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Dinner

Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

December 21, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side.

This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup is the perfect creamy comfort food to warm you up on a cold, blustery day.

One of my all-time favorite meals is potato soup. Creamy and rich, it’s comfort food in a bowl. This recipe uses golden potatoes, leeks, and kale for a super creamy and comforting bowl of soup on a cold, blustery day. Let me walk you through how to make it!

Close up of potato, leek, and kale soup with sour cream, bacon, and chives on top.

Ingredients for Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

Bacon: The bacon is used as a topping, and some of the bacon fat is used for sauteing the vegetables.

Onion:I used a medium yellow onion for this soup.

Leeks: As leeks grow, they can get a lot of sand and dirt stuck inside. I give them a good wash before chopping, and I also rewash them in a strainer after chopping to get any remaining bits of dirt cleaned off.

Garlic cloves: You can use fresh garlic from either the garlic bulb or buy the pre-minced variety.

Golden potatoes: Gold potatoes have a lot more flavor and a creamier texture than some other types of potatoes. Their skin is pretty tender as well, so I don’t bother peeling these. The skins get pureed into the soup anyway, so it’s also easier.

Stock: I prefer chicken stock myself, but feel free to use vegetable stock if you prefer. One of my favorites is Kitchen Basics.

Milk: I’ve only tested this with cow’s milk, so 1%, 2%, or whole would be best. If you’re feeling extra, you can use half and half or heavy cream. Skim milk won’t give any creaminess because it has no fat. I have not tested it with any plant-based milk, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as long as it’s unflavored.

Kale: I usually buy kale pre-chopped, but you can chop it yourself too. If I chop it myself, I usually got with a fine chop so that the kale cooks and wilts faster.

Extra toppings: The sky is the limit, but the go-tos would be crumbled bacon, minced chives, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and cheese – specifically cheddar cheese works well.

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side. There is also a pot of the soup next to the bowls.

How to Make Potato Leek Soup

First, you’ll cook the bacon until super crispy (so it can be crumbled later) in a large stockpot and save about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat to saute the vegetables: onions, leeks, garlic, and potatoes.

After sauteing the vegetables, you’ll add the stock and allow the potatoes to thoroughly cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

You’ll add the milk and use an immersion stick blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion stick blender, you can transfer the soup into a regular blender to puree. You may have to work in batches, and you’ll need to transfer the soup back into the stockpot.

Once the soup is pureed, you’ll turn the heat to low if you haven’t already and add in the chopped kale. Let the soup cook with the kale in the stockpot for about 5-10 minutes or until the kale is cooked and wilted.

When you serve the soup, serve with your favorite potato soup toppings. As I mentioned above, I like bacon, minced chives, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Can You Freeze Potato Soup?

Unfortunately, potato soup and dairy containing soups don’t freeze that great. When they defrost, it may be separated, or the texture may be off. I don’t recommend it, but if you want to make this soup in advance and freeze it for later. You can make the soup up to step 3 and puree the soup without the milk and the kale. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you rewarm the soup, you can add the milk, cook until slightly thickened, add the kale, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Overview of a bowl of potato, leek, and kale soup with sour cream, bacon, and chives on top on a white background.
Print

Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45-50 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 large leek, cleaned and chopped
  • 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 lbs. golden potatoes (about 4 larger golden potatoes), chopped
  • 4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 4–6 cups of fresh kale, chopped
  • Salt + pepper
  • Extra toppings: chives, sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a large stockpot until crispy. Drain bacon on towels and set aside. Leave about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat in the stockpot. Add onion and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Saute 3-5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and golden potatoes and saute for an additional minute. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add milk, and puree using an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender to blend in batches if needed.
  4. Stir chopped kale into to pureed soup in the stockpot and keep warm on low heat for additional 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted.
  5. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

To freeze this soup:

You can make the soup up to step 3 and puree the soup without the milk and the kale. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you rewarm the soup, you can add the milk, cook until slightly thickened, add the kale, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Keywords: potato soup

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Filed Under: Dinner, Fall, Soup, Winter

Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls

December 16, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Close up of hibachi shrimp rice bowl and other bowls in the background.

These Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls are the perfect crowd-pleasing dinner and are super easy to meal prep for the week.

This recipe for hibachi-style shrimp rice bowls is based on the Japanese steakhouse restaurant-style food. This recipe certainly isn’t authentic, but I do really enjoy it.  Shrimp and vegetables sautéed in soy sauce with fried rice and creamy yum yum sauce? Yes, please.

Three white bowls side-by-side filled with fried rice, yum yum sauce, and hibachi shrimp and vegetables

Ingredients

Butter: The butter is divided up to cook the shrimp, vegetables, and rice separately. Given how salty soy sauce is, I would recommend unsalted butter as to have more control over the salty flavor.

Shrimp: I usually will get the EZ peel raw shrimp. It’s a reasonable price, and as the name implies, it’s very easy to peel. Plus, all of the shrimp are already deveined.

Soy sauce: I don’t find much taste difference between regular soy sauce and reduced sodium. In an effort for gentle nutrition that doesn’t compromise on taste, I usually go for the reduced-sodium version.

Vegetables: You’ll need a medium zucchini and onion. You’ll also need frozen peas and carrots too. You don’t need to thaw the frozen vegetables first – they’re small, so they cook quickly from frozen.

Egg: The egg is used for frying the rice.

Rice: Use any rice you prefer, but I like to use the microwave rice packets for a quick hack. After I cook it in the microwave, I pop it in the freezer while I work on the rest of the dish. Cold rice fries up better than hot or warm rice. You don’t want to spend 30+ minutes cooking rice and then have to allow time for it to cool down. Go for the 90-second packets; you’ll thank me.

Sauce ingredients: Mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, and a few dashes of hot sauce are all you need to make an easy yum yum sauce. If you don’t want to bother, you can totally just use the store-bought yum yum sauce.

Close up of the hibachi shrimp and vegetables in a white bowl.

How to Make Hibachi Shrimp and Vegetables

Hibachi shrimp is very easy to make. Ensure that the shrimp are patted dry with paper towels, so they get a nice sear in the skillet. The pan should be quite hot over medium-high heat. You first melt the butter, then add the shrimp in a single layer, preferably. After a minute or so, you’ll flip the shrimp and add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Allow the soy sauce to evaporate mostly. The shrimp are done when they are mostly pink, and their tail and head have coiled towards each other. You’ll set aside the shrimp and wipe the pan if necessary, then repeat the same process for the onion and zucchini. You don’t want to pile everything on at the same time in the skillet as the vegetables sweat out moisture that would affect the shrimp’s sear.

Close up of a hibachi shrimp rice bowl with yum yum sauce on top and a gray napkin and fork on the side.

How to Make Hibachi Fried Rice

In the same large skillet, you’ll add more butter and fry an egg, breaking the yolk and scrambling. You’ll then add the cooled rice along with the frozen peas and carrots, followed by 2 tbsp. of soy sauce. Keep moving the food around the skillet until everything is hot.

How to Make Yum Yum Sauce

You simply need to mix all of the ingredients and set the sauce aside. If you’re working ahead, I would make this in advance and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. The flavors will have more time to marinate and create a better flavor.

How to Prepare Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls for Meal Prep

After you prepare each component (shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauce), keep everything in separate containers until you’re ready to use. If you’re going to pack the shrimp bowls for a to-go meal or lunch, then I would combine the vegetables and rice together in the same container to reheat in the microwave. I would keep the shrimp in a separate container and put the cold shrimp on top (shrimp don’t taste or smell great microwaved) after the vegetables and rice are reheated. Lastly, keep the yum yum sauce in a separate container and pour on top right before eating.  

Two hibachi shrimp rice bowls on a white background and in white bowls. On the side there is a pan of shrimp and vegetables as well as yum yum sauce with a white spoon.
Print

Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls

Close up of hibachi shrimp rice bowl and other bowls in the background.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner, lunch, meal prep, seafood
  • Method: stir-fry
  • Cuisine: Japanese-American
Scale

Ingredients

Yum yum sauce

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 2 tbsp. ketchup
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • Few dashes of hot sauce or to taste (optional)

Shrimp and vegetables

  • 3 tbsp. of unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 lb. of raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted dry
  • 4 tbsp. soy sauce, divided
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small-medium onion, chopped

Fried rice

  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups of frozen peas and carrots, unthawed
  • 4 cups of cooked rice, cooled
  • 2 tbsp. of soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Make yum yum sauce by mixing together the mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, and hot sauce (if using) in a bowl. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. of butter. Cook shrimp in butter for about 1 minute on each side. Add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and cook until the soy sauce is mostly evaporated. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
  3. Dry out the large skillet with a paper towel if necessary. Heat another 1 tbsp. of butter in the same skillet and add the onion and zucchini. Saute for about 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the zucchini is softened. Add another 2 tbsp. of soy sauce and cook until the sauce is mostly evaporated. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Dry out the large skillet if necessary again. Heat another 1 tbsp. of butter in skillet.  Add egg, breaking the yolk and scrambling it. Add cooled rice and frozen vegetables. Saute for about 2-3 minutes and add 2 tbsp. soy sauce. Stir fry for additional 2-3 minutes or until warmed throughout.
  5. Assemble the bowl by layering the fried rice, vegetables, and shrimp and drizzling the yum yum sauce on top.

Notes

How to Prepare Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls for Meal Prep

After you prepare each component (shrimp, vegetables, rice, and sauce), keep everything in separate containers until you’re ready to use. If you’re going to pack the shrimp bowls for a to-go meal or lunch, then I would combine the vegetables and rice together in the same container to reheat in the microwave. I would keep the shrimp in a separate container and put the cold shrimp on top (shrimp don’t taste or smell great microwaved) after the vegetables and rice are reheated. Lastly, keep the yum yum sauce in a separate container and pour on top right before eating.  

Keywords: hibachi shrimp, rice bowl

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Filed Under: Dinner, Meal Prep, Seafood

Instant Pot Marinara Sauce

December 15, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

a pot of instant pot marinara sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flake on the side on a white background.

This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This Instant Pot Marinara Sauce cooks in about 30 minutes but has the flavor of a sauce that has been simmered for hours.

Marinara sauce tastes best when it’s been simmered for hours thanks to the maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction that your food undergoes when it’s browned – it gives food a much more complex flavor. By putting this marinara sauce in the instant pot, we speed up this process and get a much more flavorful sauce. To deepen the sauce, I also added shredded carrots for a pop of sweetness and nutrition as well as red wine, which also makes the flavor more complex.  

bowl of instant pot marinara sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flake on the side on a white background.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Marinara Sauce

Olive oil: We need just a bit of oil to saute the veggies in the sauce. I have also used butter, which tastes great too.

Onion: If you plan on keeping your sauce chunky, I would chop the onion fairly finely. If you like a smooth, pureed sauce as I do, you can keep the chunks fairly big and rough since it’ll all get blended up in the end.

Carrots: You can shred your own if you want, but I prefer just to buy pre-shredded carrots. Plus, I always have some on hand to throw in stir-fries and salads.

Garlic: I’m crazy about some garlic, so I like at least four cloves of garlic but feel free to adjust it as needed.

Herbs: I used dried oregano and red pepper flake but used fresh basil because I love the fresh basil’s flavor so much more than the dried. You can sub in some dried basil if that’s what you have – I think 2 tsp. would be enough.

Red wine: I used a merlot that I got from Winc, and it was perfect. Wine Folly also has a great article about pairing wine with pasta sauces.

Crushed tomatoes: There are lots of crushed canned tomatoes out there, but I recommend San Marzano canned tomatoes – they have the best flavor.

a bowl of pasta and bread with a ladle of instant pot marinara sauce going on top.

How to Make Marinara Sauce in the Instant Pot

To make this marinara sauce, you’ll need first to saute the onion and shredded carrots with olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. You’ll then add the garlic, herbs, red pepper flake (if using), and basil, followed by the red wine. Let the red wine reduce for a few minutes to let some of the alcohol burn off. After, you’ll add the crushed tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Put the lid on and make sure that the steam valve is in the closed position. You can then switch the function from saute to manual high pressure and set the timer for 25 minutes. You can use a manual steam release. If you want a smooth sauce, puree the sauce with a blender. Otherwise, you can leave it chunky.

How Long Does Marinara Sauce Last? Can Marinara Sauce Be Frozen?

You can keep the marinara sauce in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Print

Instant Pot Marinara Sauce

a pot of instant pot marinara sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flake on the side on a white background.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: Italian, pasta
  • Method: Instant Pot
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped roughly
  • 1 cup of shredded carrots
  • 3–4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp. of red pepper flake (optional)
  • 3–4 large fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
  • ½ cup of red wine
  • 28 oz. of crushed canned San Marzano tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Put Instant Pot on the saute feature and add olive oil to the pot. Add onion and shredded carrots and saute for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flake (if using), and fresh basil leaves and saute for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant.
  2. Add red wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate ingredients fully.
  3. Put on the Instant Pot lid and make sure that the steam valve is in the closed position. Switch the function to manual high pressure and cook for 25 minutes. Manually release steam. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blend using a blender or you can leave it chunky.

Notes

You can keep the marinara sauce in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  

Keywords: instant pot marinara sauce, Italian, pasta sauce

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Filed Under: Dinner, Instant Pot, Vegetarian

Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl

December 5, 2020 by Melissa 2 Comments

overview of two buffalo chicken rice bowl with an avocado, cilantro, forks, and a napkin on the side on a white background.

This Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl is one of the easiest meals you can put together. It’s a great option for meal prep for the week and makes an easy lunch or dinner.

I am so excited to share this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl. You can make everything just for this meal, or it’s a great way to use up leftover shredded chicken or rice. It’s got the classic buffalo spice, and it’s paired with a cabbage slaw that is coated in a tangy, dill dressing that is very similar to ranch dressing.

Close up of a buffalo chicken rice bowl.

Ingredients

Rice: You can use any rice you like. White or whole grain, go with whatever makes you happy or you have on hand.

Cabbage slaw mix: Any bag of cabbage slaw mix will do. If you want to change it up, you can opt for other types of slaw such as the kale or broccoli slaw mixes – those would taste good as well.

Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt makes an excellent base for a slaw dressing. Just make sure you get the plain and not flavored. It adds a lovely buttermilk like taste to the slaw dressing – making it like buttermilk ranch.

Mayo: Use any kind you like to mix with the Greek yogurt. When I don’t have homemade mayo on hand,  I’m team Duke’s Mayo all the way.

Apple cider vinegar: This adds an extra tang to the dressing.

Honey: Obviously, this adds the sweetness, but you can sub agave nectar if you prefer.

Seasonings: Garlic powder, dried dill, salt, and pepper are the key seasonings to the slaw dressing. They’re the basics for that ranch flavor.

Buffalo wing sauce: I personally like Frank’s Wing Sauce (not the original Frank’s Hot).

Melted butter: The wing sauce has some butter flavor to it, but I like to add a little extra melted butter to add to the sauce for the chicken.

Toppings: A little avocado and cilantro add extra creaminess and a kick of freshness to the rice bowl.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls

This recipe is fairly straight forward. You make the rice and have the chicken already cooked and shredded. The biggest part is making the slaw. You’ll make the slaw dressing by mixing the Greek yogurt, mayo, vinegar, and seasonings together and toss the shredded cabbage with the dressing. Then you’ll toss the cooked chicken with the buffalo sauce and melted butter. The only part left is to layer the bowl with the rice, chicken, slaw, and toppings of avocado and cilantro.

Overhead view of the buffalo chicken rice bowl on a white background.

Tips for Prepping Ahead and Adapting

I really like having an easy prepped or pre-made protein and carb source to have around to use in recipes like this throughout the week. I like to make this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken, or sometimes, I’ll buy the pre-shredded chicken from Costco or get a rotisserie chicken and shred it myself. The same goes with the carb source, I’ll make a batch of rice in my instant pot (like this one), but mostly, I’ll get instant rice or the 90-second microwave rice. All of these options work great for recipes like this.

To make this extra easy, I buy the pre-shredded coleslaw mix rather than shredding up cabbage myself. You can do that if you want, but that will add some time. That’s how life is though – sometimes, I have a lot of time to make things myself, and others I need some pre-made items to help me along. No shame in either, and you can still bang out a completely nutrient-dense meal with minimal effort. I love recipes like this for that exact reason. If you opt for mostly the pre-prepped/convenient items, then you’ll only have to mix up the sauces. If you want to it be extra easy, you can also opt not to make the slaw dressing and go with your favorite store-bought ranch. It’s all adaptable to your individual needs and desires.

Close up of two buffalo chicken rice bowl with an avocado and a napkin on the side on a white background.
Print

Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl

Close up of two buffalo chicken rice bowl with an avocado and a napkin on the side on a white background.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: meal prep, dinner
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice
  • 1 bag of cabbage slaw mix (12–16 oz.)
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. dried dill
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ lb. cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken (like this recipe here)
  • Buffalo wing sauce, to taste
  • 1 tbsp. butter, melted                                                          
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 2–3 tbsp. of fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook rice to package’s instructions.
  2. Prepare the slaw: Mix Greek yogurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, and dried dill together in a bowl. Toss dressing with cabbage slaw—season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. In a separate bowl, toss the cooked shredded chicken with melted butter and enough buffalo wing sauce to coat or to taste.
  4. Layer each bowl with a layer of cooked rice and top with slaw, buffalo chicken, avocado, and cilantro

Keywords: buffalo chicken, meal prep, rice bowl

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Filed Under: Chicken, Dinner, Meal Prep

Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

November 15, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top on a white surface.

These red skin mashed potatoes are exactly what you want – creamy, but just the right amount of texture and flavor from the skins. They are a great option for any night of the week or your holiday meals at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Where I grew up, it was a “meat and potatoes” kind of place. Potatoes were usually in the form of mashed potatoes, so mashed potatoes are definitely a nostalgic comfort food for me. I typically like them silky smooth, but I like keeping the skins on when I use red skin potatoes. It gives a little extra texture and flavor to the potatoes.

Over the years, I’ve tried to flavor my mashed potatoes with lots of different things, herbs, garlic, cheese, sour cream, you name it. Adding all of those things are great, but sometimes they can be a little too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love garlic-y mashed potatoes, but have you ever had mashed potatoes where they went a little overboard? Not pleasant. Instead, I like to infuse my mashed potatoes with herbs and garlic. Sounds fancy, but it’s so easy and doesn’t take up any additional time because the infusion happens while the potatoes are boiled. Read on for more and how to make these infused mashed potatoes.

Whole red skin potatoes ready to be made into red skin mashed potatoes on a white surface with a blue and white tea towel

How to Make Red Skin Mashed Potatoes (with Infused Herbs and Garlic)

I’m not particularly eager to fuss with chopping up the potatoes before boiling, so I put in the potatoes in the water whole. Chopping them will cut down on boiling time, but you’re also spending more time chopping potatoes – so I’m not sure which is really faster. Anyway, while your potatoes are boiling, you’ll melt butter and milk on low heat and add a couple of smashed garlic cloves and herbs to the pot. You’ll let that mixture heat on low while the potatoes cook. When your potatoes are drained and ready to mash, you’ll simply strain the milk and butter mixture from the garlic and herbs. All the flavor is locked into milk and butter without being too overpowering. You’ll add some salt and pepper and then mash those potatoes!

Close up of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top.

Ingredients

Red skin potatoes: You can use other types of potatoes, but if you’re not going to peel them, I would only recommend potatoes with thin skins like red skin potatoes.

Butter: Butter is always best with mashed potatoes. If you’re vegan or plant-based, you could use a vegan butter spread instead.  

Milk: Use whole or 2% for the best flavor. If you want to use plant-based milk, I would use one with a little bit of fat like coconut but make sure it’s plain or unflavored and not vanilla. I’m sure vanilla flavored mashed potatoes wouldn’t taste great.

Garlic: You will be straining the garlic out, so just smash a couple of cloves, so they’re broken up a bit and throw them in large pieces or chunks, so they strain easily (plus that’s less chopping!)

Herbs: My go-to herbs are fresh rosemary and sage. Don’t bother mincing them. I wouldn’t recommend dried herbs, but you could use fresh thyme as well.  

Salt and pepper: I usually salt the water that the potatoes boil in, and then I season with salt and pepper when I go to mash the potatoes.  

Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter, sprig of rosemary, and a serving spoon on top on a white surface with a gray towel.

Make-Ahead Tips for Mashed Potatoes

If you want to make these mashed potatoes in advance of a big dinner or holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can make this recipe a day or two ahead, refrigerate, and reheat just before serving. To ensure that you don’t dry them out, you’ll put a non-plastic bowl (I use a stainless steel bowl) of the potatoes over a pot of simmering water (double boiler style) and stir them occasionally until they’re reheated. If they begin to look a little dry, add in more milk as needed until they’re silky smooth again.

Print

Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

Overview of red skin mashed potatoes with a pat of melting butter and sprig of rosemary on top on a white surface.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: side dish, vegetable
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lbs. red skin potatoes, washed and scrubbed
  • ½ stick of butter (4 tbsp.)
  • ½ cup of milk
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 spring of fresh rosemary
  • 5–10 leaves of fresh sage
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Additional butter and herbs for garnish and topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 1″. Add salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender about 25-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat butter, milk, garlic, and herbs in a small pot over low-medium heat. Once butter melted, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and allow the mixture to sit while potatoes cook.
  3. Drain and mash potatoes while still hot. Strain the garlic and herbs out of the hot milk mixture. Add mixture to the potatoes, whipping with an electric mixer, or using hand masher until potatoes smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve immediately, or make ahead (see notes)

Notes

Reheating instructions:

To make ahead, then reheat, place potatoes in a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. If potatoes look dry, add more milk (about 1/2 cup or more) as needed until silky and warm.

Keywords: side dish, vegetable, mashed potatoes, dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas

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Filed Under: Christmas, Dinner, Side dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetable

Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Recipes [Crockpot or Instant Pot]

November 11, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

image collage of multiple bowls of ground turkey slow cooker recipes

These recipes are the best ground turkey slow cooker recipes for using up any ground turkey meat you may have hanging around your fridge.

 Who doesn’t love a good slow cooker recipe? It’s basically set it and forget it. I thought I would highlight a few recipes, so I’ve rounded up a few easy and delicious ground turkey slow cooker recipes all in one spot.  

The Best Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Recipes Round-up

Taco Soup: This recipe doesn’t call for ground turkey specifically, but it is recommended in the recipe. You can use any type of ground meat – and that’s generally true of most of these recipes, but this recipe uses simple pantry recipes to bring together a cozy, one-pot, slow cooker meal! Bonus – this recipe also tells you all the details on how to freeze the soup properly if you want to have leftovers that you can pull from the freezer when you’re short on time.

Ground turkey slow cooker recipe with a taco soup with avocado and tortillas on top on a white background with spoons and a blue towel on the side.

Pumpkin Chipotle Chili: Um, hello, yes, please. It’s no secret around here that I’m a huge fan of pumpkin and chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos in a smokey, adobo sauce. Putting those together with pumpkin and ground turkey sounds like a perfect chili to me.

Ground turkey slow cooker recipe with chipotle pumpkin turkey chili on a gray background with a white napkin and gold spoon

Turkey Green Chili: Chilis are usually made with crushed tomatoes, but this chili has no tomatoes. Instead, it relies on jalapenos, chicken broth, spices, ground turkey, and hominy. Hominy is coarsely ground corn that is used to make grits. It gives this chili a unique texture and flavor.  I also love the idea of topping it with pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds).

picture of ground turkey slow cooker recipe with a green turkey chili on a dark background

Slow Cooker Turkey, Lentil, and White Bean Chili: This chili is similar to classic chilis, but I don’t usually see lentils and white beans together in chili. I love them both, so it’s nice to see them packed in along with the ground turkey as an additional source of protein.

Ground turkey slow cooker recipe with a turkey, lentil, and white bean chili on a burlap background with an orange napkin and spoon.

Why should I choose ground turkey over any other meat? Is turkey “healthier” than other ground meats?

Ground turkey is milder in flavor than ground beef or pork. It’s very similar in taste to ground chicken, but a little more game-like. If you’re making something with a lot of lighter flavors that you don’t want to conflict with by using beef, turkey may be the way to go (like in the green chili above).

As far as nutrition goes, it depends on your goals and what kind of turkey you choose. People often choose chicken or turkey, thinking it has less saturated fat (saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol). However, if you’re comparing lean turkey (93% lean, 7% fat – labeled on the package) to lean beef (93% lean or higher and 7% or less fat), that might not be the case. There isn’t any reason to avoid one or the other if you’re choosing lean ground meat and want to watch your cholesterol, so personally, I choose a lean cut either way and go with the one that would compliment the flavor profile in the recipe the best.

Filed Under: Dinner, Fall, Game Day, Instant Pot, Winter

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Melissa Macher, RDN

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