9 Crowd-Pleasing Desserts for Your Memorial Day Party

When it comes to warm weather desserts, there are a few very key considerations:

1. You don’t want something that’s going to get gooey or wilt in some way—it can be surprisingly warm on Memorial Day weekend!

2. You want something that’s easily portable, so fancy things that are perishable, delicate or have elaborate toppings are probably out of the question, too.

3. All that, and it’s got to be delicious and eye-catching, too — right?!

Continue reading "9 Crowd-Pleasing Desserts for Your Memorial Day Party" »

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8174097 https://www.simplyrecipes.com/best_recipes/9_crowd_pleasing_desserts_for_your_memorial_day_party/

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu

Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza

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Now you don’t have to go all the way to Chicago for a deep dish pizza! The crust is perfectly golden brown, the chunky tomato sauce is completely homemade, and a fresh layer of ooey gooey mozzarella cheese is simply the best combination ever!

I went to Chicago a few years ago and I fell in love with the city.

I fell in love for two reasons:

1. They have the best donuts.
2. They have the best deep dish pizzas.

I almost moved there for these exact reasons just so I can be living next door to Lou Malnati’s.

#pizzagoals, guys.

Except. Well, I figured out how to make their pizza right at home!

I found that the secret to achieving the best deep dish pizza was very simple and very specific.

It’s the use of a cast iron skillet!

This allows the dough to go in real deep and up the sides for that beautiful golden brown crust we all love so much.

Not to mention, the super chunky tomato sauce, the crumbled, salty sausage chunks, and the fresh Parmesan and basil on top.

And thanks to using refrigerated pizza dough, this comes together in just 1 hour!

Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Now you don’t have to go all the way to Chicago for a deep dish pizza! The crust is perfectly golden brown, the chunky tomato sauce is completely homemade, and a fresh layer of ooey gooey mozzarella cheese is simply the best combination ever!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces Italian sausage, casing removed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup minced sweet onion
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes with basil, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 1/4 pounds pizza dough, at room temperature
• 8 ounces whole milk mozzarella, sliced
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and set aside.
2. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, if using; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 10-12 minutes; set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Move oven rack to the lowest position.
4. Lightly coat a 10-inch cast iron skillet with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle skillet with cornmeal.
5. Working on a surface that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, roll out the pizza into a 12-inch-diameter round. Transfer to prepared cast iron skillet, carefully pressing the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the skillet. Top with mozzarella, sausage and tomato mixture in an even layer; sprinkle with Parmesan.
6. Place into oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20-24 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
7. Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.

The post Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza appeared first on Damn Delicious.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8174097 https://damndelicious.net/2018/05/21/deep-dish-chicago-style-pizza/

Citrus-Brined Grilled Pork Chops

Boneless pork chops seem to be a popular grilling option during summer because they are always available and are easy to season and toss on a hot fire.

But they also tend to dry out quickly and are easy to overcook.

That’s why I love this Citrus Brined Pork Chop recipe! The salty sweet brine keeps the pork chops really tender and moist, even if you do accidentally overcook them a few degrees.

Continue reading "Citrus-Brined Grilled Pork Chops" »

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8174097 https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/citrus_brined_grilled_pork_chops/

Texas Sheet Cake

Have you ever had Texas Sheet Cake? It’s made up of a thin layer of moist chocolate cake topped with a layer of warm, poured chocolate icing and sprinkled with pecans — an easy, unfussy cake to make for a crowd!

Continue reading "Texas Sheet Cake" »

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8174097 https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/texas_sheet_cake/

Skinnytaste Meal Plan (May 21-May 27)

A free 7-day flexible meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points.

Let me know if you have any requests for next weeks meal plan!

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc. You should aim for around 1500 calories* a day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing!

PS – If you want to make your own meal plan, you can search for recipes by course in the index.

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated Weight Watcher Freestyle Points for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them!

MONDAY (5/21)
B: 2 fried eggs (0), 2 slices tomato (0), 2 ounces avocado (3)
L: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Dill (1) with 8 slices of cucumber (0)
D: The Best Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers (6) with Quick Cabbage Slaw (2)
Totals: Freestyle Points 12, Calories 849*

TUESDAY (5/22)
B: 2 fried eggs (0), 2 slices tomato (0), 2 ounces avocado (3)
L: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Dill (1) with 8 slices of cucumber (0)
D: Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce Tacos (6) with Cauliflower “Fried Rice” (1)
Totals: Freestyle Points 11, Calories 826*

WEDNESDAY (5/23)
B: PB + J Yogurt (6)
L: Chicken Salad with Lemon and Dill (1) with an apple (0)
D: Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan (7) and 1 ½ cups arugula (0) with 2 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette (2)
Totals: Freestyle Points 16, Calories 838*

THURSDAY (5/24)
B: 2 hard-boiled eggs (0) and a banana (0)
L: Canned Tuna Ceviche (3) with 1 ounce (about 18) baked tortilla chips (3)
D: Slow-Cooker Banh Mi Rice Bowls (10)
Totals: Freestyle Points 16, Calories 872*

FRIDAY (5/25)
B: PB + J Yogurt (6)
L: Canned Tuna Ceviche (3) with 1 ounce (about 18) baked tortilla chips (3)
D: Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad (6)
Totals: Freestyle Points 18, Calories 803*

SATURDAY (5/26)
B: Spinach Ricotta Quiche (5)
L: Updated Waldorf Salad Cups (6)
D: DINNER OUT!
Totals: Freestyle Points 11, Calories 566*

SUNDAY (5/27)
B: LEFTOVER Spinach Ricotta Quiche (5)
L: BLT Salad with Avocado (5) and an apple (0)
D: Chicken Cacciatore (3) over 1 cup whole wheat spaghetti (5) and Roasted Asparagus (0)
Totals: Freestyle Points 18, Calories 849*

*This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc.

(more…)

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8174097 https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinnytaste-meal-plan-may-21-may-27/

Meal Plan for May Week 4

This month, Megan Gordon is back with us sharing her weekly meal plans! Megan is a writer and recipe developer living in Seattle, WA, the author of Whole Grain Mornings, and mom to a 2-year-old. Please welcome Megan!

I can’t believe we’re staring down at the end of May already! Our son is too young to think about summer camps or activities, but we’re all starting to get pretty excited about getting outside and taking short hikes, packing picnics, and riding our bikes on the weekends.

To allow for more time outdoors and a little less time in the kitchen this week, I chose recipes that are easy to make in advance (or that, like Monday’s meal, basically make themselves).

Continue reading "Meal Plan for May Week 4" »

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8174097 https://www.simplyrecipes.com/best_recipes/meal_plan_for_may_week_4/