White Hot Chocolate is a vanilla variation of the classic winter drink. Warm and creamy, this mug feels like a special treat – and only takes about five minutes to prepare.
Hot chocolate of all kinds is our family go-to all winter. There’s nothing better than sitting down with a warm mug after playing in the snow! This version has a distinctly different flavor than it’s chocolate cousin, but is equally as well received.
Continue readingChampagne punch is probably my favorite cocktail. I have a fancy punch bowl and I love having it filled with a fun variation for girlfriend get togethers.
It’s also something I haven’t made since the pandemic started – with the lack of parties, there has been a lack of reason to make drinks for a crowd. It didn’t occur to be until now, 10 months into the pandemic, that I could make a scaled-down version.
Continue readingHave you thought about your Christmas menu yet? Now’s the time! Christmas Eve is only 2 weeks away!
I was chatting with a friend about it last week and she mentioned how hard it feels to create a menu for just a few people when you’re used to having a crowd for the holidays. I totally understand – we usually celebrate with our big families! – but it’s also the perfect opportunity to let small-batch treats shine.
This cutie is the perfect example! A petite chocolate cake that is perfectly sized for just 2-4 people and topped off with fluffy peppermint frosting – what more do you want for Christmas? It’s a great option for this year’s sized-down celebrations.
Continue readingCelebrations these days are looking a bit different, aren’t they? Facetime play dates and Zoom birthday parties are the new, temporary norm as we all do our part and stay home.
But one of the things that makes celebrations so fun – the treats! – can be a challenge while social distancing. Making a cake for each virtual celebration can be a drag if you don’t have enough people to share it with – but so can skipping the cake completely.
In this case, small-batch desserts are an awesome answer.
I’ve rounded up eighteen awesome small batch dessert recipes for you today – perfect options for making for your next celebration during social distancing special without burying you in leftovers!
Continue readingI wanted to sneak in one last Thanksgiving leftover post before the big festivities tomorrow. This is pretty much the perfect day-after sandwich – super quick to throw together in the midst of shopping trips but it doesn’t feel like leftovers.
The crunchy onions and cranberries are staples in lots of Thanksgiving dishes so I’m guessing you’ll have them (and turkey!) on hand. A few extra ingredients and you’re good to go.
I made a few of these during the last week and I’m genuinely looking forward to refreshing my turkey stash tomorrow so I can have another.
Chipotle Ranch Turkey Panini
(a Kate’s Recipe Box Original)
Makes 1 sandwich
3/4 cup chopped turkey
1 Tbsp. dried cranberries
1 Tbsp. crunchy onions
1 Tbsp. real bacon bits
2 Tbsp. chipotle ranch dressing
2 slices provolone cheese
1 Ciabatta roll
In a small bowl, toss together the turkey, cranberries, onions, bacon bits and dressing until evenly combined.
Slice the roll in half, top with turkey mixture and cheese. Press in a Panini press until warmed through and crunchy on the outside.
I’ve got these filed under “easy enough to throw together with a super fussy baby in tow”. Because that’s totally a file in our house right now. Teething, man.
As simple as these are, they took all day to make. I caramelized the onions during the first (30 minute) nap. Fried up the bacon during the second (20 minute) nap. Assembled and wrapped them in foil while I wore him on my back and then threw them in the fridge until ready to bake. It was just one of those days.
On another note, every time I make caramelized onions I have an oh-goodness-I love-these-so-much moment. I’m thinking I need to start just keeping caramelized onions in the fridge so I can put them on, like, everything.
Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
(slightly adapted from Pinch of Yum)
Serves 3
1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
4 Tbsp. butter, divided
6 slices of bacon
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 package of King’s Hawaiian sub rolls (6 rolls)
1 lb. deli-sliced ham
6 slices Swiss cheese
In a frying pan over medium-low heat, melt 1 Tbsp. of butter and then add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. When done, transfer to a bowl and wipe out the pan. Cook the bacon in the same pan, removing to a paper-towel lined plate when done.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining butter. Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire.
To assemble the sandwiches, brush some of the mustard mixture on the cut side of each roll. Divide ham between rolls and top with caramelized onions, a slice of bacon and a slice of cheese.
Wrap assembled sandwiches in foil. Bake at 350F degrees for 10 minutes or until warm and melty.
Are you sick of green beans yet? I’m not. Green beans are my favorite and I’m regretting not getting my act together and doing a fall planting. I’m savoring the last of our summer crop.
I cooked these up as a side dish to go with some pork potstickers. It was a great combo and two of my favorite Chinese food dishes. It mmade me feel like we had gotten takeout – such a nice fake out!
Chinese Restaurant Green Beans
(from Sweet Makes Three)
Serves 2 – 3
1Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1Tbsp. honey
1Tbsp. water
1Tbsp. unsalted butter
2Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed
½ tsp. salt, to taste
1Tbsp. minced garlic
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey and water. Set aside.
In a pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the green beans and salt and toss to coat. Cook 7-8 minutes, until beans are slightly browned and shrunken. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Add in the soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Cook for about 30 seconds, until the sauce becomes glaze-like. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.
This was sort of a thrown-together dish – something to go with the Thai-spiced chicken skewers and something that would use up some more green beans. It ended up being one of my favorite things of the week.
I’m always a fan of quick sides and this fits the bill. It was the perfect accompaniment to our dinner and a dish I know I’ll be making again soon!
Green Beans in Peanut Sauce
(adapted from The Taste Place)
Serves 2
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. green beans
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. ginger
Over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the beans and cook for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender.
In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over green beans, toss and cook until heated through.
This is, by far, my favorite summer meal. We’ve been making it for years and it’s something we make over and over during grilling weather – mostly because it’s so easy. This pizza takes almost no prep and cooks in about five minutes.
We generally don’t go in with much of a plan when making them – toppings are whatever we happen to have still in the fridge. Ham and pineapple is a favorite, as is kalamata olive and fresh basil. And we like to make them smaller so we can vary the toppings – and each person can top their own.
It’s meals like this that are keeping us sane with a newborn!
Grilled Pizza
(as seen on Eat at Home)
Serves 2-4
1 lb. pizza dough
Pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Your favorite pizza toppings
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray.
Roll out dough as desired – we like to make four smaller pizzas because they’re easier to work with, 2 medium or 1 large would work too!
Place the dough onto the grill grates and cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is solid and has grill marks. Flip, add sauce, cheese and toppings and close the lid of the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and bottom has grill marks.
Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for a few minutes before cutting.
We have zucchini in the garden this year. I feel like shouting it from the rooftops because our zucchini never seems to work out. Having an abundance now is a huge novelty and I’m happily working through some of the recipes I’d saved from previous years.
This side is pretty simple, but it’s a great one to have in your repertoire – easy, fast and delicious.
Cheesy Zucchini Bake
(slightly adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen)
Serves 2-3 as a side
1 large zucchini, cut into half moon slices
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. Herbes de Provence
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup shredded mixture of provolone and mozzarella, divided
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a small baking dish with non-stick spray.
Toss the cut zucchini with the basil, green onion, herbs, parmesan and half of the shredded cheese until evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to baking dish. Bake for 2-25 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over the top and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is nicely melted.