Tag: #Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

PSA: You’re Probably Washing Your Mushrooms Wrong

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Mushrooms are an undoubtedly versatile ingredient. You can sauté them on their own, turn them into a garlic butter masterpiece, throw them into a divine omelet, and virtually use them in any dish that you feel needs a plant-based boost. Store-bought mushrooms range widely in variety, with some of the most popular types being white button, shiitake, and portobello.

If you’re like us, you may have skipped a thorough washing a time or two in favor of a simple rinse. But that’s actually the No. 1 mistake people make when washing mushrooms—because mushrooms grow in dirt, it’s important to wash them as thoroughly as possible before cooking with them.

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Posted in #Recipes

25 Slow Cooker Classics for Your Next Tailgate

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Whether it is the final big game of the season or just a small gathering of devoted fans at your home, sports require a certain commitment to tailgating food. Tailgating is more of a style, really. It doesn’t require you to commit to actually entertaining in a parking lot. In fact, most “tailgating” happens in the comfort of people’s homes, gathered around a television instead of an open hatchback.

No single tool is more of a game-changer for tailgate-style cooking than the slow cooker. Whether you are using it to prepare dishes ahead, keep them warm on the buffet, or even transport them to the game attached to a small generator, these recipes are all just what you want for any big game. With these 25 slow cooker tailgating recipes, you’ll be prepared to serve up only the best food for any game.

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Posted in Kitchen Tips

Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese?

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Cottage cheese is a soft, fresh cheese known for its high protein and calcium content. It is also a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed as a snack and an ingredient for a variety of savory and sweet dishes.

 Cottage cheese has a shelf life of one week in the fridge when opened and two weeks if unopened. Since it is a perishable product, you might wonder whether it is worthwhile to stock up on it at grocery store sales and what to do with the leftovers when you have too much.

Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese?  

You’ve probably have heard mixed messages aboutfreezing cottage cheese. While USDA guidelines don’t recommend freezing cottage cheese, some home cooks and culinary chefs disagree.

Generally speaking, cottage cheese comes in two main types: dry-curd options and varieties with milk or cream. Dry-curd cottage cheese is basically the curds without lactose, which are removed using a higher-heat cooking process. (Note: It’s similar to but not the same thing as farmers cheese.) Because dry-curd products are, well, dry, they freeze better than cottage cheese swimming in milk or cream—which is the most common variety sold in tubs at grocery stores.

Cottage cheese with milk or cream is a high-water-content dairy product regardless of how much fat it has (for example, full-fat versus low-fat products). If frozen, the liquid turns into ice crystals. And when the cottage cheese is thawed, the ice crystals transform into liquid, causing the curds to become a grainy texture. However, full-fat cottage cheese tends to freeze better than the fat-free variety due to its higher fat content, retaining a creamier texture when thawed. 

So if you don’t mind the grainy texture of thawed cottage cheese, then it is perfectly fine to freeze it to enjoy later. Defrosted cottage cheese is best used for cooked dishes such as lasagna, casserole, and breads.

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Posted in #Recipes

Texas Chili

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This Texas chili is rich and hearty with just the right amount of heat. The beef is wonderfully tender and perfectly absorbs the smoky, savory seasoning of the pepper paste and spices.

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

How to Keep Your Brown Sugar Fresh (and Soft)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

One thing that can derail your baking plans is discovering that the brown sugar your cookie recipe calls for is as hard as a rock. Luckily, we’ve got a super simple tip for keeping brown sugar soft and fresh from the start, preventing lumps—or the need to chip away at that solid block of golden goodness (we’ve all been there). 

Brown sugar can be one of the more temperamental baking ingredients in your pantry arsenal. From the get-go, it’s best to store brown sugar in a cool, dry space, and in an airtight and moisture-proof container such as a secure resealable bag, or a glass or plastic canister with an airtight lid. Once you’ve got that covered, adding a moisture source is a wildly effective extra measure for maintaining the softness and freshness of your brown sugar. Read on to discover my go-to trick that works like a charm every single time. 

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Posted in #Recipes

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

My cabbage roll casserole has all the ingredients of stuffed cabbage rolls but is a lot easier to make! This basic recipe will appeal to everyone but if you prefer more flavor, consider adding crushed garlic, paprika, thyme, or cayenne pepper.

Cabbage roll casserole is the saucy, satisfying 9×13 dish that will take your weeknight dinners from boring to bold. Enjoy a casserole dish that combines seasoned ground beef, chopped cabbage, and fluffy white rice with tomato sauce and beef broth for a wonderfully cozy bite.

Learn how to make cabbage roll casserole, plus get tips on how to make it your own and what side dishes to pair it with for a fabulous meal.

How to Make Cabbage Roll Casserole 

Tender chopped cabbage with rich, meaty flavor is just a few steps away. You’ll find the full recipe below with step-by-step instructions, but here’s what you can expect when you make this top-rated recipe:

  1. Brown the beef and drain the grease.
  2. Add the cabbage, sauce, onion, rice, and salt. Pour broth over the top.
  3. Bake for one hour, stir, and continue baking until the cabbage is tender.

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Posted in Taste Tests

This Is How to Tell When Your Olive Oil Is Bad

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Olive oil is one of cooking’s most versatile ingredients. From using it to make salad dressings, to fry veggies, or even just to accompany bread, it has a multitude of uses.

It also has a range of qualities and varieties. Picking the right olive oil can be a bigger decision than one might think. So when you get your hands on the right bottle of olive oil, it can be tempting to save it. For instance, maybe you found the perfect, bulk-sized jug of olive oil and plan to use it for a while. Or maybe you grabbed a nice bottle on a trip and want to set it aside for a rainy day.

But, just like most good things, olive oil doesn’t last forever. So, before you store it, make sure you know how to keep it from going to waste.

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

Our 10 Most Popular New Recipes of 2024

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Allrecipes published more than 1,000 new recipes in 2024—it’s been a busy year, to say the least. Of all the crowd-pleasing appetizers, irresistible sides, mouthwatering entrées, and decadent desserts that graced our site over the last 365 days (give or take a few weeks), some stood out more than others to the Allrecipes community. To celebrate the best of the best, we put together this list of the new recipes readers loved the most in 2024. Drumroll, please!

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

The Actual Reason McDonald’s Diet Coke Tastes the Best

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Every McDonald’s fan knows that whether you’re going to the fast food chain for a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Filet-O-Fish, McNuggets, or even a simple order of fries, you can’t leave without a fountain drink. Mickey D’s has always been highly regarded for its sodas—and for good reason. 

There’s just something about a McDonald’s Diet Coke or Sprite that hits different. And actually there is something that makes the fountain sodas stand out—and, according to our taste test, better—than any other fast food restaurant. 

So, how does McDonald’s do Diet Coke so well?

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Posted in #Recipes

Apple Crumble Coffee Cake

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A delicious apple crumb cake. Finally, after all these years, I’ve come up with a solution for people who can’t decide whether to make an apple crumble or a coffee cake. This features the best things about both of those recipes. It’s like baking a crumb-topped coffee cake on top of another coffee cake!

Other than a classic apple pie, I’m not generally a huge fan of apple desserts. I’m not sure why, but they just don’t entice me like other sweet things do. This, however, is one very notable exception. It’s almost too good. I find this very hard to stop eating.

If you’re a fan of apple crumbles, coffee cakes, and Dutch apple pies, this just might become your new favorite dessert recipe. Sorry, I meant new favorite breakfast recipe. But, regardless of what time of day this graces your table, you’re going to be enjoying what I think is the perfect combination of moist buttery cake, sweet bits of fruit, and buttery, crunchy crumbs. In fact, don’t be surprised if you have it for breakfast and dessert.

One of the keys here is to make sure you dice your apples nice and small, so they become perfectly tender by the time your coffee cake is baked. The only way to really mess this up would be to have a bunch of large, crunchy apple pieces inside an otherwise perfect coffee cake. Do not let that happen. Of course, we could hedge our bets and sauté them first, but why add another step?

Of course, you don’t have to use apples, or any fruit for that matter, and this recipe will still produce a world-class coffee cake, but I hope you do. It’s not like they add a ton of health benefits, but a little extra fiber is always a good thing, and that way we won’t feel quite as guilty for enjoying this for breakfast and dessert. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have a piece for lunch. I’ll finish by saying I really do hope you give this apple crumble cake a try soon. Enjoy!

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