Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s going to be chilly with rain all day here in Ohio. It’s the perfect kind of weather for staying cozy indoors. I have soup started, and a batch of ice cream churning, as I write this. With new books on my Kindle and plans to sit down with a puzzle later as well, I’ll happily take a rainy Saturday when I can fill it this way.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  This cheesy bacon quiche has been a favorite for many years. What’s not to love about a flaky pie crust filled with fluffy, cheesy eggs and plenty of bacon?

This tender, sweet blueberry banana bread is a irresistible riff on classic banana bread. Much like a cross between blueberry muffins and banana bread, pair a slice of this bread with that bacon quiche and everyone will be grinning.

If you like a classic spinach artichoke dip, you’re going to love this spinach artichoke pasta. We’re talking pasta enrobed in perfectly flavorful, cheesy cream sauce positively bursting with spinach and tender artichokes. Pure heaven!

What do you get when you give humble cauliflower a baked potato glow up? This loaded cauliflower casserole is tender, roasted cauliflower with all the cheddar, bacon, green onion, and sour cream goodness of your favorite loaded baked potato.

As a dedicated fan and vociferous lover of all things sweet and salty, I’m telling you now that chocolate covered potato chips need to be on your must-try list just as soon as possible. I’ll bet you can’t eat just one!

You only need two ingredients and about five minutes to make this easy hot fudge sauce. Creamy, thick, rich, and chocolatey hot fudge is a dream (and often a “must have in the house at all times” requirement) for any ice cream lover! 

Give me a brownie and ice cream over pretty much any other baked good and ice cream combination. So, naturally, this chocolate fudge brownie ice cream with a rich, deep chocolate ice cream fully loaded with chunks of chocolatey, chewy, fudgy brownies calls my name – loudly.

What I’m CRAVING: All the greens and vegetables! I’ve been out of the habit of prepping my daily salads on the weekend, so I shopped for produce yesterday and this is going to happen. I’m looking forward to having Read more

My Favorite Avocado Sandwich [+Video]

Looking to give your lunch routine an upgrade? Try my favorite avocado sandwich recipe! With creamy avocado, roasted tomatoes, and a spicy mayo, it’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

Years ago I had an amazing sandwich that I’ll never be able to remember everything on it, but one thing stood out, the pickled onions on the charred tomatoes made a magical flavor I never would have expected. This sandwich gives a nod to not only that sandwich but the perfection that comes when you have a perfectly balanced sammy with sweet, salty, crunchy, acidic, toasted and… AVOCADO.

Lately our daughter has been loving avocado toast and so we took the best of her toast discoveries at restaurants with my sandwich memory and created literally the best avocado sandwich ever.

Ingredients for The Best Avocado Sandwich

Sandwiches can be as simple or as loaded as you want them to be, and you can customize to your taste. I’m going to give you my grocery list for this sandwich, and I urge you to make it as written. Each item plays an important role in making this rockstar sammy. Here is your list…

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Seven Grain Bread
• Butter
• Young Manchego Cheese
• Fresh Sprouts
• Microgreens
• Arugula
• Avocado
• Pickled Red Onions
• Salt and Black Pepper

Spicy Mayo

• Mayonnaise
• Hot Sauce
• Smoked Paprika
• Chili Powder
• Juice from Pickled Onions

The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down at the end of this post.

Claire’s Tip

To find the perfect avocado, use your thumb and forefinger to gently press the top and bottom of the avocado. It should give a little if it’s ready to go. Never press or palm the whole fruit as it will bruise it.

What is the Best Bread for This Sandwich?

My favorite bread for this sandwich is the seven grain bread from Harmon’s here in Utah. In all reality, you could use any type of bread that you want…a multigrain bread, a good whole wheat bread, or heck, even a yummy white bread works great! Ooh, or sourdough bread! I’m trying that next time!

How to Make an Avocado Sandwich

Before you start to make this sandwich, make sure your red onions are pickled and you’ve whisked together the ingredients for the spicy mayo in a small bowl. Here are the steps for each fabulous layer…

1. Char the Tomatoes: Heat the oven to broil and place the tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut side down. Move the oven rack to the highest position and place the baking sheet in.

Give me a brownie and ice cream over pretty much any other baked good and ice cream combination. So, naturally, a bowl of chocolate ice cream generously filled with fudgy chunks of brownies calls my name – loudly.

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

There’s something I simply can’t resist in the classic combination of chewy, fudgy brownies topped with a scoop of melting ice cream. And before we get too far into this mouthwatering recipe for brownie-filled ice cream, let’s not confuse this with the original Brownie Ice Cream – that ice cream = a bowl full of brownies blended into smooth, creamy ice cream. (It’s delicious as well!)

This chocolate fudge brownie ice cream starts with a rich, deep chocolate ice cream that is then fully loaded with chunks of chocolatey, chewy, fudgy brownies. My favorite brownies to add to this ice cream are Cosmic Brownies (skip the candies on top) because the extra fudgy brownies (with or without the frosting on top) just add to the awesomeness of this ice cream.

And to make your chocolate brownie ice cream even more irresistible, drizzling some hot fudge sauce through the churned ice cream while layering it into a freezer container will deliver sweet swirls of fudge in every bite along with those fantastic bites of chewy fudge brownie.

Side note – PLEASE make sure that the hot fudge sauce is no warmer than room temperature when you drizzle it into the ice cream. We don’t want that lovely freshly-churned ice cream to start

One-Pan Cheesy French Onion Chicken Skillet [+Video]

The best One-Pan Cheesy French Onion Chicken Skillet delivers all the joy of French onion soup without the hassle or long hours. With the addition of tender chicken, it’s packed with protein, making it a family-friendly dinner that even picky eaters will love.

This French onion chicken recipe is a spin-off of our beloved French Onion Soup recipe, inspired by the cozy flavors we fell in love with last year. After craving it for weeks, Cade suggested turning it into something new, and voilà—French onion chicken was born!

It’s the same comforting flavors, simplified, and served with chicken. Serve it on its own, over rich and creamy mashed potatoes, or alongside a fiber-packed veggie like roasted green beans, brussels sprouts, or broccoli for a well-rounded meal.

Ingredients for French Onion Chicken

The ingredients for this dish are straightforward and likely already in your kitchen! Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Onions

• Butter – you can also use olive oil if you prefer
• Yellow Onions – not too sweet and caramelize beautifully, but you can use white onions in a pinch
• Water – helps cook and soften the onions
• Brown Sugar – used for caramelization
• Garlic – flavor baby!
• Fresh Thyme – I love the pop of fresh herbs in caramelized onions!

For the Dish

• Chicken Breasts – you could also use chicken thighs or tenders
• Flour – helps create a golden sear on the chicken pieces
• Olive Oil – used to sear the chicken, adds incredible flavor
• Beef Broth – base of the sauce for simmering the chicken
• Chicken Broth – the other half of the base for simmering the chicken
• Worcestershire Sauce – flavor, richness
• Bay Leaf – flavor, will be discarded after simmering
• Gruyere Cheese – melts so well and is so creamy, the flavor pairs amazingly with the caramelized onions
• Parmesan Cheese – I never say no to more cheese!

The measurements of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

What to Serve with French Onion Chicken?

This One-Pan Cheesy French Onion Chicken is the ultimate cozy dinner! Think creamy mashed potatoes or buttery egg noodles to soak up all that dreamy caramelized onion sauce. Want to add some greens to the mix? Roasted or steamed veggies bring just the right amount of freshness. And let’s not forget a crusty baguette or a slice of sourdough—because scooping up that cheesy, oniony goodness is non-negotia

You only need two ingredients and about five minutes to make this easy hot fudge sauce. Creamy, thick, rich, and chocolatey hot fudge is a dream (and often a “must have in the house at all times” requirement) for any ice cream lover! 

I have a well-known love for ice cream and while I rarely turn down a scoop in a cone, I can’t resist a fancy ice cream sundae whenever I have the chance to make one.

This weekend, I had a blast playing with several new brownie recipes and this hot fudge sauce was worthy of each one.

Brownie Hot Fudge Sundaes

My favorite combination was the Almond Joy Brownies topped with a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and then generously drizzled with this Hot Fudge Sauce.

Years ago, my sister worked as a waitress at Christy Mae’s restaurant in Albuquerque, NM. Known for serving the best comfort food in the area, they also made a brownie sundae that my friends and I could never resist.

Their hot fudge sundae became a favorite indulgence among our circle and recreating it at home is one of my favorite desserts.

This hot fudge sauce is perfect for serving warm, right off the stove. Because it only takes a few minutes to make, I like to make it right before I’m ready to make ice cream sundaes.

If you set the ice cream on the counter