Indulge in the comforting warmth of this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe made with the convenience of rotisserie chicken and frozen egg noodles. This soul-soothing classic begins by simmering a flavorful broth, enriched with the flavor of the rotisserie chicken. Perfect for chilly days or whenever a bowl of comforting homemade chicken soup is needed.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Have you ever been craving chicken noodle soup but you’re short on time? This Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe is so easy and can be made quickly by using a rotisserie chicken! Of course, you can make it with an uncooked whole chicken but either way, it’s yummy! I’ve shared this easy recipe below and make sure to use the frozen egg noodles(or you can make your own)as these large noodles are part of what makes this chicken noodle soup recipe so good!

I prefer to use Grandma’s Fresh Frozen Homestyle Egg Noodles. They are usually in the freezer section near the pasta or rolls. If you can’t find them, make sure to ask as they always seem to be hard to find in the grocery store freezer section. The other brand I like is called Reames Frozen Egg Noodles. Both are so good and I can’t make homemade egg noodles from scratch that taste as good as Grandma’s or Reames so I just buy them! Make sure you get the wide egg noodle size. Those work best for this recipe.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Scroll down to see the full recipe. I have also linked some of the items I used to make this below. As always, feel free to send me a message in the comments or you can always find me on Instagram under @homewithhollyj, Facebook, or Pinterest.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Indulge in the comforting warmth of homemade chicken noodle soup made with the convenience of a rotisserie chicken and frozen egg noodles. This soul-soothing classic begins by simmering a flavorful broth, enriched with the flavor of the rotisserie chicken. Perfect for chilly days or whenever a bowl of comforting warmth is needed.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken noodle soup recipe, chicken soup, homemade soup, soup, soup recipes

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Equipment

• 1 Large Simmer Pot

Ingredients

• 1 -Rotisserie Chicken You can use an uncooked whole chicken if you don't want to use a rotisserie chicken, just increase the simmering time to 2 .5 hours or until the chicken meat is tender and falling off the bone.
• 2 -32 oz. Boxes chicken stock
• Water to cover the chicken
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 3-4 Carrots, peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces
• 3-4 Celery stalks with leaves, diced into smaller pieces
• 1/2 Small white onion diced into smaller pieces
• 1 Bag Grandma's Homemade Egg Noodles or Reames Frozen Egg Noodles
• ½ 8 oz. Container of chicken flavored Better than Bouillon seasoning or 4-6 chicken bouillon cubes

Instructions

• Place the rotisserie chicken in a large pot and add two 32oz. boxes of chicken stock and then add enough water to cover the chicken.
  
• Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper, or to taste.
• Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for one hour or until the meat is falling off the bone.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside to cool.
• Add the bag of frozen egg noodles to the pot with the remaining chicken stock. Stir to separate the noodles and bring to a low boil over medium to medium-high heat. While the chicken is cooling, peel and dice the carrots, celery, and onions.
  
• Once the noodles start to boil, add the chopped carrots, celery, and onions to the pot. You can add more liquid with more chicken stock if needed. The liquid will evaporate while boiling the chicken so add as needed or you can add more water if you don't have more chicken stock and add more of the bouillon flavoring.
  
• Debone the cooled chicken and break into small pieces. Don't over shred the meat and add the chicken back into the pot and stir every so often.
• Add about half of the container of chicken flavored Better than Bouillon Seasoning or 4-6 chicken bouillon cubes to the pot. This is also to taste so make sure to taste the broth to make sure it has enough flavor. Add more bouillon if needed. You want a rich chicken flavored broth.
  
• Stir everything together and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are fork-tender and the noodles are fully cooked.
• Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper or bouillon if needed.
• Serve hot and enjoy your homemade chicken noodle soup!
  

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out these other recipes that I’ve shared:

Holly’s Homemade Potato Soup Recipe

Warm Homemade Rolls | The Best Bread Baking And Homemade Rolls

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The post How to Make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Classic Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Mashed Potatoes are one of my favorite things to eat! I love potatoes in any form but mashed might be my favorite! I also love to smother them in homemade gravy. My family loves gravy so I learned at a very young age how to make really good mashed potatoes and homemade gravy.

Now for some backstory…

My grandpa was a farmer in Idaho and grew wheat and barley but his winter job was to work in a spud house in southeastern Idaho as a potato inspector. I can honestly say that we had potatoes with every meal! My grandparents would always bring us big boxes of potatoes, or spuds as they called them.

My mom could make potatoes in more ways than I could count including, fried, scalloped, baked, and of course mashed. She found ways to incorporate them into all our meals and I loved them whatever way they were made. In fact, my nickname was PQ, for Potato Queen. My dad called me that because I loved them so much.

We NEVER had instant potatoes and I’m still like that. I can hardly bring myself to make them out of a box since it was so ingrained in me to make the real thing! What can I say? I’m a bit of a potato snob now!

I also learned how to make really good homemade brown gravy that pairs perfectly with this mashed potatoes recipe so tap this link here for the brown gravy!

My Mom and Grandmas would always make their homemade roast beef and brown gravy with this mashed potatoes recipe for Sunday dinner. I have continued this tradition with my family and it’s one of my favorite meals to make!

Here are the recipes:

Roast Beef

Homemade Brown Gravy

Homemade Rolls

Brown Sugar Butter Carrots (recipe coming soon!)

Now for the Recipe: Homemade Mashed Potatoes Recipe

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Homemade Mashed Potatoes Recipe

There is nothing better than homemade Mashed Potatoes! I've shared this easy recipe that makes the perfect mashed potatoes. Try pairing this with my Roast Beef and Homemade Brown Gravy for the perfect Sunday dinner!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword mashed potates, potatoes, Side Dish

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 4 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet)
• ½ cup heavy cream or milk
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp salt for potato water
• ½ tsp salt (to taste)
• 1¼ tsp pepper (to taste)

Instructions

• Wash the 4 pounds potatoes thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt. Peel the potatoes using a vegetable peeler and cut them into small pieces.
• Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the water to help season the potatoes while they cook. Always salt your potato water!
  
• Place the pot on the stove with the lid on and turn the heat on high. Bring the water to a boil and remove the lid, then reduce the heat to medium and let the potatoes simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until they are fork-tender.
• Once the potatoes are done cooking, drain them in a colander and return them to the pot.
  
• Using a stand mixer or potato masher, add the potatoes to the stand mixer bowl or you can mash them in the pot or a bowl. Then add the 4 tbsp butter.
  
• Next, add in the ½ cup heavy cream or milk to the potatoes and mix them in the stand mixer or mash with the potato masher until well combined and there are no lumps.
  
• Add ½ tsp salt and 1¼ tsp pepper to taste and continue stirring until the mashed potatoes are smooth and creamy.
  
• If you want your mashed potatoes to be thinner, you can add a little bit more milk or butter until you reach your desired consistency.
  
• Serve the mashed potatoes hot and enjoy! I like to pair them with my roast beef and brown gravy. Recipes are linked in this blog post.

Notes

That’s it! With just a few simple steps, you can make delicious mashed potatoes that will be a perfect side dish for any meal.

Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish

I hope you give this homemade mashed potatoes recipe a try! It’s my go to recipe anytime I want to have meat and potatoes for dinner! Your family will love it!

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out these:

Green Beans with Pancetta

Scalloped Potatoes with Fontina Cheese

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The post Delicious Mashed Potatoes Recipe | The Perfect Side Dish appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Classic Roast Beef Recipe

This Classic Roast beef recipe is perfect for Sunday dinner or any time of the week! Here’s a simple recipe for making a delicious roast beef that’s been passed down from my Grandma Benson.

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Classic Roast Beef Recipe

Roast beef is a classic Sunday dinner dish that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Here's a simple recipe for making a delicious roast beef that's homemade and is easy to make!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword classic roast beef recipe, homemade roast beef recipe, roast beef, Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Servings 8

Equipment

• 1 roasting pan or enameled cast iron with lid

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs beef roast (rump, bottom, or pot roast)
• 1 tsp salt to taste
• ½ tsp pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
• 1 tsp Johnny's seasoning salt (or any seasoning salt)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
  
• Season the beef roast generously with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt, rubbing it into the meat with your hands.
  
• In a large roasting pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place the seasoned beef roast in the skillet and sear it on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes per side.
  
• Place the lid on the roasting pan and place in the preheated oven. Roast the beef for about 2½ -3 hours, or until the beef becomes tender and starts to fall apart.
• Remove the beef roast from the oven and place the roast beef on a platter or large plate and cover with the roasting pan lid. Allow the meat to rest while you make the gravy from the pan drippings. I prefer to pull my roast beef apart with a fork but you can slice it into pieces if you prefer. Save the drippings in the pan to make the gravy. I'll link the gravy recipe below.
  
• I like to serve my roast beef dinner with my homemade brown gravy, mashed potatoes, and brown sugar butter carrots or a side of sweet corn. I also like to make my homemade rolls or braided bread when I have time. All these other recipes are linked in the blog post.
  

If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out these:

Rustic Homemade Bread Recipe

Best Prime Rib Roast Recipe

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The post Mouth Watering Classic Roast Beef Recipe appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Homemade Brown Gravy Recipe

Sunday dinners are special occasions where families and friends gather around the table to enjoy a delicious meal. Roast Beef is a classic dish for our Sunday dinner, but it’s not complete without a rich, flavorful brown gravy and homemade mashed potatoes. You’re going to love my roast beef and homemade brown gravy recipe!

Making homemade brown gravy from a roast beef may seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple. In this blog post I”ll show you how to make this delicious brown gravy. This recipe will elevate your Sunday dinner to the next level!

As I said above, gravy can be intimidating to make but don’t be nervous if you’re one of those people. It’s actually very simple. To make good beef gravy to go with your roast beef, you’ll need to have drippings from the meat you’ve roasted and then you make a roux. 

Making the Roast Beef 

This brown gravy recipe is made from the drippings of roast beef so you’ll need to make this Roast Beef recipe to make this gravy. You have to sear and brown all sides of the roast beef. When the beef is roasting in the oven, it creates these caramelized drippings that gives your gravy the richest flavor. Here is the Classic Roast Beef Recipe that goes with this gravy.

Making a Roux

When your roast beef is done you will take the meat out of the pan and make a roux. What is a roux? It’s equal parts fat (meat drippings, butter, or oil) to equal parts flour. You cook it over medium heat and whisk it together until it starts to bubble. This is your thickening base for the gravy. Once you add the water and bring to a low simmer, the mixture will start to thicken up and that’s your gravy. You’ll then add in your seasonings.

These dark drippings in the bottom of the pan are what give the gravy it’s amazing flavor!

Whisk the roast beef drippings and flour over medium heat. Keep whisking the drippings and flour until it starts to bubble. The next step is to add water to the roux. Doing it this way also prevents lumps from happening to your gravy. No one wants lumpy gravy! Add your water and continue to whisk it until it comes to a low simmer.

One trick my mom taught me was to save the potato water from the mashed potatoes. It’s already super hot and has some of the starch from the potatoes (and salt from salting the potato water) and this helps the gravy to simmer faster so it can thicken up and adds a little more flavor to it.

Cook on medium heat until it starts to thicken up. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more water too thin it out a bit. Gravy shouldn’t be too thick or too thin. You have to hit that middle ground for it to be good! Add in some salt and pepper to taste, beef bouillon or beef base, and kitchen bouquet browning sauce to season the gravy and stir. Let it simmer a bit while stirring and let the flavors meld. Add in more salt and pepper if needed or beef base or bouillon if needed.

What is Kitchen Bouquet? 

This is a beef browning sauce that my mom and grandma always used. It adds a lot of rich, beef flavoring to the gravy. It doesn’t take much but it adds and extra rich flavor to the gravy.

If you don’t have enough drippings, add in some oil or butter so you have enough to make a roux. This can be a bit of a guessing game but as long as your roux has equal parts fat and flour, you’ll be okay! This will help you have enough gravy for the roast beef and mashed potatoes.

NOTES 

When I make gravy from a roast, the drippings from the fat on the meat can vary. We love gravy in our family so if I Cana get at least a 1/2 cup of drippings or more, I am happy! (Some of the drippings come from the leftover oil in the pan from browning the roast.

What do you do if you get lumps in your gravy? 

Use a hand immersion blender to get there lumps out. Here is the one I have. This comes in handy!

Now for the Recipe

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Homemade Brown Gravy Recipe

Sunday dinners are special occasions where families and friends gather around the table to enjoy a delicious meal. Roast beef is a classic dish for our Sunday dinner, but it's not complete without a rich, flavorful brown gravy and homemade mashed potatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword brown gravy, brown gravy recipe, gravy recipe, homemade gravy, roast beef gravy

Servings 8

Equipment

• 1 Roasting Pan

Ingredients

• Drippings from a roasted beef + 3 tablespoons of oil (vegetable, avocado, or canola)
• ½ cup flour
• 6-8 cups water (add in 6, if too thick, thin out with more water)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Kitchen Bouquet Beef Seasoning
• 1 tbsp beef base or beef bouillon.

Instructions

• After removing the roasted beef from the oven, remove the roast from the pan and let rest while you make the gravy.
  
• Place the roast pan back on the stove and turn the heat to medium high and add in the flour.
  
• Stir the flour into the oil and drippings with a whisk and keep stirring until the flour mixture starts to bubble up. Let cook for a minute or so until everything is smooth and there are no lumps of flour.
• Slowly pour in the water while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. If I'm making mashed potatoes, I drain the potatoes after boiling them and save the potato water for the gravy. See my notes in the blog post for more about this little trick I use. You can use cold tap water or try my potato water trick.
  
• Continue to stir the mixture until it thickens and comes to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to low and let the gravy simmer for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.
  
• Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste and add in kitchen bouquet and the beef boullion and stir. I like mine salty so don't be afraid to add more salt and pepper to your liking. Be sure to taste it first!
• Serve the gravy hot with the roasted beef and mashed potatoes.
  

Homemade brown gravy from a roast beef is the perfect accompaniment to your Sunday dinner.

With just a few simple ingredients and easy steps, you can make a rich and flavorful gravy that will impress your family and friends.

So next time you make roast beef, be sure to save the drippings and try this recipe for homemade brown gravy. Your taste buds will thank you!

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out these:

Classic Roast Beef

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

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The post Flavor Packed Homemade Brown Gravy Recipe appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Easy Homemade Salsa

Every time I make this recipe, everyone loves it and asks for the recipe! With Cinco De Mayo coming up, I thought this would be the perfect time to share this easy homemade salsa recipe with you.

This salsa is so easy to make and can be ready in around ten minutes. The ingredients are simple and most of them are things you might already have on your shelf or in the refrigerator. The only equipment you will need is a cutting board and blender.

There are only 7 ingredients in this easy homemade salsa recipe. There is minimal prep time and the cleanup is easy.

I usually make my salsa a few hours ahead so it has time to chill in the refrigerator. It’s even better if you make it the day ahead or earlier in the day before serving it. It can be served with dinner, before dinner, or as an appetizer. It’s also a great homemade condiment to have in the fridge! This recipe also makes a big batch but, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t last long! It disappears quickly because it’s so good!

Now for the Recipe

Tap this link here for a video on Instagram showing how I make this! Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

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Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe

This quick and easy homemade salsa recipe is a family favorite and only takes about ten minutes to make. It uses a handful of simple ingredients and is the perfect appetizer or condiment for any type of Mexican food you're serving. I always make this on Cinco de Mayo and it's always a hit.

Course Appetizer, salsa, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican, Texmex

Keyword appetizer, chips & salsa, mexican recipes, salsa

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Equipment

• 1 blender
• 1 cutting board

Ingredients

• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 10 oz can Ro-Tel original diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 small lime
• 1 bunch cilantro
• ½ tsp salt (to taste)
• ½ tsp pepper (to taste)

Instructions

• Add the 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes and 1 10 oz can Ro-Tel original diced tomatoes and green chiles to a blender.
• Wash the 1 bunch green onions and cut off the ends. Then chop them into 1" pieces and add to the blender.
• Wash the 1 bunch cilantro in a bowl of water to remove any dirt. Shake the water off and pat dry with a paper towel. Take about half of the bunch of cilantro and put it in the blender.
• Cut the 1 small lime in half and squeeze the juice into the blender.
• Add the ½ tsp salt (to taste) and ½ tsp pepper (to taste).
• Put the lid on the blender and blend until everything is blended into small pieces. Each blender will vary so try to get the consistency of what is shown in the images I've put into this post.
• Grab a couple of tortilla chips and taste the salsa. You may want to add more salt and pepper. I like mine salty but I always add a little at a time so it doesn't get over-salted. If you love the lime flavor, you may want to add a little more lime juice too. Some limes are juicier than others so add a little more if you like.
• The Ro-Tel canned tomatoes are what add the heat. I don't like things too spicy so I use the original Ro-Tel but you can use the medium or spicy Ro-Tel if you want to add more heat. Another variation is to add a little fresh jalapeño.
• Pour into a bowl or container and store in the fridge. This can be served immediately after making or you can make it ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to make it and use it throughout the week, store it in a mason jar with the lid on it. It helps to make it last longer.

 

I hope you give this quick & easy homemade salsa recipe a try! I’m going to make it for Cinco de Mayo later this week! Please comment and tell me what you think if you give this recipe a try! I love to hear what you think!

 

Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you never miss a post! 

You can also follow along with me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! 

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out these:

Old Fashioned Enchiladas

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Grandmas Homemade Pie Crust

Pin this Easy Homemade Salsa Post for Later

 

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The post Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa Recipe for Cinco de Mayo appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Green Beans with Pancetta

If you’re looking for a simple and tasty side dish or a vegetable to add to a main course, this recipe is for you! I love green beans and I love adding pancetta (or bacon) to them with some shallots and a few seasonings. I think you’re going to love this delicious Green Beans with Pancetta Recipe!

This is a really great side recipe that is so easy to make. It’s especially good when you can get fresh green beans from the store or from your garden!

It’s also a healthy recipe as it has a green vegetable, healthy fat from the olive oil, and some garlic and shallots.

You will love how easy this green beans with pancetta recipe is to make and how tasty it is.

I love serving this with my homemade roasted beef tenderloin and scalloped potatoes with fontina cheese.

It pairs well with any main dish, especially beef, chicken, or fish. I love it with salmon too!

Now for the Recipe

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Delicious Green Beans with Pancetta

This healthy side dish pairs perfectly with any main dish and is easy and fast to make. It's one of my go-to side dishes and is full of flavor and great any season of the year. This will become a staple side dish in your cooking repertoire!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

Keyword green beans, Side Dish, vegetable

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1-2 pounds fresh green beans
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 large shallot chopped
• 3-4 slices pancetta (or bacon) chopped into small pieces
• 1 tsp salt to taste (or more if needed)
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic seasoning salt (to taste)

Instructions

• In a large frying pan, heat up olive oil on medium heat. Add in chopped shallots and chopped pancetta pieces and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in washed green beans, salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally, then add in the chopped garlic.
• Saute for another 2-3 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir a few more times to make sure everything gets cooked evenly. Add in more salt and pepper if needed. Green beans take a lot of salt so add a little at a time and then taste one to see if it's to your liking. I prefer mine a little more salty so just add a little at a time so you don't over season them.
• Serve hot in a casserole dish or serving platter.

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you’ll want to check out these:

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Scalloped Potatoes with Fontina Cheese

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The post Delicious Recipe for Green Beans with Pancetta appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Homemade Banana Pudding Recipe

When I went to NYC for the first time last fall, I asked for recommendations on what to do and where to find the best food.

A friend of mine told me about the banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery.

I had never heard of banana pudding and so the first thing we did after arriving and checking into our hotel was to hunt down this famous bakery.

It was so good and I shouldn’t admit that I ate it almost every day we were there.

Good thing we worked out every day and walked a lot or I would have gained five pounds! 

After coming home, I was craving this yummy dessert and I decided to try making it myself.

I think this homemade banana pudding recipe I came up with is pretty close to the one I tried in NYC and it’s all homemade.

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Homemade Banana Pudding

This is my version of Magnolia Bakery in NYC Banana Pudding made from scratch.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword banana pudding, dessert recipe, easy recipes, pudding, trifle recipes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 6 cups Whole Milk
• 1 ½ cups Sugar
• ⅔ cup All Purpose Flour
• ½ tsp Salt
• 6 Egg Yolks (lightly beaten)
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 6 Bananas (Green or barley ripe)
• 1 box Nilla Wafers or Belvita Cookies (I used the Belvita toasted coconut cookies this time but nilla wafers are traditional)
• Optional: Salted Caramel Sauce
• 1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¾ cup Powdered Sugar (this is for the whipping cream)
• 1 tsp vanilla (this is for the whipping cream)

Instructions

• Dump the 6 cups Whole Milk into a medium-sized saucepan or Dutch oven. Scald the milk (If you haven't scalded milk before here are the directions: place milk in a saucepan and heat up the milk on medium heat. Once the milk has begun to steam and show small bubbles, it should be done. Milk is considered to be scalded once it exceeds a temperature of 180° F. You can use a thermometer if you like but be careful to not burn the milk).
• In another large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the 1 ½ cups Sugar, ⅔ cup All Purpose Flour, and ½ tsp Salt; whisk them together and then gradually stir in the scalded milk.
• Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.
• Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook the pudding mixture for two minutes longer.
• In a small bowl, have the 6 Egg Yolks yolks, slightly beaten, ready; when the pudding mixture is done cooking for two minutes, add a cup of the mixture into the bowl with the eggs. Use a whisk to stir. This is called tempering the eggs and will prevent them from scrambling when you dump them into the bubbling pudding mixture. Once the cup or so of pudding and the eggs are thoroughly combined, add the egg mixture into the pudding slowly, stirring constantly.
• Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
• Remove from heat; the pudding should be thickend at this point.
• Add in the 4 tbsp Butter and 2 tsp Vanilla Extract and stir until the butter is melted and everything is well blended.
• Let sit in the pan until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
• Put the pudding into a large bowl and cover the pudding with plastic wrap. Don't cover the bowl though, actually put the plastic wrap right on top of the pudding to prevent it from getting a skin on the top. Refrigerate overnight or for a few hours until it's cooled.
• When you're ready to assemble the pudding, whip the 1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream with ¾ cup Powdered Sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Whip the cream until stiff.
• Take half the whipped cream and gently fold into the pudding until well combined.
• You can make the puddings individually or you can do it in a 9×13 pan or trifle bowl. I did these in individual pint mason jars.
• Put 3 nilla wafers (or whatever cookie you're using) in the bottom of the jar, then layer some of the pudding on top of the cookies. I use a piping bag or zip lock bag to pipe the pudding into the jars.
• Add a layer of bananas; about 5-6 slices.
• Add aother layer of pudding on top of the banans and then add 2 or 3 more nilla wafers.
• Add one last layer of bananas and one last thin layer of pudding to cover the bananas. Top with the rest of the whipped cream and then stick a nilla wafer or whatever cookie you're using on top of the whipped cream. I also use a piping bag to for the whipped cream but you can spoon it in as well.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. I will sometimes add a layer of salted caramel to the middle and then drizzle over the top when I'm ready to serve. This is optional.
• You can also fill the jars up a little less and put the lid on them to take on a picnic or to give to the neighbors as a little treat.

One thing I like to do is to fill them a little less full and then put the mason jar lid on and take them as a treat to my neighbors or make these ahead of time for a picnic. It’s really fun for everyone to get their own little mason jar filled with this yummy banana pudding.

As I mentioned earlier, I used Belvita toasted coconut cookies instead of Nilla wafers this time but Nilla Wafers are the traditional way and I like them both!  Try adding the salted caramel to them too! It’s another delicious layer!

I made the Banana Pudding in a trifle dish for our Utah Pioneer Day Party.

I added salted caramel in the middle layer and crumbled the Nilla Wafers on top.

Then I drizzled the salted caramel on top.  

The funniest part about this trifle was that I forgot the bananas! I cut up bananas right before I served the food and set them in a bowl beside the pudding so everyone just added them on top.

I hope you give this recipe a try. Some people make it with jello pudding and cool whip which is always an option but I prefer this one that’s all homemade. It tastes better when it’s homemade and it’s not full of preservatives. Homemade is always better in my humble opinion.

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Enjoy!

xoxo,

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The Best Baked Beans Recipe

This recipe for the best-baked beans always turns out amazing and is so easy to make. The best part about it is that it’s made in the microwave and you don’t have to heat up your house in the middle of summer. This is why it’s the best baked beans recipe you’ll ever try and it’s delicious too!

My Favorite Kitchen Tool

This recipe has onions in it and I detest chopping them up so that’s why I love this chopper so much. You never have to deal with watering eyes and it’s so fast and easy. This is truly my favorite kitchen tool and it doesn’t take up a ton of space and goes right into the dishwasher! Just quarter your onion, drop it into the chopper and turn the crank a handful of times. Thats it! The onions are all uniform in size too and depending on how many times you turn the crank, they can be smaller-sized pieces or larger.

This is also a one-pot side dish! Just dump all the ingredients into a microwave-safe bowl and stir. Then pop it in the microwave. This is so easy!

You can add already cooked bacon too if you like. Here I used uncooked bacon and just cut it into small pieces.

I don’t know why, but for some reason, we always eat baked beans with potato chips! It’s like chips and salsa! It’s a match made in heaven. Try it sometime!

Another fun thing I like to use is little paper or plastic serving cups. Baked beans tend to run all over your plate so this keeps them in one place and you can set the cup right on your plate! It’s also cute serving them up this way!

I like that this recipe is a little sweet!

The Best Baked Beans Recipe

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The Best Baked Beans Recipe

This is a delicious baked beans recipe that is super easy to make and is "baked" in the microwave so you don't have to heat up your house using your oven in the middle of summer!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword baked beans, baked beans recipe, easy recipes, home cooked, Side Dish, summer recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon cooked or uncooked is fine
• ¾ cup finely chopped white or yellow onions
• 1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• 4 16 oz cans pork and beans or canned baked beans (I like Van De Kamps or Bush's regular baked beans. Two 28 oz cans work just the same.)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard

Instructions

• Put the 4 16 oz cans pork and beans or canned baked beans, ¾ cup finely chopped white or yellow onions, 4 slices bacon (cut into small pieces), 1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ⅔ cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp yellow mustard in a microwave-safe, medium-sized bowl and stir until well combined.
  
• Put the bowl in the microwave and turn on for 10 minutes at high power. Stir and reset the microwave for another 5 minutes.
  
• Repeat for 5 minutes 3 more times so that the beans have been in for approximately 30 minutes. Make sure to stir after each 5 or 10 minute increment in the microwave.
  
• You can bake them as well for 30-40 minutes in a 350° degree oven if you like.
  

I hope you give this yummy recipe a try! It’s so easy and is sure to please a crowd at your next summertime barbecue!

Enjoy!

XOXO,

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The Best Braided French Bread Recipe

This is The Best Braided French Bread Recipe ever and it’s not only delicious, it looks a little fancier than a regular loaf of homemade bread. It’s much easier to make than it looks and it has six ingredients! You’ll wow everyone with this amazing recipe!

If you’ve been following along for a while you’ll probably know that there’s almost always a story behind most of my recipes. If you’re new here, welcome! I’ll try to keep it short so you can get to the good stuff–the recipe!

The Story Behind This Recipe

Many years ago we moved to Portland, Oregon, for my husband to attend dental school. We started attending a new church and were fortunate enough to be befriended by a wonderful family named the Myers. I became fast friends with Debra, the wife, and even though she was a little older than me, we had so much in common. I looked up to her as she had seven children, five boys and two girls! My two oldest boys were toddlers then and she always gave me great advice. She was also an amazing cook and I loved learning from her in the kitchen!

Debra’s braided French bread was legendary in our church circles! She taught a class one night at the women’s group meeting and we all learned to make this amazing bread. I promise this is easier than it looks! I’ve shared many photos and step-by-step instructions on how to pull this off below in the recipe section. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect! Mine are never the same exact size and shape. What really matters is how good this bread recipe tastes!

It’s the perfect recipe to deliver to the neighbors because it makes 3-4 loaves. I often double the recipe (as I did here in these photos) so I could have plenty to share. With my double batch, I usually end up with seven loaves but you can make them smaller or shape them into smaller braided rolls or small, round rolls. How you shape them is your choice, but the braided loaf has a bit of a WOW factor!

The Recipe: Debra’s Braided French Bread

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Debra’s Braided French Bread

The most delicious braided French bread is the best recipe! You'll want to make this bread recipe often!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

Keyword bread, bread recipe, breadrecipe, french bread, french bread recipe, homemade bread, rolls, rolls, bread, homemade, potato rolls, potato,

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Stand Mixer with a dough hook or attachment (I use my bosch mixer for this recipe since I usually double it.) A kitchen aid mixer is what I use when I don't double it.
• Baking Sheet Pan
• Dough Scraper
• Flour sifter (optional)
• Flour sack towel or tea towel
• Squirt bottle filled with water

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp yeast
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter *can substitute oil if you don't have butter
• 4 tsp salt
• 8 cups flour
• non-stick cooking spray
• extra flour for rolling out the dough

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, stir 3 tbsp yeast into a warmed 3 1/2 cups water.
  
• Stir until yeast is dissolved. Let stand for a few minutes.
  
• When the yeast starts to froth on the top, dump it into a stand mixer. Then add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter (softened), and 4 tsp salt. Mix on low speed for about a minute or so.
  
• Start adding flour to the mixture 2 cups at a time. Allow it to mix in for about 20-30 seconds before adding the next 2 cups.
  
• After adding all 8 cups flour, you should have a soft, elastic dough. If the dough is super sticky, add another 1/2 cup-1 cup of flour. Let mix for a few minutes until all the flour is worked in.
  
• Spray a large bowl with a non-stick cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl.
  
• Cover the bowl with a damp towel. I run hot water on a clean flour sack towel to get it wet. You can use any tea or dish towel, just make sure it's clean and not a heavy towel. You don't want the top of the dough to dry out.
  
• Place the bowl of dough covered with the damp towel in a warm place. I use the proofing setting on my oven or the proofing mode on my bread warming drawer to speed it up. You can turn on your oven for a few minutes to get it warm, then turn it off and set it inside the oven. Be careful to not get it over 100 degrees or so. You want it warm, not hot.
  
• Let the dough rise until double in size. If the towel sticks to the top of the dough, gently remove the towel. You can always remove the towel towards the end and use the squirt bottle with water to keep the top of the dough moist. You don't want it to dry out.
  
• Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface. I use a flour sifter to sprinkle the flour out more evenly.
  
• Dump the dough onto the floured surface.
  
• Try to get the dough into somewhat of a misshapen rectangular shape.
  
• Then start pulling and stretching sections from the side, and pull it over on top of the dough towards the middle, and press lightly down.
  
• This helps give the dough a more uniform look.
  
• When you've got it looking more uniform in shape, turn it over onto the flat, smooth side.
  
• Pat the ends to make it more flat and a long rectangle. This doesn't have to be perfect, just get it as close to this shape as you can.
  
• I do this process to make it easier to cut equal amounts of dough for each of the sections you are going to braid. I make little lines on the top of the dough with my dough scraper to section it into 9 or 12 sections. If you want 4 smaller loaves, do 12 sections. If you want 3 larger loaves, do 9 sections.
  
• Use the squirt bottle with water to lightly mist the top of the dough every so often so that it doesn't dry out while you're sectioning and braiding. I also keep the dough covered with a damp tea towel to keep it from drying out.
  
• Cut 3 sections at a time, then cover up the dough while you braid each loaf. Use your hands to stretch and roll each piece into about a 10"-12" piece.
  
• Pinch the three pieces together with the middle piece on top.
  
• Tuck the three pieces under themselves. You may need to hold them down with one hand while you start the braid with the other.
  
• You can tuck the end under more once the whole loaf has been braided so don't worry if it's not perfect.
  
• Take the right section over the middle section to start the braid.
  
• Then take the left section and continue the braid.
  
• The dough will keep stretching and getting longer as you braid.
  
• Keep the braid going and don't worry if it's not perfect. The dough will rise and hide all your imperfections.
  
• When you get to the end, pinch the 3 pieces of dough together and tuck under. Check the end you began with and make sure it's tucked under too. Get your baking sheets out (you'll need two) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  
• Now that the braid is done, use your dough scraper and your hand and gently lift the dough and set it on the baking sheet.
  
• You can get two braids on a standard baking sheet pan. I alternate the braided loaves so that they are opposite to each other. Cover with the damp towel again and let rise another 20-30 minutes.
  
• Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven. When the top is dark golden brown, it's done.
  
• Remove from the oven and brush the tops with butter.
  
• Variations: Brush the dough with an egg wash or milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds before baking.

  You can make it into individual French rolls, small braided rolls, or just round-shaped rolls.

You’re going to love this recipe! I promise! Each time I make it, I get a little better at shaping the dough. If it’s not perfect, just remember that when the braids start to rise again, then bake, they get a lot bigger and fill in any spots that didn’t look as good when it was in the shaping stage.

I took some of these loaves to each of my neighbors this past week. They were all so grateful and wanted the recipe! I hope you love Debra’s braided French bread as much as we do. The best part about this recipe is that whenever I make it, I think about my sweet friend and all the fun times we had together in Portland. We both moved away from Oregon many years ago but we still stay in touch and she graciously allowed me to share this special recipe with you all!

You may also like my Homemade Rolls Recipe!  Click here!

For the Bosch Stand Mixer click here.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

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My Award Winning Chili Recipe

My homemade chili is as comforting as comfort food can get! This recipe has won many church chili cook-offs and for the first time ever, I’m sharing this recipe with you! I hope you love this award-winning chili recipe as much as I do.

What Makes This an Easy Recipe?

What makes this award-winning chili recipe so easy is first, it’s a one-pot meal so clean-up is minimal. Second, there are a handful of seasonings and ingredients and minimal prep time. Third, you just have to stir the chili while simmering every so often, and it’s done in just over an hour. No pressure cooking dry beans!

The Ingredients

For my favorite homemade seasoning salt recipe check out my friend Holliday’s recipe. She makes her own seasoning salt blend and I love it!

My Award Winning Chili Recipe

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Award Winning Chili Recipe

This homemade chili recipe has won many chili cookoff awards. It's simple and easy to make and everyone loves it!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword award winning chili recipe, beans, beef and beans, chili recipe, comfort food, fall recipes, homecooked, homecooking, homemade chili, homemade chili recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Ingredients

• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp chili powder (to taste, can add more if desired)
• 2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 8 cups water
• 3- 15 oz cans of any type of chili or pinto bean (I use the mild chili beans)
• 2- 15 oz cans of any type of white or navy bean
• 1- 15 oz can baked beans or pork and beans
• 2- 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large white onion, diced into small pieces

Instructions

• In a 7 Quart or larger pot brown the hamburger and diced onions together. I use a potato masher to break up the hamburger but you can leave it in larger pieces if you like.
  
• When the ground beef and onions are fully cooked and no pink in the meat, add in the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and seasoning salt and stir.
  
• Then add the brown sugar and stir again.
  
• Add 8 cups of water and stir.
  
• Next, add in your canned beans. You can use any type of canned beans you like. The chili or pinto beans and any type of white bean is my favorite and I always add baked beans as the sweetness adds a nice flavor along with the brown sugar. Kidney beans and black beans are an option too. If you want to add more or less beans you can do that as well. This is just what I use and it comes out every time.
  
• Next, put the two cans of diced tomatoes in a blender and blend slightly. Dump into the pot and stir.
• Turn heat to medium or medium-low and simmer for about one hour or so. May add a little time if you simmer it slower. Make sure to stir every so often and check to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Each type of pot or pan is different so stir frequently to make sure nothing is sticking and burning on the bottom of the pot.
• The chili will start to reduce down and it may look a little runny at first but it thickens up on its own after you are done cooking it. Taste test it at about this point and if you need more salt, pepper, or chili powder you can add more here and stir.
  
• Serve in a bowl with cheddar cheese or any type of cheese you like. You can add tortilla chips which is what we typically do or you can dump it over fritos and make it into a frito pie. Whatever your preference is! I've even made Navajo tacos and nachos with this chili recipe. It keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days and it's a great leftover!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. The one thing that is also great about this is you can add whatever else you like. Sometimes I just use whatever canned beans I have on hand or if I have fresh tomatoes, I’ll add those too. I’ve even added a chopped green pepper. It always tastes good no matter what I’ve added. This recipe is not spicy in any way. If you want to make it spicy you could add some hot sauce or red pepper flakes. If you are a meat lover, you could add another pound of ground beef.

Happy Fall and Happy Halloween! Making this homemade chili is our tradition on Halloween. I always serve it with cornbread and my homemade honey butter.

I also love to make my homemade  Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins too! YUM!

Enjoy!

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