comment icon 93 more comments On our Washington, D.C. weekend getaway, I found various forms of brussels sprouts on every restaurant menu. Caramelized, roasted, chopped, sauteed, braised, you name it. And obvi, I ordered all of them. But there was only one that really made my heart flutter, and that was the caramelized brussels sprouts. How can a real live person say no to that crispy, golden exterior? So lightly sweet and so perfect....

comment icon 103 more comments But really, the salmon. Chipotle seems to always be on the brain these days, which lead me to morph my salmon dinner into a Caribbean Burrito Bol, complete with mango and avocado salsa. Ding-Ding-Ding! Truthfully, making salmon usually stresses me out. It always gets too burnt on the outside but not cooked on the inside. Maybe I should turn the heat down, or maybe I should start buying skinnier salmon filets, or maybe I should make it more than twice a year, or maybe I should stop playing Draw Something on my phone and start watching the skillet....

The BEST Chicken Salad Recipe When it comes to classic recipes, a classic chicken salad recipe is at the top of the list. My tried-and-true chicken salad recipe is fast, easy, and a family favorite! Make it for your next picnic, potluck, graduation party, barbecue, backyard get-together, or game day party! That’s because it’s made with tender shredded chicken, celery and pecans for crunch, and tossed in a creamy yet tangy and zippy dressing thanks to mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard....

comment icon 368 more comments They are the actual best. You can build almost any type of meal around almost any type of noodles. God bless them, every one. Today I’m going to introduce you to an idea that is a Zero Thinking Required Dinner Situation. Spoiler: it includes noodles. Meet: Chili garlic brown rice noodles in the Instant Pot (affiliate link). They are sticky, with an umami flavor and a little sweetness....

I used to eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches as a kid and this recipe trumps that for a few reasons. First, chocolate peanut butter. Automatically a leg up on regular peanut butter. You could also use Nutella. Second, rather than just making sandwiches, I made French toast. The bread is slightly crisp on the exterior, soft in the interior, and heating the chocolate peanut butter so it melts slightly is the best idea I’ve had in awhile....

They’re like a homemade peanut buttery Crunch Bar topped with Kit Kats, and they’re worth every empty calorie. No-bake Cereal Bars are a real specialty of mine. Some people can make macarons in their sleep or pipe flowers onto 4-tiered fondant-covered cakes. Me, I’ve got a real knack for combining peanut butter, sugar, cereal, and chocolate in the microwave, with some candy bars tossed in to complete the classy ensemble....

Baking tips for beginners: Use Room temperature ingredients, particularly room temperature eggs and butter in any recipe. The ingredients more easily whip and emulsify, allowing the batter to properly bake. Don’t over-mix: Over-mixing the batter is a common mistake and one of the biggest culprits of a dense, dry cake. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, use a spatula to gently mix just until the ingredients are combined. Spoon measure the flour: Be careful when measuring the flour that you don’t “pack” it into the measuring cup....

Like, since high school. Like, since Bjork (my highschoolboyfriendnowhusband) casually mentioned this super good chocolate spread that he put on toast, and what, I hadn’t heard of it? And then one fateful day I went to his house and watched him spread that creamy chocolate love on toasted bread. Can you say love at first sight? He held the keys to my heart right then and there. In more recent memory…Nutella has entered my life in other ways....

And I love trail mix. All the textures, the salty-and-sweet aspect. I can never stop at a handful. Marrying candied nuts with trail mix was one of the best, and most dangerous, kitchen decisions I’ve had lately. Can you say addiciting. Whoa. But it makes great gifts and people love it. I used a combo of pecans, walnuts, and almonds. I love using pecans when making candied nuts because the cinnamon-and-sugar coating really seeps into all the nookies and crannies and adheres beautifully....

I decided not to choose and had a two-for-one deal via this cake. It’s a soft, moist, buttery tasting cake with notes of cinnamon and reminds me of snickerdoodle cookies, and I love snickerdoodles. I made the cake using my favorite foolproof, one-bowl, easy cake base. It comes together with a whisk, no mixer needed, and is simple enough to be made at a moment’s notice. I loathe dry cake, and used three tricks to keep it super soft, moist, and tender: Buttermilk, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and oil....

Whipped Frozen Lemonade Recipe This is going to be your new summertime favorite blended drink. It’s similar to a smoothie or frozen drink, but with more of a whipped and frothy texture than your typical smoothie or frozen drink has thanks to the coconut milk. That coconut milk fat isn’t just good for your skin. It makes an incredibly creamy and frothy frozen drink. It’s refreshing, creamy, and has a great balance of tart-and-sweet....

Looking for more holiday appetizers? Try this French Onion Dip, Baked Brie, or Bacon Wrapped Dates. Why I love this recipe: Elegant – Crab Artichoke dip is such a fun holiday appetizer that will wow guests ,with no sweat off your back. It’s unique enough no one else will bring it, but everyone is bound to enjoy it! 30 Minutes is all you need and this hot and cheesy crab and artichoke dip is ready to serve with chips, crackers or veggies....

Creamy Coconut Milk Smoothie Recipe When in Rome, do as the Romans. When in the Caribbean, consume as much coconut and as many cold creamy beverages made using coconut as possible. I really liked the Cinnamon Raisin Bread Smoothies using graham crackers blended into them, and figured what the heck, let’s try it again. This time, graham crackers are the ‘pie crust’ of a coconut cream pie. A stretch? Maybe a little, but not really....

I know – technically, this probably would have been a better fit for Meatless Monday. It’s a nice way to change up spaghetti and make it something a little more veg-friendly and, um, what’s the word? GAHHHHH? comment icon 323 more comments But when we’re talking about butter and garlic soaked mushrooms tossed with fresh herbs and coated in a creamy sauce all served up on steaming hot pasta – ♡♡♡ – let’s get real....

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes! Have you tried this recipe?! RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience. I originally shared this recipe March 2014. Updated March 2019. *This post contains affiliate links. I love sharing my favorite products with you! This post contains affiliate links.

comment icon 19 more comments Thanks for all your kind words. And thanks for still checking in, even though things have been a bit unpredictable around here. Today, I’m thinking about my grandpa, but I’m writing about pecan granola. I guess the balance of remembering and moving on takes time. If you’ve done this before, maybe you can relate. So. Granola. My family is obsessed with granola, but I’m not much of a granola person....

Once a month I take a break from my intense grocery getting duties and write a post that reveals the income and traffic from Pinch of Yum’s previous month. Our hope is that these monthly income and traffic reports are inspirational and educational. Inspirational in that you can see that’s it’s possible to create an income from a food blog and educational in that you can see where the income we’re earning is coming from....

comment icon 200 more comments Buttery, crisped cookie ridges with a melty chocolate and slightly underdone center is going to give you the best of both cookie worlds, all in the couch-friendly format of individual deep dish cookie bowls. The path to a lot of the recipes on Pinch of Yum starts with me trying to solve a problem for myself. And my problem was: end of night, end of week, tired and lazy but… I wanted cookies....

Easiest Cheesecake Recipe … Without Crust! I’ve never been a big cheesecake maker because of the work involved. Making the crust, carefully beating the eggs and cream cheese for the filling, and baking in a water bath. No thanks! But with this recipe, you don’t have to do any of that. It’s impossibly easy. The cheesecake is creamy, rich, luscious, and the texture reminds me of New York-style cheesecake. The batter is made in the blender and it’s virtually impossible to screw up....

I love apple recipes this time of year. Make sure to try Apple Crisp, Apple Pie, Apple Cake, Caramel Apple Dip, or learn how to make perfect Caramel Apples! How to make Baked Apples: Prep Apples: Make a deep hole in the center of the apple with a paring knife and carefully remove the core. Make Filling: Mix together brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Add nuts, if desired. Fill each apple with filling....