Month: February 2025

Posted in Kitchen Tips

How Long Does Boxed Chicken Broth Stay Good in the Fridge?

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

There are certain kitchen staples that are versatile superstars, here to help with any number of recipes. Boxed chicken broth is one of those hard-working items you can keep on hand for everything from soups and stews to rice and pasta.

This handy supermarket shortcut is shelf-stable as long as it isn’t opened, but once you unscrew the cap, do you actually need to use it all at once? Here’s everything you need to know about saving an open carton of chicken broth.

Is There a Difference Between Homemade and Boxed Chicken Broth? 

The biggest difference with homemade broth and a box of chicken broth is the time it takes to prepare. Homemade broth involves simmering onions, carrots, and other aromatics along with chicken in water. The chicken broth in a box is a kitchen time-saver in that it is ready-to-use as soon as it is opened.

What’s the Difference Between Stock and Broth?

The ingredient profile is also slightly different as far as the protein and gelatin content. A boxed broth has virtually no gelatin which means that it does not have the depth and viscosity of a homemade version. A homemade broth will naturally start to thicken as it reduces over heat, while a store-bought stock will remain a thinner consistency.

What Is In Boxed Chicken Broth? 

Look at the ingredient list on a box of chicken broth and you will find a combination of ingredients not dramatically different from what you’d use to make broth at home. Ingredients such as: chicken, water, salt, natural flavoring, mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions), yeast extract (barley), sugars (dextrose), canola or soybean oil.

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

PSA: You’re Storing Your Potatoes and Onions the Wrong Way

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Potatoes and onions have a fair amount in common: They’re infrequently the star of a dish, but play stellar supportive roles in everything from pot roasts to casseroles. Onion bulbs and potato tubers both flourish underground, meaning that the vegetables require similar storage conditions—cool, dark, and ventilated environments—and they fare much better on a counter than in the fridge.

However, just because onions and potatoes prefer the same conditions doesn’t mean they make good neighbors. In fact, storing the vegetables together will shorten both of their shelf lives.

Can You Store Potatoes and Onions Together? 

Storing potatoes and onions together isn’t the best idea. Onions produce a high level of ethylene gas, which will cause potatoes to ripen—and go bad—before you’re ready to use them. However, those spuds aren’t completely innocent, either: Potatoes’ high moisture content can cause onions to liquefy and leak. Keep onions and potatoes apart for both vegetables’ sakes.

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

Easy Funeral Potatoes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

What Are Funeral Potatoes?  

Funeral potatoes is a Midwestern dish made with hash browns or cubed potatoes, cheese, and canned cream soup. The casserole, which features a crunchy cracker or potato chip topping, gets its name from its place on the traditional after-funeral dinner table. It’s also common at picnics, potlucks, and all sorts of social gatherings. 

Funeral Potato Ingredients 

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy funeral potato recipe: 

  • Canned soup and sour cream: This rich and creamy recipe starts with a mixture of canned cream of chicken soup and a pint of sour cream. 
  • Cheddar: You’ll need 1 ½ cups grated Cheddar cheese for these cheesy potato casserole. 
  • Onion flakes: Add flavor with ½ cup of dehydrated onion flakes. 
  • Hash browns: Use a package of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed. 
  • Potato chips: Top the funeral potatoes with a cup of crushed potato chips. 

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

101 Easy Comfort Foods You’ll Want to Dig Right Into

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Our Best Comfort Food Recipes

We all have our own ideas about what makes a dish comforting. For some of us it’s the melty, cheesy goodness of chicken Parmesan or macaroni and cheese; for others, the stick-to-your-ribs feeling you get when you tuck into a pile of potatoes or pasta. There’s one thing we can all agree on, though—and that’s the idea that comfort food shouldn’t be a hassle. That’s why we love these no-fuss recipes. They’re flavorful and satisfying (and exactly what you want to eat when you’re in the mood for some good, old-fashioned comfort) but they’re also completely doable. From baked pasta and meatloaf to fried chicken and pizza, you’ll be cooking up all your favorites in no time. Looking for a place to start? We recommend chili mac. This version is inspired by the flavors of Texas chili—cubed beef, chiles, spice and no beans. Traditional Texas chili takes hours to achieve its super-tender beef and famous long-simmered flavor, so we turned to the pressure cooker to help bring it together quickly. We also brought in that creamy queso-dip secret ingredient (processed cheese) for a perfect velvety finish to our dish.

Food Network

Posted in Kitchen Tips

3 Ways to Instantly Tell If Your Broccoli Has Gone Bad

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Broccoli is one of the most common vegetables on the dinner table. And for good reason; it’s a versatile staple vegetable that’s available in abundance in almost every grocery store and is a delicious way to pack in your daily vitamins and fiber. But if you’ve found yourself with a head that was bought a little too long ago, you may be wondering how to tell if broccoli is bad.

How to Store Broccoli 

The best broccoli has tender florets and firm, slightly crunchy stalks. But if you store it incorrectly, those florets can become shriveled, and the stalks can get soft and rubbery. Broccoli lasts the longest stored in the fridge, so skip the counter or pantry. Once you bring your head of broccoli home from the store, loosely wrap it in a plastic bag, produce bag, or another perforated bag, keeping the stalk end out.

How to Cook Broccoli Right

In the crisper drawer, broccoli will keep l for 3 to 5 days. You can also wrap the stalk end in a slightly damp paper towel to extend the broccoli’s life a bit further, about 4 to 7 days.

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

20 Easy Instant Pot Soups With Simmered-All-Day Flavor

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Our Best Instant Pot Soup Recipes

There’s nothing more comforting on a chilly night than a steamy bowl of homemade soup. When you’re short on time but still craving the slow-cooked flavor of something made from scratch, reach for your multicooker. It can cut down on time and effort—making everything from chicken soup to beef stew a breeze. One of our favorite recipes? This hearty Southern stew that is bascially a one-pot meal. Satisfying chuck roast and mixed veggies swim in a delicious tomato broth that’s perked up with just a touch of hot sauce. While it’s not as thick as some other stews, it’s one recipe that’s sure to fill even the hungriest bellies.

Food Network

Posted in Kitchen Tips

How to Tell If an Avocado Is Ripe

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I’ve had a lot of practice when it comes to knowing how to tell if an avocado is ripe. Growing up in a household with a Belizean mother and Puerto Rican father, the avocado was the golden fruit of all fruits. Avocados were tucked in every nook and cranny in the kitchen, so it was vitally important to determine how ripe they were. There was no time for mushy avocados in our family!

As a kid, I observed my mother’s discerning process in selecting these beautiful fruits to create all sorts of avocado recipes—from guacamole to salsa de aguacate. It’s a skill I later embraced and honed in my career as a chef.

Knowing how to determine the freshness of the fruit and how to store avocados ensures one can enjoy their optimal flavor and texture, as well as making cost-effective purchasing decisions and minimizing waste.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

10 Dishes You Can Make Right in Your Rice Cooker

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Our Best Rice Cooker Recipes

You already know that your rice cooker can (obviously) make rice. And, you may have tried it with other grains, like quinoa, too! But believe us when we say that a rice cooker can be used for so much more. With the right rice cooker, you’ll find that you can have one-pot mealsthat hardly require you to lift a finger, including everything from complete dinners to breakfasts and desserts. Wondering where to start? This ultra-simple dish, inspired by Spanish garlic shrimp is one of our favorite things to cook with rice — and is cooked entirely in a rice cooker. It’s boosted with the smoky flavors of chorizo and paprika, then rounded out with crunchy red peppers and a bright squeeze of lemon at the end.

Food Network

Posted in Kitchen Tips

HOW TO DEFROST GROUND BEEF

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Forget the panic of realizing your ground beef is still in the freezer with dinner looming close! Discover how to defrost ground beef safely and effectively, whether you’re in need of the best way to thaw frozen ground beef slowly in the fridge or the fastest way to thaw ground beef when time isn’t on your side. This guide covers it all, helping you ensure the freshness and safety of your dishes with delicious recipe ideas to get you started.

Picture this: It’s almost dinner time, the family is getting hungry, everyone’s excited for your cooking, and suddenly, you realize your ground beef is still frozen solid. Don’t worry! Knowing how to defrost ground beef safely and quickly is something every home cook needs. Thawing your beef correctly not only ensures it stays fresh and flavorful but also keeps dangerous bacteria like at bay.

This guide walks you through the best ways to thaw ground beef, from the safest (refrigerator) to the fastest (microwave), while making sure the food quality and safety stays intact. Whether you’re planning make-ahead meals or need dinner on the table pronto, you’ll find easy, actionable tips to prepare properly thawed meat for your next hearty dish.

Pillsbury

Posted in #Recipes

Chicken Chalupa

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

he chalupa entered the American consciousness at large around 1999, when Taco Bell introduced its crispy, chewy flatbread filled with seasoned beef, sauce, cheese, lettuce and tomato. It was an immediate hit, and people today still love the chalupa and its many iterations, including the chicken chalupa.

As is the case with most of its menu, Taco Bell didn’t invent the chicken chalupa—though that bread-like shell is best seen as sort of chalupa-adjacent when compared to what you might find in Mexico.

But that’s the beauty of a chalupa: It can take many forms, including that of our version with shredded chicken baked on top of a corn tortilla. This chicken chalupa recipe is a lighter take on the simple dish, and a great way to use leftover or rotisserie chicken. For a full meal, serve it with rice, beans or your other favorite Mexican foods.

Continue reading “Chicken Chalupa” →