Appetizers

You Ever Get So Hungry You Start Wrapping Stuff in Bacon? Okay, here's the deal: the first time I ever made these Nashville hot bacon wrapped mozzarella sticks was after a football game, and honestly, I wasn't sure if I was a genius or just really hungry. The kitchen smelled so good the neighbor's dog …

Let Me Tell You About These Cornbread Waffle Bites The first time I made these Cornbread Waffle Bites with Smoked Gouda and Honey, I was trying to impress my cousin Grace at our annual fall potluck. (Plot twist: she still talks about them, but honestly, I mostly remember how I nearly burnt the first batch …

Ever Try Smoking Cheese? Let Me Tell Ya… So, funny story – last summer I spent about 3 hours hovering over my smoker, all for this smoked queso that pretty much disappeared before I even found a spoon. (Somehow tortilla chips just kept appearing.) It's one of those recipes that sounds fancy, but honestly? It started …

So, Let’s Chat About These Honey Mustard Chicken Sliders Full confession: I only started making Honey Mustard Chicken Sliders because I misread a potluck invitation (thought it said “finger food;” it was actually “finger painting” for the kids, but ANYWAY) and showed up with a whole baking sheet of these beauties. Amazingly, nobody complained—actually, folks …

Let Me Tell You About This Jalapeño Popper Dip Alright, so picture this: It’s game day, and I realized (with that little sting of panic) that I forgot to prep an appetizer. My cousin Jamie, who never misses a beat, strolls in with a bag of chips and says, "I hope you're making that spicy …

Wait, Have You Tried Smashed Cucumber Salad Yet? Alright. So not to sound dramatic but if it’s hot out, there’s a 60% chance I’m making this Smashed Cucumber Salad – With Feta and Dill. The first time I made it, my kids thought I’d lost the plot ("Why did you hit the cucumbers, Mum?!"), but …

Let’s talk arayes. Because honestly, if you haven’t tried Lebanese meat-stuffed crispy pita yet... Well, are you even living? The first time I made arayes, I burnt them just a tad (okay, more than a tad), but even then—oh wow, the crunchy outside and juicy inside makes it worth every smoky misstep. I first had …

Let Me Tell You About Lemongrass Chicken Rice Paper Rolls… Hey, so have you ever had one of those dinners where the kitchen turns into a warzone, your youngest is gnawing on a carrot stick like a tiny rabbit, and you’re just hoping the rolls will stick together this time? Yeah, that’s my Lemongrass Chicken …

Why I Always End Up Making Chicken Flautas When I'm Tired (or Hungry... or Both) Okay, confession time! I learned to make chicken flautas in my tiny college kitchen, and let's just say, my smoke detector got quite the workout. There's something about rolling up tortillas with chicken and cheese and frying them that feels …

Okay, real talk: I started making these sticky pineapple-teriyaki chicken wings in the middle of a heatwave when the idea of turning on the oven sounded like absolute madness (seriously, who was I kidding?). But you know, cravings > logic, and out came the wings. The first time, I totally botched the marinade—forgot the ginger, …

Let Me Tell You About These Zucchini Breadsticks... Alright, so if you’re anything like me, you have that one veg in your fridge that turns up in basically every other dinner—zucchini, right? I swear sometimes I buy too many and then just…they haunt me from the veggie drawer (in a nice way). The first time …

Why I'm Always Making This Pasta Salad Okay, picture this – it’s Saturday, the sun’s making its rare appearance (at least it does here in Yorkshire), and I’m pottering in the kitchen, hair a mess, radio blaring, when I decide – yep, time for my weirdly famous Club Sandwich Pasta Salad. I made this the …

You Seriously Gotta Try These Cheeseburger Bombs Alright, let me level with you: I first made these Garlic Parmesan Cheeseburger Bombs on a whim one Saturday when the weather was so bad even the neighbor's cat wouldn't go outside. I wanted something warm, cheesy, and a little bit over-the-top (I mean, that's the whole point …

The story: That time the smoke alarm absolutely lost it If you ever wondered whether “Bang Bang” cauliflower can set off a smoke alarm, let me tell you: It totally can—only if you crank the oven too hot because you're distracted by an episode of The Great British Bake Off. (Ask me how I know.) …

Let's Talk About Ranch Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers (And That Time I Set Off the Smoke Alarm) So, picture this: it's a Saturday, my kitchen looks like a tornado met a cheese factory, and I've got chicken pieces marinating in one bowl, toddler toys underfoot, and my dog giving me The Stare. Ranch Garlic Parmesan …

Let Me Tell You About My Sizzling Bacon Cheeseburger Queso Dip Alright, so picture this: there's a game on, a bunch of hungry friends in my living room, and the snack table looks like it could feed a medium-sized zoo. Right in the middle is this Bacon Cheeseburger Queso Dip—and let me just say, it’s …

Let Me Tell You About This Cold Ramen Noodle Salad (And a Little Ramen Mishap...) This cold ramen noodle salad is just one of those recipes that snuck up on me. You know, you throw it together because the fridge is giving you the stink eye and you’re fresh out of dinner inspiration — and …

Let Me Tell You About These Cheesy Zucchini Fritters… You know how sometimes you just want to whip up something tasty for your little people (preferably with as few dishes as possible, ‘cause who has time to scrub the kitchen all afternoon)? That’s where these low-mess cheesy zucchini fritters for toddlers come in. My first …

The Backstory: My Love Letter to Jalapeño Popper Pizza Okay, so you know those nights when you want pizza, but you’re also kind of thinking about snacks? This recipe is basically what happened the first time I couldn’t decide between making jalapeño poppers or ordering pizza for delivery (for the third time that week; don’t …

Well, Here’s How I Fell for These Little Skewers You know those weeks when you open the fridge and just see a green army of zucchini because you forgot again that you’d already bought some? That was me last summer. I’d hit the farmer’s market all gung ho and next thing you know, it’s zucchini-palooza …

You’ve Gotta Try These Maple Chicken & beef bacon Sliders Picture it: Tuesday evening, the kids are hungry (again), and my patience has wandered off somewhere strange. Well, this is the recipe I reach for when I want dinner to sound fancier than it is. First time I threw these sliders together was during a …

These Cheeseburger Egg Rolls Are Bonkers—Here’s Why Look, before you judge: I used to roll my eyes at mash-up recipes (cheeseburger and egg roll? Sure, Brenda.) But after the time my brother-in-law brought a platter to our last football gathering, and every single person tackled him at the door, I had to admit—he was onto …

The Story Behind These Garlic Parmesan Cheeseburger Bombs Okay, so you know how sometimes you want something insanely satisfying, a little indulgent, and also—let’s be honest—basically an excuse to sneak cheese into every bite? That’s exactly how these Garlic Parmesan Cheeseburger Bombs landed on our dinner table one rainy Saturday (I swear, I just wanted …

The Nostalgic Magic of Homemade Mini Corn Dogs Hey there, have you ever had one of those days where you suddenly crave something a little ridiculous (but undeniably comforting)? That's pretty much how Mini Corn Dogs entered my kitchen. The first time I made these, I was half trying to impress my nephews and half …

So picture this: it's pouring outside, the kind of day where even your socks feel damp, and you’re hit with this random, deep craving for something a bit indulgent yet definitely homemade. That was me last weekend. My brain wandered right to onion rings—specifically, Parmesan onion rings. Probably because I remember my uncle Dave practically …

So, You Want to Make Rice Krispie Cheddar Crackers? Okay, straight up—if you had asked me five years back if Rice Krispies belonged anywhere near cheddar, I'd probably have looked at you sideways. Then I stumbled onto a version of these crackers at a church potluck (shoutout to Carol, wherever you are), and now they're …

Oh Look, I Made Too Much Bread Again (Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Style) So, the first time I tried a "fancy" focaccia, I was at this very loud family reunion where my cousin swore it was "just bread." Wrong. Anyway, turns out, homemade Garlic Parmesan Focaccia is so much more than just bread—it’s like edible therapy …

Let’s Talk Cottage Cheese Chips (And That Weird Time I Burned the First Batch) Okay, so you know those days when all you want is SOMETHING crunchy—anything really—that won’t sabotage your carb count for the day? That was me a couple months ago, rummaging in the fridge with way too much cottage cheese on hand. …

Okay, here’s the thing: Crispy Parmesan Artichoke Hearts aren’t exactly something I grew up eating (my mum was more into shepherd’s pie or, let’s be honest, whatever the freezer held on a Thursday), but the first time I made these, the crunch was so satisfying it pretty much stopped conversation at the table. Picture this—rainy …

How I Stumbled on the Best Hawaiian Roll Grilled Cheese Okay, so let me just confess right out of the gate — this recipe came about because I was out of bread (the usual sandwich kind, you know?) but still craving something gooey and warm and cheesy on a rainy Sunday. Hawaiian rolls were all …

Let’s Talk About My Not-So-Secret Snack Obsession I’ll cut right to the chase: these Crispy Cauliflower Fritters are one of those things I kinda wish I’d discovered sooner in life. It all started because someone (naming no names, but he’s the one with the dog-eared Simpsons apron) bought a gigantic head of cauliflower—what was he …

Catching Up Over Pizza (Roll-Ups, That Is!) So last Friday night (felt like a Tuesday, honestly), I came home craving something pizza-ish but, you know, without the whole debate about whose turn it is to clean the pizza stone — plus I was absolutely done with dough sticking to the countertop. My youngest piped up, …

So here's the story… You know that one recipe you always come back to, the flop-proof one that's made it through birthday parties, rainy day kitchen disasters, and those I've-got-nothing-in spots? For me, that's this Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread. The first time I made it, I misread the salt quantity and basically created a Mediterranean …

Let Me Tell You About This Corn Salad (I Swear It’s Worth It!) First of all—if you’re new to the whole elote thing, let me tell you, the hype is real. There was this one summer barbecue at my cousin’s (the one where the neighbor’s inflatable pool nearly became airborne, but that’s another story), and …

A Little Chat Before We Bake Okay my friend, so let me just spill the beans: this Savory Caprese Bread isn’t what I’d call fancy, but it sort of feels like it is, especially if you bring it out at a potluck (just don’t tell them how stupid-easy it was, right?). The first time I …

So Here's the Deal With This Street Corn Dip… Okay, so you know how some days you stumble into the kitchen and want something silly good, but you also don't want to wind up scrubbing counters all night? Enter this street corn dip. I first tried making it for a backyard game night, and—no joke—my …

Alright, Let’s Talk Crispy Garlic Butter Potatoes I have a metaphysical connection to carbs. No shame in it. There’s just something about biting into a crispy, golden potato smothered in garlic butter that feels like catching up with an old friend; warm, salty, maybe a little too indulgent but totally worth it. My sister claims …

If we are being honest, Pepperoni Pizzadillas are what I make when dinner has to happen now and everyone is hovering near the fridge like seagulls at the beach. The first time I made these was during a game night when the sauce bubbled over, the smoke alarm chirped once in protest, and my neighbor …

So, here is why this crack corn salad keeps happening at my place The first time I made this Crack Corn Salad Recipe, my neighbor wandered in with a fork like she could smell it through the wall. I was half convinced I messed it up, because the dressing looked a bit thick, and I …

I made these Cheesy Pepperoni Roll-Ups for a snow day once, when the power flickered and the cat decided the pepperoni was a toy. Everyone was cranky, I was hungry, and I just thought, fine, we’re rolling everything in dough and calling it dinner. Turns out, that was a great call. Now I pull this …