Thanksgiving Archives - Family Dinners

Granny Smith Apple Pie

Andrea + Stef — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 03:17:00 +0000

If you don’t have a favorite fall dessert or apple pie recipe you need one. This granny smith apple pie recipe is a keeper all year round. We’ll show you how to make apple pie. This a simple apple pie recipe that anyone can make. No taking hours to soak your apples. The apple pie filling turns out perfectly. The combination of sweet and tart and flakey goodness is perfection. Just look at it!

For this simple apple pie recipe you can make your own flaky crust (we love Stef’s pie crust recipe) or buy a double pie crust if you want. We love the homemade crust and it’s really quick to make!

The best apple pie recipe has a top crust. You can make them with fancy cutouts or just leave them plain. Isn’t that little apple pie cutout adorable? If you have more than one pie on the counter it’s an easy way to identify which one has the apple pie filling.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: flaky homemade pie crust with succulent and delicious granny smith apple pie filling
Main Ingredients: apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, butter, spices, pie crust
Cooking Method: oven baked
Cooking Time: 30 minutes prep time, 45 minutes cook time
Pairs well with: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream
Diets: vegetarian
Special Equipment Needed: pie pan, pastry blender, apple slicer

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this best apple pie recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this classic apple pie recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Best Apple Pie Ingredients

6 cups apple slices (Granny Smith or Pippin)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ – ¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt
2 tablespoon butter
2 unbaked pie crusts

Variations and Substitutions

Apples: We love using granny smith apples, however, if you like using a different type of apple make sure to pick tart apples. Moreover, you can also use a combination of apples. You can find more detailed information on how to pick the best apples below.

Sugar: We use granulated sugar in this pie. If you prefer, you can use a combination of brown and white sugar.

Spices: Substitute homemade apple pie spice mix for cinnamon and nutmeg.

Lemon: You’ll need a little lemon juice to prevent the apples from turning brown. Fresh or bottled is fine.

Possible Variations:

Carmel Apple Pie: Drizzle a little caramel over the finished pie. Yum!
Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust: Mix 1 cup of granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. Spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter onto your rectangular shaped rolled out pie crust then distribute half your cinnamon and sugar on top (you’ll do this for 2 pie crusts). Next, roll the dough into a log shape, Pinch the ends to seal it up then wrap in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Next, slice each log into ½”-thick rounds. Then flour the rolling surface and arrange the cinnamon roll rounds into a tight circle. Lightly flour and roll it out to a round pie crust. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Cranberry Apple Pie: Omit come apple and add 2 cups of cranberries to your apple pie filling.
Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie: If you love cheese and apples try this cheddar crust with your apple pie filling.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this perfect apple pie recipe with granny smith apples, try our Spiked Apple Cider. A warm, spiced spiked apple cider with hints of orange, cinnamon, anise, and cranberries spiked with the subtle sweetness of Tuaca.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Pastry Blender — We love using this pastry blender to work butter into flour and sugar. Works quick and keeps the mess to a minimum.

Apple Slicer – We love this easy to use apple slicer, because it makes cutting up apples for fruit salad, apple pies or apple crisps so much quicker.

Pie Plate – This recipe requires a 9-inch pie plate. We love using this pie pan, because it comes with a lid for easy storage and transportation of pies. Moreover, it is also freezer safe, in case you are planning on freezing your pie.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook this easy apple pie recipe in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, peel, remove cores, and slice the apples. Then squeeze lemon juice over the apples and toss to prevent browning. Afterwards preheat oven to 425°F and prepare one unbaked pie crust by rolling and fitting it into a 9″ pie dish.

MAKE APPLE PIE FILLING: In a large bowl, add sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the apples and toss to combine well.

ASSEMBLE PIE: Afterward pour apple mixture into the prepared pie pan lined with the unbaked bottom crust. Then cut butter into small pieces and place over the top of the apple mixture.

COVER PIE: With a rolling pin, roll out second piece of pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Then center it over the top of the pie. Seal top and bottom crusts together around the edges. Then sprinkle the top crust with additional sugar, if desired. Cut slits with a sharp knife (or a cute shape) into the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape while cooking.

BAKE: Then bake the double-crust pie for 40-50 minutes on the middle oven rack, until the apple filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Protect the crusts of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent them from over-browning.

SERVE: Allow pie to cool completely before slicing. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. We love Andrea’s no-churn vanilla bean ice cream.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love homemade apple pie with ice cream then you’ll love Andrea’s Apple Pie Ice Cream. This rich and creamy apple pie ice cream recipe can be made with an ice cream maker or without as a no-churn ice cream.

How To Choose Apple For A Simple Apple Pie Recipe

Baking apples are often different than the apples you’d choose to eat. We love the Granny Smith apple pie because of the apple’s tartness. They hold up well after baking, which is important. We love the Pippin apple for the same reason. It’s firmness makes it perfect for baking. It’s highly aromatic, rich flavor is just what you want in a pie.

If you want something a little sweeter, try the Honeycrisp apple. It is extra crisp and holds up well after baking, too. I also love baking with the Golden Delicious apple. It’s sweet and bakes well but will become a little softer than some other varieties when baked.

Stef says….

Another one of my favorite apple desserts is Apple Bread Pudding. Each bite is warm, chewy, and melt in your mouth delicious.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best apple pie recipe.

Tip: Use slightly sweet and tart apples such as granny smith or pippin.
Tip: Make your own apple pie crust. It doesn’t take long to make a quick pie crust recipe, but it makes all the difference when it comes to flakiness and flavor.
Tip: Don’t let the top of your pie brown too fast. Cover the top edge with aluminum foil, to keep the crust from catching.

More Apple Recipes

When apple season rolls around and farmers markets are bursting with juicy apples we love turning them into perfect autumn desserts. Here are some of our best apple recipes:

More Fruit Pie Recipes

Another one of our dessert favorites during the summer months are fruity hand pies. These classic American treats combine a sweet and flaky crust with a flavorful and juicy fruit filling.

How To Store

Refrigerate: Store apple pie leftovers tightly wrapped with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The FDA will tell you that it will last 3-4 days but for the best taste you’ll want to eat it within 2 days.

Freeze: Once your pie is completely cool, double wrap in aluminum foil or store in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. Label then freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: The best way to thaw apple pie is in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can keep it on the counter for a couple of hours.

How To Reheat

In case you prefer eating homemade apple pie warm, pop it in the microwave for a couple of seconds.

Common Questions

How do you make apple pie healthier?

We’re firm believers in just eating smaller portions rather than sacrificing taste. But if you must, use less sugar or a sugar substitute and omit the butter.

How to make apple pie gluten free?

I love a good gluten free flour mix as a substitute for all purpose flour. I usually Use Cup 4 Cup or King Arthur’s brands of gluten free flour mix. Sometimes a dessert needs more than that to make the gluten free version work well. Try this gluten free pie crust recipe (or buy a gluten free crust) and substitute your gluten free flour for the flour in this recipe.

How to make apple pie vegan/dairy free?

Use Stef’s oil pie crust recipe. Then substitute your favorite butter alternative for the 2 tablespoons required in the apple pie filling recipe.

Granny Smith Apple Pie Recipe

Classic apple pie recipe with the perfect balance of tart apples and a sweet filling in a sugar-sprinkled crust. Make this delicious apple pie dessert to accompany any meal.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie recipe, granny smith apple pie, homemade apple pie recipe, perfect apple pie

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 309kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

pie plate
apple slicer
mixing bowl
knife and cutting board
Rolling Pin

Ingredients

6 cups sliced apples Granny Smith or Pippin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½-¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 unbaked pie crusts

Instructions

Peel, remove cores, and slice the apples.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare one unbaked pie crust by rolling and fitting it into a 9" pie plate.
Squeeze lemon juice over the apples and toss to prevent browning.
Add sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the apples and toss to combine well.
Pour apple mixture into a prepared, unbaked pie crust.
Cut butter into small pieces and place over the top of the apple mixture.
Roll out second unbaked pie crust and center over the top of the pie. Seal top and bottom crusts together around the edges.
Sprinkle the top of the pie with additional sugar, if desired. Cut slits (or a cute shape) into the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape while cooking.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pie is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Protect the crusts of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent them from over-browning.
Allow pie to cool completely before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

Follow these tips to make the best apple pie recipe:

Use slightly sweet and tart apples such as granny smith or pippin.

Make your own apple pie crust. It doesn’t take long to make a quick pie crust recipe, but it makes all the difference when it comes to flakiness and flavor.

Don’t let the top of your pie brown too fast. Cover the top edge with aluminum foil, to keep the crust from catching.

Nutrition

The post Granny Smith Apple Pie appeared first on Family Dinners.

How To Make Homemade Apple Pie Spice

Andrea + Stef — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:42:00 +0000

There is nothing better than the fragrant aroma of a freshly baked apple pie. If you also love everything apple pie, then our homemade apple pie spice mix is the perfect recipe for you. This homemade spice blend is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cardamom that comes together in less than 5 minutes. It does not only taste amazing in apple pie, but can also be added to apple crisp, apple turnovers, apple muffins or even fruit salad. This is the best homemade version of apple pie spice that adds just the right amount of cozy fall flavors to your favorite apple recipes.

What is Apple Pie Spice?

Traditionally, apple pie spice is a blend of warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. Even though it is called apple PIE spice, you can use it in many other dishes besides apple pie filling. Apple spice tastes great in apple turnovers, fried apples, apple bread pudding or apple muffins.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: fragrant spice blend that takes all your favorite fall and apple desserts to the next level
Main Ingredients: cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground cardamom
Cooking Method: no bake
Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time
Pairs well with: apple pie, apple cider, apple turnovers, apple crisps or any other apple dessert
Diets: keto friendly, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
Special Equipment Needed: small bowl, small whisk

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this apple pie spice recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the local grocery store! If this is your first time making this easy homemade apple pie spice you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Apple Pie Spice Ingredients

3 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Variations and Substitutions

Ground Cloves: You can also add some ground cloves to this blend of spices if you like.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you loved this homemade apple pie spice recipe, try adding it to our amazing Fall Fruit Salad. This colorful fruit salad is full of apples and citrus flavors. A homemade dressing adds sweetness and warm fall spices.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Mixing Bowl — For best results use a clean and dry glass or porcelain bowl to mix your own homemade apple pie spice substitute.

Instructions

This section shows how to make apple pie seasoning, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

MIX SPICES: Firstly, add all the spices to a dry glass mixing bowl and then whisk until blended. Afterwards use directly in a recipe or store in an airtight container or spice jar until ready to use.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love scrumptious apple desserts then you’ll love our Apple and Blackberry Crumble. It’s a delicious sweet and tart dessert with a crumble topping.

Andrea says….

I love using this flavorful combination of spices for my delicious Apple Pie Ice Cream!

Recipe Tips

Follow these expert tips to make your own apple pie spice mix.

Tip: Make sure your spices are fresh. Older spices often lose their flavor. In case your spices are discolored or have lost their aroma, toss them and buy new ones.
Tip: Measure amounts carefully to create the perfect combination of flavors.
Tip: Store homemade apple pie spice in a dry, airtight container, so it stays fresh for a long time.

What To Make With Apple Pie Spice

There are countless ways of using this scrumptious substitute for apple pie spice.

We love using it for our favorite apple desserts such as Granny Smith Apple Pie, Apple Crisp without Oats, Apple Turnovers, Dutch Caramel Apple Pie or Apple Blackberry Crumble.

It also tastes great in our Fall Fruit Salad, Andrea’s Apple Pull Apart Bread or Stef’s Apple Cheesecake Bars, Pumpkin Apple Muffins and Fried Apples. You can even use it to flavor our Spiked Apple Cider.

More Homemade Spice Blend Recipes

It is surprisingly easy to make the most delicious homemade spice mixes with pantry staples that you probably already have at home. They are so much better than store-bought versions. Here are some of our favorite seasoning blends:

How To Store

Room Temperature: In case you are not using your own apple pie spice substitute right away, store your own spice blend in an airtight container, ziploc bag, spice jar or other tightly sealed container until ready to use. We recommend keeping your own blend of apple pie seasoning in a dry place such as a spice rack or a dark place such as a spice cabinet. If the spices you used for this recipe were fresh, the apple pie spice blend will last for up to 2 years.

Common Questions

How do I turn this homemade apple pie spice substitute into a gift?

A jar of apple pie spice makes a great gift for family, friends or co-workers during the apple and fall season. Simply make a big batch of substitute apple pie seasoning and fill it in cute little spice jars, small mason jars or other tightly sealed containers. Add a homemade or handwritten label and decorate with a ribbon and cinnamon stick if you like.

Are there other ways to use apple pie spice besides baked goods and apple desserts?

Besides all things apple pie, you can use this blend of ground spices to flavor apple cider, mulled wine, greek yoghurt, oatmeal, ice cream, frostings, streusel topping, bread pudding, French toast as well as pancake batter.

What is the difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice?

The main difference between pumpkin spice and apple spice is the addition of cloves and cardamom. While pumpkin seasoning includes ground cloves, apple pie spice has cardamom added instead. However, they are very similar otherwise, and can even swap them for each other in a pinch.

How do I store spices to keep them fresh longer?

We recommend storing common spices as well as diy blends in a dry, dark spot like a spice cabinet. It is important to protect spices from direct sunlight, to prevent discoloration.

Homemade Apple Pie Spice Recipe

Perfect spice blend that comes together in a minute and tastes great with all your favorite apple recipes.

Course recipe staple

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword apple pie seasoning, apple pie spice recipe, apple pie spice substitute, substitute apple pie spice

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

small mixing bowl
small whisk

Ingredients

3 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together until evenly combined. Then use immediately or store in an airtight container.

The post How To Make Homemade Apple Pie Spice appeared first on Family Dinners.

How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Andrea + Stef — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 23:35:06 +0000

Have you ever wondered how to make homemade pumpkin pie spice? Then is the recipe for you. No more need for store-bought pumpkin pie spice, with this easy recipe that comes together in less than 5 minutes. This delicious pumpkin spice substitute is the perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. It can be added to all your favorite pumpkin dessert recipes, quick breads, breakfasts, ice creams as well as a cup of coffee. It even makes the best pumpkin spice latte. You will want to make this scrumptious homemade spice blend again and again all pumpkin season long.

What is Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Traditionally, pumpkin spice is a blend of warm fall spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Even though it is called pumpkin PIE spice, you can use it in many other dishes besides pumpkin pie filling, and even drinks. Pumpkin spice tastes great in cookies, quick breads, pancakes, cheesecake and pumpkin muffins. Moreover, you can use this delicious spice to flavor your morning coffee, pumpkin spice lattes as well as pumpkin granola.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: delicious spice blend that takes all your favorite fall and pumpkin desserts to the next level
Main Ingredients: cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground allspice
Cooking Method: no bake
Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time
Pairs well with: traditional pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake or any other pumpkin spice treats
Diets: keto friendly, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
Special Equipment Needed: mixing bowl, small whisk

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this pumpkin pie spice recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this pumpkin pie substitute you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ tsp ground allspice

Variations and Substitutions

Black Pepper: In case you want to intensify the flavor of your own pumpkin pie spice add a pinch of ground black pepper to this easy recipe. (about ⅛ tsp) It will not make your favorite pumpkin spice recipes spicy but enhance and bring out their delicious flavor even more.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this fragrant pumpkin pie spice recipe, try our amazing Pumpkin Pie Bars. With a cinnamon cream cheese frosting and a pumpkin and yellow cake mix recipe it’s easy to make and not your average pumpkin cake recipe.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Mixing Bowl — For best results use a clean and dry glass or porcelain bowl to mix your own homemade pumpkin spice.

Instructions

This section shows how to make substitute pumpkin pie spice, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love everything pumpkin then you’ll love our delicious Pumpkin Bread. This wonderfully light and moist pumpkin bread is the perfect fall dessert and comes together in only 15 minutes.

Stef says….

There is nothing better on a cold morning than the warm and spicy flavor of my delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. The soft sweet pumpkin dough, covered in cream cheese frosting is just to die for.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make this delicious homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe.

Tip: Make sure your spices are fresh. Older spices often lose their flavor. In case your spices are discolored or have lost their aroma, toss them and buy new ones.
Tip: Measure amounts carefully to create the perfect combination of flavors.
Tip: Store homemade pumpkin spice in a dry, airtight container, so it stays fresh for a long time.

What To Make With Pumpkin Pie Spice

There are countless ways of using this scrumptious substitute for pumpkin pie spice.

We love using it for our favorite pumpkin breads: Pumpkin Bread, Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chips.

It also tastes great in breakfast treats such as Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, Pumpkin Pancakes with Pancake Mix, Oven Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts, Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Muffins, oatmeal or pumpkin granola.

The delicious flavor of this homemade pumpkin spice of course also works great with pumpkin desserts like Pumpkin Pie Bars, Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes, Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese, Pumpkin Ice Cream, Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes or Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce.

Andrea says….

Pumpkin pie spice tastes good with everything! We love to put some in pancakes, fall drinks or muffins.

More Homemade Spice Blend Recipes

It is surprisingly easy to make the most delicious homemade spice blends with pantry staples that you probably already have at home. They are so much better than store-bought versions. Here are some of our favorite seasoning blends:

How To Store

Room Temperature: In case you are not using your pumpkin spice substitute right away, store your own spice blend in an airtight container, ziploc bag, spice jar or other tightly sealed container until ready to use. We recommend keeping your own blend of pumpkin spice in a dry place such as a spice rack or a dark place such as a spice cabinet. If the spices you used for this recipe were fresh, the pumpkin pie spice blend will last for up to 2 years.

Common Questions

How do I turn this pumpkin pie spice substitute into a gift?

Homemade pumpkin pie spice makes a great gift for family, friends or co-workers during pumpkin spice season. Simply make a big batch of substitute pumpkin pie seasoning and fill it in cute little spice jars or other tightly sealed containers. Add a homemade or handwritten label and decorate with a ribbon and cinnamon stick if you like.

Are there other ways to use pumpkin spice besides baked goods and pumpkin desserts?

Besides all things pumpkin, you can use this blend of ground spices to flavor apple cider, mulled wine, greek yoghurt, oatmeal, ice cream, frostings, streusel topping, bread pudding as well as your morning coffee or even a cold brew.

What is the difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice?

How do I store spices to keep them fresh longer?

We recommend storing common spices as well as diy blends in an airtight container in a dry, dark spot like a spice cabinet. It is important to protect spices from direct sunlight, to prevent discoloration.

How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice

Amazingly flavorful spice blend that comes together in less than 5 minutes and tastes great with all your favorite pumpkin recipes.

Course recipe staple

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword homemade pumpkin pie spice, how to make pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie spice recipe, pumpkin pie spice substitute, substitute pumpkin pie spice

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings teaspoons

Calories 7kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

mixing bowl
whisk

Ingredients

1½ tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together until evenly combined. Then use immediately or store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

The post How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice appeared first on Family Dinners.

Meatball Stuffed Biscuits

Andrea + Stef — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 07:06:00 +0000

This easy recipe for mozzarella and meatball stuffed biscuits comes out absolutely delicious and can be baked in the oven or air fryer. Flaky layer biscuits are stuffed with juicy meatballs and melty cheese before being topped with a flavorful mixture of Italian herbs, garlic and salt. Serve these warm biscuits with meaty centers as a scrumptious appetizer, game day snack or fun weeknight dinner. For best flavor, dip these homemade biscuit bites into warm marinara sauce. Everyone will love this tasty crowd pleaser.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: fluffy biscuits filled with gooey melted cheese and tender meatballs, they are soft, flaky and most flavorful
Main Ingredients: canned biscuit dough, cooked meatballs, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic salt
Cooking Method: oven baked
Cooking Time: 10 minutes prep time, 20 minutes cook time
Pairs well with: fresh green salad, pasta salad, warm marinara sauce, fries
Special Equipment Needed: pie pan, knife and cutting board, pastry brush

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this meatball stuffed biscuits recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making these garlicy biscuits with meatballs you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Meatball Stuffed Biscuits Ingredients

1 can Grands biscuit dough
16 pre-cooked meatballs
16 cubes of mozzarella
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic salt

Substitutions

Meatballs: Use one of our favorite meatball recipes: Italian Style Meatballs, Chicken Meatballs, Air Fryer Meatballs, Turkey Meatballs, Buffalo Chicken Meatballs. A bag of ready-made meatballs works in a pinch.

Mozzarella: Use fresh low moisture mozzarella cheese, such as cut up sticks of string cheese, thick deli slices mozzarella, or shredded mozzarella.

Biscuits: We like Grands by Pillsbury, however, any kind of refrigerated canned biscuits should work fine. In case you don’t have any canned biscuits at hand, you can also use refrigerated canned crescent dough or pizza dough.

Possible Variations

Add Veggies: Use your favorite vegetables like onions, black olives, mushrooms, or spinach.

Swap Cheeses: Provolone or swiss cheese would pair well.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this delicious mini meatball sandwich recipe, try our Meatball Calzones. You’ll love them because they are so easy to make and ready in no time. Switch up the pizza toppings and you’ll never eat the same version twice!

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Pie Pan — We are using a 9inch pie plate for this recipe. However, a square baking dish would work well too. Make sure to grease the baking dish with butter, oil, or cooking spray. If you don’t want to grease the pan, you could cut out a round sheet of parchment paper.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook meatball stuffed biscuits in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, heat oven to 350ºF, then grease the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish using butter or non stick cooking spray.

SHAPE THE BISCUIT DOUGH: Open the canned biscuits, separate dough and cut each one in half. Then roll each half into a ball, and flatten it into a small circle.

ADD MOZZARELLA AND MEATBALL: Afterwards, place a piece of cheese and one delicious meatball into the center of each biscuit circle.

COVER AND ROLL BISCUITS: Pull the sides of the dough up and wrap dough around the cheese and juicy meatball. Roll each biscuit bite between your hands until it’s round.

PLACE IN DISH: Place each dough ball seam-side down in the greased baking dish. Afterward, brush biscuits with olive oil, if you like, before sprinkling the tops with parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt.

COOK: Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Finally, brush the tops with olive oil and serve with a cup marinara sauce!

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love juicy meatballs with melty cheese then you’ll love our Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders. These chicken meatball sliders are great for game day appetizers or a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Make Ahead

You can prepare these yummy biscuit bites a couple of hours ahead of time. (Follow steps 1-7 of the recipe.) Then cover tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. That way there wont be any prep time left by the time you are ready to bake them, and dinner is ready in only 15 minutes.

Air Fryer Cooking Method

You can also cook your stuffed biscuits in the air fryer. Simply place meatball biscuit bites into the air fryer basket in a single layer so they are not touching. You might have to do two sets, depending on the size of your air fryer. Cook in the air fryer at 350ºF for 5-6 minutes. Remove from air fryer when the tops are a deep golden brown and they are baked through. See our Air Fryer 3 Cheese Bites, Air Fryer Pizza Bites or Air Fryer Breakfast Bites.

Andrea says….

These flaky biscuits are super easy. I like to make them ahead and store them in the fridge so when we’re ready to eat we just pop them into the oven. I love to add a little green side salad to make it a meal.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best mozzarella and meatball biscuit bites.

Tip: For best flavor, use your own homemade meatballs. For sake of ease, you can also use your favorite pre-made meatballs as well.
Tip: Make sure the biscuits are closed up so they don’t open and leak cheese all over.
Tip: Baste with melted butter, garlic butter or olive oil so the tops don’t dry out.

What To Serve With Meatball Stuffed Biscuits

We love to eat cheesy meatball-stuffed biscuits all by themselves as a Super Bowl snack or appetizer. But sometimes you need to serve them as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Other Appetizers: Combine mouthwatering meatball sub bombs with other scrumptious starters such as our Spinach Artichoke Dip, Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells or Hot Pizza Dip for your game day or Super Bowl recipes.

Salad: Pair these yummy meatball and mozzarella biscuits with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazing Italian Salad or Strawberry Avocado Salad. Or even a Caprese Salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Sides: Traditionally, gooey mozzarella cheese and meatball biscuits are served with a dip. Our homemade marinara sauce is the perfect addition to this yummy dish.

More Biscuit Bites Recipes

We love making these flaky treats with a cheesy or meaty surprise because they are so versatile. You can serve them as an appetizer, game day treat, after school snack or fun main course. Here are our other favorite stuffed biscuit recipes:

STORAGE TIPS

Refrigerate: Keep meatball sub bites in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Once they have cooled completely, place the meatball stuffed biscuits in a freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze for 2 months.

Defrosting: Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature.

How To Reheat

To reheat, place them back in the oven, air fryer, or microwave and heat until they are warmed all of the way through.

Common Questions

Are meatball stuffed biscuits gluten free?

For these to be gluten free, you would want to be sure you use a gluten free dough. Also, if you are making your own meatballs and are using breadcrumbs, those need to be gluten free as well.

What goes good with meatball subs?

Meatball stuffed little biscuits are in fact one of those foods that you could eat with just about anything. From salads, chips, and fries, to a side of veggies the choices are endless.

What are the best meatballs to use?

We like using our homemade meatballs, but this is a personal preference based on taste and the amount of time you have. We’ve made them from ground beef, pork, and chicken; all which turned out delicious!

Meatball Stuffed Biscuits Recipe

Mozzarella meatball biscuit balls are the best appetizer for parties and game days. They are also simple to make, which makes them an easy weeknight dinner idea.

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword biscuits stuffed with mozzarella and meatballs, meatball biscuits, meatball stuffed biscuits, mozzarella and meatball biscuit bites

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings biscuit bites

Calories 116kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

pie dish
knife and cutting board
pastry brush

Ingredients

1 can Grands Biscuit Dough
16 cooked meatballs
16 cubes of mozzarella
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish.
Separate the biscuits. Cut in half. Roll each half into a ball then, using your hands, flatten them into rounds.
Place a piece of mozzarella and a meatball in the center of the round.
Use your hands to pull the biscuit dough up to cover entire meatball. Seal the seams and roll the ball in your hands to make it round.
Place in the pie dish.
Sprinkle each bomb with some grated parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic salt.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until each bomb is golden brown.
Brush tops with olive oil. Serve with marinara sauce.

Notes

For the mozzarella, use fresh mozzarella, cut up mozzarella string cheese or shredded mozzarella.
Optional: brush tops of bombs with olive oil before sprinkling with seasoning before cooking.
Use any type of meatball you enjoy.

Nutrition

The post Meatball Stuffed Biscuits appeared first on Family Dinners.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Andrea + Stef — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:50:00 +0000

It’s time to welcome fall with one of the best things you’ll ever eat! If you like Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins or copycat recipes you’ll love these pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling. In a word, they’re amazing. Perfect for the fall season.

This tried and true, easy recipe makes the most moist pumpkin muffins you’ve eaten. As far as pumpkin desserts go, these are definitely in my top three. So grab your ingredients and let’s bake some muffins!

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: moist and fluffy pumpkin muffins with a creamy cheesecake center
Main Ingredients: salted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs, all-purpose flour, cream cheese, salt and spices
Cooking Method: oven baked
Cooking Time: 15 minutes prep, 20 minutes baking time
Diets: vegetarian
Special Equipment Needed: muffin tin, mixing bowls, whisk, electric hand mixer, spoon, piping bag, cooling rack

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this best pumpkin muffin with cream cheese filling recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making these moist pumpkin muffins you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Muffin Ingredients

½ cup salted butter (softened)
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
⅔ cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Variations and Substitutions

Pumpkin puree: Make sure to only use store bought or your own pumpkin puree for this recipe and not pumpkin pie filling.

Spices: Instead of individual spices you can also use 2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love the combination of pumpkin and cream cheese, try our amazing Pumpkin Bar Recipe. This easy fall dessert is a crowd pleaser and uses yellow cake mix and some add-ins to give it an extra flavor boost.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Electric Mixer – Use an electric hand mixer to whisk up the cream cheese mixture. It is a lot quicker than hand whisking it and additionally gets a smoother result.

Instructions

This section shows how to bake the best pumpkin muffins in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, preheat the oven to 375°F and fill a 12-cup muffin tin or muffin cups with paper liners. If you use a mini muffin tin or a jumbo muffin tin you’ll need to adjust cook times accordingly.

COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS: In a medium bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients: butter (room temperature), brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, vanilla extract, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and two eggs. Whisk until well combined.

COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl (large mixing bowl), combine your dry ingredients: flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda.

FINISH BATTER: Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin puree mixture and stir just until combined – some lumps in the pumpkin batter are okay. Don’t mix with a food processor, stand mixer or hand mixer. You will accidentally over mix the ingredients.

MAKE CHEESECAKE FILLING: In a third small bowl, use a hand beater (hand mixer) to combine the cream cheese log and other cheesecake filling ingredients. Beat until smooth.

FILL MUFFIN LINERS: Firstly, transfer the pumpkin muffin batter to fill muffin tin, filling each paper cup about ¾ full. Don’t overfill. Afterwards, make a dip in the center top of each muffin batter to create a little “bowl” for the cheesecake mixture. Then, use a piping bag or a spoon to fill the indentations in the muffins with the cream cheese filling. When you are using a plastic bag or a piping bag, you can squeeze some of the sweet cream cheese filling down inside the muffin batter, too! We didn’t try it but you can give it a cream cheese swirl if you want.

Remove pumpkin muffins from tin to cool.

BAKE: Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, until the cream cheese filling is set (no longer wet) and a toothpick inserted in the muffin (cake part only) comes out with just a few crumbs. Note: If you are using a mini muffin tin you will need to adjust your bake time accordingly.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love pumpkin spice flavor then you’ll love Stef’s homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte. The tell tale flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and espresso come together in this fall favorite.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling.

Tip: Do not overmix the batter once you have added the dry ingredients. This will make a tough muffin.
Tip: Make sure not to overfill the muffin liners, or there won’t be any room for the cheesecake filling.
Tip: Remove the muffins from the muffin tin to finish cooling so that they do not continue to cook and dry out.

Best Pumpkin Recipes For The Fall Season

Quick Breads: Pumpkin bread is the perfect fall dessert and a true favorite in our family. You can serve it for breakfast, as a snack or as a dessert. Have you tried our Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips?

Breakfast: Surprise your family with thick, fluffy and delicious Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. Made from scratch, these pumpkin spice pancakes are a step above the rest! However, if you are short on time try our yummy Pumpkin Pancakes with Pancake Mix.

Desserts: If you are looking for the perfect fall dessert, then our Pumpkin Bars or Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes are perfect for you. Moreover, Andrea’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles are a real showstopper. Decadent and delicious, they will undoubtedly wow your guests.

How To Store

Room Temperature: Store pumpkin muffin leftovers in an airtight container or plastic wrapped on the countertop for 2-3 days.

Refrigerate: Let your muffin leftovers cool completely before refrigerating them in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

Freeze: Freeze pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 1 month.

Defrosting: Thaw the muffins in the refrigerator overnight or for a couple of hours on the counter.

Stef says….

While your muffins bake, run in place for a while to build up a really good appetite because you’ll want to eat more than one when it’s warm from the oven!

More Cream Cheese Dessert Recipes

We love using cream cheese in all kinds of scrumptious desserts as it creates the perfect tanginess to balance out the sweetness. Have you tried these amazing cream cheese treats:

Common Questions

Why do I have so much cream cheese mixture leftover?

As a matter of fact, you won’t use all of the cream cheese filling. You can double the muffin ingredients or mix up just half of the cream cheese filling ingredients. However, if you are halving the cream cheese filling recipe, you will need half of an egg. We recommend beating the egg first and then dividing the beaten egg mixture in half.
Another possibility is to scrape the leftover cheesecake filling onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a log and cover tightly with more plastic wrap. Then freeze until you are ready to make another batch of muffins. When you are ready simply remove from the freezer and cut into 12 disks, which you can insert into the muffin batter.

How do you make cream cheese pumpkin muffins gluten free?

My favorite way to alter a baking recipe to make it gluten free is to use King Arthur Gluten Free Flour mixture as a 1:1 substitute for all purpose flour. If you’re an experienced gluten free baker you can make your own gluten free flour mix with your favorite flours like oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour, etc. Always make sure your other ingredients are gluten free as well, including baking soda and baking powder.

How do you make delicious pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling dairy free?

These muffins are vegetarian but if you want to make them vegan or dairy free it would require a lot of substitutions to create a dairy free muffin. You will need to substitute butter, cream cheese and buttermilk for your favorite dairy free options from your grocery store.

How do I measure flour correctly?

Measure the flour using the spoon and level method – stir the flour, spoon gently into the measuring cup and then use a flat knife to level off any excess from the top of the measuring cup – this helps prevent over-measuring the flour and keeps the muffins soft and moist. You can also sift the flour and then measure it out.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling Recipe

Delicious, tender muffins packed with a medley of pumpkin and cheesecake flavors. Everything is baked together in one pan for a scrumptious pumpkin muffin with a smooth, creamy cheesecake center.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pumpkin cheesecake muffins, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, pumpkin muffins

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Servings

Calories 353kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Ingredients

Muffin Ingredients

½ cup salted butter softened
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese softened
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and fill a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, pumpkin, and two eggs. Whisk until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined – some lumps in the batter are okay.
In a third bowl, use a hand beater to combine cream cheese filling ingredients. Beat until smooth.
Transfer the muffin batter to the muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full.
Make a dip in the center top of each muffin to create a little “bowl” for the cream cheese filling.
Use a piping bag or a spoon to fill the indentations in the muffins with the cream cheese filling. If you are using a piping bag, you can squeeze some of the filling down inside the muffin batter, too!
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cream cheese filling is set (no longer wet) and a toothpick inserted in the muffin (cake part only) comes out with just a few crumbs.
Cool the muffins for just a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

Notes

Recipe Tips

Tip: Do not overmix the batter once you have added the dry ingredients. This will make a tough muffin.
Tip: Make sure not to overfill the muffin liners, or there won’t be any room for the cheesecake filling.
Tip: Remove the muffins from the muffin tin to finish cooling so that they do not continue to cook and dry out.

Storage

Store in an airtight container on the countertop for 2-3 days, refrigerate 4-5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

More Pumpkin Recipes:

See them all…

Nutrition

The post Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling appeared first on Family Dinners.

How To Make Fruit Salad Dressing

Andrea + Stef — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 21:11:59 +0000

Have you ever wondered how to make fruit salad dressing? Our delicious fall fruit salad dressing is super quick and easy to make and adds immense flavor to any fresh fruit salad blend. Spiced fruit salad dressing is a combination of orange juice, sugar, orange and lemon zest as well as apple pie spice. Simply combine the ingredients, simmer, strain and cool. This is the best fruit salad dressing. It will bring your fruit salads to the next level and make even the harshest fruit critics go for seconds and thirds.

Fall Fruit Salad

What is Fruit Salad Dressing?

Fruit salad dressing is generally a blend of three main ingredients. Firstly, a sweetener, such as sugar, honey or maple syrup. Secondly, freshly squeezed citrus juice, such as lemon juice, lime juice or orange juice. And thirdly, citrus zest and spices, such as cinnamon, apple pie spice or ginger. Fruit salad dressing adds incredible flavor to a summer fruit salad or fall fruit salad and even makes it last longer. Whip up this easy fruit salad recipe with for favorite combination of fruit and this easy dressing.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: sweet, citrusy and full of warm fall spices
Main Ingredients: orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, lemon zest, orange zest
Cooking Method: stovetop
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Pairs well with: all kinds of fruit salad blends — pour over your favorite fruit salads
Diets: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
Special Equipment Needed: small saucepan, zester, whisk

Ingredients

You may have all of these fall fruit salad dressing ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

Pantry Ingredients: sugar
Refrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: orange juice
Produce Ingredients: orange zest and lemon zest
Spices: apple pie spice
Fruit Mixture: For best results use your favorite fruits, enough to fill a large bowl. We suggest cutting fruits into bite sized pieces. Use ripe fruits for a fresh flavor. Suggested fruits include: stone fruits like peaches or nectarines, apples, red grapes, green grapes, pears, oranges, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, mangoes, pineapple chunks, papaya or avocado.

Variations:

Orange Juice: Substitute the orange juice for fresh lime juice, pineapple juice or apple juice.

Sugar: Substitute white sugar for brown sugar (light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work).

Spices: Try a pumpkin pie spice instead of apple pie spice.

Zest: Substitute for lime zest.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: This flavorful fruit salad dressing pairs really well with our Fall Fruit Salad for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A nutrient-dense fruit blend with apples, oranges, grapes, pecans and dried cranberries.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Fine-mesh strainer – This helps remove any small spice particles that you don’t want in your finished fruit salad.

Instructions

This section shows how to make fruit salad dressing on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos.

COMBINE INGREDIENTS: In a small saucepan, mix orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, zest of 1 lemon and zest of 1 orange.

COOK: Place over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

STRAIN: Strain in a fine mesh strainer and cool completely.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Fruit salad doesn’t always have to be sweet. Stef’s delicious Peach Burrata Salad with Cherries, Pistachios and Berries combines refreshing flavors from berries, cherries, fresh peaches, and creamy burrata cheese!

Make Ahead

This delicious fruit salad dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Cool it completely, transfer to an airtight container or jam jar and store in the fridge until ready to use.

How To Pick Fruit For A Fruit Salad

When you are choosing fruit for a fruit salad make sure you pick lots of different colored fruit. The more colorful a fruit salad is the more scrumptious it looks. Different textures are also a plus, such as crunchy apples, soft berries or juicy oranges. Moreover, combining lots of different kids of fruit ensures a great variety of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Tip: Use your favorite fresh fruit! Or try to stick to seasonal fruit. Cut enough to fill a big bowl.

Some good choices for our favorite fresh fruits for fruit salad are:

apples and pears
oranges and mandarin oranges
berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
seedless grapes
melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew)
peaches and nectarines
tropical fruit (pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya)

Additionally, you can add toasted nuts for some crunch. We like using pecans, walnuts or almonds. Dried cranberries, poppy seeds, chia seeds or fresh herbs, like basil or fresh mint, for example, are also popular add-ins for fruit salad.

Stef says….

Mangos are a sweet, tropical super fruit packed with over 20 different vitamins and minerals. While I love eating it plain, it also tastes fantastic in a fruit salad. If you ever wondered how to cut a mango, then take a look at my post and you will be an expert in no time.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best fall fruit salad dressing.

Tip: Use organic oranges for zest. To avoid ingesting harmful pesticides or additives try to use organic citrus fruits for zesting.
Tip: Use freshly squeezed orange juice. Freshly squeezed orange juice produces the best dressing.
Tip: Don’t skip straining the dressing. This way you wont end up with bigger spice parts or zest in your finished salad. Those might make it look unappetizing.

How To Store

Room Temperature: You can leave the ready made dressing on the counter if you are planning on using it within a couple of hours.

Refrigerate: If you are not using the dressing right away, or in case you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or jam jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Leftover fruit salad that is already mixed with the dressing will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days though the fruit will lose freshness after 1-2 days. It is best to eat the next day.

Where To Serve Fruit Salad

Fruit salads are easy to make ahead or take to your next event. Consider making it for one of these:

Showers: Bridal showers or baby showers are a great place to serve a sweet fruit salad.

Cookout: A fruit salad is a beautiful dish for a summer BBQ or backyard summer cookouts. It makes the perfect summer side dish.

Holiday Meal: These are a great addition to a traditional holiday meal.

Common Questions

How do I zest a lemon without a lemon zester?

It’s not a problem if you don’t own a lemon zester. You can also use the fine side of a box grater to rub off the lemon zest. Another way to zest a lemon is using a vegetable peeler. First, peel off very thin slices of lemon peel (avoid the white part) and then chop the lemon peel finely on a cutting board with a knife.

Is it ok to substitute any other sweeteners for the white sugar?

Yes. In fact, you can use any sweetener that you prefer. You could try honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or coconut sugar. Flavor as well as the degree of sweetness may vary a bit using another sweetener.

Should I use store bought or freshly squeezed orange juice for this dressing?

We prefer freshly squeezed orange juice for this dressing, but you can also use store bought in a pinch.

Fall Fruit Salad Dressing Recipe

Skip the creamy, heavy sauces and learn how to make this easy to make fruit salad dressing full of citrus flavor and fall spices.

Course Dessert, Side Dish

Cuisine American, vegan, vegetarian

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword how to make fruit salad dressing, recipe for fruit salad dressing, what to serve with fruit salad

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 3

Total Time 5

Servings portion

Calories 250kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

small saucepan
whisk
fine-mesh strainer

Ingredients

½ cup orange juice
¼ cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange

Instructions

In a small saucepan, mix orange juice, sugar, apple pie spice, zest of 1 lemon and zest of 1 orange.
Place over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Cool completely and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Nutrition

The post How To Make Fruit Salad Dressing appeared first on Family Dinners.

Cranberry Simple Syrup

Andrea + Stef — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:23:41 +0000

Like the name already says, cranberry simple syrup is really “simple” to make but so full of flavor. You only need a few basic ingredients and your cranberry flavored syrup is ready in only 10 minutes. This delicious homemade syrup compliments all your fall and winter cocktails, mocktails, punches and sangria. You can even use it to give your morning or afternoon tea a little extra flavor. You will love the tangy, fruity flavor of cranberry simple syrup as well as the hint of warm fall spices. This is the best cranberry syrup recipe and it will sure take the flavor of your holiday drinks to the next level.

What is Cranberry Simple Syrup?

Simple syrup is a liquid sugar you can add to drinks to sweeten them. Make a basic simple syrup recipe by combining 1 part water with 1 part sugar. Then stir the mixture over medium/high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring it to a boil, take off the heat and let cool completely. Flavor this easy recipe with zest, spices, herbs and fruit for homemade cocktails. This cranberry syrup gets its amazing flavor from fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks and whole allspice. It is a great addition to any fall or winter cocktail or party punch. It can also be used for non alcoholic drinks or tea. This cranberry version is also used for a fruit salad dressing.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: sweet, deep red syrup full of cranberry and cinnamon flavor
Main Ingredients: water, sugar, cranberries, ginger, cinnamon sticks, allspice
Cooking Method: stovetop
Nutrients: Cranberries are full of vitamins and antioxidants
Cooking Time: 5 minutes of prep time, 5-7 minutes of cooking time
Pairs well with: holiday cocktails, such as Thanksgiving Sangria
Diets: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
Special Equipment Needed: small saucepan, whisk, fine mesh strainer, bowl

Ingredients

You may have all of these easy cranberry simple syrup ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

1 cup of water
½ cup of white sugar
1 cup of cranberries fresh or frozen
1½ inch piece of ginger peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp whole allspice

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Use this flavorful cranberry simple syrup to make our delicious Thanksgiving Sangria. It is a bold blend of red wine, sparkling cider, rum and cranberries with a hint of spice! The absolute best cranberry sangria recipe this holiday season. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Fine-mesh strainer – This helps remove any small spice particles that you don’t want in your finished syrup.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook your own cranberry simple syrup on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos.

COMBINE: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine water, sugar, cranberries, ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks and allspice. Stir and bring mixture to a boil.

SIMMER: Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.

STRAIN AND COOL: Strain mixture. Pour the syrup over a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium mixing bowl. Reserve the cinnamon sticks and discard the rest. Set the syrup aside until cooled. Use immediately or store in an airtight container or bottle in the fridge.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love the bright and tangy flavor of cranberries then you’ll love Stef’s Cranberry Jello Salad. No more boring old can of cranberry sauce, this scrumptious combination of raspberry, cranberry, and orange is a sure crowd pleaser.

How To Serve Homemade Cranberry Syrup

Use this homemade simple syrup in a variety of flavorful ways. Our favorite way to use our own simple syrups is in sangria or other favorite cocktails.

Cranberry Sangria — This holiday sangria includes this cranberry syrup, cranberry juice, Pino Noir, spiced rum, sparkling apple cider, a pear and tart cranberries. Serve in a wine glass.

Cranberry Moscow Mules — Combine 1.5 ounces Vodka, ½ ounce fresh lime juice, 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup, 4 ounces chilled ginger beer. Serve in copper mugs with an orange peel.

Cranberry Fruit Salad Dressing — Sweet homemade salad dressings are perfect for fruit salads. Drizzle cranberry dressing over your salad for a tangy sweet addition to your favorite fruits.

Give As A Gift — Pour the homemade syrup into a cute glass bottle and decorate with a bow. Include our sangria recipe on a little hand written card.

Make Ahead

You can make this cranberry flavored simple syrup up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Make sure you store it in an airtight container, mason jar or bottle and keep it in the fridge.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best cranberry flavored syrup.

Tip: Pick over your cranberries before adding to the syrup. Only firm and bright red cranberries are fresh and guarantee best flavor. Discard soft and mushy ones.
Tip: Gently squeeze cranberries when straining. But do not make mush. This way you get all the delicious flavor out of the berries.
Tip: Store simple syrup in the fridge. Refrigerated cranberry syrup keeps its fresh taste and lasts longer.

Stef says….

If you have any fresh cranberries leftover, you have to try my Sugared Cranberries recipe. These tasty treats are crisp, sweet, and incredibly easy to make – the perfect combination of a sugary coating with a burst of tart cranberry flavor underneath!

How To Store

Refrigerate: In case you do not use the simple syrup right away, store in an airtight container, bottle or jam jar in the fridge. Refrigerated cranberry simple syrup will last up to two weeks.

Freeze: Pour simple syrup into a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 1 year. We recommend freezing simple syrup in ice cube trays. This way you can pull out just the right amount you need for a cocktail.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight or let sit on the counter until ready to use.

Common Questions

What is the best sugar/water ratio for simple syrup?

Generally there are 3 common mixing ratios. For light syrup mix 2 parts water with 1 part sugar (1 cup water + ½ cup sugar). The most popular mix is 1 part water and 1 part sugar (1 cup water + 1 cup sugar), this is called basic simple syrup. Lastly, there is thick syrup. Mix 1 part water with 2 parts sugar (1 cup water + 2 cups sugar). The more sugar is in the syrup, the longer it lasts.

Can I make other flavors of simple syrup?

Of course. In fact you can make loads of different flavored simple syrup. You can add flavor by simply switching to brown sugar, and your syrup will have a slight caramel flavor. Besides fruit, you can also add spices, such as vanilla, anise, or cloves. Furthermore, you can add herbs to the water and sugar mixture to make flavors such as mint or elderflower. Adding zest such as orange, lemon or lime, for example, creates syrup with amazing citrus flavor.

How long does simple syrup last?

The amount of time you can store simple syrup depends on a couple of factors. Firstly, the amount of sugar in the syrup. The more sugar you add, the longer it lasts. Secondly, the method of making the syrup. You can either dissolve the sugar by bringing the water/sugar mixture to a boil (which creates a more stable syrup). But you can also simply add cold water to the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Boiled syrup lasts longer than, cold water syrup. And thirdly, the shelf life also depends on whether your syrup is flavored or not. Unflavored syrup lasts longer than flavored ones.

Basic simple syrup (1:1 ratio) lasts up to 1 month in the fridge.
Flavored simple syrup as well as light syrup lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Thick simple syrup lasts about 2-3 months in the fridge.

Cranberry Simple Syrup Recipe

Learn how to make this deep red spiced cranberry simple syrup. It's quick and easy to make and gives great flavor to fall or winter drinks. Deep red and flavorful spiced cranberry simple syrup that is perfect for fall and winter cocktails.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings cups

Calories 232kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

small saucepan
whisk
fine-mesh strainer
bowl

Ingredients

1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
1½ inch piece of ginger peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon whole allspice

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine water, sugar, cranberries, ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks and allspice. Stir and bring mixture to a boil.
Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
Pour the syrup over a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium mixing bowl. Reserve the cinnamon sticks and discard the rest.
Set the syrup aside until cooled.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container or bottle in the fridge.

Nutrition

The post Cranberry Simple Syrup appeared first on Family Dinners.

Convection Oven Turkey

Andrea + Stef — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 17:56:49 +0000

This perfectly cooked convection oven turkey comes out with slightly crispy skin as well as moist and tender meat. Not only does the turkey cook in less time than in the convection oven compared to a regular oven, there is also no need to baste the bird over and over again. The hot dry air of the convection oven sears the turkey on the outside and therefore locks in all the juices. You will be surprised how easy it is to make the perfect turkey. Trust us, this is the best convection oven turkey recipe!

How To Defrost A Turkey

There are three safe ways to defrost a frozen turkey. The amount of time it takes will vary depending on the size of the bird.

How to defrost a turkey in the refrigerator. Keep the turkey in its original packaging. Place the turkey breast side up in a container or pan to catch any drips. It will take a full 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 20 pound turkey will take 4 days to thaw. Once it is defrosted you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 more days.

How to defrost a turkey in cold water. Keep the turkey in it’s original packaging. Place it in a larger plastic bag that is leak proof. Try to get all the air out of the bag and seal. Place the bag breast side down in a sink or container large enough for the turkey to be completely under water. Fill your container with cold water. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. A 20 pound turkey will take 10 hours this way. You might need to place something heavy on the turkey to keep it under water. Cook immediately after thawing.

How to defrost a turkey in the microwave. Firstly, remove the plastic packaging from the turkey. Additionally, remove any metal tags or clips. Place the turkey breast side up in a microwave safe container to catch drips. Every microwave is different so read the manual for your microwave. It should take an hour to an hour and a half to defrost in a microwave but it depends on the microwave. Clean your microwave well when it is thawed. Cook immediately after thawing.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: Perfectly cooked turkey with crispy skin as well as moist and tender meat. Cook multiple dishes in the convection oven at the same time as the turkey.
Main Ingredients: whole turkey, butter, salt and pepper
Cooking Method: oven baked, convection cooking
Nutrients: excellent source of protein, 70g per serving
Cooking Time: depends on the size of the turkey and its temperature when entering the oven: 12-14 lbs turkey – 2-2.5 hours, 15-19 lbs turkey – 2.5-3 hours, 20-25 lbs turkey 3 – 3.5 hours
Pairs well with: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, corn
Diets: keto friendly, gluten free
Special Equipment Needed: instant-read thermometer, high heat thermometer, sheet pan, baking rack, shallow roasting pan

Ingredients

You may have all of these convection oven Thanksgiving turkey ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

Refrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: butter
Meat Ingredients: whole turkey
Spices: salt and pepper

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you want your turkey bursting with flavor, you have to try our Turkey Injection Recipe. It creates the juiciest meat and adds immense flavor to your bird.

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Sheet pan or roasting pan with a baking rack – We recommend using a baking rack rather than setting the turkey right on the pan as it allows the heat to circulate under the turkey ensuring even cooking. Additionally, it helps crisp up the skin all around the turkey.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook a whole turkey in the convection oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos.

PREPARE: Firstly, preheat the oven to 325°F on convection bake setting. Then rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Next, place the bird in a deep roasting pan or a baking rack on a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan. Tie its legs together with kitchen twine. Tie its legs together with kitchen twine.

It is best to lift the bird up out of the bottom of the pan. The juices will drip down into the pan, but the turkey skin will stay dry, allowing the entire turkey to crisp up nicely. You can then use those pan juices to make gravy to serve with your favorite side dishes.

SEASON AND ROAST: Rub the turkey with butter and season with salt and pepper. (You can substitute olive oil for the butter.) Be sure to rub the seasoning inside the body cavity as well.

Then adjust the oven rack so the turkey will sit in the middle of the oven. Cook turkey until the thickest parts of the breast are 165°F and the thighs are at least 170°F.

REST AND SERVE: Finally, allow the turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Serve.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Follow our amazing Dry Brine Turkey Recipe for an easy way to add more flavor to your turkey. This delicious blend of salt, pepper and herbs enhances flavor and creates the most juicy meat.

Cooking Turkey in the Convection Oven vs. Regular Oven

A convection oven works very similar to an air fryer. A fan circulates dry, hot air around the food and therefore cooks more evenly and quicker (25-30% faster) than a conventional oven. Additionally, a convection oven cooks the turkey at a lower temperature (325ºF) than a regular oven (350ºF). By circulating hot air around a whole turkey, it “sears” the outside shut and therefore locks in all the juices. For that reason, there is no need to keep basting a convection oven turkey. Besides circulating hot air, a convection oven also has an exhaust vent to eliminate moisture from the oven. This keeps the skin crisp. While a regular oven often creates hot spots (areas that are hotter than others within the oven) a convection oven circulates heat evenly – how wonderful to have your dark meat and white meat cook to moist perfection.. This makes it also possible to cook more than one dish at the same time.

Cooking Turkey in a Crockpot

It is also possible to cook a turkey in the slow cooker. Simply rinse, dry and season the fresh turkey. Then cook for 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high until the internal temperature is at least 165ºF in the breast and 170ºF in the thigh. Broil for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin and serve. For detailed instructions take a look at our Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey recipe.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best convection oven turkey.

Tip: Make sure your turkey is completely defrosted. This ensures even cooking. We added tips on how to safely defrost a turkey above.
Tip: Truss the turkey. Tying the drum sticks together with some kitchen twine ensures even cooking and a well shaped cooked turkey.
Tip: Make sure the skin of the turkey doesn’t burn. Loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly.
Tip: Don’t skip the resting time. A 5-10 minute rest will seal in the juices and make the turkey extra juicy.

Thanksgiving Menu Suggestions:

If you are still working on your Thanksgiving menu for this year, take a look at all these yummy recipes from our website. They are all tried and tested as well as easy to make and absolutely delicious!

TURKEY:

Convection Oven Turkey
Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey
Dry Brine Turkey Recipe
Turkey Injection Recipe

If you are hosting only a few people this holiday, try our Convection Oven Roast Chicken, instead of a turkey. It is juicy, tender, and delicious.

SIDES:

DRINKS:

DESSERTS:

Stef says….

No Thanksgiving menu is complete without at least one scrumptious stuffing or dressing. I love my Thanksgiving Stovetop Stuffing, because it’s a delicious medley of sauteed vegetables, giblets, and sweet cranberries with pre-made Stovetop stuffing mix. Besides being quick and easy to make, it’s also absolutely delicious!

How To Store

Refrigerate: To begin with, it is important to make sure your cooked turkey is completely cold before putting in the refrigerator. Transfer any leftover meat to an airtight container or ziploc bag and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Turkey leftovers are great eaten cold or cooked into a new recipe.

Freeze: Leftover turkey meat can be frozen in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave, air fryer, oven or stovetop.

Common Questions

Do I need to baste the turkey while cooking?

No, generally there is no need to baste a turkey cooking in the convection oven. The circulating hot air sears the outside of the turkey and therefore locks in all its juices. However, if you are using a special marinade or sauce, baste the turkey during the last hour of roasting.

How can I use up leftover turkey meat?

You can use turkey meat to make delicious turkey sandwiches, for example. Top meat with leftover potatoes, cranberry sauce and veggies. Add some mustard or mayonnaise and enjoy! Furthermore, you can also turn turkey leftovers into turkey chili, enchiladas, turkey noodle soup or top your favorite pizza with it.

Convection Oven Turkey Recipe

Convection oven roasted turkey comes out crispy and golden brown with incredibly tender and juicy meat. You can cook multiple dishes in the convection oven at the same time.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword convection oven roasted turkey, convection oven turkey, how long to cook a turkey in a convection oven at 325ºF, how to cook a turkey in the convection oven

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Resting Time 10

Total Time 2 50

Servings servings

Calories 480kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

baking sheet
baking rack
instant read thermometer

Ingredients

1 whole turkey about 10 lbs, thawed
2 tablespoon butter softened
1 tsp salt
1 teaspoon pepper
or Dry Brine Recipe optional
or Turkey Injection Recipe optional

Instructions

Preheat convection oven to 325°F on convection bake settings.
Rinse turkey inside and outside and pat dry with paper towels.
Place turkey on a roasting pan or a baking rack on a baking sheet. To ensure even cooking tie the drumsticks together with some kitchen twine.
Rub turkey first with butter then season with salt and pepper.
Adjust oven racks so turkey will sit in the middle of the oven.
Cook turkey checking it about every 30 minutes to make sure it is not getting too brown. If the turkey is getting too dark, tent with aluminum foil.
Using an instant read thermometer, test the turkey breast and drumstick for doneness 30 minutes before the end of the roasting time. The turkey is done when the breast is 165°F down in the center and the legs are at least 170°F.
Allow turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Serve.

Notes

Cooking Time depends on the size of the turkey and the temperature it has when going into the oven:

12-14 pound turkey – 2-2.5 hours

15-19 pound turkey – 2.5-3 hours

20-25 pound turkey – 3-3.5 hours

Nutrition

The post Convection Oven Turkey appeared first on Family Dinners.

Pumpkin Bread

Andrea + Stef — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 02:57:55 +0000

This wonderfully light and moist pumpkin bread is the perfect fall dessert and comes together in only 15 minutes. It is super easy to make. This pumpkin bread recipe is made with butter and milk. No oil! Simply combine the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry ingredients in another, combine them and you are ready to bake. Everyone will love this fragrant and perfectly spiced pumpkin loaf, that can be served as a dessert, for breakfast or brunch, as well as for an afternoon snack. Slather it with creamy butter or dip it in maple syrup, no matter how you serve this scrumptious fall treat, it will be a sure crowd pleaser either way.

What is Pumpkin Bread?

Even though this pumpkin bread is called “bread” it is technically a cake. Pumpkin bread is not as sweet as pumpkin cake but very similar to pumpkin muffins that are baked in a loaf pan. This scrumptious pumpkin loaf can be served with butter and maple syrup and tastes great for breakfast, brunch, dessert or as a snack in between meals.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: moist, light and fluffy pumpkin bread full of warm fall spices
Main Ingredients: salted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, eggs, all-purpose flour, salt, pumpkin pie seasoning, baking powder, baking soda
Cooking Method: oven baked
Cooking Time: 60 minutes. Cooking times may vary by 5-10 minutes.
Diets: vegetarian
Special Equipment Needed: electric mixer, 9×5-inch loaf pan

Ingredients

You may have all of these pumpkin quick bread ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

Pantry Ingredients: light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda
Refrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: salted butter, buttermilk, eggs
Spices: pumpkin pie seasinong, salt

Variations:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread: Use our recipe to make a delicious chocolate pumpkin bread.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread: Make a simple substitution to make this bread a moist gluten free bread.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this delicious pumpkin quick bread, try our amazing Pumpkin Spice Pancake Recipe. You’ll love these pancakes because they are thick, fluffy and packed with pumpkin and warm spices.

Recommended Tools

Electric Mixer – This recipe requires an electric mixer in order to beat the butter and other wet ingredients together. However, in case you don’t have a mixer it is also possible to hand whisk the batter.

Instructions

This section shows how to bake pumpkin loaf in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos.

PREPARE: Firstly, preheat the oven to 350ºF and then line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

MAKE BATTER: Add butter, sugars, vanilla, buttermilk, pumpkin and eggs to a large mixing bowl and cream together with an electric mixer. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add them to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.

BAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the center rack for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.

SERVE: Let the loaf cake cool on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before removing it from the pan and cooling it completely. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love the warm and spicy flavor of pumpkin bread then you’ll love Stef’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. The soft sweet pumpkin dough, covered in cream cheese frosting is just to die for.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best pumpkin loaf.

Tip: Measure your flour correctly. We recommend spooning the flour into a measuring cup and leveling it with the back of a knife. If you scoop the flour out of the bag you might add more than the recipe requires.
Tip: Use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. We do not recommend using pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
Tip: Give your pumpkin loaf time to cool. Bread will slice better after it has cooled down completely.

More Quick Bread Recipes:

How To Store

Counter: Leftover pumpkin bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or zip top bag for 2-3 days.

Freeze: Pumpkin loaf leftovers can be frozen in a Ziploc freezer bag or a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: Let the pumpkin quick bread sit at room temperature for a couple of hours or overnight.

Common Questions

Is it possible to use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

Unfortunately you cannot substitute pumpkin pie filling for the pumpkin puree. The pie filling already has spices and sugar added and would therefore add too much spice and sweetness to the cake. Moreover, other pie filling additives might cause the bread to not bake evenly.

What is pumpkin pie spice?

Most popular pumpkin pie spice brands are a blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves and ground allspice. Pumpkin pie spice combines all your favorite fall dessert flavors into one spice mix.

Is it better to use a metal loaf pan or a glass baking dish?

Both kinds of pans should work equally well with this recipe. However, don’t forget to line the baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal after baking.

More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

Stef says….

Like most people I am always looking forward to the big announcement: “Pumpkin spice lattes are back!” Luckily, there is no more need to wait! Have you tried my Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe? It shows you how to make pumpkin spice coffee three ways: blended, iced, and steamy hot!

Pumpkin Bread

Moist and fluffy pumpkin loaf bursting with pumpkin flavor and warm fall spices. Learn how to make this easy pumpkin quick bread.

Course Bread, Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword best pumpkin bread recipe, how to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread, pumpkin loaf recipe, pumpkin quick bread recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings loaf

Calories 2851kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

electric mixer
9×5-inch loaf pan
mixing bowls

Ingredients

½ cup salted butter softened
½ cup light brown sugar packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
With an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, pumpkin and eggs.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, pumpkin pie seasoning, baking powder and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into the loaf pan.
Bake on the center rack of the oven for 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

Notes

Allow the bread to cool slightly before removing from the loaf pan.
Bread will slice better if it has completely cooled.
Serve with butter or maple butter.

Nutrition

The post Pumpkin Bread appeared first on Family Dinners.

Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey

Andrea + Stef — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 13:01:54 +0000

Learn how to cook a crispy crockpot turkey that comes out tender, moist and full of flavor. It is one of the easiest ways to prepare a turkey dinner, especially for a smaller crowd.

It cooks completely hands off in the slow cooker for 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. After the initial cook time, it only takes 10 minutes under the broiler to crisp up the top of the turkey and this delicious recipe is ready to serve.

While the turkey slow cooks, there is no more need to stress out over oven space. You can easily get all your sides done without having to worry about oven space. This is the best crockpot Thanksgiving turkey recipe and it will undoubtedly be a hit at this year’s holiday dinner.

How To Defrost A Turkey

There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey.

How to defrost a turkey in cold water. Keep the bird in its original packaging. Place turkey in a larger plastic bag that is leak proof. Try to get all the air out of the bag and seal. Place the bag breast side down in a sink or container large enough for the entire turkey to be completely under water. Fill your container with cold water. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. It will take about 30 minutes for every pound of turkey. A 20 pound turkey will take 10 hours this way. You might need to place something heavy on the turkey to keep it under water. Cook immediately after thawing.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: juicy and flavorful turkey with crispy skin
Main Ingredients: whole turkey, butter, paprika, salt and pepper
Cooking Method: Crockpot
Nutrients: excellent source of protein, 70g per serving
Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time, cooking time: 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high
Pairs well with: all of your favorite side dishes: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole
Diets: keto friendly, gluten free
Special Equipment Needed: slow cooker, high heat thermometer, instant read thermometer sheet pan

Ingredients

You may have all of these crockpot Thanksgiving turkey ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

Refrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: butter
Meat Ingredients: whole turkey
Spices: paprika, salt and pepper

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Another great addition to a Thanksgiving celebration is a festive drink. Have you tried our scrumptious Thanksgiving Sangria yet? It is a bold blend of red wine, sparkling cider, rum and cranberries with a hint of spice!

Recommended Tools

Links to our favorite tools are affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link we may get a tiny portion of the sale.

Crockpot — This recipe requires a slow cooker. We use a 6 qt. basic Crockpot brand slow cooker. It works wonderfully. If you’re planning to take your Crockpot to potlucks you’ll want to check out this one that has a locking lid. A slow cooker has an inner pot called the crock. Neither the crock nor the lid are oven safe on most machines. Do not put them in the oven.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook thanksgiving turkey in the slow cooker, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print this slow cooker recipe with or without photos.

PREPARE: Firstly, rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Next, place the bird into the bottom of the slow cooker with the breast side up. Then tie its legs together with kitchen twine. You might need to tuck its wings under to get the lid on, depending on the size of the turkey.

SEASON AND COOK: Combine melted butter, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Then, drizzle butter mixture onto turkey and rub all over to coat. Place the lid on the slow cooker tightly. In case it does not fit on tightly, cover with foil to prevent steam from leaking out. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Afterwards, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey in the center of the turkey breast. The temperature should be at least 165° in the breast and 170° in the thighs.

BROIL AND REST: Turn the oven to broil. Remove the turkey from the crock and place on a baking sheet or roasting pan. It is awkward to lift the turkey out of the crock while it is hot. You may need 2 sets of tongs or a second person to help. Broil for 10 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown. Finally, allow the turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Serve.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: In case you are looking for a delicious and nutritious side dish for the holidays then you’ll love our Fall Fruit Salad. This colorful fruit salad is full of apples and citrus flavors. A homemade dressing adds sweetness and warm fall spices.

Convection Oven Turkey

Another great way to cook a turkey is in the convection oven. It cooks the turkey faster than a conventional oven and sears the outside of the bird for extra crispy skin. Therefore, there is no need to keep basting the turkey while cooking. For detailed instructions take a look at our Convection Oven Turkey post.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best crockpot Thanksgiving turkey.

Tip: Make sure your turkey is completely defrosted. This ensures even cooking. We added tips on how to safely defrost a turkey above.
Tip: Truss the turkey. Tying the drum sticks together with some kitchen twine ensures even cooking and a well shaped cooked turkey. Additionally, it makes it easier to fit the turkey into the slow cooker.
Tip: Make sure the skin of the turkey doesn’t burn. Closely watch the turkey under the broiler. You want the skin to turn crisp but not to burn.
Tip: Don’t skip the resting time. A 5-10 minute rest will seal in the juices and make the turkey extra juicy.

In case you want to make a whole Thanksgiving meal, serve this scrumptious turkey with Creamy Mashed Potatoes , Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cornbread Muffins, and Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes.

Andrea says….

When I put this turkey on the table for my family my kids just kept raving about how it was the best turkey they’ve ever eaten. Cooking it in the crockpot makes it so moist and juicy. It’s not the prettiest turkey but it is the tastiest!

How To Store

Refrigerate: To begin with, it is important to make sure your turkey is completely cold. Then transfer any leftover turkey meat to an airtight container or ziploc bag and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Turkey leftovers are great to eat on their own or cook them into another recipe.

Freeze: Leftover crockpot thanksgiving turkey meat can be frozen in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: Thaw cooked turkey in the refrigerator overnight.

How To Reheat

Reheat turkey leftovers in the microwave, air fryer, oven or stovetop.

Common Questions

Does a turkey easily overcook in the crockpot?

Actually, the exact opposite! Because the turkey is cooked at such a low temperature, it doesn’t matter if you leave it in there for a bit longer. The meat will still come out tender and juicy.

How can I use up leftover turkey meat?

Is it possible to make a turkey gravy with crockpot turkey?

Yes, of course. In fact, you can make the best gravy using the juices left in the the crockpot. Firstly, you make a roux, then add 1 cup of the slow cooker juices and whisk until smooth. Add more cooking liquid until you reach your desired gravy consistency. You are basically making a white sauce using crock pot drippings instead of milk. Finally finish your gravy by adjusting spices, add salt and black pepper, and maybe add a little heavy cream. Using the turkey’s own juices will beat a gravy packet recipe any day!

Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Flavorful, tender and moist Thanksgiving turkey made in the slow cooker. A crockpot turkey is an easy way to free up space in your oven for your other side dishes.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, keto

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword crockpot turkey, slow cooker turkey, turkey cooked in the crockpot, turkey in a slow cooker, turkey in crockpot, turkey in slow cooker

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7 5

Servings servings

Calories 505kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

slow cooker
small bowl
meat thermometer
sheet pan
kitchen tongs

Ingredients

1 whole turkey 8-10 pounds
4 tablespoon butter melted
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.
Place turkey in crockpot with the breast side up. Tie its legs together with some kitchen twine. You might need to tuck the turkey wings down under the bird to get the lid on.
Combine melted butter, salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl.
Drizzle butter mixture onto turkey.
Rub all over the bird to coat.
Place the lid on the slow cooker. Make sure it is on tightly. If it does not fit on tightly, cover with foil to prevent steam from leaking out.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Check the temperature of the turkey in the center of the turkey breast. The temperature should be at least 165° in the breast and 170° in the legs.
Turn oven to broil. Remove the turkey from the crock and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes until skin begins to crisp.
Allow the turkey to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes

Do not put the crockpot insert into the oven.
To transfer the cooked turkey to the baking sheet to broil, place the baking sheet right next to the crockpot. The turkey will be hot. Use 2 sets of tongs or get someone to help you so you don’t drop the turkey.
The turkey will cook a few more degrees while it’s broiling.
Allow turkey to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition

The post Crockpot Thanksgiving Turkey appeared first on Family Dinners.