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Dill Slaw for Burgers

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This Dill Slaw is a perfect burger topper when you want to elevate your topping game! All the flavors blend perfectly with a grilled burger, whether it is beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or even salmon. Super fine cabbage is combined with red onions, chopped dill pickles, and jalapeno, and then mixed with olive oil, dill pickle juice and kosher salt.

a bowl of slaw to top burgers

This isn’t a slaw you want to eat on your own. It was created specifically as a topper for burgers. The flavors are fresh and delicious but not so bold that they take over your burger.

RELATED: Bacon Jam Burger Topper

Ingredients

This Burger Slaw is made with fresh, simple ingredients.

ingredients for burger slaw on a table

Angel Hair Slaw: you can buy packaged angel hair slaw at the store. If your store doesn’t carry it you can buy a small head of cabbage and and finely shred 2 cups. I like to use my mandoline slicer on the thinnest setting for this job.

Pickles: use a dill pickle for this recipe. I recommend that you get the refrigerated pickle, they tend to have a crunchier texture. We love Clausen brand pickles. You will use the pickle and some of the juice.

Red Onion: slice the onion as thin as you can. Sometimes I will use my mandoline slicer on the thinnest setting for this task. If you are sensitive to strong onion flavor or you got an onion that is extra flavorful you can run your sliced onion under water for about 20 seconds to minimize their strength.

Jalapeno: fresh jalapeno adds a nice kick to this burger slaw. You can choose your level of heat that the jalapeno adds. Choose just the green outer part for little heat. For medium heat add the white pith inside of the jalapeno. For all the heat use the seeds too.

Olive Oil: to dress the slaw you will use olive oil and a little of the pickle juice.

Kosher Salt: seasons everything up just right!

Building Your Burger

To use the Dill Slaw for your burgers make it just before it is time to eat. The longer this burger slaw sits it will get juicy and soggy.

chicken burger with dill slaw on top

The nice thing is that this slaw goes great with just about any burger:

We like to build it up so that there is a grilled bun, mayo or aioli, burger patty, cheese, piled high with dill slaw, and more mayo on the top bun.

More Burger Toppers

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a bowl of slaw to top burgers

Slaw Recipe for Burgers

A delicious and crunchy slaw recipe for burgers. Flavors of slaw, onion, pickle and jalapeno make a perfect topper for just about any burger!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 34kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

  • 2 cups angel hair slaw - (see note #1)
  • โ…“ cup red onion - thinly sliced (see note #2)
  • ยฝ cup dill pickles - chopped (refrigerated pickles are preferred for their crispness)
  • 1 Tbsp jalapeno - chopped (see note #3)
  • 2 Tbsp pickle juice
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • ยผ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Add all the ingredients to a bowl and toss with tongs.
    2 cups angel hair slaw, โ…“ cup red onion, ยฝ cup dill pickles, 1 tablespoon jalapeno, 2 tablespoon pickle juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ยผ teaspoon kosher salt
  • This is best used right away. It will get soggy if it sits too long.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

  1. You can buy “angel hair slaw” pre made at the grocery store near other slaw mixes. It is very finely cut cabbage. If you can’t find it pre-cut you can easily do this on your own. Buy a small head of green cabbage. Either with a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer set on โ…› inch, shred the cabbage.
  2. Rinse your sliced red onion to make the flavor more mild.
  3. Choose your level of jalapeno heat. For mild only use the outer green parts. For medium heat add the white pith/ribs inside the jalapeno. For the maximum heat use the seeds too.
Great on ALL types of burgers:
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 72IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Classic Rice Pilaf

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Classic Rice Pilaf is a super simple rice side dish for just about any dinner. When done right, Rice Pilaf is more than just a bowl of rice-it's aromatic, it's flavorful, and it's absolutely delicious. The process for Rice Pilaf isn’t much different from cooking regular rice, but it’s the technique and extra flavors that elevate it to a whole new level.

a large bowl of rice pilaf with a spoon and a napkin

Basmati Rice is mixed with aromatics like garlic and onions, then after it is cooked it is mixed with fresh sliced green onions, lemon zest, a little lemon juice and some toasted pine nuts.

What is Pilaf?

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of cooking Rice Pilaf, let’s talk about what pilaf actually is. Pilaf, also known as pilau, pulao, or pilav, depending on the cuisine, is a rice dish wherein the grains are first sautรฉed or toasted in oil or butter before being cooked in a seasoned broth.

Dry basmati rice

This method is in contrast to simply boiling rice in water. The toasting gives the rice a nutty flavor and keeps the grains separate, resulting in a fluffy, aromatic dish. Pilaf often incorporates various spices, aromatics, and even additional proteins or veggies, making it a versatile dish.

Ingredients with Ingredient Tips and Tricks

To make this classic Rice Pilaf Recipe you will need some butter, rice, onions, garlic, a lemon and some pine nuts.

  • Long-grain rice – We recommend using a Basmati Rice OR the brand Rice Select Texmati Rice is a great buy. We have found the Texmati Rice has very consistent results. When prepared correctly basmati rice is less sticky, which gives your pilaf that beautiful, fluffy texture.
  • Chicken Broth – Use chicken broth or stock as your cooking liquid to enhance the flavor of your rice.
  • Onions & Garlic – These are the aromatics that start the first layer of flavor in your Rice Pilaf.
  • Butter- This is the fat used to sautรฉ the onions and garlic and to toast the rice.
  • Lemon – Adds a nice high note to balance all the savory ingredients in the Rice Pilaf. When you need both zest and juice- always zest before squeezing the juice.
  • Pine Nuts – Nuts are a traditional ingredient in rice pilaf recipes, for this one we are using toasted pine nuts.
  • Green Onions – Another aromatic added to the rice to enhance the flavors. This one adds a nice fresh bite!

Step by Step How To Make The Recipe

  1. Prep The Rice.

    2. Rinse the rice in a colander or a bowl until the water runs clear.

  2. Sautรฉ Onions.

    3. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add the butter to a large saucepan.

    Add onions and sautรฉ until soft but not browned.

  3. Toast The Rice.

    4. Add the rice, minced garlic and kosher salt to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and toast the rice, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes (just until some of the grains of rice start to turn a golden color). This toasting step locks in the flavor.

    rice that is being toasted in a pot
  4. Cook Covered.

    5. Pour in the broth, and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. The reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes.

    Then remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for another 5 minutes.

    basmati rice that has been cooked in broth
  5. Fluff & Add Flavors.

    6. Once the rice is done fluff with a fork and mix in the toasted pine nuts, lemon zest and juice and green onions.

    cooked basmati rice that has been fluffed
    pine nuts, green onions and lemon zest over cooked basmati rice

Toasted Pine Nuts

Toasting pine nuts really brings out their nutty, almost bacon-like flavor. Bacon, yum!! There are two standard ways to toast pine nuts:

  • OVEN Place the pine nuts on a piece of foil and place in a 350โ„‰ oven for about 5 minutes until they are nice and golden.
  • SKILLET In a dry skillet over medium heat, let the pine nuts toast, shaking the pan often so they don’t burn.
toasted pine nuts on a piece of foil
Pine Nuts that have been toasted in the oven.

Serving Ideas

Rice Pilaf is versatile, making it a great side for a variety of main dishes. It pairs well with grilled meats like BBQ Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Chicken or Grilled Tri Tip, even paired with roasted vegetables like Oven Roasted Broccoli or Asparagus, or as a bed for saucy dishes like stews and curries.

More Rice Dishes

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a large bowl of Rice Pilaf topped with green onions and pine nuts

Classic Rice Pilaf Recipe

This classic Rice Pilaf Recipe is a super simple rice side dish that has layers of flavor like onions, garlic, lemon, and toasted pine nuts. It makes a great rice side dish.
No ratings yet
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • 3 qt. saucepan with a tight-fitting lid

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 small onion - - finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves - - minced
  • 1 ยฝ cups long grain white rice - Basmati OR Rice Select Brand White Texmati rice - it has the most consistent results
  • 2 ยฝ cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ยพ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ยผ cup toasted pine nuts
  • ยฝ cup chopped green onion - white and dark green portions

Instructions
 

Rice Prep

  • Thoroughly rinse the extra starch from your rice. Use one of two methods:
    a. Place it in a fine mesh sieve/colander and run water over the rice until it starts to run clear.
    b. Pour the rice into a large bowl and fill with water, stir around the bowl, then drain into a colander, pour the rice back in the bowl and refill with water. Repeat until the water is clear.
  • Drain as much water from the rice as you can before moving on.
    1 ยฝ cups long grain white rice

Toast Pine Nuts

  • Choose one of the 2 methods below for toasting pine nuts. You can do this while the rice cooks.
  • Place the pine nuts on a piece of foil and place in a 350โ„‰ oven for about 5 minutes until they are nice and golden.
  • In a dry skillet over medium heat, let the pine nuts toast, shaking the pan often so they don't burn.

Rice Pilaf Instructions

  • In a heavy 3 qt. saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned.
    2 Tbsp. butter
  • Add the prepared rice, minced garlic and kosher salt. Reduce the heat to low and stirring constantly, toast the rice for 5 minutes (just until some of the grains of rice start to turn a golden color).
    1 small onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • Add the chicken broth, stir once and bring to a boil.
    2 ยฝ cups chicken broth
  • Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice sit covered for 5 more minutes.
  • Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
  • Add the lemon zest, lemon juice toasted pine nuts and green onions. Toss the ingredients together to combine.
    ยพ teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, ยผ cup toasted pine nuts, ยฝ cup chopped green onion
  • Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve immediately.
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Ultimate Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

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This recipe for Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is just as flavorful as our classic chicken noodle soup, but thickened up to creamy perfection! It is FULL of diced veggies like carrots, onions and celery. Then a flavorful stock is added with some chicken base for an extra boost. Tender chicken and hearty kluski noodles are added and it is all simmered to perfection. Finally it gets a creamy kick from a secret creamy chicken soup ingredient, evaporated milk!

Dutch oven full of creamy chicken noodle soup with a ladle full

You are going to be beaming at dinner when you serve this crazy delicious Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup to your family and friends.

And for all you chicken soup lovers, try this Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup or Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili next! If you have picky kids in the house, this Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids will be a hit.

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The BEST Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

We don’t take our chicken noodle soups lightly in the Mom’s Dinner Test Kitchens! It is crucial that they are PACKED with flavor…. none of this light chicken broth that doesn’t taste like chicken.

Chicken Base, which is like pumped up chicken bouillon, is key to any good chicken noodle soup, we love the Better Than Bouillon brand.

We like the chicken soups to be filled with the things you love; veggies, tender chicken and plenty of noodles.

Speaking of noodles, we don’t go for those dry egg noodles that are always disappointing! Don’t you agree!? We love a thick noodle like the frozen egg noodles in this Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, or a hearty Kluski noodle like we use in this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe and this Kid’s Chicken Noodle Soup. It makes a huge difference!

So many recipes on Pinterest rarely look or taste as advertised, so I was super happy to have this one turn out just like the picture! Not only that, but it was truly very delicious, amazing! I was so happy. I was a bit hesitant on the turmeric as I had never used and the smell was worrisome, but I didn't notice it at all. Made exactly as written. Thank you so much. It really is the best! -Beth

Ingredients

Chicken- This is a great time to use already cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or Costco. You can also bake a combo of chicken breasts and thighs at 350ยฐ for about 25 minutes and then shred or chop the chicken.

Shred warm chicken in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for about 20 seconds. Works like a charm!

Kluski Noodles- This is a traditional chicken soup noodle. This recipe works best with this noodle because of the size and the starch content. More about the kluski noodle in the section below.

Veggies- A traditional mix of carrots, celery, onion and garlic are added to the pot to get this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup started.

Ingredients for recipe on a table

Chicken Base- This is one of the secrets to really really good chicken noodle soup. It is like chicken bouillon times 1000. You can find it in the soup aisle, near the bouillon. It comes in a jar and is in a paste form. We prefer the Better Than Bouillon brand.

Chicken Stock- A stock will always be more flavorful than a broth.

Flour- Adding flour to the veggies and oil makes a roux, which helps thicken liquid. So that when you add the chicken stock the broth starts to thicken, giving it a creamy texture.

Evaporated Milk- This is a wonderful “secret ingredient” to this chicken soup. It is added at the end to give a creaminess. Evaporated milk is sturdy enough to hold up to the soup and any simmering/boiling/reheating.

Kluski Noodles

You may not have heard of kluski noodles before, but they are a traditional chicken soup noodle. Think about a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, those are kluski noodles!

They are somewhere between a flat dumpling and a spaghetti noodle. Heartier than spaghetti or regular pasta, but thin enough to be a soup noodle and not a dumpling.

kluski noodles in a bag

Note that this recipe has only been tested using Kluski noodles.

At the grocery store you can find kluski noodles either in the pasta aisle or the soup aisle. At my grocery store I find them in the pasta aisle, but they are not with the commercial box pastas. They are with the specialty pastas, like the dry dumplings, flat dumplings and other “Homemade” style noodles.

Watch The Recipe

How To Make Creamy Chicken NOodle Soup

  1. Sautรฉ the veggies.

    2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add in the onion, carrots and celery and sautรฉ for 5-10 minutes until they are starting to become tender.

    Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

    carrots, celery, onion in a dutch oven, sauteeing
  2. Make a roux.

    3. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

    a roux of flour and oil with carrots, onions and celery
  3. Add chicken stock.

    4. Whisk in the chicken stock/broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 15-20 minutes.

    whisking chicken broth into soup
  4. Add chicken, noodles, seasonings and milk.

    5. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.

    Taste for additional seasonings.

    pouring evaporated milk into the creamy chicken noodle soup

Storing & Reheating

Store any leftovers in the fridge, in an air tight container, for up to 4 days. Note that this soup will thicken in the fridge as it cools. You may need to reconstitute with broth, water or milk when reheating.

Side Dishes For Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Most of the time when we have this Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner I just add some crackers or a crusty ciabatta bread.

large dutch oven full of creamy chicken noodle soup

If you want to have a heartier dinner you could add a green salad like this side salad with warm balsamic vinaigrette or Caesar salad. A small tray of sandwiches with ham, provolone cheese, and mayo/mustard would be great too. Add a platter of raw veggies with dip and you will be good to go!

More Chicken Soup Recipes

All Soup

We LOVE all the soups here at Mom’s Dinner, check out more options in the soup category.

Soup Recipes
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a ladle full of creamy chicken noodle soup

How to Make Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

A creamy chicken noodle soup that is full of carrots, celery, onions and garlic mixed with a super flavorful stock, tender chicken and seasonings and plenty of hearty kluski noodles.
4.60 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • In a large Dutch oven or stock pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, carrots and celery and sautรฉ for approx. 5-10 minutes until they are softening.
    2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 onion, 4 carrots, 3 stalks celery
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
    3 cloves garlic
  • Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
    โ…“ cup flour
  • Gradually whisk in the 8 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes.
    8 cups chicken broth
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 more minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
    3 tsp. chicken base, 3 cups cooked chicken, 2 cups uncooked Kluski Noodles, 12 oz can evaporated milk, 1 tsp. salt, ยฝ tsp. dried oregano, ยฝ tsp. pepper, ยฝ tsp. ground turmeric, ยผ tsp. dried thyme, ยฝ tsp. onion powder, ยฝ tsp. garlic powder
  • Taste and season to taste if necessary. Serve immediately.

Storing & Reheating

  • Keep any leftover creamy chicken noodle soup in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.
  • The soup will thicken in the fridge. You may need to add some additional stock/water/milk to reconstitute when reheating.
  • Warm through in the microwave or on the stove top.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Kluski Noodles: This recipe has only been tested using Kluski noodles.
These are traditional chicken soup noodles, think of a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. You can find them in the grocery store in the soup aisle or pasta aisle. They will not be with the commercial boxed pasta, they are usually in a specialty or homemade noodle area with dry dumplings and flat dumplings. You can also purchase Kluski Noodles on Amazon.
MORE CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL:ย 
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40+ Potato Recipes You Are Gonna LOVE

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Potatoes have been such a versatile staple in kitchens around the world for centuries. Whether mashed, roasted, or fried, these starchy delights offer endless possibilities when it comes to creating delicious meals. In this article, we are sharing 40 potato recipes that will have you feeling like a success at dinner time!

Potato Recipes

A baked potato filled with sour cream, cheese, bacon and green onions
How to Make Perfect Baked Potato
Learn how to make amazing Oven Baked Potatoes that are soft and fluffy on the inside and have nice crispy skin. Plus a foolproof way to tell if your potatoes are cooked through.
Serve your Baked Potatoes as a side dish or dinner entree!
Check out this recipe
Leftover baked potatoes sliced and sauteed in a skillet
Leftover Baked Potato Recipe (skillet potatoes)
This is an excellent recipe to use up those leftover baked potatoes from your fridge. They fry up nice and crispy and buttery in a skillet. Makes a great breakfast potato or side dish for dinner.
Check out this recipe
a glass casserole dish with scalloped potatoes being spooned out.
Saucy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
These Scalloped Potatoes have the ultimate balance of rich, creamy sauce and tender, thinly sliced potatoes. Baked to perfection, the edges and bottom develop a delicious caramelized crust, while the sauce bubbles up around the pan for irresistible flavor in every bite.
Check out this recipe
a loaded baked potato on a cutting board
Deluxe Loaded Baked Potatoes
Baked russet potatoes are mixed with cheese, sour cream, bacon, garlic and butter and then piled high into the potato shells and baked with cheese on top. This makes a super deluxe side dish!
(AKA. Twice Baked Potatoes)
Check out this recipe
A large serving bowl of Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes topped with melting butter
The Best Yukon Mashed Potatoes + Video
The creamiest and MOST FLAVORFUL Yukon Gold Mashed Potato recipe you will find!!! These are the mashed potatoes you want on your table! So delicious you don't even need gravy.
Plan on ยฝ lb. of raw potato per person.
Check out this recipe
creamy red potato soup topped with bacon and cheese in a brown crock bowl
Creamy Red Potato Soup
A creamy potato soup made with red skinned potatoes (new potatoes). Serve your soup loaded up with crispy bacon, cheese and green onions.
Check out this recipe
Herb roasted potatoes being scooped up on wooden serving spoon.
Herb Roasted Potatoes
These Herb Roasted Potatoes are over-the-top! Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes are tossed with a mixture of olive oil, Dijon, lemon, garlic, chives, dill, parsley and rosemary then sprinkled with parmesan cheese. They make a great side dish or breakfast/brunch potato.
Herb Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Garlic parmesan mashed potatoes served in a large serving bowl with grated parmesan and melted butter garnished on top with a serving spoon resting in the mixture.
Garlic Parm Mashed Potatoes
REALLY flavorful mashed potatoes made from Yukon Gold Potatoes mixed with garlic, parmesan, sour cream, butter and milk. They make an amazing side dish and don't need gravy!
Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Top view of a large serving bowl that has chopped chives sprinkled over German potato salad with serving spoons resting inside.
Best German Potato Salad Recipe
An authentic recipe for German Potato Salad that is served warm. Small potatoes are mixed with thick and crispy bacon and tossed in a tart and tangy vinegar based dressing with mustard, parsley and chives.
Perfect cook out side dish!
Check out this recipe
a plate of potato skins with one being dipped in sour cream dip
Loaded Potato Skins Recipe
Crispy baked potato skins are filled with fresh shredded cheese and crispy bacon. The cheese is melted in the oven and then they are served topped with green onions and a side of Roasted Garlic Sour Cream Dip.
These are an over-the-top appetizer perfect for game day or a cocktail party!
Check out this recipe
Red Skin Mashed Potatoes in a bowl with a spoon to the side
Red Skin Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Shallots and garlic are sauteed in butter, then red skin potatoes are boiled to tender perfection with the skins on. The two are blended together with sour cream and half and half added. These are SUPER FLAVORFUL mashed red skin potatoes.
Check out this recipe
serving creamy scalloped potatoes and ham
Deluxe Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
This Scalloped Potatoes and Ham recipe is one of the best you will make! It has layers of tender potatoes and ham that are coated in a delicious onion cream sauce with a little cream cheese added. It is sure to become a favorite comfort food dinner!
Great for when you haveย leftover ham.
Check out this recipe
Instant Pot Beef Pot Roast Recipe
An excellent recipe and guide to making the best Beef Pot Roast in your Instant Pot, as well as potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and gravy for serving!
Check out this recipe
a large bowl of roasted garlic mashed potatoes topped with butter
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potato Recipe
Super creamy mashed potatoes mixed with 2 heads of roasted garlic, sour cream, cream cheese, kosher salt and butter. No lack of flavor here!
Serve with or without gravy.
Check out this recipe
a large cast iron skillet full of cooked crispy little potatoes
Cast Iron Skillet Potato Recipe
Make these super crispy and crunchy potatoes in your oven with just 4 ingredients and a cast iron skillet.
You can watch Susie make these little crispy potatoes on a 30 minute Pin TV episode!
Check out this recipe
Ground Beef and Potato Taco Recipe – howewelive.com
This potato taco recipe is a family favorite! Ground beef and potato tacos are a delicious and affordable family meal, perfect for any night of the week!
Check out this recipe
a large bowl of potato salad
The Best Potato Salad Recipe with Egg
The very best potato salad recipe that uses plenty of hard boiled eggs! The dressing is the perfect combo of creamy, tangy, salt and sweet!
You can also watch Susie make this Potato Salad Recipe in a 30 minute Pin TV episode!
Check out this recipe
Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron skillet
Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
A delicious family dinner that has layers of ground turkey mixed with seasonings and herbs, carrots, and peas, all topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked in the oven.
Check out this recipe
roasted chicken in a Dutch Oven
Ultimate Guide To Roasted Chicken
This is your absolute ultimate guide for making delicious roasted chicken. It includes everything you need to know from salting & refrigerating the bird, to trussing, roasting & carving. Make a whole roasted chicken with pure confidence!
Check out this recipe
a brown crock full of potato leek soup
Creamy Potato Leek Soup
A creamy and thick Potato Leek Soup recipe that is full of flavor. It starts with leeks, garlic and yukon gold potatoes and finishes with cream, sour cream, and parmesan cheese.
Check out this recipe
Dutch Oven Beef Stew that has been cooked and has a wooden spoon in the pot.
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Traditional Dutch Oven Beef Stew that is baked in the oven, low and slow, for 5 hours. It is full of tender beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions in a thick and rich gravy.
Check out this recipe
Homemade Potato Gnocchi Recipe – josieandnina.com
A homemade potato gnocchi recipe that is easy with simple techniques and tips. This is a light, fluffy gnocchi made with baked potatoes
Check out this recipe
loaded twice baked potato casserole topped with bacon and green onions
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Mashed potatoes that are loaded with sour cream, cream cheese, butter and cheese and then topped with bacon and green onions. This is the ultimate side dish!
Check out this recipe
a bowl of zuppa toscana with a spoon
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Recipe
A truly delicious Instant Zuppa Toscana that is full of sausage, kale, onions, and potatoes, with a light cream broth for richness. It is a perfect Olive Garden copycat!
Check out this recipe
cheesy potatoes being served out of a casserole dish
Recipe For Cheesy Potatoes
A family recipe for Cheesy Potato Casserole. This is a hash brown potato casserole full of cheese, green onions, and lots of seasonings. It is a super easy potato casserole to make. Perfect for when you have a large menu and you need some easy side item recipes. 
This Cheesy Potato Casserole is a staple side dish on our holiday tables!
Check out this recipe
a large bowl of Instant Pot mashed potatoes on a table for dinner
The BEST Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
This Instant Pot Mashed Potato recipe is one of the most flavorful (and easiest) mashed potato recipes you will ever make. Just 11 minutes and NO DRAINING! This will become your new go-to!
Check out this recipe
a bowl of creamy potato soup with a spoon
Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup Recipe + Video
One of the best Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipes, this Creamy Potato Soup only cooks for 4 minutes in your pressure cooker and is full of tender chunks of potatoes and seasonings in a creamy broth. This makes a great Instant Pot dinner on a busy night.
Check out this recipe
German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) - dirndlkitchen.com
German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) – dirndlkitchen.com
My Oma loved us so much, she'd make us homemade Kartoffelpuffer, German potato pancakes, whenever we would want them! They're SO GOOD!
Check out this recipe
a ladle full of hamburger soup over the instant pot
Easy Instant Pot Hamburger Soup + Video
Instant Pot Hamburger Soup is an easy and fast instant pot dinner recipe, that only cooks for 4 minutes! This is a healthy soup recipe that is full of veggies and protein and can be easily put together on a busy weeknight.
Check out this recipe
a bowl of corn chowder with a spoon and bacon
Corn Chowder Recipe + Video
A delicious Corn Chowder made with fresh corn on the cob. It starts with a little bacon, and has tender potatoes, crisp corn and a really creamy texture. It is the perfect Corn Chowder Recipe!
Check out this recipe
a large pot of red wine beef stew ready to serve
Beef Stew with Red Wine
Beef Stew with Red Wine is a delicious and savory beef stew that is made with an entire 750 ml bottle of red wine, stew meat, and hearty vegetables. This makes an amazing dinner when served with warm crusty bread.
Check out this recipe
a large pot of cauliflower potato soup that is pureed
Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup
Cauliflower Potato Soup is made with russet potatoes and fresh cauliflower florets simmered in a chicken broth with onions and garlic. It is pureed smooth and then mixed with plain Greek yogurt and heavy cream.
Check out this recipe
Potato Ham Chowder in a bowl with green onions on top
Ham and Potato Chowder Recipe + Video
A thick and creamy potato chowder with ham. This is a great recipe to use up leftover ham.
Check out this recipe
Potato salad topped with green onions in a white bowl
Instant Pot Potato Salad
A delicious and classic recipe for Potato Salad made in your Instant Pot
Check out this recipe
Close up of Instant Pot Beef Stew with a spoon resting in the mixture, showing carrots, beef chunks, peas, and potatoes.
Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
This is such a easy recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew. You simply chop, measure, pour, stir and cook! No browning or sautรฉing required. The Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker) does all the work!
Check out this recipe

Sweet Potato Recipes

A sweet potato souffle in a 2 quart casserole pan and a spoon dishing some out.
Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
Sweet potatoes are boiled until fork tender and then blended with spices, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs then poured into a 2 quart pan and baked. The texture of this Sweet Potato Souffle is soft and fluffy, yet substantial.
Sweet Potato Souffle
mashed sweet potatoes topped with butter and cinnamon sprinkled on top
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are a great side dish and the perfect colorful alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. This recipe combines sweet, savory and a little hint of balsamic vinegar to round out the flavors!
Check out this recipe
Savory Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Sage & Garlic - zestfulkitchen.com
Savory Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Sage & Garlic – zestfulkitchen.com
These stunning hasselback sweet potatoes are surprisingly easy to make. Loaded with flavor from butter, sage and garlic, they're always a hit!
Check out this recipe
BBQ Chicken in Parchment with Sweet Potatoes & Peppers
A dinner that can be prepped and cooked in just over 30 minutes! The chicken comes out juicy and tender and the peppers and sweet potatoes are perfectly cooked. The barbecue sauce melts over the packet and becomes a vinegary sweet sauce. 
Check out this recipe
sweet potato casserole with a pecan brown sugar topping
Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams
Sweet Potato Casserole made with canned yams, mashed up and mixed with butter, eggs, brown sugar and spices/seasonings. The topping is a pecan and brown sugar crumble that is SO delicious.
Check out this recipe
ground turkey and sweet potato bowl
Southwest Sweet Potato & Turkey Bowl
Ground turkey and sweet potatoes are mixed with corn and black beans and coated in a delicious southwest spice mix. All served over rice or quinoa and drizzled with the most amazing chili lime crema.
Check out this recipe
A bowl of sweet potato mash
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
A delicious mashed sweet potato side dish that is made of roasted sweet potatoes mixed with savory ingredients like roasted garlic and balsamic vinegar. It is a perfectly balanced sweet potato dish that isn't overly sweet!
Check out this recipe
Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili in a blue bowl
Instant Pot Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili
An amazing Instant Pot Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili Recipe with balanced flavors of sweet, savory, and spicy. This is a great unique chili recipe to add to your weeknight dinner plans.
This Instant Pot Chili can be made ahead, made vegetarian, or you can add meat!
Check out this recipe

Loaded Potato Skins with Roasted Garlic Sour Cream

by 3 Comments

Loaded Potato Skins are made with tender baked potatoes, scooped out, brushed with a seasoned butter and crisped up in the oven. Then they are filled with a combo of shredded cheese and crispy bacon, baked again to get all melty and crispy. Serve them topped with green onions, AND the extra bonus here is the recipe for Roasted Garlic Sour Cream Dip. This Loaded Potato Skins Recipe is over-the-top!

loaded potato skin being dipped in a sour cream dip

Serve these up as a fantastic appetizer, especially for game day or a cocktail party.

This can also be a great recipe for leftover baked potatoes!

We absolutely love a potato recipe around here. They are so filling and comforting. You can make this mashed potato recipe with the potato you scoop from the baked potatoes. Next try these loaded twice baked potatoes or twice baked potato casserole.

RELATED: Perfect Baked Potatoes

Why These Aren’t Your Average Potato Skin

  • The potato skin start getting extra crispy when you bake the potatoes, by coating them in a little oil.
  • After the potatoes are scooped out they get coated in a seasoned butter sauce.
  • The edges and skins get nice and crispy.
  • The potatoes are generously filled with fresh shredded cheese that melts super creamy.
  • Real crispy bacon, not bacon bits, is key here!
  • The final kicker is the roasted garlic sour cream dip, it really sets this Potato Skin Recipe apart from others.

Simple Ingredients

Loaded Potato Skins start with russet potatoes, try to pick smaller russet potatoes for a 2-3 bite potato skin.

russet potatoes in a sack

You will also need some butter, seasonings from your spice cabinet like, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. That makes up the butter sauce that not only gets the potato skins nice and crispy, it also adds a layer of flavor.

Fresh shredded cheese is a must! It will melt up creamier and more flavorful than the pre-shredded stuff. A cheddar or colby jack will work great here.

I highly recommend that you use a real bacon, not bacon bits from a bottle. I use Costco microwave bacon, so I think that is a good compromise between skillet cooking or using the bits.

Green onions may look like a garnish, but they definitely add flavor to this appetizer.

Step by Step- Picture Instructions

  1. Bake the potatoes.

    2. Scrub your russet potatoes and prick them on all sides so the steam can escape while baking.

    Rub the potatoes lightly with olive oil or canola oil. This will start the crisping process!

    Bake at 400ยฐ for 50 minutes up to an hour. You can test if your potatoes are cooked with an instant read thermometer, they should be at 210ยฐF to be cooked through.

    russet potatoes in the oven

    Optionally- you can make the baked potato in the air fryer or in the Instant Pot. But I still recommend finishing the Loaded Potato Skins in the oven.

  2. Roast the garlic.

    3. Cut the top off the garlic head, exposing a little of the garlic. Place in a piece of foil and drizzle with a little oil. Fold the foil over the garlic enclosing it completely.

    Place in the oven for about 20 minutes while the potatoes cook.

    garlic head in foil with oil
    garlic head wrapped in foil
    roasted garlic straight out of the oven
  3. Scoop out potatoes.

    4. Let the baked potatoes cool a bit before cutting.

    cutting a baked potato in half, lengthwise

    Once you can handle them, cut them lengthwise. Then with a small spoon scoop the potato out of the skin, leaving about ยผ inch of potato around the edge. See photo:

    potato skins scooped out, ready for the oven

    (Increase the oven temp to 425ยฐ at this point)

    Save that scooped out potatoes for mashed potatoes!

  4. Make butter sauce.

    5. In a small bowl add the butter, microwave for about 15-30 seconds to melt. Add in the onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper.

  5. Oil the potatoes again.

    6. With a bbq brush or pastry brush coat the potatoes, inside and out, with the butter sauce. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet.

  6. Bake potato shells.

    7. Place the potatoes in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the potatoes and pop back in the oven for 5 more minutes.

    potato skins that have crisped in the oven
  7. Fill with toppings and bake.

    8. Now divide the cheese and bacon among the potatoes and place back in the oven for 5 minutes.

    potato skins that are filled with cheese and bacon
  8. Garnish and serve.

    9. Garnish the potato skins with chopped green onions.

    Combine the smashed roasted garlic with the sour cream, onion powder, and kosher salt. Serve on the side as a dip for the Loaded Potato Skins

    a plate of loaded potato skins topped with green onions and two beers to the side

Reheating Loaded Potato Skins

If you have leftover Potato Skins pop them in the fridge, in a covered container for up to 4 days. To reheat pop them in a 400ยฐ oven for about 10 minutes, then broil for the last couple minutes to get a crispy edge!

More Indulgent Appetizers

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

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a plate of potato skins with one being dipped in sour cream dip

Loaded Potato Skins Recipe

Crispy baked potato skins are filled with fresh shredded cheese and crispy bacon. The cheese is melted in the oven and then they are served topped with green onions and a side of Roasted Garlic Sour Cream Dip.
These are an over-the-top appetizer perfect for game day or a cocktail party!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 potato skins
Calories: 252kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

Loaded Potato Skins

Roasted Garlic Sour Cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400โ„‰.
  • Wash the potatoes and then lightly dry them. Prick each potatoes a few times on each side.
    Rub with olive oil or canola oil.
    6 small russet potatoes, olive oil
  • Pop in the oven directly on the oven rack and bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
    You will know when your potatoes are cooked through when they reach 210โ„‰ internal temperature, easily check with an Instant Read Thermometer.
  • Let the potatoes cool before handling.
    Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the potato, leaving about ยผ inch of potato still attached to the skin. (see photo)
    (save the potato to make mashed potatoes!)
    potato skins scooped out, ready for the oven
  • Increase the oven temp to 425โ„‰
  • In a small bowl melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
    Brush the butter mixture on all sides of the cut potato halves (skin and cut side).
    3 tablespoon butter, ยผ teaspoon kosher salt, ยผ teaspoon onion powder, ยผ teaspoon garlic powder, ยผ teaspoon black pepper
  • Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 10 minutes until the edges get golden and crispy.
  • Flip the potatoes over and bake an additional 5 minutes.
  • Now divide the cheese and bacon between all the potatoes. Pop back in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly and melted.
    1 ยฝ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 6 slices bacon
    potato skins that are filled with cheese and bacon
  • Top with sliced green onions and serve with plenty of sour cream for dipping.
    3 green onions

Roasted Garlic Sour Cream Dip

  • Cut the very top off half a head of garlic.
    ยฝ head of garlic
  • Place half a head of garlic in a small piece of foil. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Enclose the package so that the garlic and oil are in a packet.
    olive oil
    garlic head in foil with oil
  • Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft garlic out of the shells into a small bowl.
    Mash it with a spoon
    roasted garlic straight out of the oven
  • Add the sour cream, kosher salt and onion powder, stir to combine.
    ยฝ cup sour cream, healthy pinch or two of kosher salt, healthy pinch or two of onion powder

Leftovers- Reheating

  • If you have leftover Potato Skins pop them in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 4 days.
  • To reheat pop them in a 400ยฐ oven for about 10 minutes, then broil for the last couple minutes to get a crispy edge!

Recipe Tips and Notes:

ย 
This is a great recipe for leftover Baked Potatoes!
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Jump to Comments
Serving: 1potato skin | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 341IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 1mg

Super Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef

by Leave a Comment

These Stuffed Bell Peppers are filled with a mixture of ground beef, rice, pinto beans and tomatoes, seasoned with taco spices and topped with plenty of cheese. They are filled to the brim, making a hearty dinner. The peppers bake to perfection, they soften slightly and the filling is warm and cheesy.

stuffed peppers in a casserole pan, topped with melted with cheese

These Stuffed Peppers also make amazing meal prep or leftovers! They can be made 1-2 days ahead and kept in the fridge until it is time to cook. Then, leftovers heat up perfectly in the microwave.

We love to stuff zucchini with delicious fillings; like in these Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini and Pizza Stuffed Zucchini. So why not stuff a bell pepper it is like a veggie bowl waiting to be stuffed!

Ingredients

Bell peppers are stuffed with the most delicious filling in this recipe. It is super hearty and is full of rice, beans, ground beef, tomatoes, cheese and lots of seasonings. Pictured below are the ingredients you need to grab, and some tips on all the ingredients:

ingredients to make stuffed peppers

Bell Peppers– Choose nice big and firm bell peppers. You will be able to fill them nice and full with all the delicious stuffing. Any color pepper will work.

Rice- You will need 1 cup of cooked rice for this Stuffed Pepper recipe. This is a great time to use leftover rice OR our favorite is to buy frozen rice and cook it in the microwave. It is a huge time saver with this recipe!

Pinto Beans- These are a very classic bean for Mexican cuisine. Refried beans are made from pinto beans. However in this recipe we are using whole pinto beans, canned will work great!

Cheese- As always, fresh shredded cheese is preferred. It melts up creamier and more flavorful. BUT pre-shredded will work if you are trying to save time.

Taco Spice Packet- Buy the small 0.7oz Taco Packet seasonings. It is a great shortcut to get all the seasonings in one package.

Rotel Tomatoes- You can find this by the canned tomatoes or in the Mexican food aisle at your grocery store. It is a combo of diced tomatoes and green chilies.

Tomato Paste- Using tomato paste gives a nice flavor to the pepper stuffing, without making it overly soggy. Some recipes will have you using tomato sauce or salsa, but that makes everything a little too wet.

Step by Step

  1. Prep the bell peppers.

    2. Wash the peppers and cut the top off with the stem. Pull the top off and any seeds/ribs from inside.

    Place them in a 9×13 baking dish making sure they are all able to stand up on their own. You may need to trim a little off the bottom to help them stand, take care not to cut all the way through the bottom.

    Set aside.

  2. Make the filling

    3. Cook and crumble the ground beef and onion, drain excess fat. Sprinkle in ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt and minced garlic. Add the tomato paste, garlic and kosher salt. Cook for 1 minute. Add in the taco seasoning, Rotel and green chilies and cook.

    ground beef and onions in a skillet
    ground beef, onions, garlic, tomatoes and chilies in a skillet

    Finally add the pinto beans, onion powder, chili powder and cooked rice.

    Remove from heat. Add in 1 cup shredded pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and combined.

    stuffed pepper filling in a skillet
    stuffed pepper filling with cheese in a skillet
  3. Fill the peppers.

    4. With a spoon divide the filling among the 6 peppers, filling them to the top. You may need to press the filling a little to get all the filling in the peppers.

    spoon ground beef mixture in bell peppers
  4. Bake.

    5. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven, uncover, and generously top each pepper with the remaining shredded cheese.

    Pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.

    Time to eat!

    stuffed peppers topped with cheese

Make Ahead

These peppers can absolutely be prepped and stuffed a day or two ahead of baking. Simply prepare completely but don’t top with the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for up to 2 days.

You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time when baking straight out of the fridge.

Reheating Leftover Stuffed Bell Peppers

These Stuffed Bell Peppers make amazing leftovers! They reheat perfectly in the microwave.

Cut them down the center to expose the filling. Then microwave for a minute or two until the filling is warmed through.

a 9x13 pan full of stuffed bell peppers topped with melted cheese

What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers

Since the peppers are already stuffed with a starch and protein, the traditional Mexican side dish of “rice and beans” is not really a great option. We like to serve these Stuffed Peppers with chips, salsa and guacamole, maybe this cilantro lime slaw , equites corn salad or this herbed pineapple.

Recipe Tips To Remember

  • Choose large firm bell peppers.
  • Trim your bell peppers so they stand upright in the baking dish.
  • Use a frozen rice for easier dinner prep! (Trader Joe’s has a great one)
  • 85/15 ground beef will have enough fat to be flavorful, but not greasy.
  • Fresh grate your cheese for the creamiest and most flavorful topping.
  • Make some extras to keep in the fridge, they reheat perfectly.

More Mexican Dinner Ideas

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a red bell pepper filled with ground beef, rice and bean mixture

Stuffed Bell Pepper Recipe

Fresh bell peppers are stuffed with a hearty mixture of ground beef, rice, pinto beans, tomatoes and taco spices. It is cooked up perfectly and topped with plenty of melted cheese!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 520kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 large bell peppers - that stand up nicely - cut open at top
  • 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef
  • 1 onion - chopped
  • ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 pkt. Taco seasoning
  • 10 oz (can) Original Rotel tomatoes - lightly drained
  • 4 oz (can) chopped green chilies
  • 15.5 oz (can) pinto beans - drained
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 3 cups shredded pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese - divided
  • non-stick spray

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut off the top of each pepper and remove the seeds. Place the peppers (standing upright) into a 9×13 glass baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
    Set aside.
    If you need to trim a little off the bottom so they will stand, take care not to cut all the way through.
    6 large bell peppers - that stand up nicely
  • In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion and ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt until the ground beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat.
    1 onion, 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef, ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Return the skillet over medium-low heat stir in the tomato paste and the minced garlic. Cook for about 1 minute.
    2 Tbsp. tomato paste, 3 cloves garlic
  • Add in the taco seasoning, Rotel and green chilies and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
    1 pkt. Taco seasoning, 10 oz (can) Original Rotel tomatoes, 4 oz (can) chopped green chilies
  • Finally add the pinto beans, onion powder, chili powder and cooked rice and stir to combine.
    15.5 oz (can) pinto beans, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 cup cooked rice
  • Remove from heat. Add in 1 cup shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  • Divide the ground beef filling evenly among the 6 peppers. You may need to lightly press the filling to fit more in, making sure you use all the filling.
    DON'T top with the cheese just yet!
    spoon ground beef mixture in bell peppers
  • Cover the 9×13 stuffed peppers pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover. Top the peppers with the remaining 2 cups cheese, dividing it equally.
    stuffed peppers topped with cheese
  • Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Serve immediately.

Make Ahead

  • Prepare the stuffed peppers without topping with cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
  • You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if you are cooking straight out of the fridge.

Reheating

  • Cut the pepper in half, exposing the filling.
  • Pop in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until the filling is heated through.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

SIDE DISH IDEAS:ย 
a bowl of Street Corn Salad (aka. Esquites) garnished with limes and cilantro
a wooden bowl of cilantro lime slaw
fresh pineapple in a bowl with a citrus cilantro glaze over top
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Jump to Comments
Serving: 1stuffed pepper | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4485IU | Vitamin C: 163mg | Calcium: 455mg | Iron: 4mg

Salmon Burgers with Lemon Caper Mayo

by 3 Comments

We set out to make a foolproof Salmon Burger Recipe with fresh salmon filet, and we nailed it. They taste great and are tender and juicy. Extra bonus, they stay together on the grill, but you can also cook them in a skillet if that is preferred! There is a perfect mixture of small salmon pieces, ground salmon, and panade to keep them moist. The burger itself is full of flavor, but we take it to the next level and top it off with a delicious lemon caper mayo when serving.

salmon burger topped with lemon caper mayo

Next time you are craving a burger, consider making this Salmon Burger instead of a traditional ground beef burger.

RELATED: Grilled Pork Burger and Pizza Burgers

Ingredients

Salmon- use fresh salmon filet, not canned salmon! Skinless is preferred if you can find it. If your salmon has skin-on, remove that before blending in the food processor.

Ritz Crackers- a lot of our burgers and ground meat recipes use something called a panade, a starch and liquid mixed together to keep ground meat recipes moist and tender. For this salmon burger recipe the panade is made with Ritz crackers.

Mayonnaise & Dijon Mustard– this helps keep the salmon burgers nice and moist and they won’t dry out on the grill!

Capers– such a great flavor and texture added to the burgers. Plus they are used in the lemon caper mayo, so the flavor is repeated.

ingredients for salmon burgers on a table
Ingredients shown clockwise: red onion, salt, pepper, onion powder, fresh salmon, dill, capers, Ritz crackers, garlic, lemon, mayo, Dijon mustard.

Lemon- classic ingredient used with salmon. It not only adds flavor, but adds moisture to the panade.

Dill– opt for fresh dill in your burgers. The flavor blends perfect with the lemon, garlic and capers.

Red Onion- make sure that you finely mince the red onion so you don’t have crunchy onion pieces in your salmon burger. The onions not only add nice flavor, they add a lot of moisture too!

Garlic- fresh minced garlic is SUCH a great addition to just about any burger. It lends a more intense and delightful garlic flavor than garlic powder.

Seasonings- salt, pepper and onion powder all enhance the other flavors added to the salmon patty mixture.

Make Ahead

The nice thing about these Salmon Burgers are that they can be made a day or two ahead. Simply prep the salmon patties and place on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge.

If the salmon patties have been in the fridge for more than 24 hours remove from the fridge and let them sit at room temp for about 15 minutes before cooking.

Step By Step Salmon Burgers

  1. Blend crackers and seasonings.

    2. In a food processor add the ritz crackers, dill, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper and onion powder. Pulse until the Ritz resembles breadcrumbs.

    Pour into a separate bowl.

    Ritz crumbs with herbs and spices
  2. Add wet ingredients.

    3. Add the mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, capers and red onion to the Ritz mixture. Stir everything together, making a panade.

    A panade is a starch and liquid mixture that prevents the protein fibers in meat from constricting and stiffening. Bread and milk make up the iconic duo that is a traditional panade. In fact, the word panade comes from the French for "bread mash."

    Ritz bread crumbs with wet ingredients, not mixed
    panade for salmon burgers without the salmon
  3. Puree some of the salmon.

    4. If the salmon has skin, remove that before moving on.

    Cube all of the salmon into ยฝ inch pieces. Add about โ…“ of a pound of the salmon to the food processor. Run the machine for about 15 seconds until the salmon becomes a nice paste.

    salmon puree
  4. Add more salmon.

    5. Add the remaining salmon cubes and pulse about 15 times so that the salmon pieces break down to about โ…›-1/4 inch in size.

    salmon mixed in a food processor for salmon burgers
  5. Mix salmon with panade.

    6. Combine the salmon mixture with the panade and stir together.

    salmon patty mixture in a bowl
  6. Prep baking sheet.

    7. Prep a rimmed baking sheet with squares of parchment or wax paper. Spraying each one with non-stick spray.

  7. Form the salmon patties.

    8. Using a ยฝ cup measuring cup, scoop out portions of the salmon mixture. Divide it out onto the pieces of parchment. Then form into patties.

    This should make 5 equal patties.

    ยฝ cup portion of salmon patty mixture on wax paper
    raw salmon burger
  8. Pop salmon burgers in the fridge.

    9. Pop the salmon burger patties in the fridge for 30 minutes. You can also make them a couple days ahead, in that case cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap.

  9. Cook.

    10. These salmon burgers can be cooked on the grill or in a skillet. See below for more detail. You want to use an instant read thermometer to make sure they reach 145ยฐ internal temp.

Cooking on the Grill

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, direct heat cooking. Spray the top side of the salmon burgers with non-stick spray. Cook over direct heat for about 3 minutes per side. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure they reach 145ยฐ internal temp.

three salmon burgers on the grill

Cooking in a Skillet

Drizzle 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmery and hot add the salmon burgers. Cook for about 4 minutes per side. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure they reach 145ยฐ internal temp.

Toppings For Salmon Burgers

There is a delicious recipe for a Lemon Caper Mayo in the recipe card below. Place a generous amount on both pieces of a toasted brioche bun, then add some greens or lettuce, a salted tomato slice, and some thinly sliced red onion. You will love the flavor combos!

It would also be great topped with this Dill Slaw for Burgers!

salmon burger with lemon caper mayo on the top with chips and a pickle to the side

Side Dish Ideas

This Salmon Burger is nice and filling, so no need to go crazy with the side dishes. Of course “burger and fries” is always a good combo, especially sweet potato fries with this burger, but let’s get into some other ideas:

TL;DR Recipe Tips To Remember

  1. Remove the skin from the salmon before making the salmon patty mixture.
  2. Use a food processor to make quick work of making the salmon patty mixture.
  3. Use fresh dill and fresh garlic for the best flavor.
  4. Zest the lemon with a zester or microplane before squeezing the juice.
  5. Make sure to refrigerate the patties before cooking, this helps them set up.
  6. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the burgers reach 145ยฐ internal temp.

More Recipes To Love

salmon burger on a brioche bun with a caper lemon mayo, and chips on the side

Salmon Burger Recipe with Lemon Caper Mayo

This is a foolproof recipe for salmon burgers that are made with fresh salmon filet. They taste great and are tender and juicy. Extra bonus, they stay together on the grill!
Serve them on a toasted brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and plenty of lemon caper mayo.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Refrigeration: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 5 salmon burger
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 14 Ritz crackers - crushed
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh dill - lightly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ยฝ tsp. black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon capers - chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. red onion - finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1.25 pound skinless salmon fillet - - cut into small ยฝ inch cubes
  • non-stick spray
  • Lemon Caper Mayo (Recipe below)

    Brioche buns, lettuce, tomato and red onion

Lemon Caper Mayo- For Serving

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor, pulse together the Ritz crackers, dill, chopped garlic cloves, lemon zest, onion powder, salt and pepper, until the crackers look like breadcrumbs. Pour into a separate bowl.
    14 Ritz crackers, 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt, ยฝ tsp. black pepper
    Ritz crumbs with herbs and spices
  • To that cracker mixture add the mayo, onion, Dijon mustard, capers, and lemon juice, stir to combine.
    2 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. red onion, 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon capers
  • In the empty food processor add about ยผ of the salmon pieces. Run until the salmon is a nice paste, about 15 seconds.
    Then add the remaining salmon and just pulse about 15 times until there is mixture of paste and โ…›-1/4 inch pieces.
    *If you do not have a food processor you can finely chop the salmon with a sharp knife.
    1.25 pound skinless salmon fillet
    salmon mixed in a food processor for salmon burgers
  • Add the salmon mixture to the cracker panade and stir to combine.
    salmon patty mixture in a bowl
  • Place 5 squares of wax paper or parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray the paper with non-stick spray.
    *these squares will help you transfer the salmon patties to the grill or pan.
  • Lightly fill a ยฝ cup measuring cup with the salmon mixture and place on each square of paper. Then form each ยฝ cup portion into a burger patty that is thicker in size (you should be able to make 5 patties).
    raw salmon burger
  • Spray the top of the patties with cooking spray and place the tray with the patties into the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 4 hours to help them set up.

Cooking on the Grill

  • While the patties are in the refrigerator heat the grill to medium-high.
  • Remove the patties from the refrigerator and place them on the hot grill. Cook for approximately 3 minutes per side (internal temperature reads 145โ„‰ with an instant read thermometer)
    three salmon burgers on the grill

Cooking in a skillet

  • Add a tablespoon or two of oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  • Once the oil is hot and shimmery add the salmon burgers.
  • Cook for approximately 4 minutes per side (internal temperature reads 145โ„‰ with an instant read thermometer)

Lemon Caper Mayo

  • In a bowl mix together the ingredients. Can be made up to a week ahead!
    ยฝ cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp. capers

Serving

  • Serve the burgers on lightly toasted brioche buns with a generous amount of lemon caper mayo, lettuce, tomato and red onion.
  • Would also be great topped with this Slaw for Burgers.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Leftover Baked Potato Recipe

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This is an excellent recipe to use up those leftover baked potatoes from your fridge. They fry up nice and crispy and buttery in a skillet. They make a great breakfast potato or side dish for dinner.

cast iron skillet with sliced leftover baked potatoes

Ingredients

Just 4 ingredients to make these skillet potatoes. So simple and so delicious!

leftover baked potatoes, butter, oil and salt
  • Leftover Baked Potatoes: leftover baked russet potatoes are what you need for this recipe, store your baked potatoes in the fridge and they slice up beautifully for this recipe.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: or olive oil will be the perfect oil to sautรฉ and lightly crispy the potatoes.
  • Lawry’s Salt: the seasoning is key to enhance the flavor the potatoes.
  • Butter: everything is better with butter : )
How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Oven

Step by Step

  1. Slice Potatoes

    2. With a sharp knife slice the leftover baked potatoes into ยฝ inch rounds. It is ok if some fall apart, they will still be delicious!

    leftover baked potatoes sliced into ยฝ inch rounds
  2. Heat Skillet & Fry Potatoes

    3. Heat a large cast iron skillet or non stick skillet and the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot or shimmery add the potatoes.

    Pan fry the leftover baked potato slices, tossing occasionally, until they are turning golden and getting slightly crispy.

    baked potato slices in a cast iron skillet
  3. Add Salt & Butter

    4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the knob of butter. Let it melt over the potatoes, tossing them gently. Sprinkle on the seasoning salt.

    Taste for additional seasoning.

    sliced leftover baked potatoes in a skillet

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Leftover baked potatoes sliced and sauteed in a skillet

Leftover Baked Potato Recipe (skillet potatoes)

This is an excellent recipe to use up those leftover baked potatoes from your fridge. They fry up nice and crispy and buttery in a skillet. Makes a great breakfast potato or side dish for dinner.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover baked potatoes - ยฝ inch sliced
  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ยฝ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
  • 1 Tbsp. butter

Instructions
 

  • Slice the cold leftover baked potatoes into ยฝ inch slices.
    2 cups leftover baked potatoes
    leftover baked potatoes sliced into ยฝ inch rounds
  • Place a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil.
    2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Once the oil is shimmery add the leftover baked potato slices and sautรฉ for 5-8 minutes until browned and crispy.
    (if the pan becomes too dry, add a little more olive oil during cooking)
  • Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the Lawry's salt and add the knob of butter, stir around the pan/potatoes.
    ยฝ teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt, 1 Tbsp. butter
  • Taste the potatoes and see if you want more season salt.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

ย 
RELATED: If you need to first make the potatoes, pop over to this recipe for How To Make a Baked Potato.
If you don’t have leftover baked potatoes, check out this Crispy Cast Iron Skillet Potato recipe!
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More recipes you will love

How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Oven

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Whether it is served as your side dish or main entree an Oven Baked Potato with soft and fluffy insides and crispy skin is always a good idea. This recipe for baking potatoes in the oven is foolproof and will yield soft and delicious potatoes every time. Plus you are going to LOVE how easy they are to make.

two baked potatoes cut open and stuffed with sour cream, cheese and bacon

If you are short on time you can always make Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot. They turn out fluffy and delicious, they are just missing that crispy skin.

I was raised in Iowa, heart of “meat and potato” country, so you know a good baked potato is a crucial part to a good dinner at my house. We love to load them up with all sorts of fillings… everything from sour cream and bacon to cheese and broccoli.

You can check out this Baked Potato Bar article for more topping ideas! Or check out this recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes for another way to use your baked potatoes.

…And tomorrow you can make this recipe with the leftover baked potatoes.

[feast_advanced_jump_to]

Why You’ll Love These Oven Baked Potatoes

The texture is exactly what you want crackly, seasoned skin on the outside with a fluffy center.

They're hands-off and foolproof a quick rub with oil and seasoning, then the oven does all the work. No foil, no guessing, no soggy skins.

They go with absolutely everything steaks, chicken, chili, grilled veggiesโ€ฆ or just butter, salt, and pepper for a simple weeknight side.

They're customizable keep them classic or pile on toppings like sour cream, cheese, chives, bacon, ranch, or broccoli cheddar.

They're budget-friendly easy to scale for family dinners, game day meals, or hosting without spending much at all.

Ingredients

Just three simple ingredients are all you need to make a perfect Oven Baked Potato:

  • Russet Potatoes – traditionally used for making baked potatoes. You will also find them called baking potatoes, white potatoes, Idaho potatoes, or even “old” potatoes.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – this is usually what I have in the kitchen. But a canola or olive oil will work too. It helps give the skin of the potato a nice crunch.
  • Kosher Salt – a little kosher salt sprinkled on the outside of the potato lends a ton of flavor, especially if you eat the skins!

How To Tell When Baked Potatoes Are Done

You can go the old school method by piercing your baked potatoes with a knife or fork. If it doesn’t meet any hard resistance, chances are your potato is done.

But the foolproof method for making sure your potatoes are soft and fluffy and cooked through to the middle:

Using an instant read thermometer, check the temp of the thickest part of the potato. If it reads at least 210ยฐF your oven baked potatoes are done!

checking the temp of a baked potato with an instant read thermometer
don’t judge my dirty oven door. LOL!

How to Make Baked Potatoes in the Oven

Russet potatoes can be pretty dirty. Make sure you wash or even scrub your potatoes clean, especially if you plan on eating the skin too.

Dry them a little with a clean kitchen towel.

washing russet potatoes in a sink

Step 1

With a sharp paring knife or fork tines pierce the potato on all sides. I usually do 6 per side.

This helps vent the steam in the potatoes while they cook.

russet potatoes that are pierced with a knife and coated in olive oil and kosher salt

Step 2

Coat the potatoes very lightly in a little oil; extra virgin olive oil, regular olive oil or canola oil will all work. This helps get the skin kind of crispy while the potatoes bake!

Then sprinkle a little kosher salt (and pepper if you like) on all sides.

checking the temp of a baked potato with an instant read thermometer

Step 3

Bake your potato for 1 hour at 400ยฐF directly on the oven rack. Then check the temp with an instant read thermometer.

Depending on the size of your potato they could need 30 minutes longer.

Using an instant read thermometer, check the temp of the thickest part of the potato. If it reads at least 210ยฐF your oven baked potatoes are done!

PotatoesWebStory

Step 4

Let the potatoes cool slightly and then serve them with all the optional toppings, starting with butter, sour cream, green onions and salt/pepper.

What to Serve with Baked Potato

Baked Potatoes are super versatile, they go with everything from homestyle meatloaf to grilled steak. Here are some other dinners you will love to have with your Baked Potatoes:

If you have some potatoes leftover, pop them in the fridge and then you can make this recipe for leftover baked potatoes tomorrow.

Toppings for Oven Baked Potato

Oven Baked Potatoes are great as a side dish, but also as the main entree! You just need to make sure you offer some amazing toppers to load them up:

This post for putting together a Baked Potato Bar has some great potato topper ideas. Besides the usual suspects; butter, sour cream, green onions, bacon and cheese, I will share some of our favorites here:

STORING

Leftover baked potatoes keep really well, making them great for meal prep. Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to Reheat Oven Baked Potatoes

For the best texture, skip the microwave and use the oven:

  • Oven Method (best overall): Place the potato directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet and heat at 350ยฐF for 15 to 20 minutes. This brings back the crispy skin and keeps the inside fluffy.
  • Skillet Method (quick + crisp): Slice the potato and warm it in a hot skillet with a little oil or butter. The edges get golden and crisp great for turning leftovers into a tasty side.

Perfect Baked Potatoes FAQs

Why don’t you use foil to bake these?

– Foil traps steam, which softens the skin instead of letting it crisp. You end up with a tender potato but a soggy, rubbery exterior.
– The potato essentially "steams" instead of bakes, so the inside can turn a bit dense rather than fluffy.
– It slows down cooking, because the oven heat has to work through the foil first.
– Foil can cause the skin to taste metallic if it sits too long during baking or cooling.

Do I need to use oil on the potatoes?

You don't have to use oil on the potato skins, but it definitely makes a difference. A light rub of oil helps the skins crisp up perfectly and hold onto any seasoning you add. If you skip it, the potatoes will still bake just fine, they just won't have that flavorful, crackly exterior that makes a great baked potato feel a little extra special.

More Potato Recipes

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A baked potato filled with sour cream, cheese, bacon and green onions

How to Make Perfect Baked Potato

Learn how to make amazing Oven Baked Potatoes that are soft and fluffy on the inside and have nice crispy skin. Plus a foolproof way to tell if your potatoes are cooked through.
Serve your Baked Potatoes as a side dish or dinner entree!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 1 potato
Calories: 188kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

Serving

Instructions
 

Make 2 or 10 baked potatoes with this method, whatever you need!

  • Preheat the oven to 400โ„‰
  • Wash your russet potatoes well, lightly dry them with a clean kitchen towel before moving on.
    russet potatoes
  • Prick the clean russet potatoes about 6 times on both sides with a fork or sharp paring knife.
  • Brush or rub each potato with a little extra virgin olive oil on all sides and then sprinkle with kosher salt.
    extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt
  • Place in the preheated oven directly on the oven rack.
  • Bake for 1 hour, then check for doneness. Cooking time will depend on how large your potatoes are. They could possibly take up to 1 hour 30 minutes for really large potatoes.
  • MOM'S TIP: The BEST way to tell if your potatoes are done is using an instant read thermometer, when they reach 210โ„‰ in the center they are perfect.
    If you do not have an instant read thermometer you can check with a fork or knife by poking all the way to the center, you should not meet any hard resistance.
  • Let the potatoes cool and serve cut open with all the toppings for loaded baked potatoes.
    sour cream, butter, green onions, cheese, bacon, salt, pepper, etc…

Leftovers

  • Keep leftover baked potatoes in the fridge, then you can make these skillet potatoes later in the week.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

ย 
RELATED: Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
LEFTOVERS: Pop your leftover baked potatoes in the fridge, then slice them up and make this recipe for leftover baked potatoes.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1potato | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 888mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

Episode 107 Marinated Grilled Tri Tip

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On episode 107 we are getting the grills fired up. You will learn how to marinate and grill a delicious tri tip. It is a great dinner on the grill!

Transcript Text

Intro: Welcome, welcome everybody to another episode of Let’s Make Dinner, your audio library of amazing dinner recipes you can always get on the table. I’m your host, Suzy Weinrich. 

Susie Weinrich: What’s up everybody? We have a great recipe today that is going to be perfect for all of your grilling. If you’re listening to this in real time, it’s starting to transition to fall and a little bit cooler weather. So that’s when I love to get out and get behind my grill. Plus you add football season in there and it’s just a great mix. So today we are going to make a Grilled Tri Tip that is marinated and served with a Mustard Butter. You’re gonna love this one. The nice thing is, is that this is fancy enough for a weekend dinner or serving to guests, but it’s simple enough on the grill to make during the week.

Let’s talk a little bit about what a tri tip is. So a tri tip is a cut of beef. It’s going to be usually around three pounds per cut, per piece. It’s going to be kind of big, and it’s going to be in the shape of a triangle, and that is a tri tip. Now, I think you can also get tri tip steaks, but for this recipe, we’re using an entire tri tip. We’re going to marinate it, and then we’re going to talk about how to slice it. Because tri tip comes actually with two separate grains and with any cut of beef, you want to make sure you’re cutting against the grain so that you can actually chew it. If you cut beef or steak with the grain, it’s going to be incredibly chewy.

If you happen to fall in love with the tri tip, I also have a wonderful recipe for a braised tri tip with a red wine glaze, and I will link that in the show notes for you. We’re going to go over a lot of tips and tricks with this recipe, but we’re going to talk about most of them while we’re going through the actual recipe, so we’re just going to go ahead and get right into it.

Grilled Tri Tip Recipe: When you bring your tri tip home, usually there’s going to be one side that has a very large fat cap, unless you bought it already trimmed. What you want to do is remove the majority of that fat cap and then sometimes underneath that fat cap there’s going to be some silver skin. First to remove the fat cap, you want to just grab at one of the three points, grab that fat cap and take a very sharp knife and slide it under and then just keep working all the way up as you peel that fat cap back.

Now, underneath that fat cap, if there’s some Cloudy parts or shiny parts, that’s probably silver skin. Silver skin is something that you will not be able to cook down or chew through. So do your best to get rid of that. What I like to do is slip the tip of a really sharp knife just right in between the silver skin and the meat and then start to peel it away. Usually that works really well. There are some online videos on YouTube that show how to get rid of silver skin really easily. So you can search on there for visual tips on how to do that. 

Now, once you have all of that removed, what I like to do is lay out some large sheets of plastic wrap, pop that tri tip on top of there, because we’re going to marinate the tri tip and then wrap it up really tight in that plastic wrap.

For the marinade, you want to mix together in just a little small bowl, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, two garlic cloves that are just chopped up roughly, one teaspoon of smoked paprika, or you could use regular paprika here. Two teaspoons of onion powder. One teaspoon each of brown sugar, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper. Give that a really good stir, and then you’re going to coat the entire tri tip with that marinade, and then wrap it up really well with that plastic wrap. Then just pop it in the fridge for, you can do 8 hours up to 24 hours, whatever you have time for.

Now, you want to make the mustard butter that you will use for serving. It only has three ingredients. You need six tablespoons of salted butter that’s softened at room temperature. Two teaspoons of Dijon mustard and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. So you just want to blend that all together just with a fork or a spoon or you could even use a mixer. Then you’re going to scoop that out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Shape it into a one inch log. And then wrap that plastic wrap around it and twist the ends so it’s just enclosed and looks like a log of butter. You can pop that in the fridge and it will be good for a week, two weeks, until you’re ready to use it.

So now it’s actually time to grill your tri tip. So you want to set your grill to have direct heat and an indirect heat side. You want to set your grill up for high heat temperature. While your grill is warming up, you want to go ahead and remove the tri tip from the fridge and just allow it to stand at room temperature for at least about 30 minutes. This is called tempering, and it’s just warming up or bringing to room temperature a large cut of meat so that it cooks more evenly on the grill. So once the grill is ready, you’re going to start that tri tip over direct heat for about five minutes per side on a covered grill. Now you’ll notice that your tri tip is in a triangle and so there’s one smaller little tail point. When you position your tri tip on the grill, position it so that that little tail is closer to the indirect heat side, because that little tip will cook through way faster than the big part of the tri tip. 

Now, after you’ve grilled it over that direct heat for five minutes per side, now we’re going to move the tri tip to the indirect heat side, and this is where you want to cook to temperature, not time. So the last time that I made the tri tip, it only took about eight minutes on the indirect side to come to 135 degrees Fahrenheit at its thickest point, which will be about a medium rare to medium rare plus cut of beef. So you want to make sure that you’re kind of watching. It could take anywhere from five minutes up to 15 minutes on the indirect side to get to the temperature that you want.

Now, once it’s done and it’s at the temperature you want, you want to bring that tri tip in and then cut two large, one inch slices of that mustard butter and allow it just to melt over the top of that tri tip while it rests. 

Now, this is the part that’s going to be hard to explain verbally. It’s kind of a visual thing. So, when you were trimming your tri tip, you noticed that it had two different grains. The grain starts at one tip of the tri tip and then kind of fans out. When you’re cutting, what I like to do is start up at that point where the grain starts. On the diagonal, cut it against the grain. Then as you’re moving closer to where the grain starts to straighten out, you’re going to start to turn your knife so that you’re always cutting against the grain all the way to the bottom. That will ensure you have super tender and juicy slices of tri tip. 

When you serve this, you want to serve it with some mustard butter slices on the side and make sure that the steak is still nice and hot so that mustard butter will just melt over top. One tri tip that’s, I don’t know, two to three pounds is going to serve probably about four or five people.

Some great side dishes to think about with your grilled tri tip are a really nice side salad that has a tangy vinaigrette and I have a great recipe that has a warm balsamic vinaigrette over top. Super easy, super simple and really delicious. Either garlic mashed potatoes or a crispy cast iron potato or baked potatoes would be excellent. Then any kind of green vegetable, like roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, green beans. Or, in the summer, corn on the cob is perfect. But if you are looking in the fall, you might want to think about adding deviled eggs. Perfect side dish. 

So that does it for this episode. As always, I will link all of the recipes that I talked about in this episode right in the show notes for you.

Outro: So until next time, I hope this episode of Let’s Make Dinner makes your dinner time a little easier. See ya!

Alright everybody, now is normally the time that I would do the double dip. But, we are going to take a little bit of a break from the podcast. I think I’m going to take a couple months off here. I am focusing really heavily on video right now, which is consuming all of my time. So if you are enjoying these podcast episodes, I would really encourage you to go over and find me on YouTube and watch some of my actual videos so you can see my face, still learn about all of the wonderful dinner recipes, tips, tricks, kitchen hacks, all of those things that help you feel really successful at dinner time. 

I also encourage you to sign up for our newsletter so that when I do start the podcast up again that you will be notified of the latest episodes. So until then, hopefully I’ll see you over on YouTube.

Recipes Mentioned

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This will be the last episode for a few months. I am going to focus on video in the next couple months. I hope you will join me over at You Tube and subscribe.

Also subscribe to our newsletter so you know when the podcast does pick back up!

Episode 106 Refried Beans Instant Pot

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In episode 106 instead of a dinner entrรฉe we are making a killer side dish- Instant Pot Refried Beans. It is an incredibly inexpensive dish to make that is also super easy to make! A pound of dry refried beans will usually be under $3. This recipe makes super creamy and flavorful refried beans.

Serve it up on the side with some Mexican Rice and you will have an amazing dinner. 

Transcript

Click for the full transcript.

Intro: Welcome, welcome everybody to another episode of Let’s Make Dinner, your audio library of amazing dinner recipes you can always get on the table. I’m your host, Susie Weinrich.

Susie Weinrich: Beans, beans, the magical fruit. Is it magical or musical? I always said it was the magical fruit, but then somebody on Instagram had a post where they said musical fruit, which would make sense because it’s talking about farts.

Welcome to this episode of Let’s Make Dinner. Alright, so you guessed it. Today we are making a bean dish. We’re making Instant Pot Refried Beans. If you have never made your own refried beans, if you’ve been intimidated or you’ve tried to make them and they don’t really turn out, this is a fool proof, fool poof, fool proof recipe for refried beans that you make in your instant pot, which is so great because it’s mostly hands off and they’re so delicious when I make them, I eat them straight out of the Instant Pot, and then I regret it later because I have a stomach ache. 

Tips and Tricks: Okay, so not a ton of tips and tricks here. The Instant Pot that I use is a 6 quart Instant Pot, and so I will link that for you in the show notes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend getting one. I love my instant pot, especially in the fall when I’m making soups or large cuts of meat like pot roast or shredded beef or shredded pork, anything like that, it is just wonderful for. 

Instant Pot Refried Bean Recipe: So let’s go ahead and just get straight into the recipe for your Instant Pot Refried Beans. We are going to start this recipe by taking care of the pinto beans. That is what refried beans are made of. So you need one pound of dry pinto beans. What you want to do is just put those dry pinto beans into a mesh sieve or a colander and give them a really good rinse. If there’s any stems or any weird pieces in there, take those out. and then you can just set them aside.

Now you need to grab your instant pot and we’re going to pop that onto saute mode and you’re going to add three tablespoons of olive oil or you could use a vegetable oil that would work here as well. Then once that’s nice and warm you’re going to saute one white onion, four garlic cloves, and one jalapeno. All of those can just be roughly chopped because they’re going to be pureed down later on.

So saute those for about four to five minutes just to start to enhance their flavors and get them softening. After that, you’re going to add in one tablespoon of chicken base. Chicken base is like a paste form of bouillon and you can find it in the soup aisle. It’s a way more flavorful option than regular bouillon, and we love the brand, it’s actually called Better Than Bouillon. Okay. So that’s a great one to look for in the grocery store. 

Then you’re also going to add two teaspoons of chili powder, two teaspoons of cumin. One teaspoon each of onion powder and kosher salt. Just give that all a stir so that it coats the onions and garlic and jalapeno.

Next, you’re going to pour in four cups of chicken broth or stock and one and a half cups of water. If you have any bits that have browned to the bottom of the Instant Pot, you want to scrape those up at this point. Now you can turn off that sautรฉ mode and you can add in those rinsed, dry pinto beans and one bay leaf. Now give everything a really good stir. 

Now we’re going to get to the cooking part. You’re going to close the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure you set that pressure valve to seal. You’re going to set it to cook on just your manual normal pressure cook, high pressure, normal heat for 50 minutes. Then at the end of the 50 minutes, you’re going to do a 15 minute natural pressure release and then finish with a quick release. 

Now once you open up your Instant Pot, if some of the very top layer of beans didn’t stay down in the liquid, some of those may have a little crunch or a little dryness to them still. You can skim off that top layer of beans and just use the beans that cooked really well and soft down in the liquid.

At this point, you also want to remove the bay leaf and discard that. Now, some recipes will have you draining the liquid off the beans and then adding it back. We don’t need to do that. There is the perfect amount of liquid in the beans so that they puree up really, oh my gosh, so creamy and so good. You are absolutely going to love these.

So what I like to do is actually use my immersion blender and just start to puree everything up. We like our refried beans really smooth, so I puree them until they are creamy and smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender and you like your refried beans a little bit more chunky, you could just use a handheld potato masher. But if you do like the smooth consistency and you don’t have that immersion blender, you can transfer the beans and the liquid to either a food processor, or a food mill, or a really strong blender. If you’re using the blender, make sure that the beans and the liquid are slightly cooled before you add them, or your blender may explode. No worries. Your Instant Pot’s not going to explode, but your blender might explode. 

Okay. So once you’ve got them pureed up, you’re going to squeeze some fresh lime juice into the beans. I usually like to do one small lime and I just squeeze the entire thing in, stir it up, and then give it a taste. See if you want a little more kosher salt. Do you want a little more lime juice? Do you want a little more spice? At this point, if you like them a little bit more spicy, I would put in a couple dashes of cayenne pepper. 

So the trick is with your refried beans, if you want to serve them immediately, once they’re sitting, they will start to thicken up and firm up and then the top will also dry out. So if you do need to hold them for a little bit, I recommend putting a little plastic wrap right on top of those beans so it doesn’t get that dry layer on top. So of course, refried beans go excellent with any Mexican dinner. So you’re talking tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas. Think about when you go to a Mexican restaurant, and the side dish is usually rice and beans. So that’s where we like to serve these. I’ll tell you what, these refried beans, leftover, they’re thick and delicious, and they make the most killer refried bean burrito, ever. So you can use the leftovers for that too because this does make quite a few beans. I will link some delicious Mexican dinner recipes in the show notes for you as well so that you can have something to pair these refried beans with. 

Outro: So that does it for the full recipe and as always I hope this episode of Let’s Make Dinner makes your dinner time a little easier. See ya!

Double Dip: All right, everybody. Thank you so much for sticking around. Now it’s time for your double dip. Every week I share the recipe that we will be making next Thursday on the podcast so that you can have all of the ingredients ready and cook along with me next week. So we will be making a Marinated Grilled Tri Tip with mustard Butter next week.

This is a great recipe as the temperatures start to cool and you’re ready to get out and cook on your grill again. So for this recipe next week, you’re going to need a 2 to 3 pound beef tri tip, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, some extra virgin olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, smoked paprika, onion powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, and a coarse ground black pepper.

Then for the mustard butter, you only need three ingredients and you probably already have all of them. Salted butter, Dijon mustard, and black pepper. So, basically what we’re doing is we are marinating a tri tip and you can marinate it in the morning and then cook it in the evening or you can marinate it on Thursday and grill it on Friday for dinner.

The mustard butter can also be made ahead of time, so if you want to make that in the morning and have it for dinner in the evening, or you can make it on Thursday and have it ready in the fridge for dinner on Friday. But that is all you need. So I hope you will join me then. But until that episode, I hope you guys have a wonderful week ahead.

Recipes & Equipment Mentioned

Next Week

I hope you will join us every Thursday for a new episode. Next week we are making Marinated Grilled Tri Tip Steak.

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Cucumber and Onion in Vinegar

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Cucumber and Onion Salad is an old fashioned side dish that is a delicious combo of (like the name) sliced cucumbers, sweet onions marinated in a vinegar mixture. It is similar to a quick pickle and it makes a great “vinegary crunch” side dish for any dinner. Very fresh and light.

cucumber and onions in a bowl with watermelon in the background

I grew up in small town Iowa and one thing we have down pat are really, really good side dishes! Think pot lucks, BBQ's, Sunday family dinner at Grandma's. This Cucumber Vinegar Salad is a staple recipe that I love to make when we have a gathering that is full of rich dishes! It is tangy, crunchy and fresh, simple, but it hits all the right notes. . Without fail, every single time I make it, someone tracks me down to ask for the recipe.

These cucumbers and onions in vinegar are especially delicious served with anything from the grill or BBQ, like this BBQ Pork Tenderloin or Grilled Tri Tip. When you have heavier side dishes like cheesy potatoes and beans, these cucumbers and onions are a very refreshing addition.

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Cucumber and Onion Recipe Ingredients

Since this Cucumber and Onion Salad is an old fashioned recipe it only has the simplest of ingredients. Aren’t those the best?!

Ingredients for cucumber and onion salad on a table
Ingredients shown clockwise: onions, cucumbers, vinegar, celery seeds, kosher salt and sugar.

Cucumbers I recommend using a hot house or English cucumbers for this recipe. They are less watery and don’t have as many seeds as a traditional or garden cucumber. They also have thinner skin so they don’t need to be peeled.

You CAN use garden cucumbers, I just recommend peeling them or partially peeling them (so they look striped).

Onion Choose a sweet onion like yellow or Vidalia onions. I like to cut the onion in half and then slice it into thin strips about โ…›-1/4 inch thick. A red onion can work as well.

PRO TIP FOR ONION: if you have a really strong onion, after cutting it in half lightly rinse it under cool water lightly separating the layers. This rinses away the enzyme that will have the strong onion flavor taking over your whole dish.

Vinegar Rice vinegar is a great choice for this cucumber and onion salad. It has great flavor on it’s own and makes a delicious “marinade” for the salad. If you don’t have rice vinegar you can sub apple cider vinegar.

Sugar Simple granulated white sugar is what you need here. It balances the tang of the vinegar and gives a bit of sweetness to the dish.

Kosher Salt enhances the flavor of the entire dish!

Celery Seed adds a great flavor to the vinegar mixture.

How To Make Old Fashioned Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar

This is SUCH a simple recipe! It only takes about 10 minutes to put it together, then pop it in the fridge to marinate or pickle until it’s time to eat.

  1. Prep Cucumbers & Onions

    2. Slice the cucumbers and onions about โ…›-1/4 inch thick and place in a bowl or pan. Set aside

    sliced cucumbers and sliced onions in a bowl
  2. Boil Vinegar Mixture

    3. In a saucepan over medium heat combine the vinegar, sugar, kosher salt and celery seed.

    Bring to a boil (this will happen quickly) and let boil for about 30 seconds.

    vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and celery seed in a saucepan
    vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and celery seed boiling in a saucepan
  3. Pour Vinegar Over Veggies

    4. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions. Give them a good toss to coat.

    pouring vinegar mixture over cucumbers and onion
  4. Refrigerate

    5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8-12 hours, tossing occasionally if you have time.

    sliced cucumbers and sliced onions in a bowl coated in a vinegar and celery seed mixture

Cucumber and Onion Recipe Tips

Don't wait too long to eat the cucumbers and onions, the cucumbers will get soggy after a few days (although they will still be DELICIOUS).

An English or Hot House cucumber are great options because they don't have large seeds and have thinner skin.

If using garden cucumbers, the skin is thicker so peel them for a better texture.

Use a yellow or sweet Vidalia onion for the best flavor.

Slice the cucumbers and onions about the same thickness for the best texture.

Serving ideas

Cucumber and Onion in Vinegar is a wonderful tangy side dish that pairs really really well with a rich meal. Here are a few things we like to serve this with:

Storing

Keep the Cucumber and Onion Salad covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. It will last longer but the more time that passes the cucumbers start to become very soggy. Best eaten within 2 days.

More Cucumber Recipes

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Cucumbers and Onions Salad in a bowl with a fork

Onion and Cucumber in Vinegar

Cucumber and Onion Salad is a great side dish to add to ANY dinner. It is similar to a quick pickle and is simply cucumbers and onions in a vinegar mixture. It makes a great "vinegary crunch" addition to your meals. Very fresh and light.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Marinating: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 12 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 65kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sliced cucumber - Hot House or English cucumber (one large or two small should be about 4 cups)
  • 1 yellow onion - sliced
  • ยฝ cup rice vinegar
  • ยฝ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ยฝ teaspoon celery seed

Instructions
 

  • Slice your cucumbers about โ…›-1/4 inch thick, same for the onions.
    If you are using hot house, english or persian cucumbers you don't need to peel them, if you are using traditional cucumbers or garden cucumbers you can peel them completely or partially by peeling stripes.
    4 cups sliced cucumber, 1 yellow onion
  • Place the sliced cucumbers and onions in a shallow bowl or pan. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar, salt, vinegar and celery seeds to a boil. Once it comes to a rapid boil, let it boil for about 30 seconds.
    ยฝ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ยฝ cup rice vinegar, ยฝ teaspoon celery seed
  • Pour over the cucumbers and onions. Toss to coat. Then try to have all the cucumbers and onions touching the vinegar liquid.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
    If you have time you can toss the cucumbers and onions a few times while they marinate in the fridge.
  • It is great garnished with black pepper when serving!

Storing

  • Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
    It will last longer but the more time that passes the cucumbers start to become very soggy.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
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Serving: 1serving | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.2mg