Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 49

Currently Crushing On.

Hello weekend!

This week on the blog I shared this hot chicken salad! I also shared these crispy baked pizza quesadillas, all of our favorite fall drinks & coffees and game day sloppy joe pull apart sliders.

I have the best amazon halloween favorites right here!

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

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

You can join The Everyday Dinners cookbook club right here! If you have a copy of the book, request to join the group. If not, get one here!  Ready to start on fall! It is such a wonderful community and an amazing place for recipe ideas.

xoxoxox

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

Craving these breakfast tacos.

Pumpkin spice donuts look amazing!

Love this fall harvest pasta salad.

Apple fritters look delish too.

Gorgeous hasselback apple salad. Fave!

Crab wonton nachos. I need those.

Give me all the burger fries.

Peanut butter gooey butter cake?! I’m in.

Always love pumpkin iced latte cookies.

French apple cake sounds incredible.

The best blueberry muffins.

Lime chicken tostada salad! Fabulous.

Here’s 7up cake for the weekend.

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Pull-Apart Sloppy Joe Sliders.

These pull apart sloppy joe sliders are a perfect game day dish! Brioche buns, melty havarti cheese, homemade sloppy joes and sweet pickles. Delish!

Major family fave coming up!

These sloppy joe sliders are the best weekend dish! Toasty buns, melty provolone cheese, sloppy joes and pickles, baked until warm and cheesy and delicious.

Can’t.get.enough.

Sloppy joes are kind of famous in our house.

I started making them over a decade ago and they are easily one of our favorite meals. Everyone adores them. 

Emilia calls them the “little brown sandwiches.” 

We also eat them in a variety of ways! Sure, we have them as sandwiches. But Eddie will eat them over sweet potatoes. I’ve also made totchos or even stuffed them inside grilled zucchini boats. And stuffed peppers!

Basically, you cannot go wrong with sloppy joes. Trust me. 

I feel like I can say this because we didn’t eat sloppy joes when I was a kid. My mom didn’t make them. And the whole idea of them sounded very… unappealing. 

But then! I started making them from scratch and our world changed. They are a delicious, satisfying recipe that can easily be made ahead of time. They reheat perfectly and leftovers are wonderful. 

Seriously, the best ever. 

So it should come as no shock that I wanted to make them in slider form, just like our favorite cheeseburgers. 

The sliders are IDEAL for game day or a party, or even if you’re having a bunch of kids over to hang out. It’s a super easy idea to serve with chips or carrot sticks. And they also taste phenomenal.  (more…)

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All The Drinks You Need For Fall! 35 Mocktails, Cocktails, Coffees & More.

The best fall drink recipes are here! From coffee and tea, to punch and sangria, mocktails and hot toddys. Can’t get any better than this – be sure to bookmark this post! You’ve just hit the fall drink jackpot!

Fall is officially here!

Finally. I’ve got you covered with the best of the best when it comes to fall drinks! These fall drink recipes are so good, I could never just choose one. Whether you need something cozy or icy, boozy or comforting, I’ve got it! Below you’ll find a bunch of my favorite fall drinks, like hot chocolates, teas, non-alcoholic punches, sangrias, mimosas and more!

Fall cocktail season is seriously the best. I mean, I guess I could argue that fall is the best time for ANY sort of drink. And I can’t even tell you how many delicious ones I have here on the blog. Don’t make me choose a favorite! I worship at the altar of apple cider, but there are lots of delish pomegranate, maple and pumpkin flavors here too.

35 Of The Best Fall Drink Recipes

We’re starting with warm coffees and ciders (with one icy exception!), then on to mocktails! Scroll down for all the fall cocktails you need every weekend of the season. What’s on your list for this first official weekend of fall?! (more…)

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Crispy Baked Pizza Chicken Quesadillas.

We love to make pizza quesadillas as an easy weeknight meal. Marinara sauce, pizza seasonings, shredded chicken and cheese is covered with tortillas and baked until crispy. Top with sauce, cheese and pepperoni – boom! So easy and delicious.

We might be the biggest pizza lovers on the planet.

I can easily pizza-fy anything. So here we are with crispy baked pizza chicken quesadillas, with melty mozzarella, tons of sauce, pepperoni and crispy tortillas. 

We are in love. 

Can you tell I’m all about the easy back-to-school meals right now? The ones that we could prepare quickly, the ones that everyone loves – because at the moment, our evenings are jam-packed.

Like, crazy jam-packed with kids’ activities and school stuff. 

I secretly love it. I have waited forever for this part of parenting and I.love.it. 

But wow, the second shift of the day starts around 3 and doesn’t end until almost 9 or 10. Making sure that I have a meal on the table that everyone will eat is a huge win!

It also means that I have been crazy prepared and organized, especially with meal planning. We really like to save our restaurant eating for the weekends, so I try everything I can to make easy, fun, delicious meals happen from Monday to Thursday.

And I’m happy to say this is such a winner!

First, I can’t even tell you how filling and satisfying these are. Especially if you use a multigrain tortilla that is high in fiber. It’s fabulous! 

Next, my kids freak out over pizza and if there is anything more customizable than a quesadilla, well… I don’t know what it is. The fact that I can change up the “toppings” (which are also the fillings in this case), the cheese, the sauce and still make dinner happen easily is KEY. 

And! I use my baked quesadilla method for these, which makes them even easier. And I can get at least two large quesadillas made quickly and when I slice those into triangles, they feed multiple people. I can pop the rest in the oven and they are ready in time for anyone who wants seconds. 

Now, you don’t have to add chicken to these quesadillas, but I love to use a rotisserie chicken here and up the protein a bit. It makes it feel more substantial too.  (more…)

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Tuesday Things.

 

1. I actually forget sometimes that phone books were such a thing!

2. Corn ice cream popsicles. Mind = blown.

3. Working on making the perfect s’mores (!!!) latte.

4. On making intentional choices.

5. TV things!! I’ve watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Into the Fire on netflix. Also watching the end of Emily In Paris right now.

6. Oh and I’m reading The Wedding People. It is SO GOOD. Lives up to the hype!

7. Mindy Kaling’s black dress at the Emmys! Totally my favorite. Gorgeous. Also, Joshua Jackson. Whoa.

8. All I want is a shearling bag for fall/winter. I’m always way behind the times.

9. Love this cleaning motivation hack! It’s actually what I do for cleaning, working out, folding laundry, etc!

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Hot Chicken Salad.

This hot chicken salad is incredible! My favorite chicken salad is spread in a baking dish and topped with potato chips, baked until warm then served with crisp, refreshing endive. It’s super satisfying and so delicious!

Raise your hand if you want a new lunch idea! 

This hot chicken salad is my favorite chicken salad recipe, baked until warm and topped with crunchy potato chips. I love it for lunch or a snack or even as a cute little app! It’s unassuming but very delicious and satisfying. 

It’s really nothing special, but at the same time, it’s everything special.

Why haven’t I been baking my chicken salad for years? 

New favorite lunch alert! That’s what it is. 

This dip is like if your favorite deli chicken salad and buffalo chicken dip had a baby. Minus the whole spicy buffalo part. Minus the cheese part too.

Okay, so maybe it’s nothing like that, but the fact is that we’re baking chicken salad until it’s hot. Serving it with crackers or chips or in my case, fresh endive. 

I’m always looking for lunch recipes that are fairly easy, ones that can be made ahead of time and especially ones that are healthier and satisfying. I fall victim to the 2 or 3pm crash if I don’t have a sufficient amount of protein in my lunch.

Which is why I really love this recipe that uses both chicken (I just grab a rotisserie!) and plain greek yogurt. 

So it goes like this: I mix up my favorite chicken salad, spread it in a baking dish and top it with potato chips. Yes, don’t forget the potato chips. They are key! 

Then I bake it! Bake it until it’s hot and melty and the chips are slightly golden.

Next, serve it with endive cups. Oh my gosh I LOVE endive. It’s neutral enough that it takes on the flavor of any dip. And it’s super crisp, refreshing and crunchy. I love serving any sort of salad or dip with these “cups” – the endive leaves make the perfect scoops! 

You can also use tortilla chips or crackers to scoop this up. Or it could be served in warm pitas, in lettuce cups or even on crackers melted with a touch of cheese. Chicken salad melts! I love it.  (more…)

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A Week In The Life, Vol 38.

Another week down.

And we had a packed one!

Very excited for school drop off.

Cross country practice on these gorgeous nights.

Looking so big. Wanting to run with the big kids!

My favorite tree is starting to change!

Hockey is in full swing.

Hair cut for this big boy.

House salad forever!

My mom and I went to see Hamilton this week!

Preshow festivities.

And bread. The show was amazing. I’ve seen it almost 10 times now and still love it.

School line shenanigans.

My mom had four tiny kittens on her deck! They were so cute. Until one caught a chipmunk and tore it’s head off in front of us.

Then I snuck these two out of school a little early to go see Hamilton!!

They’ve listened to the soundtrack a million times so I knew they could hang in with the long show!

I swear I’m not holding them hostage.

After every song ended, Emilia clapped excitedly with the BIGGEST smile. It was so cute. Like she couldn’t believe what she just watched!

He loved it too! Nonstop has been his favorite song for years, but he this in the show the king was his favorite.

More gorgeous sunsets during cross country.

How we stay entertained. Jordan “drives.”

And climbs.

Friday was such a gorgeous sunny september day.

Jordan loooooves the Halloween stuff at Target.

More hockey this weekend.

Fun with friends.

Eddie bought a million skeletons. “For the kids.”

Brookie bars.

This weekend’s cross country race was unbearably hot.

But they were ready!

They both did SO well.

Snacking supervisor.

New PR for her!

And one of his best races yet!

Such a good week. Now if we could have some fall weather that would be great!

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What To Eat This Week: 9/15/24.

Here’s a delicious week of meals for you!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Crispy potato pizza

Mediterranean beef bowls

Weeknight buffalo chicken sandwiches with pickle slaw

Sticky salmon with avocado kale greens

Chicken meatballs with zucchini risotto

Garlic bread pizza

Chickpea pasta salad

Peach cobbler granola

The post What To Eat This Week: 9/15/24. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

Happy weekend!

Here’s everything new I shared this week:

The best weeknight mediterranean beef bowls – these are an incredible and delicious dinner. Also, easy pizza pepper poppers, 60+ of our favorite fall dinner recipes and these ultra crispy garlicky potatoes with garlic butter and herbs.

I have the best amazon halloween favorites right here!

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

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

You can join The Everyday Dinners cookbook club right here! If you have a copy of the book, request to join the group. If not, get one here!  Ready to start on fall! It is such a wonderful community and an amazing place for recipe ideas.

xoxoxox

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

Pumpkin tres leches cake!! Yes please.

Love apple cider donuts so much.

Everything bagel cheese ball. I need this.

Craving tiramisu cookies always.

Maple blackberry matcha lattes are gorgeous.

This rigatoni looks absolutely wonderful.

Margherita pizza toast. Wow!

The most gorgeous candy apples ever.

Caramel apple cheesecake for fall.

These teriyaki pork meatballs sound delish.

Pumpkin coffee cake is amazing.

The best ever rice krispy treats!

Pizza focaccia has to happen this weekend.

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Garlicky Crispy Potatoes with All The Herbs.

Our favorite crispy roasted potatoes are unreal! These potatoes are super buttery, rich and cloud-like inside with a super crunchy crispy exterior. Drizzle with garlic butter, top with all the fresh herbs and serve! Heaven on a dish.

If you’re up to your eyeballs in fresh herbs, I’ve got you covered!

These super crispy potatoes are served drizzled in garlic butter and a ton of fresh, bright herbs for the ultimate late summer flavor punch.

It’s going to be your new favorite side dish! 

Potatoes were my favorite food growing up!!

Cue all the exclamation points. I’ve been telling you that for over 16 years now (!!!) and it’s so true. Potatoes, in every single form available, were my favorite food as a kid. 

I loved potatoes! 

And I still love potatoes. I adore them in all ways, and this way is one of the best. 

These super crispy potatoes and very tender inside – almost cloud-like. There is a reason for that, and it’s a high-maintenance one. You have to parboil the potatoes before roasting.

Then, you shake them in a big bowl of pot, and this gets the potatoes slightly mushy. 

But it’s a GOOD mushy, because all those tender potato bits?

In the oven, they turn to roasty, toasty, crispy bites. IT IS AMAZING. 

Like after making roasted potatoes this way you may not want to go back. 

Super crispy and crunchy on the outside.

Creamy and buttery on the side.

What else can you ask for?

It’s almost as if the potato inside the crispy shell is whipped. It’s wild! So crunchy, yet so soft. The texture is fabulous. 

Now that I’ve rambled about the potatoes forever, let’s talk about the herbs.

I have ten billion herb plants right now. They are taking over all of my pots and planters. And well, they are on their way out, so I like to find BIG ways to use them up. 

Such as chopping up a ton of them and sprinkling them on potatoes with melty garlic butter.

DREAMS. 

Obviously, potatoes are fairly neutral. That means you can use whatever herbs you have and love. My current faves are basil, parsley, cilantro, chives and dill. Then I also throw in some green onions. I have a ton of those too! 

So, there isn’t really a recipe here. 

Parboil, shake and roast the potatoes. 

Melt some butter and add a few minced garlic cloves. Add some herbs if you want too! 

Chop up a metric ton of herbs and sprinkle everything on top. 

Delicious! Goes with just about anything. You can make these with a grilled steak or serve them with thanksgiving dinner. Heck, you can dip them in sauce and that alone can be your dinner.

I like your style. 

Best Crispy Roasted Potatoes PrintCrispy Potatoes with Garlic Butter and Herbs#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; }Our favorite crispy roasted potatoes are unreal! These potatoes are super buttery, rich and cloud-like inside with a super crunchy crispy exterior. Drizzle with garlic butter, top with all the fresh herbs and serve! Heaven on a dish.Course Side DishCuisine AmericanPrep Time 35 minutes minutesCook Time 1 hour hourTotal Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutesServings 4 to 6Author How Sweet EatsIngredients2 pounds petite gold potatoes, halved½ teaspoon baking sodakosher salt and pepper2 tablespoons olive oil6 tablespoons unsalted butter4 garlic cloves, minced⅔ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, green onionsInstructionsPreheat the oven to 450 degrees F.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes, the baking soda and a few big pinches of salt. Boil until just slightly fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot for 1 minute. Transfer them to a large bowl (you want it significantly larger!) and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Shake the bowl roughly for a few minutes until the potato pieces look like they are pasty and covered in a layer of potato mush. This is good!Place the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, then shake and flip the potatoes. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes more, until they are deeply golden. You can continue to roast them until they are deeply golden if 20 minutes isn’t enough. Just be sure to check them!While the potatoes roast, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic cloves. Turn off the heat.Chop the herbs and mix them together.Remove the potatoes and place them on a large plate. Drizzle all over with the garlic butter. Sprinkle on the herbs and toss to gently mix together. Serve immediately!Notesmethod from serious eats

Crunch crunch.

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