This pea salad recipe is creamy, cheesy, and topped with crispy bacon, a classic side dish that’s perfect for any occasion. Take it to a potluck, serve it at a BBQ, or make it for a quick and flavorful side for dinner! This salad comes together in minutes and delivers big flavor.

It’s the perfect side dish for Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I don’t know where English pea salad originated from, or why it’s so dang good considering it’s the world’s shortest list of ingredients, but I do know that any time someone shares a photo of a potluck or church spread, there’s that pea salad!

Last Fourth of July, we had Cade’s mom, brother, and his family and a friend over for a fun day of swimming and eating. Yes, I did wear a red bathing suit. Yes, I did get mistaken for the lifeguard 100 times. We swam, the kids became exhausted, and we headed back to the house where we cooked up classic burgers and a selection of our favorite summer salads including this English pea salad and our tomato cucumber salad. We finished the night off with our gooey Rice Krispie treats! God Bless America!

Ingredients for Pea Salad

• Mayonnaise: Provides a creamy, rich base that binds all the flavors together.
• Sour Cream: Adds tanginess and smooth texture for the perfect balance.
• Cheddar Cheese: Sharp, cubed cheddar adds bold flavor and bite to the salad.
• Red Onion: Gives a mild crunch and subtle sweetness for extra depth.
• Sugar: Balances the tangy dressing and enhances the peas’ natural sweetness.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a bright, tangy note to the creamy dressing.
• Salt: Enhances all the flavors in the salad.
• Bacon: Crispy, crumbled bacon adds smoky, savory flavor and crunch.
• Frozen Peas: Sweet and tender peas form the heart of this classic salad.

Chewy, nutty Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats have been one of my go-to breakfast options lately. They’re simple and easy to make either in advance or in the moment, and aside from adding ingredients to the pot, this is a meal that cooks itself!

We love oatmeal so much, we even have a holiday oatmeal recipe. But, for the more casual weekday mornings, we tend to prefer our oats a bit simpler, topped with a pat of butter, a drizzle of milk, and a sprinkling of brown sugar or a drizzle of honey.

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

The traditional method of cooking steel cut oats usually requires about 30 minutes, and a good bit of stirring too. As a result, this means that I very rarely will take the time or effort to make them on the stovetop. However, I do enjoy them!

So, naturally, when I learned that I could make them in the instant pot in just 15 minutes, you know I had to give that a try. And rest assured that this is a real 15 minutes. That includes the 10 minute release time.

And, while cooking on the stovetop usually requires some monitoring and stirring the pot throughout, that’s not the case here! With instant pot oats, once you’ve added your ingredients and started the cooker, everything’s done. Just stir before serving, and you’re good to go.

The best part of this recipe is that is it a terrific make-ahead option. Unlike traditional rolled oats, steel cut oats lend themselves nicely to reheating. Future you will thank you tomorrow morning.

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On a busy night, there’s nothing quite like the delicious simplicity of cooking crispy, cheesy Chicken Quesadillas for dinner. And in addition to being quick and easy to make, this meal is just downright tasty.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you already know that quesadillas are very popular in my house. On any given week, it’s likely that either I or my boys will be trying out a new variation of one of our quesadilla recipes.

This particular version is inspired by our chicken bacon ranch quesadilla, which my youngest son has been making weekly (usually very late at night) for the last year. With this recipe, I wanted to keep the flavor and texture of the hearty, tender chicken quesadillas we love, while making them even easier to pull together.

Chicken Quesadilla

From start to finish, making these quesadillas takes less than 10 minutes. Often, I’ll make a large batch of quesadillas for the whole family, and within 15-20 minutes the whole crew is fed. And because quesadillas are an easy-peasy one-pan meal, cleanup is a snap.

I like to serve these with chips and salsa, some vegetables and ranch for dipping and maybe some guacamole. There are never any complaints on this one.

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When summer hits, our smoker is working overtime and these are the recipes we come back to again and again. From tender, smoky meats to simple, flavor-packed favorites, these smoker recipes are easy to make and always a hit.

Classic Smoker Meats (BBQ Favorites)

These are the classic smoker recipes that bring big, bold BBQ flavor. Slow-cooked, tender, and packed with smoky goodness, these are the kinds of dishes that make summer cooking unforgettable.

If you’ve been searching for the best hamburger recipe, this is it. Juicy, flavorful beef, melty cheese, buttery toasted buns, and the perfect pickle finish. This is the kind of classic grilled hamburger that makes summer feel official.

We’ve tested burgers every which way, and this version wins every single time. The secret comes down to the right beef blend, simple seasoning, and not overthinking it. Backyard BBQs, easy weeknight dinners, cookouts with friends…this is the burger recipe you’ve been looking for!

This all started when I partnered with Vlasic, and honestly, it was the perfect excuse to perfect our ultimate backyard burger. We had just watched a Netflix show about the best sandwiches in America, the weather in Utah had finally warmed up, and suddenly all we could think about was burgers on the grill.

At our house, grilling is a really big deal. Summer means slower evenings, fresh produce, backyard dinners, and making time to actually enjoy life together. Early on in our marriage, Cade and I decided we wanted to really live summer—invite people over, make memories, stay outside too late, and never get too busy for a good BBQ.

And honestly, Vlasic fits right into that for me. Their pickles remind me so much of growing up—shelling peas, picking berries, helping my mom can pickles and jam until our hands (and probably our mouths) were stained red and purple. Summer food memories just hit different.

After a little testing in the kitchen, we landed on what we truly believe is the best grilled hamburger recipe ever. This is the burger we make on repeat all summer long.

What Makes This the Best Hamburger Recipe?

It starts with the right beef blend. We use 60% chuck and 40% brisket for the perfect balance of fat, flavor, and tenderness. Add simple seasoning, buttery toasted buns, melty American cheese, and crisp pickles, and you have a burger that tastes better than most restaurants.

This isn’t a complicated gourmet burger—it’s the best classic hamburger recipe done right.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Beef Blend: 60% Chuck 40% Brisket, ground by your butcher
• Salt: simple seasoning that brings out the natural beef flavor
• Butter: adds richness and helps create an extra juicy burger
• American Cheese: melts perfectly for that classic diner-style burger
• Challah Buns: soft, buttery buns that hold everything together beautifully
• Vlasi