Last winter I shared a recipe for this amazing Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin, and every time I make it, this is the rice side dish I serve. I think I accidentally bought multiple bottles of balsamic vinegar and was trying to come up with different ways to use it, and both these recipes ended up being home runs and feel like warm, satisfying comfort food during the cold weather months.

If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, wild rice is a delicious side all on its own. It’s earthy and nutty and so good served with any kind of meat. But the balsamic marinated mushrooms really make this recipe pop, adding a savory tang and really bulking up the dish to make it super satisfying. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Wild Rice with Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms

 

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Author: Liz Fourez

INGREDIENTS

• 16 ounces fresh mushrooms (I use white button mushrooms)
• 1 cup wild rice (I like Lundberg brand or Rice Select Royal Blend)
• 1½ cups chicken broth (or amount of liquid specified on rice package)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
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• Marinade:
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking pan with foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Prepare the mushrooms by wiping them clean with a damp paper towel. Slice the mushrooms in half or large mushrooms into quarters. Place in a large bowl and add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Gently toss until all mushrooms are well coated and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the mushrooms to the lined baking pan and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add chicken broth to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add wild rice, butter and ½ teaspoon salt to the broth and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid, cooking the rice for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow to rest for 5 more minutes with the lid on to finish cooking.
5. Add the roasted mushrooms and any liquid on the baking pan to the wild rice and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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The post Wild Rice with Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

This taco salad isn’t just your ordinary taco ingredients thrown into a bowl with extra lettuce. I also add crunchy, flavorful Doritos and a tangy Catalina dressing that give this dish a unique flavor that is always a crowd pleaser! My Catalina Dorito Taco Salad is best served as soon as you make it so the chips and lettuce don’t get soggy, but if you want to prep the salad ahead of time, I have instructions for how to do that below!

CATALINA DORITO TACO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup tomato, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz) bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed
1 cup Catalina salad dressing

INSTRUCTIONS:

Brown the ground beef until no pink remains, and drain off excess fat. Add taco seasoning to the beef along with the amount of water called for on the taco seasoning packet. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and cool.

TO SERVE IMMEDIATELY:

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomato, cheese, crushed Doritos, cooled taco meat, and Catalina dressing. Toss until well combined, adding more dressing if desired. Serve salad immediately.

TO PREP AHEAD:

In a large bowl, layer the ingredients in this order (starting from the bottom):

cooled taco meat
diced tomato
chopped lettuce
shredded cheese

Cover and chill the salad in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, add the crushed Doritos and Catalina dressing and toss until well combined.

OTHER OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

black beans
corn kernels
green onion
black olives
sweet pepper
jalapeno
red onion
avocado

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MORE MEAL IDEAS:

Chicken Pot Pie | Healthy One Pan Roasted Sausage & Vegetables | Spring Vegetable Fettuccine Alfredo
One Pan Roasted Shrimp & Asparagus | Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken | Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

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Enjoy, sweet friend! If you try any of my recipes, I’d love to see what you make by tagging me in your photos + stories!
IG: @lizlovegrowswild + #lovegrowswild

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The post Catalina Dorito Taco Salad appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

A few notes about the recipe…

Once you make the coleslaw, you’ll want to let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours to allow the flavors in the dressing to combine. You can also make this a day ahead, and the coleslaw will stay nice and crisp.

I think the celery seed is what makes this recipe, but you can start by adding only 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste, if desired.

And just in case you are still on the fence about trying this recipe, I should probably mention that when I shared it here the first time over five years ago now, it quickly became and still is today my 4th most popular blog post of all time. It was worth sharing again for all of you who weren’t reading my blog that long ago!

EASY COLESLAW

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sugar
•  1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 14-16 ounce bag shredded cabbage with carrots
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated

In a large bowl combine the shredded cabbage and grated carrots. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, celery seed, grated onion, and salt. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and toss until fully coated with the dressing. You may want to reserve a small amount of the dressing until you mix the coleslaw together and see if the entire amount is needed. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving and up to 2 days.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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The post Easy Coleslaw appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

In the past I have always put my mac and cheese together and baked it in the oven, but using this slow cooker method is great for bringing this dish to potlucks and parties and holiday gatherings. The cheese sauce is super creamy and flavorful, and I even made this recipe just a tad bit healthier by adding some Greek yogurt to replace the need for whole milk without losing any creaminess. The way I look at it… every calorie saved during the holidays means that many more Christmas cookies I get to enjoy. : )

Speaking of dairy products, I had the great pleasure of partnering with the American Dairy Association Mideast again this year to help support the Great American Milk Drive. Did you know that milk is the number 1 nutritious product requested by food bank clients, but is rarely ever donated? The Great American Milk Drive is delivering thousands of gallons of milk to families who would otherwise go without. ADA Mideast will donate 25 cents, the average cost of 1 glass of milk, to the Great American Milk Drive for every new follower on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram through Monday, Dec. 12, up to $2,500. You can also help donate milk this holiday season by visiting www.MilkLife.com/give. A $5 donation gives a gallon of milk to a family in-need.

Join me and 4 other food bloggers to celebrate the holidays while also giving back at a Give Gallons Twitter party on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 9-10 p.m. EST, hosted by the American Dairy Association Mideast. Get holiday recipe and cooking tips, and share healthy 2017 resolutions. For everyone who attends and uses #GiveGallons, 25 cents will be donated to Feeding America’s Great American Milk Drive to help give milk to those who need it most in our communities. You can RSVP here: http://vite.io/givegallons

Here are a few tips for incorporating more dairy into your holiday cooking:

• Cooking with milk is an easy (and delicious!) way to add calcium and other essential nutrients to holiday dishes. Milk also adds a bit of sweetness to recipes and encourages the browning reactions you see in many tasty holiday treats, such as in pastry crusts and cookies.
• Lighten up holiday dishes with Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt is high in protein, which helps to keep you fuller longer, and it packs in dairy’s 9 essential nutrients. It adds creaminess and tang, too. Try it in place of heavier ingredients in dips, sauces and soups!
• To make holiday beverages like hot chocolate and lattes extra creamy, swap out milk for water. Adding milk adds a boost of calcium and protein, too!

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

 

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COOK TIME

2 hours

TOTAL TIME

2 hours

 

Author: Liz Fourez

Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1½ cups low-fat milk
• 1-12 ounce can evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup Greek yogurt.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente, about 6-7 minutes, then drain and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and cheese on medium low heat and stir until completely melted.
2. Lightly spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and add the melted cheese and butter mixture, cooked noodles, milk, evaporated milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook covered on low for 2-2½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender and the sauce has thickened.
3. Add the Greek yogurt and stir until completely combined. Turn off the slow cooker and serve hot.

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This post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

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The post Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

In case you were starting to worry that I was going to skip right over Thanksgiving and dive straight into Christmas, today I’m sharing one of my favorite turkey day classics. The best homemade stuffing with the perfect balance of herbs and a buttery, crispy top!

When I was growing up, boxed stuffing was all my family made for the holidays. It was easy, delicious, and I never knew anything different. But as I got into adulthood and spread my culinary wings a bit, I had my first taste of REAL homemade stuffing. “Wow… so THIS is what stuffing is supposed to taste like!” Big, buttery cubes of bread still soft and tender on the inside, but crispy and perfectly crusty on the outside. The perfect blend of herbs mixed with tender, buttery vegetables. Your Thanksgiving menu deserves a stuffing recipe like this!

There are a million different varieties of stuffing out there, but this one is simple and what I would call “traditional”. Feel free to jazz it up with other ingredients if you like, but if you’re looking for a great classic stuffing to use year after year, this is the one!

I use regular, old white sandwich bread for this recipe, but just make sure it’s a good-quality, firm loaf. I do 99% of my grocery shopping at Meijer and stop by the bakery section to get one of their freshly-baked loaves of white bread. And some stuffing recipes I’ve tried call for ALL fresh herbs, but when you’re talking about 4, 5, or sometimes 6 different herbs, that can get pretty pricey. Instead, just use dried herbs for the majority of the flavor and pick up a bundle of fresh parsley for a pop of freshness throughout the dish. Oh, and I even made it REALLY simple for you… I just use a pre-mixed poultry seasoning!

While I was at Meijer picking up groceries to make this stuffing for you guys, I made a pit stop in their home and kitchen section. A few new kitchen items from Grand Gourmet may or may not have hopped into my cart…

I picked up some new baking sheets to toast my bread cubes on…

a new set of skillets to cook my vegetables in…

and a new set of measuring cups and spoons because seriously, why am I ALWAYS losing them?? I swear my sink eats them somehow…

I love Meijer’s Grand Gourmet product line because of how affordable, yet high-quality it is. After cooking with my old, scratched-up skillets for years and years, this new cookware was SUCH a treat. And because it’s holiday time, and I’m feeling all the warm, fuzzy holiday feelings, I’m giving away a gift basket FULL of Meijer Grand Gourmet kitchen essentials and holiday entertaining items to one of YOU! Keep scrolling down to get this delicious stuffing recipe, and you’ll find the giveaway entry form below the recipe. P.S. To check out Meijer’s Black Friday ad for 2015, click here!

Traditional Homemade Stuffing

 

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This simple homemade stuffing is perfect for weeknight dinners or the holidays!

Author: Liz Fourez

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound firm white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups onion, finely diced
• 2 cups celery, finely diced
• 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF. Place the bread cubes in a single layer on baking sheets and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside and allow the bread to cool.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and almost golden. Scrape the vegetables and butter into an extra large bowl and add the cooled bread cubes, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and 1¼ cup of the chicken broth. In a small bowl, whisk the 2 eggs and the remaining 1¼ cup chicken broth until combined and pour into the bowl of stuffing. Gently mix the stuffing until all the ingredients are completely combined and place in a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 25-35 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden brown and crisp.

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• adapted from Food Network

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post and giveaway has been sponsored by our friends at Meijer, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. This giveaway is not endorsed or affiliated with Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter in any way. Giveaway begins on November 16th and ends at 12:00am EST on November 23rd. Winner must be 18 years of age, a United States resident, will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter, and notified by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! Good luck!

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The post Traditional Homemade Stuffing appeared first on Love Grows Wild.