Caramelized bacon is crispy, candied bacon made with a pecan, brown sugar, and maple syrup paste—it’s the first thing to go at gatherings! The title says it all, doesn’t it? This was the first recipe I saw when I bought Ina Garten’s cookbook, Foolproof, and let me tell you, people love this bacon. It is …

Lasagna without Ricotta is made with an Asiago cheese sauce instead of ricotta cheese. This lasagna is full of robust Italian flavor and will leave your guests asking for leftovers!  Note — this post is full of tips and suggestions to help you make the best lasagna ever. I suggest you read through everything before …

Navy Bean and Ham Soup made easy with canned beans, ham hocks, carrots, celery, dried rosemary and thyme, and a little bacon for flavor. This is the best Navy Bean Soup! It’s so easy to get caught in a soup rut, like a chicken rut, where you serve the same old same old recipes week …

This baked ham recipe features a honey and brown sugar glaze with bourbon and orange juice—better than store-bought and half the price! You don’t have to buy a ready-prepared honey-baked ham to please your guests because you can make an awesome ham at home for half the price. This recipe is one of our favorites …

Baked pork chops with cream of mushroom soup are ready in about 30 minutes! This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that goes great with mashed potatoes or rice! Quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas can be one of a busy parent’s worst frustrations, which is why meal planning is so important! And why …

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions on a sheet pan baked in the oven—so easy! One-pan dinners are the best for quick preparation and cleanup, and you can usually have enough leftovers for a second meal. Sausage and Peppers is a classic Italian meal, usually cooked in a skillet or on the grill and served in a …

Mac and cheese muffins are super easy to make with leftover macaroni and cheese. Add some diced ham and you’ll have a great snack! Kids love these mac and cheese muffins after school or even for a quick dinner. You can freeze them and pull one out when you need to feed hungry ones fast! …

Pork chops with caramelized onions, capers, and white wine are delicious with noodles, mashed potatoes, cheese grits, or spaghetti squash.  We have eaten these pork chops four times in the last couple of months because this recipe is THAT good. My husband loves caramelized onions and honestly, almost anything that you add caramelized onions to …

Oven cooked bacon is crisp and perfectly browned if done correctly! Forget the mess and standing over the skillet–oven cooking is the way to go! Is there anything better than the smell of bacon frying? Well, yes, actually there is—the lack of mess and hot grease involved with oven cooked bacon! Now, I will admit …

Pork Chops with Apples is a one-pot meal with pork chops, apples, sweet onion, and a creamy mustard sauce that is divine.  One-pot meals are the best, don’t you think? I pretty much hate cleaning the kitchen and while I can sure mess up half a dozen pots to make one meal, I much prefer …

This cherry and pomegranate glazed ham is simple and beautiful with its cherry-red glaze made from pomegranate juice and dried tart cherries. It’s also easy and relatively hands-off! I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to holiday celebrations. My Christmas tree is always decorated with the same ornaments, although I do add a …

This easy one-pot pork chops recipe is filled with carrots, green beans, and potato. It’s all you need for an easy weeknight meal. This pork chops recipe has been loitering in my recipe box for more than twenty years, handwritten on an old index card the way we used to keep recipes. I have no …

Baked Italian Sliders are filled with Italian meats and cheeses, baked to melty perfection, and drizzled with an Italian dressing. These sandwiches are a quick and easy game day treat or a perfect supper for busy weeknights. Sometimes sandwiches are just the way to go, especially on game day. Or after Thanksgiving—be sure you check …

This may be the easiest and tastiest appetizer ever! My friend Rita put this together a few weeks ago and we devoured them…while she was still working on putting it together! Salty prosciutto…tangy goat cheese…sweet, juicy ripe pears…you see where this is going…amazing! The only thing that would make it better would be to add …

The last few months have been filled with happy busyness…wedding planning is fun but time-consuming. And since David and I have been on what we called, “Wedding Boot Camp,” I have not even cooked much. We’ve eaten a lot of salads and roasted vegetables and not a lot of home-cooked sit down meals. So it …

We love anything Italian around here…pizza, pasta, bread…those things can get consumed in mass quantities. Of course, we probably don’t eat authentic Italian food, but the Americanized version is just fine. It’s so easy to throw together a dinner party with a pot of spaghetti sauce and your favorite pasta, or take a little more …

Southern Pulled Pork is so easy to make! Just throw together a barbecue rub and roast a pork butt in the oven low and slow for several hours. Then shred the meat and it’s good to go! So simple yet so delicious! We are a barbecue loving family. Is it because we’re Southern? Because we …

Time to step away from the turkey leftovers and create something sublime and spicy in your kitchen. This is by far one of the best things I’ve ever made. Tender, slightly spicy pork seasoned with chipotle pepper and cilantro, simmered in dark beer and a little lime juice. A rustic Spanish dish that will transport your …

This oven baked omelet is perfect for two for breakfast or a light supper. Just mix up some eggs and cheese and whatever vegetables you like and bake! Let me state for the record, unequivocally, I love Ina Garten. I love to watch her shows because she has such a calm, soothing manner as she …

Southerners love to entertain and sometimes a big crowd calls for overnight preparation. Breakfast casserole is perfect when you are having houseguests because you can put it together the day before and pop it in the oven while everyone is just waking up. Add some fruit and coffee and you have a complete meal. The …

Easy ribs baked low and slow in the oven with a barbecue rub. These are fall-apart tender and so easy! Your family will love these ribs! There are few things better than ribs cooked all day in the smoker, low and slow with applewood chips, until they fall off the bone and fill your palate …

Pork Chops with Sweet Cherry Peppers showcases jarred sweet cherry peppers baked with center-cut pork chops. Add some garlic and onion and you have a fabulous dish with terrific flavors. It takes a while for fall to really set in here in Georgia. We may have a few lovely days in the 70s and then …