P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps Salad transforms the popular restaurant appetizer into a savory main dish salad, loaded with copycat ground chicken and more! Last week, my boys requested taco salad for dinner. Alas, I was out of taco seasoning — and out of cumin to make another batch (oh, the horror!) — so it was onto PLAN B. A quick scan of the fridge and pantry revealed that I may be low on my Tex-Mex seasonings, but I had {Read More}
Christmas Ornament Cheese Balls
December 9, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Christmas Ornament Cheese Balls are a fun, festive addition to your holiday party menu in three mouthwatering flavors — Cranberry, Blue Cheese, & Pecan; Garlic, Feta, & Dill; and White Cheddar, Rosemary, & Pomegranate! It’s beginning to look (and feel) a lot like Christmas! Last night marked our first freeze of the season. The house is decorated and the Christmas cards have been mailed. We’ve been drinking egg nog like it’s going out of style. And this weekend, I’m looking {Read More}
Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Panko, & Pecans
November 21, 2016 by 2 Comments
Oven roasting turns plain broccoli into something special…and a crunchy, garlicky, toasty topping takes it to the next level in this Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Panko, & Pecans! With Thanksgiving only a few short days away, I realize that it’s a little late in the game for another side dish recipe. However, the good news is that this Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan, Panko, & Pecans would also make a fabulous addition to your Christmas or Hanukkah or New Year’s menu! {Read More}
{Quick & Easy} Garlic Rosemary Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
November 18, 2016 by 1 Comment
When time is short and homemade isn’t possible, frozen bread dough is a quick and easy shortcut ingredient for making lovely Garlic Rosemary Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any holiday meal or special occasion! When special holiday dinners roll around, sometimes you have the time (and energy) to make pillowy homemade dinner rolls, lovingly mixing and rising the dough…and shaping the rolls…and rising again…and baking…and brushing with butter…and serving warm…and impressing everyone! And sometimes…you don’t. But {Read More}
Herbed Garlic Croutons
June 13, 2016 by 2 Comments
Homemade Herbed Garlic Croutons are not only easy to make, but they’re a crunchy, flavorful way to jazz up your favorite salad and soup recipes, from Caesar Salad to Tomato Soup! The hubby and I just got home from an anniversary weekend in Scottsdale where we enjoyed sleeping in, lazy days by the pool, prickly pear margaritas by the pitcher, and gluttonous meals morning, noon, and night. It was a fabulous, relaxing get-away, but now that we’re back to reality {Read More}
Roasted Garlic Hummus
March 31, 2016 by 4 Comments
Mellow roasted garlic is blended with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice for a fresh, creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus that’s delicious with homemade pita chips or crunchy veggie dippers! Hi there…happy week-after-Easter! I hope y’all had a fabulous Easter, celebrating and spending time with loved ones. Ours was wonderful, full of family, food, and fun. In fact, my brother, SIL, and nephews have been in town all week which has meant lots of visiting and chances for the cousins {Read More}
Avocado Fettuccine with Roasted Tomatoes
August 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Avocado Fettuccine with Roasted Tomatoes is a savory summer dish featuring al dente pasta coated in a creamy avocado sauce and topped with sweet and garlicky oven-roasted tomatoes and ribbons of fresh basil. Alrighty, friends…if you had to pick one, which would it be? Avocados or tomatoes? I’m going to have to pass on casting my vote this time, because I pledge equal allegiance to both, but for totally different reasons. So in my mind, combining the two? Even better! {Read More}
Savory Cheesy Zucchini Muffins
August 16, 2015 by 4 Comments
Savory Cheesy Zucchini Muffins are loaded with sharp cheddar & salty Parmesan, with bonus flavors of garlic & dill. Warm out of the oven and slathered with butter, they’ll become your new favorite way to enjoy garden-fresh zucchini! Okay, I admit it…sometimes I get stumped naming recipes. See, I want to include all of the good stuff that’s in there, but Zucchini Cheddar Parmesan Garlic Dill Buttermilk Muffins doesn’t quite roll off the tongue now, does it? And so I {Read More}
Dreamy Dill Dip with Baked Pita Wedges
May 21, 2015 by 2 Comments
Simple and delicious, this Dreamy Dill Dip features a base of Greek yogurt and sour cream flavored with fresh dill, making it perfect for a variety of dippers, from crunchy veggies to Baked Pita Wedges! How much do I love thee, dill? Let me count the ways. Seriously, though, there aren’t many herbs that are fresher, or more summer-y tasting, than fresh dill. I absolutely love the stuff on everything from fish to salads to herbed monkey bread. But you {Read More}
Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn
May 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Freshly-popped popcorn is drizzled with rosemary- and garlic-inflused olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan, minced rosemary, garlic salt, and black pepper, making this Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn a flavorful snack for parties, munching, or movie watching! I don’t know about y’all, but I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that my boys only have two weeks of school left. At the same time, I’m attempting to formulate a plan for what the heck I’m going to do with {Read More}
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
February 5, 2015 by 6 Comments
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce is all-natural, quick and easy to make, full of flavor, and as mild or spicy as you prefer! Happy Friday, friends! I’m popping in today with another recipe to file under the ol’ Make-Your-Own Kitchen Staples section of the blog…Homemade Enchilada Sauce! If you’re anything like my family, you eat Tex-Mex/Mexican food, ahem, frequently. And if you enjoy cooking it at home, there are certain spice blends and sauces that can be used across a variety {Read More}
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
February 3, 2015 by 77 Comments
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa is flavored with smoked chipotles in adobo, fresh garlic and cilantro, and Mexican spices, resulting in a tender, juicy filling for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, or a tasty topping for salads and rice bowls! Happy Taco Tuesday, friends! Well, by the time you read this, it will most likely already be Wednesday, but no matter…tacos are a welcome dinner around these parts any day of the week. So are burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas…and those are exactly {Read More}
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan
November 14, 2014 by 12 Comments
Simple seasonings boost flavor and roasting brings out the natural sweetness of these easy-to-prepare Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan! For many years, I was a proud member of the Not a Fan of Brussels Sprouts Club. After all, the ones I recalled from childhood originated from a can and were served on an avocado green melamine tray in my elementary school cafeteria. I mean, YUCK. Way to turn impressionable kids on to healthy green vegetables! Anyway, it was many, many {Read More}
Garlic & Herb Stuffing
November 9, 2014 by 25 Comments
Garlic & Herb Stuffing is a savory, simple Thanksgiving dressing featuring both French bread and cornbread, and it can be customized with your favorite herbs and add-ins! So last week I brought you Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes and Mini Pecan Pies. This week I’m bringing you this delicious Garlic & Herb Stuffing, a tasty veggie side, and quite possibly the best darn turkey you’ll ever try. ANNND, you do not want to miss the awesome Thanksgiving Recipe Blog Hop happening right {Read More}
Garlic Bread with Fresh Garlic & Parsley
October 21, 2014 by 6 Comments
Quick and easy Garlic Bread with Fresh Garlic & Parsley turns a store-bought loaf into the perfect accompaniment for Italian food! Today, my friends, I bring you carbs. Not just any carbs, though…warm, bread-y, buttery, garlic-laced, parsley-sprinkled carbs that just might steal the show when served alongside your favorite Italian entrees. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is my favorite way to make garlic bread, and so much fresher tasting (AKA, less artificial tasting) than those frozen loaves of {Read More}
Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes
September 16, 2014 by 1 Comment
Simple, delicious Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and loaded with flavor, thanks to garlic, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…roasting is my favorite way to cook vegetables! Roasting not only enhances the texture, but it also brings out a deep flavor and natural sweetness in just about any veggie. And potatoes? Well, they turn from ho-hum to downright magical after a nice stint {Read More}
Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes
August 3, 2014 by 13 Comments
Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes are a delicious summer side dish featuring garden-fresh tomatoes that have been drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper, and roasted to sweet and savory, caramelized perfection! I happen to be a big tomato fan, so one of my favorite things about summertime is enjoying plump, juicy, homegrown tomatoes. Seriously, these bright red beauties make me want to abstain from eating anemic grocery store tomatoes during the rest of the year. {Read More}
Slow Cooker Pineapple Pulled Pork with Pineapple BBQ Sauce
July 14, 2014 by 31 Comments
Succulent pork and juicy pineapple are slow cooked in the crock pot with a flavorful, homemade Pineapple BBQ Sauce, resulting in sweet and savory pulled pork for sandwiches, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, pizza, and more! Have I mentioned before that I big puffy heart my crock pot? I think I may have…a time or twelve. But did you know that one of my favorite things to cook in the slow cooker is pork? And that I consider pork and pineapple to {Read More}
German Potato Salad
May 19, 2014 by 62 Comments
With warm, tender red potatoes and a sweet, tangy dressing loaded with bacon and garlic, this German Potato Salad is a perfect side dish for any occasion, from a grilled dinner to a summer holiday potluck. My kids still have two more weeks of school to go before summer vacation commences, but I understand that some schools across the country have already let out. Well, between that and Memorial Day weekend coming up, I would say that summer grilling season {Read More}
Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs
April 13, 2014 by 21 Comments
This savory crock pot meal comes together in minutes and features tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs in a flavorful cooking liquid of soy sauce, beef broth, garlic, fresh ginger, and sesame oil. Y’all, April has been and continues to be a crazy busy month around Five Heart Home! My husband has been out of town for work quite a bit lately, the kids have all kinds of school events falling this month, we’ve had various relatives visiting, and I’m going {Read More}
Springtime Asparagus Tart with Ham & Mushrooms
April 9, 2014 by 25 Comments
This lovely tart will be the star of your springtime brunch between its garlic-laced asparagus and mushrooms, savory ham and Swiss, and flaky, buttery crust. Back when I was a newlywed, childless, first grade teacher, there was a brief span of time during which I spent my evenings each week making hundreds upon hundreds of cookies. As much as I enjoyed teaching and loved the kids I taught, at times there was a part of me that felt pulled in {Read More}
Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas with Avocado & Pepper Jack {Meatless Dinner Idea for Lent}
March 8, 2014 by 25 Comments
These hearty, flavorful quesadillas feature garlic-sauteed mushrooms, baby spinach, creamy avocado, and zippy pepper jack cheese for a meatless — yet filling and satisfying — meal. So I’m going to be honest about something. We very rarely do meatless dinners at my house. I grew up in a meat-and-potatoes home. My hubby grew up in a meat-and-potatoes home. We’re rather fond of our beef and chicken and pork around here. But once a year, during Lent, we have a string {Read More}
Slow Cooker Corn & Potato Chowder with Ham
February 26, 2014 by 33 Comments
Let your slow cooker do the work for you with this creamy, comforting chowder, loaded with sweet corn, hearty potatoes, and flavorful ham. Winter is about to wear me out, y’all. One day (today), it’s 30°. By the weekend, it’s supposed to get up to 80°. Every time we get a taste of spring it freezes again, and every time we resolve ourselves to more winter weather, warm temperatures and sunny skies tease us, if only for a few days. {Read More}
Zesty Black Bean Dip
February 17, 2014 by 26 Comments
This healthy black bean dip — flavored with fresh garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and cumin — is equally delicious served with tortilla chips or raw veggies! Today was a big day at Five Heart Home. My first grader was home from school for the President’s Day holiday, but his younger brother still had preschool this morning. It was a rare opportunity to eat lunch with my biggest big boy in the absence of his 4-year-old best friend and biggest {Read More}
Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread with Bacon, Garlic, Cheddar & Swiss
January 29, 2014 by 61 Comments
Drenched with garlic butter and stuffed with cheddar, Swiss, and bacon, this decadent pull-apart bread will be the warm, cheesy star of your Super Bowl party! So. Have you ever come across a recipe that you just couldn’t stop thinking about? And that thinking eventually led to obsessing, until one day you found yourself on an impromptu trip to the grocery store to procure the necessary ingredients for finally bringing said recipe to fruition in your very own kitchen? That, {Read More}
Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon ~ For Luck on New Year’s Day!
December 29, 2013 by 20 Comments
Black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of garlic, bacon, and thyme in this savory soup that is said to bring luck and prosperity when eaten on New Year’s Day…but is so tasty that you’ll want to make it all year long! January 1st is right around the corner, and in these parts, that means two things: New Year’s resolutions and black-eyed peas! In the south (and perhaps beyond? Please enlighten me!), eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day supposedly brings {Read More}
Scalloped Potato Flan with Gruyère & Garlic
December 14, 2013 by 28 Comments
Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with garlic and Gruyère cheese, drenched in cream, then baked, overturned, and sliced for an elegant presentation that’s perfect for special occasions and holiday dinners! Well, we’re midway through December and my Christmas to-do list is still a mile long. (Please tell me I’m not alone. I’m not alone. Right?) But one thing that I have checked off my list is deciding on our Christmas dinner menu, and today I’m going to share with you {Read More}
Marinated Cheese & Olives ~ An Easy Appetizer or Food Gift in a Jar!
December 7, 2013 by 37 Comments
Creamy cheese and briny olives are marinated in an herb- and garlic-infused dressing for a quick, attractive appetizer or a fun and easy food gift in a jar! Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? Because I have hardly started, and I’m needing some commiseration from my fellow procrastinators here. But I have a big date with Amazon on the roster this week, after which I hope to have my gift-deficit issues resolved…wish me luck! Aside from the presents {Read More}
Mixed Greens Salad with Mandarins, Toasted Almonds, & Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
October 23, 2013 by 15 Comments
This Asian-inspired vinaigrette — bursting with flavors of ginger, garlic, sesame, soy sauce, rice vinegar, & honey — is the perfect accompaniment to mixed greens topped with sweet orange segments, crunchy almonds, and creamy avocado chunks. I realize that it’s fall and that we’re in the throes of comfort food/casserole/crock pot season here, but sometimes I still get a hankering for a good salad. Regardless of season, this salad is one of my favorites. Or I could also say that {Read More}
Slow Cooker Chicken & White Bean Chili
October 18, 2013 by 26 Comments
After bubbling away in the crock pot all day, comforting white chili — studded with tender chicken, white beans, and tangy green chiles — is topped with your favorite garnishes: fresh cilantro, crunchy tortilla chips, gooey cheese…the possibilities are endless! This week, central Texas had our first taste of legitimate autumn temperatures this season: we dipped into the 50s overnight and actually stayed there all day! Granted, it was back up in the 70s by the following day, but the {Read More}
