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I used to be completely intimidated by preparing a whole turkey. It seemed like so much pressure! No matter where we were on Thanksgiving, there was talk of how the turkey turned out.  

Aunt so and so’s turkey was too dry, someone else’s turkey didn’t cook long enough. My mom’s secret was always to cook it upside down, but that one doesn’t have a great presentation. And trying to time it all so it’s all finished at the same time… stressful!

Just let me bring some side dishes, like cranberry sauce, or green bean casserole (my from-scratch version can’t be beat!), Boursin Mashed Potatoes, or my personal favorite this squash apple cranberry bake.

But then my turn came and I was determined to learn how to do this. I practiced with cooking a whole chicken. And soon I learned, it wasn’t really that hard! I found 3 secrets that guaranteed a perfectly roasted turkey every single time.

I’ve now been making this same recipe for years. There’s just one warning: 

you may win the honor of making the turkey every year with this recipe. 

Secrets for the Best Roast Turkey

So what’s the secret? Well, there are a few proven ways to a perfect turkey. If you use all three, it’s the ultimate recipe. But if that’s too much work for you, then use Secret #3. It’s THE most important one.

Secret #1 Buy a fresh turkey

Fresh is best. I recommend finding a local turkey farm. You’ll need to check with your farm on their practices but here’s what we love about buying fresh particularly from Otto’s:

• naturally grown
• open-air, free-range barns
• Non-GMO feed is grown, mixed and milled at the farm
• anti-biotic free
• hormone-free

This all makes for high-quality meat.

Secret #2 Brine

It’s all about the brine! To brine or not to brine? How do you know? What’s the best recipe? I’ve got you covered.

• only brine fresh turkeys
• never brine a frozen turkey.

Here’s why: Frozen turkeys are injected with a salt solution to help preserve it. This is pretty much brining, except there may be other ingredients in there that you may not be fond of. If you brine that frozen turkey, it will result in a too salty turkey.

Why brine?

Well, think of brining as your insurance. If you’re concerned your turkey might be dry, brining will keep it juicy and moist, even if you overcook it a bit. BUT– you won’t overcook it due to Secret #3.

During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture that keeps it moist during and after cooking. And, since it also absorbs the salt, it gets seasoned from the inside out.

It may seem like a big extra step, but I promise you, it’s worth it! And once you get the hang of it, it’s no big deal. Trust me on this. Last year, I cooked 3, yes, count them, THREE turkeys in preparation for my live cooking show on Facebook.

You can watch it here!

Facebook
You Tube

It’s an hour long show, so grab a cup of tea or coffee and hang out. Or, just skip through for the highlights.

Secret #3 Use an Oven Thermometer

If you’re going to skip #1 and #2, this is your guarantee. Secrets #1 and #2 give you the best flavored turkey, #3 gives you a perfectly cooked turkey.

To use an Oven Thermometer, stick it in the breast, kind of at an angle, on the side. The ideal temperature should be 165°. 

The #1 mistake people make when it comes to turkey is overcooking it. Trust the thermometer, it is fail-proof!

How to make Perfectly Roasted Turkey

Step One: Brine Turkey

Only brine if you are using a fresh, never frozen, turkey. Start this process the day before you’re cooking it. It needs to brine 16-18 hours. If you’re not brining, skip to the next step

• Combine ingredients for the brine in a large pot. We’re using Apple cider, water, salt honey, rosemary leaves, orange peels, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
• Bring it to a boil, and then let it cool. 
• Immerse the turkey into it and let it brine for 16-18 hours.

The biggest challenge is finding space in your fridge to store it for the 16-18 hours. This is one of the times I can be thankful for our cooler climate this time of year. Our garage was at about 39 degrees. So we plop our turkey in a brining bag in a bucket and let it do its thang.

If you’re in a warmer climate, use a cooler to store things from your fridge that you won’t necessarily need access to for the day or two. 

Then, still using a brining bag, place the turkey with the brine in the bag, and then in an extra-large bowl in your fridge. It should be fully immersed, so if it’s not, make sure you are rotating it during the brine time.

Step two: Roasting 

Roasting will happen in two stages at two different temperatures. 

• Heat the oven to 275°.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it well and place it breast side up in a roasting pan on a rack. 
• Cover it completely with heavy duty aluminum foil. Roast the turkey for 10 minutes per pound.
• While the turkey is roasting, make the flavored butter to baste it with. Combine the butter, orange zest, and rosemary leaves and mix well so all is combined.

• After the first stage of roasting, remove the turkey from the oven, remove the foil and rub the butter mixture all over the skin.
• Raise the temperature of the oven to 350°.
• Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer into the side of the breast of the turkey. Return the turkey to the oven, uncovered.
• Baste with the juices every 30 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 165° and the skin is golden brown.
• Tent it with foil, let it rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Notes

• You may have heard a thermometer has to go into the thigh. Our oven came with a built-in thermometer, and it’s instructions say to stick the probe into the breast. It’s worked every time.
• There are 2 stages of cooking. The first will be 10 minutes per pound, the second stage will be with your trusty thermometer. In my experience, the timing has turned out to be another 3-5 minutes per pound. 
• Let the turkey rest, loosely covered when it’s finished, for about 15 minutes before you carve it. Roasting brings all the juices to the surface, letting it rest allows the juices to soak back into the turkey resulting in an ultimately juicy turkey.

Serve this gorgeous juicy turkey with Sweet Potato Crunch, Homemade Crescent Rolls, and Green Bean Casserole.

How long do you roast a turkey?

How long it takes depends on the size of your turkey, and the temperature. For this recipe, in stage one, it’s ten minutes per pound at 275° In stage two, it’s 3-5 minutes per pound at 350°.

If you had an 18-pound bird, stage one would be 180 minutes, or three hours. Stage two would be from an additional 54 – 90 minutes.

How to keep the turkey warm if it’s done early

Or, maybe the guests are late. Let it rest, loosely covered, 20-30 minutes. Then cover tightly with foil. You can also add some heavy towels on top to maintain the heat. 

How to reheat a turkey

If you want to roast your turkey a day ahead, there are two options for reheating it without drying it out. 

Option 1: Reheat a whole turkey

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Make sure there are juices in the pan, if there aren’t, add a can of chicken broth. You should still have the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.
• place an oven thermometer in the breast. Cover the turkey tightly with foil. Heat until the thermometer reads 130°. 

Option 2: Reheat a sliced turkey

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Place the sliced meat and legs and wings in a baking dish.
• Pour some broth over the top (about a cup, don’t drown it) and add some pats of butter. 
• Cover tightly with foil and heat for 30-35 minutes.

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You can also follow along on YouTube and Instagram!

This recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

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Perfect Roasted Turkey

This will be the Best Roast Turkey Recipe you ever eat! Crisp and golden on the outside, infused with citrus butter and herbs, perfectly juicy and moist on the inside. Here I’m sharing my 3 secrets to perfect roast turkey every time.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Brine time 18 hours hours

Total Time 22 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 13kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Equipment

• Roasting pan with Rack
• Brining bag
• Oven thermometer

Ingredients

Turkey Brine

• 3 cups apple cider
• 2 gallons of water
• 1 1/2 cups fine sea salt
• 2 cups honey or brown sugar
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 3 oranges
• 5 garlic cloves pressed or minced
• 3 tablespoons tri color peppercorns
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 18 lb turkey

Roasted Turkey

• 1 18 lb brined turkey
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 stick butter softened
• 2 fresh rosemary springs leaves removed and finely minced
• 3 leaves fresh sage finely chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed, finely chopped

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Instructions

For the brine

• Remove the rosemary leaves off the sprigs. Peel the oranges being careful not to get the pith. A vegetable peeler works great.
• Combine apple cider, water, salt, honey, rosemary leaves, orange peels, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Allow it to cool and immerse the turkey into it. Store it in the fridge. Brine for 16-18 hours.
• After the brining process, rinse the turkey very well under cold water.

For the turkey

• Heat the oven to 275.
• Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Cover completely with heavy duty aluminum foil. Roast the turkey for 10 minutes per pound.
• While the turkey is roasting, combine the butter, orange zest, and rosemary leaves and mix well so all is combined.
• After the first stage of roasting, remove the turkey from the oven, remove the foil and rub the butter mixture all over the skin.
• Raise the temperature of the oven to 350.
• Insert an oven proof meat thermometer into the side of the breast of the turkey.
• Return the turkey to the oven, uncovered.
• Baste with the juices every 30 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees and the skin is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

• If you don’t have a pot big enough for all the liquid in the brine, start with just 1 gallon of water. Once you’ve boiled and cooled it, and you have your bird in the brining bag and container, you can add the rest of the water.
• The long prep time includes the brining time, which is 16-18 hours. The cook time will vary depending upon the weight of your turkey.
• An oven thermometer is KEY.
• You may have heard a thermometer has to go into the thigh. Our oven came with a built-in thermometer, and it’s instructions say to stick the probe into the breast. It’s worked every time.
• There are 2 stages of cooking. The first will be 10 minutes per pound, the second stage will be with your trusty thermometer. In my experience, the timing has turned out to be another 3-5 minutes per pound. 
• Let the turkey rest, loosely covered when it’s finished, for about 15 minutes before you carve it. Roasting brings all the juices to the surface, letting it rest allows the juices to soak back into the turkey resulting in an ultimately juicy turkey.

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.5mg

The post 3 Secrets to Perfect Roast Turkey appeared first on Art From My Table.

This is similar to Panera’s Autumn squash soup, but in my opinion, much better. Theirs is often too sweet, and this one has the perfect amount of sweetness, and it’s ultra-smooth without using any heavy cream.

This soup is fall comfort food at it’s best! Like my Smoky Pumpkin Soup, it’s velvety smooth and ultra-creamy, although, as I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t have any cream in it, which keeps it light.

It’s low on calories, which is a bonus, it’s gluten-free, can be vegetarian and dairy-free too. You have options.

Next to pumpkin, butternut squash might be my favorite vegetable in the fall. I love it in this Squash, Cranberry Apple bake. We eat it on salads eat it as a side, make pasta sauce, add it to a braised meat… so many possibilities with this autumn vegetable! It’s not only delicious, but healthy too!

Next to pumpkin, butternut squash might be my favorite vegetable in the fall. I love it in this Squash, Cranberry Apple bake. We eat it on salads, (like this butternut squash farro salad), eat it as a side, make pasta sauce, add it to a braised meat… so many possibilities with this autumn vegetable! It’s not only delicious, but healthy too!

3 Secrets that make it easier and tastier

1. The secret to the rich flavor in this easy butternut squash soup recipe is roasting the squash. It caramelizes in the oven which gives it an intense butternut flavor.
2. It’s also my hot tip for dealing with hard squash. Have you ever peeled and cut a butternut squash? If you have, you know it is no easy task! No more peeling and dicing, just a few cuts and the oven does the rest.
3. Apples and nutmeg also make this soup extraordinary.

Tools you might enjoy

• Chef’s Knife ~ A good solid sharp knife is great for cutting into hard squash
• Vitamix ~ Cant say enough good about these high powered blenders. Worth every cent.
• Immersion Blender ~ If you don’t want to transfer your soup to a blender, this is a great alternative.
• Microplane Zester ~ I use this to grate whole nutmeg over the soup just before serving. Also perfect for zesting citrus fruits, grating cheese and chocolate.

Instructions

This is the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever had. It’s even better than Panera’s in my opinion. 

Step one: cut and roast the squash:

• Cut off the stem of the squash.
• Slice in half lengthwise.
• Scoop out the seeds.
• Place the squash skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Lining it with foil makes for easy clean up.
• Roast at 375° for 45-60 minutes or until fork tender.

Using an ice cream scoop with a flat edge like the one pictured makes removing the seeds quick and easy. I also use this for taking out pumpkin seeds in my homemade pumpkin puree´.

Step two: prepare additional ingredients:

• While the squash is roasting dice up the onion and peel and chop the apples.
• Measure the remaining ingredients so you are ready to go.

Step three: assemble and cook the soup:

• Once the squash is cool enough to touch, scoop out the flesh and put in a bowl.
• Sautee´ the onions in the butter until tender.
• Add the squash, apples, broth, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, pepper.
• Bring to a boil and simmer covered until apples are soft.
• In batches, pour the soup into a blender, or food processor (I use my vitamix), and process until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender. 
• Once it has all been pureed, return to a clean pot and heat until warmed.
• Ladle into bowls and top with baked squash seeds and a dash of nutmeg.

How to roast squash seeds 

While the soup is simmering, you can roast the squash seeds to use for a garnish. It’s very quick and easy to do.

1. Separate the seeds from the pulp. 
2. Rinse them well in a colander, then dry between paper towels or a kitchen towel to get as much moisture as possible out.
3. Spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Roast at 350 for 15 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes.
5. Try not to eat them all so you have some left to garnish.

Ways to Garnish

In addition to using the seeds, you could also garnish with a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt, sour cream, or even a splash of heavy cream. 

Finely chopped parsley, fresh thyme or sliced green onions adds a little color as well as more savory flavor. Crumbled bacon is excellent too.

In the winter Pomegranate arils and pistachios are delicious.

Flavor Variations 

Butternut squash pairs well with so many flavors, there are a lot of ways to change it up. Here are a few:

• For Thai-inspired swap out a cup of broth for a cup of coconut milk and add some red curry paste.
• For a little kick add some red pepper flakes or some chipotle sauce.
• add ground curry.
• Instead of apples, use a couple of carrots.

What to serve with it

• Bread (I love toasted sourdough), dinner rolls, or even banana bread
• Green salad with fresh fruit
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• broccoli blueberry salad

Freezing and Storing

After the soup has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for four to five days. If you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, you’ll get an extra couple of days.

TO FREEZE: Ladle completely cooled soup into zip lock bags. Lay flat in the freezer (this makes for easy stacking, saves space, and it thaws quicker). It will last in the freezer for 2 months.

More Soup Recipes

• Pasta Fagioli
• Taco Soup
• Lentil Soup
• White Bean Soup
• Citrus Chicken Soup
• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Hearty Beef Soup
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Sausage and Kale Soup

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Your shares are how this site grows, and I appreciate each one. Do you know someone who would enjoy this recipe?

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You can also follow along on YouTube and Instagram!

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This tried and true Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with apple is easy to make, has the perfect blend of fall flavors, and is the only thing you need to stay warm this season.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 103kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Ingredients

• 2 tbs butter
• 2 medium butternut squash
• 2 large apples peeled, chopped
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• squash seeds optional garnish
• nutmeg optional garnish

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Cut the ends off of the squash, scoop out the seeds. I save the seeds and bake them and use them as a garnish.
• Place them skin side down on a baking sheet.
• Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Once the squash has cooled enough scoop out the flesh
• In a med. sauce pan, saute’ onions in a couple tablespoons of butter, until softened.
• Add the squash, apples, broth, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and pepper.
• Bring to a boil and simmer covered until apples are soft.
• In batches, pour the soup into a blender, or food processor (I use my vitamix), and process until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender
• Once it has all been pureed, return to a clean pot and heat until warmed.
• Ladle into bowls and top with baked squash seeds and a dash of nutmeg. 

Video

Notes

If you don’t want to transfer the soup to a blender, you can use an immersion blender.

If you really want to bring it up a notch, use whole nutmeg grated with a microplane zester.

Swerve Brown works great in this recipe as a sugar substitute.

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 532mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 13365IU | Vitamin C: 32.4mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Roasted Butternut Squash Soup appeared first on Art From My Table.

Fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms, even the crispy onions are homemade. The sauce is creamy and delectable.

There are no cans involved in this recipe. The result is absolutely delicious! It is seriously the best green bean casserole I’ve ever had.

Raise your hand if Green Bean Casserole makes it to your Thanksgiving table every year. It seems like every family has it’s ‘must-haves’ at the Thanksgiving table. This is one of ours.

From Scratch Vs. Classic

In my opinion, making something from scratch always tastes better than canned. For Example, Pumpkin puree, Cranberry sauce, and Chocolate Pudding are much more flavorful fresh. 

When I was younger, as in before I was the one cooking the Thanksgiving dinner, I didn’t like this dish all that much. It was mushy, a bit slimy, and I don’t actually like mushrooms. 

Also, I’ve never been a fan of canned vegetables, which the classic recipe calls for. Or canned cream soups for that matter. Especially when you pour it out of the can and it’s a big solid gel-like plop. Ick. 

When I was nominated by my family to make this a few years ago, I thought, there has got to be a better way. And I was right. I scoured the internet and found I found this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. And she nails it. There is nothing I would change. 

Now, this dish is devoured every year by my family, I’m lucky if there are leftovers.

How to make fresh Green Bean Casserole

This is completely from scratch. It does take a little more effort than the traditional Green Bean Casserole, but it is SO worth it. I promise.

If it feels like this is more effort than you care to make, then check out Garlic Butter Green Beans or Air Fryer Green Beans, they are both full of flavor and would make a great addition to your table.

There are three parts to this recipe. The crispy onions, the green beans and finally the mushroom sauce.

Before you begin: 

Prepare the vegetables so everything comes together efficiently.

• Slice the onions- I like to use a Mandolin to get them 1/8 inch cut, and all even. But caution: They are very sharp! I even got stitches once. You can easily slice them with a knife too. 
• Wash, snap, and cut the green beans
• Slice or chop the mushrooms- for a shortcut, you can purchase mushrooms already sliced. 

Step One: Make the Crispy Onions

• Dredge the onion slices in the flour mixture.
• Heat the oil on medium-high. It’s ready when a drop of water sizzles.
• Working in batches, drop some onions in the hot oil and fry until just golden in color. They only need a few minutes.
• Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or a round mesh skimmer. Place them on a rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb drips. 

The crispy onions can sit out at room temperature for up to 1 day. I make mine the day before and lay a paper towel over top, just to protect them. And to remind everyone not to eat them. They are addicting! 

Step Two: Blanch and shock the green beans

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Place the beans in the boiling water and immediately set a timer for 5 minutes
• While the beans are cooking, prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. 
• After the 5 minutes, remove the beans from the stove, strain, and immediately place in the ice bath. 

Blanching and shocking the beans helps to cook and tenderize them. They will turn a bright green color and the texture is perfectly crisp tender.

Step Three: Make the mushroom sauce

• Melt the butter over medium high heat, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms start releasing their juices, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, saute’ for one minute
• Add the flour and stir until the mushrooms are fully coated
• Add the broth 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Let it thicken before adding the next 1/4 cup of broth. Do this until all the broth is used. Simmer for another minute.
• Add the cream and nutmeg and return to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Your house is smelling pretty amazing right now! If you’ve ever wondered what a good substitute for cream of mushroom soup is– this is it!

 Assembly

• Add the beans and toss in the sauce so everything is coated. 
• Top with the onions and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the onions are a shade deeper.

Expert Tips:

• When crisping the onions, the first batch doesn’t cook quite as quickly. On the second or third batch, you may need to reduce the heat.
  
• Fry the onions until just golden, they will brown up further in the oven.
  
• I love making this in a cast-iron skillet and then transferring it to the oven. You can easily make this in whatever skillet works for you. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, after mixing the beans and sauce, transfer it to a 9×13 casserole dish, top with the onions, and cook.
  
• If you’re needing to keep the casserole warm due to sharing oven space, cook it without the onions on top. Remove from the oven and cover it with foil. Just before serving, top with the onions and put it back in the oven for a few minutes to warm up the onions.

Make ahead instructions

Up to three days ahead: Make the beans and the sauce. Store individually, not mixed, in the refrigerator. 

One day ahead: make the onions. Store them at room temperature, loosely covered.

It is possible to combine the beans and sauce, transfer to a 9×13 dish, cover well, and freeze. Then you would thaw it in the refrigerator before baking it. I think it turns out best when done fresh, however, this is an option. The onions do not freeze well.

Follow these instructions for heating:

1. Mix the beans and sauce and stir well to coat.
2. Place in a 350° oven for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven, and top with the crispy onions, return to the oven for another 15 minutes or so, until the sauce is bubbling. If the onions are added for the whole time, they will brown up too much.  

Variations

• Add some shredded parmesan cheese to the sauce. Melt it in after adding the cream.
• Add some cooked bacon pieces after combining the sauce and the beans.
• Bake the onions instead of frying them. You can lay the dredged onions out on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 until golden. I tried this one year, but I wasn’t as happy with the results.

Storing Green Bean Casserole

Homemade Green Bean Casserole will stay edible and delicious in your fridge for three to five days. The onions will not be as crispy the second time around, but it is just as flavorful. 

Freeze leftovers

Technically, you can freeze them, just remember the texture of the onions won’t hold. 

Reheating Instructions

In the oven: Preheat the oven to 350. Loosley cover the casserole with foil, you want some air to be able to flow through. I just lay foil over the top, don’t seal it. Bake until heated through, 20-30 minutes. The last few minutes, remove the foil to crisp up the onions. 

In the microvave:  Individual portions work best in the microwave because of the small space. Loosely cover with paper towel or a vented microwave cover. Heat for 2 minutes at 50% power. It’s always best to reheat food in the microwave on less power. That way it’s not getting cooked again. The onions will not crisp in the microwave.

Easy Homemade Green Bean Casserole is the perfect side dish to your Thanksgiving Turkey. It also goes well with this Braised Beef recipe. But, don’t save it just for Holidays, it’s a great addition to Easy Roasted Chicken and Stuffed Flank Steak.

What makes it to your Thanksgiving table every year?

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Homemade Green Bean Casserole

A fresh take on the traditional side dish made with all natural fresh ingredients! No cans!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 139kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow onions halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• black pepper freshly ground, to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans ends trimmed and cut in half

for the sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 12 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Crispy Onions

• Toss onion with flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
• Heat a 1/2-inch or so of oil in a 12-inch skillet until a drop of water flicked into it will sizzle.
• Add onions, working in batches, and fry until a light golden brown (they’ll get more color in the oven) Remove with a slotted spoon,lay onions on paper towels to drain.
• Repeat with remaining onions.
• Set aside.

Green Beans

• Heat water to boil in a large pot, add green beans
• Cook green beans for 5 minutes.
• Drain beans and immediately put them in an ice water bath to stop cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400.

Mushroom Sauce

• melt butter over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
• Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute them until they start releasing their juices, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and saute for one minute.
• Add the flour and stir it until the mushrooms are fully coated.
• Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly.
• Simmer for 1 minute, then add cream and bring back to a simmer,
• Add nutmeg and continue cooking until the sauce thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the cooked green beans to the sauce and stir well.
• Place the mixture in a 9×13 baking dish and top with the crispy onions.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Notes

• When crisping the onions, the first batch don’t cook quite as quickly. On the second or third batch, you may need to reduce the heat.
• Fry the onions until just golden, they will brown up further in the oven.
• I love making this in a cast iron skillet and then transferring it to the oven. You can easily make this in whatever skillet works for you. If you don’t have an oven proof skillet, after mixing the beans and sauce, transfer it to a 9×13 casserole dish, top with the onions, and cook.
• If you’re needing to keep the casserole warm due to sharing oven space, cook it without the onions on top. Remove from the oven and cover it with foil. Just before serving, top with the onions and put it back in the oven for a few minutes to warm up the onions.

Make Ahead Instructions:

Up to three days ahead: Make the beans and the sauce. Store individually, not mixed, in the refrigerator. 

One day ahead: make the onions. Store them at room temperature, loosely covered.

It is possible to combine the beans and sauce, transfer to a 9×13 dish, cover well, and freeze. Then you would thaw it in the refrigerator before baking it. I think it turns out best when done fresh, however, this is an option. The onions do not freeze well.

Follow these instructions for heating:

1. Mix the beans and sauce and stir well to coat.
2. Place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes
3. Remove from the oven, and top with the crispy onions, return to the oven for another 15 minutes or so, until the sauce is bubbling. If the onions are added for the whole time, they will brown up too much.  

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 749IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

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The post Homemade Green Bean Casserole appeared first on Art From My Table.

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Homemade soup is not that hard to do. If you’ve ever wished you could make soup like your mom or your grandma, I’m telling you, You. Can.

I always say fresh is best, and I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed with this Pasta Fagioli Soup! There’s just something therapeutic about prepping the ingredients and smelling it simmer. And of course eating it!!

What Is Pasta Fagioli?

Technically, it’s Pasta e Fagioli and it means “pasta and beans”, but that doesn’t even begin to describe all the flavor in this humble dish. Actually, pasta and beans sounds kind of bland, right? Fear not friend! you’ll love this!

What’s the difference between Pasta e Fagioli and Minestrone?

The main difference is that Minestrone soup has lots of different vegetables in it, and Pasta e Fagioli just has beans with onion and garlic to flavor it. Sometimes rosemary or tomato.

However, my version of this recipe does include carrots, celery, and onion along with two types of beans. I highly encourage you to make it your own! Add more or less veggies and seasonings to your liking.

How to Make Pasta Fagioli Soup

Step One: Prepare your ingredients

• Chop onion, carrots, celery
• mince garlic cloves, or run through a press

Step Two: Saute’

• Turn the Instant Pot to the ‘saute’ function (see notes if not using the pressure cooker)
• Add the oil, let it warm for a few minutes, then add the onions, celery and carrots, stirring occasionally, cook for 5 minutes
• Add the garlic and stir. After 30 seconds remove vegetables and set aside.
• Add the ground beef, and brown until cooked through, using a wooden spoon or meat chopper to break up while it’s cooking.
• Once the meat is cooked, turn off the Instant Pot

Step Three: Cook/Simmer

• Drain the meat if desired.
• Add the meat and vegetable mixture back into the pressure cooker.
• Add the beans, broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.
• Cover the pot and turn it on to the ‘soup’ function. Make sure the valve is in the sealed position.
• Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to vent for a quick release.
• Taste, add salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Tips for Pasta Fagioli Soup

There’s a million and one ways to make Pasta Fagioli Soup your own. And as I said earlier, I highly recommend you do just that. Here are a few ideas for adapting it to your needs.

1. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef. We actually do this often. I have a lot of ground turkey recipes! I love ground beef too, but, if you want something a little lighter, it works great!
2. If you prefer to eat low carb, or you’re carb concious, there’s a few things you can do. You can use half the amount of pasta to cut down. Or, use the same amount, but use a lower carb version, such as Dreamfields Pasta. I’ve already kept the beans to a low level, but that’s another area you could cut back on if desired.
3. As far as draining the meat: This is completely optional. I typically try to buy a 90/10 ratio (lean/fat), or an 80/20. But to keep it ultra lean, do drain it. You can also give it a rinse in really hot water to get more fat off. The ground meats with higher fat content are typically more affordable, so if that’s what you buy, drain and rinse!
4. I recommend draining and rinsing the beans well if you are using store bought. You can also use dry beans in the recipe, but you should prepare them first, before adding to the soup. They will not cook in the short amount of time that the pasta fagioli soup cooks.
5. Any Trim Healthy Mama fans out there? The recipe as-is would be a cross over. You can pull it into E mode by using ground turkey, or very lean ground beef and rinsing and draining it, and eliminating the cheese at the end, or keep it to just a garnish.
6. I’m a big fan of using bone broth whenever I can. It’s healing and builds immunity.
7. Not using the Instant Pot or pressure cooker? Check the recipe card below for adapting it to the stove or slow cooker.

More Soup Recipes:

• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Lentil Soup
• White Bean Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Smoky Pumpkin Soup
• Sausage and Kale Soup

Favorite Instant Pot Recipes:

• Bruschetta Chicken
• Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Philly Cheesesteak

Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe

I would love to know what you think about this recipe! Be sure to rate it, or leave a comment for me. You can also snap a photo and tag me @artfrommytable on Instagram, or hashtag it #artfrommytable.

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Pasta Fagioli Soup

A hearty, comforting soup made with pasta and beans, and bursting with flavor.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 325kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 carrots chopped
• 2 celery ribs chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
• 2 lbs lean ground beef or lean ground turkey,
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 15 oz diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz great northern beans rinsed and drained
• 1 cup dry ditalani pasta or other short pasta
• grated parmesan cheese optional garnish

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to the Saute function, add olive oil and let it warm for a few minutes.
• Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until onion begins to be translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Remove mixture from the pot and set aside.
• Add ground beef or ground turkey, whichever you are using, and brown until cooked through, breaking up with a wooden spoon or meat chopper. Turn off the Instant Pot
• Drain the meat if desired.
• Add the meat and vegetable mixture back into the Pot. Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, pasta and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Cover and turn the Instant Pot to the soup function. Make sure the vent is in the sealed position and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
• Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top (optional).

Notes

Stove top Instructions:

1. Using a large stock pot, Saute vegetables, set aside.
2. Brown ground meat, drain if desired.
3. Add meat and vegetables back into the pan along with the broth, tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Saute’ vegetables, then add to the slow cooker.
2. Brown ground meat, drain if desired and add to slow cooker along with the broth, tomato sauce, beans, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Cook on low for 6 hours. 
3. The last 30 minutes of cook time, add the dry pasta and stir to combine. Cover for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5605IU | Vitamin C: 6.5mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 4.3mg

The post Pasta Fagioli Soup appeared first on Art From My Table.

White Chicken Chili

This is an awesome easy chili recipe passed on to me from “Mom Dyk”. Mom Dyk is my husbands 2nd mom so to speak.

When he moved here from the other side of the state and became friends with her son Scott, she took him in too. He doesn’t have any family in the area, so he ate Sunday dinners there, and holidays, etc. 

Once we met, she let me into the circle too. 🙂 I love this recipe because you really just put it all together and let it go in the crock pot.

I now call this “award winning” because it recently won a chili cook-off! I really couldn’t believe it!

If I was trying to win, I would have done some super special chili with a secret ingredient, but it was a fundraiser for church. Not that I didn’t want to win,  I just never expected it with this easy of a recipe!

Everyone got to eat lots of chili, and then pay to vote for their favorite. I was shocked! That tells you how good this recipe is!! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

The only prep for this recipe is cooking the chicken before hand. I like to poach chicken, it keeps it really tender. But, you can go super cheater style (like I do sometimes) and just grab a rotisserie chicken and cut it up.

This goes perfectly with Crescent Rolls and a Green Salad with Pears and Blackberries.

Pro Tip~

• Whether you cook your own chicken or purchase a rotisserie one, prep it the night before so you can dump and go in the morning. I love to have prepped chicken ready to go for recipes that call for cooked chicken. One of our family favorites is this Boursin Chicken Pasta.

Toppings for White Chicken Chili ~

• sour cream or plain yogurt
• cilantro
• sliced jalapeno
• diced avocado
• salsa
• crumbled chips

More Soup Recipes

• Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup
• Citrus Chicken Soup
• White Bean Soup
• Lentil Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Sausage and Kale Soup

More Mexican Inspired Favorites

• Slow Cooker Carnitas
• Chicken Tinga
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Turkey Chili
• Taco Soup
• Steak Fajitas

See you next time!

Chellie

P.S. For more recipe inspiration, follow me on Pinterest and Facebook. Like behind the scenes action? Check out my stories on Instagram.

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White Chicken Chili

Tender chunks of chicken, creamy white beans, cheesy broth, and just the right amount of heat. It’s the easiest chili recipe you’ll ever make! Breakout that crock pot!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican, Tex-mex

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 468kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken cooked and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 48 oz jar of great northern beans (do not drain)
• 1 16 oz jar of salsa mild, medium, or hot
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 4 oz can of diced mild green chili’s
• 1 lb of cheese shredded–use your favorite kind(s)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1//2 cup sour cream for serving
• 1/2 cup cilantro for serving

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Place all ingredients except sour cream and cilantro, in a slow cooker*. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
• Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.

Video

Notes

*I always use a crockpot/slow cooker for this recipe. The pictures reflects an Instant Pot. At the time I photographed this recipe, my crockpot had broken, so I used my Instant Pot on the ‘slow cooker’ function. If you decide to do the same thing, make sure the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot is set to ‘high’ or ‘more’, and you cook it 6-8 hours. The slow cooker function on the Instant Pot does not compare to a traditional slow cooker. The ‘high’ is more like a ‘low’ on a crockpot.

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 755mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 753IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 384mg | Iron: 3mg

What about YOU?? Please share your favorite chili recipe in the comments!

The post Award Winning White Chicken Chili appeared first on Art From My Table.

Update~ I’ve modified this recipe just a bit to make it even easier to prepare. I originally made this recipe with frozen strawberry yogurt, but we’ve found that using the strawberry yogurt without freezing it is much faster and just as delicious. I’ve left the original recipe up for you, but you decide what works for your family.

What? Who in their right mind would eat a breakfast banana split? A banana split for breakfast?   Ice cream for breakfast?

Well, ice cream anytime is good, right? But, what if you’re watching your waistline? What if you want to be healthy? Certainly, you wouldn’t choose a banana split for breakfast.

Your kids would love you, you could be a hero, but seriously, that is ridiculous! Sugar them up and deal with their behavior? Pass. No matter how good it sounds I would not make a banana split for breakfast.

Until now.

Why now? Did I go off my healthy eating habits? Am I on vacation? Am I crazy?

Well, yeah, I’m a little crazy, but not for eating a banana split for breakfast. I’m crazy because I have four kids, homeschool, teach a class, run a household write a blog… and the list goes on.

Can you relate? Do you ever feel crazy, or overwhelmed with life? Well, I wish this post was how to overcome that feeling, but it’s not. It’s about a breakfast banana split!

So would you eat a banana split for breakfast?

It does look pretty scrumptious!

Let me ask you this… Would you eat a yogurt parfait? At our house, we really like fruit and yogurt for breakfast. So this recipe is inspired by that combination. And if you’re liking these yogurt and berry combos, you definitely need to check out my Frozen Yogurt Bark, AND Cottage Cheese Ice Cream Bark. Both are creamy, cool and so good!

But I thought it would be a little more fun to change things up a bit. And, be my kids hero! I always feel like I’m saying ‘no’. All. Day. Long. Again–am I alone here? Sometimes I just want to be the fun mom.

I want to hear “you’re the best mom!” or get a great big hug instead of an eye roll. Well, here it is, one small way to be fun. Serve them a banana split for breakfast–and enjoy one yourself!

You’ll need strawberry greek yogurt, bananas (of course), raspberries, black berries, or any berries of your choice, granola, and a few mini chocolate chips. You can find some banana split dishes here.

Start by prepping the yogurt. Put the yogurt in the freezer. Now, you don’t want it rock hard, but you do want it to freeze. You’re going for the consistency of ice cream when you first open it up. It’s scoop-able, but holds it’s form.

So check it after an hour or so and see where you’re at. Once it gets to that consistency, scoop it out with and ice cream scoop and put it in a paper muffin liner.

Then, back in the freezer it goes, until its ready to use. Have you seen these anti-freeze ice cream scoops?

Make sure you have everything ready to go. Split the bananas in half. Then add 2 scoops of frozen yogurt on top. Add berries, granola and a few mini chocolate chips. You know chocolate is good for you right? 🙂

Break out the spoons and eat up! Aren’t these spoons the cutest?

Let’s EAT Breakfast Banana Splits!

Here’s a quick video with the modifications I mentioned above.

Or, why wait until breakfast? How about an after school snack? Or, why not serve it as a dessert? Your kids will think they’re eating dessert, but it’s good for you!!

Go be a hero!

More brilliant breakfasts

• Carrot Cake overnight oats
• Strawberry cheesecake pancakes
• Breakfast cookies
• Frozen Yogurt Bark (could be breakfast, could be dessert!)

I would love to connect with you! Let’s keep in touch, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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Breakfast Banana Split

A healthy breakfast that feels like a treat! Bananas, frozen yogurt, fresh fruit and homemade granola.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Resting time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Calories 626kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• ½ cup strawberry greek yogurt
• ¼ cup blackberries
• ¼ cup raspberries
• ½ cup granola
• mini chocolate chips for garnish

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare yogurt:

• Place container of yogurt in the freezer until firm, not frozen solid, just scoop-able.
• Scoop out two scoops of yogurt and place each scoop in a separate paper muffin liner.
• Put back in the freezer until ready to use.
• Split banana in half.
• Add 2 scoops of frozen yogurt
• Add berries, granola and chocolate chips.
• Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Variation~ Skip out on the freezing the yogurt and just use strawberry yogurt. It’s easier, faster, and just as delicious!

Nutrition

Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 1074mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 25.7mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 3.6mg

Looking for more fun breakfast ideas?

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Baked Oatmeal Cups

The post Breakfast Banana Split appeared first on Art From My Table.