Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 76

Hot Honey Chili Crunch Dip.

This hot honey chili crunch dip is the perfect make-ahead snack! A chilled dip made with hot honey, sharp cheddar, lime, chili crunch and cilantro is the best dip for pretzels, crackers, crudite and more. So easy and delicious!

It’s a weekend meant for cheese!

Super bowl weekend is here and this hot honey chili crunch dip could not be more perfect. It’s cheesy, creamy, a little spicy and fluffy enough to be a dip, spread or stuffed in a grilled cheese.

It’s sure to be a hit of your game day gathering! 

This dip has so many ingredients that I love. Hot honey! Chili crisp! Sharp cheddar! Green onions! Cue all the exclamation points because it’s very delicious and super easy to make. 

It’s also a great dip to make ahead of time. Trust me, it only gets better as it sits. You can make this the night before or the morning of a party and it will be FANTASTIC. 

You can put it in the center of a snack dish piled high with just about anything because absolutely everything dipped in this is pure heaven.

It tastes so good! In these photos, I’m serving it with these red pepper cheddar crackers. 

And you guys know that I don’t love super spicy things, so if I love it… it’s manageable. 

This dip is served chilled and can be compared to the consistency of pimento cheese or my jarlsberg dip. It also reminds me of my chilled queso, which is another fabulous recipe you should make this weekend. 

It’s creamy but also mousse-like, making it the perfect dip for things like pretzel sticks, crackers, and even celery and carrots.  (more…)

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Jalapeño Blood Orange Spritzer.

This non-alcoholic blood orange cocktail is a fun fizzy spin on a blood orange drink! Lime juice, fresh blood orange and jalapeño peppers are topped off with seltzer for the ultimate happy hour mocktail.

Who doesn’t want a hot pink drink?!

Especially when there is a touch of heat and lots of bubbles? Blood orange season is just the best season.

This blood orange spritzer is made with fresh blood orange juice, a touch of lime, jalapeno peppers and bubbly seltzer. A hint of sweet, a hint of heat and lots of fizziness makes this the perfect mocktail. 

I have so many cocktails that use blood orange juice. And I’ve even shared a blood orange mocktail before – my blood orange cooler made with coconut water. This is a spin on those, but with jalapenos for an extra kick. You can throw one in or use a few and even muddle them if you like extra spice. 

And it is embarrassingly easy! It’s one you can throw together in a pinch, whether it’s at night or even quickly with a meal, when you want something other than just water to drink. You can also use blood orange soda mixed with the seltzer.

It’s “recipes” like this – can we even call it a RECIPE?! – that are ones I forget about. That’s why I like to share them. Or, honestly, why I like to have a permanent space on the internet to write them down so I remember them too. 

So I can get ideas on what kind of drinks to make! 

If jalapeno isn’t your speed, I have plenty of other blood orange drinks that you can make. My favorite is this blood orange aperol spritz. It’s so pretty. Of course, the aforementioned blood orange cooler. 

It’s been a decade since I started making blood orange sangria, which is also delightful. The berries make it. 

And I also make a mean blood orange smash. Plus, blood orange margaritas can’t be beat.  (more…)

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Bang Bang Brussels Sprouts.

These bang bang brussels sprouts are crispy and delicious. Roasted until perfection, the brussels are charred and drizzled with a creamy garlicky chili sauce that adds the perfect element of flavor. Seriously addictive and poppable!

It’s side dish city over here!

I live for a good side dish, and these bang bang brussels sprouts do not disappoint. Roasted, crispy brussels sprouts drizzled with a creamy bang bang sauce made with sriracha and honey. The combination is so delicious!

I can’t get enough. 

This dish is incredibly versatile, which enhances just how much I love it. Sure, it makes for a wonderful side dish for dinner. It’s easy. The kids love it. And it really goes with just about anything.

But! You can also make a big pan (or even two!) for a party or gathering. Or a super bowl snack. 

After all, these are extremely poppable. I want to eat them right off the baking sheet – it’s hard not to. 

The brussels sprouts are roasted and charred and filled with so much flavor. They also have incredible texture. Then, they are drizzled with a creamy sauce with a hint of spice. Creamy, crunchy, savory – the perfect bite. (more…)

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Tuesday Things.

1. Rainbow gypsophila from trader joe’s is one of my favorite things. Screams spring!

2. The cutest hot pink heart pancakes. I love these!

3. We’ve discovered all sorts of wacky things we packed since moving. But this weekend took the cake. Eddie found one of the kids water bottles that was somehow stuck in the garage. Went to dump it out… and it was MILK. Oh my gosh. We both died.

4. The good news is that after 3.5 months I finally found my new dishes that I had ordered before we moved! The story is embarrassing, but I found them.

5. So obsessed with valentine’s day that I had to share all my favorite things.

6. TV Things!! I started watching Starstruck on the recommendation of a few of you. It’s so good!!

7. All the thoughts on bookshelf wealth.

8. The Grammy’s was so incredibly good. I rarely fully watch award shows anymore but I was so hooked – Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman! I’ve been singing Both Sides Now and Fast Car for 36 hours straight.

9. Oh but I definitely heard someone say on the red carpet that Olivia Rodrigo was wearing “vintage Versace from 1995.” 1995? Vintage? HELP.

10. Best news ever: Ina’s memoir. Cannot even wait.

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Weeknight Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Pickle Slaw.

These easy weeknight buffalo chicken sandwiches are dinner gold. Saucy chicken served on a soft and buttery brioche bun, piled high with crisp and refreshing pickle slaw. DELISH.

Dinner winner here!

These buffalo chicken sandwiches are super juicy and delicious, easy enough to make for a weeknight meal and are especially wonderful topped with a crisp and crunchy dill pickle slaw.

Oh my gosh.

Heaven!!

It’s my kind of sandwich. 

And it’s SO EASY. I use the same method as I do for my weeknight BBQ chicken.

Ridiculously simple, so tasty, a huge favorite for everyone.

And perfect for the super bowl!

P.S. if you’re looking for more buffalo chicken recipes, I also love these slaw sandwiches with gorgonzola slaw. Same vibe, different flavors, still for a crowd.

But… this is my favorite way to make pulled chicken sandwiches for dinner during the week!

Let me tell you why they are so good:

I use chicken thighs, for the optimal flavor and juiciness. I find that thighs also make this chicken taste like it has been cooked low and slow. 

It takes just a few minutes! I broil the chicken for 15 minutes or less. Then I shred it in a stand mixer, adding in more sauce and spices. 

It’s a great meal to make ahead of time, so you can easily meal prep this dish. It also makes for incredible leftovers and the chicken can be repurposed in tacos, on pizza or even in a salad. 

Let’s talk about this slaw. Oh heck yes, pickle lovers unite! 

I could eat pickles with every meal. I used to only love dill pickles, but now my heart extends to sweeter pickles as well. I’m telling you this because I think you can use both in this recipe. Dill or sweet work well, interchangeably. 

The combination of buffalo chicken + pickles is divine! The slaw adds a crunchy, crisp element to the sandwich and I find that it takes it over the top. The chicken is tender and juicy. The slaw is refreshing and tangy and adds a fabulous texture.

To make the slaw, I combine thinly sliced green cabbage, lots of dill pickles, some shallots, a delicious honey vinegar dressing and a few spoonfuls of sweet relish too. Makes all the difference! (more…)

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A Week In The Life, Vol 6.

We’re into February!!

We had a busy but lovely regular old week here.

Warm enough for some park play!

House salad constantly.

The kids had decade day at school!

My 50s girl.

And 90s boy!

We’re still in the middle of basketball!

Ugh I tried to cut Jordan’s hair and really butchered it.

TJs run!

He loves cereal with milk and berries for breakfast.

It was catholic schools week so we had open house!

Cutest siblings. Unintentionally matching.

I’m still in my sourdough era!!

Kids had a half day on Friday so we went and had fun.

My all time fave game.

He got soooo many tickets.

And this is all she wanted.

We had a hockey weekend!

BFFs playing.

We go through a ridic amount of snacks.

My adorable first baby!

Jordan is still very into cheers-ing.

I made sourdough pizza.

This crust was so light and bubbly!

Our favorite morning cuddles.

And I made sourdough english muffins too! Woohoo.

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This Week’s Menu Plan: 2/4/24.

Cozy comfort food is the name of the game this week!

What are you eating?!

This Week’s Menu

Cozy cauliflower chickpea curry

Baked ravioli with spinach

Sticky salmon with avocado greens

Chicken and stars soup

Maple butternut couscous bowls

Lemon butter pork chops

Smashed chickpea wraps

Blood orange vanilla chia pudding

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Currently Crushing On.

Hello weekend!

This week on the blog I shared this delicious cozy cauliflower chickpea curry. I also shared this roasted tomato feta spaghetti squash, a ton of recipes for Valentine’s Day and these hot honey feta fries.

You can find my January favorites here! As well as everything I read in January.

And here’s my winter reading list if you need some book inspo.

There’s a new weekly menu up and a peek at a week in our 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.

xoxoxo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

Strawberry crunch cake! This looks incredible.

Chicken parm pesto meatballs. Yum.

Want to try cornbread salad.

Red velvet ice cream sandwiches! Yes please.

This chocolate raspberry tart is gorgeous.

Egg roll in a bowl is so good.

Craving these black forest chocolate truffles.

DQ ice cream cake! The absolute best.

I need these philly cheesesteak sliders.

London fog latte. Love it.

This raspberry tequila sour is gorgeous.

Mexican alphabet soup is comfort food heaven.

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Hot Honey Feta Fries.

These hot honey feta fries are a delicious side dish or snack for a crowd! Crispy, crunchy french fried topped with feta cheese, drizzled with hot honey and showered with bright herbs is the way to go. Delish!

This snack is calling your name!

These hot honey feta fries are so crunchy, crispy and flavorful. French fries are topped with crumbled feta cheese, hot honey and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. This is a side dish that makes everyone go wild! 

This would also be a dream recipe for next weekend. These fries serve a crowd at any super bowl party and they will for sure be a hit. 

Never did I ever think that I’d be the person telling you to doctor up a bag of frozen fries!!

But. 

It’s so ridiculously easy. It’s ideal for a crowd, for a party, for a fun afternoon, for the super bowl – all those things. And this is a fabulous way to feed a crowd. Whether it’s a snack or a side dish.

Needless to say, these have to happen in your kitchen!!

I don’t mind frozen fries, but they have to be thin and crispy. That is the key! I don’t want thicker fries that get soggy or soft. Give me all the crunchy, thin fries at home and I promise this is the way to go. This is how you make them so everyone in your life freaks out! 

The best part about this is that these come together SO quickly. In the time that it takes to roast these fries, they are done. Simple. Finished!

All it takes is:

Crumbly feta cheese

A drizzle of hot honey

Lots of fresh herbs

That is IT!! 

I like to roast the fries until they are almost finished. Then, I sprinkle them with feta and put them back in the oven for five to eight minutes. Just until the feta gets slightly melty and creamy. This also helps the feta adhere to the fries so it doesn’t all end up in the bottom of the dish. 

When the feta fries come out, I give them a big drizzle of hot honey. All over! This can be done at your discretion – whether you want a little or a lot – because it does get spicy.  (more…)

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What I Read In January 2024.

 

I kicked 2024 off with a lot of good books! I’m in a good reading zone at the moment and have some that I loved this month. What are you reading?1

You can find my reading lists here and previous what I read posts here.

And you can follow me on goodreads here.

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

All 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.

WHAT I READ IN JANUARY 2024Mercury – 5 stars

I love this book so much – it surprised me. It is a story about family, mostly about family drama. It follows a girl who moves to a new town with her single mom and becomes involved with a family that has three sons. This is not a happy story, but it is a good story. The writing is incredible and it kept me interested – I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen. It’s also sort of a murder mystery so I guess it could be considered a thriller. And! It’s set in western PA in the 90s, so I was familiar with what the author was talking about.

First Lie Wins – 4.75 stars

Also loved this one! This is a true thriller. The story follows a girl who is sort of a life long con artist to the point where she has made it her job. She always has an alias with a full background story. Her boyfriend is the target she is working on, but someone shows up with her REAL name and her real life story. It’s crazy! There were a few twists and turns and while I did see the big twist somewhat coming, it was still good.

The Bright Spot – 4 stars

This one was so cute! I love every book by Jill Shalvis. This was adorable – the story follows a girl who runs a farm, the owner dies and leaves her 50% of the farm – and someone else, a very cute someone else, the other 50%. If you are an animal lover, you will love this. Multiple times I laughed out loud and the farm animals had a ton of personality in this – the writing was great. It’s a super feel good story.

He’s Not My Type – 3 stars

I have to be in a certain moon to read Meghan Quinn – they are definitely a level of spice that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I like reading them after a thriller or something deeper! This story is a hockey romance, which I love since we are huge hockey fans. The story follows a marketing exec for a hockey team who ends up living with one of the players after she loses her apartment in a breakup. Steamy, cute and I liked it.

A Not So Meet Cute – 3.5 stars

Same as the above, but I did like this one a little more. It was very funny and the banter is great. Equally as steamy and spicy, but still readable. This story follows a girl who gets fired from her job by her lifelong frenemy. She goes in search of a rich boyfriend and runs into someone who needs a fake fiance for a business deal. Sounds cheesy, but it’s very cute. I love a fake dating trope!

Frigid – 2 stars

I was not really a fan of this one – should’ve know by the cover alone, lol. It felt a little young adult-ish to me, so many of the scenes are cringy and I didn’t love the language. This story follows a girl who has been in love with her best friend forever. He’s a total player but they end up stranded in a cabin in a snowstorm. But it’s probably just me!! I know that people really love this. It is friends to lovers trope which is always a good one.

One In A Millennial

I’ve listened to Kate Kennedy’s podcast for years and she has an uncanny ability to verbalize nearly everything I loved/feel about growing up as a kid in the 90s. Think all the good nostalgia – this is the book, but in a fabulous way that also talks about how it has affected us. It’s really great! I listened to it because she narrates it. Her writing style is just like her podcasts so I highly suggest listening, that way you get the full effect!

(This is not sponsored but there are a few bookshop and/or affiliate links above! Thank you for reading!)

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