Welcome to the weekend, friends! Our boys finished school yesterday and we’re all in on Christmas vacation at last. It’s finally time for all the Christmas movies, loads of couch time, and as few chores as I can get away with for a while. Here’s to all the downtime we can manage for the next couple of weeks!

ON THE BLOG this week: When you add corn and bell peppers to a batch of the best ever queso blanco, the result is a fantastic Corn Queso Dip that you won’t be able to stop eating.

Fluffy, buttery, nutty, pecan pancakes topped with maple syrup make for a tasty and easy breakfast we all enjoy. /and speaking of pancakes, when you add crisp savory bacon to a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes, you wind up with the best Bacon Pancakes you’ll ever have the pleasure of eating.

Fresh cranberries and a hint of lemon are combined in this incredibly moist brown sugar streusel Cranberry Coffee Cake. Cranberry Coffee Cake is not an overly sweet or fluffy cake. It’s a richly dense coffee cake with a lovely tartness from the cranberries.

Fluffy and crisp Corn Waffles are filled with real corn, bell peppers, and cheese for the perfect savory bite. Currently, we have been enjoying them – topped with bell pepper bacon gravy. 

I kid you not, Bell Pepper Bacon Gravy, my friends. It’s a real thing and it’s delightful. I predict now that it’s about to be a family favorite for you as well.

Creamy, smooth batches of chocolate and peanut butter fudge are combined to make this chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge. It’s an unforgettable holiday treat.

This Turtle Cheesecake with caramel, chocolate, pecans, and an Oreo crust is a dessert that gets talked about long after the plates are cleaned. Sweet, decadent, and almost magically delicious, this cheesecake steals the show.

What I’m CRAVING: Steaming hot cups of Cafe con Leche – on repeat. That and peppermint tea are keeping me warm these days. If I’m lucky enough to have a few biscotti on hand? Even better. (I’ve never made biscotti, so I’ll be trying my hand at making my friend Sandra’s recipe over the Christmas break this year.) 

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these Read more

Queso Blanco Dip is a creamy, spicy, perfectly smooth and cheesy dip just like they serve at your favorite Mexican restaurant. Queso blanco is a melted cheese dip that’s delicious every which way you eat it.

I’ve had a lot of pretty good queso dip in my life. I mean, we’re talking ooey gooey melted cheese with Mexican flavors. What’s not to like about that?

Still, I have no qualms saying that the Queso Blanco recipe I’m sharing today is the BEST Queso Blanco Dip I’ve had. It’s not just a fine-tasting easy dish to set out with a bag of chips for parties. This Queso Blanco recipe is so tasty that I found myself wanting to add it to just about everything.

Smother a burrito with this queso, pour it on a burger, drizzle it across roasted potatoes, pour it over Spanish rice, layer in into nachos or dip your chips in it. However you enjoy this Queso Blanco Dip, it’s sure to knock your socks off.

Queso Blanco Dip

There is just enough heat in this Queso Blanco Dip to keep you coming back for one more bite.

The heat in the cheese comes from the addition of pickled jalapenos and green chiles. It’s easy to adjust the amounts of each ingredient to suit your spice preferences and tolerance.

If you like your queso extra hot, double up on the peppers. I’ve made this dip exactly as written and I’ve made it twice as hot. We all loved it as written below and my husband and my oldest son especially enjoyed it with the extra heat.

I promise it’s not overwhelmingly spicy as written, but you could also reduce the peppers by half if you prefer a mild Queso Blanco Dip. It’ll still be creamy, flavorful, and completely delicious.

My family has always enjoyed the queso we’ve had at Mexican restaurants. I’ve tried over the years to recreate our favorite restaurant-style Queso Blanco to no avail.

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This Turtle Cheesecake with caramel, chocolate, pecans, and an Oreo crust is a dessert that gets talked about long after the plates are cleaned. Sweet, decadent, and almost magically delicious, this cheesecake steals the show.

Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake

I make this cheesecake only once or twice a year and it is always by request. Just the smallest sliver really is a serving.

Decadent, rich, and worthy of any special occasion, this is a masterpiece of a cheesecake. It steals the spotlight at any dessert table and has been known to cause more than one person to sigh with joy.

Turtle Cheesecake

The cheesecake starts with an Oreo cookie crust that is covered in caramel sauce, then a layer of creamy cheesecake. Once cooled, it is sprinkled with toasted pecans and drizzled with both caramel and chocolate.

This Turtle Cheesecake beats just about any cheesecake I’ve had from a bakery. No exaggeration at all, my friends.

The crisscrossed swirls of caramel and chocolate drizzle make this cake look especially stunning. And it tastes even better than it looks!

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Served for dessert with a strong cup of coffee, this is pure chocolate caramel cheesecake bliss. This is the dessert to bring when you want to wow a crowd!

While this cheesecake looks gorgeous and tastes even better, it’s not a fussy recipe at all. I’m happy to tell you that this dessert is much MUCH easier to make than you might expect.

Can’t get enough of that chocolate and caramel “turtle” flavor? Flourless Chocolate Turtle Cookies happen to be naturally gluten free yet still decadently tasty.

I make at least a couple batches of Shortbread Turtle Cookies and Read more

Creamy, smooth batches of chocolate and peanut butter fudge are combined to make this chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge. It’s an unforgettable holiday treat.

Similar to the Buckeye Fudge that has been so popular, this is a little simpler and can be made even more easily. I predict that you’re going to love it every bit as much.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

Do you love making fudge as much as I do? There is nothing that beats a holiday treat that can be made in just minutes.

I recommend stirring together a batch of this pretty swirled peanut butter chocolate fudge for the holidays this year.

Then you can sit back and enjoy it while someone else stays in the kitchen and bakes cookies. (At least that’s MY plan!)

For a few more peanut butter and chocolate fudge recipes, check out this smooth and creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge is going to be your new favorite treat this holiday season.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this Peanut Butter Fudge is one of the best fudges I’ve ever tasted. Rich, creamy, over-the-top fudge that is so easy to make, you might laugh.

Fudge Swirl

I like the look and ease of pouring the fudge out on a large baking sheet. (As a bonus, it leaves me plenty of edges to snack on and it’s easier to slice.)

You can also make this fudge in an 8-inch square pan. The fudge will be thicker and more traditionally shaped.

Lining the pan with Read more

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal is filled with soft apple slices, a sprinkling of brown sugar and spices, and oats cooked until tender.

As you know, we love Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and it has been one of my personal favorites for years. But when my boys requested oatmeal for the third time in a week, I decided to make something new.

Apple Pie Oatmeal

This oatmeal is a warm, comforting way to start the day, especially when you pair it with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or Cafe Con Leche. The aroma that the oatmeal creates in the house as it bakes is absolutely heavenly.

It’s so satisfying to eat a slice of this baked apple oatmeal in the morning and it makes a nice change from a regular bowl of oatmeal. It’s hearty enough to be breakfast all on its own but is also a welcome addition to any big weekend brunch spread.

For the record, I’ve yet to meet a version of baked oatmeal that I didn’t like and this Apple Pie Oatmeal is no different.

Baked Oatmeal with Apples

Baked Oatmeal is one of our all-time favorite breakfasts in this household. Baked oatmeal with apples? That’s a home run.

Apple slices are folded into the oats to bake along with all the other ingredients. I love the way the apples release their juices into the oatmeal as they bake, adding delicious flavor to every bite.

For this recipe, I upped the apple flavors by adding applesauce to the oat mixture instead of the usual oil. The applesauce provides that same level of moisture while taking the “apple-y” taste to the next level.

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