Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 16

Jalapeño Cheddar Chicken Meatballs with Herby Summer Sauce.

These jalapeno cheddar chicken meatballs are the best! Super easy to make and full of fresh, vibrant flavor, the meatballs are cheesy and seared until golden brown. Dip in an herby summer sauce for the ultimate flavor punch!

I live for a meatball.

These chicken meatballs are so tender and juicy, filled with lots of melty cheddar and a pop of fresh jalapeno peppers. They aren’t overly spicy, but they are incredibly fresh, flavorful, cheesy and satisfying. 

And there’s a million different ways you can enjoy them too!

P.S. this is not the first time that I’ve shared an actual cheddar-peño chicken meatball recipe but this one is the best. I promise. 

It’s almost a given that if I make meatballs for dinner, everyone in the house will be happy. It’s the reason I’ve made a huge variety of meatball recipes over the years – it’s a surefire way to guarantee everyone is thrilled and will actually EAT. 

I’ll make meatballs with ground beef, turkey or chicken – and we usually love them all. I find that because I make them so often, my recipes are foolproof and they come together quickly. Most unique add-ins work too! Meaning that you can really add anything else you may love to these little meatballs. 

How cute!  (more…)

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A Week In The Life, Vol 23.

First official week of summer!!!

And we PACKED IT.

Morning sunlight.

Quick trip to barnes & noble.

All pink!

I love that he couldn’t wait to dive in.

Next stop, our library! The kids are obsessed.

Max helping grandma plant.

This one.

Grilled buffalo chicken.

The pink parade!

We had a cousins day at kennywood and it was so fun.

First stop.

Love.

Last year he cried his eyes out on this!

This year, he rode everything! Max was so wonderful and rode every single thing with him.

They were all so excited.

Cousin crew!

Ready to get soaked.

Max has waited all year for this.

It was the perfect hot day.

Drenched.

Peony season at trader joe’s.

Then our first official swim day.

It’s been pouring rain for a million years so this was fun!

Goofball.

Morning walk scenes.

A nugget couch throne.

Max had a hockey tournament all weekend!

Made s’mores bars.

Another day of swim with friends.

And Max at hershey park with hockey friends!

Summer games.

I love their summer jersey color.

Emilia loves making eggs on her own.

Knee hockey wars.

I love.

Making breakfast for everyone.

And that was the weekend!

Then I made my hot honey chicken + corn salad! Yum yum.

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What To Eat This Week: 6/8/25.

Everything I want to eat this week is on the summer menu!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Chickpea crunch salad

Chimichurri salmon 

One pan lemon chicken and couscous

Crispy potato and gruyere pizza

Honey mustard chicken skewers

Crispy fish tacos

Summer chicken tortellini salad

Strawberries and cream oatmeal cups

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Currently Crushing On.

Happy weekend!

This week on the blog, I shared this chimichurri salmon. I also shared a lemony potato salad, a ton of father’s day recipes for next weekend and a new summer fridays post!

And here’s everything I read in May!

I shared all my outdoor entertaining favorites! And! There’s a list of my favorite summer beauty and kids’ summer faves!

There’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life.

You can find all my favorites in my amazon store front and LTK shop!

Thank you for continuing to make the launch Easy Everyday absolutely amazing . If you haven’t got your book yet, you can order here! There is a big giveaway happening on instagram and another happening in our facebook cookbook club!

xo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

This blackened mahi mahi looks incredible.

Strawberry pretzel cookies! Whaaaat.

Dying to try cheddar english muffin bread.

Banana pudding cake! Yum.

The ideal guac!

Strawberry spinach salad. Obsessed.

This is my dream: no bake pistachio cheesecake.

Citrus burrata salad looks delish.

Craving strawberry scones.

Flaky biscuits are perfect for shortcake.

Loving this portobello pizza.

Pickled raspberry crostini sounds fabulous.

And blackberry buttermilk scones. Yessss.

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Summer Fridays, Vol 2.

Back for round two of summer fridays! Here’s what’s happening this weekend.

EATING

My chili lime chicken corn pizza. Pesto lovers baked penne. And summer chicken meatballs with zucchini risotto!

DRINKING

A margarita float. It’s a dreamy drink!

MAKING

My crab cake caesar with old bay croutons. And my broccoli BLT pasta salad!

BAKING

Blueberry breakfast cookies! And my strawberry focaccia.

CRAVING

My no churn strawberry pie ice cream. It’s strawberry season and I am HERE FOR IT.

GRILLING

My grilled chicken pasta salad with gorgonzola vinaigrette. Oh it is dreamy.

SNACKING

On my sheet pan smashburger fries. Oh my word are they ridiculous.

READING

I’m reading It’s a Love Story and LOVING it. You can find my summer reading list here! Oh and here’s everything I read in May.

LISTENING

To my 2025 summer country playlist! I love making this every spring.

WEARING

I adore all things spanx air essentials and the skort is so so good! Also love the t-shirt dress and could live in it.

SHOPPING

We desperately need some things for our walls and I don’t even know where to look! I’ve got a few things for the kids at minted and I ordered Emilia these rainbow big cats prints. It’s hard for me to look for something when I’m not even sure what we want, and I’d rather just be inspired when I see something. But that might take… forever.

LOVING

These adorable mini lamps. This woven flatware caddy (I use these every time we have people over!) and woven drink dispenser! I also adore this scalloped serving bowl and use it daily.

BUYING

The beach riot summer outfits are so cute. The white eyelet skirt! The 4th of July shorts and sweater. I love the ombre dress too!

SHARING

I made a huge father’s day gift guide based on things Eddie has & loves. On of the things I usually get him and that he loves is a matching swim suit with Max and Jordan. I also usually get him some athleisure clothes. Oh and I added to some of those easy casual summer dresses too!

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48 Recipes For Father’s Day Weekend!

All of my favorites in one place for father’s day weekend, from the best hot dog bar, a slider bar, frozen icy cocktails, grilled snacks and sides, salads and treats!

We’ve got the best of the best for father’s day weekend!

There are SO many incredible recipes here – to use this weekend or through the end of summer. Every BBQ needs some grilled sides and icy drinks!

I have the ultimate Father’s Day weekend recipe guide here – tons of dishes we love (and Eddie’s absolutely favorites too, let’s be honest). From the best ever ribs (I adore the root beer BBQ sauce) to my smash burgers to alllll the things with caramelized onions, I’ve got you covered!

48 RECIPES FOR FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND

(more…)

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Lemony Chive Potato Salad with Parmesan.

This lemon chive potato salad is a flavorful, simple side dish that can go with just about any weeknight meal. It’s easy and quick to make, packed with chives and parmesan and is great served warm or chilled.

Side dish of the summer!

If you love an easy side dish that’s almost potato salad, but not traditional potato salad, I hear you! This lemony, herby potato salad has a delish vinaigrette, tender potatoes, shaved parmesan, fresh chives and garlic. It tastes amazing and is a great weeknight side dish. 

This is an easy recipe today that you can throw together as a side dish for any of your summer meals. It’s simple and looks a little boring but is really packed with flavor. 

I’m pretty sure I started this blog based on one belief: I didn’t want mayo in my potato salad. I shared a few different potato salads in those early years that I’m way too horrified to link today, but none of them had a creamy dressing of any sort. 

And now, I’ve definitely come a long way. I like potato salad made with my OWN version of a creamy dressing. But that’s it. I would never eat one from a grocery story or even a restaurant, unless everyone around me was talking about how outstanding it is. 

Potato salad just doesn’t do it for me, and that’s wild because growing up, potatoes were my favorite food!

At least that’s what I always said. Because I adored them in any version. Scalloped, twice baked, salad, smashed, mashed, grilled and fried. 

Who doesn’t?! 

Anyway – this is a little similar to my piccata potato salad. Guess what? Back when I shared that recipe, I had finished all the photography for Easy Everyday and was dying to share my piccata vinaigrette with you. I tried to be a little unassuming since it has a big recipe in the book – and threw it in with the potato salad! 

P.S. it’s fabulous if you love capers. 

So how do they differ? This potato salad today has a bit of dijon in the dressing. The dressing is more emulsified than the piccata vinaigrette, make it *feel* a little creamier. It’s less briney with no red wine vinegar, onions and capers. It’s also the dressing I use for my roasted asparagus, it works double duty! I love sharing a recipe that can be made for two different dishes. 

It is a simple lovely potato salad that works when served warm or chilled. It has a ton of flavor, while still being very neutral – you can serve it with almost anything. Lots of lemon, chives and parmesan go with just about anything, right?! 

Can’t you just taste it?

Lemony Chive Potato Salad with Parmesan PrintLemony Chive Potato Salad with Parmesan#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }This lemon chive potato salad is a flavorful, simple side dish that can go with just about any weeknight meal. It's easy and quick to make, packed with chives and parmesan and is great served warm or chilled.Course AppetizerCuisine AmericanPrep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 15 minutes minutesTotal Time 25 minutes minutesServings 4Author How Sweet EatsIngredients2 pounds petit yukon gold potatoeskosher salt and pepper½ cup shaved parmesan cheese, plus more if desired2 tablespoons chopped fresh chiveslemon chive vinaigrette2 tablespoons lemon juice2 tablespoons red wine vinegar2 teaspoons dijon mustard1 teaspoon honey2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed2 tablespoons chopped chiveskosher salt and pepper½ cup extra virgin olive oilInstructionsPlace the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.While the potatoes boil, make the lemon dressing.Drain the potatoes when tender and let cool. Gently slice them in half. Drizzle with some of the lemon vinaigrette.Add in the chives, shaved parmesan and a sprinkle of salt and pepper if you wish.Toss a few more times to make sure everything is combined. Taste and season one more time if needed. Serve!lemon chive vinaigretteWhisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, honey, dijon, garlic, herbs and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified. This stays great in the fridge for a few days and you can make it ahead of time!

That parm though!

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Tuesday Things.

1. Truly nothing makes me happier in life than this book reading season.

2. The most stunning strawberry tiramisu.

3. Max asked me seriously the other day if I “have to work in the summer.” Ha!

4. 10 ways to simplify your life.

5. TV things!! The end of Your Friends and Neighbors – perfect. Also watched Overcompensating and loved it. Oh also started The Better Sister!

6. Speaking of, the only reason I had any time to do any of those shows is because I had 1200 loads of laundry to fold. Why does kids laundry run my life?

7. Is there a time and a place to suck it up? Good read.

8. What to never take to a dinner party! From the goat.

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What I Read In May 2025.

It’s one of my favorite reading months of the year! Ohhhh there are so many great books out right now. I am really looking forward to the summer months.

I read some wonderful ones this month. I also shared my giant summer reading list, which is my favorite thing ever.

Can’t wait to hear what’s on your list.

I do have a book of the month membership – I love it so much. I read SO many books from this box. I get so many of my new releases and debut author books there. You can sign up for one here.

Most of these books are linked through bookshop (if available!) and I highly suggest shopping through there because it will support your local indie bookstore. You can choose the local bookstore to support! I support Penguin Books when I buy which is my fave here in Pittsburgh.

Okay, keep me posted on what you’re reading below!

WHAT I READ IN MAY 2025The Names – 4.5 stars

I ordered this in my book of the month box and it was excellent. This story is stunning and heartbreaking and one that I could not put down. I had to know what happened. We meet Cora who is trying to escape an abusive husband and has to name her newborn son. She and her daughter want different names and the book goes off based on which name the son would have. The storyline can be a little confusing and I really had to pay attention (I think it would be difficult on audio), and some scenes were absolutely hard to read and devastating.

One Golden Summer – 5 stars

O.M.G. – Every Summer After is one of my favorite books ever and I didn’t think this could compete. It absolutely did and I loved it JUST as much. This is Charlie’s story – the brother from the first book – and it is incredible. Funny, heart warming, a storyline with a grandma – it’s lovely and such a feel good and thoughtful book. I adored it and am so sad it’s over.

The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits – 3.5 stars

Jennifer Weiner is a must read for me every summer and and has been for almost 20 years. This was super cute and I loved the 2000s nostalgia (obviously). We follow a pop star sisters who shoot to fandom and then break up and disappear. It does give Daisy Jones vibes but I loved the timing of it all and the 90s/2000s references. Cute and was definitely hard to put down.

My Favorite Bad Decision – 5 stars

Oh how I LOVED this. It was so, SO good. Our female lead is forced to climb mount kilamanjara by her father (right? weird?) and ends up on the trip with a previous crush. It’s an enemies to lovers, sort of a second chance romance (kind of) trope and I adored it. I was afraid I wouldn’t – the climbing storyline did not interest me – but oh my gosh it was FABULOUS. Spicy but not until at least 60%+.

The Last Trip – 4 stars

Oooh this is a twisty one. I was almost afraid to read it because the story follows a couple on their babymoon. It is definitely crazy and not something I would normally pick up but I was craving a thriller. There is a twist that happens with the husband, the owners of the cabin – it’s a bit crazy but definitely something you can’t stop reading. I had to know what happened!

Problematic Summer Romance – 4 stars

Just finished this over the weekend and I really liked it so much. At first I thought it was a little cringe – it is a (big) age gap romance and the constant talk of him knowing her as a child, her childish behavior, etc – I didn’t think I would get past it. It made me feel a little weird, ha. But I love Ali Hazelwood books soooo much and this one did not disappoint. The setting was stunning and incredible.

Definitely Better Now – 3 stars

Another book of the month find. In this one we follow Emma who is a year sober after she stopped drinking and following the program. She is very young so it is from a different perspective and at time it seemed all over the place but I ended up really liking the ending! The character development really is wild and the ending is promising after some trainwreck scenes (ha IYKYK). It was very raw and real!!

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Chimichurri Seared Salmon.

This chimichurri salmon is a weekly favorite of our family. It’s super simple and flavorful – and comes together in no time at all. Seared, crisp salmon topped with a refreshing briney and herby garlic chimichurri. Yum!

We’ve got summer dinners on repeat over here. 

This seared salmon is done in less than 10 minutes and then covered in a chimichurri blanket. Think tons of fresh, vibrant herbs. Lots of red wine vinegar. The best olive oil you can find. Many, many cloves of garlic, minced into the tiniest chunks. And some crushed red pepper.

The flavor combo is fabulous and is one heck of a satisfying dinner. It’s not bad straight out of the fridge either. Even when it’s still cold. 

This just makes sense.

We love salmon

We love chimichurri! 

So here we are: seared, crispy edged, buttery salmon covered in a mix of briney herbs with olive oil and tons of garlic. 

It tastes super fresh, just like summer, and it is so satisfying.

I almost want to take one of these salmon filets, flake it over grilled sourdough and drizzle the chimichurri everywhere. It’s DELISH. 

Also, I love to serve it with this lemon herb parmesan potato salad that I’m going to tell you about on Wednesday! Woohoo for summer side dishes. 

I make salmon like this constantly. At least once a week – and it takes no time at all. All you need are a hot cast iron skillet, your salmon of choice, some avocado oil and spices and seasonings. 

For this recipe, I stuck with my go-to: smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Are you sick of hearing me talk about this combo yet? It’s basically all I use. 

Multiple days a week, I use that seasoning blend for chicken, fish, beef and even vegetables. And seafood, of course! It’s almost always what I put on salmon, exclusively. 

The key to getting it somewhat crisp is patting the salmon dry with a paper towel. Pat it dry, cover in seasonings, then sear in a hot skillet.

The outside gets crisp and spice-coated. The inside is so soft, buttery and flaky. 

Chimichurri is one of Eddie’s favorite condiments. He requests it constantly and will put it on anything. While I like to make it fresh as often as I can, it still tastes great after a day in the fridge. Because we’re using straight fresh herbs, I wouldn’t make it too far in advance, but the leftovers still work. 

The chimichurri is not only incredible on the salmon, but you can drizzle it over this lemony potato salad that I’m going to tell you about too. 

P.S. if you need a few other uses for chimichurri, you can make cheese fries, grilled chicken and couscous or even a steak salad.

Nothing I love more than a fresh meal that comes together in less than 20 minutes! 

Chimichurri Salmon PrintSeared Salmon with Chimichurri#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }This chimichurri salmon is a weekly favorite of our family. It's super simple and flavorful - and comes together in no time at all. Seared, crisp salmon topped with a refreshing briney and herby garlic chimichurri. Yum!Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanPrep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 10 minutes minutesTotal Time 20 minutes minutesServings 4Author How Sweet EatsIngredientschimichurri1 cup fresh cilantro⅔ cup fresh parsley¼ cup fresh oregano2 garlic cloves, minced¼ cup red wine vinegar⅔ cup olive oil½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon pepper¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakessalmon4 salmon filets1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon garlic powderkosher salt and pepper1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oilInstructionschimichurriPlace the cilantro, parsley and oregano on a cutting board. Use a very sharp knife to chop it up as finely as you can. I prefer this way over the food processor.Place the herbs in a bowl. Add the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir together and let sit until ready to use. If you want to refrigerate this, cover it before placing in the fridge.salmonPat the salmon dry with a paper towel.Season all over with the salt and pepper. Do the salmon with the smoked paprika and garlic powder. Be generous with the spices!Heat the avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the salmon. Sear on one side until deeply golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gently flip and sear on the other side until the salmon is cooked through, about 3 to 4 more minutes.Transfer the salmon to a platter and drizzle with the chimichurri. Serve!

Super fresh!

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