Mildly Meandering

Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias

Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea

Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea – A light and refreshing summer drink! Two different iced teas brewed together and lightly sweetened with honey.

Iced tea is one of my favorite things to sip on during the summer.  Something about how refreshing it is always is such a joy and I can never get enough of it.  Something I learned last year was that you can actually make iced tea with teas other than plain old black tea! Yup, you heard me right, any flavor of tea bags can work!

Want to try out Bigelow Tea? Hover over the image below to purchase it from Walmart!

Making this discovery, my world opened up to some incredibly fun different varieties of iced tea out there such as one of my favorites – blueberry pomegranate iced tea! To make this iced tea, you need just 3 simple ingredients – water, Bigelow Green Tea with Wild Blueberry and Acai, and Bigelow Pomegranate Pizzazz.  You might have noticed from some of my other posts such as vanilla bean scones and chai scones that I am a HUGE fan of Bigelow‘s teas because of the variety of incredible flavors and the fond memories I have of sharing Bigelow teas with my grandmother growing up.  It really holds a special place in my heart.  Bigelow is the only choice for me! Tea is a part of my daily routine, I start my day with a cup and I end my day with a cup so I really feel passionate about making sure that my teas are made with by a 3 generations of family with quality foil packaging that ensures freshness.  Their products are manufactured in the US with quality tea and ingredients!

 

To get everything I needed, I popped over to my local Walmart’s tea department.  They have such a wide variety of Bigelow flavors in store and online so make sure to check that out.  All of them are great for making fun iced tea flavors this summer and it’s a great thing to serve to guests at any summer get together.  To make the best tea possible, make sure to follow the instructions for that tea on the packaging.  #BigelowIcedTea

Now making this iced tea is just about as easy as it gets.  All you have to do is brew the tea according to the instructions on the packaging for making hot tea, refrigerate it for a bit so that it doesn’t melt the ice, and then pour over ice.  That’s it! I also like to add just a touch of honey to it too but that is totally optional.  It’s a great recipe to make ahead of time for parties.

Yield: 4 servings

Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea

Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea

Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea - A light and refreshing summer drink! Two different iced teas brewed together and lightly sweetened with honey.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 bags of Bigelow Pomegranate Pizzazz
  • 2 bags of Bigelow Green Tea with Wild Blueberry and Acai
  • 4-5 cups water
  • 2-3 tablespoons honey (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make iced tea bt bringing 4-5 cups of water to a boil and then brewing the tea according to the directions on the Bigelow Green Tea with Wild Blueberry and Acai box by brewing it for about 4-5 minutes before removing the tea bags and refrigerating it until it is cold.
  2. Once tea is cold, add in honey if you would like it lightly sweetened (optional). Stir well.
  3. Divide ice between cups and pour iced tea into the cups.
  4. Serve with a few blueberries in the glass (optional).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 51mg Carbohydrates: 26g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 23g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 1g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: American / Category: Food
Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea - A light and refreshing summer drink! Two different iced teas brewed together and lightly sweetened with honey. Iced Tea Recipe | Easy Tea Recipe | Easy Iced Tea #tea #drink #drinks #recipe #easyrecipe

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Blueberry Pomegranate Iced Tea - A light and refreshing summer drink! Two different iced teas brewed together and lightly sweetened with honey. Iced Tea Recipe | Easy Tea Recipe | Easy Iced Tea #tea #drink #drinks #recipe #easyrecipe

 

Italian Affogato

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Italian Affogato – A delicious Italian dessert made from vanilla gelato or ice cream and topped with espresso. This indulgent treat is perfect for summer.

Italian Affogato

Italian Affogato

Calling all coffee lovers! This affogato recipe creamy coffee perfection and SO easy to make with just two simple ingredients.  Now if you haven’t heard of affogato before, no worries.  It’s an Italian dessert made with vanilla gelato (or ice cream) and espresso.  That’s it! Really, it’s just those two ingredients!

This recipe is the perfect balance of hot and cold as you serve the espresso over it hot and freshly brewed.  It melts the ice cream immediately and creates this delicious creamy coffee that is phenomenal.  It is definitely a dessert that you have to eat immediately.

Affogato Recipe

Common questions about making affogato

How do I eat an affogato?

You can eat it either using a spoon or even just drinking it, depending on how melted it is.

What does affogato taste like?

Affogato tastes like a creamy coffee flavored ice cream.  I have found that it has a bit stronger of an espresso flavor than coffee ice cream but it is still very similar.  Additionally, you can add additional flavors to it with toppings such as

  • Shaved chocolate
  • Chopped hazelnuts
  • Cinnamon
  • Salted caramel
  • Chocolate sauce

Is affogato vegan?

Affogato is not traditionally vegan but it can be made dairy-free/vegan very easily.  Instead of dairy-based ice cream/gelato, try using coconut-based ice cream or any other type of vegan-friendly ice cream.

What does affogato mean?

Affogato is Italian for “drowned” which comes from the fact that the espresso drowns the ice cream/gelato.

Easy Affogato

Can’t get enough of this italian affogato recipe? Try these other recipes!

Yield: 1 serving

Italian Affogato

Italian Affogato

Italian Affogato - A delicious Italian dessert made from vanilla gelato or ice cream and topped with espresso. This indulgent treat is perfect for summer.

Prep Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 scoops vanilla ice cream or gelato
  • 1 shot espresso*

Instructions

  1. Place ice cream or gelato in a coffee cup.
  2. Brew espresso and pour it over the ice cream while still hot.
  3. Top with shaved chocolate, chopped hazelnuts, or caramel. (optional)
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes

*If you don't have access to espresso, you can use 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee instead.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 499 Total Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 17g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 201mg Sodium: 217mg Carbohydrates: 52g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 48g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 9g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Dessert
Italian Affogato - A delicious Italian dessert made from vanilla gelato or ice cream and topped with espresso. This indulgent treat is perfect for summer. Affogato Recipe | Ice Cream Recipe | Espresso Recipe | Italian Dessert #dessert #recipe #easyrecipe #coffee #espresso #icecream

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Italian Affogato - A delicious Italian dessert made from vanilla gelato or ice cream and topped with espresso. This indulgent treat is perfect for summer. Affogato Recipe | Ice Cream Recipe | Espresso Recipe | Italian Dessert #dessert #recipe #easyrecipe #coffee #espresso #icecream

Falafel Burgers

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Falafel Burgers

Falafel Burgers

Falafel Burgers – A delicious spin on classic falafel perfect for summer. Homemade falafel formed into a patty and served with pita bread and hummus!

It’s one of my favorite times of the yeah again – Burger Month! It’s a yearly event that I participated in since last year when I created my spinach artichoke turkey burger recipe (which was delicious so go give it a try).  This year, I wanted to create a meatless burger and after making falafel for the first time recently, I thought it would be fun to combine those two things into one awesome meal!

This falafel burger recipe is super simple, it is just homemade falafel with a few toppings.  Something that I did to make this burger extra special was to make homemade pita bread that was the right size to be the buns of the falafel burger.  It was really easy to do but alternatively, you could just buy pita bread from the store and use that or a normal burger bun.

Some of my favorite toppings for falafel burgers are sundried tomatoes, hummus, spinach, and feta but some other ideas include olives, red onions, or roasted red peppers.

Falafel Recipe

Common questions about making falafel burgers

What is a falafel burger made of?

Falafel burgers are made from chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, cumin, baking powder, flour, salt, and shallots (or green onions).

Is falafel good for you?

Overall, falafel is good for you and a great source of protein from the chickpeas.

Is falafel vegan?

Yes, falafel is usually a vegan and dairy-free.  The toppings are where things can not be vegan if you add things such as feta cheese so just be mindful of toppings if you are vegan/dairy-free.

Easy Falafel Recipe

Can’t get enough of this falafel burger recipe? Try these other recipes!

  • Curry Udon – A flavorful Japanese dish that is the perfect comfort food! Udon noodles topped with a homemade curry sauce.
  • Asian Pork Burger – An Asian spin on a classic American meal! Ground pork burger patties topped with a delicious slaw.
  • Chicken Schnitzel – A classic german dish made with breaded chicken deep fried until golden brown.
  • German Roggenbrot (Rye Bread) – Delicious homemade bread made with rye flour and caraway seeds.

Falafel Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Falafel Burgers

Falafel Burgers

Falafel Burgers - A delicious spin on classic falafel perfect for summer. Homemade falafel formed into a patty and served with pita bread and hummus!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Falafel

  • 4 oz dried chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon shallots
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons water

Toppings

  • Burger buns or pita bread
  • Hummus
  • Sundried tomatoes
  • Spinach

Instructions

  1. Soak chickpeas in water for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
  2. Drain chickpeas and then combine all ingredients for the falafel in a food processor. Blend until fairly smooth.
  3. Shape falafel into disc shapes that are about 3 inches across. Place falafel patties on a sheet pan or plate and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Once the falafel has been refridgerated, pour about 1/2" of a neutral frying oil such as vegetable or canola in a deep pan. Bring the oil up to medium heat and then transfer 2-3 falafel patties into the pan at a time, depending on how big the pan is. Cook until golden and then flip, cooking until golden on that side too.
  5. Transfer cooked falafel onto a plate lined with paper towel until the rest is cooked.
  6. To assemble, place falafel burger on a bun and add on any toppings on top. Serve immediately.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170 Total Fat: 3g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 795mg Carbohydrates: 29g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 3g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 8g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: American / Category: Dinner
Falafel Burgers - A delicious spin on classic falafel perfect for summer. Homemade falafel formed into a patty and served with pita bread and hummus! Falafel Recipe | Vegan Recipe | Chickpea Recipe #falafel #vegan #vegetarian #dinner #easydinner #recipe #easyrecipe

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Falafel Burgers - A delicious spin on classic falafel perfect for summer. Homemade falafel formed into a patty and served with pita bread and hummus! Falafel Recipe | Vegan Recipe | Chickpea Recipe #falafel #vegan #vegetarian #dinner #easydinner #recipe #easyrecipe

Mexican Horchata

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Mexican Horchata – A simple and refreshing Mexican drink that’s perfect for a hot summer day! Rice and cinnamon soaked in water overnight and sweetened with sugar!

Mexican Horchata

Mexican Horchata

This horchata recipe is going to be your new favorite summer drink recipe! Something about it tastes so refreshing and is awesome on a hot day served over ice.  I really can’t get enough of it right now!

Horchata is a Mexican drink that I have been dying to try making at home for a while now after I tried it at a local restaurant and fell in love with it.  It is super easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have at home.  This recipe can be made ahead of time and served later so it’s great for parties and summer BBQs.  Additionally, this recipe makes 2 servings but it can very easily be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.

When I serve horchata, I like to line the rim of the glass with cinnamon sugar just for an extra bit of flavor.  To do so, I simply mix 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon together on a plate and then I cover another plate with either enough water or light corn syrup to coat the very top of the rim.  Then, I place the cup in the water/corn syrup and then into the cinnamon sugar.  The water works but it may not coat as evenly as the corn syrup will.

Common questions about making horchata

What is a horchata made of?

Horchata is a simple drink most commonly made from  made from rice, cinnamon, sugar, and water.

What does horchata taste like?

Horchata has a very similar taste to rice pudding with many of the same flavors going into it as rice pudding.

Is horchata hot or cold?

Horchata is traditionally served cold over ice.

Easy Horchata Recipe

Can’t get enough of this mexican horchata recipe? Try these other recipes!

Homemade Horchata Recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Mexican Horchata

Mexican Horchata

Mexican Horchata - A simple and refreshing Mexican drink that's perfect for a hot summer day! Rice and cinnamon soaked in water overnight and sweetened with sugar!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup long grain rice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cups water
  • 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. In a blender (or a large mixing bowl with an immersion blender), blend long grain rice, cinnamon stick, water, vanilla extract, and sugar until the rice is ground up a bit, but not completely.
  2. Transfer to a covered container and place in the refridgerator for at least 3 hours, but overnight if possible.
  3. Remove from refrigerator and pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pieces of rice and cinnamon.
  4. Fill cups with ice, divide horchata between two cups, and serve.

Notes

*Add more sugar to taste, I have found that it is up to personal preference how sweet you want it. I tried 1/4 cup sugar and found it to be much too sweet for my taste.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 11mg Carbohydrates: 36g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 19g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Drinks
Mexican Horchata - A simple and refreshing Mexican drink that's perfect for a hot summer day! Rice and cinnamon soaked in water overnight and sweetened with sugar! Horchata Recipe | Mexican Horchata | Mexican Drink Recipe #drink #recipe #easyrecipe #horchata

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Mexican Horchata - A simple and refreshing Mexican drink that's perfect for a hot summer day! Rice and cinnamon soaked in water overnight and sweetened with sugar! Horchata Recipe | Mexican Horchata | Mexican Drink Recipe #drink #recipe #easyrecipe #horchata

Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes

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Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes – A delicious side dish perfect for a holiday dinner! Thinly sliced potatoes topped with creamy white cheddar cheese and mediterranean spices!

Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes

Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes

It’s Freaky Friday time again! This time, it is our yearly virtual cookies exchange and I am so excited to share this Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes recipe from The Speckled Palate with you guys! Freaky Friday is where a bunch of bloggers are all assigned different blogs and we make a recipe from their site to share! None of us know who is assigned to our site so it ends up a fun surprise and a great way to get to know each other and our sites better! It is organized by Michaela from An Affair from the Heart and it’s so fun!

Scalloped Potatoes

So for this round, I was assigned Erin from The Speckled Palate! Erin is an incredible food blogger who I actually got the chance to meet real quick during Everything Food Conference last year! Her site has been around since 2011 and there is such a wide range of great recipes that she has created on there, it was really hard to choose just one to make! Some of my personal favorites were the Creamy Chicken Enchilada Bruschetta, Vegan Sage Sweet Potato Olive Oil Biscuits, and Peanut Butter Pancakes with Raspberry Perserves Syrup. 

I ended up going with her Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes recipe because I am a sucker for any kind of potato dish and when I read the description, I could tell that this was the one that I had to make! It was overall a really easy recipe to make and it is perfect as a holiday side dish or just on a regular night.

Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Can’t get enough of this mediterranean scalloped potatoes recipe? Try these other recipes!

Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes

Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes

Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes - A delicious side dish perfect for a holiday dinner! Thinly sliced potatoes topped with creamy white cheddar cheese and mediterranean spices!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 russet or yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 cups white cheddar cheese (shredded)
  • 3 tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces)
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup onion (diced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Peel potatoes and then slice them into 1/2" slices.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, combine spices.
  4. Place 1/3 of the potato slices in the bottom of the baking dish. Add in 1/3 of the milk, onion, butter, cheese, and spices. Repeat two more times with the remaining ingredients (there should be three layers of potatoes and toppings).
  5. Place baking dish in oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top of the potatoes are golden brown and fully cooked through.
  6. Serve immediately.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 326 Total Fat: 21g Saturated Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 60mg Sodium: 526mg Carbohydrates: 23g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 14g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: Mediterranean / Category: Side Dish
Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes - A delicious side dish perfect for a holiday dinner! Thinly sliced potatoes topped with creamy white cheddar cheese and mediterranean spices! Easy Potato Recipe | Potatoes Recipe | Scalloped Potatoes #recipe #easyrecipe #sidedish #potatoes

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Mediterranean Scalloped Potatoes - A delicious side dish perfect for a holiday dinner! Thinly sliced potatoes topped with creamy white cheddar cheese and mediterranean spices! Easy Potato Recipe | Potatoes Recipe | Scalloped Potatoes #recipe #easyrecipe #sidedish #potatoes

Take a look at all of our Spring 2019 Freaky Friday Recipes:

Canadian Poutine

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of McCain Foods. The opinions and text are all mine. #MyMcCainPotatoes #CollectiveBias

Canadian Poutine

Easy Canadian Poutine

Easy Canadian Poutine – This quick and easy appetizer is the perfect comfort food! French fries topped with homemade gravy and cheese curds.

Living in Michigan, we have a close kinship with the classic Canadian comfort food – poutine.  Our neighbors to the north made basically the perfect food made from just three simple ingredients – gravy, french fries, and cheese curds.  The combination may sound a bit strange but it tastes AMAZING and it’s a great snack or appetizer for game day.

Easy Canadian Poutine

After all these years of it being one of my favorite foods to get at a restaurant, I decided I wanted to give it a go making it at home for my game day party! To get everything I needed, I popped over to my local Walmart and picked up McCain® Craft Beer Battered Thin Cut Fries, McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries, and McCain® Seasoned Waffle Fries from the frozen potato department.  I couldn’t decide on just one type of fries so I just grabbed them all and thought the variety of different shapes and flavors would be a fun way to jazz up my spin on poutine.  Did you know there is a rebate on McCain products at Walmart? Until 5/31/19, you can get $1.50 off when you purchase 2 participating McCain products at Walmart. You can submit your rebate & learn more details HERE!

 

I chose McCain® because their products are made with real potatoes.  Their are a Canadian company that has become the world’s largest manufactuer of frozen potato products and their products are the perfect centerpiece for game day, parties, or a casual dinner with the family.  McCain® Craft Beer Battered Thin Cut Fries are great loaded up with toppings, McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries add big flavor to your menu, and all of their products have a satisfying crunch with each and every bite!


Making poutine is really easy, you just have to cook the fries, make gravy, and assemble.  When it comes to gravy, I made it from scratch because it’s easy and flavorful but you can always use a gravy packet or a different recipe if you prefer.  Additionally, if you don’t live near the great state of Wisconsin like I do and cheese curds aren’t as readily avaliable, you can substitute in sliced up cheese sticks or cubes of cheddar cheese.  The flavor and texture of the cheese will be different but it still works and tastes great! If you aren’t planning on serving about 8 people this recipe, you can reduce it.  Previously, I have made this poutine recipe for 2-3 people and just did one bag of fries, half the recipe of gravy, and cheese curds.

If you want to take your poutine to the next level, try sprinkling some chopped bacon on top or some fresh parsley for a pop of color.

How to assemble poutine

Step 1 – Waffle Fries

On your serving tray, place a layer of McCain® Seasoned Waffle Fries at the bottom.

Step 2 – Beer Battered Fries

Next, add a layer of McCain® Craft Beer Battered Thin Cut Fries on top of the waffle fries.

Step 3 – Curly Fries

Add a layer of McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries on top of the other fries.

 

Step 4 – Cheese Curds

Place cheese curds on top of the fries.  Any flavor is fine but I chose cheddar because I thought it would complement the other flavors well.

Step 5 – Gravy

Drizzle warm gravy evenly on top and serve.  The amount you use is up to you, I was very generous with my gravy but it’s up to you.

Poutine Recipe

This is not a recipe that reheats well so if you are planning on serving it over multiple days, save the extra gravy and make a new batch of french fries.

Easy Poutine Recipe

When I serve this poutine recipe for game day parties, I always make sure to have lots of napkins ready because this is a messy finger food! I also have little plates for people to put some poutine on so that they can enjoy it while they are watching the tv and enjoying the game!

Poutine

Yield: 8 servings

Canadian Poutine

Canadian Poutine

Easy Canadian Poutine - This quick and easy appetizer is the perfect comfort food! French fries topped with homemade gravy and cheese curds.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Poutine

  • 1/2 bag of McCain® Craft Beer Battered Thin Cut Fries
  • 1/2 bag of McCain® Seasoned Curly Fries Seasoned Potato Fries
  • 1/2 bag of McCain® Seasoned Waffle Fries
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese curds
  • Gravy (recipe below or use your favorite gravy recipe)

Gravy

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup onion (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons shallots (minced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
  • 1/2 cup milk

Instructions

Gravy

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium hear. Add in onion, shallots, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant (about 4 minutes).
  2. Add in flour and continuously mix until the sauce has thickened up into a roux and turned golden brown (about 4 minutes).
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in stock, soy sauce, and milk. Mix until it is well combined and thickened.
  4. Remove from heat and run it through a fine-mesh strainer into a seperate bowl to remove the chunkier onion pieces and spices. The gravy will continue to thicken as it cools.

Poutine Assembly

  1. Cook fries according to the instructions of the packaging.
  2. Place fries on a platter along with cheese curds. Drizzle with warm gravy and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463 Total Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 13g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 56mg Sodium: 517mg Carbohydrates: 34g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 12g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: Canadian / Category: Food
Easy Canadian Poutine - This quick and easy appetizer is the perfect comfort food! French fries topped with homemade gravy and cheese curds. Canadian Recipe | Easy Poutine Recipe | Comfort Food Recipe #easyrecipe #recipe #comfortfood #food #appetizer #poutine

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Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FindItInFrozen #GetFoodThatFits #CollectiveBias

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® – A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

Getting dinner on the table can be hard sometimes! With such busy schedules at my house, it can be easy to reach for snacks and skip making a real, filling meal because you know it is going to take time and effort that you just don’t have.

Recently, I discovered the LEAN CUISINE entrées and it has changed my whole view on how easy dinner can be to put together! They help me eat well while also saving time on cooking so they are great options for a busy weeknight meal with the family or as a tasty lunch to bring to work. Something I love about these entrées are that they can be taken to the next level with just a few tips and tricks (which I am sharing today!).

Want to try LEAN CUISINE entrées? Click through the image below to shop!

This week, I knew I was going to be really busy but some friends were going to be in town visiting so I wanted to put together a nice dinner featuring two of my favorite LEAN CUISINE entrées – their Five Cheese Rigatoni and the Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese. These are two of my favorite entrées of theirs and I couldn’t wait to share them with my friends! To make this meal even more special, I put together garlic bread that takes just 5 minutes to make and a delicious salad. Both of these sides are made with ingredients you probably already have sitting around!

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

To get everything I needed for dinner, I popped over to my local Walmart. The LEAN CUISINE entrées were in the frozen department and they were really easy to find. When I was grabbing the Five Cheese Rigatoni and the Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, I saw the STOUFFER’S® FIT KITCHEN® Teriyaki Chicken Bowl and LEAN CUISINE Fiesta Grilled Chicken and I can’t wait to pick those up next time, they sound right up my boyfriend’s alley!

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

Something I love about STOUFFER’S FIT KITCHEN and LEAN CUISINE entrées is that they help making dinner simple when you are trying to serve people with a variety of different personal health needs such as those who are gluten free, meatless, those looking for high protein, prefer more organic, etc. As a new vegetarian, finding meatless meal that allow me to eat well while also being delicious has been really tough so these entrées have been a great find for me!

The LEAN CUISINE Five Cheese Rigatoni 10 oz. box is made with no meat or any artificial preservatives and it has such a tasty sweet tomato sauce and five cheese blend on top that tastes incredible. Additionally, the LEAN CUISINE Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese 8 oz. box is made with organic ingredients and no GMOs, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It is also meatless, packed with 14g of protein, and even the pasta is organic. It has cavatappi pasta topped with a creamy Vermont white cheddar cheese sauce. Yes, these are both amazing! Both of these options are great for those who are looking to eat less meat and the LEAN CUISINE Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese makes eating organic affordable.

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

To make the garlic bread as a side dish, I just sliced up a baguette, lathered some butter on it, and then sprinkled some parmesan on top of each piece. I put them under the broiler for less than a minute, watching them the whole time to make sure that they became crisp and a little golden.

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

For the salad, you can add any of your favorite toppings to it that you have on hand. I chose to put on some feta, dried cranberries, seeds, and almond slivers with a few dressings on the side to chose from!

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

Another other great additions to the dinner spread would be a fruit salad made with fresh fruits such as oranges, strawberries, and pineapple! That’s it, you have a fantastic meal that took just minutes and a few simple ingredients to make that looks elegant and tasty!

Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

What’s your favorite meatless meal? Comment below!

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Making Dinner Easy with LEAN CUISINE® - A great dinner can be made easily with LEAN CUISINE and a few simple tips on quick and easy side dishes to pair with their frozen entrees!

Chicken Tempura

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Chicken Tempura – Light and crispy breaded chicken deep fried until golden brown! Chicken tempura is perfect served over rice as a easy meal!

Chicken Tempura

Chicken Tempura

Anything that has tempura in the name is what I go for at a Japanese restaurant.  Something about that light and airy breading is just so perfect and delicious! While I normally go for tempura vegetables, I decided to try experimenting with coating chicken in tempura batter and deep frying it.  The results were AMAZING!

After all of the love that my chicken katsu recipe has recieved, I am on a mission to try other varieties of Japanese deep-fried chicken.  After this chicken tempura recipe, karaage chicken will be up next!

Common questions about making Japanese chicken tempura

What is tempura made of?

Tempura is a light batter made from either iced water or sparkling water, egg, flour, and corn starch.  Some of these ingredients can vary from recipe to recipe.

What oil is best for tempura?

Any neutral oil that can be used for deep-frying.  Personally, I used canola.

What can I tempura?

Just about anything! Some of the most popular things are:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Onion rings
  • Zucchini
  • Broccoli
  • Shrimp
  • Mushrooms
  • Eggplant

How do I reheat tempura?

Tempura doesn’t reheat super well but if you do want to reheat it, place it in the oven to reheat it, turning it over half way to make sure both sides crisp up.

What do you eat with tempura?

Tempura can be served with a variety of different things such as:

What is the difference between tempura and katsu?

While both are deep-fried and breaded, the coating is made from slightly different ingredients.  Tempura does not have the breadcrumbs on it that katsu does is one of the main differences.

Easy Tempura Recipe

Can’t get enough of this chicken katsu recipe? Try these other recipes!

Japanese Tempura Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Tempura

Chicken Tempura

Chicken Tempura - Light and crispy breaded chicken deep fried until golden brown! Chicken tempura is perfect served over rice as a easy meal!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground garlic
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup cake flour
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • Neutral oil

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice chicken breasts into 1/2" pieces before transferring to a bowl.
  2. Mix together soy sauce, mirin, garlic powder, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and refridgerate for 15-20 minutes to marinade.
  3. Place ice in a large mixing bowl and then place a medium mixing bowl on top of the ice. Add the egg in and lightly mix it using chopsticks. Add in club soda and cake flour. Mix until just combined.
  4. Place corn starch in a bowl and then roll each piece of chicken in it to coat it. Once the chicken is coated, transfer it to the batter and make sure it is completely covered.
  5. Bring oil to about 350 degrees in a pot. Once hot enough, transfer about 2-3 pieces of the coated chicken into the oil to fry until crisp and golden on one side (about 2 minutes). Flip and continue to cook (about 2-3 minutes more).
  6. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towel to help keep it from getting soggy. Serve immediately.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 342 Total Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 149mg Sodium: 459mg Carbohydrates: 21g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 40g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: Japanese / Category: Main Course
Chicken Tempura - Light and crispy breaded chicken deep fried until golden brown! Chicken tempura is perfect served over rice as a easy meal! Japanese Recipe | Tempura Recipe | Chicken Tempura Recipe #japanese #chicken #tempura #dinner #recipe #easyrecipe #dinnerrecipe #japaneserecipe

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Chicken Tempura - Light and crispy breaded chicken deep fried until golden brown! Chicken tempura is perfect served over rice as a easy meal! Japanese Recipe | Tempura Recipe | Chicken Tempura Recipe #japanese #chicken #tempura #dinner #recipe #easyrecipe #dinnerrecipe #japaneserecipe

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

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Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese – A quick and easy 30 minute meal filled with flavor! Creamy smoked gouda mac and cheese topped with bacon and breadcrumbs!

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is really the ultimate comfort food.  After trying this amazing smoked gouda pasta this past summer, I had been dying to combine that flavor into a mac and cheese recipe and it turned out so delicious.  It’s creamy, flavorful, and so great topped with bacon!

Gouda Mac and Cheese

Common questions about making mac and cheese

How do you make homemade mac and cheese?

All you have to do is boil pasta, melt the ingredients for the sauce together, combine the pasta and sauce together, and serve.  Super easy!

What can you add to mac and cheese to make it better?

  • Bacon crumbles
  • Parmesan (only add when you are serving, do not add it in when you are cooking)
  • Black pepper
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Chicken
  • Sausage
  • Steamed veggies

How do you make baked mac and cheese?

For a classic baked mac and cheese, you are going to want a recipe with a bechamel sauce base such as my baked brie mac and cheese.  It will firm up nicely in the oven since it is a thinner sauce than this mac and cheese.

Gouda Mac and Cheese Recipe

Other tips and tricks on this smoked gouda mac and cheese recipe

  • Feel free to use your favorite pasta shape! I went with a swirly shape because it looked fun but other shapes such as the classic macaroni, elbow, shell, penne, etc all work! The best ones are those that have a hole in the middle that can fill up with cheese inside!
  • Make sure you do not get pre-shredded cheese.  It doesn’t melt as nicely since it has additives to avoid clumping.  As convenient as it is to buy you cheese pre-shredded, spending the time to shred it yourself is worthwhile!

Easy Gouda Mac and Cheese

Can’t get enough of this mac and cheese recipe? Try these other recipes!

Easy Mac and Cheese

Yield: 6 servings

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese - A quick and easy 30 minute meal filled with flavor! Creamy smoked gouda mac and cheese topped with bacon and breadcrumbs!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Gouda Mac and Cheese

  • 1 box pasta (elbow macaroni, penne, shells, etc)
  • 1/4 cup butter (unsalted)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 8 ounces smoked gouda cheese (shredded)
  • 8 ounces white cheddar cheese (shredded)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Toppings

  • 1/2 cup bacon (chopped and cooked)
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the directions on the packaging of the pasta. Drain.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Ad in flour and stir until well combined. Slowly add in the milk and continue to mix until it starts to thicken.
  3. Reduce heat to low and add in the smoked gouda cheese, white cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
  4. In a small pan, cook the panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, butter, and garlic powder until the butter has melted and the breadcrumbs have lightly browned.
  5. Add pasta to the sauce and stir until well combined. Serve topped with the breadcrumbs and bacon.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 624 Total Fat: 43g Saturated Fat: 24g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 16g Cholesterol: 137mg Sodium: 1308mg Carbohydrates: 26g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 33g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: American / Category: Food
Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese - A quick and easy 30 minute meal filled with flavor! Creamy smoked gouda mac and cheese topped with bacon and breadcrumbs! Gouda Mac and Cheese | Mac and Cheese Recipe | Macaroni and Cheese Recipe #pasta #dinner #recipe #easyrecipe #easydinner

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Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese - A quick and easy 30 minute meal filled with flavor! Creamy smoked gouda mac and cheese topped with bacon and breadcrumbs! Gouda Mac and Cheese | Mac and Cheese Recipe | Macaroni and Cheese Recipe #pasta #dinner #recipe #easyrecipe #easydinner

Cajun Pork Pasta

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SmithfieldFresh #CollectiveBias

Cajun Pork Pasta

Cajun Pork Pasta

Cajun Pork Pasta – A quick and easy 25-minute meal! Pork tenderloin and penne pasta with a creamy cajun sauce and roasted bell pepper.

Easy dinner recipes are the best.  With life being so hectic, it can be a struggle to get a home-cooked meal on the table so I always am on the lookout for different 30-minute meals made with a few simple ingredients to try out that take the stress off of dinner. 

I had recently been to a restaurant and had a fantastic cajun dish that really inspired me to try making those same flavors right at home in a simple dish.  It seemed natural to combine those cajun flavors with pasta and of course, I thought it needed meat and pork tenderloin is always a go-to for me! I decided on Smithfield Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper pork tenderloin because I thought the flavor would really complement the flavors of the pasta and it was a great choice.

Cajun Pasta

One of my go-to options for taking my meal to the next level is Smithfield® pork tenderloins.  I love how versatile they are so that I can use them in a wide range of different dishes.  I can saute, roast, slow cook, or pop the pork in my instant pot to cook it, the options are really endless for how the pork can be incorporated into a meal.  It’s “Real Fresh, Real Flavor, Real Fast” with 100% fresh pork cuts, made with real flavorful ingredients, and can be made into a hassle-free meal in no time!

To get everything I needed, I popped over to my local Walmart and headed over to the meat department.  The Smithfield Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper was right in the pork section with the other varieties of Smithfield®  fresh pork products.

Cajun Recipe

Tips and tricks for this cajun pork pasta recipe

  • Any type of pasta can work in this recipe such as tortellini, ziti, elbow macaroni, etc.  Just go with what you have on hand/what you like.
  • Don’t have any cajun seasoning on hand? Here is the recipe I used:
    • 1/2 tablespoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
    • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
    • Pinch of red pepper flakes

Easy Cajun Pasta Recipe

Can’t get enough of this cajun pork pasta recipe? Try these other recipes made with Smithfield® pork tenderloin!

Cajun Pasta Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Cajun Pork Pasta

Cajun Pork Pasta

Cajun Pork Pasta - A quick and easy 25-minute meal! Pork tenderloin and penne pasta with a creamy cajun sauce and roasted bell pepper.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 box of penne pasta
  • 1 Smithfield Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper pork tenderloin
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup roasted bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup parmesan (shredded)

Instructions

  1. Cook penne pasta according to the instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. Thinly slice the Smithfield Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper pork tenderloin and place in a large, oiled pan over medium-high heat. Cook until one side has browned and then flip to finish cooking. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Pour the heavy whipping cream, butter, cajun seasoning, and chicken broth into the pan and bring to a soft boil. Reduce the heat to low and add in the roasted bell peppers and parmesan cheese. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens up (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add in penne noodles and stir until the sauce is completely covering the noodles.
  5. Serve topped with the sliced and cooked Smithfield Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper pork tenderloin.


Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 279 Total Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 11g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 68mg Sodium: 2010mg Carbohydrates: 15g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 12g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
© madi
Cuisine: American / Category: Food
#ad Cajun Pork Pasta – A quick and easy 25-minute meal! @smithfield pork tenderloin from @walmart and penne pasta with a creamy cajun sauce and roasted bell pepper. Cajun Pasta Recipe | 30 Minute Pasta Recipe | Cajun Recipe #pasta #dinner #easydinner #recipe #easyrecipe #pork #SmithfieldFresh

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#ad Cajun Pork Pasta – A quick and easy 25-minute meal! @smithfield pork tenderloin from @walmart and penne pasta with a creamy cajun sauce and roasted bell pepper. Cajun Pasta Recipe | 30 Minute Pasta Recipe | Cajun Recipe #pasta #dinner #easydinner #recipe #easyrecipe #pork #SmithfieldFresh