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Fries with Garlic Aioli

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of McCain Foods. The opinions and text are all mine. #MyMcCainPotatoes #CollectiveBias

Fries with Garlic Aioli is winning game day snack time with a delicious dip made with mayo, roasted garlic cloves and lemon juice that goes perfect with McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries. 

This time of year is crazy busy in my household between holiday gatherings, Birthday parties, end of year school functions and game day hang outs with friends. Of course, I love hosting our game day events and one of my go-to spreads are fries with dips. So simple, so delicious and there is something for everyone. One of my favorite fry and dip pairings happens to be McCain Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries with a homemade aioli. McCain® products are great for dipping and can be found at your local Walmart in the freezer section. 

You can get $1.50 off when you purchase 2 participating McCain products at Walmart. You can submit your rebate & learn more details HERE. 

Valid until 5/31/19

McCain Foods is the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products established in Canada and is on the path to be a household name here in the United States. Let McCain products help you easily create a tasty game day spread with the variety of fries all made with real potatoes with crispy exteriors for a satisfying crunch with every bite. Also try McCain® Smiles® Mashed Potato Shapes for super fun shapes that both kids and grow ups will enjoy. 

 

Hosting Game Day Tips

Hosting game day doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are my TOP 5 TIPS to make hosting a snap. 

  1. Use disposable plates, napkins, utensils and cups for easy clean up. 
  2. Have plenty of drinks and keep them cold so remember extra ice. 
  3. Finger foods will help you win big with your guests and give you easy party prep and cleanup. 
  4. Make sure the game viewing area is comfortable and has plenty of seating. 
  5. Are kids attending? Make sure there are snacks and drinks that are kid friendly. Also, set up a safe play area for the kids to run and jump. 

Fries with Garlic Aioli

Garlic Aioli may sound a little fancy but is quite easy to throw together and adds so much flavor to McCain Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries or any other McCain fries. You start by roasting a bulb of garlic in the oven with just a little olive oil. The garlic becomes soft so you can easily squeeze the garlic out of the cloves to add to a little mayonnaise, lemon juice and more olive oil to create a yummy dip. 

More Dips

Make all your guests happy with a variety of dipping sauces. You can quickly toss together these other sauces for your fun party spread. 

  • Mix equal parts of your favorite tangy BBQ sauce with mayonnaise that is perfect for dunking fries. 
  • Honey Mustard is always a crowd pleaser made with equal parts honey, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. 
  • Spice things up with a touch of sriracha in mayonnaise for those hot sauce fans. 
  • Add the classics: ketchup, mustard and ranch. 

#ad, Fries with Garlic Aioli, #McCainPotatoes, #MyMcCainPotatoes, @walmart, how to make roasted garlic aioli, game day fry spread, game day dips, curly fries, game day recipes, how to roast garlic
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Fries with Garlic Aioli

Fries with Garlic Aioli is winning game day snack with a delicious dip made with mayo, roasted garlic cloves and lemon juice that goes perfect with McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries. 
Course snacks
Keyword aioli, fries, sauces, snacks
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Roasting Garlic 40 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 9 servings
Author Amber

Ingredients

Fries with Garlic Aioli

  • 26 ounces McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries

Roasted Garlic

  • 1 garlic bulb
  • olive oil

Garlic Aioli

  • 2 roasted garlic cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh

Instructions

Roasted Garlic

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees. 
  • Cut the top off a head of garlic to expose the cloves slightly. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. 
  • Roast for 40 minutes and remove from oven to cool. 

Garlic Aioli

  • Squeeze the garlic out of two roasted garlic cloves and mash in small bowl using a fork. 
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Mash together well and then stir in the mayo. 
  • Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Fries with Garlic Aioli

  • Cook your McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries according to instructions on the bag. I cooked mine in the oven at 425 degrees for a total of 22 minutes. 
  • Serve with Garlic Aioli. 

What’s your favorite dip to pair with McCain Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries? Let me know in the comments below! 

 

Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli is made with fresh broccoli florets, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, cracked pepper and olive oil.

Roasting vegetables is my jam. You can see how to roast green beans with this Roasted Green Beans recipe or try some Roasted Lemon Asparagus. Tossing some vegetables in the oven with some olive oil and seasonings is just so easy and so tasty! These Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli are no exceptional.

Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli have a nice flavor of lemon with the freshly squeezed lemon and after baking, get tossed in with some shredded Parmesan cheese for a nutty note. You can makes this side dish with ANY entree you like! I recommend the Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken with mashed potatoes and this yummy broccoli.

Tips & Tricks

Don’t overcook the broccoli- keep green and crisp to ensure you are getting all the nutrition from the vegetable. After all, broccoli is said to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet full of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Folate (that’s just the beginning). Loaded with fiber for digestive health and could even help lower your risk of cancer. You should be feeding your family this stuff regularly!

Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli, side dish, how to roast broccoli, parmesan broccoli, how to cook broccoli
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Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

Roasted Lemon Garlic Parmesan Broccoli is made with fresh broccoli florets, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, cracked pepper and olive oil. 
Course Side Dish
Keyword broccoli
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 pound broccoli florets
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • ground pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
  • Rinse your broccoli and chop into bite sized pieces. Place on a baking sheet. 
  • Drizzle with olive oil. 
  • Add some freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon). 
  • Minced garlic and add on top. Mix all the ingredients together so each broccoli is covered. 
  • Sprinkle on a little black pepper and cook in the oven for 14-16 minutes, flipping half way through cooking. 
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 
  • Serve. 

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter is made with perfectly roasted garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and parsley, and a bit of lemon juice smashed together to form a log of delicious butter. This Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter is great for topping grilled steaks, fish or spread over bread.

This compound butter all starts with roasted garlic. Roasting garlic calms and balances the garlic while giving it extra nutty and sweet flavors. If you have never roasted garlic- do it! Roasted garlic is so delicious and can be used in so many dishes.

How to roast garlic

  1. Peel off the outer papery layers.
  2. Cut the top off- about 1/4 inch worth to expose the garlic cloves.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Wrap in foil.
  5. Bake on 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

The roasted garlic will come out slightly browned and soft with a nice garlicky aroma. Just squeeze out the garlic cloves from the bulb to use on top of salads, in pasta, sauces and this Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter.

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter

Once the garlic is roasted, this Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter comes together in no time at all. Make sure to use softened butter, chop the herbs finely, use fresh lemon juice, mash the garlic cloves well and this compound butter will come out beautifully!

Now, I just need an extra juicy, grilled sirloin steak- cooked medium-rare, of course! Just add a tablespoon of this deliciousness and it is a winning steak dinner. How will you use this Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter?

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter
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Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Garlic Butter, steak butter, compound butter, #butter, roasted garlic, how to roast garlic

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter is made with perfectly roasted garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and parsley, and a bit of lemon juice smashed together to form a log of delicious butter.

  • Roasted Garlic
  • 1 garlic bulb
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, roasted
  1. Roast the garlic: preheat oven to 400 degrees, remove the excess papery layers from the outside of the garlic bulb, cut the top of the garlic bulb exposing the insides of the cloves slightly (about 1/4 inch off the top), drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil, bake for 40 minutes.
  2. Start your Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter once the garlic has cooled.
  3. Place all the Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Compound Butter ingredients together in a bowl. Use a fork to smash everything together. Make sure to concentrate on smashing the garlic cloves and mixing everything until consistent.
  4. Place the butter onto some parchment paper.
  5. Form the butter using the parchment paper into a a tube or rectangular shape.
  6. Leave the parchment paper in place as you place the butter in the refrigerator to take shape.
  7. Add to bread, pasta, steaks, chicken, fish and more!

You can easily cut this recipe in half but I like making a larger batch because it can be used for weeks on so many foods…. although, I doubt it will last past a couple days because it is just too delicious not to eat.

When Life Gives You Lemons: Throw a Party and Make Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce

When Life Gives You Lemons:

Throw a Party

and make Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce

This post is sponsored by Thyme & Table. All opinions are mine alone.  #WhatAGoodThyme

Garlic Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce is a beautiful entrée made with thinly cut chicken breasts, shallots, and parmesan cheese packed with a punch of lemon and garlic flavor that is perfect for entertaining or a weeknight dinner with the family.

My collection of utensils in the kitchen have some wear- a lot of wear actually and it is long overdue for some kitchen goodies! Thyme & Table’s new product line just launched at Walmart and I felt so inspired to throw a spring themed gathering with friends ad family after receiving this beautiful collection of utensils, gadgets, knives and a cutting board! Spring is finally here and the weather is getting nicer – although it did snow this morning here in Cincinnati but the sunshine is back so I am ready to say good-bye to winter. Let’s celebrate springs arrival!

A great party always has a great theme! ‘When life gives you lemons…’ is the perfect spring theme to infuse a bright spirit in my home and give me all the inspiration needed to create a gorgeous tablescape and amazing menu for all my guests.

When Life Gives You Lemons Tablescape

My favorite part of throwing a dinner party is transforming the dining room! I had so much fun stopping by Walmart to pick up everything I needed to make my guests walk in the room and say, “WOW.” Start your tablescape with a color palette. Lemons are yellow so that was an obvious choice but I also needed another complementary color to make my table pop! Blue and yellow are always a great a combination and have such a cheery affect so blue was the winner! Before shopping at Walmart, look around your house to see what can be utilized in the space already. I was able to pull a wreath, tablecloth, plate chargers, cake stands and a few other items from other rooms in the house to use.

Thyme & Table Winged Corckscrew shown in copper plated stainless steel.

What you need to complete a beautiful tablescape: 

  • Salad and dinner plate for each guest.
  • Water glass for each guest plus wine glass for those over 21 years old. Place a lemon slice into each water glass for taste and décor.
  • Silverware set for each guest. I tied a knife, fork, salad fork and spoon into a bundle with some string to also bring in some decoration to each place setting.
  • Napkins. The blue and plaid napkins were perfect for my theme creating a picnic feel.
  • Tablecloth and runner. This is optional but it is also the easiest way to brighten up the table with a white tablecloth and blue runner which matches the plaid napkins.
  • Flowers! Walmart has a flower section with a lot of options for you. I bought some tulips to place in a pitcher on the drink table and carnations to place into jars. To pull in some more yellow, I put lemon slices into the flower jars spread out along the table runner. Wrap a small bow around each jar and you have a beautiful, affordable and colorful centerpiece.
  • Thyme & Table utensils for each dish you serve with appropriate size bowls or plates.
  • Take those extra items you found around the house to decorate. I took down a large picture and replaced it with a wreath, set up my beverage server(which I recently found at Walmart) with lemon slices and water, placed cake stands everywhere and then just played with the design. I have a pitcher of flowers on top of a cake stand that is on a tray full of lemons. Think outside the box and layer your items and fill in areas with color! Fresh, whole lemons act as the perfect color filler.
  • Name cards or a place setting decoration. A little décor on each place setting will go a long way. You can make adorable name cards, place a whole lemon on each plate, use a single fresh cut flower, or a small flower pot with a faux or fresh flowers.

Thyme & Table Winged Corckscrew shown in copper plated stainless steel.

When Life Gives You Lemons Menu

Menu planning can be stressful for a dinner party. My advice is to keep it simple. Pick an entrée, salad, two sides and a dessert. If you feel overwhelmed, ask guests to bring a dish. Nobody will mind throwing together a salad or picking up a dessert before they come over – people like to contribute so just ask for what you need.

Thyme & Table utensils shown including the mini silicone funnel.

When life gives you lemons menu:

  • Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce. Recipe card below. Note that the Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce recipe card serves 4-5. I used two pans and doubled the recipe to feed 10.
  • Roasted Green Beans with shallots and garlic.
  • Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes.
  • Spring Salad with strawberries, blueberries, sliced almonds, feta cheese and poppy seed dressing.
  • Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake with a peach lemon glaze.
  • Wine of choice for those over 21. I recommend a Riesling or Chardonnay and half of a bottle per person.

Thyme & Table knife shown from the 3-piece set and Acacia Board chopping block.

Prepping with Thyme & Table

I know you are scrolling through these photographs and eyeballing all these gorgeous kitchen utensils and gadgets! Thyme & Table doesn’t just offer beautiful products for your kitchen but the new line is full of items to make cooking more efficient. The Thyme & Table knife set is impressive with comfortable gripping and easy chopping.

Thyme & Table Grater shown in copper plated stainless steel and Acacia Board chopping block.

What else am I loving from the new Thyme & Table line? The copper plated stainless steel everything! From the cheese grater to wine opener to the collection of utensils- they are crazy gorgeous! Mother’s Day is approaching and I am envisioning a beautiful gift basket with the copper plated stainless steel collection and one of the Thyme & Table cutting boards.

Thyme & Table Whisk shown from the whisk and tong set.

I could talk all day about the new Thyme & Table line but we have some dinner party tips and an amazing recipe for Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce coming up and you don’t want to miss this recipe!

Tips to Make Your Dinner Party a Success

  • When inviting guests, ask if there are any food allergies so you can plan the menu accordingly.
  • Set up your tablescape the day before to make sure you have everything needed and to play with the arrangement until it is perfect. Also, make sure to iron the tablecloth and napkins.
  • Prepare dessert the night before or the morning of party to check a big menu item off the to-do list.
  • Prep all ingredients a couple hours before party. This includes measuring, chopping, washing produce and more. When dinner comes, you can cook in a clean kitchen more efficiently and quickly leaving you more time with guests.
  • Before guests arrive, get your beverage station set-up an fill water glasses.

Thyme & Table spoon and slotted turner shown from the 2 pack Acacia utensil set.

Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce

Chicken is always a great choice for dinner parties because it is simple and most people are happy to eat chicken. I wanted to create a chicken dish with spring in mind so it has a strong lemon taste that pairs so well with the garlic, shallots and parmesan so here comes the Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce.

Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
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Garlic Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce, #ad, #WhatAGoodThyme, Lemon Tablescape, Spring party tablescape, spring dinner menu, Thyme & Table

Garlic Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce is a beautiful entrée made with thinly cut chicken breasts, shallots, and parmesan cheese packed with a punch of lemon and garlic flavor that is perfect for entertaining or a weeknight dinner with the family.

  • 4-5 chicken breasts, thin cut
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 shallot, diced
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • garnish with a lemon slice
  1. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.
  2. Place the pan onto the stovetop on a high heat and let it heat up. You can use a skillet or non stick pan.
  3. Mince the garlic cloves and dice the shallot. Grate the parmesan cheese and juice a lemon.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the chicken 5-7 minutes on each side.
  5. Remove the chicken and place on a plate while you make the sauce.
  6. Place the pan back on the heat on low-medium.
  7. Add the butter, minced garlic and diced shallots. Stir often for 3 minutes keeping on eye on the garlic not to burn.
  8. Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup heavy cream and ,5 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Let simmer 5 minutes.
  9. In a small bowl, Mix the teaspoon cornstarch with tablespoon water and add to pan. Stir in the cornstarch mixture with sauce.
  10. Add the grated parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Stir ingredients in and add the chicken back in.
  11. Spoon the sauce over chicken and add a lemon slice garnish if you would like.
  12. Serve.

Before stopping by Walmart to pick up your Thyme & Table products, visit their site by clicking HERE! Don’t forget to stop back in and comment below to tell me how your When Life Gives You Lemons spring-inspired dinner party went!

 

Homemade Parmesan Croutons

Homemade Parmesan Croutons

Thank you Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups for sponsoring this post. Stay warm with this winter with a cozy bowl of soup!

Homemade Parmesan Croutons are made with day old bread, seasonings and parmesan cheese nestled on top of a delicious, warm bowl of Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soup.

There is a lot of hustling about this time of year between school activities, holiday parties, shopping to check all the items off that Christmas list and trying to find a moment to spend with the family. We all need a few go-to items in the pantry in these chaotic times that are quick, easy and still allow you to put a comforting meal on the dinner table that will warm up the whole family.

Idahoan Steakhouse® Soups bring together real, red Idaho® potatoes with flavorful seasonings and rich cheeses to provide a creamy taste in every spoonful – all you have to do is add water. In just 5 minutes, you can have flavorful, slow-cooked taste of restaurant-quality soup at home!

Idahoan Steakhouse® Soups are available in four delicious flavor varieties:

  • Loaded Potato
  • Creamy Potato
  • Cheddar Broccoli
  • Cheddar Potato

Visit Idahoan Steakhouse® Soups to get more information by clicking HERE.

Homemade Parmesan Croutons

Homemade Parmesan Croutons are so easy to make! If you have not made your own croutons before, you want to try out this recipe. You will never go back to the store bought and homemade croutons are such a great use of a food you would probably just throw in the garbage. They are delicious and reduce waste. Win, win.

Today, I am sharing my Homemade Parmesan Crouton recipe but this is one of those recipes that you can easily tweak to utilize whatever you happen to have around the house. Swap some of the spices, opt out of the cheese and any kind of bread can be used. Have a loaf of ciabatta bread that has been sitting around for a week? Chop it up, add some spices and olive oil and then toss it in the oven for some great croutons!

Let’s get cooking!

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Remove the crust from the bread slices or leave the crust on-up to you! Then, slice the bread into 1 inch cubes. In a mixing bowl, add your seasonings and some parmesan cheese. Add in the cubed bread and drizzle with olive oil. Mix everything together and place on a baking sheet.
Bake the croutons for 20 minutes.
Remove the croutons from the oven and flip. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese and bake another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the croutons the last 5 minutes to make sure they do not burn. You want the croutons to be toasted and golden brown.

Homemade Parmesan Croutons
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Homemade Parmesan Croutons are made with day old bread, seasonings and parmesan cheese nestled on top of a delicious, warm bowl of Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soup.

  • 6 slices day old bread (4 cups cubed)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Slice your bread into 1 inch cubes. You can remove the crust or leave crust on.
  3. In a mixing bowl, add your seasonings and mix.
  4. Mix in half the parmesan cheese.
  5. Drizzle the olive oil on top and mix all ingredients together.
  6. Place on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.
  7. Bake 20 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and flip croutons. Sprinkle the remainder of the parmesan cheese on top and bake another 10 minutes.
  9. Let cool and store in a sealable container.

Place your Homemade Parmesan Croutons into a sealable container once completely cooled to be stored. Toss them on salads, eat them for a snack or on top of cozy, warm bowl of Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soup.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce has petite sirloin cut steak with an amazingly flavorful rosemary garlic sauce with a touch of lemon and shallots.

As a child, I hated steak. I thought it was horrible and gross. I wanted nothing to do with it. When I got older, I started trying more foods and different cooking methods and came to love steak. My mother would always cook our steak well done growing up. I mean WELL done. Sorry mom, steak isn’t your department. It was flavorless and hard to chew. For full flavor, keep some pink in your steak. I prefer my steak medium-rare and cook my kids a few minutes longer to be a medium to medium-well.

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Let us start by talking about the steak. I buy petite steak a lot. It is affordable and flavorful.  However, petite steak can be less tender than other cuts. You can certainly swap out the cut of steak in this recipe for whichever cut you prefer. I know when you have kids to feed, staying affordable is a must and the petite is a great option for those who love steak but don’t always love the price tag.

Grilling the steak really gives the best flavor so that is what we need today. I say “we” because I haven’t grilled anything in a decade. My husband is the grill chef in this household. I’m just the supervisor… which he isn’t too entertained by but marriage is what it is.

Cooking time on the grill is important. Set your grill on a medium heat. I stick to the cooking times Bobby Flay recommends. I’m pretty sure the guy knows what he is doing.  Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare, 5 to 7 minutes for medium or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well. We cook the steak about 5 minutes each side and let the kids steaks cook another few minutes.

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce has a really great sauce. This sauce was inspired from a steak on the menu from Long Horn Steak House. Long Horn’s has a steak with a rosemary gravy, mushrooms, topped with onion straws that is pretty tasty. This is not a copy cat sauce, the sauce was just my inspiration. Instead of onion straws, I used shallots and lightened it up with some lemon. I did not leave out the amazing rosemary flavor though so if you love that Long Horn steak, this is not the same but much of the flavor profile is there so you are sure to love this too.

We made mashed potatoes on the side today and drizzled the sauce over those too and it was delicious in replace of a thick gravy. Plus, it is so simple to make with just a few ingredients.

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce
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Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce
  • 1.5 pounds steak (we went with petite sirloin today)
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 3/4 cup beef broth
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  1. Finely chop 1 shallot, 2 tablespoons worth of rosemary and 3 garlic cloves. Cut your lemon in half. Put to side for later.
  2. Place steaks on the grill on a medium heat.
  3. Cook until browned, 4-5 minutes, and flip.
  4. Cook another 3-10 minutes depending on how well done you like your steak. We typically do 5 minute each side. A few extra minutes for the kids steak.
  5. Make your sauce. In a saucepan on a medium heat, add your chopped shallots and 1 tablespoon butter. Mix often for 2 minutes.
  6. Add your garlic, rosemary, olive oil and squeeze the lemon. Let simmer for 2 minutes.
  7. Add half cup of the beef broth. Simmer.
  8. In a small bowl, place the remainder of the beef broth (1/4 cup) and 1 tablespoon flour and mix well. Pour into the saucepan.
  9. Mix the saucepan ingredients until it thickens.
  10. Drizzle the rosemary garlic sauce over the steaks and serve.

Steak with Rosemary Garlic Sauce pin

Crab Fries with Garlic Aioli

Crab Fries with fresh snow crab and a simple garlic aioli set on top of some delicious seasoned fries.

 

Crab Fries

We went on a vacation last year to Clearwater, Florida. All vacations on the beach involve a mission to find the best fish tacos in town. While we did not find any fish tacos to brag about in Clearwater, we did stumble on some pretty dang good crab fries at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill! My crab fries are inspired by Frenchy’s Crab Fries. If only my house had that ocean view like Frenchy’s, we would be set!

Crab Fries

To get great crab fries, use French fries with really good seasoning. I used Rally’s seasoned fries today because I didn’t have to add any extra spice, they are ready to go. Also, make sure to use real crab and not imitation. Depending on where you live and time of season, your options may vary for crab. I always prefer Alaskan King Crab but we used Snow Crab with the crab fries and it was fantastic. Check your grocery store next to the imitation crab because we have fresh crab in containers ready to eat which saved a ton of time not having to cook the crab and tear it all apart, plus it was affordable.

The garlic aioli is strong on flavor but pairs so perfectly with the seasoned French fries and crab! Garlicky and lemony goodness galore!

Crab Fries

Have you ever had crab fries or visited Clearwater, Florida? Tell me what you think of these fun fries.

Crab Fries with Garllic Aioli
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Crab Fries
  • 1 pound seasoned French fries
  • 8 ounces crab meat, cooked and shredded
  • .5 cup mayonnaise
  • .5 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • .5 teaspoon sea salt
  • .5 teaspoon pepper
  • chives to garnish (optional)
  1. Bake the French fries according to package directions.
  2. As the fries cook, make your garlic aioli sauce.
  3. In a small bowl, add mayo, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, sea salt and pepper. Mix well and set to the side.
  4. In a microwavable safe container, add crab, 1 minced garlic clove and 2 tablespoons butter. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Mix.
  5. Remove the fries from oven.
  6. Top fries with the crab and drizzle your aioli sauce.
  7. Dice some chives and sprinkle over top to garnish.
  8. Enjoy!

 

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Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes

Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes

 

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

 

Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes with loads of fresh parsley, garlic and ghee. Perfect side dish for chicken, steak, pork, ham, meatloaf…. oh my gosh I could go forever with the list of foods it pairs well with. Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meatloaf possibly? I think so.

By the way, what the heck is ghee? To simply put, ghee is much like butter but produced slightly different. Ghee is commonly used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, especially with rice. Most grocery stores should have ghee or you can check out a specialty store. Can’t find ghee where you are? That’s okay. Swap with butter.

 

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

 

It is that time of month once again for Recipe Swap Club and Simply Made Recipes got tasked with Cook at Home, where you can find a lot of Whole30, gluten free and lactose free recipe options! I browsed and browsed the site for what I wanted to recreate and found these Herb and Garlic Smashed Potatoes. We are potato lovers in this family and I jump on any chance to try a new potato recipe. Plus, there is garlic…. tons of garlic. Who can say no to that?

Check out the original recipe here.

 

Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes

 

I made just a couple changes to the Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes recipe. One, the recipe calls for almond milk and I used regular 2% because that’s what I have on hand. Two, I chopped up some fresh parsley over dried because I prefer fresh herbs and spices. Third, the instructions were to steam the potatoes but I made a large batch and my steamer does not hold the amount of potatoes I needed so I boiled them and added the garlic after cooking the potatoes. If you steam the potatoes, add in the garlic while cooking and keep the same cook time. Either way you cook your potatoes, the outcome will be right on.

Potatoes skins on or off before cooking? I leave potato skins on as often as possible, especially for yellow or red potatoes. What is the benefit of leaving the skin on? Well, to get the full nutritional value of the potato you need to eat the whole potato full of fiber and numerous nutrients.

 

Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes

 

Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes
Print
Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes
  • 3 tablespoon ghee
  • 2.5 pounds small yellow potatoes
  • 1/4 cup-3/4 cup milk (almond milk is recommended)
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • salt
  • pepper
  1. Wash potatoes and chop into quarters.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop your potatoes in. Add a pinch of salt.
  3. Let cook 30 minutes or until potatoes are softened.
  4. Drain and place into large mixing bowl.
  5. Mince 6 garlic cloves and add to potatoes along with freshly chopped parsley, 3 tablespoons ghee, pinch of salt and pepper.
  6. Use your potato smasher (I use my avocado smasher) to smash the potatoes and mix all the ingredients together.
  7. Add 1/4 cup milk and mix. If you want to thin out your potatoes more, add another 1/4-1/2 cup milk.
  8. Garnish with a pinch more of fresh parsley and a bit of ghee.
  9. Serve.

Simply Made Recipes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This costs nothing extra to you and helps keep Simply Made Recipes running!

 

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Garlic & Herb Smashed Potatoes

What are you going to cook up first with these garlic & herb Smashed Potatoes?

Date Night with Bertolli® {+ Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older #MangiaTonight #CollectiveBias

Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. I feel like once Thanksgiving hit, time went into fast forward and winter is flying by. Valentine’s Day reservations have not been made nor have we set up a babysitter. Time to get creative! This year, we are having date night in with Bertolli® Frozen Meals set up by the fireplace with a cozy blanket, flowers, wine and a freshly baked cheesy garlic pull apart bread. Life is all about the little moments like this. The simple, spontaneous, unexpected, small moments that mean the most.

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

First,  drop by Kroger and grab everything you need to create your own date night at home. Bertolli® Frozen Meals are found in the freezer section under family meals. There are many different options to choose from but I went with the Chicken Florentine & Farfalle because it is a creamy pasta with loads of spinach packed with flavor and big chunks of lean chicken. There are bags for 2 servings which is what I bought for today for our romantic dinner for two by the fire. Family size bags are also available so grab the one that is appropriate for your needs.

Bonus! For the month of February at Kroger banner stores, Bertolli Meals for Two will be the lowest price of the year.

 

Date Night with Bertolli® {+ Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe}, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

You can’t have an Italian pasta dinner without a garlic bread. I didn’t want to do any kind of garlic bread though for our special night. I am making a gooey, cheesy garlic pull apart bread. You will find fresh Kroger bread in the bread and pastry section. I went with the Italian round bread. The sourdough round loafs would also be a great choice.  Mozzarella, garlic cloves and butter will also be needed.

 

Date Night with Bertolli® {+ Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe}, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

You have the perfect pasta dish, a crazy good cheesy garlic bread planned, so now for the drinks and flowers.  It’s date night! Grab some pretty flowers that smell wonderful. There is just something about fresh flowers that just automatically make a person happy. What is it? The color? The smell? Flowers just top off everything and romanticize the night.

Now for the drinks. We are wine drinkers so we grabbed a simple, light wine. For the Chicken Florentine and Farfelle, I recommend a white wine. A light dish pairs with white wines beautifully. Think of a chardonnay, white zinfandel or a reisling. Even a champagne would be fantastic and appropriate for a romantic Valentine’s date night.

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

As part of date night, we both participate in the cooking. It can be a fun experience just being in the kitchen together watching my husband cook, chatting, laughing and having a glass of wine. Separate the tasks and have on person make the cheesy garlic pull apart bread while the heats up the pasta. Start with the bread since it takes longer to cook. You want to remove the bread from the packaging and make slices one inch apart both diagonal and horizontal. When making your slices, do not cut all the way through the bread. Check out the photo below as a guideline on your slices. Just make the slices go down towards bottom and stop. Melt the butter in a small bowl, add the cheese, fresh chopped parsley and minced garlic to mix together. Now, add your mixture into the slices of the bread spreading it equally throughout. Cover in foil and place in oven for 35 minutes.

 

Date Night with Bertolli® {+ Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe}, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

Date Night with Bertolli {+ Cheesy garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe}, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

As the bread finishes cooking in the oven, begin the pasta. In a large sauce pan on a medium to high heat, add the package of Bertolli. Cook for 11 minutes covered while stirring often to avoid sticking and for thorough cooking. That is it! How easy is this?

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

Now time for the fun part! Setting up your night date at home. One of our favorite date night tricks is an indoor picnic. This is where we grab a comfy blanket and lay it out by the fireplace to eat. Set up your blanket like a picnic with your Bertolli Chicken Florentine and Farfalle in a big shareable bowl, lay out the cheesy garlic pull apart bread, a bucket of ice with the wine bottle, wine glasses and vas with fresh flowers.

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

Enjoy date night with Bertolli. Take a few minutes to yourselves and catch up on life. Have a nice discussion, watch a movie, play a board game, enjoy the fireplace and in our case…. try your best to ignore the children running around in circles by us.  Better yet, let the kids set up their own picnic area to eat and watch a movie or color in the some new Valentine’s Day coloring books.

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
Print
Date Night with Bertolli® {+ Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread Recipe}, #mangiatonight, #ad, cheesy bread, pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
  • 1 loaf fresh italian round bread (or something similar)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups mozzarella shredded cheese
  1. Gather ingredients, aluminum foil, measuring cup, whisk, small bowl, cutting board, knife, bread knife, and garlic press.
  2. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Use the bread knife to cut your bread. Cut slices down to the bottom of the bread but not all the way through about one inch apart. Do the cross cut slices the same way making sure to not cut all through the bread.
  4. In the small bowl, melt one stick of butter in microwave for 30 seconds- 1 minute.
  5. Chop the fresh parsley and add to bowl.
  6. Mince 4 garlic cloves with the garlic press and put into bowl.
  7. Measure out 1.5 cups cheese and add to bowl. Whisk the ingredients together well.
  8. Spread open the bread to put the mixture on the bread making sure to evenly distribute throughout. Helps to do this by sections or quadrants and spread with a knife.
  9. Completely wrap in foil.
  10. Place in oven for 35 minutes.
  11. Sprinkle the other .5 cups mozzarella cheese on top of bread right when it comes out of oven allowing it to melt.
  12. Serve.

 

Cheers to Bertolli for bringing date night into our home and helping us create wonderful memories together!

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

How are you spending Valentine’s Day this year? Can you see yourself having a romantic date night at home by the fire and a glass of wine, a delicious bowl of pasta and some fresh cheesy garlic pull apart bread?

Get some more date night inspiration from Bertolli® Frozen Meals by clicking HERE.

 

Date Night with Bertolli, cheesy garlic pull apart bread, #MangiaTonight , #ad, #cbias

 

Bertolli® is a registered trademark of R&B Foods, Inc., used under license.

Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce

Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce is a dressing, sauce, dip all in one. The original Avocado Bomb Sauce recipe from here at Simply Made Recipes has been a huge hit and we wanted to create a spin off recipe for you all. Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce is spicy, packed with fresh cilantro and garlic and has a nice creamy base.

Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce

Why do we love this recipe?

You can literally use it on everything. Top your fajitas, burrito bowls, eggs, toast, chicken fingers, salads and whatever else you can think of. Our favorite use for Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce is on top of ground turkey tacos made with ground turkey, cabbage, tomatoes, taco seasoning in a soft tortilla. The sauce replaces the need for guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Also, is a great healthy swap on salads of a ranch dressing.

Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce

Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for around 5 days.

Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce
Print
Creamy Avocado Bomb Sauce
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 fresh squeezed lime
  • Pinch of salt
  1. Gather ingredients, food processor, sealable container, knife, and cutting board.
  2. Wash ingredients well, especially the cilantro because it can hold in a lot of dirt.
  3. Cut lime and avocado in halves. Remove the avocado seed.
  4. Scoop the avocado from its shell in put into the food processor.
  5. Add 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt, 1/2 jalapeno, 3 garlic cloves, pinch of salt and 1/2 bunch of cilantro into food processor. If you do not like heat, remove seeds of jalapeno beforehand. If you want it extra spicy, add an entire jalapeno but be wary because it will have some kick.
  6. Squeeze 1/2 lime into mix. Blend for 3 minutes.
  7. Do a taste test. You may need to add more salt or squeeze more lime depending on your personal taste. If you would like a thinner sauce, for a dressing possibly, add just a touch of water to thin out. Start with a tablespoon of water but the water is not necessary.
  8. Blend another 1-2 minutes.
  9. Pour into a container and eat up!