Welcome to the weekend! Aren’t summer weekends the best? Time to be outside, grill, swim or whatever your little heart desires. It’s also just about time for a cold, refreshing drink. Mojitos are most definitely cold and refreshing. The mint and lime get together and make magic with an icy mix of simple syrup and rum. There is just not much that can go wrong with that!

We have a bunch of amazing mojitos here on Tasty Kitchen to share with you, some classic and some versions incorporating different fruits that sound pretty darn great. We hope one will strike your fancy and inspire you to try it this weekend.

Classic Mint Mojito. It’s hard to improve upon the original. So refreshing. So limey. So minty. So rummy. So…mojito-y?

Watermelon Mojito. Watermelon and mint. Always a great combo.

Strawberry Pom Mojito. Strawberries and pomegranate juice for those who love the sweet and tangy!

Orange Mojito with Mint Skinny Syrup. A little orange juice to sweeten the deal.

Boysenberry Mojitos. The berry hits keep on coming! We featured this one earlier in the week, and it kicked off this whole mojito craving.

Cherry Lime Mojito. And a cherry option! Yum! And so pretty.

Blueberry Mojito Popsicles. We couldn’t let you go with out a frozen version. Don’t let summer pass without making some boozy popsicles!

Stay cool!

I was all set to start searching for one or two tempting kabob recipes to show you, mostly because I’m still in the throes of a “summer is finally heeeere!” kick. But then I noticed my Instagram feed was taken over by pictures of donuts, interrupted here and there by snaps of luscious-looking coffee and cute kittens. So how is it National Donut Day and I find out only by accident? And okay, I learned that today is the day that honors “donut lassies” of the Salvation Army, as opposed to November’s National Doughnut Day, which celebrates the actual doughy treat. But if you want to celebrate today via increased consumption of said treat, I won’t argue with you. I’m just here to go with the flow. And for the donuts. (Is it donuts or doughnuts? Can someone please tell me?)

So get ready to be tempted, and if you see something you like, just click on the photos to get the printable recipe. It’s time to make some donuts!

Glazed Cake Doughnuts. A classic.

Speaking of classics, here’s an oldie but absolute goodie. Muffins That Taste Like Donuts. Yes, yes, these aren’t technically donuts and these muffins are just crashing the party. But they sure taste like they should be! These were all the rage back in the day, and they’re still one of my favorites.

Chocolate Donuts. Stay paleo and gluten-free with this easy recipe!

Baked Nutella Doughnuts. Nutella? Check. Eggs? Check. Flour? Check. Done. You have the three ingredients you need to make these.

Lemon Baked Donut Holes with Lemon Sugar. A healthier version using yogurt and the bright flavor of summer lemons.

Vanilla Buttermilk Glazed Croissant Donuts. We’ve been seeing a lot of baked versions, but let’s face it: donuts are traditionally fried. Throw in a modern twist and go for broke with cronuts. These looked so good, we just had to make them in this here Tasty Kitchen Blog.

Now go forth and make ye some donuts! And if you have a favorite recipe you think we should absolutely try, let us know!

Happy Friday, everyone!

It’s Friday! Better yet, it’s the Friday before a 3-day weekend. It’s the best kind of Friday! Except, of course, for the Friday before a 4-day weekend.

Whatever you may have planned for the next few days, chances are some form of grilling will be involved. Actually, let me be more specific: some form of grilling burgers will be involved. We’re here to support you all the way. After all, that’s what we’re here for.

Now most of you probably already have your burger method down pat. You know the kind of meat you like to use, the meat-to-fat ratio, and you know exactly where to get the perfect rolls for your burgers. You already know not to handle the meat too much to keep it tender, and you automatically make that center depression on the patty so it cooks flat. So today, we won’t be showing you the classic American burger. Instead, we want to show you a few recent ones—ten of them, to be exact—that we think you might want to try if you’re looking to spruce up your burger repertoire. Let’s begin!

Peanut Butter, Egg, and Bacon Burger. Who knew peanut butter would pair so well with burgers! Just trust us on this one.

Green Goddess Burgers. Take all those wonderful, fresh, herbaceous spring flavors, and pile them on your burger. Done.

Crab Cake Burger. Go uptown using the seafood route. Just make sure you’ll have enough for seconds for everyone. Make that thirds.

Bacon and Brie Burger with Spicy Peach Caramelized Onions. Jazz up the standard cheeseburger with Brie, and balance the salty smoky flavor with sweet and spicy onions. Oh yes.

French Burgers & French Fries. Ground chicken, cornichons, lemon, and fresh tarragon. Oh, and Brie. (Can you tell we love Brie?) Skip the usual burger bun and go with a crusty baguette! As a bonus, the recipe includes easy no-thermometer, no-double-fry french fries.

Homemade Butter Burgers. These are all the rage now. Whether you wrap the meat around the butter, or dice the butter into pieces and mix them into the burger, we say a little extra butter makes everything better. (Also, we used the word ‘butter’ four times in this paragraph. Case closed.)

Bangkok Burger. All your favorite Thai flavors in a handheld package.

Mini Guinness Pork Burgers with Guinness BBQ Sauce. Don’t let beef have all the fun. These pork burgers are where it’s at, and we know you won’t want to make them mini.

Pork Belly Pimento Cheese Burger. Did someone say pork belly? And pimento cheese? So much goodness in one sandwich!

Tex-Mex BBQ Black Bean Veggie Burgers. Hey, meatless burgers deserve their own place in the sun, too. These are hearty and loaded with flavor!

Did you see anything you liked? Or maybe you have a favorite that we missed. If so, share the love below!

Happy Friday, everyone! Travel safely, enjoy the weekend, and make something special on the grill. Then come tell us all about it!

We’re getting ready to blow the lid off Mother’s Day here, friends. What, you might be asking, does every mom want more than anything in the world? The answer is simple and may inform your morning activities on Mother’s Day. Are you ready for it? Every mom’s dream is to NOT get out of bed in the morning. There you have it!

Now, we are under no illusion that it’s actually possible to sleep late. Most moms have been waking up in the wee hours far too long to stay asleep past about 7:30 a.m. Sleeping is not the point, though! The big treat is to stay in bed, reading, petting the dog, wallowing or just staring off into space. Doing nothing! It’s every mother’s dream.

So, now that we are armed with this information, let’s make a plan! Breakfast in bed sounds like a good one. We’ve got a few ideas for relatively simple breakfasts for mom that even the kids can pitch in and help to make.

Baked eggs are impressive but relatively simple. This dish is hearty and satisfying but makes for a pretty presentation for Mom. And the kids could help assemble the ingredients among the ramekins before baking.

Avocado toast is everywhere these days, and this one is easy but so delicious. Any mom will dig it!

Kids get excited to help make these fun eggs baked in muffin tins. Moms (and any other humans) get excited about eating them! Another method for cooking eggs that kids love is cracking them into cookie cutters for fun shapes.

If the mom in your life is a smoothie lover, treat her to this rich, but healthy chocolate and peanut butter version. Yum!

If the kids want to help in other ways, we love having them squeeze fresh juice or spell “MOM” with food. Bacon strips or sausage links and biscuits work well for this. And of course, delivering the breakfast tray to mom in bed is a very important job!

Enjoy Mother’s Day! And if you’re a mom, we vote you stay in bed a little while. It’s the right thing to do!

 
We shared a big Mexican food roundup here last week, and we hope you’re getting ready to cook up some goodness for Cinco de Mayo. But the feast won’t be complete without a tasty beverage or two! Of course, a classic margarita would do the trick, and we’ve got a few of those for you. But what about a cool, refreshing sangria? Or a beer-garita? Or even a sangrita (seen above)? There are so many choices out there, so tell us what you’re craving to go with you chips, salsas and all the rest.

What’s your favorite Cinco de Mayo beverage?

Of course, we have plenty of margarita recipes for you. You can’t go wrong with a simple, classic margarita. If you feel like changing it up, though, we have some delicious flavors to add. We’re getting thirsty already!

If wine and fruit are your thing, mix up a big pitcher of sangria. There’s a recipe here for every wine lover, whether your preference is red, white or rosé. If you want an alcohol-free version, we’ve got you covered. Lots of fresh fruit and juice to enjoy along with all that spicy food!

Sometimes, beer is just the best accompaniment for Mexican food. A nice beer with a squeeze of lime can be perfect! This year, though, we’re dying to try a beer-garita. We’re loving the idea of extra lime and of course a salted rim. Or any of the other beer cocktails above. They all look so refreshing!

Whatever you mix up, enjoy your meals and drinks, and let us know how it all tasted! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I think, by now, we’ve established the fact that we love Mexican food around here. Who doesn’t? It’s just so right. So obviously, we cannot let Cinco de Mayo pass without rounding up some of our members’ latest and greatest Mexican recipes. The only problem now, is waiting until next Tuesday to dive into all this glorious grub. And let’s face it, we probably won’t wait. Uno de Mayo is totally a thing, didn’t you hear? Whatever day you celebrate, we’ve got a recipe or two, or a hundred for you. Here we go!

No Cinco de Mayo feast can commence without appetizers. Guacamole and salsa are no-brainers but we’re not stopping there. Queso, anyone?

Now for the centerpiece of the meal and some of our favorite Mexican dishes: tacos, enchiladas and burritos. If you can pile it on or wrap it in a tortilla, throw some cheese in and a little sauce, we’ll sign up every time!

Deciding what meat or other filling you want can be tough! So let’s not decide. We can slow-cook and grill and pan fry all at once if it means we get more filling options! Suddenly, a taco bar sounds just right. But even one of these recipes would make the whole meal!

There are, of course, so many store-bought products that make for easy prep, but to step up our game, we love making some of the components from scratch. These homemade ingredients will give your Cinco de Mayo spread that special something!

Sides, glorious sides! Oh, how we love rice, beans, corn and more. We believe the more fixin’s, the better the eatin’!

Don’t forget dessert! We can’t walk away without a bite—or eighteen—of something sweet. Here are a few treats we can’t stop thinking about.

If you still can’t get enough Mexican goodness, check out the massive Cinco de Mayo roundup we did a while back. Let’s just say it’s comprehensive.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! And happy cooking!

It’s Friday! The weekend is here, tax day is behind us, and we’ve been good lately, talking about all kinds of healthy spring vegetables. Let’s reward ourselves, shall we? Preferably by way of carbs, smothered in melted cheese. It’s the right thing to do, trust me.

Mac and cheese is high up on the list of most folks’ comfort food list, and for a reason. It’s warm and filling, and fairly simple, too. Just good old pasta, bathed in a creamy rich cheese sauce. It doesn’t get much better than that. It’s no wonder even kids so easily fall under its spell.

Let’s look at a few versions of this well-loved dish, and maybe you’ll be inspired to break out this classic at some point over the weekend! Just click on the photos to get the printable recipe.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese. Let’s start with mac and cheese at its simplest, the one most of us fell in love with at first bite. This is just pasta with butter, cheese, and a bit of cream, all in one pot. No blue box required.

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Let’s add one more step and get into Mac and Cheese 101: macaroni, bechamel sauce, and cheese. This pairs the traditional cheddar cheese with mozzarella, giving it some extra creaminess. You can also use it as a starting point and start playing with the cheese combination using your favorites, like smoked cheese (a personal favorite). Or go bolder with a touch of blue cheese or gorgonzola! You can play with the bechamel sauce too, making a beer cheese sauce to create an updated grownup version.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. Add lobster and make it your main course! This one features Vermont cheddar with Maine lobster, which is all kinds of New England genius to me. If seafood isn’t your thing, just add whatever you’re craving! Chicken, taco meat, pulled pork, chili, bacon … or veggies like spinach, artichokes, or tomatoes if you want to keep it vegetarian. Better yet, create a mac and cheese bar with a variety of mix-ins and let everyone make their own!

Baked Gnocchi Mac n’ Cheese. Mess with the “macaroni” part of the dish and use gnocchi instead!

Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers Wrapped in Bacon. Got leftovers? Stuff them into jalapeno poppers! Or make fried mac and cheese balls. So good, you’ll want to make extra just so you can have these.

I hope we’ve given you ideas for your weekend menu, and if you have a favorite variation of mac and cheese, we’d love to hear it! And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to my refrigerator to check on my cheese supply. I must have bookmarked half a dozen recipes, and may be short a pound or four of cheese.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

If you hosted a big Easter meal yesterday, chances are you have a large chunk of ham taking up premium space in your refrigerator. And if you’re like me, the day my fridge is packed to the gills with leftovers seems to always be the same day I want to head out to the store to replenish my supply of fresh apple cider, yogurt, half-and-half, eggs, and everything else that needs to reclaim that space. An odd-shaped slab of meat occupying an entire shelf can put a damper on those plans. So let’s use it up!

Everyone has a few favorite leftover-ham standbys, like simple ham and cheese sandwiches, soups, omelettes, fried rice, or some variation of Hawaiian pizza. But in case you’re looking for inspiration or just something new to try out, we rounded up a few that we’ve featured right here on the Tasty Kitchen Blog. Like the Ham and Cheese Potato Skins you see above. Ham, cheese, and crispy, salty potato skins. Sign me up.

Individual Scalloped Potatoes with Ham. More of the ham, cheese, and potato combination!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole. Rich and creamy, with a crunchy buttery topping. Comfort food in casserole form, and worth every extra calorie.

Darn Good Ham and Cheese Sliders. A classic, and always a hit.

While we’re on the subject of sandwiches, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the croque-monsieur. It’s a fancy name for what is basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with hot and bubbly bechamel (white sauce). Top that with a fried egg, and you have yourself a croque-madame.

We hope these will give you a few new ideas for that leftover ham, especially if you have more time to play in the kitchen now that spring break is over. And if you have any favorite ways to use up leftover ham, share your tips and recipe links below!

If you are busy with Easter preparations like filling baskets and dyeing eggs, you may not have finalized your menu. We have a few—okay more than a few—recipe ideas to make your Easter brunch lovely. And now we are officially hungry. So here we go with some prize winning brunch grub!

Hint: All the photos in the collages are clickable, and will open up the printable recipe in a separate tab. So go ahead and click away!

Before we dive into the food, let’s wet our whistle with a cool, refreshing cocktail. From Bloody Marys to spritzers to mojitos, there’s something here for every brunch-goer.

Eggs Benedict may be the perfect brunch food, and the effort is always appreciated. If you want to wow your family and guests, try one of these beauties. I don’t know about you, but the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict is speaking to me right about now.

Another brunch classic is, of course, quiche, and it can come together relatively simply. Using spring ingredients also makes it ideal for Easter. Asparagus, pancetta and gruyere, anyone? We say yes.

I have never had a houseguest turn down a scone, especially if it was warm from the oven. A basket of any of these lovely scones would not be a bad addition to the brunch table. Sweet or savory, scones are such a satisfying treat.

And let us not forget the carrot cake! It’s the quintessential Easter dessert, and we’ve got a few favorites for you. Cupcakes are a fun and easy alternative to baking and frosting the full cake!

Happy Easter, friends!

We couldn’t let the weekend arrive without sharing some great food for the game. There are some serious gems here. Enjoy your parties and all the good snacking! And Go Seahawks! Oh, I already said that? Oops, sorry. But not really.

Here’s the good grub for the big game. Just click on the photo to get the printable recipe!

Chipotle Ranch Chicken Wings with Chipotle Ranch Dressing. Oh, how heavenly do these look? And they’re baked, not fried! Less mess.

Spicy Beef and Kimchi Tacos. Slow-cooked meat is a Super Bowl must. We love the spicy Asian take on these tacos!

Meatless Mexican Chili and Cheddar Grits Super Bowls. Like a veggie Frito pie. All the fixin’s and all the flavor.

Crockpot Jalapeno Popper White Chicken Chili. So rich! And can be made ahead for low stress when you’re having guests.

Greek Hummus Phyllo Bites. No bake! A quick, easy appetizer so you can concentrate on the main event.

 
Happy weekend to everyone! Oh, and Go Seahawks!