Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

  • home
  • about
    • contact
    • media kit
    • link parties
    • privacy policy
    • where you’ve seen me
  • food
    • easy weeknight meals
  • life
  • frugality
    • Printables Library
  • teaching
  • blogging

How to Make Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

January 1, 2018 by Abby

With their deep color and they’re surprisingly sweet and appealing taste, you really need to know how to make slow cooker caramelized onions!

With their deep color and they're surprisingly sweet and appealing taste, you really need to know how to make slow cooker caramelized onions!

I distinctly remember the first time I tried onions. My brothers and I were spending the summer at my grandparents house in Mississippi and, like a lot of nights, we were gathered around their large table eating supper. Like any self-respecting southern woman, Granny had prepared cornbread. I remember Gramps using his to scoop up onions; I turned my nose up at the combo.

He gave me the same response I’ve now given my own children a few hundred thousand times: “How do you know you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it?” I wasn’t a particularly adventurous eater as a kid (okay, fine, I was ridiculously picky), but for some reason I grabbed myself a serving of diced onions and ate a bite. Yup, just onion. No cornbread. I was surprised to discover I actually liked them.

It wasn’t until years later, though, that I first tried caramelized onions. They’re surprisingly sweet and mild, the opposite of the sometimes harshness onions are known for. That unexpected flavor is the perfect way to win over the onion haters in your life.

With their deep color and they're surprisingly sweet and appealing taste, you really need to know how to make slow cooker caramelized onions!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: DIY, food, in the kitchen, recipes, supper — Tagged With: carmelized onions, dinner, five ingredients or less, how to, onions, recipe, supper

Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

December 21, 2017 by Abby

A grown-up take on a classic childhood dish, Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese is as hearty and satisfying as it is easy and simple.

A grown-up take on a classic childhood dish, Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese is as hearty and satisfying as it is easy and simple.

Surely I’m not the only person who grew up eating macaroni and cheese (blue box only, please) with sliced hot dogs mixed in. While I’d like to think my palate is slightly more refined than it was 20 or 25 years ago, child Abby pretty much considered that meal a delicacy. We spent a lot of time each summer with my dad’s mom, Granny, and any day we could convince her to make hot dogs and macaroni was a good day.

Truth be told, there’s probably enough nostalgia attached to that dish that I’d still gladly eat it. But since I can’t quite bring myself to do that, I’m settling for the next best thing: this Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese. Really, though, nothing about this recipe is “settling.” You’ve got hearty chunks of sausage, which can be as mild or as spicy as you’d like. You’ve got the pasta of your choice (for these photos I used a partial box of mini farfalle and a partial box of rotini). You’ve got a creamy, gooey, melty cheese sauce that puts that neon powdered stuff to shame.

If that isn’t enough to convince you to give Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese a try, consider that it comes together in just about 30 minutes and, if you opt for a no-boil pasta, you can make the entire recipe using just one pot. Sold yet? That’s what I thought.

A grown-up take on a classic childhood dish, Creamy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese is as hearty and satisfying as it is easy and simple.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: dinner, food, in the kitchen, recipes, supper — Tagged With: cheddar cheese, cheese, dinner, parmesan, pasta, pepper jack cheese, recipe, recipes, sausage, supper

20+ Irresistible Game Day Dip Recipes

December 18, 2017 by Abby

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one – or a bunch – of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Maybe it’s the fat kid in me, but there are few things I find more comforting than relaxing with family on a Saturday, watching college football and munching all day on dips. Granted, the whole experience is much more relaxing when our team actually wins, but it’s not a bad time either way.

With college bowl season and then NFL playoffs upon us, this is the perfect time to showcase a roundup of some of the most irresistible game day dip recipes to be had on the interwebs. You can’t go wrong making a recipe, or seven, from the list here. If you try of them, be sure to leave a comment letting the blogger know what you thought!

Irresistible Game Day Dip Recipes

Cheesy Goodness

Cheesy dips are always a hit, and these recipes are no exception.

Cheesy Chicken Poblano Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Green Chile White Queso Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Copycat Torchy’s Tacos Queso Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Southern Pimento Cheese

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Creamy Cheese & Bacon Dip

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

Game Day Queso

Kick back with friends and family, put the big game on TV, and enjoy one - or a bunch - of these irresistible game day dip recipes.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: food, Gluten-Free, in the kitchen, recipes, snack — Tagged With: appetizer, dip, dips, game day, recipe, recipes, snack

Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

December 14, 2017 by Abby

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

I hosted some family at our house several weeks ago and, as I’m sure is typical with most foodies, I spent an inordinate amount of time determining the menu. It was an early afternoon event, so I put together a small menu of appetizers and finger foods. It took some finagling to get what I considered to be the perfect balance of sweet and savory, light and heavy, but every dish was a hit, including this Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

Fruit dips, in my opinion, tend to have a bad reputation. A lot of people think of the sickeningly sweet store-bought version. You know the kind I’m talking about: the little tub that’s nearly grainy in texture? There’s nothing wrong with choosing that option in a pinch, but it can’t begin to compare to my Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip. This stuff is rich — duh, it’s got cream cheese and heavy cream in it — but the unsweetened cocoa powder provides a hint of bitterness that is offset by the sweet fruit. This recipe is perfect for making in advance to lighten your day-of load.

Skip the bland and boring store-bought options and make this rich, decadent and perfectly sweet Chocolate Cream Cheese Fruit Dip instead.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: food, in the kitchen, recipes, snack, sweets — Tagged With: appetizer, chocolate, cream cheese, dessert, dip, fruit, recipe, recipes, snack, sweets

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Baguette

December 11, 2017 by Abby

When it comes to cheesy, spicy, crowd-pleasing, freezer-friendly appetizers, it doesn’t get more perfect than this Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Baguette.

When it comes to cheesy, spicy, crowd-pleasing, freezer-friendly appetizers, it doesn't get more perfect than this Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Baguette.

Y’all, this is bread stuffed with cheese and bacon and jalapeños and more cheese. It’s the ultimate in mouthwatering appetizers. Okay, fine, full disclosure: I might have baked up a section of this stuff for myself for lunch the other day. But to be far, I needed to get some photos of it, and then I couldn’t just not eat it.

If you watch many of those addictive food videos on Facebook, you’ve likely seen a few that feature stuffed bread-related recipes. A lot of those involve carving out the top of a loaf, though, like a boat, and I couldn’t picture that method being conducive to appetizer- or snack-size portions. So instead I hollowed out the center of a baguette, stuffed it with a jalapeño popper-inspired filling, and cut it into party ready rounds. I took this Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Baguette to two different get-togethers in the last month and it was a hit both times.

When it comes to cheesy, spicy, crowd-pleasing, freezer-friendly appetizers, it doesn't get more perfect than this Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Baguette.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: food, in the kitchen, recipes, snack — Tagged With: appetizer, bacon, bread, cheese, cream cheese, jalapenos, recipe, recipes, snack

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

December 7, 2017 by Abby

No more of those dry, flavorless, prepackaged desserts. Homemade Hostess Cupcakes are moist, sweet, and perfect for any special occasion.

No more of those dry, flavorless, prepackaged desserts. Homemade Hostess Cupcakes are moist, sweet, and perfect for any special occasion.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I made Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting for G’s birthday party. When it came to bringing cupcakes to his classroom, though, I went with these Homemade Hostess Cupcakes.

Every few years I fool myself into thinking a real Hostess cupcake will taste good. In my head, I know that isn’t true; they’re dry and flavorless, and that chocolate “frosting” is just gross. But every once in a while, I find myself standing in a convenience store in the middle of a road trip, and that cupcake calls to me. And every time, I swear I won’t waste my money on one again.

The concept behind Hostess Cupcakes is solid. Chocolate cupcake: yum. Sweet filling: yes, please. Smooth and rich chocolate frosting: definitely. Even the curlicue on top is charming. Hostess just doesn’t pull it off, and that’s where this recipe comes in. These Homemade Hostess Cupcakes are everything the original should be, and more. I don’t mean to brag, but more than one of G’s classmates deemed it, “the best cupcake I’ve ever had.”

No more of those dry, flavorless, prepackaged desserts. Homemade Hostess Cupcakes are moist, sweet, and perfect for any special occasion.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: food, in the kitchen, recipes, sweets — Tagged With: chocolate, cupcakes, dessert, recipe, recipes, sweets

One-Pot Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Pasta

December 4, 2017 by Abby

Tired of plain old enchiladas? Got leftover sauce? One-Pot Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Pasta is a surefire way to break out of a rut and please a crowd.

Tired of plain old enchiladas? Got leftover sauce? One-Pot Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Pasta is a surefire way to break out of a rut and please a crowd.

I’m not gonna lie; my Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce is pretty stinking awesome. The Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas I make with the sauce are pretty great, too, but that doesn’t always mean I want to make enchiladas twice to make use of all the sauce. Instead, I like to mix things up by making this hearty-but-not-too-heavy One-Pot Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Pasta.

Did I mention it’s a one-pot meal? Yup. Y’all, that means even the pasta is cooked right in the skillet where you cooked the chicken. In just about a half hour you’ve got a crowd-pleasing meal and only one dirty pot.

Tired of plain old enchiladas? Got leftover sauce? One-Pot Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Pasta is a surefire way to break out of a rut and please a crowd.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: dinner, food, in the kitchen, recipes, supper — Tagged With: cheese, chicken, dinner, pasta, peppers, recipe, recipes, supper

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

November 30, 2017 by Abby

A fun twist on a classic dessert, these German Chocolate Cake Cookies are everything you love about the cake in a rich, gooey, single-serving cookie.

A fun twist on a classic dessert, these German Chocolate Cake Cookies are everything you love about the cake in a rich, gooey, single-serving cookie.

German chocolate cake is my dad’s favorite dessert so, when he and my stepmom came for a visit a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to make a recipe that was a twist on that. Since I’m all about individual servings — have you seen how many cupcake recipes I have? — I decided to transform my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe and my Granny’s German chocolate frosting recipe into German Chocolate Cake Cookies.

Needless to say, these guys were a hit. I served them at a family gathering and was asked several times for the recipe. I sent the leftovers with J to school for his coworkers, and I later received a few texts raving about them. One of my favorite things about these cookies is that the various parts can be made ahead. I made the chocolate cookies a few days before the get-together, and the frosting can sit in the fridge for a couple days, too. Then assembly is pretty much a breeze.

A fun twist on a classic dessert, these German Chocolate Cake Cookies are everything you love about the cake in a rich, gooey, single-serving cookie.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: food, in the kitchen, recipes, sweets — Tagged With: chocolate, cookies, dessert, recipe, recipes, sweets

Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits

November 27, 2017 by Abby

Forget the bland kind that come in a tube; these Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits are flaky, buttery, and everything homemade biscuits should be.

Forget the bland kind that come in a tube; these Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits are flaky, buttery, and everything homemade biscuits should be.

One of the first recipes I ever made was these Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits. I was 21 and J and I were newly married, living in a tiny apartment in Jackson. This was before the days of Pinterest, so much of what I made came from Google or from actual cookbooks.

I remember first making these biscuits in our little kitchen, with its one narrow drawer and its burners that refused to heat evenly. I was so new to cooking and baking then; every recipe was precisely followed because I wasn’t confident enough to make even the smallest changes. Over the years, though, I’ve adapted this recipe, adding the chives and tweaking the process. The result, these Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits, are just as satisfying to make now as they were all those years ago.

Forget the bland kind that come in a tube; these Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits are flaky, buttery, and everything homemade biscuits should be.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: breakfast, dinner, food, in the kitchen, recipes, snack, supper, Uncategorized — Tagged With: bacon, cheddar, cheese, homemade, recipe, recipes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting

November 16, 2017 by Abby

For an adorable treat that’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet, bake up these rich and decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

For an adorable treat that's the perfect combination of salty and sweet, bake up these rich and decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

We had a birthday party a few weeks ago for my oldest, G, who turned seven. This is the part where I do that trite, “They grow up so fast! Where did my baby go?! I can’t handle this!” thing. But really, y’all, every word of that is true. Like, it seems that only a few weeks ago he was sneaking into the kitchen to eat from the dog food bowl and referring to himself in the third person as “shwee -shwee.” No, we don’t know how he got that from “Griffin.”

But, alas, he’s another year older, which means another year of dinosaur obsession, another year of being the best big brother ever. I didn’t ask G what kind of cupcakes he wanted because I knew that, with the dinosaur cupcake toppers I bought, he wouldn’t care about the aesthetics of the cupcakes. Plus, I know the kid loves chocolate and salty/sweet as much as his mom does. With that in mind, I couldn’t go wrong with Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

For an adorable treat that's the perfect combination of salty and sweet, bake up these rich and decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Pretzel Frosting.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: food, in the kitchen, recipes, sweets — Tagged With: chocolate, cupcakes, dessert, recipe, recipes, salty and sweet, sweets

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • …
  • 22
  • Next Page »
logo
Food Advertisements by

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter

* indicates required
Daily Boutique Deals
Crazy 8
logo
Food Advertisements by
logo

Food Advertisements by

Copyright © 2023 · Designed by Beautiful Dawn Designs