A sweet and spicy marinade paired with a cool and creamy dip make this grilled chipotle shrimp dish a must for summer entertaining. Everything can be prepared a day in advance, so when your company comes over, all you have to do is fire up the barbecue ... and your appetite.
Read MoreThis classic buttermilk ranch dip has everything you want in a vegetable dip: it’s tangy, smooth and perfect for dipping just about anything.
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Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes
Makes: 12 large cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup full-fat sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Pink Lemonade Kool-Aid® mix (add more for a stronger flavor)
1 tablespoon whole or 2% milk
Method
For the cookie dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.
Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 F.
Scoop the dough with a large (3 tablespoons) cookie scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Bake until the tops spring back when touched, about 11–12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on low for 1 minute, until smooth and lump-free. Add in powdered sugar, and mix on low speed until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing 2–3 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Add pink lemonade mix and milk to the bowl, and mix on low speed to combine. Once the cookies are completely cool, frost the tops of each and garnish with fresh lemon zest.
Start to finish: 15-25 minutes
Impresses: 4 for entree salads with a protein; 6-8 for side salads
Ingredients
For the creamy peppercorn dressing:
½ cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¾ tablespoon coarsely cracked pepper
For the salad:
3 cups fresh kale, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, destemmed
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries
¾ cup grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
Method
For the creamy peppercorn dressing:
Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salad.
For the salad:
Strip the kale from the stems and roughly chop. Add to a mixing bowl with olive oil and sea salt. Massage the kale in a grinding motion until the texture softens and the color becomes vibrant, deep green. Shred or thinly slice Brussels sprouts and add to the mixing bowl. The thinner, the better, as larger pieces may be more difficult to enjoy uncooked. Add walnuts, cranberries and Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine, and then add the prepared dressing. Mix until well-combined, and garnish with additional cracked pepper or cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes: If you are able, prep the dressing ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator to allow flavors to intensify.
Start to finish: Active: 30 minutes | Inactive: 1 hour
Impresses: 4 for dinner, 8 for appetizers
Ingredients
For the pierogi dough:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3 tablespoons whole milk
3 large eggs, room temperature
For the filling:
¾ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons whole milk
5 tablespoons salted butter, divided
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 generous pinch red pepper flakes
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup white onion, diced
½ cup paneer, chopped
For the pierogi:
4 tablespoons salted butter
Cilantro and mint sour cream, recipe follows
Method
For the pierogi dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour and salt by pulsing the mixer on and off a few times. Add butter, milk and eggs, and mix dough on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Dough will be tacky. Remove from bowl, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. While the dough chills, prepare the filling.
For the filling:
Boil potatoes in heavily salted water until fork tender. Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Add milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Roughly mash potatoes, tasting and seasoning with additional salt as needed, before setting aside. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet and add fennel seeds, curry powder, coriander, cumin and paprika. Stir to coat and cook until spices are warm and fragrant. (This is called “blooming” the spices.) Stir in frozen peas and onion, and cook until peas are warmed through. Add pea and onion mixture to the mashed potatoes, as well as the paneer. Mix everything until well combined. Set aside until ready to use (mixture can also be made a day in advance).
For the pierogi:
Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour. Place chilled dough on work surface and sprinkle the top with flour, as well as a rolling pin. Roll dough out to slightly less than ¼ inch thick. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out 24 rounds (dough can be re-rolled to get enough circles). Add a generous tablespoon of filling to the center of each dough round. Dip a finger in water and run along the edge of the pierogi. Fold the pierogi in half over the filling, pinching the edges closed tightly to seal. It should look like a little half-moon. Place on a piece of parchment paper and repeat the filling, folding and sealing process with remaining pierogi. When ready to cook, add 1 tablespoon butter to a nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Fry the pierogi, 6 at a time, until golden brown on each side. Add an additional tablespoon butter after each batch. Serve warm pierogi with butter drippings from pan and cilantro and mint sour cream.
For the cilantro and mint sour cream:
Combine 1 cup fresh cilantro, 8 mint leaves, the juice of ½ lemon and ½ cup sour cream in a food processor until smooth. Stir in an additional ¼ cup sour cream to thicken.
Notes: Pierogi can be formed and not fried up to a day in advance. To freeze uncooked pierogi, place pierogi in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 12 hours, or overnight, before transferring to a zip-close bag. Pierogi can be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook frozen pierogi, fry according to directions above, adding ¼ cup water to the skillet and covering with a lid for 3 minutes so pierogis can cook in the steam.
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: 4
Ingredients
4 medium or large sweet potatoes, washed and dried
1 can chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
2½ tablespoons brown sugar, unpacked
Juice of 1 medium lime, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup red onion, diced and divided
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup sour cream (full fat preferred)
Method
Heat oven to 425 F. Place sweet potatoes on a lined baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 40–45 minutes, or until soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
As potatoes are baking, prepare the sauce by finely chopping 1–2 of the chipotle chilis according to your taste preference. Reserve the remaining adobo sauce in the can and add to a small mixing bowl. Stir in brown sugar and lime juice. Set aside.
Prepare the stuffing by shredding the chicken and adding to a large mixing bowl. Add black beans, red onion and adobo sauce mixture. Fold together until the chicken is fully coated and all ingredients are well-combined.
Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, allow to cool slightly before slicing lengthwise to open. Use a fork to roughly scrape the inside of the sweet potatoes, and then add in the smoky chipotle chicken mixture. Return to oven for 5–10 minutes, or until the chicken and beans are heated through.
Remove from oven, amd then top with chopped cilantro, additional black beans, additional red onion and sour cream. Squeeze a lime wedge over the stuffed sweet potatoes just before serving.
Notes: Sweet potatoes are less starchy and higher in moisture than russet or Idaho potatoes. This means you may need to shorten your baking time or prepare for a softer texture when stuffing the filling. If your potato skins break apart, don’t fret. Remove the sweet potato from the skin and convert the recipe to a bowl for serving.
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Impresses: 4
Ingredients
For the curds:
1¾ cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces beer of choice
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound pepper jack cheese curds
Cooking spray
For the dipping sauce:
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon garlic salt
¼ cup parsley, minced
¼ cup chives, minced
¼ cup dill, minced
Method
For the curds:
Cover 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper, and another with paper towels. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, cornstarch and baking soda. Add beer and egg, and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
In a shallow dish, combine remaining flour, salt and pepper. Pat the curds dry with a paper towel. Working with a small handful of curds at a time, dip into the batter, letting excess batter drip off before coating with seasoned flour. Set coated curds on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Heat air fryer to 390 F. Generously spritz curds with cooking spray and place an even layer in the air fryer basket. Cook 5–7 minutes before flipping, spritzing with more cooking spray and cooking an additional 2–3 minutes, or until crisp and cheese begins to melt.
Place finished curds on paper towel-lined baking sheet and air fry remaining curds. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
For the dipping sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, preferably overnight.
Start to finish: Active: 1 hour 15 minutes
Impresses: 4-6
Ingredients
For the steak:
2-pound skirt steak
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
For the crema:
2 poblano peppers
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1 lime, zested and juiced
¼ cup cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
Method
For the steak:
Place steak into a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper to combine. Pour marinade over steak and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
While the steak rests, heat grill over high heat. Grill steak 3–4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 F (for medium-rare temperature). Let rest for 5–10 minutes. Slice against the grain and top with crema to serve.
For the crema:
While the grill is on, place the peppers on high direct heat. Char the skins by grilling 1–2 minutes per side. Once completely charred, place peppers into a freezer-style zip-top bag and seal. Let steam for 10 minutes before removing peppers. Peel off the skin and remove the seeds and top.
Place cleaned peppers into the bowl of a food processor with sour cream, milk, lime juice and zest, cilantro and salt. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Start to finish: 2 hours 20 minutes | Inactive: 12 hours
Impresses: 12
Ingredients
For the cheesecake:
32 gingersnap cookies
32 speculoos cookies (such as Biscoff®)
4 tablespoons flour
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
½ cup eggnog, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For the boozy whipped cream:
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon each of spiced rum, brandy and bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Method
For the cheesecake:
Heat oven to 350 F. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the cookies together until finely ground. Pulse in 2 tablespoons flour to combine. While the processor is running, stream in melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven to cool, and reduce oven temperature to 325 F. Place a 9-by-13-inch baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill with warm water (this will help keep the cheesecake moist while it cooks and prevents cracks).
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream cheese until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and beat for another 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary to ensure there are no lumps. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined before adding the next. Again, scrape the bowl to ensure there are no lumps. Stir in the sour cream, eggnog, vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons flour and nutmeg. Pour batter into pre-baked crust, and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and the center just slightly jiggles. Turn off oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to prop open the oven door just a crack. Allow the cheesecake to cool like this for 1 hour. Remove from oven to cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
For the boozy whipped cream:
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Spread over cheesecake and dust with freshly grated nutmeg to serve.
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Impresses: 4
Ingredients
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
½ lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 pound steamed shrimp, deveined and tails removed
2 ribs celery, diced
¼ white onion, diced
4 soft hoagie rolls
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
8 lettuce leaves
Method
Heat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add in shrimp, celery and onion. Mix to combine.
While the shrimp mixture sets, toast hoagie rolls by buttering the inside of each roll liberally.
Place on prepared baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden brown. This varies based on your oven, so watch carefully — it should only take 1–2 minutes.
Lay 2 lettuce leaves on each hoagie before filling with generous spoonfuls of shrimp. Serve immediately.
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Impresses: 4
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, washed and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons corn starch
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup marshmallow fluff
½ teaspoon flaky salt
Method
Heat oven to 425 F.
Slice potatoes into quarters lengthwise and then into equally-sized sticks. Add sweet potatoes to a large
zip-top bag with olive oil and corn starch, close and shake until all fries are coated.
Arrange in a single layer onto two cookie sheets, sprinkle with salt and roast 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Mix together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
Remove fries from oven and let cool 5 minutes before tossing in melted butter and cinnamon sugar.
For Marshmallow Creme Dip:
Combine ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup buttermilk.
Stir in ½ cup marshmallow fluff and ½ teaspoon flaky salt.
Start to finish: 35 minutes
Impresses: 4
Ingredients
1 quart vegetable oil
16-ounce jar sliced dill pickles, drained
½ cup flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chives
¼ cup dill
salt and pepper
Method
Add oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and top with pickles. Add another layer of paper towels over the top and blot to dry completely. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk in hot sauce and buttermilk until combined and smooth.
Coat pickles, in batches, in the batter.
When oil reaches 350 F, add in roughly a quarter of the battered pickles using a slotted, metal spoon. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes.
Remove from oil and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Batter and fry in small batches, being sure not to overcrowd, until all pickles are cooked.
For Herby Ranch Dip:
Combine ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup buttermilk.
Stir in ¼ cup each of chopped parsley, chives and dill, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Impresses: 4
Ingredients
2 zucchini squash
½ cup flour
2 eggs
½ cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Method
Heat oven to 400 F and top a baking pan with a baking rack. Set aside.
Cut the ends off each zucchini and slice in half horizontally. Slice each half into four spears lengthwise. Blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Line three shallow dishes in a row. Fill the first with the flour, whisk eggs in the second, and combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in the third.
To coat, dip each zucchini spear in the flour, dunk in egg, and cover in breadcrumbs. Arrange in a single layer onto baking rack.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
For Garlic Aioli Dip:
Combine ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup buttermilk.
Stir in 2 tablespoons roasted garlic, 1 teaspoon chopped, fresh garlic and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes
Makes: One pie
Traditional crust instructions
Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup ice water
Method
Pulse together flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add cold butter and pulse until a coarse meal is formed. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until a lumpy dough begins to come together. Be sure to not add too much water, as the ideal dough isn’t sticky.
If you don’t own a food processor, whisk together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Using a fork, pastry cutter or your fingers, combine the butter until a coarse meal is formed — about the size of small peas. Use a spatula to slowly add in water.
Turn half of the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with other half.
Unwrap dough on a floured surface. Flour hands and rolling pin. Roll out dough into a circle, about ¼-inch thick, large enough to fit over the pie pan.
Place dough and lightly press into pan. Trim or crimp edges and bake based on full recipe instructions.
Make it savory by removing the sugar, cutting down the butter to ¾ cup and adding in ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese.
Filling instructions
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh peaches, about 5–6 cups once peeled and sliced
½ cup sour cream
½ cup dark brown sugar
Method
Using a paring knife, remove skin on peaches and slice in half, being careful while removing the pit. Discard pit and slice into ½-inch wedges.
Add peach slices to large bowl with sour cream and brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to toss until fully combined.
Pour into prepared pie crust.
Streusel topping instructions
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup quick oats
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
Method
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork or your hands until crumbled and butter is the size of small peas.
Ugly Peach Pie assembly instructions
Heat oven to 350 F.
Prepare half of a traditional crust recipe, roll and press into a pie pan.
Prepare peach filling and pour into pie pan.
Prepare streusel topping and generously top pie from edge to edge.
Bake 45–50 minutes or until golden brown and peach filling is bubbling.
Cool, slice and serve.
Start to finish: 35 minutes
Makes: 3 cups
Ingredients
10 ounces chopped, frozen spinach
1 pound white cheddar cheese, cubed
8-ounce block cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
Method
Thaw spinach to package instructions in a colander lined with a thin towel. Once thawed, use towel to squeeze moisture out of spinach. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, combine all ingredients. Stir every few minutes until smooth and fully melted, about 25 minutes.
Slow cooker: Follow instructions as listed above, except using a slow cooker on the high setting. Stir every 20 minutes until smooth and fully melted, about 1.5 hours. Serve on warm setting.
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Impresses: 6
Ingredients
1 cup onion, chopped
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
5 tablespoons butter
3 cups baby spinach
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles (or roasted anaheims/hatch chiles)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
¾ teaspoon salt
2½ cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (or more)
12 6-inch tortillas
Method
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In large saucepan, cook onion and green pepper in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Combine in a bowl with spinach, chopped chicken and green chiles. Set aside.
In the same saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour, coriander and salt. Stir in chicken broth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and ½ cup of cheese.
Stir ½ cup of the sauce into the chicken mixture. Dip each tortilla into remaining hot sauce to soften and fill each with about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture and roll up.
Arrange rolls in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and pour remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
Start to finish: 11 hours
Impresses: 8–10
Ingredients
For the carnitas:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 4–5 lb. pork shoulder/butt
1 white onion
6 garlic cloves
2 oranges
2 limes
2 bay leaves
1 10-ounce can whole green chiles
For the chipotle crema:
2 cups sour cream
2 chipotles in adobo with sauce
For serving:
corn tortillas
cilantro, chopped
white onion, chopped
lime wedges
Method
In a small bowl, combine cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
Dry pork shoulder with a paper towel and then rub spice mix all over. Place pork into a slow cooker. Cut onion in half and smash each garlic clove. Place into slow cooker with skin on.
Add in the juice of the oranges and limes, bay leaves and can of green chiles
with juice.
Set slow cooker on low for 10 hours.
In a blender, pulse together sour cream and chipotles until fully blended. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Pork is finished once it’s tender and easily pulls apart. Heat oven broiler and line a baking sheet with several layers of foil.
Using two forks, pull pork until shredded, discarding the fatty parts. Place pork on the baking sheet and ladle 1–2 cups of the cooking liquid atop the pulled pork and toss to coat. Broil for 10–15 minutes, stirring twice.
To serve, place pork inside warm corn tortillas, top with cilantro, onion, a squeeze of lime juice and drizzle of chipotle crema.
Ingredients
6 strips bacon
1 head broccoli
1 tablespoon butter
3 carrots
3 stalks celery
1 small onion
6 potatoes
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 carton (4 cups) chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1½ cups milk
1 8-ounce container sour cream
salt and pepper
Method
Chop the broccoli, carrots, celery, onion and potatoes into small bite-sized pieces (taking care to separate the broccoli florets from the diced stock). Cut the bacon into small strips as well.
After the prep-work is done, fry the bacon strips in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once they’re fully cooked, remove the bacon from the pot and reserve the bacon pieces to top your soup. Remove all but approximately 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot and discard. Add the broccoli stocks, carrots, celery and onion to the pot and cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes, broccoli florets and butter to the pot and continue to cook and stir the vegetables for 3–4 more minutes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of salt and pepper, and allow the pot to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are fully cooked.
Scoop approximately 2/3 of the soup into a bowl and purée using a submersion blender (a food processor or blender work too, so long as you’re cautious while blending — hot liquid expands, and can be a little unpredictable when mixed). This can be done all at once, or in shifts, whatever you feel most comfortable with. Add the puréed mixture back into the pot, and pour in the milk, cream and 4 ounces of the shredded cheddar. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir continuously until all the cheese is melted.
Dish the soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, remaining shredded cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of the reserved bacon.
Recipe courtesy of Miranda Rice
Start to finish: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Impresses: 10
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 24-ounce jar spaghetti or marinara sauce
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 stick butter
1 16-ounce package lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and drained
cheddar cheese, grated
Method
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta cheese until blended.
Combine meat and spaghetti sauce.
Place a few thin slices of butter in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Place ½ of the lasagna noodles on top of the butter.
Pour ½ of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles and spread well.
Repeat last three steps and layer remaining noodles, cheese and meat.
Top with grated cheddar cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes.
A food magazine celebration dairy and those who make it.
