Month: November 2025

Posted in #Recipes

60 Cookie Exchange Ideas Your Friends Will Love

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

If you’re feeling the Christmas cookie exchange pressure, we’re here to help. A lot goes into picking out the perfect recipe: It must be just as delicious as it is pretty, easy to bake yet able to make a good first impression, and, of course, festive-looking or festive-flavored—no generic cookies allowed! We kept that in mind when putting together our master list of cookie exchange ideas. Any of these recipes would be a knockout at a Christmas cookie exchange party!

There is a lot of variety in this list of Christmas cookie recipes. We included all the traditional Christmas cookies (think cherry snowballs, speculaas and thumbprints), plus lots of modern cookie recipes (hello, eggnog cookies and reindeer Nutter Butters!) in case you want to shake things up. All are festive for the season and very well-reviewed, and most are attainable for even newer bakers.

Whatever cookie exchange recipes you choose, always give yourself enough time to make them without feeling rushed. I like to chill cookie dough for 24 hours so the flour can hydrate, resulting in a more flavorful and tender cookie. If your recipe needs to be decorated, wait for the cookies to cool completely to room temperature first. Depending on the recipe, decorate the cookies the night before or the morning of the cookie exchange. Anyone wanting to host a stress-free Christmas cookie exchange should follow this formula!

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Slow-Cooker Chickpea Tagine

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

If you’re familiar with the vibrant and complex flavors of Moroccan cuisine, you may already know that blending herbs and spices with slow-cooking techniques is the key to producing the region’s unique, aromatic dishes. If Moroccan recipes are new to you, then you’re in for a treat with this spicy, tangy, hearty slow-cooker chickpea tagine. It mimics the bold tastes of North African tagine cooking right in your own kitchen—no unusual kitchen tools required.

What is a tagine?

Tagine is the name of a North African stew and also the ceramic vessel in which it’s cooked. These dome-shaped pots are used as a primary method of cooking Moroccan food and other North African specialties. The pots consist of two parts: a wide base to hold the ingredients and a tall, conical lid. That shape allows steam to rise, condense at the top, then drip back down and continuously baste the food. The result? Perfectly tender stewed meats and vegetables.

Slow-Cooker Chickpea Tagine Ingredients

  • Butternut squash
  • Zucchini
  • Red bell pepper
  • Onion
  • Canned chickpeas
  • Dried apricots
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Paprika
  • Ground ginger
  • Ground cumin
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Canned crushed tomatoes
  • Harissa chili paste
  • Honey
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Plain Greek yogurt (optional)

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Posted in #Recipes

Shrimp and Grits

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The phrase shrimp and grits alone conjures images of soul-warming Lowcountry comfort food. The best way to enjoy this southern staple is by making it at home with this easy recipe. You don’t have to be from the South to enjoy a bowl of creamy grits with lightly spiced shrimp. Plus there’s bacon, which makes everything better!

Sometimes called breakfast shrimp, it’s quite a popular dish for brunch or later. And it’s hard to say which is the star—the smoky, spiced shrimp or the creamy grits. We’ll say both. It’s one of many easy shrimp recipes for weeknight dinners, thanks to the quick-cooking shellfish.

Ingredients for Shrimp and Grits

  • Old-fashioned grits: For a true southern shrimp and grits recipe, seek out old-fashioned hominy grits, sometimes sold as regular grits. They take longer to cook than instant grits but have a superior texture (you’ll use them in cheesy grits, too). Stone-ground grits retain more of the corn’s whole grain, making them even more nutritious, but they can take twice as long to cook as old-fashioned grits.
  • Milk, butter and cheddar cheese: You’ll need all three for deliciously creamy, flavorful grits.
  • Bacon: Chopped bacon provides a smoky flavor to the dish, and drippings for cooking the shrimp.
  • Raw shrimp: Raw shrimp are your best choice for juicy shrimp recipes because they will stay tender and moist. They’re less likely to become rubbery and chewy like precooked shrimp can when reheated. Frozen cleaned uncooked shrimp are easy to use in this recipe; just thaw in cool water first (keep the shells to make a quick stock for the shrimp and grits).
  • Cajun or blackened seasoning: Keeping homemade Cajun seasoning in your spice collection will let you easily add heat to many dishes. Blends can vary, but most rely heavily on an array of peppers and garlic. Blackened seasoning often resembles a cross between Cajun and Creole seasoning mix, working in dried herbs and onion powder.

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Posted in #Recipes

30 Easy Thanksgiving Desserts Everyone Will Enjoy

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Thanksgiving is a holiday all about comforting classics, including a perfectly seasoned roast turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole with a crispy onion topping. But when the dishes have been cleared, it’s time to bring out the fall desserts everyone has been waiting for. These easy Thanksgiving desserts take away the need to fuss with intricate latticed pies or layered cakes, but still bring the flavors you expect.

This roundup includes pumpkin, apple and pecan pies, quick puddings, fudge and frozen desserts, including homemade ice cream recipes. Each one has 20 minutes or less of prep time, and then it can be baked and cooled or chilled until it’s time to serve. With plenty of no-bake Thanksgiving desserts and make-ahead choices, it’s easy to set up a dessert spread in no time.

These simple Thanksgiving dessert recipes adapt well to different dietary needs and preferences. Use a prepared gluten-free pie crust or coconut whipped topping instead of whipped cream, so there is something for everyone. Whether you make one dessert or five, these quick Thanksgiving treats deliver all the flavors of fall, with warm spices, tart cranberries, crunchy nuts and juicy apples, while still leaving time to enjoy the company around you.

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Cranberry-Maple-Glazed Turkey

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This cranberry-maple-glazed turkey takes minimal effort and ingredients and turns them into an impressive holiday centerpiece with festive flavors and aromas. Adding a cranberry-maple glaze is an easy way to transform your Thanksgiving turkey from tasty to can’t-stop-talking-about-it.

You’ll start by dry-brining your bird. This process may sound intimidating, but it’s as simple as generously salting the turkey and letting it rest overnight in the fridge. The salt seasons the meat and helps it stay juicy during roasting.

Before the turkey goes into the oven, stuff the cavity with fragrant onion, orange and bay leaves to infuse the meat with even more flavor from the inside. Then, coat the outside with a simple mixture of cranberry sauce, maple syrup and chopped nuts. The glaze bakes into a sticky, sweet-tart finish and gives the turkey a gorgeous color and beautiful shine. The result is a surprising yet classic combination of flavors that’s sure to wow guests and make your holiday table feel extra special.

Ingredients for Cranberry-Maple-Glazed Turkey

  • Turkey: If you’re using a frozen turkey, plan for plenty of thawing time. A 12- to 14-pound frozen bird needs about three days in the fridge to thaw completely. Ignore the pop-up timer that comes with most turkeys; an instant-read meat thermometer is the most reliable way to ensure your turkey is cooked through.
  • Kosher salt: Salting the turkey ahead (a process known as dry-brining) is the secret to extra-juicy meat. It may seem like a lot of salt, but it’s the key to locking in moisture and flavor. Be sure you’re using kosher salt and not table salt; table salt is too fine and will make the turkey taste overly salty.
  • Aromatics: Stuffing the cavity with onion, orange and bay leaves subtly flavors the meat from the inside out as it roasts. Onion brings a savory aroma, orange adds brightness and bay leaves lend an herbal note.
  • Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness to the glaze and balances the tartness of the cranberry sauce. Be sure to use pure maple syrup (not to be confused with misleading pancake syrup) for the best flavor.
  • Cranberry sauce: This shortcut ingredient gives the glaze its festive tart-sweet flavor and a hint of ruby-red color. We prefer whole berry sauce for added texture—store-bought is perfectly fine, but you can cook up a quick homemade cranberry sauce with fresh berries if you have time.
  • Walnuts: Finely chopped walnuts add a nutty crunch to the glaze. Need a nut-free option? Just leave them out.

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Posted in #Recipes

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Jazzing up dinner is a snap with a chicken bacon ranch casserole. This dish is similar to mac and cheese but is turbo-boosted with ranch seasoning and the super protein combo of cooked chicken and bacon. I love recipes that start with ranch dressing mix, because the mix is perfectly savory and adds zesty herbs and spice to almost anything. The guy who invented ranch dressing was on to something!

Adding ranch dressing and mix to this pan of creamy pasta gives it the perfect punch of flavor, which makes my friends and family always compete for second helpings. Once you make bacon chicken ranch casserole, either as a side dish or the main event, the casserole will go into heavy rotation and become one of your favorite casserole recipes.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Ingredients

overhead shot of ingredients
Dan Roberts for Taste of Home
  • Spiral pasta: Each pasta shape holds sauce differently, and spirals are the best choice for this bacon ranch chicken casserole. Spiral noodles have many nooks and crannies, so each bite is super saucy.
  • Milk: Milk creates a creamy blend of flavors and textures. We use 2% milk, but you can use whole or skim. Note: If you use the latter, your sauce will be thinner.
  • Ranch salad dressing: Ranch is so tasty thanks to buttermilk, herbs and mayo (in just the right proportion). You can make ranch dressing from scratch or buy your favorite bottled brand at the store.
  • Ranch salad dressing mix: You can use your favorite ranch dressing mix or whip up a batch from your spice cupboard.
  • Cream cheese: Rich and smooth, cream cheese melts easily and creates a luscious texture in this bacon chicken ranch casserole.
  • Cooked chicken: Chop up some leftover chicken if you have it, but rotisserie chicken from the market is a quick fix when you don’t have time to roast a bird. (This is just one of many dinners to make with rotisserie chicken!)
  • Bacon: Bacon brings smoke and crunch to this casserole. Try baking bacon for evenly crisp strips without a lot of fuss.
  • Colby cheese: Colby cheese is mild and melts easily, making it the perfect finishing touch for this bacon ranch chicken casserole. You can use other good melting cheeses if needed. I love Gouda, sharp cheddar or a flavorful Gruyere. For added flavor and consistency, shred the cheese yourself instead of buying the bags of pre-shredded stuff.
  • Sliced green onions: For the pop of color and the kick of flavor, a little green onion is worth the few extra moments of chopping. Chives are also a great option.

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Posted in #Recipes

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

What sounds better, 20 or 30 minutes of hands-on work chopping and dicing and mixing and sauteing and such, or about five minutes of hands-on work and a four- to five-hour slow cook? If you’re thinking that a teriyaki chicken thigh recipe that lets the slow cooker do the work for you is the right answer, then we tend to agree. Slow-cooked teriyaki chicken thighs could not be much more tender or flavorful, and they make a wonderful anchor for many different meals.

You likely already have all the ingredients needed to make this dish, with a possible exception of ground ginger and the boneless skinless chicken thighs themselves, so make a quick run to the store, and then let’s get cooking. Or rather, let’s get the slow cooker going.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

  • Chicken thighs: This recipe uses 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Trim any excess fat, and consider lightly pounding larger pieces of meat to tenderize them.
  • Sugar: Sugar goes delightfully well with the salty and savory notes in this dish. It’s an essential ingredient in the teriyaki sauce you’ll be creating.
  • Soy sauce: We strongly recommend a reduced-sodium soy sauce for this recipe (and in most recipes, for that matter). You’ll hardly notice any less of a salty taste, and you’ll be cutting out a lot of sodium, of course.
  • Cider vinegar: In most cases, cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar are the same thing, if you were wondering. You can use a product labeled as either.
  • Garlic: Use one large garlic clove, and make sure to mince it well so it fully blends into the recipe.
  • Ground ginger: Ground ginger is a potent spice, so don’t use more than the prescribed 3/4 teaspoon.
  • Pepper: Just 1/4 teaspoon of pepper has a welcome little kick. You can add a bit more if you like things spicier.
  • Cornstarch: The cornstarch is mixed with cold water to help form the perfect consistency for the finished sauce.
  • Hot cooked rice (optional): Serving teriyaki chicken thighs with hot cooked rice is technically optional, but it’s a match made in heaven, so we recommend it!

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Posted in #Recipes

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Stuffing

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

There’s no reason to limit stuffing to the Thanksgiving table. This slow-cooker chicken and stuffing recipe embraces the savory, comforting flavor of the beloved side dish, turning it into a homey weeknight dinner recipe you can use any time of year. Plus, it’s one of our easiest slow-cooker chicken recipes: We make it with store-bought stuffing, and the creamy sauce is a snap to prepare with canned condensed soup and simple seasonings. Just dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and turn it on for a dinner that will simmer away with zero effort on your part.

Ingredients for Slow-Cooker Chicken and Stuffing

  • Condensed cream of chicken soup: Cream of chicken soup recipes are great shortcuts when time is limited. Use two undiluted cans to make a rich, robust sauce for the chicken.
  • Sour cream: Sour cream adds richness and tang to the sauce. You can use low- or nonfat sour cream if you like.
  • Onion: Like many crockpot chicken dishes, this recipe includes onion for its sweetness and texture.
  • Seasonings: Keep things simple with a dash of garlic powder and black pepper.
  • Chicken breasts: We like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts here. They cook quickly, and the sauce prevents them from drying out.
  • Stuffing cubes: Seasoned stuffing cubes are essential. They soak up the sauce in the slow cooker, making this a starchy, hearty side dish.
  • Parsley: Garnish the chicken with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

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Posted in #Recipes

30 Fall Cake Ideas for Cozy Autumn Gatherings

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

When it comes to desserts, I think fall has the most delicious flavor combinations. Our fall cake ideas showcase the best of the season, with recipes filled with apples, pears, cranberries and pumpkin. Paired with fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, these cakes are as cozy as pulling on a favorite sweater.

My favorite autumn cakes fill the kitchen with rich, warm aromas, like a coffee cake loaded with fruit or apple pie-inspired cupcakes that balance sweet and tart. This collection also has cake ideas for fall holidays, so you can make a cake to go with other spooky and sweet Halloween treats or a turkey-themed cake for Thanksgiving. If you really want to impress, try a piecaken, which combines pie and cake in one towering, centerpiece-worthy dessert.

These autumn cakes are also great for quiet evenings at home. A spiced Bundt goes beautifully with mugs of French hot chocolate after dinner, while a pumpkin loaf shared around the fireplace feels just right. To keep cakes fresh, store them in airtight containers at room temperature or in the refrigerator (for creamy frostings) and enjoy them all week when the craving for something sweet and seasonal strikes.

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Posted in #Recipes

Wild Rice Stuffing

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Readers love this wild rice stuffing recipe for two reasons: The wild rice adds a wonderful toasty flavor to traditional Thanksgiving stuffing, and it’s a good way to use the turkey’s giblets. The giblets (heart, liver, kidneys, gizzard and neck) are the secret to wild rice stuffing’s rich and savory flavor. Remove the giblets from the bird’s cavity, simmer on the stovetop until tender, then chop and add right to the stuffing.

Gone are the days of tossing the giblets in the trash. Keep them, because this wild rice stuffing will become your go-to recipe!

What is wild rice?

It’s a semi-aquatic grass that grows natively in North America’s Great Lakes region. While it mimics other types of rice in texture and appearance, wild rice isn’t a true rice. It belongs to a separate but related species called Zizania and is one of only a handful of grains native to North America. People like wild rice for its nutty flavor and for being healthier than conventional rice—it’s higher in both protein and fiber. It’s also a rich source of vitamin B, antioxidants, folate, phosphorus, niacin, magnesium and zinc.

Ingredients for Wild Rice Stuffing

  • Turkey giblets: The giblets refer to the small package of organ meat stuffed inside a turkey during processing. This package usually contains the bird’s heart, liver, kidneys, gizzard and neck.
  • Wild rice blend: This recipe calls for a store-bought wild rice blend, but you can create your own blend of wild rice, white rice and brown rice for the perfect flavor and texture.
  • Celery: This aromatic gives the stuffing flecks of green color along with a fresh vegetal flavor.
  • Onion: Use white, yellow or sweet onions to make this recipe.
  • Seasoned stuffing: This recipe takes a shortcut and uses preseasoned crushed stuffing.
  • Chicken broth: The broth adds moisture and rich poultry flavor. Pick up a good store-bought chicken broth or use homemade chicken broth.

Taste of Home