead and give yourself enough time when making these cookies. The entire process spans over the course of a several hours, up to a day:
1. The cookies need to completely cool before icing for at least a few hours. Otherwise the icing will get too runny from the warm cookies and won't set properly.
2. If adding multiple layers of icing, you need to allow the bottom layer to dry first, at least 30 minutes.
3. The icing needs a few hours, up to a day, to completely set and harden, otherwise it can easily get smudged when storing, handling, or transporting, which is the last thing you want when you are storing them or getting ready to package them up as gifts.
How to store: Once the icing is completely set, store Easter egg sugar cookies in a single layer or stacked up in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to freeze: These sugar cookies also freeze really well. Place them in an airtight container, layered in between pieces of parchment paper and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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This post was originally published in 2017. It has been completely updated with new photographs and clearer instructions.

Miso Salmon

Baked miso salmon is the perfect meal to make when you're short on time or energy but still want a delicious and healthy dinner. This Japanese-inspired dish with miso, honey, and soy sauce pack a sweet and savoury punch in a tasty marinade that you can prepare last-minute. Marinate it for at least 30 minutes to absorb as much flavour as possible or simply let it sit while the oven preheats if you are short on time. It's the easiest weeknight dinner ever.

Why You'll Love This Miso Salmon

It's simple but delicious. Made with only five key ingredients-salmon, miso, honey, soy sauce, and olive oil-this baked miso salmon is easy to make and quick to prepare. But that doesn't mean it lacks any flavour!
Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is one of the best fish you can eat. Packed full of vitamins and minerals, salmon contains the essential healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids) your body needs to process and absorb nutrients. Not only does baked miso salmon taste great-you can feel good about eating it!
Miso contains healthy probiotics. As a fermented, cultured product, miso contains natural probiotics that assist with digestion and overall health. It can even relieve digestive pain from issues like IBS. Ditch the yogurt and have some miso!

What is Miso?

Miso is a traditional Japanese paste with a peanut butter-like consistency which consists of a fermented blend of soybeans, grains (usually rice or barley), salt, and cultures, and it dates way back to the eighth century. There are thousands of different kinds of miso with different ingredients, fermentation times, and flavours.

Miso is tangy and salty, with an umami taste that makes it a great addition to soups (such as Vegetarian Peanut Miso Ramen or Miso Chicken with Ramen), stews, dressings, gravies, sauces, and batters. It is most commonly recognized as the staple ingredient in popular miso soup in Japanese cuisine.

Ingredients

To make this easy miso salmon, you will need the following ingredients:

salmon fillets - about 1 pound, cut into 2-inch wide fillets
miso paste
honey
soy sauce
olive oil
ground black pepper
glaze - made with honey, soy sauce and sesame oil.
for serving - steamed rice, sesame seeds, and green onions.

You will also need measuring spoons, mixing bowl, and quarter sheet baking pan.

How to Make the Best Baked Miso Salmon

Marinate the salmon. In a small mixing bowl, combine miso paste, honey, soy sauce, olive oil and pepper and mix well with a spoon until smooth. In a large ziploc bag, add salmon and the miso mixture. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Gently press the marinade around the salmon fillets to coat. Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Bake. Remove the marinated salmon fillets out of the bag and place them evenly spaced apart onto a parchment-lined quarter sheet baking sheet. Bake in a 375 F preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, then remove from oven and let the salmon rest on the baking sheet at room temperature for 5 minutes. When salmon is cooked, the flesh will turn opaque and will flake easily when inserting a fork.
Add glaze and serve. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, honey and sesame oil and brush the glaze over salmon. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

How to Serve Miso Salmon

Serve miso salmon over a bowl of steamed rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top. You can also serve it over noodles, brown rice, quinoa or a side of vegetables. You can also assemble miso salmon into an Asian rice bowl with avocado, greens, cucumber, roe, and seaweed.

Tips and Tricks

Marinate time. I recommend marinating the salmon for at least 30 minutes to absorb the most flavour. But if you are short on time, you can simply let it sit while the oven preheats and still get a very flavourful fish.
Air fryer instructions. Place the salmon in a single layer into your air fryer basket (you make have to do this in batches). Air fry at 400F for about 10 minutes.
How to store. Baked miso salmon will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Store it in a shallow airtight container or wrap it tightly in foil.
How to reheat. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes, or in the microwave for about 1 minute. You can also reheat in a preheated oven or air fryer at 300F for about 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
How to freeze. Although you can freeze cooked salmon, it is not recommended as freezing will cause the cooked salmon to be rubbery and tough. Instead, portion and freeze fresh salmon. Then, thaw and prepare a portion of salmon that you can eat within a few days.

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Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Carrot bundt cake with cream cheese glaze is a showstopping festive cake that is light, fluffy, and moist. It is packed with grated carrots, cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, and walnuts for that warm holiday flavour and the best texture. The easy-to-make batter comes together in just 10 minutes, is baked in a round bundt cake pan, and comes out perfect every time. This carrot cake is topped with a homemade cream cheese glaze with walnuts on top. It's sweet, creamy, and savoury, and seriously looks just as amazing at it tastes. The perfect cake to make this spring for Easter.

Why You'll Love this Carrot Bundt Cake

Rich, flavourful taste. Cinnamon and vanilla are superstars together, but when you add shredded carrots, brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts, the flavour of this carrot bundt cake is out of this world. Vegetables have never tasted so good.
You can't go wrong with the classics. Although the bundt pan is German, the French, English, and Swiss all claim the original carrot cake recipe as their own-it's that good.
It's literally good for your eyes! While eating this cake every day might add more sugar to your diet than you want, this carrot cake is loaded with two cups of fresh carrots with a chock full of vitamin A, which aids in eye health!
Moist, cakey texture. Freshly grated carrots bring more than vitamin A to the table. They add moisture, volume, and natural sugars to this carrot bundt cake. Healthy fats from the olive oil also lock in moisture, resulting in a perfect cakey texture.

If you loved this carrot bundt cake with cream cheese glaze, then you will love Carrot Cake with Cheesecake Topping, Spiced Carrot Muffins, and Carrot Cake Biscotti.

Ingredients

To make this easy carrot bundt cake with cream cheese glaze, you will need the following ingredients:

all-purpose white flour
baking soda and baking powder
salt
ground cinnamon
carrots
raisins
walnuts
eggs
olive oil
light brown sugar
vanilla extract
cream cheese glaze - made with cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, and crushed walnuts to sprinkle on top.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, hand mixer (or stand mixer), 10-cup bundt pan, and wire cooling rack.

How to Make the Best Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, raisins and walnuts. Whisk together until evenly distributed and combined.
Combine wet ingredients. In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, sugar, vanilla and carrots until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into dry flour mixture and fold together using a spatula until just combined and no dry ingredients are visible.
Bake. Coat a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour the batter inside. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool. Let the carrot cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the bundt pan on a wire cooling rack, then turn it upside down onto the wire cooling rack to remove. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

How to Make Cream Cheese Glaze

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and milk (½ tablespoon at a time) and beat until smooth and desired consistency is reached. The icing should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the icing is too thin, add in a little more sugar. If it is too thick, add in a little more milk.

Use a spoon to slowly drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the cooled bundt cake and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.

Tips and Tricks

How to store: Store this freshly baked carrot bundt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (if cream cheese glaze has not been added), or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (if cream cheese glaze has been added).
How to freeze: This carrot bundt cake freezes beautifully. To freeze, cut the baked and cooled carrot bundt cake into the portions you will want to thaw. Then, wrap each piece tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Store in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. If possible, I would recommend freezing the cake before adding the glaze as it can smudge when storing. To eat, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
How to reheat: If desired, you can also warm up this carrot cake in the microwave, oven, or air fryer at 300F for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
How to make it dairy-free and vegan: This carrot bundt cake is already dairy-free without the frosting, and you can make it vegan by substituting the eggs with 1 cup of a vegan egg (like Just Egg) OR 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

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Sheet Pan Lamb Chops

Sheet pan lamb chops with vegetables are as delicious as they look, easy to make, and even easier to clean up. This one-pan meal leaves behind few dishes and gives you lots of flavours. Lemon, garlic, and rosemary are the most prominent flavours in this sheet pan dinner which pairs tender lamb chops perfectly with roasted potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. This meal is easy enough for busy weeknights but fancy enough for a holiday dinner.

Why You'll Love Sheet Pan Lamb Chops

Lamb chops do more than taste great. Lamb chops are a source of high-quality protein, and they contain iron, zinc, and B12. Marinated in garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard, these lamb chops taste amazing and will make you feel great.
Flavour combinations to die for. In addition to the marinated lamb chops, the flavours of garlic, lemon, and rosemary shine through in the sheet pan vegetables. Natural juices from the lamb chops help season the vegetables, while the roasted potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and onions add even more flavour.
Feel full of great food. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean giving up comfort food. These sheet pan lamb chops with vegetables make a feel-good filling meal that you won't feel guilty about.

Ingredients

To make these easy sheet pan lamb chops, you will need mixing bowls and a half sheet baking pan. You will also need the following ingredients:

lamb loin chops - 5 lamb chops, approximately 1.5 lbs. in total.
vegetables - I used potatoes, onion, carrots, and zucchini. Not a fan of all these vegetables? Make adjustments as you please! Sheet pan lamb chops with vegetables is a versatile recipe. Try adding or substituting cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, acorn squash, or any of your other favourite veggies.
olive oil
garlic
Italian seasoning
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
fresh rosemary
lemon juice - I recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice for the most potent flavour. Store-bought lemon juice can work too, just make sure it is 100% lemon juice and contains no sweeteners.

How to Make the Best Sheet Pan Lamb Chops with Vegetables

Marinate the lamb chops. Using a paper towel, pat dry the lamb chops completely and transfer into a large mixing bowl or ziploc bag. Season all sides generously with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary, lemon juice and dijon mustard and toss well to coat evenly. Set aside at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. This helps the lamb chops infuse all the flavours and cook evenly when the lamb is brought to room temperature.
Prepare the vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, add potatoes, onion, carrots, zucchini and garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss to combine until well coated. Arrange the vegetable mixture in a single layer on a large half sheet baking pan.
Roast the vegetables. Bake the vegetable mixture in a preheated 375 F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pan out of the oven and gently shake to ensure even cooking.
Add lamb and continue to roast. Arrange marinated lamb chops, head or garlic and rosemary sprigs on top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender and golden brown, and the internal temperature for the lamb chops should be about 130F as read on a meat thermometer.
Serve. Remove the pan out of the oven and let the lamb chops rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Serve lamb chops with roasted vegetables.

Tips and Tricks

How to customize: - Sheet pan lamb chops with vegetables is a completely versatile recipe. You can use the suggested vegetables in the recipe, or add in and substitute with any of your favourite veggies (which is also a great way to get rid of any vegetables sitting in the refrigerator). Try cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, or acorn squash. But before you throw your veggies in the oven, check to see if your veggies need more or less time to cook. Softer veggies like broccoli can be thrown in with the lamb chops, while harder ones like sweet potatoes need more time in the oven.
How to store: Store lamb chops and vegetables in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
How to freeze: Once cooled, you can store the lamb chops in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. To avoid freezer burn, wrap the lamb chops tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil before placing them in the container or freezer bag.

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Carrot Cake Biscotti

Carrot cake biscotti is crunchy, crumbly, and satisfies all your carrot cake cravings. Carrots and walnuts add that extra bit of seasonal flavour in these Italian cookies, making them a total crowd favourite whenever I bake them during the spring, or any time of year really. You can enjoy them as is, or with a drizzle of white chocolate on top for that extra bit of sweetness and flavour. So make up a pot of hot coffee or hot chocolate, because carrot cake biscotti are the ultimate cookie made for dunking.

Plus, these biscotti cookies are so easy to make in almost one bowl with a few simple ingredients and minimal prep. Just like Almond Biscotti and Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti, these cookies are twice baked (biscotti literally translates to twice-cooked), there are a few extra steps in making these than with traditional drop cookies, but the steps are so worth it. The cookie dough is formed into a log, baked and slightly cooled, then sliced and baked again on both sides to get the perfect crisp cookie. The best part? Biscotti lasts for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or months in the freezer.

Ingredients in Carrot Cake Biscotti

To make these delicious carrot cake biscotti, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in recipe card below):

eggs
brown sugar
olive oil
vanilla extract
all-purpose flour
baking powder
cinnamon
salt
carrots
walnuts - You can substitute the walnuts with any other type of nuts. Try pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts.
white chocolate - optional, for drizzling on top.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, hand mixer (or stand mixer), quarter sheet baking pan, and a wire cooling rack.

How to Make the Best Carrot Cake Biscotti

Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, add eggs and brown sugar. Beat together using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in olive oil and vanilla and beat together for another minute.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually stir in the wet ingredients, until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots and walnuts and bring the dough together with your hands. The dough should be able to hold together but will still be slightly sticky.
Shape the dough. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangular log. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 10x6 inches, and ½-inch thick.
Bake. Transfer to a quarter sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Slice: Remove from oven and allow it to cool down in the pan until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Transfer log to a cutting board and use a knife to cut into ¾-inch slices, crosswise. You should get about 14-16 slices, depending on how thick you rolled out the log.
Second bake: Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. Place the carrot cake biscotti back on the lined baking tray (standing up on its cut side) and bake for 12 minutes. Then remove from oven and flip the biscotti over to the other side. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden.

Cool and serve: Allow biscotti to cool in the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool down completely before serving or drizzling with chocolate on top.

How to Make the White Chocolate Drizzle

These carrot cake biscotti are amazing as is, but you can dress them up a little with a drizzle of white chocolate or cream cheese frosting. I opted for chocolate for easier storage (since with a cream cheese drizzle, the cookies would have to be stored in the refrigerator within 2 hours).

You can melt the white chocolate in one of two ways:

On the stove: Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Then, turn the heat to low and place a medium heatproof bowl on the mouth of the pot. Make sure that there is a gap of a few inches in between the bottom of the bowl and the water (You can also place a bowl on a steamer attachment on top of your pot). Add the white chocolate and stir constantly as it melts. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. This should take a few minutes.
In the microwave: The second way to melt chocolate (and an easier way) is in the microwave. Place a small heatproof bowl of white chocolate into the microwave and microwave in 30 second intervals. Remove the bowl at each interval and stir well. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted. Stir until completely smooth.

Once the cookies have cooled, use a small spoon and drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled biscotti. Allow the chocolate to harden and set before stacking and storing.

Tips and Tricks

How to adjust the texture: These biscotti are crunchy and slightly hard but still soft enough for an easy bite. You can bake these to the texture that you like. For extra crunchy and dry biscotti, bake them longer, for softer ones, then bake them for less time.
How to store: Store biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
How to freeze: Transfer the cooled biscotti into an airtight container or a freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as you can. Freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, let it thaw at room temperature first.

More Spring Desserts

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Lemon Asparagus Soup with Parmesan

Lemon asparagus soup with Parmesan is a smooth and creamy soup topped with blanched asparagus tips. It's a delicious spring soup packed with nutritious spring vegetables, seasonal flavours, and notes of lemony citrus. Onion, celery, garlic, potato, and asparagus come together to create a robust broth that is creamy without any cream. Plus, Parmesan cheese and butter add depth to this asparagus soup, making it a delicious dish whether it is served warm or cold.

Why You'll Love this Lemon Asparagus Soup with Parmesan

Lemon asparagus soup feels light but is packed with nutrients. This spring soup will leave you feeling satisfied without weighing you down. Full of fibre and essential vitamins like A, B6, C, and K, this spring soup nourishes your body and tastes great doing it!
The silky-smooth texture is to die for. The smooth and creamy texture of this spring soup is highlighted by the garnish: blanched asparagus tips and grated Parmesan cheese. Every texture of lemon asparagus soup is delightful.
It can be served hot or cold. Eating a winter soup cold seems sad-but having a spring soup cold is joyful. Just as delicious cold, your lemon asparagus soup leftovers will still wow the crowd.

Ingredients

To make this easy lemon asparagus soup with Parmesan, you will need a large stockpot (I used my 4 qt. dutch oven), and the following simple ingredients:

asparagus
butter
onion
celery
garlic
russet potato - adds creaminess to the soup without adding any cream. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes for creaminess.
chicken stock - you can also use vegetable stock if keeping this soup completely vegetarian.
lemon juice - freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the best flavour into this soup. You could substitute with store-bought 100% natural lemon juice.
Parmesan cheese - you can substitute with other types of cheese for a more robust cheesy flavour (such as cheddar).
salt and pepper - add salt and pepper to taste. I typically don't need to add any salt as I find the chicken stock and Parmesan cheese adds plenty of salty flavour.

How to Make the Best Lemon Asparagus Soup with Parmesan

Sauté aromatics. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, celery, and garlic, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add in the potatoes and asparagus (reserving a few of the tips to use later for garnish). Mix well until combined.
Simmer. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables have become soft and tender.
Blanch the asparagus tips. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and add the reserved asparagus tips. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water. Let cool, then drain.
Puree. Puree the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a blender and pour it back into the pot. Add the lemon juice and Parmesan, and stir until the cheese has melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve. Transfer the soup into serving bowls and top with blanched asparagus tips and extra Parmesan cheese on top.

Tips and Tricks

How to customize: Lemon asparagus soup with parmesan is a versatile spring soup that can be customized with your favourite herbs and vegetables to adjust the flavour to your liking. For example, you can add fresh basil, mint, parsley, or chives to make the soup more herby. You can add cooked rice after pureeing the soup to make it heartier.
How to garnish: I typically garnish the soup with the blanched asaparagus tips and extra Parmesan. I also like to sometimes garnish with a drizzle of cream, pine nuts, croutons, or red pepper flakes.
How to store: Store lemon asparagus soup covered in the pot or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
How to freeze: You can freeze this spring soup in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature on the kitchen counter for a few hours.
How to reheat: Reheat this soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through. You can add extra lemon juice or Parmesan, if desired. You may also have to add a splash of water to thin out the soup if it has thickened up too much when stored.

More Asparagus Recipes

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30 Best Easter Appetizers

Like most holidays, we need some savoury appetizers to snack on before we dig into our big Easter feast. Whether you are looking for the classics this spring such as deviled eggs, or something new but heavy on the spring produce, then you have come to the right place. Browse through the 30 most popular and best Easter appetizers including everything from tarts and crostini, dips and spreads, baked bites, and more.

Easter Appetizers

Asparagus Tart

Asparagus tart with Gruyère cheese, a balsamic glaze, and flaky puff pastry, is a flavourful and delicious addition to brunch or an Easter appetizer this spring season.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Classic deviled eggs are a simple and easy to whip up, go-to appetizer for lunch or dinner, or just as a snack. It's a classic Easter recipe you can't miss.

Easy Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze

Tomato bruschetta with balsamic glaze is an easy Italian appetizer topped with tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil and olive oil. Delicious, fresh and simple. It's one of my favourite Easter appetizers of all time.

Easy Charcuterie Board

This easy charcuterie board is the perfect appetizer to impress with minimal effort- made with cheese, cured meats, crackers, dips, olives, fruit, and nuts.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus and Melon

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus and melon are salty, sweet, and juicy. They are easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients, then cooked on the grill.

Pesto Hummus

Smooth and creamy pesto hummus is a healthy, delicious and flavourful dip that is easy to make in just 5 minutes. It's vegan and gluten-free.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns is a timeless classic Easter bread made with raisins, cinnamon, and a honey glaze. They are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or snack alongside your Easter meal.

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

Fried mac and cheese balls are crispy on the outside, creamy and cheesy on the inside, and have the perfect crunch. Best way to use leftover mac and cheese.

Veggie Tray

This homemade veggie tray is a quick easy healthy snack or appetizer to make for your next party, with a variety of colorful vegetables and delicious dips.

Crostini with Ricotta, Peas and Mint

Get ready for spring with this impressive and delicious spring appetizer -- crostini with creamy ricotta, fresh English peas and fragrant mint.

Whipped Feta

Whipped feta is light, airy, and fluffy. It's an easy yet impressive recipe that takes only 5 minutes to make in a blender with 3 simple ingredients.

Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

Vegetarian stuffed mushrooms are a delicious, flavorful, healthy, and nutritious appetizer. Plus, quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes including prep!

Deviled Egg Salad

Deviled Egg Salad is the perfect spring side dish! It has the signature tang and smokiness of deviled eggs with the pillowy texture of egg salad.

Spinach and Feta Quiche with Cauliflower Crust

Spinach and feta quiche is healthy and gluten-free with a keto cauliflower crust and savoury vegetarian filling. Serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Bacon wrapped chicken bites are one of the best appys ever - well seasoned tender juicy chicken is wrapped in bacon and oven-baked to crisp perfection.

Whipped Ricotta Dip

Light and airy, whipped ricotta dip is so easy to make in just 5 minutes with a few fresh ingredients including fresh herbs, olive oil, garlic, and honey.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Crispy baked coconut shrimp is a delicious appetizer that is easy to make in 30 minutes. They are more flavourful, tastier and healthier than takeout.

Cornmeal Cheddar Biscuits

Flaky cornmeal cheddar biscuits are simple, buttery, cheesy, and so delicious. These savoury biscuits with perfect golden tops are quick and easy to make.

Beet Hummus

Beet Hummus is a smooth and creamy vegan dip that is made with healthy ingredients including real beets. It's flavorful, delicious, vibrant and colorful.

Whipped Ricotta Crostini

Whipped ricotta crostini is a fancy easy appetizer to make in just minutes or prepare in advance and assemble before serving. A total crowd pleaser.

Sweet Chili Chicken Bites

Sticky crispy baked sweet chili chicken bites is better than takeout and so easy to make healthier at home. An easy dinner or appy.

Potato Galette with Arugula and Creme Fraîche

Potato galette with arugula and crème fraîche is a rich, light, and delicious savoury tart to serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A total crowd-pleaser.

Homemade Biscuits

Flaky, fluffy, buttery, and soft, these easy homemade biscuits come together with only a handful of ingredients you already have at home!

Whipped Feta Crostini

Whipped feta crostini with a herby olive topping is quick and easy snack or appetizer that is ready in less than 20 minutes - or 10 minutes if you're fast.

Baked Spinach Dip

Warm, rich, creamy baked spinach dip is a delicious and easy appetizer that is baked until warm and melty. Easy to make ahead and a total crowd pleaser.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers are crispy on the outside, creamy and cheesy inside, spicy, and wrapped in bacon. Easy to make in the air fryer or oven.

Mushroom and Spinach Flatbread

Mushroom and spinach flatbread is heaven on a place. It is ready in under 30 minutes, making it a life-saver appetizer or weeknight dinner!

Curried White Bean Crostini with Toasted Pepitas

Curried white bean crostini with toasted pepitas is the perfect, sophisticated holiday appetizer that is ready to serve in under 15 minutes.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Caramelized onion dip is creamy, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This easy appetizer is perfect for entertaining, on game day, or for a snack.

Fried Goat Cheese Balls

Fried Goat Cheese Balls are flavorful, delicious, and easy to make. With creamy, melty cheese oozing out of a crunchy, golden crust in every bite.

Easy Salted Soft Pretzels

The best quick and easy salted soft pretzels are buttery, salty, and so delicious. They are golden brown and chewy on the outside, yet warm and soft inside.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Smooth creamy roasted red pepper hummus is a delicious, flavourful, vegan + gluten-free dip. This healthy appetizer is easy to make with a few ingredients.

Greek Salad Hummus Flatbread

This bright and colourful Greek salad hummus flatbread is perfect as an appetizer or a healthy lunch or snack.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Crunchy, cheesy, and paired with an awesome dipping sauce, these baked mozzarella sticks are just as amazing as what you would find in a restaurant.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Flaky Garlic Cheddar Biscuits are a simple but delicious and flavorful no yeast bread that is ready for the oven with less than 15 minutes prep.

Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

Looking for the perfect appetizer or light lunch? Try a tomato and mozzarella tart topped with basil and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

When it comes to menu planning, baked turkey meatballs reign supreme. Say hello to your meal ready in under 20 minutes from prep to table. For a vegetarian option, try quinoa, cauliflower and chickpea vegetarian meatballs.

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Cracker Bites

Smoked salmon and cream cheese cracker bites are topped with cucumber and argula to make the perfect bite-size snacks.

Baba Ganoush Eggplant Dip

Baba ganoush is a creamy, roasted eggplant dip mixed with garlic and tahini for an explosion of flavour! It is perfect served with pita chips or veggies.

Baba ganoush is a creamy, roasted eggplant dip mixed with garlic and tahini for an explosion of flavor! It is perfect served with pita chips or veggies. | aheadofthyme.com

More Easter Recipes

Once you have selected the Easter appetizers that you want to serve, let's tackle the other items on the menu:

Easter Dinner Tips

Plan your menu ahead of time. You can prepare some of these Easter appetizers in advance. Some can stored in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and some can even be frozen, according to recipe directions.
Prep your ingredients as much as possible. Once you have decided on the dishes to serve, prepare as much as you can in advance, whether that is chopping ingredients or prepping the dish and storing in the refrigerator until ready for the oven. Any little bit that you can prepare in advance will make things much less stressful on the day.
Set the table the night before. Take out the fancy dinnerware, flatware, glasses, placemats, and napkins and set the table the night before. It's one less thing to worry about on Easter.

Did You Make Any of These Easter Appetizers?

Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of Easter appetizer recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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Easter Egg Brownies

Rich, fudgy, and decadent, Easter egg brownies are the dessert that will give you some serious FOMO if you don't bake them this spring season. These gooey and chewy mini egg brownies are topped with a simple and easy-to-make caramel sauce, and topped with mini chocolate eggs. It's an easy one bowl brownie recipe comes together quickly, you will seriously never go back to the boxed mix ever again. Plus, they are super festive and will look so good on your Easter dessert table.

I think we can all agree that chocolate and caramel are kind of made for each other. Just like in Cheesecake Caramel Brownies and Caramel Apples, it's a no brainer that these Easter Egg Caramel Brownies are going to be so good and seriously super crave-worthy. One bite of this stuff and you will know what I am talking about.

For more Easter treats, browse through my most popular Easter dessert recipes.

Ingredients

To make these delicious and rich Easter egg caramel brownies, you will need the following ingredients:

semi-sweet chocolate + cocoa powder - these are brownies after all.
butter
sugar - both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
eggs
vanilla extract
all-purpose flour
salt
caramel topping - homemade with sugar, butter, and heavy cream. You can top with salted caramel sauce if you prefer.
mini chocolate eggs - the chocolate eggs bring a great crunch to the brownies and add a charming festive colour to each treat.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, 9-inch square baking pan, large saucepan, and wire cooling rack.

How to Make the Best Easter Egg Caramel Brownies

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper so that it hangs over two sides to make it easy to life the brownies out of the pan when baked.
Melt chocolate and butter. Melt the chocolate with butter in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, or you will burn the chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Make the brownie batter. Add sugars into the chocolate mixture and whisk until completely combined. Then, whisk in eggs and vanilla, until just combined. Add in flour, cocoa powder, and salt and fold together using a large spatula until just combined. Transfer the thick batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with moist a few moist crumbs attached. If it comes out clean, it's overbaked.

How to Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

While the brownies are baking, you can make the caramel sauce:

Melt sugar. Heat sugar in a large shallow saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk continuously as the sugar as it begins to melt. It will form clumps but will eventually melt completely. This can take 10-15 minutes. Continue to stir continuously until the sugar reaches a deep amber colour. Keep a close eye because the sugar will burn if you overcook.
Add butter. Add the butter (note that the butter will immediately begin bubbling and may splatter, so be careful). Whisk until the butter is completely melted, then cook for 1 minute without stirring.
Add cream. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk until combined in the mixture. Again, be careful as the mixture will bubble and may splatter.
Cool. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool in the saucepan for 10 minutes. The caramel will thicken as it cools.

How to Assemble Easter Egg Caramel Brownies

Once the brownies are done, remove the baking pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownies to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and place on the wire cooling rack.

Pour the slightly cooled caramel sauce on top of the brownies. Spread it evenly with a metal spatula. Top with mini chocolate eggs (half of the eggs should be crushed, while the other half are whole pieces). Allow the caramel to set, then cut into squares. You can place it in the refrigerator to help it firm up faster.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week. I would not suggest stacking them up as the caramel may cause them to stick together when stacked.
How to freeze: Brownies freeze really well. Store in single layers divided in between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To eat, allow the brownies to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the kitchen counter for a few hours.

Easter Egg Caramel Brownies | aheadofthyme.com

More Easter Recipes

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Arugula and Roasted Carrot Salad

Arugula and roasted carrot salad is one of my favourite spring salads. It's a delicious and stunning salad that is packed with an amazing combination of sweet and sour flavours that balance each other out including spicy arugula, sweet roasted carrots, creamy feta cheese, sour lemon juice, and pine nuts. It's a light meal option that is sure to impress. Plus, it's a great way to use up any leftover roasted carrots that you might have on hand. Serve this quick and easy salad for lunch or dinner this season.

You know it's spring when all the carrot recipes start to come out. And what's not to love? I can have carrot-heavy dishes ranging all season long. Some of my favourites are Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup, Roasted Spring Vegetables, Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies, and Spiced Carrot Muffins.

Ingredients in Roasted Carrot Salad

To make this easy arugula and roasted carrot salad, you will need the following ingredients:

roasted carrots - This a great recipe to use up any leftover roasted carrots that you have such as Garlic and Herb-Roasted Carrots, Honey Roasted Carrots or Maple Roasted Carrots. You can also prepare the carrots fresh by drizzling baby carrots with some olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper on a large sheet pan. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
arugula - I love the combination of sweet carrots with spicy arugula, they really balance each other out. You can also substitute the arugula with any mixed greens that you would like.
feta cheese - I have also made this salad with goat cheese, either option works great and is a personal preference.
pine nuts - Feel free to substitute with any other nuts that you have. Toasted sunflower seeds or sliced almonds are great options.
salad dressing - this salad is tossed in a simple dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

How to Make the Best Arugula and Roasted Carrot Salad

This salad is super easy to make. All you do is combine your ingredients into a serving plate or mixing bowl. Stir together the dressing ingredients and pour onto the salad. Then toss to combine and serve.

You can either place your carrots whole onto the tossed salad, or chop them up and toss together.

Tips and Tricks

How to serve. Serve this salad pretty much any time of day. It works brilliantly as a starter for a relaxed dinner party or a light lunch with friends. I also like to serve some toasted baguettes or other crusty bread alongside this hearty salad.
Make ahead instructions. If not using leftover roasted carrots, you can roast the carrots 1-2 days ahead of time. Allow the carrots to cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Assemble the salad when ready to serve.
Use grilled carrots. Another great way to cook the carrots, especially if you are experiencing warmer weather is to grill them. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Then grill on both sides for 5-6 minutes until golden.
How to customize. If making the roasted carrots fresh, rather than using leftovers, then you can go completely versatile with the seasoning on them. Go wild and experiment with flavours like garlic, chilli, cumin, thyme or dried sumac and roast until they're fragrant and caramelized.

More Salad Recipes

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Bunny Ears Easter Cupcakes

Bunny ears Easter cupcakes are made of moist vanilla cake with homemade buttercream frosting, topped with sugar sprinkle coated marshmallows. These decadent handheld treats are the sweetest and most flavourful dessert you'll have this Easter. Satisfy those sweet tooths with a fluffy vanilla cake that locks in moisture and crumbles delicately. The melt-in-your-mouth taste will have you coming back for more each year. These bunny ears Easter cupcakes are creative, tasty, and fun!

Why You'll Love These Bunny Ears Easter Cupcakes

The festive design is pretty sweet. Cute bunny ears top these vanilla cupcakes with festive fun. Customize your coloured sprinkles and unleash your creativity. You can even use food colouring to dye the icing for some Easter pastels!
Decorating for the whole family. Decorating these bunny ears Easter cupcakes is so easy, your kids can do their part before eating them! Dessert can be just as fun to make as it is to eat.
Who doesn't love moist, fluffy, sweet vanilla cupcakes? The texture and flavour of these bunny ears Easter cupcakes create a decadent treat that everyone will love this holiday.
Homemade buttercream frosting. What more is there to say? It's fresh. It's sweet. It's to die for. Celebrate Easter the right way with homemade buttercream frosting atop your bunny ears Easter cupcakes.

Ingredients

To make these adorable and delicious bunny ears Easter cupcakes, you will need the following ingredients:

all-purpose flour
baking powder
cornstarch
salt
butter
granulated sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
plain yogurt - this is a secret ingredient that keeps these cupcakes moist for days.
whole milk
buttercream frosting - made with butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
marshmallows
sugar sprinkles - I used gold sprinkles because I love the luxurious look of these cupcakes. Feel free to use pink sprinkles for a more classic look.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, stand mixer or hand mixer, 12-tin muffin pan, piping bags, and no. 2D decorating tip.

How to Make the Best Bunny Ears Easter Cupcakes

Make the cupcake batter. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and yogurt, beating until combined. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Then, add half of the milk, and beat until just combined. Repeat, until you end with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
Bake the cupcakes. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop up the batter and into a 12-tin muffin pan lined with cupcake liners, filling the liners ⅔ full with batter. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then transfer into a wire cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

How to Decorate Bunny Cupcakes

Make the buttercream. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add in confectioners' sugar one cup at a time and continue to beat until incorporated. Add milk ad beat until light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth until you are ready to use the icing to prevent it from drying out.
Pipe on the buttercream. Use a couplers to secure a no. 2D decorating tip onto a piping bag. Fill the bag with icing and pipe the icing onto each cupcake starting at the edges and move in an overlapping circular motion until you reach the center and gently lift up.
Prepare the bunny ears. Prepare a small shallow plate of sugar sprinkles. Then, use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut each of the marshmallows diagonally and dip the sticky cut edges into the sugar sprinkles, pressing down gently to coat. Place the marshmallow halves standing up in the frosting to form into bunny ears.

Tips and Tricks

Use room temperature butter. Using the right temperature butter is about having the right consistency. Your butter should still be cool to the touch and should hold its shape well. If you poke it, your finger should leave an indent-not slide into it. Leave your butter out for about an hour to achieve this.
Use room temperature dairy products. Don't skip this step! Allow your yogurt, milk, and eggs to warm up a bit to room temperature before making your batter. You end up with a fuller batter and fluffier, lighter cupcakes.
How to store. Allow cupcakes to cool completely, then store iced bunny ears Easter cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to freeze. You can freeze these cupcakes either before or after icing.
- Before frosting: You can freeze unfrosted vanilla cupcakes by wrapping them tightly with plastic cling wrap, and then placing them in an airtight container and freezing for up to 3 months.
- After frosting: Place frosted cupcakes on a baking tray and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Then wrap them tightly in plastic cling wrap, and then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To serve: Allow them to completely thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for a few hours at room temperature, before icing or serving.

More Easter Dessert Recipes

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30 Best Easter Desserts

Baking desserts is kind of a must for all holidays, but Easter is by far my favourite holiday to do some baking for. Easter desserts are just so pretty with all the gorgeous pastel colour tones, and cute designs. We have rounded up our 30 best and most popular Easter dessert recipes from egg-shaped sugar cookies, mini chocolate egg treats, everything carrot cake, and more. So if you are wondering what to bake this Easter, then you have come to the right place.

Best Easter Desserts

Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Cute, delicious, and easy-to-make Easter egg sugar cookies with royal icing are the perfect treat to make this Easter. Crisp outside and soft inside. One of my favourite Easter dessert recipes.

Mini Egg Easter Cookies

Mini egg Easter cookies are the perfect chocolate chip cookie -- crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. Make in under 20 minutes.

Easter Bark

Easter Bark is the perfect chocolate treat - sweet, rich, and pretty, loaded with chocolate mini eggs and sprinkles. It's a quick and easy no bake recipe.

Robin's Egg Cupcakes

Robin's Egg Cupcakes are an Easter treat you need to try! Fluffy vanilla cupcakes are topped with blue buttercream, mini eggs, and speckled with chocolate.

Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

Showstopping carrot bundt cake with cream cheese glaze is light, fluffy, and moist. It's loaded with sugar, spice, and everything nice -- including grated carrots.

Italian Easter Cookies

Italian Easter Cookies are cake-like cookies that are light and fluffy with lemon flavor throughout and topped with an easy homemade glaze and sprinkles.

Butterscotch and Peanut Butter Bird's Nest Cookies

Spring is in the air and Easter is right around the corner. This calls for a batch of adorable no bake butterscotch and peanut butter bird's nest cookies. One of the cutest Easter dessert recipes.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns is a timeless classic Easter bread made with raisins, cinnamon, and a honey glaze. They are perfect for breakfast, a snack or dessert.

Mini Easter Egg Cheesecake

Mini Egg Easter Cheesecake is a rich and decadent triple chocolate cheesecake with an Oreo crust, chocolate cheesecake filling, and topped with mini eggs.

Simnel Cake

Simnel Cake is a traditional Easter fruitcake that is light and citrusy with two layers of marzipan which adds a delicious nutty flavor.

Carrot Cake with Cheesecake Topping

Super moist and perfectly spiced carrot cake with a creamy cheesecake topping is flavourful, comforting, and the perfect homemade spring dessert.

Peanut Butter Eggs

Chocolate-covered peanut butter eggs with a hard chocolate shell on the outside and a soft peanut butter interior inside are rich, sweet, and delicious.

Bunny Ears Easter Cupcakes

Get festive with these cute bunny ears Easter cupcakes. Buttercream frosting and marshmallows make these vanilla cupcakes extra sweet and delicious.

Easter Blondies

Easter blondies are rich, sweet, and moist, loaded with festive M&M's which makes them fun to make and eat. Plus, it's a quick and easy one bowl recipe.

Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies

Carrot cake shortbread cookies are sweet and buttery, packed with carrots and walnuts, and spiced like your favourite carrot cake. A total treat.

Mini Egg Easter Fudge

Mini Egg Easter Fudge is a rich, sweet, and colorful white chocolate fudge that is easy to make from scratch with just 3 simple ingredients.

Carrot Cake Cookies

Carrot Cake Cookies are soft, chewy, cake-like cookies with a delicious homemade cream cheese glaze. They taste just like carrot cake but in cookie form.

Easter Egg Caramel Brownies

Rich, fudgy, and decadent, Easter egg caramel brownies are topped with an easy-to-make caramel sauce and topped with mini chocolate eggs. Such a decadent on this list of Easter dessert recipes.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot cake muffins are moist, light, chewy and full of carrots which means breakfast this week is healthy! Carrot muffins are great for meal prep too.

Mini Egg Cookie Bars

Mini egg cookie bars are a quick easy one bowl Easter dessert - soft and chewy with perfect crisp edges and a gooey center and loaded with mini eggs.

Carrot Cake Biscotti

Carrot cake biscotti is crunchy, crumbly, and satisfies all your carrot cake cravings. Enjoy these Italian cookies as is or with white chocolate.

Vanilla Cake Pops

The cutest bite-sized treat to serve at any event are vanilla cake pops from scratch -- luckily, they are actually simple and easy to make. Add pastel coloured food colouring to the chocolate coating, or use colourful sprinkles to make them festive for Easter.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream

Light, airy and fluffy vanilla cupcakes with rose petal buttercream icing is the cutest treat for Easter. They are super quick and easy to make.

Baked Jelly Donuts with Strawberry Jam

These melt-in-your-mouth, homemade baked jelly donuts, coated in sugar and filled with sweet strawberry jam, are so soft, fluffy, spongy and airy.

French Macarons with Vanilla Buttercream Filling

Easy French macarons with vanilla buttercream filling are sweet, light, airy, and delicate cookies that melt in your mouth. Beginners can make them too!

Butter Cookies

Butter cookies are a classic cookie with a crisp, slightly crunchy texture that melts in your mouth on the first bite - and every bite after!

Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Inspired by Starbucks lemon loaf, this moist, homemade lemon loaf with lemon glaze has the perfect balance between sweet and tangy, and so so flavourful.

Madeleines

Classic Madeleines are soft spongy mini cakes with a signature shell shape and dusting of sugar on top. Making French butter cakes is easier than you think!

Italian Rainbow Cookies

Italian rainbow cookies are delicious, colorful, fluffy, and gorgeous, made with three cake layers sandwiched in between jam and covered in chocolate.

M&M Cookies

Festive red and green M&M cookies are super soft and chewy with the crispiest edges. Quick and easy to make in under 20 minutes with no chill time. Switch up the M&M's with pastel-coloured ones for Easter.

Festive red and green M&M Christmas cookies are super soft and chewy with the crispiest edges. Quick and easy to make in 20 minutes with no chill time. | aheadofthyme.com

Persian Love Cake

Persian Love Cake is a rich, moist, and nutty almond cake loaded with floral and citrus flavors, topped with a lemon glaze, pistachios, and rose petals.

Healthy Banana Bread

Healthy banana bread is delicious and moist and contains no refined sugar or butter. Quick and easy to make with 10 minutes prep and few pantry staples.

Easy Small Batch Almond Biscotti

Small batch almond biscotti are crunchy, crumbly and packed with almonds, perfect for dunking into tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, and they are super easy to make.

Pistachio Macarons

Pistachio Macarons are delicate, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies filled with pistachio white chocolate ganache filling and chopped pistachios on top.

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

This fudgy double chocolate loaf cake is delicious, moist, and rich. It's easy to make with a quick one-bowl batter that's ready for the oven in 10 minutes.

Classic New York Cheesecake

Classic New York Cheesecake is stunning, delicious, rich, and creamy. Plus, it's surprisingly easy to make from scratch - even for beginners!

Caramel Cheesecake Brownies

Caramel cheesecake brownies are totally indulgent and worth the effort, so toss that prepared brownie mix away and bake this with a few easy ingredients.

Glazed Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

No one will be able to resist this perfectly sweet and moist, glazed brown sugar bundt cake. Made with Greek yogurt for major decadence and richness.

Shortbread Cookie Bites

Funfetti shortbread cookie bites are little bites of buttery melt-in-your-mouth shortbread packed with festive sprinkles for a fun holiday treat. Use Easter colored sprinkles!

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

These perfectly soft, chewy and a little crumby chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies literally melts in your mouth. Make them in under 20 minutes.

Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Easy no crust burnt Basque cheesecake is the easiest one bowl recipe. It is perfectly caramelized on the top and edges and creamy yet firm on the inside.

M&M Cookie Bars

M&M cookie bars are soft and chewy, have crisp edges with a gooey center, and are loaded with M&M's and chocolate chips. The easiest way to bake cookies!

Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

Chocolate and vanilla marble cake is delicious, moist, fluffy with the perfect golden brown crust. With two classic cake flavors, this loaf cake has it all.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

The best classic soft and chewy peanut butter cookies are puffy and thick, stay soft for days, and melt in your mouth. Make them in under 20 minutes.

Chocolate Cake Pops

Easy to make and decorate, bite-sized chocolate cake pops are packed with chocolate and sprinkles are the perfect treat. Use red, pink and white sprinkles to make it festive for Valentine's Day.

The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Grab a tall glass of milk and start dipping the best homemade, soft-centered, chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies you will ever try.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies

Brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip banana bread cookie bites are thick, fluffy, pillowy, cake-like little bites of banana bread heaven.

How to Make Ahead and Store

You can make or prepare most of these Easter dessert recipes ahead of time. You can store the cookies at room temperature for a few days and cakes for about 1-2 days (depending on the recipe). You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Confirm storing instructions by checking each recipe.

To reheat any of these Easter desserts and serve them warm as if they just came out of the oven, you can warm them up in a 300F preheated oven or in the air fryer for about 5-15 minutes. I would check on it every 5 minutes until warmed through. If heating from frozen, let it thaw first and then reheat.

Did You Make Any of These Easter Dessert Recipes?

Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of Easter dessert recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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Honey Roasted Carrots

Tender caramelized honey roasted carrots are simple and inexpensive-but you wouldn't know it based on how they taste! With baby carrots, olive oil, honey, and a hint of salt and pepper, this honey roasted carrots recipe comes together quickly and easily. Since fresh carrots don't spoil fast, you likely have everything you need on hand for these honey roasted carrots at any given time, making this a great recipe for spontaneous chefs. Plus, it pairs well with almost any main course meal. With these flavours, everyone will want seconds.

Why You'll Love these Honey Roasted Carrots

Whole baby carrots are beautiful and tasty. This recipe comes out looking professional and poised. And the best part is that anyone can elevate their cooking skills in just minutes with this dish.
Simple ingredients and simple steps. With only three ingredients (plus salt and pepper), honey roasted carrots will be one of the easiest things you've ever made but still so flavourful and delicious.
Honey roasted carrots pair with anything. Are you having salmon, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or something else for dinner? Honey roasted carrots are your go-to side dish since they taste great with all of these foods and more!
Carrots have great health benefits. Chock full of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants, carrots promote healthy cholesterol levels and eye health.

If you love these honey roasted carrots, then you will also love Garlic and Herb Roasted Carrots and Maple Roasted Carrots.

Ingredients

To make easy honey roasted carrots, you will a large half sheet baking pan and a few simple ingredients:

baby carrots - you need 1 pound of baby carrots, or approximately 2 bunches. Baby carrots are slightly smaller than medium carrots and they still have their stems attached.
olive oil
honey
salt and pepper
fresh parsley - optional, for garnishing on top.

How to Make the Best Honey Roasted Carrots

These honey roasted carrots are seriously the easiest side dish to make. You literally toss everything in the sheet pan and bake.

First, place the carrots onto a parchment-lined half sheet baking pan. Then, make the honey glaze by combining olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Pour the glaze over the carrots and toss to combine. Arrange carrots in a single later and place sheet pan into the oven. Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until tender. Note that depending on how thick your carrots are, the roasting time may vary. Thicker carrots will need more time. To serve, garnish with fresh parsley on top (optional).

Recipe Tips and Tricks

How to choose baby carrots: When choosing the perfect baby carrots, avoid the pre-peeled baby carrots for this recipe (which are actually whole carrots that are shaped into small pieces). Instead, choose small, fresh carrots that are smooth, bright orange, and firm. Carrots that bend, feel limp, or have discoloured tips are no good.
How to store fresh carrots: When stored properly, whole raw carrots will stay fresh for up to four weeks. Yes, you read that right. Four weeks. To prolong their shelf-life, you can store them in an airtight container filled with cold water, and replace the water every few days.
How to store roasted carrots: Honey roasted carrots keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.

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Skillet Shepherd's Pie

Skillet shepherd's pie is a baked meat pie made with a layer of sautéed ground beef and vegetables, fluffy and creamy garlic cheddar mashed potatoes, and baked in the oven to perfection. When you bite into skillet shepherd's pie, you'll taste the wonderful blend of spices, vegetables, and beef in the bottom layer, with a natural gravy oozing throughout. With all the food groups in one dish, this one-pan skillet shepherd's pie is a completed wholesome meal the whole family will love.

Why You'll Love This Shepherd's Pie

Skillet shepherd's pie is bursting with flavour. From the seasoned beef, tasty veggies, and delicious gravy, the bottom layer of this skillet shepherd's pie is enough to make your mouth water. Add the mashed potatoes on top, and the savoury flavors are enough to make your heart melt!
You can't go wrong with filling comfort food. No one will be left hungry or disappointed with this skillet shepherd's pie. Hearty beef and potatoes will satisfy the whole family.
It's the perfect make-ahead meal. Skillet shepherd's pie is easy to make ahead and serve fresh when you need it. Assemble the pie. Then, store the skillet shepherd's pie in your fridge for up to 3 days. When you need it, bake as directed. Simple and delicious!

What is Shepherd's Pie?

Shepherd's pie is a traditional British comfort food cooked in a cast-iron skillet. It consists of two different (but equally delicious) layers. The bottom layer of a shepherd's pie has cooked ground beef, veggies, and spices. It's topped off with fluffy and creamy mashed potatoes. Then, the whole thing is baked in the oven until the top turns brown and crispy. Skillet shepherd's pie is the perfect heavy, savoury, comfort food to warm you up on cold nights.

Ingredients

To make this delicious and easy skillet shepherd's pie, you will need the following ingredients:

mashed potatoes - the potato topping is made with russet potatoes, unsalted butter, milk, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
olive oil
ground beef - or you can substitute the ground beef with ground lamb.
vegetables - yellow onion, medium carrots, and frozen peas.
garlic
seasoning - Worcestershire sauce (or easily substitute with tomato paste), Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.
all-purpose flour - helps thicken up the beef mixture.
beef broth or water

You will also need a large cooking pot and a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or ovenproof skillet).

How to Make the Best Skillet Shepherd's Pie

First, prepare the mashed potato topping:

Make the mashed potato topping. Add the potatoes into a large pot of salted water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. If you can easily insert a fork into the potatoes, then they are ready.
Drain the water and mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a fork. Add butter, milk, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well until evenly mixed and set aside.

Then, make the beef mixture:

While potatoes are boiling, heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet (or other ovenproof skillet) for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles. Add onion and carrots, and sauté until fragrant and tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Add ground beef and stir well to cook evenly until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the beef into small pieces to help with even browning and cooking.
Stir in garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper and stir together until well combined. Add flour and stir well until fully combined with the beef mixture. No dry flour should be visible. Add peas and beef broth. Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to a simmer, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for another 2 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

Lastly, assemble and bake the pie:

Preheat oven to 400F.
Use a spatula to spread the beef mixture into an even layer on the same skillet. Carefully add spoonfuls of the mashed potatoes on top, and spread it evenly on top using a fork.

Bake in a 400F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the top turns golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Tips and Tricks

No cast-iron skillet? No problem. You can cook the beef in a shallow saucepan on the stovetop. Then, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, and top with the potato mixture.
Make ahead instructions. Assemble the skillet shepherd's pie according to recipe instructions. Then, store it (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking as directed. So easy.
How to store. Store leftover shepherd's pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to freeze before baking. Assemble the pie and freeze before baking, tightly covered, for up to 2 months. To make, allow the shepherd's pie to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.
How to freeze after baking. Allow any leftover shepherd's pie to cool to room temperature, then wrap it tightly or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 300F oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed though.

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Hot Cross Buns

These hot cross buns are sweet and spiced, fruity, and filling. This truly timeless Easter recipe gives you bread whose looks compete with its flavour! But don't be fooled. Hot cross buns taste just as good the rest of the year as they do on Good Friday. With a white cross down the center, a honey butter glaze, and fluffy and flavourful dough, these hot cross buns won't disappoint. The best part? You only need to spend about 20 minutes of hands-on prep work to make these.

Why You'll Love Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are the Easter tradition. Dating back as far as the 12^th century-yes, the 12^th century-hot cross buns are a timeless classic recipe. Trust almost 1,000 years of R&D. These buns are the best.

Everyone loves sweet, fluffy buns. Hot cross buns are light and airy. When you knead properly, the flavourful dough picks up plenty of air during proofing. The result is melt-in-your-mouth buns with sweet raisins sprinkled throughout. Oh, and don't forget the honey butter glaze!

Breadmaking at its finest. Making bread is fun, rewarding, and it can save you lots of money. From the art of kneading to the patience of proofing, breadmaking is a skill you'll be happy you learned-and hot cross buns are one of the best to know.

Ingredients

To make easy hot cross buns this Easter, you will need the following ingredients:

all-purpose flour
yeast - you can use either active dry yeast or instant yeast.
granulated sugar - helps to "feed" the yeast, making it rise faster, and also adds a little sweetness to the bread.
salt - adds flavour.
milk - whole milk and buttermilk will result in the richest hot cross buns. You can use non-dairy or low-fat milk, but your buns will lose out on the flavour and richness that the milk fat adds.
egg
butter
vanilla extract
ground cinnamon
raisins - while raisins make great traditional hot cross buns, you can substitute other dried fruits like raspberries, apricots, or citrus. You can also add a mixture of fruit. Be sure to keep the total amount of fruit you add to less than ¾ cups or 100 grams and cut up large chunks into raisin-sized pieces.
for the cross - you will need all-purpose flour and water.
for the honey glaze - you will need honey and melted butter.

You will also need mixing bowls, a kitchen scale (or measuring cups and spoons), a quarter sheet baking pan, and piping bag or ziploc bag to pipe on the cross.

How to Make the Best Hot Cross Buns

Prepare the Dough

Prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl, add milk, yeast, sugar, salt, egg, butter, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk well to combine and let sit for 5 minutes. This allows the yeast to become active. Add in flour and stir well to combine until no dry flour is visible in the bowl. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. The butter might still be a bit crumbly at this point.
Knead the dough. Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean surface and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until the dough ball is smooth and not sticky at all. Because of the high fat content (butter and milk) in the dough, it should take less than 5 minutes of kneading by hand to achieve a non-sticky and smooth dough ball.

Tips for Kneading Dough

How to knead dough: Knead the dough by pushing it down and outward using the palms of your hands. Fold the dough in half toward you and press down. Repeat this motion by pushing the dough down and outward, and then folding over towards you. This helps build up gluten strength in dough that is responsible for making the bread fluffy.
How to test if dough is well-kneaded: A well-kneaded dough is smooth and can hold its shape. You can test the dough by giving it a firm poke with your finger. The indentation should bounce right back. If it doesn't bounce back and stays like a dimple, keep kneading for a few more minutes.

Proof the dough (first rise). Transfer the dough back into the mixing bowl and lightly grease the dough ball with oil or cooking oil spray. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. I leave it in the oven (not turned on) with the light on to speed up the rise time.

Add raisins. When the dough doubles in size, punch it down to release the air. Add raisins and knead for a few minutes to combine.

Shape the dough. Roll the dough ball into a rectangle and divide it into 12 equal pieces with a knife or bench scraper. Use your hands to roll each piece into a ball and transfer onto a quarter sheet baking pan lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, leaving ½-inch of space between each dough ball.

Proof the buns (second rise). Cover the pan with plastic cling wrap to prevent the dough from drying. When the dough loses moisture, it tends to form hard skin around its surface, which creates a hard crust when baking. Let the rolls rest and rise for 45 minutes. The rolls should almost double in size.

How to Make the Cross on Hot Cross Buns

In a small mixing bowl, add flour and water and stir well into a thick paste. Transfer the paste into a piping bag and attached a no. 5 round tip, or snip off the corner. Pipe crosses over the buns by piping a line down the center of the buns and repeating in the other direction to create crosses.

Then, bake the buns in a preheated 375 F oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Lastly, make the glaze by mixing together honey and melted butter in a bowl until smooth and combined. Brush the glaze evenly over the buns immediately once out of the oven. Let the buns cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store: Hot cross buns can be stored in a bread box or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to a week, but they will become more dry.
How to freeze: Let the baked buns cool to room temperature before freezing in an airtight container or freezer bag. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight or allow the buns to rest at room temperature for several hours.
How to reheat: You can reheat hot cross buns for a few minutes in a toaster oven or air fryer at 300F.

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Asparagus Tart

Get ready to impress with this easy asparagus tart recipe. You'll be amazed how such a surprisingly simple recipe creates a tart with a complex depth of flavour that can be served with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With a flaky puff pastry base, a layer of creamy melted cheese, fresh asparagus stalks, and a balsamic glaze, this asparagus tart is light, savoury, and delicious.

Why You'll Love this Asparagus Tart

Asparagus and Gruyère are a match made in heaven! If you're craving a pizza night but tired of the same old things, this asparagus tart is exactly what you need. Fresh asparagus and melted Gruyère cheese pair together so well, you'll be amazed (and so will everyone else at the table).
Skip the hassle and use frozen puff pastry. If you want to make your own pastry dough from scratch, you certainly can. But this recipe uses frozen puff pastry dough for a reason. It's easier to make and clean up. Plus, you don't have to worry whether you've done it right!
Asparagus tart is a versatile meal. Do you need a side dish for dinner, finger food for a party, or a main course for brunch? Asparagus tart is perfect at any time of the day and accompanies almost anything well. And, it's vegetarian!

Ingredients

To make this easy and delicious asparagus tart, you will a large half sheet baking pan and the following ingredients:

frozen puff pastry - I used storebought puff pastry to make it super easy to prepare this tart. You can also use homemade puff pastry.
asparagus - I used thick asparagus, but I would recommend thinner asparagus for this tart. The thicker the asparagus, the heavier the tart will be and can cause the tart to have less structure on the bottom due to the weight.
Gruyère cheese - When it comes to cheesy asparagus, it's hard to go wrong. Gruyère is the best for this recipe, but you can use any hard cheese like fontina, cheddar, Jarlsberg, Emmentaler, Edam, etc. However, using freshly shredded cheese instead of the pre-shredded store-bought kind will result in a better tart.
Parmesan cheese - We top the tart with some Parmesan cheese for extra flavour because two cheeses are better than one right? You can also substitute this with asiago cheese.
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
egg wash - made with egg and milk. This helps create a golden crust o the border of the puff pastry.

How to Make the Best Asparagus Tart

Prepare the puff pastry. On a clean and lightly floured surface, prepare and roll out the puff pastry into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Transfer to a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Use a knife to gently score a 1-inch border around the pastry dough. Make sure to score the pastry with shallow cuts and do not cut through the pastry.
- Use a fork to lightly poke holes all over the pastry dough (inside the scored border). Do not poke through the dough. This allows the steam to escape during baking so that the pastry doesn't puff up in the oven.

Add toppings. Sprinkle Gruyère cheese evenly over the pastry inside the border and top with asparagus in a single layer alternating ends and tips.
Add seasoning. In a small bowl, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, and stir well to combine. Brush the mixture evenly over the asparagus and top with Parmesan cheese.
Brush on egg wash. In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Brush the egg wash over the border on all sides.

Bake. Bake in a preheated 450F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and puffy. Let the tart cool for 2-3 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tips and Tricks

How to trim asparagus. To trim the asparagus, you can use a knife, kitchen scissors, or your hands. To trim without any tools, just hold the ends and bend until the bottom snaps off. If your asparagus is fresh, you should end up with a clean snap.
How to garnish. You can completely elevate this baked asparagus tart by simply adding a garnish to go with the balsamic and Parmesan. Try sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, or roasted garlic.
How to store. Asparagus tart is best eaten fresh. It can be stored at room temperature the day it is made but should be refrigerated if you will keep it for longer than a few hours. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to reheat. Reheat asparagus tart in a 300 F preheated oven for 10 minutes, or in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

More Asparagus Recipes

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Mini Egg Easter Cookies

Mini egg Easter cookies are crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. Just how the perfect chocolate chip cookie should be. These festive holiday cookies are also the easiest cookies to make with under 10 minutes of prep, no chill time, and just 10 minutes to bake.

Mini egg Easter cookies also make the best gifts for family and friends, especially this year since we likely won't be spending time together in person this year. Or an even better idea would be to make a few other cookie options like Easter Egg Sugar Cookies, Bird's Nest Cookies, and Carrot Cake Shortbread Cookies and package them all up as gifts in cute Easter-themed holiday cookie boxes. Who wouldn't love to receive a package like that?

For more Easter treats, browse through my most popular Easter dessert recipes.

Ingredients in Mini Egg Easter Cookies

To make these easy mini egg Easter cookies, you will need the following pantry staples:

butter
sugar - light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
large egg
vanilla extract
all-purpose flour
baking soda
salt
mini chocolate eggs - I used Cadbury mini eggs because I like them best, but any brand of chocolate eggs will work.
chocolate chips - I used semi-sweet chocolate chips.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, large half sheet baking pan, silicone baking mat, and wire cooling rack.

How to Make the Best Mini Egg Easter Cookies

Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on low until incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, salt, halved mini eggs, and chocolate chips, and stir with a large spatula until just combined.

Shape the cookie balls. Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie balls spaced 2 inches apart on a large half sheet baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Press in extra whole mini eggs into the top of the cookies.
Bake. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until edges just start to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. The cookies may not look done in the middle, but they will continue to cook as they are cooling. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool in the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to store: Store mini egg Easter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
How to freeze baked cookies: These mini egg cookies freeze very well. Let them cool completely first, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
How to freeze cookie dough: To freeze the cookie dough before baking, scoop out and roll the dough into cookie balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and freeze for 1 hour until hard. Then, transfer the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature until thawed. Then, bake according to recipe instructions.