Winstead Wandering

Prone to Wander

Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites

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A creamy, cheesy, spicy Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites recipe that is just as pleasing to regular eaters as it is to low carb folks. It’s simple to make and gluten-free, too!

A creamy, cheesy, spicy Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites recipe that is just as pleasing to regular eaters as it is to low carb folks. It's simple to make and gluten-free, too!

One night in March of 2010, I was feeling off. I was tired and a little crampy, but I was always pretty “regular,” so I figured I knew what was up. I stopped by the grocery store after work to grab frozen jalapeño poppers, tampons and, on a whim, a pregnancy test. Once home, I tossed the poppers in the oven and headed to the bathroom to take the test.

It was positive! Nine months later, G was born. So basically, for me, jalapeño poppers are more than just crunchy, cheesy, creamy bites of spicy goodness. They’re a fun reminder of those few minutes I jumped up and down the hall of the first home we bought together, our giant black lab bounding along behind me.

While these Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites didn’t accompany a positive pregnancy test (or a negative one), they are certainly memorable.

A creamy, cheesy, spicy Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites recipe that is just as pleasing to regular eaters as it is to low carb folks. It's simple to make and gluten-free, too!

My main goal in creating low carb recipes is that each one doesn’t seem diet-y at all. I want them to be just as appealing to my non-low carb eating friends and family as they are to those who are eating like I am. This recipe totally delivers. They’re wonderfully creamy and smooth on the inside, with a delightfully flavorful crunch on the outside.

No one who eats these Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites will feel deprived in any way. There are no wacky substitutions here, just bite after bite of spicy and cheesy goodness.

A creamy, cheesy, spicy Low Carb Jalapeño Popper Bites recipe that is just as pleasing to regular eaters as it is to low carb folks. It's simple to make and gluten-free, too!

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Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese

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If you aren’t using your Instant Pot to experience the creamy, cheesy, gooey goodness of Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, what are you even doing with your life?

If you aren't using your Instant Pot to experience the creamy, cheesy, gooey goodness of Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, what are you even doing with your life?

I remember the moment I knew I was in love with J. It was my freshman year in college, sometime in the fall after we’d talked on the phone every day during the summer and spent the first semester of school hanging out on campus. I remember texting him often during those months (from my camera-less flip phone because this was 2005), saying things like, “I really like you.” It hadn’t occurred to me yet that I more than liked him.

You might also like: Creamy Sausage Macaroni & Cheese

And then one day I headed to the mail room to check my tiny mailbox. I don’t even remember if I had mail that day, but I do know I was leaving the building because I was headed up the stairs that led back to the center of campus and toward my dorm. I had my phone out, texting J, and I tripped on the stairs. That part doesn’t have anything to do with my epiphany; I tripped at least once on every set of stairs on campus. But sometime during that walk from the mail room back to my dorm, I thought, “I think I love this guy.”

If you aren't using your Instant Pot to experience the creamy, cheesy, gooey goodness of Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, what are you even doing with your life?

What does all this have to do with Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese? Not much, really, except I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day (busy few weeks + blog issues =  tight post turnaround) so I’m feeling a little mushy. Also, even though there are a ton of things J and I don’t have in common — he loves Top 40 music and I’m all about 90’s/early 00’s hip hop; he loves sci-fi, action, and comic book movies, while I want light and happy; he’s an incredibly picky eater, but I’m more adventurous — macaroni and cheese is something we agree on. We both love the stuff, including this super simple recipe.

You might also like: Five Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

If you’ve never made homemade macaroni and cheese, this recipe is the perfect place to start. It doesn’t require you to make any cheese sauces, and it certainly doesn’t call for any of that neon processed cheese junk (I love a good helping of Rotel Dip as much as the next Southerner, but please keep that fake stuff away from my mac ‘n’ cheese). The Instant Pot does all the noodle-boiling work, and they don’t even need to be drained. Just add the cheese and other ingredients to the cooked noodles, stir everything together, and everyone will think you spent a ton of time making a mouthwatering side dish.

If you aren't using your Instant Pot to experience the creamy, cheesy, gooey goodness of Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, what are you even doing with your life?

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Southern Sausage Balls

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Loaded with hearty sausage and plenty of golden, melted cheese, Southern Sausage Balls make the perfect appetizer, snack, or party food.

Loaded with hearty sausage and plenty of golden, melted cheese, Southern Sausage Balls make the perfect appetizer, snack, or party food.

I’m not saying sausage balls are an exclusively southern dish. I’m just saying that, while the only ones I ever had while growing up in Oregon were made by southern relatives, they’re a staple at nearly every wedding and baby shower in The South. And because most people are huge fans of anything that combines cheese, pork, and some of form of bread, Southern Sausage Balls are always a hit.

I ate them for years and loved them; I even made them myself. Then one day my mother-in-law made a batch (actually, I’m sure it was at least a double batch) with a new secret ingredient. That secret ingredient was cream cheese and, y’all, it revolutionized the sausage ball eating experience. If you think that’s an exaggeration, you’ve clearly never eaten Southern Sausage Balls with cream cheese.

The addition of the cream cheese ups the moistness of the recipe and leaves all other versions tasting dry and boring. Even if regular sausage balls are already in your repertoire, I implore you to add cream cheese. It’s a total game-changer. If you’ve never made Southern Sausage Balls at all, what are you waiting for? Make them for game-day, for a party, or just for breakfast or a snack at home.

Loaded with hearty sausage and plenty of golden, melted cheese, Southern Sausage Balls make the perfect appetizer, snack, or party food.

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Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits

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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.

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copycat red lobster cheddar biscuits

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Copycat red lobster cheddar biscuits are loaded with cheese and brushed generously with butter and garlic. They might be called copycat, but honestly, they’re way better.

Copycat red lobster cheddar biscuits are loaded with cheese and brushed generously with butter and garlic. They might be called copycat, but honestly, they're way better.

This last year at school, I taught an accounting class of nine boys. No girls, just me and nine strong-willed, rowdy boys. It was quite an adventure.

Part of the way I rewarded their hard work in class was by baking for them each time every student made an 80 or better on a test. I tried out a few different recipes on the boys and, being that they’re teenagers, each recipe was well-received. This recipe, though, was requested time and time again.

It’s not surprising, really. These biscuits are packed with cheese and brushed with butter, garlic, and oregano. They’re a more flavorful version of the kind served by red lobster.

I think these guys are pretty darn tasty just the way they are, but I’ve also added bacon and jalapeños and enjoyed them that way, too.

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