I Am... Gingerbread Loaf
Gingerbread loaf reminds me of snowy winter nights, oversized fluffy cardigans, and all that is right with the world. The smell of gingerbread baking is so warm and cozy that I get an instant hit of serotonin when those signature ginger-cinnamon spices waft through the air. If you asked me what I liked better: gingerbread loaf or gingerbread cookies, I would say gingerbread loaf for eating and gingerbread cookies for decorating. Cookies are cute and fun and delicious, but there’s just something about sinking a fork into a plush cake topped with thick snowy white glaze that gets me every time. I LOVE loaves and quick breads because they’re quick, easy, and essentially cake! Who doesn’t love a slice of cake in the morning with coffee? Or mid-morning, after lunch, as afternoon tea, dessert, or a late night snack? Give me all the loaves masquerading as cake, but especially deep, dark, mysterious gingerbread.
How to make gingerbread loaf
- Prep: Heat your oven, lightly butter a loaf pan, and whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix: Whisk together the molasses with a bit of warm water to loosen it.
- Cream: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg, applesauce, and molasses-mix.
- Fold: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined. Pour into your prepped pan.
- Bake: Let the gingerbread bake and enjoy the delicious smells that will drive you nuts with longing.
- Enjoy: Let cool completely in the pan, then glaze (if desired), slice and enjoy!
Gingerbread loaf ingredients
All the ingredients for gingerbread are pretty standard loaf ingredients, with a couple of special mentions. You’ll need: flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, butter, sugar, egg, molasses, and applesauce.- Ginger: Try to use fresh powdered ginger as ginger tends to loose its potency as it sits in your cabinet. I love my gingerbread extra gingery and sometimes I even add an extra teaspoon to the mix.
- Molasses: Make sure you get the right kind of molasses, because it’s important! You want unsulfured fancy or light molasses, more on that below!
- Applesauce: This adds an extra bit of moisture in your loaf.
What is gingerbread?
Gingerbread is an umbrella term for baked goods sweetened with molasses or honey and flavored with ginger, cinnamon and cloves. It can range from soft and cakey like this gingerbread loaf to crisp and crunchy like ginger snaps. Gingerbread is especially popular around the winter holiday season because of all the warming spices.What is the difference between gingerbread and ginger cake?
In most of the world, gingerbread can mean either cookies or cake, but sometimes it’s confusing, so people have started to refer to soft, cake-y gingerbread as ginger cake. This gingerbread loaf is ginger cake, baked in a loaf pan. Really, if you think about it, the name gingerbread is very fitting because it’s kinda sort of bread shaped? This recipe tastes very similar to Starbucks’ gingerbread loaf except there isn’t any crystallized ginger because I don’t really like things like fruit and nuts in my loaves. This is the best kind of gingerbread out there: heavily spiced with a large amount of ginger and cinnamon, scented with sticky molasses, and made extra soft and moist with a touch of applesauce. It’s a classic old-fashioned gingerbread, the kind you want to come home too after an afternoon of playing in the snow. I like it glazed, which reminds me of a layer of freshly fallen snow, or dusted with powdered sugar, or with a dollop of softly whipped cream. I like it all ways and always :)Which molasses should I use for gingerbread?
This gingerbread uses light/fancy molasses.But maybe you’re wondering: what is molasses?
Molasses is a dark and sticky smoky syrup that’s the byproduct of refining sugar from sugar cane or sugar beets.There are three types of molasses out there:
- Light Molasses is the sweetest and lightest of the three kinds of molasses. It’s also called first pass, mild, sweet, and light molasses. It’s the one most commonly used when baking ginger cookies, gingersnaps, gingerbread, and ginger cakes.
- Dark molasses, also called full, robust, cooking, or second pass, is thicker, darker, and stronger. This is used in baking gingerbreads with a stronger, more molasses-y flavor.
- Blackstrap Molasses is the darkest and thickest of the three types of molasses. It’s bitter and not really used for baking, more for savories like baked beans and barbecue.
What if I don’t have molasses?
No molasses gingerbread is super easy. If you don’t have any molasses on hand and there’s a big snowstorm outside, use this molasses substitute:- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
Which loaf pan?
I bake all my loaves in this 1 lb loaf pan.Can I make this as a gingerbread cake?
You can absolutely make this as a cake! It slices up beautifully and looks so pretty with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Bake it in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan. Happy gingerbread-ing! xoxo stephPS - If you’re a gingerbread lover, here are some other gingerbread recipes for you!
- Gingerbread Corgi Cookies
- Super Simple Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies
- Mini Gingerbread Houses
- Sunday Brunch: Holiday Gingerbread Cardamom Waffles Recipe
Gingerbread Loaf
Give me all the loaves masquerading as cake, but especially deep, dark, mysterious gingerbread.
- standard loaf pan
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup fancy molasses (unsulfured light)
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly butter a loaf pan. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together 1 cup hot water and molasses. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg until glossy, then mix in the apple sauce and molasses mix.
Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined and pour into the pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until a tester comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too much, top loosely with a piece of foil. Cool completely in the pan on wire rack before optional glazing (see notes for glaze).
This is a medium-low sweet loaf, so the glaze will add a lot of sweetness if you're looking for that.
To glaze: mix 1.5 cups powdered sugar with 3 tbsp milk until smooth. Spoon over the top of the loaf.
Estimated nutrition doesn't include glaze.
I Am... Easy Pork Tenderloin Recipe
The juiciest, tastiest pork tenderloin. This porchetta inspired pork tenderloin will take you right to the sun drenched middle of Italy. It's based on the flavors of Umbria, the part of Italy where they make delicious melt-in-your-mouth pork tenderloin with lemon, rosemary, fennel, and good italian cheese and olive oil. It’s perfect for eating on its own or in a crusty ciabatta. This pork tenderloin is based on porchetta, simplified with weeknight ingredients, and you’ll be amazed at how flavorful, buttery, and melty it is. Best of all, it’s healthy, lean, and low fat, with only 7 ingredients.
What is pork tenderloin
Pork tenderloin, also called fillet, is a small slender muscle along the spine. When cooked right, they’re buttery delicious, juicy, and full of flavor, rivaling hundred dollar wagyu steaks. Pork tenderloin is the single, best cut of pork. Unlike beef tenderloin, which runs into the hundreds of dollars, you can often get pork tenderloin for under $10/lb, which is a bargain for how good it tastes. This is one of those things, like oxtail, that you should get into before they blow up and triple in price.Pork tenderloin vs loin
Although they share the same name, pork tenderloin and pork loin are not the same. Tenderloins are small and long like a zucchini or cucumber, whereas a loin is much, much larger. You could make this recipe with a loin if you can adjust the cooking times (or sous vide the whole thing), but in my opinion, the tenderloin is worth looking for. It’s not even in the same league.What is ‘in porchetta’
This recipe is inspired by a traditional Umbrian method called in porchetta, where they use the techniques and flavors of porchetta on other foods. Classically, these include chicken in porchetta, duck in porchetta, and rabbit in porchetta. The protein is different but the preparation - a dry rub of fennel, rosemary, and olive oil, is the same. A pork tenderloin happens to be one of the things you can stuff a traditional porchetta with, so this is like an easier, extra tender and not crunchy porchetta. You can also adapt this recipe to any protein you like and it’ll taste amazing.How to cook pork tenderloin
- Temper the tenderloin by letting it rest on the countertop while you prepare the porchetta rub, pour some wine, or make while-cooking cocktail.
- Make the dry rub by combining lemon zest, salt, pepper, fennel, and rosemary.
- Brush your tenderloin with some nice olive oil and rub the dry rub on evenly. Sear in a pan if desired.
- Bake the pork tenderloin at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes.
- Make the salsa verde while your tenderloin is baking to perfection.
- Rest. Then slice, and enjoy with crusty bread, risotto, or pasta.
Pork tenderloin temp
We all grew up with hyper overcooked pork, but today’s pork is safe and the USDA has reduced the safe pork temp down to 145ºF. For me personally, I prefer pork at 130ºF, with carryover heat bringing it up to 135ºF. It was perfect: tender, super juicy, and flavorful. If the thought of pink meat is off putting to you, cook your pork tenderloin to 145-155. It will still be tender and delicious.How long to cook pork tenderloin
Cooking times depend a lot on your oven, the size of the tenderloin, and the temperature of your pork before it goes into the oven. The most accurate thing you can do is get a meat thermometer with a probe. They can be really cheap. If you have a pretty accurate oven and prefer to wing it, some suggested cooking times are below.Pork tenderloin at 400ºF
With a 1lb tenderloin that’s been tempered for an hour, it takes about 25 min at 400ºF to get to 140ºF. The carryover heat will bring it up to 145ºF.Pork tenderloin at 350ºF
Although it's not as effective, there might be reasons to do it at 350ºF (ie, you need to have other things in the oven at 350ºF). If so, cook it for 30-35 minutes.What temp should I cook pork tenderloin?
It's best to cook it at 400ºF. The higher temperature will ensure that it doesn’t overcook by getting the middle up to temp faster.Do you need to sear?
I didn’t sear this one because I wanted to keep it as tender as possible. It will end up a little grey though. I don’t mind that too much, but if you want it to look its best, sear it all around over medium high heat before popping it in the oven.Green sauce, aka salsa verde
The salsa verde in this recipe goes wonderfully with the porchetta, bringing a little bit of acid and a lot of umami from Parmigiano-Reggiano. Definitely don’t skip out on it. It’s so good Steph and I often use it as a quick pasta sauce, no meat required. In America, salsa verde is known as a mainly Mexican or Spanish thing, but Italians have a green sauce called salsa verde too. This version is a super simplified one, using only the ingredients in the porchetta plus cheese, but usually Italian salsa verde also includes anchovies, capers, and vinegar.Saltiness
Porchetta was traditionally generously seasoned. In Umbria one of the main ways to eat porchetta is in a sandwich, and the bread in that part of Italy wasn’t salted, so it was a marriage made in heaven. I’ve reduced the salt here so you can eat the porchetta by itself, but I’ve also tested it with up to a tablespoon of salt to recreate that classic porchetta taste. It works if you eat it with something very bland, like bread or pasta.What to serve with pork tenderloin
- Pasta alla Norcina Recipe
- Garlicky Brown Butter Mushroom Risotto
- Roasted Potatoes: Crisp, Fluffy, and Potato-y
Pork Tenderloin Recipe
The best pork tenderloin with the flavors of Umbrian Porchetta in only 10 ingredients
Pork Tenderloin
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or more if needed)
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp rosemary (chopped, ~10"-12" sprig )
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 1.5 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (1/2 a lemon)
Salsa Verde
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (roughly torn, about 1 bunch)
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (grated)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (1/2 a lemon)
Temper your pork by leaving it on the counter while you prepare your dry rub. At the same time, preheat your oven to 400ºF.
Make the porchetta dry rub by mixing the fennel, rosemary, sea salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
Rub your pork tenderloins down with olive oil, then evenly rub the porchetta spice mix on.
Arrange the tenderloins on a rack over a baking sheet, and bake for 20 min or until 130ºF in the middle (see notes). While the pork is baking, make your salsa verde by combining all salsa verde ingredients except lemon zest in a blender. Blend until smooth, then taste and season with extra salt and pepper if needed. Drizzle a splash of olive oil on top and top with the lemon zest.
When the pork is has reached your desired temp, remove and rest for 5 min. Slice, then serve with salsa verde.
I prefer my pork at 130ºF. If you think this looks undercooked based on my photos, bake your pork until it hits 140ºF. The carryover heat tends to add 5ºF, which will bring it up to a USDA approved 145ºF.
Estimated nutrition includes all the salsa verde
I Am... Baked Salmon
Making baked salmon by slow roasting in a low oven ensures that it never over cooks, flakes apart perfectly and is just the best. If you love juicy, tender, succulent salmon, this is the post for you! Slow roasted salmon in a sweet, savory, slightly spicy sauce, finished with caramelized limes, fresh scallions, and toasty sesame seeds. I feel like everyone loves salmon. When it’s cooked properly, it’s so flavorful and satisfying. The finicky part with salmon is that when it’s over cooked, it’s a dry, crumbly travesty. Salmon is kind of mysterious but it’s really one of the easiest, healthiest, and tastiest proteins you could ever learn to make.
How to bake salmon
- Mix: Mix together a flavorful sweet and spicy gochujang honey sauce.
- Slow roast: Coat the salmon in the sauce and bake in a low oven to ensure tender, juicy, perfectly cooked salmon.
- Flake: Use a spoon to gently flake the salmon into perfectly imperfect pieces to present on a plate or platter.
- Enjoy: Finish with some scallions and toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!
The best baked salmon recipe
This oven baked salmon is spicy, sweet, savory, and so addictive. The gochujang honey glaze is AMAZING. If you’ve ever had Korean fried chicken, the glaze is very similar to that sticky, bright red, deeply delicious sauce you get on the spicy wings.Best salmon for baked salmon
Go for a larger cut of salmon instead of individual fillets: a larger piece of fish means it won’t dry out as much in the oven; a large piece of fish is much more forgiving than smaller fillets. You can either go for skin on or skinless. I went with skin on because the skin provides an extra layer of protection against over baking. Since we’re going to flake the salmon in pieces and present it on another platter, I recommend skin on so the salmon stays a bit juicer. Either way, make sure you remove the pin bones, if there are any. Run your fingers lightly across the surface of the fillet, near the middle. If you feel any pin bones, use a pair of kitchen tweezers to pluck them out.What is gochujang ?
A savory, sweet, spicy fermented paste made from chili powder and sticky rice. It adds sweet and heat and a ton of flavor to your favorite Korean dishes. We use it for Korean fried chicken, oven roasted chicken, and Korean BBQ. Traditionally it comes in tubs, but these days you can find it in squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of literally any grocery store (or online, as always).How long to bake salmon
Slow roasting salmon at a low temp ensures that your salmon is moist and tender and never dry. Instead of cooking at high heat, which has the tendency to dry out salmon, a low oven will gently surround your salmon and bring it up to temp. Plus it gives the salmon time to absorb the flavors of the marinade!The best baked salmon temp
Slow roasted salmon works best at 275°FHow to tell if salmon is cooked
The best and easiest way to tell if salmon is cooked is to gently press it with the back of a spoon, when it’s cooked properly it will flake. Perfectly done salmon will be tender, barely opaque, and juicy. Over cooked salmon will flake too but it will be dry, lighter in color, and tough.Wild salmon vs farmed salmon
Wild salmon is always going to be less fatty than farmed salmon because they have to work to find their food. Since wild salmon have less fat, it’s best to cook them to a lower finished temp so they remain silky, firm and juicy. If you want to be precise, use an instant read thermometer.What internal temperature should I cook salmon to?
For wild salmon, aim for 120°F internal temperature For farmed salmon, aim for 125°F internal temperature Note: the FDA recommends 145°F.How to serve salmon
Our favorite way of serving salmon is not in individually portioned filets. Instead, a whole side of salmon is oven baked, then gently flaked into large perfectly imperfect pieces onto a platter. We were inspired by a Bon Appétit recipe and the salmon looked so pretty on the platter that we have never gone back. Presenting salmon like this is nice because you (or guests, if we’re ever in a time when you can have guests again) can custom portion out how much salmon you want to eat. Another bonus of cooking a side of salmon and flaking it is that cooking a larger piece of salmon ensures that it doesn’t dry out while cooking because it has more mass. And, when you serve salmon not in the dish you’ve baked it in, you can go ahead and buy skin-on salmon (the skin protects the fish from over cooking) and easily serve it without the skin. Above: Harissa SalmonHere are some of my other favorite oven baked salmon flavors
Garlicky tomato with vine cherry tomatoes: toss 2 pints cherry tomatoes with 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and 4-6 cloves minced garlic. Bake as directed below. Harissa: mix together 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup harissa paste, 1 clove minced garlic. Bake as directed below. Miso baked salmon: mix together 2 tbsp neutral oil, 2 tbsp miso paste, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin, and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Bake as directed below.What to serve with salmon:
- this salmon on top of rice for the ultimate salmon bowl!
- these fresh and crisp miso dijon green beans
- you can’t go wrong with noodles and salmon
- creamy mashed potatoes and salmon pair perfectly
- bright and fresh creamy cucumber avocado salad for balance
Baked Salmon Recipe
Perfectly soft and tender slow roasted baked salmon in a sweet, savory, slightly spicy honey gochujang sauce.
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp gochujang
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tbsp ginger (grated)
- 1.5 lb boneless salmon fillet
- 1 lime (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (to serve)
- 1 stalk green onion (sliced, to serve)
Temper the salmon. Let the salmon rest at room temp for 20-30 minutes while you heat up the oven and prep the marinade and garnish.
Heat the oven to 275°F. Whisk the oil, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a bowl.
Spread half of the gochujang mix to the bottom of a large baking dish. Lightly pat the salmon dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides then place in the baking dish (skin side down if your salmon has skin). Spread the remaining gochujang mix on top. Arrange the limes on top and place in the oven for 30 minutes (see notes).
When 30 minutes is up, remove the salmon from the oven and take a spoon and try to flake the salmon to see if it flakes and is cooked through, barely opaque and tender. If needed, return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Flake the salmon into 2-3” irregular sized pieces. Arrange the salmon and lime on a platter, spoon on any remaining sauce on top. Finish with scallions and toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Depending on the thickness of your salmon and how done you like it, it may take up to 45 mins in the oven. 30 mins should cook a 1" fillet to rare, 45 min should cook a 1.5" fillet to medium.
I Am... Best Ever Stuffing for Crock Pot or Oven
Set-it-and-forget-it crock pot (or oven) stuffing recipe with soft, custardy bread and crispy, toasty edges and a secret ingredient. I LOVE stuffing. I feel like I could make a meal of stuffing and mashed potatoes and be a very happy camper. Give me ALL the carbs. Ever since I discovered making stuffing in the crock pot I have been sneakily meal prepping stuffing at the beginning of every week so I can feed my stuffing addiction. Who says stuffing is only for Thanksgiving? Not me! Stuffing isn’t even hard to make. It’s one of the easiest sides dishes – maybe even the most easy? The most pressing thing you’ll need to think about is: if you should cut up a loaf of bread or use store bought bread cubes. I do both. When I’m in a hurry those store bought bread cubes are a life saver, but for more special stuffing, like Thanksgiving, I’ll get a rustic loaf, tear it up, and dry out the cubes myself.
How to make bread cubes for stuffing
- Decide on a loaf of bread. There are so many kinds of bread out there! I usually use a rustic white, sourdough, or French bread.
- Cube the bread. Use a bread knife to slice the bread into 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick slices, the lay them flat and cut into 1/2 - 3/4 inch strips. Cut the strips into cubes.
- Toast the bread cubes. Spread the bread cubes out into a single layer on a baking pan and bake them in a low oven, until dry and crisp, stirring once or twice. Let cool completely. Boom! Homemade bread cubes.
- Bonus: If you want your stuffing to have a more artisanal, rustic, hipster look, tear your bread. Irregular torn up pieces look more homemade and the extra texture and craggily crevices toast up better!
How to make stuffing
- Toast the bread. Toast the bread in the oven so it’s crisp on the outside but not too dry on the inside. You want it to feel like a crouton.
- Sauté the aromatics. You’ll have to break out a pan for this step, but it’s worth it because searing the mushrooms and shallots brings out so much more flavor.
- Mix up the stuffing. Get a giant bowl so you can mix everything up evenly. Aim to evenly soak all the bread.
- Cook it in the crock pot. Generously butter the insert of the crock pot then add everything in, cover, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. The sides will get gloriously crisp and the insides will be creamy and custardy.
Stuffing Ingredients
You will need: 1 loaf of bread, butter, mushrooms, shallots, celery, garlic, herbs, eggs, chicken stock, and just a touch of the secret ingredient: soy sauce!- Bread - My favorite thing to do is to get a sourdough or rustic loaf from our neighborhood bakery and rip it up into different sized pieces so there’s lots of surface area and craggily bits for all the flavor to cling to.
- Mushrooms - The deep savoriness of mushrooms will add a huge hit of flavor to this stuffing. Try to get a mix of mushrooms (cremini, portobello, button, maitake, shiitake, oyster, trumpet, king) and tear the delicate ones so they get textured surface areas. Most grocery stores sell mixed mushrooms sets, so just grab one of those.
- Shallots - The sweetness of shallots and their pretty purple color is perfect in stuffing to add a note of caramel sweetness to play off all the savory flavors.
- Herbs - I stuck with classic herbs like sage and thyme for that nostalgic stuffing feel but you can mix in any fresh herbs you like.
- Eggs - Eggs are one of those controversial things in stuffing. If you grew up with eggs in your stuffing, you’re probably an egg fan. If you like stuffing that is very loose and falls apart on the plate, you think eggs in stuffing are a travesty. I like how eggs lightly bind your stuffing together and make it custardy. We’re just going to add one egg so the stuffing doesn’t end up too dense. Make sure you whisk the egg very well so it’s fully incorporated with the stock.
- Soy sauce - This is the not-so-secret ingredient. Soy sauce adds an extra layer of saltiness and umami, tying everything together. Butter, mushrooms, and soy sauce are seriously one of the most amazing flavor combinations in the world.
I don’t have a crock pot can I still make this?
Of course! Just pop everything into a lightly buttered casserole dish and bake in a 350°F covered with foil for 30-40 minutes, then remove the foil and crisp up the top for an extra 10.Which crock pot for this stuffing?
Since we are a little family of two, we have the casserole crock, which holds 2.5 quarts. If you’re making this in a bigger crock pot, use the handy “serves” scale and double the number of servings.Make ahead
If you want to prep this ahead of time, toast the bread cubes and sauté the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic the night before. Keep the bread at room temp, uncovered and put the aromatics covered, in the fridge. The next day, combine all the ingredients together and place in the crock pot!How to store
Keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to one week.To reheat
To heat up, crisp up in an oven safe dish at 350°F for 10 minutes or until warmed through. Or simply microwave if you want it quick, easy, and not-so-crisp.What to serve with stuffing
- Turkey! From easiest to most ambitious: Instant Pot turkey, classic spatchcock turkey, turducken roulade.
- Ham!
- and some sides
Stuffing Recipe
Set-it-and-forget-it crock pot stuffing recipe with soft, custardy bread and crispy, toasty edges and a secret ingredient.
- crockpot/slow cooker
- 1/2 lb bread (rustic white or sourdough loaf, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups))
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 lb mushrooms (mixed, sliced or torn)
- 2-3 shallots (quartered)
- 2 stalks celery (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 tbsp sage (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme (leaves only)
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 1.5 cup chicken stock (low sodium preferred)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
Heat the oven to 225°F and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake, until dry and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 1 to 1 and half hours. Let cool completely.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and sear, not moving, until caramelized, flipping as needed. Add the shallots and cook until golden, then add the garlic and cook until just soft. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the celery, sage, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the bread cubes to a large bowl and toss with the cooked vegetables. Whisk the eggs with the chicken stock and soy sauce in a liquid measuring cup or bowl, the pour over the bread cubes and toss until everything is evenly coated. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Generously butter a crock pot and add the stuffing. Cook covered for 3-4 hours on low, until the stuffing starts to crisp around the edges. Enjoy hot!
I Am... Best Baked Potato
Although they often get over looked for mashed or roasted, a perfect baked potato is a thing of beauty. Crisp and salty potato skins with the fluffiest potato-y insides?! Oh my gosh, they are the epitome of pure. Add some toppings on and seriously, they might be the most perfect easy-to-make and even easier-to-eat potato out there. Confession: I was that weird kid that ordered Wendy’s baked potatoes. I mean, I get why no one gets excited about those baked potatoes - they’re often wrinkly and not at all fluffy inside - but a proper baked potato? Those are perfection! In my books, there are three things you need to have to be considered a perfect baked potato: crispy salty skins, fluffy insides, and piping steamy heat. A proper baked potato is so incredibly easy you’ll wonder why you’ve overlooked them your whole life.
How to bake a potato
- Wash and dry your potato. Give it a good scrub and then make sure it’s completely dry.
- Poke. I have never had a potato explode on me but I also don’t want to clean up exploded potatoes, so I always give my potatoes pokes with a fork.
- Rub with oil. No foil jacket here - all you need to do is loving rub your potato with a bit of oil.
- Salt. Chanel your inner salt bae and make it rain salt. The oil will help the salt stick to the skin.
- Bake. Bake your potato, on a rack in a very hot oven. Give it a flip half way through to encourage even baking.
- Make Fluffy. After your potatoes are baked, use clean oven mitts (or a clean kitchen towel) to squeeze and massage your potato a bit.
- Slice and serve. Cut a little opening, use a fork to fluff, and serve! I like them pure with a pat of really good grass-fed butter and flaky sea salt, but I never ever say no to baked potato toppings!
Ideal temp for a baked potato in oven
The ideal temperature for baked potatoes is 425°F. A super hot oven will help the skins crisp up beautifully and bake the insides to fluffy, steamy perfection.How long to bake a potato?
Not gonna lie, baked potatoes take time, but it’s worth it. Bake potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how big your potatoes are.Baked potato in foil or no foil?
Should baked potatoes be wrapped in foil? The answer is no! Leaving your potatoes naked in the oven means that the skins will be crispy instead of wrinkly. You know skin on french fries? The skins of these potatoes taste like that.Baked potato ingredients
Literally all you need is a potato. The best and original baking potato is a russet. Along side your potato you’ll need some oil and salt.What are the best potatoes for baking?
The absolute best potatoes for baking are russets. Russets are the classic potato for baking. They have a thick skin that crisps up perfectly in a piping hot oven and their starchy insides bake up incredibly fluffy, sweet, and starchy. They’re also suitably large, which is nice because you can make a meal out of one potato. Or even two?!How to pick the best potatoes
Take your time when you’re picking out your potatoes. You’ll want potatoes that are all about the same size so they finish in the oven at the same time. Give them a gentle squeeze. The best potatoes are firm and not squishy. They should be relatively blemish free with no cuts, bruises, or wrinkles.Air fryer baked potatoes
To air fry a baked potato: scrub, dry, and poke your potatoes. Rub them with a bit of oil and season with salt. Place in your air fryer and cook on 400°F until fork tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour, flipping half way.Crock pot baked potatoes
To make crock pot potatoes: scrub, dry, and poke your potatoes. Rub them with a bit of oil and season with salt. Place in your crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until fork tender.Instant Pot baked potatoes
To make Instant pot baked potatoes: place 1 cup of water in the bottom of your crock pot and place the insert inside. Scrub, dry, and poke your potatoes. Rub them with a bit of oil and season with salt. Cook on high pressure for 14 minutes, then natural release.Microwave baked potato
Microwave a washed, poked, and salted potato on full power for 5 minutes, then flip and go another 5 minutes. use tongs or oven mitts and be careful, the potato will be hot. Do one at a time.Loaded baked potato
To make a loaded baked potato, bake a potato, fluffy it up, and top with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, and chives or scallions.Carbonara baked potato
The most luxurious baked potato I make is a carbonara baked potato. It is SO good. Think: the creamy, cheesy, egg sauce you love on pasta, but mixed in with fluffy steamy potatoes. Little crispy nuggets of pancetta and freshly cracked black pepper and you’re GOLD. To make carbonara sauce, warm 2 tablespooons heavy cream over medium heat in a small sauce pan. When there are whips of smoke, move the cream off the heat and whisk in two egg yolks until thick and creamy. Whisk in 1/4 cup finely grated parm, returning to very very low heat if needed to melt the cheese. Pour on your baked potato and add some crispy bits of pancetta and lots of black pepper.Other baked potato topping ideas
- Chili: topped with chili, cheddar, sour cream, and scallions
- Broccoli cheddar: roasted broccoli and shredded cheddar
- Mapo: All the spicy meaty deliciousness of mapo minus the tofu topped off with loads cheese. One of my favorite ways to eat baked potatoes!
Best Baked Potato Recipe
Check out the blog post for topping suggestions. Use the scale button in the serves box to change the number of potatoes.
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 4 tsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub and dry your potatoes. Use a fork and lightly poke the potato in a couple of spots.
Rub the potato with oil and season generously with salt. Place on a wire rack on a baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, then flip and bake for another 20-30 minutes. Squeeze or use a fork to check the doneness. The potato should be tender and soft.
Use clean oven mitts or a clean kitchen towel to gently squish your potato to mash the insides a bit. Place the potato on a place and slice lengthwise then use a fork to fluff the insides. Enjoy hot with plenty of butter, sour cream and chives.
I Am... Hue Style Spicy Turkey Vermicelli Noodle Soup Recipe
Everyone knows the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers, especially leftover turkey. We always, always make stock with our turkey carcass, and we often use it to make this hue style turkey noodle soup. I'm all about leftovers. I mean, once, when I was at a party, someone asked how everyone liked to eat their Thanksgiving leftovers. I literally said that I like to make myself a plate that looks just like Thanksgiving dinner. I kind of got some weird looks and when everyone else answered, I realized why. Most people were saying things like turkey chili, sandwiches, turkey alfredo pasta, things like that. But really, I mean, I LOVE turkey dinner and don't understand why people get tired of it. But, as much as I love straight up leftovers, I really really like using leftovers to make entirely new dishes. Dishes like this spicy turkey vermicelli noodle soup, a take on Vietnamese bun bo hue. Hue style soup is so good. It's lemongrass-y, spicy, and incredibly addictive. If you like pho, you're in for a treat because hue noodle soup is like pho but turned up times ten. Traditionally hue noodle soup is made with beef, which is why it's called bun bo hue. Bun means vermicelli, bo means beef, and hue, well, that's an area in Central Vietnam. So, this is kind of like bun turkey hue: vermicelli turkey in a hue style soup. The best part of this dish, aside from the fact that it's delicious, is that it comes together pretty fast.
How to make hue style turkey noodle soup
- Make the stock in the oven. It doesn’t get more hands off than this and it’s perfect fo a lazy Friday you spend on the couch surfing Black Friday deals.
- Pop the turkey carcass, minus any meat left on the bones, into a large pot with lemongrass, garlic cloves, shallots, sugar, water, and fish stock. Let it hang out in a 200°F oven for at least two hours.
- While you take a break from online shopping, make some some chili oil aka satế aka what gives this noodle bowl all of its flavor. It’s garlicky, spicy, and full of lemongrass flavor.
- Blend up lemongrass, shallots, garlic, and chilis in a food processor, then add everything to a small pot with netural oil and gently simmer. Remove from the heat, then mix in chili flakes, sugar, and fish sauce. Let cool.
- When your stock is done, cook some thick vermicelli, add a scoop of satế to your bowl, top up with noodles and leftover turkey. If you have herbs (cilantro, mint, sliced green onions, thinly sliced red onions, or Thai basil) it will absolute be a win.
What is bun bo hue?
A spicy noodle soup from Central Vietnam, specifically the Hue region. Bun bo hue, or BBH as those in the know call it, is herbaceous beefy lemongrass stock seasoned with a spicy saté (sauce). Thick, round vermicelli noodles swim in the red hued soup and tender slices of meat and fresh herbs punch everything up. It’s spicy, savory, sour, and sweet all at once. Balanced, yet in your face full of flavor. Here, instead of the classic beef stock we’ll make a lemongrass turkey stock then flavor it with a chili oil that has lemongrass, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, and two kinds of chilis. It’s seriously delicious. Happy leftover-ing! xoxo stephHue Style Turkey Noodle Soup
Turkey Lemongrass Soup Stock
- 1 turkey carcass
- 3-4 stalks lemongrass (bruised and cut into 4" lengths)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot (halved)
- 1.5 tbsp sugar (or ~20 grams of rock sugar (preferred))
- 8-9 cups water
Lemongrass Chili Oil
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1-2 tbsp red pepper flakes (divided)
- 2 shallots (minced)
- 6-8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup lemongrass (minced)
- 1 tbsp sugar (or ~10 grams of rock sugar (preferred))
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp shrimp paste (optional, see notes)
To Finish
- 12-16 oz dried rice vermicelli (look for thick hue style noodles)
- 1 lb leftover turkey (sliced or chopped)
- red onion (thinly sliced)
- mint (roughly chopped, optional)
- cilantro (roughly chopped, optional)
- green onions (sliced, optional)
- 1 lime (cut into wedges)
Make the stock: Adjust the racks in the oven so a large pot can fit in the middle and heat to 200°F. Place the turkey, lemongrass, garlic, shallot, and sugar in the large pot and top with water. Bring to a gentle simmer, then very carefully transfer to the oven, uncovered, and cook in the oven for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the chili oil: in a small, deep sauce pan, heat the oil and chili peppers over medium low heat, stirring often, until it smells aromatic. Remove from the heat and strain with a mesh strainer. Add the oil back to the pan along with the shallots, garlic, and lemongrass. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the shallots just begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in rock sugar until dissolved, then stir in the red pepper flakes, fish sauce, and shrimp paste.
Remove the stock from the oven and carefully strain into a large pot. Season it with fish sauce, by the tablespoon until it is aggressively seasoned but not overly salty, about 3-4 tablespoons. Keep the stock on a low boil.
Assemble: Cook the noodles according to the package. Drain well and place the noodles in large warmed bowls and top with about 2 cups of the spicy lemongrass broth, 1-2 tablespoons of chili oil (to taste), and leftover turkey. Add sliced red onions, mint, cilantro, green onions, and lime to taste. Add more chili oil if you like it hot!
You will definitely end up with more chili oil than stock so you can save it for another round of whatever soup you might have on hand. Enjoy :)
The shrimp paste can be found at most asian grocery stores. It’s quite smelly on its own but essential if you want an authentic flavor.
Estimated nutrition (esp the sodium) will be highly dependent on your seasoning and how much soup you consume.
I Am... 5 Best Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a classic side. They’re comforting, they’re delicious, and they can be classic OR dressed to the nines. If you’re making steak for date night or maybe even just a simple air fryer chicken breast, mashed potatoes are the answer. Start off by mastering perfect mash, then try these five variations to take your mash over the top. Once you master pure mashed potatoes, it’s time to make the best mashed potatoes. These are my five best potato mix-ins and flavors. These are fancy mashed potatoes. They are over the top goodness, flavor packed, and will elevate any mashed potato to the best mashed potato it can be.
What kind of potatoes for mashed potatoes?
There are only two kinds of potatoes that are perfect for mashed potatoes: Yukon golds (my absolute favorite) and Russets.Yukon golds: dense, buttery, rich, more potato flavor
Yukon golds are perfect for mashing because they’re starchy, beautifully yellow, and have a rich buttery potato taste. They’re also a more dense potato with a thin skin, and when you use them, you get a more luxurious mash.Russets: light, delicate, fluffy, mild potato flavor
Russets (or Idaho) potatoes are those big potatoes with the dusty skin that most people use for baked potatoes. These are also excellent for mashed: fluffy, dry, and starchy, when cooked right. Russets are the more mild potato of the two potatoes I recommend and if you’re a fan of lighter potatoes, they make a mash with a more delicate texture.How to make super smooth and creamy mashed potatoes
- Scrub and peel (or leave the skins on if you’re into that) the potatoes and cut into even pieces.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Turn the heat down to medium-high once the potatoes hit a rapid boil, making sure that the potatoes are still at a simmer. Cook until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Use a slotted spoon or colander and drain the potatoes well.
- Mash! Push the potatoes through a fine mesh sieve for the smoothest, fluffiest potatoes you’ll ever eat.
- Stir in the butter and milk. Add the butter and milk, gently stirring until the potatoes reach your desired consistency. Taste and season generously.
- Enjoy!
Pesto Mashed Potatoes
There’s a pesto pasta dish from Liguria in Northern Italy that is fantastic. The fresh basil, toasty pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and nutty, umami filled Parmesan go perfectly with potatoes. It’s not much of a stretch to think of pesto and mashed potatoes and truly, they are a match made in heaven. Creamy, smooth mashed potatoes with flecks of green, grassy basil ribboned throughout is both a feast for the eyes and your tastebuds. It’s a super easy addition to your classic mash and makes it so incredibly flavorful. You can make your own pesto or use store bought, either way, these pesto potatoes are a winner.Pesto Mashed Potatoes
Pesto and mashed potatoes are truly a match made in heaven.
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and quartered, ~2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup pesto
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1-2 inches. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat so the potatoes are simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
Mash or push the potatoes through a ricer or sieve back into the pot.
Place the pot over low heat and stir in the butter, whole milk, and half of the pesto until smooth. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Before serving, make a divot in the middle of the potatoes and add the remaining pesto on top. Alternatively, swirl the pesto into the potatoes, creating pesto ribbons throughout.
Cacio e Pepe
If you love cacio e pepe you’ll love these cheesy, peppery mashed potatoes. They key is to toast freshly ground black peppercorns in butter so they bloom and flavor the butter with a light floral pepperiness. Pepper and pecorino go together perfectly with creamy mashed potatoes – it’s heaven.Cacio e Pepe Mashed Potatoes
If you love cacio e pepe pasta you’ll love these cheesy, peppery mashed potatoes
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and quartered, ~2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup pecorino (grated, plus extra to serve)
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1-2 inches. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat so the potatoes are simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
Mash or push the potatoes through a ricer or sieve back into the pot.
Using the pot that you cooked the potatoes in, gently melt the butter over low heat. Add the freshly cracked black pepper and stir, letting it toast slightly. Stir in the milk, potatoes, and pecorino until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with extra grated pecorino on top.
Spicy Chili Crisp
This is probably the easiest and most tasty mashed potato glow up. If you’re a spice lover and find that potatoes are too bland, spicy chili crisp mash is for you. They’ll add zing to any main.Spicy Chili Crisp Mashed Potatoes
If you’re a spice lover, spicy chili crisp mash is for you
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and quartered, ~2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup chili crisp
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1-2 inches. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat so the potatoes are simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
Mash or push the potatoes through a ricer or sieve back into the pot.
Place the pot over low heat and stir in the butter, and whole milk, until smooth. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Before serving, make a divot in the middle of the potatoes and add the chili crisp on top. Alternatively, swirl the chili crisp into the potatoes, creating spicy ribbons throughout.
Nori Brown Butter
The deliciousness of nutty brown butter combined with the salty umami flavors of roasted nori cannot be beat. This is a winning combination of flavors, especially when paired with the smooth creaminess of mashed potatoes.Nori Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Nutty brown butter combined with salty umami roasted nori
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and quartered, ~2 lbs)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 sheets nori
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1-2 inches. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat so the potatoes are simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
While the potatoes are cooking, lightly toast the nori using tongs and holding it 1-2 inches above the stove burner. Pulse the cooled nori in a spice grinder until very small or use a blender to blend until the seaweed turns into a powder.
Make the brown butter by melting the butter in a small pan over medium low heat. The butter will start to sputter and turn foamy. Once it turns a deep golden yellow and smells toasty, remove it from the heat and stir in the nori, rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.
Mash or push the potatoes through a ricer or sieve back into the pot. Place the pot over low heat and stir in the nori brown butter and milk until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Garlic Gruyere Aligot
This is a classic French inspired take on aligot potatoes: a super cheesy, rich fondue like potato dish. These potatoes are incredibly creamy and full of a mix of smoky gruyere and stretchy, melty mozzarella. The potatoes become a melty, stretchy mix between mashed potatoes and fondue. Seriously good.Garlic Gruyere Aligot Potatoes
A super cheesy, rich fondue like mashed potato dish
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and quartered, ~2 lbs)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 oz Gruyère cheese (shredded)
- 12 oz fresh mozzarella
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1-2 inches. Add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat so the potatoes are simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well.
Mash or push the potatoes through a ricer or sieve back into the pot.
Place the pot over low heat and stir in the garlic, butter, cream, and half of the cheese. Once the cheese melts, stir in the remaining cheese until the potatoes stretch like melted mozzarella. Taste and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
I Am... The crispiest, easiest roasted potatoes
British style roasted potatoes are the best potatoes: fluffy and soft on the inside with ultra crispy almost chip-like outsides. So much better than regular roasted potatoes. I am potato obsessed. Potatoes are and always will be my all time favorite vegetable. I love potatoes all the ways and a potato buffet would be my dream come true! It’s hard for me to choose a favorite potato dish but I will admit that I have a huge soft spot for roasted potatoes, or what I like to call them: British style roasties.
How to make roasted potatoes
- Parboil the potatoes. Parboil peeled potatoes in salted water until just cooked but not soft.
- Fluff up the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and give them a shake to rough and fluff up their edges. The fluffy edges will get extra crispy in the oven.
- Coat potatoes in oil. Coat the potatoes in oil, more on that below.
- Roast. Roast, flipping as needed, until crispy and crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Remove from the oven, toss in the scallions in and season with flaky sea salt.
So crispy, so potato-ey
Ultra crunchy and crisp outsides, a fluffy and mashed potato inside, and an addictive amount of scallions finished with a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt.Best potatoes for roasting
First off, for the best roasted potatoes you have to use the best roasting potatoes. The best potatoes for roasting are a combination of waxy and starchy. The waxiness holds its shape so it can develop crusty, caramelized outsides and the starchiness is the creamy, buttery, silky, fluffy inside. The perfect combination of waxy and starchy is the beautifully yellow, sweet and buttery Canadian Yukon gold potato! They are my all-time number one potato choice. But, if you can’t find Yukon golds, you can use russets, which are just a touch more starchy – they tend to not hold their shape as much.Double Cooked Method
After potato choice, the key to these potatoes is the fact that they’re doubled-cooked. So many roasted potato recipes have you put raw potatoes in the oven, which is easy, but doing that won’t give you a potato with two distinctive textures. If you parboil your potatoes first, they get a head start so the oven doesn’t have to penetrate into the middles. Parboiling makes sure the insides are cooked and creamy. Since the potatoes go in the oven hot, the oven heat can concentrate on crisping up the outsides. Plus, when you parboil in salted water, you’re seasoning the insides of the potatoes.Three levels of crispiness
You can achieve three different levels of crispiness depending on how you want to make your potatoes. From crunchiest to crunchy:- Crispiest: Place the oil in a deep roasting pan and place it in a hot oven for 10 minutes until shimmery. Carefully remove the roasting pan, place on a heat proof surface and use a pair of tongs to place the potatoes in the hot oil, turning to coat, then roast the potatoes in the oven.
- Crispier: In a small pan, heat up the oil over medium heat. When hot and shimmer, very carefully pour it into it to a deep roasting pan. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the potatoes over to the hot oil and toss to coat then roast in the oven.
- Crispy: Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle on the oil and then use a pair of tongs to coat each potato then roast in the oven.
The secret to ultra crispy roasted potatoes
My favorite way of getting super crispy potatoes without the scariness of pulling a hot pan of oil out of the oven is a combination of numbers 2 and 3. I like to get my biggest cast iron, and heat it up with the oil over medium high on the stove. When it’s hot and shimmery, I carefully use a pair of tongs to add the fluffed up potatoes in, tossing, while the pan is still on the heat. Once everything is evenly coated in oilm I pop the whole thing into the preheated oven where everything gets super crispy and crunchy. The key to crispy potatoes is the hot oil and the hot pan in combination, so this is my number one choice for both, as well as safety.What is the best fat for roast potatoes?
- A neutral oil that has a high smoke point is best, something like: sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapeseed, or canola oil.
- If you want to increase your roast potato game and go for something ultra luxe, try duck fat. Duck fat is super rich and full of flavor.
- Why not butter? Butter has a low smoke point and will burn and smoke in a 425°F oven.
Roasted potato tips
- Start potatoes in cold water: Starting the potatoes in cold water makes sure that the potatoes are par cooked through evenly.
- Season twice: Salt the water when you’re cooking the potatoes (just like pasta) so the potatoes are seasoned. After they’re done getting roasted and crisp in the oven, finish them with flaky sea salt while still hot.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Give the potatoes some space. These potatoes need a bit of social distancing so they can get their crispy on.
- Use enough oil: If you want crispy potatoes, don’t skimp on the oil. I used 1/4 cup but if your roasting pan is really big you might need more.
- Make sure to flip: After the first 15 minutes of roasting, it’s time to flip so the sides that haven’t had any contact with the pan get a chance to crisp.
Air fryer roasted potatoes
As much as I love the air fryer, I say no. Technically you can, but the ultra crispiness of these potatoes comes from the fact that they have full, flush contact against a hot pan. The nature of air fryers is air circulation so their inserts are baskets with holes in them. That being said, you can air fry these, they just won’t be quite the same!How to store
Roasted potatoes will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to one week.To reheat
To heat up, place potatoes in an oven safe dish at 350°F for 10 minutes or until warmed through.What to serve with roasted potatoes
- ham because potatoes and pork are best friends
- stuffing because who doesn’t love carbs on carbs
- salad for health
Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Fluffy and soft on the inside with ultra crispy almost chip-like outsides.
- 4-6 potatoes (Yukon Gold or similar preferred)
- 1/4 neutral oil (high heat such as grapeseed or safflower oil)
- 1 bunch green onions (sliced)
- flaky sea salt
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the potatoes and cut into even 2-inch pieces. Rinse the potatoes and place in a large pot just covered with cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. When at a boil, turn down the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until the potatoes are par cooked. Drain in a colander and shake to roughen up the edges. The potatoes will look fluffy.
Put the potatoes on a deep baking sheet or oven safe roasting dish and use a pair of tongs to coat each potato with oil.
Roast the potatoes for 30-35 minutes, flipping once or twice during the last 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Remove the pan from the oven and add the scallions. Toss briefly so the heat of the pan wilts them a little. Scoop everything out and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy hot!
Pro tip: If you want REALLY crunchy roast potatoes, heat the oil up before roasting your potatoes, as in the above post.
I Am... The best food-related advent calendars this year
I LOVE advent calendars! There’s nothing better than opening a little surprise every single day. And food advent calendars!? I’m dead. Here in no particular order are the 8 best and brightest to make your December amazing every single day.
1. Bonne Maman Jam Advent Calendar
This one is a classic. Everyone who is into food has seen the Bonne Maman advent calendar. You get 23 mini spreads and one pot of honey to make your days just that much more sweet. Imagine having a toast feast on Christmas with all 23 little jars of jam!? Heaven.2. Vahdam Tea Advent Calendar
If you know someone who loves tea and warm drinks, this is the calendar! Vahdam is a premium Indian tea company and their teas are amazing.3. Sugarfina Candy Advent Calendar
If you have a sweet tooth or you want to make someone’s December even sweeter, Sugarfina’s candy shop advent calendar is going to be a hit. We got this one one year and we loved trying all the different gummies and chocolates.4. Peppermint Bark Advent Calendars
Is it even Christmas if you don’t have peppermint bark? William Sonoma is the OG and their peppermint bark advent calendar is perfection.5. Harry & David Snack Advent Calendar
SNACKS please? Give me all the crunchies, the sweets, the sours, and the savories. This snack advent has all the best selling Harry & David snacks, so you know you’re in good hands.6. Popcorn Advent Calendars
Movie night in December wouldn’t be complete without hot cocoa and popcorn, amiright? This Popcorn advent calendar will make the countdown to Christmas and movie night even more special.7. Murray’s Cheese Advent Calendar
I’ve never had a cheese advent calendar, but it sounds AMAZING. Imagine: a new cheese to try every day. You could do a cute little cheese plate for a different date night, for 12 days.8. Hot Sauce Advent Calendars
Spicy! Do you have a hot sauce lover in your life? Twelve days of hot sauce will warm them right up. Bonus not-totally-food-related:9. Mini Brands Advent Calendar
This is the CUTEST! It’s tiny, mini replicas of real foods: think mini cans of Pringles, Cambell’s Soup, and more. I feel like this is my ultimate advent calendar.10. Squishmallows Advent Calendar
It’s not food, but squishmallows are squishy and cute and who wouldn’t love a mini stuffy every day? This year we got ourselves a puzzle advent calendar and I’m so excited! Hope your December is filled with treats! xoxo steph Read More →
I Am... How to Make (and use!) Gochujang Butter
Do you love butter? How about spice? If so, gochujang butter is for you! Gochujang butter is deliciously sweet and spicy and goes amazingly on EVERYTHING. You need it in your life. The sweet-salty-buttery flavor is amazing on noodles, rice, steak, chicken, toast, really, it’s so incredibly good.
What is gochujang butter?
Gochujang butter is a sweet and spicy flavored butter that you can easily make at home. If you know what a compound butter is, think of that, but with gochujang. Compound butters are extra flavorful butters – essentially, butter mixed with other ingredients that add a sweet or savory flavor. In this case, our flavors are going to be sweet, savory, and spicy.How to make gochujang butter
All you need to do is mix together all the ingredients. Super simple. I like to thin out the gochujang first with the honey and rice vinegar so it blends with the butter more easily.- Stir. In a bowl, add the gochujang, honey, and rice vinegar. Stir until everything comes together and is smooth.
- Mix. Add room temp butter to the gochujang mix and mix until everything is evenly combined. Taste and adjust the gochujang if you need more spice, honey if you need more sweetness, and rice vinegar if you need more tang.
- Enjoy. Enjoy as desired! The butter gets better with age, so I recommend letting the flavors meld for an hour, but it’s absolutely not necessary!
Gochujang butter ingredients
- gochujang - the key ingredient that will add the spice and all the nice! Use the gochujang you have in your fridge or if you’re going out to buy some, make sure you check the spice level and choose accordingly.
- butter - we’ll need some room-temp butter for this so the gochujang and other ingredients mix in nicely. Go for your favorite unsalted butter. I like European churned butter because of it’s higher fat content. It has a more melty mouthfeel and fuller flavor. Whichever butter you go for, unsalted is what you want because you will be seasoning it.
- honey - adding a bit of honey highlights the spiciness and sweetness of gochujang. Remember the honey butter chip https://amzn.to/3Qwctw2 craze? Imagine adding gochujang to it – genius!
- rice vinegar - a bit of unseasoned rice vinegar is going to give our gochujang butter some tang and acidity. This will balance out the butter and make it even more addictive.
- garlic - usually I say the more garlic the better, but in this case, since we’re using raw garlic, one clove is perfect. Make sure you mince it up extra fine.
Gochujang Butter Noodles
For a quick meal, make some gochujang butter noodles. We love the thickness and chewiness of udon, but this will work well with any noodle, including pasta and instant noodle packs (with the seasoning packet discarded). Cook the noodles as directed by the package instructions. While the noodles are cooking, melt 2 tbsp of the gochujang butter in a non stick pan over medium heat. Add a 1/4 cup of the noodle cooking water to the pan and use a whisk to vigorously emulsify the butter and cooking water. Turn the heat to low. Just before the noodles finish cooking (you want them undercooked), use a pair of tongs to transfer them to the pan with the gochujang butter sauce. Turn the heat to medium-high. Toss the noodles in the sauce can continue to cook until the noodles are al dente, coated and glossy. Finish with an extra pat of gochujang butter if desired and enjoy immediately!What is gochujang?
For the uninitiated, gochujang is a Korean chili paste made with sun-dried chili peppers. The bright, ruby red paste has an earthy, slightly sweet hint, thanks to glutinous rice. Because it’s fermented, and also contains soybeans, it has all the umami flavors. It’s one of those condiments that isn’t single use. You can use it to make dipping sauces, in soups, stews, stir-fries, marinades, rubs, pasta, and even desserts! It’s one of the key ingredients in Korean food and and absolute staple in our fridge.What does gochujang taste like?
Gochujang is spicy, earthy, and has a tiny hint of sweetness. It’s bright yet has a depth of flavor due to fermentation. Gochujang paste on its own is a pretty strong punch you in the face flavor. It’s hardly ever used on its own and is more likely to be found in other sauces and dishes.Is gochujang spicy?
The answer is, yes and no. Gochujang paste comes in a variety of spice levels. In fact, the tubs have convenient spice level chart on them letting you know how spicy the gochujang you’re buying is. It’s measured in GHU (gochujang hot unit). The levels are: mild hot, slight hot, medium hot, very hot, and extreme hot. So, depending on which level you buy, it can be mild or quite spicy!What is gochujang made of?
Gochujang consists of dried chilis, sticky glutinous rice, soybean flour, and barley malt. All the ingredients mix together and ferment into a mature, sticky, spicy, delicious gorgeous red-hued paste.Where can you buy gochujang?
You can find gochujang in Asian grocery stores and sometimes even at your local grocery store. It’s sold in little (and giant) rectangular tubs. Sometimes it’s sold in squeeze bottles too. Take a look at the packaging, because sometimes they sell gochujang sauce (gochujang paste mixed with other ingredients) meant for dipping. You can also find it online. Some popular Korean brands are: Daesang, CJ Haechandle, Sempio, and Chung Jung OneHow to use gochujang butter
Gochujang butter is the ultimate condiment. Use it on anything and everything, liberally. Try it on:- steak
- risotto
- buttered noodles
- roasted honeynut squash
- baked potatoes
- mashed potatoes
- Parker House rolls (pictured above)
- cheddar scallion biscuits
- focaccia
Other ways to use gochujang
Gochujang comes in a big tub, so if you're not making pounds and pounds of gochujang butter (you might) here are some other uses for your gochujang:- Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken and Potatoes
- Buldak Ramen
- Rabokki (Ramen and Rice Cakes!)
- Tteokbokki Korean Rice Cakes
- Korean Fried Chicken
- Gochujang Baked Salmon
- Buldak Chicken
- Spicy Bulgogi
- Sweet and Spicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast
Gochujang Butter
Gochujang butter is deliciously sweet and spicy and goes amazingly on EVERYTHING.
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
In a bowl, whisk together the gochujang, honey, and rice vinegar until smooth.
Add the garlic and room temp butter and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine completely. Use as desired, or store in the fridge, in an airtight container.
Let cool and solidify in the fridge. The flavors will meld and the gochujang butter will become extra delicious if you let it meld least 1 hour before using.
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