Tag: #Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

Classic Macaroni Salad

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This creamy macaroni salad with celery, onion, green pepper, carrot, and pimentos is easy to make and is the perfect crowd-pleasing dish to bring to your next picnic or potluck. 

How to Make Macaroni Salad

You’ll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let’s go over the basics:

Macaroni Salad Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this macaroni salad recipe: 

  • Macaroni: Of course, you’ll need macaroni pasta!
  • Condiments: A creamy blend of mayonnaise and yellow mustard adds tons of flavor. 
  • Sugar and vinegar: White sugar adds a dose of sweetness, which is pleasantly balanced by white vinegar. You can, of course, add as much or as little sugar to suit your taste.
  • Seasonings: This macaroni salad is simply seasoned with salt and ground black pepper. 
  • Vegetables: You’ll need celery, an onion, and a bell pepper. Grated carrots and pimento peppers are optional, but they add welcome flavor and color. 

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

20 Greek Recipes You’ve Probably Never Tried

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

There are many popular Greek recipes we all know and love, like Lamb Souvlaki, pita, and bean salads, but there are plenty more Greek-inspired dishes to to try. Here are 20 Greek recipes that may have not crossed your kitchen table yet. From the seaside village of Kyparissia to the dining room of your favorite Greek restaurant, these recipes hit all the flavors we love about Mediterranean cuisine. While many of these recipes are as traditional as they come, some take inspiration from Greek cuisine and run with the flavors. Either way, these top-rated recipes are bound to delight.

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

Best Hamburger Ever

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This hamburger recipe is flavorful, juicy, and incredibly satisfying. 

Hamburger Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this top-rated hamburger recipe: 

  • Beef: These basic burgers start with 1 ½ pounds of lean ground beef. 
  • Onion: A finely chopped onion takes the flavor up a notch. 
  • Cheese: You’ll need shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese. 
  • Egg: An egg lends moisture and helps bind the patties together. 
  • Seasonings, herbs, and sauces: These hamburgers are flavored with an envelope of dry onion soup mix, fresh garlic, garlic powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed dried rosemary, salt, and pepper.

How to Make the Best Burgers

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make the best burgers ever: 

  1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl. 
  2. Make four patties. 
  3. Grill the patties until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink in the center. 

How Long to Cook Hamburgers

Cooked on a grill heated to high heat, these hamburger patties should be fully cooked after about 4 to 5 minutes per side. You’ll know they’re done when the juices run clear, they’re no longer pink in the center, and an instant-read thermometer reads at least 165 degrees F.

What to Serve With Hamburgers

Explore our collection of Quick and Easy Side Dishes for Burgers for delicious serving inspiration. Here are a few of the crowd-pleasing ideas you’ll find: 

Allrecipes

A Chef Finally Settles the Debate: Do Bay Leaves Even Do Anything?
Posted in Kitchen Tips

A Chef Finally Settles the Debate: Do Bay Leaves Even Do Anything?

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Adding a bay leaf to your chicken soup may seem like a no-brainer—but does that little leaf really make a difference? Ask your friends who cook occasionally and most will say no, they omit them all the time. Ask professional chefs and avid home cooks, and the answer is completely different. But opinion is one thing—an actual taste test is another.

As the former test kitchen manager for a magazine and now full-time recipe developer, I did what I know best: I made a recipe and did a side-by-side blind tasting. I made Chef John’s Homemade Chicken Stock with and without a bay leaf and then tasted the broth along with other testers. The difference was noticeable, but not profound. The stock with the bay leaf had a slightly more herbal flavor and nuanced taste, but it wasn’t enough to make me think the bay leaf was crucial. 

But was my side-by-side test enough? I didn’t think so. My bay leaf was more than a year old and wasn’t very big. Another chef agreed.

“I think bay leaves are just underused or misused,” says Stephen Coggio, former farmer at The French Laundry garden and now Executive Chef at Cloud 9 Caterers in Burlington, Vermont. “They need to be toasted and they need to be used bountifully. Dried bay has very little impact whereas California fresh bay leaves should be used carefully.”

So I went back to the kitchen and made the chicken stock again. Twice. In one I used a fresh bay leaf and in the other, I used three dried bay leaves.

Allrecipes

The One Ingredient
Posted in Kitchen Tips

The One Ingredient I Never Add to Guacamole

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

My favorite guacamole recipes are often the simplest. You don’t need more than six or seven ingredients to make an incredible dip.

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to guac. Even in Mexico, there is no single way to make guacamole. 

But there is one ingredient I see in guacamoles that I tend to steer clear of when I’m making my own. It’s a common addition, one I see more often from homemade guacamoles than at restaurants.

Why I Leave Tomatoes Out

I never include tomatoes. If you like them in your guacamole, then you should add them. And I’ll still eat it because I go for any guacamole I can get my hands on. But if you come to my house, expect it without tomatoes. 

If you want to get your tomato fix, there will also be salsa and pico de gallo waiting. But tomatoes always feel a little redundant in guacamole because the citrus from your chosen fruit—whether that be limes, lemons, or oranges—adds enough acidity already.

Plus, they also contain a lot of water which can pool in the guacamole when stored. An added component I don’t really want—and they can cause any leftovers to brown quicker and separate, creating p in the container. 

If you plan to finish the guacamole the same day you make it, tomatoes are a fine ingredient to add. But I tend to skip it entirely. The texture of the tomatoes, which turns quite mushy when mashed, gets lost in the avocados.

Allrecipes

Posted in #Recipes

Butter Beef

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

This irresistibly rich butter-based beef recipe uses just three ingredients to create a luscious slow cooker meal. Stew meat, onion soup mix, and butter combine for an intensely savory bite you’ll want to experience over and over again. Add this popular beef recipe to your rotation for a delightfully meaty dinner any day of the week.

How to Make Butter Beef 

Getting dinner on the table has never been easier. 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;

Place cubed beef stew meat and butter in a slow cooker, then sprinkle soup mix on top. The slow cooker will handle the rest — cook on low for eight hours or in high mode for four. It couldn’t be any simpler to make this luxurious beef dish.

What to Serve With Butter Beef 

Butter beef is a natural partner to egg noodles, rice, and potatoes. It can also be served with a vibrant green salad to cut through the richness of the dish. This melt-in-your-mouth recipe is simple enough for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion that calls for saucy deliciousness.

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

I Make the Best Pimento Cheese Ever—Here’s My Secret Ingredient

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I love pimento cheese. Like really, really love it. I’d eat it every day if I could and it’s what I’d request as my last meal. I’ve made some good batches, some not-so-good batches, and some truly amazing batches, if I do say so myself. Not to toot my own horn (toot, toot), but I’ve rarely served it to someone who didn’t ask for the recipe. And now, I’m finally sharing it.

My Secret Ingredients for Better Pimento Cheese 

Over the years, I’ve perfected my craft—and discovered a few secret ingredients that take pimento cheese to the next level. My recipe starts off with the basics (cheese, mayo, pimento peppers). Then, I start to zhuzh. Here’s what I add: 

  • Pimento juice and jalapeño juice: Most pimento cheese recipes call for draining the jarred pimento liquid. Personally, I am pro-pimento juice. Just a tablespoon or two makes the flavor a lot bolder. Also, since this is my pimento cheese recipe and I love heat, I always add pickled jalapeños and a few tablespoons of the liquid they came in. 
  • Celery salt: I once added celery salt to my pimento cheese by accident, and I’m so glad I did. A generous pinch lends a fresh-tasting bite that’s mildly peppery, but not so powerful you know it’s there. Once you try it, you’ll never make pimento cheese without it again.  

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

An Expert Settles the Debate: This Is the Best Trick to Make Your Beans Less Gassy

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Beans are magical, and not just in fairy tales. Everyone from your favorite social media chef to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is pushing for increased bean consumption, and there’s plenty of good reason—beansare rich in protein and fiber, making them an affordable foundation for a nutritious and filling meal.

Despite their benefits, you could say beans don’t have the best reputation, thanks to their … after-effects. So, when we heard about a simple trick that helps reduce gas in beans, you bet we investigated the method.

Why Do Beans Cause So Much Gas? 

“Beans produce gas mainly due to oligosaccharides, which are complex sugars like raffinose and stachyose,” says recipe developer and food expert Rizwan Asad. “We lack the enzymes to break these down, so they end up fermenting in the gut, creating gas.”

According to our friends at Eating Well, high-protein foods contain compounds that can exacerbate gas or lactose in dairy. In beans’ case, hard-to-digest complex carbohydrates (including oligosaccharides and fiber) cause further fermentation and discomfort.  

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

Toss Your Butter Immediately If You Notice These Signs

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Similar to flour and sugar, butter is one of those indispensable ingredients you just can’t do without. Whether to slather on toast, melt over a perfectly seared filet, or fold into a homemade batter, smart cooks keep a few sticks of butter on hand at all times. (The last thing you want to do mid-recipe is drop everything to make a mad dash to the grocery.) But how long does butter last? And how can you tell when and if it’s gone bad?

How Long Does Butter Last? 

Butter keeps longer than other dairy products, thanks to its high concentration of fat (around 80%) and low moisture level (around 16%). Salted butter has an added layer of protection since salt acts as a natural preservative, thus slowing down spoilage. But butter eventually will go bad. How and when that happens depends on where you store it.

How long does butter last at room temperature? While some believe that butter should always be stored in the refrigerator, the truth is that, if stored properly, salted butter can keep at room temperature for a few days and even up to a week. Just be sure to cover it in a butter dish so light and air don’t get in. (Light and air are butter’s enemies because they will oxidize the fat, leading to rancidity.) It’s also best not to store next to a heat source or direct sunlight. Unsalted, whipped, and unpasteurized butter should be kept in the fridge.

How long does butter last in the refrigerator? Butter can be stored in the fridge for about three months (unsalted) to five months (salted). After that you might notice a change in quality and freshness since butter can absorb other flavors and odors in the fridge. To prevent that, store it in an airtight container or well-wrapped away from other foods with strong smells. While some refrigerator models have built-in butter storage in the door, it’s recommended you store butter in a colder part of your fridge for longer shelf life.

How long does butter last in the freezer? Butter can be frozen for five months (unsalted) to nine months (salted). Just like with the fridge, you’ll want to store it in the freezer in an airtight container such as a zip-top bag, and be sure to freeze before the use-by date. To thaw frozen butter, leave it in the fridge overnight to slowly defrost. Once thawed, it should be used within a month. It’s important to remember that even if stored properly, butter that’s been frozen for months won’t taste as fresh as butter you’ve just purchased.

Everyone Should Have a Butter Bell—Here’s Why

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

The 3 Most Dangerous Expired Dairy Products in Your Refrigerator

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Whether you’re pouring milk on your favorite cereal, marinating chicken in buttermilk, or crumbling blue cheese onto a wedge salad, dairy products are essential to our diets and cooking routines. But because of their nutrient-dense environments, milk, yogurt, and other items are also stomping grounds for bacteria and other harmful microorganisms to thrive—particularly if they’re stored incorrectly or kept past their prime. 

“When it comes to food safety, it is best to discard expired foods to prevent foodborne illness,” says Connie Elick, a registered dietician and instructor of plant-based culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education Los Angeles campus.

These are the three most dangerous dairy products to keep in your refrigerator past their expiration dates, according to Elick. Plus, warning signs of spoilage to look for to keep your meals worry-free and tips for prolonging the shelf life of your dairy.

Allrecipes