Month

Hey, who doesn’t like a good taco or burrito, every now and then, but sometimes, particularly during the cooler months, a hearty soup just hits the spot better. This Beefy Mexican Rice Soup brings all of that great Mexican-style flavor in a form that’s great for warming you up on a cold but busy midweek night. It’s exactly what you need when you don’t have the time to spend your whole day in the kitchen!

I have a “Mexican night” at home regularly, but it can take a little creativity to keep things fresh. This is a great recipe for fall and winter, and how can you beat something that makes this much and is ready in an hour and fifteen minutes? This soup is a cinch to make and it is guaranteed to become a family favorite. Plus, we all know how soups only get better after a day or two, so make sure you have enough for leftovers!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Tastes of Lizzy T’s

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Quick tip: Add some of your favorite grated cheese on top.

Chicken Chasseur is a savory, rustic French recipe that makes for great comfort food during the colder times of year. The sauce (which itself has plenty of mushrooms and tomatoes) goes nicely over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, and even a variety of different veggies.

“Chasseur” is actually the French word for “hunter,” though I’m not sure why that word would be associated with chicken. Perhaps it is meant to refer to chicken cooked well enough that even a life-long hunter would enjoy, or perhaps this is the sort of meal that would be prepared for a hunter while he was away and served at the end of a very long hunt. More traditional versions of this recipe leave the skin on the kitchen and even include a bit of cognac. Minus the cognac and with skinless boneless chicken, this version of the recipe is a bit lighter and lower on the calories, but I assure you that it still has a hearty, multi-dimensional, country-style flavor.

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

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Quick tip: Discard the bay leaf after cooking.

No One’s Ever Seen Apple Pie Like This!

If you like caramel apples or apple pie, than you’ll really enjoy these Cookies. Hey, who doesn’t like apple pie, right? But sometimes, you want something with a bit of a different texture or something a bit more, well, bite-sized and easy to serve at parties.

Why don’t you give these apple pie cookies a try! This recipe does make use of store-bought caramel, but if you want to fancy it up a bit, you can make your own. I believe that there are a few recipes I’ve shared over the past few months that have some version or other of homemade caramel. It’s just a matter of how thick or thin you want the sauce to be.

That being said, this recipe still comes out rather tasty with the store-bought sauce, and it does cut down on the hassle quite a bit. So there’s no need to feel guilty at all, if you don’t have the time or the energy to make your own. Everyone is still going to love these! Enjoy!

Recipe and photo courtesy of OMG Chocolate Desserts

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Quick tip: You can use this recipe to bake one large pie instead of small cookies.

This Turkey-Stuffed Eggplant recipe makes for a hearty meal, yet it is also rather easy to make, fast-cooking, and even on the healthy side. Describing the flavor of eggplant to someone who has never had it is a bit of a difficult task. It is technically a fruit, with a rather fruit-like, soft, and fleshy texture but with a flavor more like that of a vegetable, with earthy and softly spicy elements that go nicely with most any meat and with a wide variety of different herbs, spices, and veggies.

I think that this recipe has a delicious lean flavor to it, but if you prefer, you could easily substitute bulk sausage, ground pork, or even ground beef (though of course it would be a bit on the heavier side). For that matter, you can even use zucchini instead of eggplant, if you like the stuffing idea but aren’t exactly turned on by the flavor of eggplant. And the great thing about a main dish like this: with so much in there, you don’t need super-fancy sides to complete the meal. A simple salad or basic pasta dish, and you’re good to go.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Living Sweet Moments

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Quick tip: Add a little bit of red pepper flakes for a spicier meal!

Butternut squash is most often used as a part of a side dish, but with this Sausage-Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe, it really sings as a main dish! Winter squash, particularly this form of it, has just the right amount of sweetness to go well with most anything. I think that pairing it with these other healthy and fresh ingredients makes for a spectacular hearty dinner for the colder months of the year. And you can go easy on yourself since this is a low fat dish!

I had heard of stuffed eggplant, but I hadn’t tried using eggplant in a stuffing before. I have to say, it works really well for this recipe. It adds a bit of earthiness to balance the sweet and savory flavors nicely. Each butternut squash half is pretty much a meal in itself, though of course you could always throw in a good salad if you want something extra on the side. And of course you can expand the recipe, if you have a larger group to feed. Enjoy!

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

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Quick tip: If preferred, you can use ground sausage instead of turkey or lean beef.

Have you been searching for a recipe for a special cake to serve your guests in your next get-together? What would be a better way to make an impression than a gorgeous, delicious dessert on top of a great dinner! This Bourbon Pecan Cake really is a special taste of the South – rich in flavor, yet well balanced and with a light, fluffy texture.

Yes, we Southerners do like our bourbon whiskey, and you don’t have to get the least bit tipsy to enjoy the great flavor it provides (unless you want to, of course). This is a surprisingly easy cake recipe that complements the naturally rich flavor of bourbon with cinnamon and pecans (with just a bit of salt to balance all of the flavors) while making use of a couple of simple ingredients and easy tricks to keep the cake really light and fluffy. And you don’t have to bend over backwards to make it!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network

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Quick tip: Use a single bundt pan for this recipe.

This Chocolate Truffle Cake is deliciously rich from ganache to core, yet it is well balanced in every category. Hey, I love a really over-the-top sweet dessert, now and then, but for many occasions, it’s better to have something that is, well, on more of an even keel. Don’t get me wrong; there is sweetness here! But it is amply complemented by other flavors to yield a cake that, while rather rich, doesn’t overwhelm you in any given direction.

I actually prefer chocolate recipes in which the natural flavor of the chocolate is allowed to come out and play some, rather than being entirely masked by the sugar. This cake certainly fits the bill. It is also rather moist, and the creamy filling and ganache balance the flavor nicely without over-complicating things. And remember – you can make the cake ahead and freeze it until you’re ready to frost and serve it!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Food Network

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Quick tip: Use three 9-inch round baking pans for this recipe.