Freshly churned chocolate ice cream is layered with bite-size chunks of Cosmic Brownies and scattered with miniature M&M candies to create this super fun Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream.

Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream

I’ve been on a kick lately making Little Debbie copycat ice cream recipes. When I first spied Little Debbie’s line of ice creams in the grocery store, I did a double take. And then I immediately put them all on my must-try-soon list.

Little Debbie’s brownies were always a fun treat growing up and I couldn’t resist turning that nostalgic treat into a bowl of ice cream. I started this ice cream by playing with a copycat recipe for those brownies.

We absolutely love these ultra fudgy brownies topped with a layer of fudge frosting and a sprinkling of candies, but if you aren’t in the mood to bake? Just grab a box of Little Debbie’s brownies and you’ll be churning ice cream in no time at all.

Little Debbie Ice Cream

You know how much I love trying new flavors of ice cream and recreating them at home. Check out my son’s favorite Nutty Bars Ice Cre

Perfectly chewy, ultra fudgy brownies, topped with a layer of fudge frosting and a sprinkling of candies, these brownies are a better-than-store-bought copycat of Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies!

The rave reviews of these brownies have been nonstop, my friends. I’ve made them a few times now to make sure the recipe is perfect and it truly is.

Side note: it turns out that these brownies are my kryptonite. I force myself to give away half the pan every time I make them because I can not stay away from them if they’re in the house.

I tested a few different fudgy brownie recipes (heaven knows that there are a LOT of brownies here to choose from) before I settled on this ultra-fudgy flourless brownie recipe. It’s easy as can be to make and the brownies turn out perfectly every time.

Cosmic Brownies

There are a couple of things to note about this particular brownie recipe. Served warm, room temperature, or cold, these cosmic brow

Creamy Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Creamy strawberry cheesecake bars start with the most delicious flaky crust topped with a sweet but tangy cream cheese layer all topped with gorgeous juicy strawberries! Life will never be the same!

I’m closing down the blog and walking away. I’m living my life out as a middle-aged Momma who wants nothing more than to LIVE and PLAY and EAT. These bars are one of the best recipes we will ever share on Oh Sweet Basil.

I mean, I’m not really shutting down the blog. I couldn’t ever be as fulfilled without a creative outlet, but these strawberry bars are one of the best desserts I’ve ever brought to the site. If it’s the only spring dessert recipe you make, you will be forever happy. Once again, we have Megan to thank, so let’s all give her a little praise for continuously sending amazing recipes to us! If you haven’t tried the mixed berries version of this recipe, do that asap!

The crust is a flaky, perfectly made crust but the best part is, in my opinion, making the dessert a day ahead so that it softens a stitch. Oh my goodness, my mouth just started salivating! WHAT IS MY DEAL?! I’m obsessed! 

The filling is the most delicate cream cheese, almost cheesecake filling, while the topping is a burst of vibrant strawberries, reminiscent of a strawberry pie! It’s honestly like a creamy strawberry shortcake, which happens to be my most favorite dessert ever.

Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I’m going to divide up the list of ingredients by layer so it’s easy to see what is needed for each step. Here is what you will need…

Crust Layer

• Flour: regular all purpose flour
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Sugar: adds a little sweetness to the crust
• Vegetable Oil: the fat needed to create the flaky but strong base for the bars
• Milk: helps bind all the ingredients together

Cheesecake Layer

• Cream Cheese: you can use full fat or 1/3 fat but I do feel like the full fat sets up better, make sure it is room temperature so the cream layer isn’t lumpy
• Powdered Sugar: adds sweetness to the filling
• Heavy Cream: helps thin out the filling a little
• Vanilla: adds flavor

Strawberry Layer

• Strawberries: fresh bright red ripe berries
• Sugar: adds sweetness to the topping
• Ultra Gel: my preferred way for thickening the strawberry topping, see recipe card for using cornstarch the thicken
• Lemon Zest and Juice: balances the sweetness of the berries
• Water: thins everything out to create

What’s not to love about a fully loaded ranch potato salad filled with bits of bacon and chunks of egg? This has been my kids’ favorite potato salad for over 10 years now.

This is a super easy-to-make potato salad with bacon, eggs, and ranch dressing and it’s been a huge hit with everyone who tries it.

Ranch Potato Salad

One day a few years ago, while I was making a fresh batch of Ranch Dressing, my eye fell on an enormous leftover baked potato and a few hard-boiled eggs waiting in the refrigerator.

The ingredients were almost begging me to make a potato salad. I won’t pretend that the bacon here was leftover, I cooked it fresh. Who ever heard of leftover bacon?!

Even with cooking the bacon, this ranch potato salad came together so easily that I instantly knew it would be one that would show up in the future on our lunch and dinner menus. This recipe multiplies beautifully and I usually double or triple it for get-togethers with friends.

I’ve served this to plenty of guests, brought it to potlucks, and made it as a dinner side dish just for the family. It’s a guaranteed hit every time.

Potato Salad with Bacon

When I decided to make a ranch potato salad that first time, my mind immediately turned to bacon. There simply isn’t a bad way to include bacon in a salad, right?

I wanted a salad with the flavors of ranch dressing, but also with some smokiness from the bacon. I used just a bit of the bacon grease to season the dressing and the whole salad picked up that slightly smoky flavor that we love.

With a few leftover hardboiled eggs and baked potatoes, this salad comes together quickly. Rather than using a storebought or pre-made ranch dressing, I made an extra thick dressing with mayonnaise and all the usual ranch seasoning suspects like dill and parsley.

Quick and Easy Creamy Chicken Pesto Lasagna

Indulge in a delicious twist on traditional lasagna with this easy and flavorful Chicken Pesto Lasagna recipe. Follow along with our step-by-step instructions and impress your family and friends with this tasty dish.

We layer lasagna noodles with a homemade creamy béchamel sauce, fresh pesto sauce, chunks of juicy rotisserie chicken and cheese, glorious cheese! It can be made in about an hour and it is a recipe perfect for spring!

Back when we lived in Utah County, there was a great little Italian restaurant (Màstra for the locals, SO GOOD!) with a delicious pesto lasagna. I have thought of how wonderful the lasagna was for over two years now, and while I couldn’t remember all the details about it, I knew I could create a simple lasagna recipe that our fans would fall in love with. I just had no idea it would actually become my favorite recipe thus far in 2024.

Tips for the Best Pesto Lasagna

It is so easy to make and so delicious! I think a few things make a difference… first, go ahead and use shredded chicken breast meat from a rotisserie chicken. I buy mine at Costco and divide it up into freezer bags using our food saver. It makes meals like this easy chicken lasagna a cinch and it’s far more tender and flavorful.

Second, I prefer to make my own béchamel sauce as it’s so darn easy, but if you really want to hurry you can just use Alfredo sauce. Rao’s makes a good one. In fact, did you know you could use evaporated milk and extra salt, pepper and Parmesan if you need to stretch it out even more? Half and half, milk, and heavy creamy would work as well.

Lastly, homemade pesto is always more fresh and vibrant but again, Costco or Harmons in Utah make fantastic pesto that pulls things together in a jiffy. While it’s not shown in the photo, I love to toast pine nuts to sprinkle on top and maybe a little Aleppo pepper flakes too. Totally up to you, but in less than an hour you’ve got dinner with such a small amount of work.

Ingredients Pesto Chicken Lasagna

The ingredients list includes a few pantry friendly ingredients to make the béchamel sauce and then a few more ingredients to assemble all the delicious lasagna layers. Here is what you will need:

For the Béchamel Sauce

• Unsalted Butter: if you only have salted butter, just omit the salt from the sauce
• Flour: just regular all purpose flour works the best
• Heavy Cream: makes the sauce extra rich and creamy
• Salt: adds flavor
• Pepper: adds flavor and a tiny bit of heat
• Nutmeg: adds flavor