Appetizers

If you popped by my kitchen on a Tuesday, theres a good chance you’d find me pulling a pan of Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks out of the oven and doing that little impatient hop because they smell too good to wait. I started making these when my neighbor gifted me a mountain of zucchini one summer …

Okay, friend, if you ever want a dinner that gets cheers like you just pulled a magic trick, these Ranch Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers do that. I made a messy batch for a backyard hang last summer and spilled half the marinade on the patio, the dog loved it, I laughed, we ate anyway. The …

I made these Cottage Cheese Chips for the first time on a rainy Tuesday when the snack cravings were loud and the cupboard was suspiciously quiet. You know that kind of day. I figured, I love cottage cheese, I love crispy things, so why not bake the daylights out of some dollops and see what …

Let Me Tell You About These Wraps (In Between Bites) Alright, so imagine this: it's a muggy Tuesday, I can’t be bothered to turn the oven on, and my kids are hollering about something (honestly, probably Fortnite). Enter Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I stumbled into this recipe after one too many takeout orders and a …

Okay, let me just say—if you’d told me a few years back that I’d be stuffing Doritos with bacon and cream cheese, I’d have laughed you right out of my kitchen. But here we are, and honestly, I’m never looking back. The first time I made these was for a game night (my cousin had …

The Night I Discovered Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders Alright, so picture this: it’s pouring rain, the kids are hangry, and I’ve only got half an hour before everyone mutinies. I glance in the fridge—bacon, chicken tenders, and a sad, half-used bag of brown sugar. Lightning bolt moment! I mash ‘em all together (not literally, …

Let me tell you a story about the first time I tried to make Bobby Flay's crispy rice at home. So, I saw this dish on TV (you know, one of those days when you accidentally watch three episodes in a row), and I got it into my head that I’d pull it off for …

Let Me Tell You About These Crisps (And My Slight Obsession) So, I first made these Mediterranean Spinach and Feta Cheese Crisps because I was trying to clean out my fridge before a long weekend away (you know the drill: wilting spinach, cheese that’s slightly past its prime but still totally edible, and a stubborn …

Alright, Pull Up a Chair—Let's Talk Voodoo Fries So, confession time: the first time I made Louisiana Voodoo Fries, I had no clue what I was doing. I'd seen some wild versions online—some fancy, some, well, more like the cook blinked and dumped a spice drawer on fries. But I was hooked after my cousin …

So, Here’s How I Fell for Crispy Korean Baked Cauliflower You know those days when you’re wandering your kitchen, kinda hungry but also a bit lazy? That’s exactly how I stumbled into the world of crispy Korean baked cauliflower. My first attempt was a happy accident—I'd meant to make wings, but the cauliflower was giving …

Catching Up Over Shrimp (And Why This Recipe Exists) Hey there—so, real talk, shrimp and I have a history. The first time I tried to air fry shrimp, I definitely overcooked them and they turned into, well, something resembling tiny pink rubber bands. Not exactly what I was aiming for. But after a few wild …

The Story: My Ongoing Love Affair With Skewers Alright, so you ever have one of those recipes that kind of sneaks its way into, well, every family barbecue, potluck, or even just Thursday night when you’re out of ideas? That’s what Ranch Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers are for me. The first time I made these, …

If you've ever had one of those days where you open the fridge and stare blankly, thinking, "What on earth can I make that feels special but doesn't involve a mountain of dishes?"—yeah, same. That was basically the start of my love affair with Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp. There was this one Friday evening; I …

Well, Here’s Why I’m Obsessed With Tennessee Onions You know those days when you just want to eat something outrageously comforting and slightly over the top? That’s when I make Tennessee Onions (Better than onion rings). The first time I tried these was at a church potluck in Nashville, and I honestly thought—why have I …

Let Me Tell You About These Cheesy Garlic Butter Bombs Alright, so picture this: it’s Friday night, everyone’s a bit peckish, and you really don’t fancy making a full dinner (who does, honestly?). That’s when I always think, “Ah, cheesy garlic butter bombs!” True story, these little flavor grenades first happened in my kitchen on …

These Cheesy Taco Sticks Are Basically My Weeknight Hero Alright, let me set the scene: it’s 5:45 pm, everybody’s hangry, and I’ve got precisely zero motivation to make a fancy dinner. Enter Cheesy Taco Sticks—the recipe that rescued me one rainy Thursday when I realized I had leftover taco meat and, blessedly, a can of …

So, About These Potatoes... Alright, let me set the scene: It's the week before Halloween, the kids are bouncing off the walls, my partner's asking how much dry ice is too much for a punch bowl, and I'm trying to remember where I shoved the plastic cauldron last year. That's usually when I remember these …

If you’d told me years ago I’d become the Queen of Halloween Quesadillas, I’d have laughed you out of my kitchen. But then one rainy October, with trick-or-treaters ringing the bell (and me basically running on fumes), I whipped up a batch of these cheesy little beauties. They vanished faster than a ghost at sunrise! …

Alright, so let me tell you about the time I first decided to make Halloween Sausage. It was one of those chilly October nights where the wind sounds like it’s up to no good, and my nephew, all of seven years old, asked for something “creepy but delicious” for his friends. I had no clue …

Let’s Talk About These Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones Okay, you know those recipes that look fancy but, honestly, they’re just a sneaky way to get cheese and carbs into your mouth? That’s exactly what these Cheesy Halloween Breadstick Bones with Marinara Blood for Dipping are all about. I started making them a few years ago …

Honestly, Fried Pickles in the Air Fryer Are My Guilty Pleasure So the first time I tried making fried pickles in the air fryer, I had this wild flashback to a summer festival where I ate wayyy too many fried snacks and swore off anything battered. (That lasted about a week.) Anyway, these little crispy …

Let Me Tell You About My Ranch Queso Fiasco Okay, I'm just going to say it upfront: this Ranch Queso Dip for Game Day Snacks is both a blessing and a curse in my house. Blessing because, obviously, cheese and ranch in one bowl is basically the food equivalent of finding a fiver in your …

Let Me Tell You About These Air Fryer Pickles... If you’ve never had fried pickles, just imagine a crunchy, salty, tangy little bite of heaven—and yes, I’m serious, I used to think pickles were just for burgers and sandwiches too. Then I visited my cousin in Nashville and she convinced me to try fried pickles …

Let's Talk About These Wonton Taco Cups Alright, friend, let me just say: if you haven’t tried making wonton taco cups for party appetizers, you’re missing out. The first time I made these, it was on complete impulse—mostly because I forgot to pick up tortillas (don’t judge; it was a long week). So I grabbed …

Let’s Talk About Baked Keto Pinwheels with Peanut Butter If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the kitchen rummaging around for a snack that’s not a total carb trap but still tastes like, well, actual food, you’re not alone. I started making these baked keto pinwheels with peanut butter one chilly afternoon when all I …

Let Me Tell You About These Spicy Bang Bang Chicken Sliders Okay, so right off the bat: these Bang Bang Chicken Sliders (Spicy) are what I'd make for you if you suddenly showed up hungry, or if I wanted to outdo my cousin Sarah at the family BBQ (she always brings something fancy). The first …

Honestly, cauliflower was not my first pick growing up. I mean, it always seemed to be the bland cousin at family dinners, hiding behind the potatoes (which, let's face it, everyone really wanted). But then—cue dramatic music—I got an air fryer, and suddenly cauliflower became the star. First time I made these bites, they were …

Let Me Tell You About This Cream Cheese Fruit Dip Okay, so here's the scoop—Cream Cheese Fruit Dip with Berries is my true party trick. I started making it years ago after my cousin brought something similar to a backyard BBQ, and now, every time someone says "potluck" or "movie night," I get a not-so-subtle …

Let Me Tell You About This Shrimp Thing… Alright, first things first—this air fryer garlic butter shrimp recipe didn’t even exist in my house until my third failed attempt at a “quick” seafood dinner because, let’s face it, shrimp can zoom from perfect to little rubber bands in about the time it takes to find …

So Let Me Tell You About These Zucchini Rounds… Alright, so—I only started making these Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Rounds a couple summers ago, when my neighbor basically forced a basketful of zucchini on me (she’s lovely, but wow, can she grow stuff). I was skeptical because, you know, zucchini can be a bit... bland. But …

Let Me Tell You About These Chickpeas Alright, so here’s the deal: my eternal quest for the perfect crunchy snack (that’s not just a plain old packet of crisps) led me to these roasted chickpeas. And honestly? At the risk of sounding dramatic, my snack game has never been the same since. I still remember …

The Best Grilled Chicken Wings? Let Me Tell You a Story… Okay, so if you know me, you know grilling isn’t just for show in my backyard — it’s basically therapy. I remember the first time I tried to grill chicken wings at a family BBQ. It was supposed to be my big moment. Instead, …

So, You're Craving Buttery Garlic Breadsticks? Alright, pull up a chair—let me tell you about the first time I made these breadsticks. It was a rainy Tuesday; my kitchen looked like a flour bomb had gone off, and I accidentally used twice as much butter (which, honestly, turned out to be a happy accident). The …

Let's Talk Tofu: Why These Air Fryer Cubes Are My Comfort Food Alright, so here's the deal: I never used to be a tofu person. I'd tried it once at a friend's house (they didn't press it, so it was basically a soggy brick; bless their heart, but no thank you). But then I got …

Let Me Tell You About These Mushrooms Alright, friend—so, I have this thing for mushrooms (I know, not everyone's cup of tea, but hear me out). I first made crispy breaded mushrooms in the air fryer when I was trying to distract my kids from sneakily eating all the fries before dinner. Well, let's just …

These Zucchini Fritters Saved My Snack Time (and My Sanity) Alright, let me tell you—I've made every kind of fritter under the sun (or at least it feels that way), but these zucchini fritters? The first time I made them, I was half-distracted by a phone call from my cousin, and somehow they still turned …

Let Me Tell You About These Caprese Salad Skewers... Alright, so picture this: It’s a sunny Saturday, I’ve got friends coming over (they always show up early, don’t know why), and my kitchen is a bit of a war zone. I’m running around, probably mumbling to myself—and you know what I always fall back on? …

The Cozy Magic of Garlic Parmesan Potatoes (Air Fryer Style!) So, picture this: it’s a rainy Saturday, and you’ve got that potato craving that won’t quit. That’s me, basically every other weekend. I started making these garlic parmesan potatoes in the air fryer because I was tired of waiting forever for the oven to do …

So, I Made Cream Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Doritos and Basically Became a Party Legend Listen, I’ve made a lot of snacks in my day, but this one? Oh, this one’s got a special place in my heart—and probably a special spot on my cholesterol chart, too (but let's not think about that right now). …

Hey Friend, Let’s Talk Zucchini Chips (Yep, You’ll Want Seconds) Honestly, I never thought I’d be the kind of person who craves zucchini. But here we are—and it’s all thanks to these crispy baked zucchini chips. First time I made them? I was just trying to use up the mountain of zucchini my neighbor kept …