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Simple Summer Supper: Broccoli Bacon Salad

July 3, 2018 by Laura 4 Comments

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I promise not all of the Simple Summer Suppers we’re going to share have bacon in them. (At least I think I promise this. Yes. I do. I promise.) But it only made sense that this Broccoli Bacon Salad recipe follow the BLT Wraps recipe. Because obviously you made extra bacon when you made the BLT Wraps, right?

When one makes bacon, one should always make extra. This is not so all the people can over-eat the bacon. This is so the mother can get ahead in the kitchen. And who am I kidding? Here’s the real reason I make lots of bacon at one time:

I don’t want my hair to smell like bacon any more than is necessary.

When I make bacon my hair, clothes, and house absorb the delicious smell of bacon. But I don’t want to wear bacon hair for three days, nor do I want my house to constantly smell as if I’m burning a bacon-scented candle. (I am amused and slightly horrified that these actually exist.)

So I make bacon bits like this, or I bake bacon in strips like this. I make many pounds at one time so I can get ahead and then I wash my hair. The end.

Now that we have the bacon cooking situation under control, we can make all kinds of delicious meals in a hurry! This Broccoli Bacon Salad is packed with flavor! Of course it’s easy to make, because easy recipes are the only kind I like to make and share.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

5.0 from 1 reviews

Simple Summer Supper: Broccoli Bacon Salad

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Author: Laura

Serves: 3-6

Ingredients

¾ cup mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower Mayo)
2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
5 cups of chopped broccoli (1 large head)
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
8 slices of cooked bacon bits
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, bacon, and cheese.
Stir in mayonnaise and vinegar.
Serve right away or make ahead and chill until serving time.

Truly, this Broccoli Bacon Salad is a meal in and of itself. It can be packed in a lunch or eaten on the road. It can be made ahead of time and pulled out of the fridge for an instant meal. It makes a perfect Simple Summer Supper on a hot day!

You can look forward to getting more Simple Summer Supper ideas like this during the entire month of July. Stay tuned! (Be sure to subscribe here for free so you don’t miss any of these ideas and posts!)

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Simple Summer Suppers: BLT Wraps

July 1, 2018 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Through the month of July, we’re going to share Simple Summer Supper recipes. First up: BLT Wraps!

Like this recipe for BLT Wraps, some of the ideas we’ll share have been on our site for quite a while. We figured this was the perfect time to refresh your memory and pull out some oldies but goodies. These BLT Wraps are a big favorite at our house for sure! (Pssst! We’ve got some new ideas to share too!)

Are you like me in the summer? I love the sunshine and the heat, but figuring out our evening meal often leaves me stumped! I don’t want to turn on the oven. I don’t have a lot of motivation to stand over a stove. I like our food to be simple…

Oh wait. I like our food to be simple every day of the year; not just in the summertime. :)

So here we are, avoiding soups and casseroles but still needing to eat. I highly recommend making bacon bits like this, then taking a few minutes to make these fabulous BLT Wraps!

Simple Summer Suppers: BLT Wraps

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Author: Laura

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

4 ounces softened cream cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
8 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
½ cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup shredded spinach, romaine, or green leaf lettuce
3 eight-inch whole wheat tortillas

Instructions

Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.
Stir in bacon crumbles and chopped tomatoes.
Spread mixture onto tortillas.
Sprinkle shredded lettuce on top evenly.
Roll tortillas up tightly.
Cut each into 5 diagonal slices.
Chill until ready to serve.

Helpful Hint: When cooking your bacon for these wraps, I recommend cutting your bacon with kitchen shears. I also recommend cooking several pounds at a time so you can get ahead and pull out bacon bits for easy recipes like this one!

What are your favorite Simple Summer Suppers?

You can look forward to getting more ideas like this during the entire month of July. Stay tuned! (Be sure to subscribe here for free so you don’t miss any of these ideas and posts!)

Have you become a Simple Meals member yet? You will LOVE how simple all the recipes are, and better yet, you’ll love that we do all the planning for you!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese For a Crowd

June 26, 2018 by Laura 5 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I’d never tried Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese before, but figured it was worth a shot! I wondered: Could I make my easy Mac-n-Cheese for a crowd, then put it in the crock pot to stay warm? After all, I didn’t want to be a slave to the stove just as my guests were arriving.

Obviously it worked marvelously, otherwise I wouldn’t be here telling you about it. I definitely feel that this dish is best fresh, right off the stove. But the day I was feeding 25 teens, I needed a side I could make ahead and keep warm. As it turns out, we can make Creamy Mac and Cheese en mass, then put it in a crock pot to stay warm until serving time.

A few small details about making Mac-n-Cheese for a Crowd: Plan to use lots of sea salt. It can be rather bland otherwise. I even go the extra mile and stir in some garlic powder for a little extra pazazz.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When making this Creamy Mac and Cheese, always remove it from the heat BEFORE you add the cheese. It’s not difficult, but breaking this creamy mac-n-cheese rule will give you weirdly textured pasta. So cook your pasta in the milk, slide it off the heat, then add cheese. See how simple?

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese for a Crowd

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese For a Crowd

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Author: Laura

Serves: 25-30

Ingredients

32 ounces dry pasta (I use whole wheat noodles)
6½ cups whole milk
Sea salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3-4 cups shredded cheese (I use Colby jack; cheddar is also great)

Instructions

Mix pasta, milk, sea salt, and garlic powder in a large sauce pan. (I've found it best to divide ingredients into two large pots for faster and more even cooking.)
Cook over medium-high heat stirring almost constantly until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).
Remove from heat. (IMPORTANT!)
Add cheese and stir until melted.
Transfer Mac-n-Cheese to a large (6-8 quart) crock pot.
Keep warm at "lo" setting for up to three hours.
Stir in a bit more milk at serving time as needed.

When making a large amount of Mac-n-Cheese like this, I usually use this variety of whole wheat elbow noodles.

Need more ideas for cooking for a crowd? Check out this link:

44 Meals to Feed a Large Crowd

Did you download a free Simple Ingredients list yet? Keep all the basic ingredients on hand that you need to put together delicious, Simple Meals!

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Simple Cream Cheese Corn (4 Ingredients!)

June 21, 2018 by Laura 8 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I just realized I’ve never shared my Simple Cream Cheese Corn recipe here. As such, I’m terribly afraid that you’ll try this recipe and wag your finger at me. “Laura!!” you’ll exclaim. “This corn is incredible! Where has this recipe been my whole life? Why have you not shared it with us before today? You’ve been blogging and sharing recipes for years and years!! And you wait until today to finally disclose this?”

I hang my head in shame. I have no excuses. There are no words I can say to explain this away. I have withheld one of the best recipes in the world, and if I could go back in time and erase this mistake, I most certainly would.

Please forgive me and know that I’ll never do it again. All of my tried and true, very best recipes are yours to be had. I’ll never not share one again. Except for when I do. After all, how am I to know what I am forgetting to remember?

Rest assured, as soon as I remember what I have forgotten, you’ll be the first to know.

This Simple Cream Cheese Corn is my go-to recipe to serve when hosting guests. Why? Because it makes a “fancy” dish without any effort. Steam your corn, add the beautiful cream cheese and butter, serve it to your guests, watch them pass out.

Oh, did I forget to tell you that part? (Seems I’m extra forgetful these days.) Your guests might pass out when they eat this. It can’t be helped. The corn tastes too amazing. The creaminess and the buttery goodness mixed with the sweetness of the corn is just too much for most people to handle. They cry tears of joy while eating it. They think you’re a rock star for cooking it. They go back for seconds and thirds. You’ve changed their lives.

All this, and somehow I forgot to share the recipe until now. I have nothing to say for myself.

Simple Cream Cheese Corn

You’re about to be shocked over how ridiculously easy this is to make.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Simple Cream Cheese Corn (4 Ingredients!)

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Author: Laura

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

16-ounces frozen corn
4-ounces cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
Sea salt to taste

Instructions

Steam corn in a small amount of water until tender and hot (about five minutes).
Drain excess water.
Stir in cream cheese and butter until melted.
Salt to taste.
Serve.

I wasn’t kidding when I said it was easy.

Here are 20 great main dish recipes that are simple and fun to serve with this Simple Cream Cheese Corn:

Want more recipes that only include five or fewer ingredients? You’ll love this!

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36 Favorite Low Sugar Chocolate Recipes

June 19, 2018 by Laura 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Summer is my favorite season. And chocolate is one of my favorite food groups. So to celebrate summer, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite low sugar chocolate recipes!

Don’t let the “low sugar” thing fool you. These recipes are all sweetened naturally and sweetened just enough to satisfy.

14 Recipes That Include Chocolate Chips

My favorite chocolate chips are soy free Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. The following recipes are low in sugar, but then of course, the chocolate chips add a bit more sugar. Still, we can feel good about feeding these chocolate recipes to our families!

22 Recipes that Include Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

This is my favorite Organic Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Many of the following recipes do not include any sugar at all as they are sweetened with liquid stevia (a naturally sweet herb). If your family doesn’t like stevia, feel free to sub your sweetener/sugar of choice.

What are your favorite chocolate recipes?

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Simple Slow Cooker Party Potatoes

June 14, 2018 by Laura 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Twas the day before Easter and my friend Chandra and I were discussing our Easter Dinner menus. She mentioned that she was making Party Potatoes, which we all know is a delicious, creamy, and cheesy potato dish.

While I knew exactly what Chandra was talking about, it occurred to me that when I was growing up, my family always called this dish “Funeral Potatoes.” Same recipe, same deliciousness, but incredibly different label. Party Potatoes and Funeral Potatoes are one in the same? Yes, indeed.

Chandra and I decided that people in the north (where her family is from) must like parties better. And that people in the south (where my family is from) need to let go and live a little. Bless our hearts.

Indeed, my family had Funeral Potatoes on all the most exciting celebration days: Easter, Christmas, and Birthdays. “Happy Easter, He is Risen!!!! Please pass the Funeral Potatoes.” What is wrong with me that I never realized what we were saying?

It is worth noting that Death By Chocolate was also a family favorite. I requested it at one of my Bridal Parties before Matt and I got married. “I’m going to marry the man of my dreams! I want Death by Chocolate please!”

Well, now you know the truth about my family history. We really knew how to party.

I have decided that it’s time to break the cycle. No more Funeral Potatoes. From now on, we will eat Party Potatoes!! Woohoooo, I LOVE PARTY POTATOES!!!!!”

Though what will I do the next time I’m at a funeral and they serve Party Potatoes? This is a conundrum.

Simple Slow Cooker Party Potatoes

You’ll notice that I’ve taken this popular potato dish recipe and tweaked it to include all real food ingredients (so we can avoid the MSG in canned soup). You’ll also notice that I found a way to make this dish in a slow cooker. I found this to be a helpful trick for the times I’m out of the house and need the potatoes to be ready to eat when we get home. It’s also nice to use the slow cooker method as it frees up oven space.

Not to worry though. I’ve included instructions for oven baking as well. As you can see, I’ve done all that I can to meet all of your funeral and party planning needs.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Simple Slow Cooker Party Potatoes

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Author: Laura

Serves: 6-10

Ingredients

24 ounces frozen hashbrowns or cut potatoes
3 Tablespoons dry minced onion
1-2 teaspoons sea salt, to taste
16 ounces sour cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
16 ounces shredded Colby jack or cheddar cheese

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together and spread evening in a slow cooker or 9x13 inch baking dish.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Oven Instructions: Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour.

Survey time: What did you call this potato recipe when you were growing up?

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Oatmeal Cookie Dough (That’s Safe to Eat!)

June 12, 2018 by Laura 9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Confession: When I was a kid, I used to frequently make a batch of cookie dough just so I could eat the dough. I know I’m not the only one. ‘Fess up. Who’s with me? And who of you is very excited to make this Oatmeal Cookie Dough recipe so you can have a child-hood throw back and enjoy eating balls of cookie dough without guilt?

As you have likely noticed, I never died (not even a little bit) from eating all that cookie dough back in the day, even though the dough was most definitely made with raw eggs. I would say that for the most part, I still don’t fear raw egg consumption, especially if the eggs come from well cared for, free range chickens. Still, I think we’ll all feel just a little bit better about eating cookie dough that we can be assured is free of salmonella.

Or maybe we don’t even care about food safety because we’re all just excited to eat cookie dough.

A few weeks ago, I shared this super easy (5 ingredient!) recipe for Simple Oatmeal Cookies. They come together fast and guess what? They are eggless. No pathogenic bacteria here. (What? I looked up the frightening facts about raw eggs and found big words. Impressive, eh?)

The first time I made these cookies I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed a spoon and took a tiny dip of dough. And then another. Then just one more. It took me back to my childhood days of baking cookies and nibbling dough. I began to feel sheepish until I realized, “Hey. I’m a grown-up now. I can do what I want.” So I took it upon myself to skip the baking step and to make beautiful cookie dough balls – on purpose. After all, why bake cookies when you can just eat cookie dough?

I was therefore behooved to bless you all with this fabulous opportunity to eat cookie dough like a kid. (Yes, more big words. Apparently I’m trying to strike a mature balance between eating cookie dough like a kid and writing about it like an adult.) So I took pictures and turned the idea into a blog post, because friends, I’m here for you. I understand your temptation to eat cookie dough and I do not underestimate the thrill and benefit of tasty childhood memories.

I also put oats in there so we could justify eating this cookie dough for breakfast. It’s as if I thought of everything.

So here we are, same recipe, second verse. Bake them like this if you want actual baked cookies (but why?). Or just make them into cookie dough balls following the easy directions below.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough

Oatmeal Cookie Dough (That's Safe to Eat!)

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Author: Laura

Serves: 15-18

Ingredients

1½ cups melted butter
⅓-1/2 cup sugar (raw, white, brown, or sucanat)
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1½ cups whole rolled oats
3 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat)

Instructions

Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl.
Stir in vanilla.
Mix in flour and oats until well combined.
Scoop Tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto a plate or into a container.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Grab a spoon. Eat cookie dough. Be free. This behavior is not at all capricious. (I felt it best to end my “eat cookie dough like a kid” post with a big word so you’d remember I’m actually an adult. Impressive, eh?)

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The Easiest Burrito Recipe to Make for the Freezer

June 7, 2018 by Laura 5 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

I remember the first time I made these burritos for the freezer. My oldest was a tiny baby and it was my first attempt at freezer cooking as a new mom. My friend had promised this was the easiest burrito recipe a person could make, but somehow I still felt I needed to make a big event out of the ordeal.

I blocked out the entire day. I had determined that I would start the intense burrito-making-process as soon as my baby had his first feeding of the morning. That way, if I needed to work on them slowly all day between taking care of his needs, I could be flexible and available.

Imagine my surprise when I had the entire batch of burritos ready for the freezer before Asa even woke up from his morning snooze! (Imagine my other surprise 21 years later when that tiny baby grew to be an incredible 6’4″ adult person. How did I get here?)

These burritos are so easy it’s almost ridiculous. Now that my first baby and all my other babies are all grown up and eating adult/teenage boy portions, I can’t tell you how glad I am to know how to make the easiest burritos on the planet! These are filling for the boys, easy for them to warm up, and I think we’ve already established that they are incredibly easy to make!

It’s ironic that I’m associating these burritos with having a newborn (pauses to sigh as she thinks back to the day her boys were tiny babies). Now, any time a friend has a baby, I almost always make a batch of these burritos to put in their freezer. It takes very little time for me to make, and it saves a new mom from having to cook for her family!

The most recent new mommy I delivered burritos to told me later that her husband was (kindly) demanding the recipe. “You must have made that sauce from scratch with fresh tomatoes!” she declared. I hated to burst her bubble, but I had to humbly admit, “Nope, that was store-bought salsa stirred into regular ol’ cooked meat and shredded cheese.” Shucks, and here she thought I’d labored on those burritos as long as she’d labored in the hospital having her sweet baby.

Ready to learn the secret of this fabulous freezer food?

The Easiest Burrito Recipe to Make for the Freezer

5.0 from 1 reviews

The Easiest Burrito Recipe to Make for the Freezer

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Author: Laura

Serves: 12

Ingredients

3-pounds ground beef
32-ounces salsa (any kind)
3 cups shredded cheese
Sea salt to taste
12-18 burrito-sized tortillas
Any add-ins you like to help stretch the mixture: Cooked rice, black beans, olives, additional spices

Instructions

In a large pot, brown and drain meat.
Stir in salsa and cheese.
Scoop mixture into tortillas and fold.
Freeze burritos on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag once frozen.
Heat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until burrito is hot through and through. (You can microwave them for a couple minutes if you like. Our family no longer has a microwave.)

With just five simple ingredients, you can make these wonderful burritos. Or, you can stir in cooked rice or a can of black beans to help the mixture stretch so you can make even more burritos!

Want more great 5-Ingredient recipes? You’ll definitely want to check out our newest High Five Recipes eBook!

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Oh! And also, I’d love to point you to The Prayer Mugs Prayer Journal. I wrote it in honor of my firstborn turning 20 last year. Believe it or not, an entire year has gone by and that boy turns 21 today! The Prayer Mugs concept has been life changing for me as I turn from worry to faith in trusting God with my growing kids. For one week only, use the code TWENTYONE to get an $8 discount in honor of his birthday!!

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Care to share a favorite homemaking memory from the days your kids were babies? Or maybe they’re babies right now. I’d love to hear the latest going on at your house!

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How to Make Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot

June 5, 2018 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

If you have an Instant Pot and you have ten minutes, you can make mashed potatoes. I suppose it is also important that you have some potatoes available to work with. Butter is a must. Sea salt is a game changer. Wait until you see how simple it is to make these mashed potatoes!

Remember a few months ago when I figured out how to make Mashed Potatoes in my crock pot? That amazing trick took my family from the depths of mashed potato despair into the peak of mashed potato heaven. As it was, I had stopped making mashed potatoes altogether. After all, who had time for the effort? Who could afford the energy? Why must mashed potatoes make such a mess of pots and beaters and countertops and walls? (Confession: I am a messy cook. Mashed potatoes were the worst for me.)

So I stopped. We never ate mashed potatoes. There simply was no time.

Then I learned to make them in the most simple way possible, which meant that not only could we make mashed potatoes again, we could make them every week without trouble. And then, just when I thought I’d discovered the easiest way to make mashed potatoes…

I learned to make them in my Instant Pot (my affiliate link). In ten minutes.

You know how people always say, “Oh, life was so much better back in the pioneer days. Certainly life was much simpler then.” I agree to a certain extent but alas, the pioneers did not have Instant Pots. So let’s here it for the 21st century and its wonderful technology!

So would you believe you can wash potatoes, throw them into your Instant Pot with some water, let them cook for 10 minutes, then mash them and serve them and make everyone very happy? You, of course, will be the happiest of all because you didn’t have to slave over your potatoes. And if your children happen to be of age, you can ask them to scrub your potatoes, making your work load is even lighter!

How to Make Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot

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Author: Laura

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

5 pounds gold or red potatoes
1 cup water
1 cup whole milk, half-and-half, or cream
2 cups sour cream
¼-1/2 cup butter
sea salt to taste

Instructions

Scrub, but don't peel the potatoes.
Put them (whole) into an Instant Pot on the metal trivet, along with 1 cup of water.
Seal and cook at hi pressure, manual setting, for 10 minutes.
Release the pressure and open the Instant pot.
Mash soft potatoes directly in the crock with a potato masher.
While mashing, dump in the milk, sour cream, butter, and salt.
Continue mashing until potatoes have reached desired consistency.

Truly these are the most delicious!

Can you use russet potatoes to make these mashed potatoes? I don’t recommend it. They take a longer cooking time, they aren’t as nourishing, and they don’t taste as good. Gold or red potatoes are much preferred!

I like to also add shredded cheese to our potatoes to make them tastier and more substantial.

Want Simple Meal ideas to serve with your Simple Instant Pot Potatoes?

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16 Favorite Recipes to Make With Strawberries

June 3, 2018 by Laura 1 Comment

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Hands down, strawberries are my favorite fruit. I can’t get enough. So today, as we head into summer, I thought it fitting to share my family’s favorite recipes to make with strawberries.