Cheesy Slow Cooker Sausage Balls

11/30/2019

Cheesy Slow Cooker Sausage Balls
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Slow Cooker Sausage Balls are cheesy, easy to make, and super delicious. Serve them as a party appetizer, spoon over pasta, or make a meatball sub! You choose.

Photography Credit: Nick Evans

These slow cooker sausage balls are all kinds of magical. They are somehow better than your standard Italian meatball, but also easier – just brown the meatballs in a skillet, toss in a slow cooker for a few hours, then serve as a party appetizer or family meal. You can’t go wrong!

THE SECRET INGREDIENT: CHEESE!

These sausage balls are basically meatballs, but less finicky; the recipe doesn’t call for breadcrumbs, eggs, or a bunch of other add-ins. What it does call for is cheese (two kinds, in fact): cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir these together with Italian sausage and you are in business!

DON’T SKIP THE BROWNING STEP

I was worried that the meatballs would fall apart in the slow cooker or while browning but they firmed up nicely and held their shape. Browning helped with this and also gives the sausage balls great flavor, so don’t skip this step!

Make sure to give yourself enough time to brown the sausage balls in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil before transferring them to a slow cooker so they develop flavor and keep their shape while they simmer.

Cheese-stuffed sausage balls on a plate

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS FOR STUFFED SAUSAGE BALLS

These sausage balls can be made up to a few hours in advance of serving. If you need to make them further in advance, that’s just fine. Assemble the sausage balls and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days until you are ready to make them.

Also, in terms of how flexible you can be with the the slow-cooking time, I left a batch of these in a slow cooker for two hours on high and up to eight hours on low and both were excellent.

IDEAS FOR SERVING SAUSAGE BALLS

So. Many. Serving. Ideas! Here are a few favorite serving ideas for these stuffed sausage balls:

Serve them as appetizers: Toss some toothpicks next to a big platter of the meatballs and appetizers are done.
Make a dinner out of them: Cook some spaghetti, stir in a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce from the slow cooker after the pasta is cooked, then serve the spaghetti with sausage balls and fresh parsley.
Go for a hearty weekend lunch: Toss some of these sausage balls in a hoagie with provolone cheese for the best meatball sub!

Other ideas for these? Leave a comment!

Cheesy slow cooker sausage meatballs cooked in a crockpot

STORING AND REHEATING STUFFED SAUSAGE BALLS

These sausage balls keep perfectly in the fridge for five days or so. You can also freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to three months. Reheating them is best in a pot on the stove with a splash of water, or you can toss them back in the slow cooker on low. They will be just as good as on day one.

MORE WAYS TO EAT ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Cheesy Slow Cooker Sausage Balls Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds Italian sausage, either bulk or removed from the casing
4 ounces (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Olive oil, for browning
3 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
Fresh parsley, garnish
Pasta, for serving (optional)

Special equipment:

Method

1 Make the sausage balls: In a medium bowl, mix together Italian sausage, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and kosher salt. Use your hands to mix the mixture really well so there are no huge chunks of cream cheese.

Shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. (Tip: it’s easier to make the balls if your hands are cold and wet!) Alternatively, use a small cookie scoop to create the meatballs. You should get around 30 balls out of the mixture. Put the meatballs on a plate.

Mix ingredients for slow cooker sausage meatballs Form round sausage meatballs for slow cooker

2 Brown the sausage balls: Add a small drizzle of oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add a batch of sausage balls (about 12-14 balls, or as many as will fit in your skillet without crowding). Cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping once to get some browning on at least two sides. The sausage balls do not need to be completely cooked through.

Repeat with the remaining sausage balls until all the balls have been browned. (It will probably take three batches to brown them all.) When finished, add the sausage balls to a slow cooker pot.

Brown sausage meatballs before putting them in the slow cooker Put browned sausage balls into the slow cooker pot

3 Cook the sausage balls: When all the sausage balls are browned and in the slow cooker, gently stir in the marinara sauce (the sausage balls may be fragile) and cook on high heat for 2 hours or low heat for up to 8 hours.

Serve finished sausage balls garnished with parsley and served with toothpicks as an appetizer or over pasta for a full meal.

Cheesy slow cooker sausage meatballs cooked in a crockpot

Leftovers keep fantastically in the fridge for 5-6 days. Reheat in a pot over low heat with a splash of water. You can also freeze the sausage balls in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

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Products We Love

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Nick Evans

Nick has been writing delicious recipes for the home cook for almost a decade. He lives in Denver, CO and embraces a delicate balance of diaper changing, trail running and beer drinking. His website is Macheesmo and his first book is Love Your Leftovers.

Simply Recipes 2019 Meal Plan: December Week 1

11/30/2019

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Simply Recipes 2019 Meal Plan: December Week 1
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Simply Recipes 2019 Meal Plan: December Week 1

We are full steam ahead into wrapping up 2019 with easy weeknight recipes. This week’s meal plan features Easy Chicken Parmesan, Quick and Easy Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta, Frittata with Potatoes, Red Peppers, and Spinach, then finishes strong with Vermont Maple Syrup Pork Chops. Yum!

This month, please welcome back Aaron Hutcherson and his meal plans! Aaron is a regular contributor here on Simply Recipes and the blogger behind The Hungry Hutch.

You made it through Thanksgiving — congratulations! I spent the holiday with my family in my hometown of Chicago, which wrapped up what felt like a year of near-constant travel. Now, I’m glad to be back home so that I can sleep in my own bed for a little while (until I’m hopping on another plane for Christmas and New Year’s).

With all of the traveling I’ve been doing—and having cooked a feast for the small army that is my family just last week—it’s no coincidence that “easy” is in the title of a couple of this week’s recipes. (And the adjective could be applied to the rest of them too!) From chicken parm to sloppy joes to breakfast for dinner, this week’s recipes are full of flavor without wearing you out in the kitchen.

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

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November 30, 2019 at 09:03AM
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Skinnytaste Meal Plan (December 2-December 8)

11/30/2019

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Skinnytaste Meal Plan (December 2-December 8)
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A free 7-day flexible weight loss meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and WW Points.

Meal Plan

I hope everyone had a safe, happy holiday spent with loved ones. I also hoped you enjoyed some of my new recipes, let me know which ones were your favorites!

WW has changed their plan to now include a Blue, Purple and Green Plan. All the recipes on my blog are updated for the Blue plan. I’ve been updating all my recipes (over 2000) and have complete 2019 with the other two colors, and I am working my way down so please be patient.

Why Should Everyone Meal Plan?

Meal planning is a great way to organize your meals for the week ahead. You also save time and money in the supermarket! And of course, planning ahead helps you stick to your goals!

About The Meal Plan

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. You should aim for around 1500 calories* per day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing! If you wish to get on the email list, you can subscribe here so you never miss a meal plan!

Also, if you don’t have the Skinnytaste Meal Planner, now would be a great time to get one to get organized for 2019! There was a print error last year, but it’s perfect now! You can order it here!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated WW Blue SP for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (11/2)
B: Overnight Oats with Figs and Honey (8B 7G 5P)
L: Chickpea Tuna Salad (0B 8G 0P) over 2 cups mixed greens (0B 0G 0P)
D: Creamy Pumpkin Ginger Soup (3B 4G 3P) with 2 Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits (8B 8G 8P)
Totals: Freestyle™ SP 19G 27G 16P, Calories 883*

TUESDAY (11/3)
B: Overnight Oats with Figs and Honey (8B 7G 5P)
L: Chickpea Tuna Salad (0B 8G 0P) over 2 cups mixed greens (0B 0G 0P)
D: Cheesy Rotisserie Chicken Enchilada Skillet (9B 13G 9P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 17B 28G 14P, Calories 1,040*

WEDNESDAY (11/4)
B: 2 hard-boiled eggs (0B 4G 0P) and a pear (0B 0G 0P)
L: Chicken Waldorf Salad (3B 4G 3P) on 1 slice whole grain bread (3B 3G 3P)
D: White Bean Turkey Chili (4B 5G 1P) with 2 tablespoons Mexican blend cheese (2B 2G 2P) and 1 ounce avocado
(1B 3G 3P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 13B 21G 12P, Calories 1,015*

THURSDAY (11/5)
B: Greek Yogurt with Berries, Nuts and Honey (5B 8G 5P)
L: Chicken Waldorf Salad (3B 4G 3P) on 1 slice whole grain bread (3B 3G 3P)
D: LEFTOVER White Bean Turkey Chili (4B 5G 1P) with 2 tablespoons Mexican blend cheese (2B 2G 2P) and 1
ounce avocado (1B 3G 3P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 18B 25G 17P, Calories 1,025*

FRIDAY (11/6)
B: 2 hard-boiled eggs (0B 4G 0P) and a pear (0B 0G 0P)
L: Chicken Waldorf Salad (3B 4G 3P) on 1 slice whole grain bread (3B 3G 3P)
D: Flounder Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes (4B 3G 3P) with Lemon Parsley Potato Foil Packet (3B 8G 5P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 13B 22G 14P, Calories 939*

SATURDAY (11/7)
B: Avocado Toast Egg-in-a-Hole (recipe x 4) (6B 4G 4P)
L: Chicken and Lentil Soup (5B 1G 1P) and 2 ounces multigrain baguette (3B 3G 3P)
D: DINNER OUT!

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 14B 8G 8P, Calories 622*

SUNDAY (11/8)
B: Asparagus-Pancetta Potato Hash (6B 4G 2P) and an orange (0B 0G 0P)
L: LEFTOVER Chicken and Lentil Soup (5B 1G 1P) and 2 ounces multigrain baguette (3B 3G 3P)
D: Salisbury Steak Meatballs (6B 5G 5P) with Mashed Cauliflower (2B 2G 2P) and Roasted Parmesan Green
Beans (1B 1G 1P)

Totals: Freestyle™ SP 23B 16G 14P, Calories 1,054*

*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate
your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits,
snacks, dessert, wine, etc.

(more…)

The post Skinnytaste Meal Plan (December 2-December 8) appeared first on Skinnytaste.

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November 30, 2019 at 06:07AM
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Apple Cider Hot Toddy

11/29/2019

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Apple Cider Hot Toddy
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It’s not often you can drink alcohol and claim it’s good for you, but in the case of the hot toddy, you (maybe) can. The combination of whiskey, honey, lemon, and spices is sure to warm you up on a cold day, and it may even help relieve your symptoms if you’re feeling a little under the weather.

While most toddies are made with hot water and lemon, this version uses apple cider for an extra dose of seasonal goodness. (You can also add lemon here, but I prefer it without—I think the apple cider has enough tartness on its own.)

THE HISTORY OF THE HOT TODDY

It’s generally agreed that the hot toddy has been around for a long time, although no one is quite sure how long. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2001, whiskey expert Charlie MacLean traced the origin of the hot toddy to 18th-century Scotland, where honey and spices were added to mask the harsh flavor of bad Scotch.

Since then, the hot toddy has been beloved as both a winter warmer and a boozy DIY cold medicine. But is it actually good for you?

IS A HOT TODDY A HEALTHY DRINK?

According to a 2008 study, drinking hot drinks can help to relieve the symptoms of cold and flu. Spices can stimulate saliva production, soothing a sore throat, and honey is good for a cough.

But the jury’s out on the benefits of the booze; while moderate amounts of alcohol can act as a sedative and help you sleep, if you’re truly sick, it’s probably better not to overindulge.

hot toddy recipe with spices apple cider and bourbon

WHAT LIQUOR TO USE FOR A HOT TODDY

Although it’s most commonly made with whiskey, you can make a toddy with pretty much anything, even tequila or gin. My preference here is for bourbon; its warm, sweet edge is a particularly nice complement to the apple cider.

A good mid-range bourbon, like Knob Creek or Four Roses, will do well here. (Super-premium bourbons are best saved for drinks where the flavor will come through a bit more.)

SCALE IT UP FOR A PARTY!

Want a warm cocktail for a party? Scale this up to serve the number of guests, combine everything on the stovetop, and keep warm over the lowest heat. Let guests serve themselves with a ladle.

You can also set the bourbon out separately and let guests add a splash to their mugs as desired.

THE NOT-TODDY, OR A NON-ALCOHOLIC HOT TODDY

Not feeling like drinking? I’m a big fan of what I call a Not-Toddy, a hot toddy without the booze. It’s every bit as delicious, and it’s suitable for children, teetotalers, and nights when you just don’t feel like drinking. In this case, you’re basically making a spiced apple cider, but what’s not to like about that?

MORE WINTER DRINKS TO ENJOY:

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November 29, 2019 at 09:11AM
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The Friday Buzz: Basement Cooking Hail the Kale and Campaign Champagne!

11/29/2019

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The Friday Buzz: Basement Cooking, Hail the Kale, and Campaign Champagne!
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Here's our roundup of all good things, good advice, good feelings. It’s the happy hour of blog posts! Up this week: Cooking in your basement, kale chips, mid-week champagne, and SO MUCH MORE!

Welcome to The Friday Buzz, our roundup of all good things, good advice, good feelings. It’s the happy hour of blog posts! Up this week: Cooking in your basement, kale chips, mid-week champagne, and SO MUCH MORE!

I’m gonna keep this short because I’m out shopping for ALL THE DEALS today! I love Black Friday shopping (and it’s totally okay if you don’t like it. We can still be friends!) but I don’t do it for my Christmas shopping. In fact, I have the majority of my Christmas shopping done already.

I love getting fantastic deals on everything else that I need but always put off buying. Things like towels, small kitchen appliances, sheets, dishes, etc. My favorite Black Friday purchase of all time was about 10 years ago and I bought a mini Crock Pot for $3. I still use it to this day!

Throughout the year I keep a running list of things I will eventually need, but don’t want to pay full price for (because I’m a legit bargain-hunter) and I snag all those deals on Black Friday. I will say that I don’t like going Thanksgiving night (I’m too stuffed with turkey to shop!) so I’ll wait until about 6 am Friday morning to go. It’s great and grand and I love it hard core!

But enough about what I’m loving on, let’s see what the Simply Recipes team is crushing on this week!

OUR FAVES THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

Basement Cooking – Summer is still in the middle of a kitchen renovation, so she’s cooking everything in a slow cooker in her basement and doubled up on this recipe from Skinnytaste so her family could eat it throughout the whole week.
Hail the Kale! While Cambria thinks kale chips are a little 2009, she’s been loving them with soba noodles from this Bon Appetit recipe.
Campaign Champagne! Emma’s campaigning us to open a bottle of mid-week champagne. Don’t wait until you have a reason to celebrate… DRINK IT NOW! #yolo
ALL THE FEELS – Summer shared this granola that is made by refugees and it deeply touched our whole team. Snag a bag right now because I promise you won’t regret it.
Wonderful Wafers – I’m addicted to literally every flavor of Voortman wafers! So often, wafers have a really fake taste, but their flavors are SPOT ON.

MEANWHILE ON THE INSTAGRAM

You all have been loving our post here on the site about which jarred pasta sauce is best and you’ve left tons of feedback (which we always love)! But on IG, we’ve had a fun discussion about different ways to GUSSY UP your pasta sauce!

READER COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Heather recently made our Instant Pot Chicken Soup and this is what she had to say:

This was the best chicken soup I’ve made. I followed these directions, and although I didn’t have any thyme, I substituted oregano and for whatever reason, the flavor is incredible! Thank you!

I love that Heather used what she had on hand to customize the recipe!

Cheers to the weekend, my friends! If anyone needs me, I’ll be napping for the next 24 hours to make up for all the energy I spent shopping! Ha!

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Claudia Cash

Claudia is the Community Manager for Simply Recipes, and finds joy building relationships with our readers through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. As the mother of 5 girls, she is passionate about family dinner and having that time together every day to connect with those we love, even if it's over toast and eggs.

Simply Recipes 2019 Gift Guide: The Cook With it All

11/29/2019

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Simply Recipes 2019 Gift Guide: The Cook With it All
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Simply Recipes 2019 Gift Guide: The Cook With it All

Shopping for the cook in your life who seems to have everything they need? Let the Simply Team help! With ten standout gifts that'll help the well-equipped home cook work their magic, crossing people off your list has never been easier.

There’s nothing more challenging than trying to shop for the person who has it all. Where to begin?

This year our team put our heads together and came up with our favorite gift list yet, geared towards the friend in your life who already has a well-equipped kitchen with the latest gadgets.

From our favorite air fryer to a spice of the month club, we cover all the bases so you don’t have to stress this holiday (at least about gifting)!

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

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November 29, 2019 at 09:00AM
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10 Healthy Meal Train Recipes for New Parents Meal Train Tips

11/29/2019

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10 Healthy Meal Train Recipes for New Parents + Meal Train Tips
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Looking for healthy meal train recipes to make for your friend who just had a baby? I’ve got you covered with a variety of ideas along with meal train etiquette and tips for hosting.

Over the years I’ve participated in countless meal trains for friends and family. I know how appreciated they are, but I also know that it can feel kind of overwhelming as the volunteer. What do you make? Should you go full-on cheesy, comfort food or make something healthy because you know they’re going to get a bunch of indulgent casseroles from others? And what about drop-off? Should you plan to simply drop off the meal and dash or hang around and meet the new baby?

With this post I’m sharing all the details — lots of healthy recipes for meals you can make for new parents, as well as, tips for bringing the meal over. Plus, I have some additional advice on how to host a meal train for a friend or family member in need. This post is geared towards new parents, but there are a variety of situations when a meal train can be helpful… like when someone you love is recovering from surgery, suffering with an illness, moving or grieving a death.

Casserole dish with a ground turkey and eggplant bake.

10 Healthy Meal Train Recipe Ideas

Here’s a list of healthy (and easy) recipes to make as part of a meal train. All the recipes included are family friendly and sure to be a hit with the recipients.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchilada Bake – This dish is my absolute favorite to bring to new parents and it’s always a hit. It’s loaded with veggies and has the most delicious homemade enchilada sauce. One thing to keep in mind is the spice level. If the people you’re cooking for don’t like spice, you may want to adjust the spices in the recipe.
Mexican Quinoa Fiesta Bake – Another one of my go-to meals for new parents, this vegetarian casserole is loaded with flavor and easy to put together.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan – This is a lightened up version of traditional eggplant parmesan and it’s so delicious. Another great option is this Zucchini Tofu Lasagna. Either of these would be great paired with a side salad.
Confetti Chicken Casserole – If you want to go the casserole route, but still keep things a bit on the healthy side, this chicken casserole is amazing and perfect for meat lovers because it has chicken and bacon!

Two bowls of vegetarian chili.

Easy Vegetarian Chili – Nothing says comfort food like a big bowl of chili. If I make this for friends, I usually make these pumpkin cornbread muffins to go with it. Other soups and stews: Slow Cooker Sausage Kale Soup, Healthy Brunswick Stew with Shredded Chicken, Vegan Curried Pumpkin Soup

Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Bowls – This is a fun option because you can prep all the components and let the recipients build their own bowls.
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole – Another great casserole option with broccoli and quinoa. You can add shredded chicken if you want to give the dish a protein boost.
Sweet Potato Kale Frittata – Egg dishes, like a frittata or quiche, are great options because they can be eaten hot or cold and at any time of the day. Some other options: Caramelized Onion and Bell Pepper Frittata and Kale and Feta Crustless Quiche.
Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken – This is my staple grilled chicken recipe and is a great option if you want to keep the dish super healthy. You can prep the grilled chicken and bring everything to make a grilled chicken salad or simply prep a veggie side to go along with it. Some ideas: apple cider vinegar roasted brussels sprouts, roasted root vegetables, Mediterranean orzo salad.
Teriyaki Chicken – This dish is great because you can dump everything in your slow cooker. To make it a full meal, bring along some cooked rice and steamed broccoli.

Meal Train Tips for the Volunteer

If you’re new to the meal train scene and not sure how it all works, I have a couple meal train “etiquette” tips that are super helpful.

Bring your meal in disposable or reusable containers that you don’t need back. This is one less thing for new parents to worry about. I personally like using the disposable aluminum baking tins that come with lids because they’re easy to find at any grocery store.
Instead of asking the family what you should bring, give them 2-3 ideas so they can pick which they’re most excited about.
Keep the meal family friendly. This one is important if the parents have other children besides the newborn. A couple things to keep in mind is how many the meal should serve and the spice level — some nursing moms avoid spicy foods and most kids don’t love spicy food either.
Include reheating instructions for dishes that should be served warm.
The best meals are ones that don’t require assembling. Meals that are brought over hot or already prepped (like a mixed salad) are awesome because the recipients can simply plate and enjoy!
Don’t expect to come inside or hold the baby. Unless otherwise requested, plan to drop off the meal on the porch and text the new parents letting them know it’s there. If they do invite you in, don’t stay longer than 10-15 minutes. You can always ask about scheduling another time to visit and hold the baby.

Pro Tip: Double the Recipe

Maybe it’s my love for being efficient in the kitchen or the meal prep maven in me, but one thing that I love to do when I’m making a meal for new parents, is to double the recipe and make the same meal for Isaac and I as well. With this approach you’re able to maximize your time in the kitchen and feed two families with one round of cooking.

No Time to Cook

While home-cooked meals are great, sometimes you simply don’t have time to whip something up! That’s okay. Simply text the new parents and offer to bring a meal from their favorite take-out spot. Pizza with a side salad is always a hit and bowl meals from fast casual places like Cava, Chopt, Zoe’s or Chipotle are great options too. If you can’t get to the house in time for delivery yourself, you can always use a service like UberEats.

Meal Train Extras

Step up your meal train game with some fun extra recipes! Snacks, desserts and drinks are all fun ways to take your meal train delivery to the next level and impress the recipients.

Meal Train Snack Ideas

New parents are exhausted and they definitely need some extra fuel throughout the day so sending along a snack is a pro move.

Lactation Cookies or Lactation Bites – If the new mama is breastfeeding, she will be so appreciative that you thought of her! The cookies and bites are loaded with oats and brewers yeast, which are great for boosting breast milk production.
Chocolate Protein Muffins – Honestly, you can enjoy these for breakfast, snack or dessert! They are the perfect meal train add-on.
Protein Balls – I love having these on hand when I need a quick and easy breakfast or snack. And they’re made with oats, which are helpful for breast milk supply.
Homemade Granola Bars or Energy Bites – You can’t go wrong with either of these. They’re parent and kid-approved!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars – So great to have on hand. These are packed with protein and made from real ingredients.
Baked Oatmeal Cups – These are amazing as a quick and easy breakfast option and the recipients can keep them in the freezer for longer storage, if needed!
Veggies + Hummus – This is an easy idea that doesn’t involve any cooking. Just run to the store, grab a container of hummus (or make your own) and chop up some veggies.
Fruit Salad – Another great option for healthy snacking.

Chocolate covered peanut butter balls on a plate. One has a bite taken out of it.

Meal Train Dessert Ideas

4-Ingredient Samoas – Everyone loves these Girl Scout Cookie copycats! They’re always such a HIT and they’re so so easy to make.
Healthy Peanut Butter Balls – Made with just five ingredients, these pb balls are fan faves and the perfect dessert option for new parents who are craving chocolate.
Flourless Black Bean Brownies – Who doesn’t love brownies? And no one will know these are made with black beans.
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies – A healthy version of cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookies! Everyone loves them.
Healthy Peanut Butter Cups – Like a Reese’s but better for you!

How to Organize a Meal Train

Which meal train organizational website to use? Through my research I have found two free websites that you can use to organize a meal train – Meal Train and Take Them a Meal. I’ve personally only used Meal Train, but both seem like great websites and they’re both free. These sites have the ability for you to customize the dates and times that meals are needed and add important information like allergies, dietary preferences, drop-off instructions and more. Through either of these sites, you can set up reminder emails that go out to volunteers before their scheduled date.

Decide how often the recipients want meals. When I polled the EBF Community on Facebook, people suggested getting 2-3 meals a week. If you have a larger family, you might want meals more often as the leftovers won’t last that long. If you have a smaller family and/or prepped your own meals ahead of time, you could get away with less meals.

Ask about meal train preferences or dietary restrictions. If you’re the one setting up the meal train, don’t forget to ask the recipients about their meal preferences! Some people hate a certain ingredient, have food allergies or even have specific delivery/drop-off instructions that need to be included.

Make sure there’s an option for people to write what they’ll bring! This was a tip I got from the EBF Community as well. Make sure people write what they’re bringing so that the recipients will know what to expect in advance and so that they don’t end up with duplicate meals.

Meal Train Tips for the Recipient

Be sure to include dietary preferences, favorite restaurants and instructions for drop-off (the best timing, should the person expect to come inside, will they get to meet/hold the baby, etc.). This helps streamline the process and protects you from getting a ton of texts asking what to bring or what time to drop off the meal.
Somehow have people coordinate what they’re bringing. You don’t want to end up with pasta three nights in a row…
If you’re not feeling up for guests, leave a cooler outside. Ask folks to drop off food and text you when it’s been delivered instead of ringing the doorbell or knocking. This is helpful if you don’t want to risk waking a sleeping baby.

More Meal Train Resources:

The post 10 Healthy Meal Train Recipes for New Parents + Meal Train Tips appeared first on Eating Bird Food.

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November 29, 2019 at 07:06AM
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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

11/27/2019

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
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These oatmeal raisin cookies are literally the way Grandma made them, except with butter instead of shortening! They're made with old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, and plenty of raisins.

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

My favorite cookies in the whole wide world are these oatmeal raisin cookies. They’re a little chewy in the center and a little crispy at the edges. Each bite is loaded with oats and sweet bursts of raisins.

My grandmother used to bake oatmeal raisin cookies with me from the time I was old enough to stand on a chair and hold a spoon. Making these cookies taught me how to measure, how scrape down the sides of a mixing bowl, and the purest pleasure of all—licking the bowl.

Whoever helped with the cooking got first dibs on the bowl, so guess who was the first to volunteer to help?

Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on Plate

What kind of oats to use?

Old-fashioned rolled oats or quick rolled oats are the best to use for oatmeal cookies. We’ve always used Quaker brand, so if you use a different brand, you may find you need to adjust the recipe. Do not use steel-cut oats (they’ll be too hard) or instant oats (they’ll cook up too mushy).

Butter vs. Shortening?

My grandmother used shortening, not butter, when making her cookies (see her original oatmeal cookie recipe). These days I almost always use butter. Either will do; the shortening cookies I think tend to be a bit chewier.

Storing or Freezing these Cookies

Once cooked, keep the cookies stored in a covered container on the counter. They’ll stay fresh for several days.

You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 2 days (cover tightly with plastic wrap), before scooping and baking. Or, you can scoop out individual cookies onto a baking sheet, freeze them until firm, then transfer them to a storage container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Frozen balls of cookie dough can be baked from frozen (no need to thaw), but might need a few extra minutes of baking time.

More Oatmeal Cookies to Love

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

My grandmother used shortening, not butter, when making these cookies. These days I almost always use butter. Either will do; the shortening cookies I think tend to be a bit chewier.

By the way, if you make the cookies extra large, they will be chewier, just cook them longer (20 min instead of 10).

Do not overbake these cookies! The edges should be brown, but the rest of the cookie should be very light in color.

If you use salted butter, omit the salt called for in this recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup (1/2 pound or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, OR 1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3 cups rolled oats (We use Quaker Quick or Old Fashioned. Do NOT use instant)

Method

1 Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two large cookie sheets or line with Silpat or parchment paper.

2 Combine the butter, sugar and eggs: In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and white sugar, beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.

3 Add the dry ingredients: Mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in medium bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Stir in the oats.

4 Scoop out the dough onto sheets: Spoon out the dough by large tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.

5 Bake the cookies: Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Note that the cookies will seem underdone and lightly colored everywhere but the edges. That's okay, they will firm up as they cool.

6 Cool, transfer, and store: Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Then carefully remove them, using a metal spatula, to a wire rack. Cool completely. They will be quite soft until completely cooled. Store tightly covered.

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Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.

Open Faced Turkey Melts

11/27/2019

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Open Faced Turkey Melts
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Open-Faced Turkey Melts make a quick and easy way to use up your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers!

Open-Faced Turkey Melts

My favorite turkey salad made with cranberries and celery is even better when served open-faced with melted cheese! This hot turkey sandwich is an easy lunch recipe the whole family will love. Serve it with some Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup for dinner!

(more…)

The post Open Faced Turkey Melts appeared first on Skinnytaste.

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November 27, 2019 at 09:18AM
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Shauna Severs Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars

11/27/2019

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Shauna Sever’s Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars
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You had me at snickerdoodle. It’s one of my favorite cookies.

Actually, you had me at the cover of this new cookbook from food writer Shauna Sever, Midwest Made: Big Bold Baking from the Heartland, before I even knew something snickerdoodle was included. The book is inviting and filled with gorgeous baked goods you want to make right now. Procrastibaking, here we come!

What’s It Mean to Be Midwest Made?

I love regional cookbooks—heck I just wrote one!—because they give you a glimpse of how people live and eat elsewhere. They also illuminate recipes, techniques, or customs that might not otherwise be shared or remembered. It’s like a little bit of folklore that way. But edible.

Sever’s book is thoroughly modern and midwestern. The best compliment I could give it would be to say it’s like a contemporary version of an old-fashioned community cookbook. Except that community includes a broad swath of a dozen states with diverse landscapes, immigrant groups, and urban culinary scenes.

And instead of a grab-bag of community recipes, these recipes are from a professional who has written three other cookbooks, one who returned to her Midwest roots after living with her husband and family in California. She had a brainstorm for what would become this book while on the airplane to Illinois. It’s a homecoming of sorts, a love letter, an awakening—all of those things!

WHAT KINDS OF RECIPES ARE IN THE BOOK?

They don’t call the Midwest “America’s Bread Basket” for nothing. As Sever says in her intro, “We believe in No Carb Left Behind.’”

These carbs are named things like Swedish flop, a combination of buttercream and a “fluffy, yeasted cake,” as Sever describes it, or Houska, a challah-like braided bread with Czech origins. Or the Nebraskan Runza, a pocket sandwich loaded with savory ingredients.

Other desserts you may be familiar with, such as the Ohio Shaker Pie and the Poke Cake make an appearance, and Sever puts spins on classics such as buckeyes, those peanut butter and chocolate gems, and turns them into bars.

Cookbooks as Light Reading

Midwest Made also happens to be self-effacingly hilarious. It’s the kind of cookbook that after you read it cover to cover, you really feel like you know a person, why they wrote it, what is important to them in a cookie, in cake, and in life. Can’t say that about every cookbook you read, can you?

What’s a Snickerdoodle Bar?

After much deliberation and baking several of Sever’s recipes (Donut Loaf and Cinnamon-Sugared Pumpkin Chip Snack Cake, most notably), I settled on these Frosted Snickerdoodle Bars. The goofy name is believed to derive from the name Schneckennudeln, a snail-shaped German cinnamon roll.

Whatever you call it, the cookie version of the snickerdoodle is typically both crispy and soft, fragrant with cinnamon sugar. As a Pennsylvania resident for the past 20 years, I make the cookie version of these bars regularly, which are associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish communities there and in Indiana.

Sever turns them into bars and then tops them with a cinnamon frosting that is not shy. Bold baking, indeed!

STORING AND FREEZING SNICKERDOODLE BARS

These keep well covered in the fridge for up to five days. However, they also freeze well, frosted or unfrosted. Just wrap them individually in wax paper and then freeze in a container or zip-top bag.

It’s best to defrost them in the fridge overnight or for at least a few hours, but if you’re impatient, you can gently zap them in the microwave. If you’re accidentally too aggressive in the microwave, the frosting oozes, and then the bars transform into something that tastes like a cinnamon bun with super hot frosting and a cold middle. That’s not necessarily a complaint, just an observation borne of experience. (I kept eating it anyway.)

I can’t tell you for sure how long they keep in the freezer, frosted, because mine didn’t last more than a week. It’s safe to say they’ll keep for at least a month.

You can also freeze them unfrosted but wrapped individually in wax paper for at least a month.

Other Awesome Bar Cookies!

Q & A With Shauna Sever!

This book gave me all the feels, so much so that I thought I’d been born in the Midwest. (I’m from NJ!) What is it about the Midwest that is so captivating? What did you want to convey?

One of the first things I did when starting to sketch out the book was trying to put my finger on this exact thing—what is it about living and eating in the Midwest that sets it apart and makes it so beloved? I knew given the scope of the project that it was going to be very important to create some touchstones for myself.

So early on I developed what I like to call the Five Tenets of Midwestern Baking:

Bake Big (big batch baking to share with a crowd)
Bake Easy (the best recipes are really straightforward and simple)
Bake with Purpose (I always say we “have” to cook, but we “get” to bake, and in the Midwest we’re always looking for a reason to bake, whether it’s a birthday or a weekday quick bread)
Bake in the Past (we love storied family recipes)
Bake in the Present (Midwesterners are the best at using what you have on hand in a given moment, innovating, and trying twists on old recipes)

The Midwest is diverse in its landscape and its offerings. What kinds of recipes reflect those surprises?

The biggest inspiration for this book was learning about all the different immigrant influences that are so deeply embedded in Midwestern culture that most people don’t even know they’re there, even outside of the urban centers. But when you have the opportunity to travel and eat in many places, you can see just how deeply and proudly German some places still are, say in Wisconsin, or the Scandi influence in Minnesota, Czech in the Dakotas.

I think the greatest surprise has been from lifelong Midwesterners who see the book and find things they’ve never heard of. Kranskake or Michigan bumpy cake or Nebraskan runzas, for example. Those recipes are unique to some and yet an everyday thing for others. The Midwest is so much more varied than people give it credit for!

What recipe gave you the biggest challenge—and thrill—to get right?

The biggest challenges were taking the really beloved, retro, kitschy recipes that run on all processed ingredients or pre-packaged mixes and give so many people warm, fuzzy feelings, and trying to remix them to be all from-scratch recipes.

One example would be my Auntie Amy’s Taffy Apple Salad, another would be the Raspberry Poke Cake with a fluffy homemade white cake meant to mimic a box-mix cake, and a filling with real raspberry puree, with a cream cheese-bolstered whipped topping instead of the stuff in the tub.

How many cookies were eaten in the making of this book!?

That’s classified.

What was your most washed kitchen tool or utensil while testing the recipes for this book?

Definitely the KitchenAid bowl and my BeaterBlade attachment. I bought multiples of both items for testing! And lots of 9x13s.

Is there a quintessential holiday recipe from the Midwest?

Oh, I’d say you can’t go a holiday season without seeing at least a few peanut butter blossoms. My Peanut Better Blossoms are my ode to that. Kolacky, too!

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November 27, 2019 at 09:03AM
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More Oatmeal Cookies to Love

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

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Products We Love

Open-Faced Turkey Melts

What’s It Mean to Be Midwest Made?

WHAT KINDS OF RECIPES ARE IN THE BOOK?

Cookbooks as Light Reading

What’s a Snickerdoodle Bar?

STORING AND FREEZING SNICKERDOODLE BARS

Other Awesome Bar Cookies!

Q & A With Shauna Sever!

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