Traeger Smoked Cheezits

Irresistible snack alert!!! I don’t even know how this happened or what to tell you other than, I smoked cheezits and then I ate them all. 

Ok, I didn’t eat them all but for someone who isn’t really into rando snacks like this, it’s a pretty big deal that I couldn’t keep my grubby little hands out of them. 

We had some of our best friends over one night for dinner and swimming and afterwards ended up in the backyard roasting marshmallows and chatting away until the stars came out. If you’ve snagged a copy of our cookbook, Raised in the Kitchen you know what this is called, Sobremesa and it’s honestly my favorite part of the entire book. I’ll let you read all about it yourselves, but man, it was suuuuch a good night. 

And then Steve mentioned that his friend had smoked cheezits and I became obsessed. I lasted 4 days before curiosity got the best of me and I went for it. I decided to not google any recipes but to just wing it on my own and I am pretty dang sure that’s why it turned out awesome, it was pure inspiration. 

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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It was a non-stop week of cooking and photographing new recipes over here and I’m ready for a weekend with my feet up on the couch. Rebecca and Lynne were here working with me and we ate some seriously delicious food all week long. I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you! 

ON THE BLOG this week: Tender chunks of chicken and vegetables are simmered together underneath a buttery, flaky biscuit topping to make this chicken pot pie casserole. I made it a few weeks ago and it was such a hit, it’s already been made three times since then.

When you pull this cheesy and delicious ham potato broccoli casserole hot and steaming from the oven everyone will be clamoring for a bite.

This Strawberry Blueberry Banana Smoothie brings summertime straight to your glass – even in the middle of winter. Sweet and creamy, this good-for-you smoothie is an easy way to start your day or refuel in the afternoon.

Pepperoni pizza dip is the perfect party appetizer. I mean, who doesn’t love a piping hot, melting cheese dip full of pepperoni?

Roasted vegetables dipped in Bang Bang Sauce, dare I say it, are better than vegetables with homemade ranch dip. I didn’t think that was possible but it IS! (And yes, this homemade ranch really is incredible.)

After eating parmesan-roasted carrots you will not want to make them any other way. Bite-sized and toasty perfect, you can’t eat just one!

Fluffy, buttery, sweet pancakes filled with bursting juicy berries are possible with minimal effort. Enough pancakes for the whole family can be cooked all at once on a single sheet pan!

Homemade salted caramel sauce is ridiculously decadent and delicious. This sweet sauce makes a terrific addition to countless desserts, like this amazing chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting.

What I’m CRAVING: Have you ever had a Profiterole?? They are Read more

The best ever gluten free chocolate cake is a rich chocolate cake that is fluffy and light with a perfect crumb; this cake almost melts in your mouth. You would NEVER guess that this is a gluten-free cake.

Almost as exciting as the delicious richness of the cake is the fact that this is a very simple, one-bowl cake that comes together in just a few minutes time.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

This gluten free chocolate cake recipe works beautifully as cupcakes as well for birthday parties and other get togethers. Paired with Salted Caramel Frosting, this cake was a massive hit at my son’s birthday party the first time I made it.

However, if you’d like to avoid chocolate crumbs tracked through the house, or if you’re looking for a white cake, (live and learn through my mistakes, mamas to young kids) I’m beyond thrilled to tell you that this recipe is truly The Best Gluten Free White Cake you’ll ever make. Truth told, it’s the best white cake I’ve ever tasted, gluten-free or not.

The sour cream and olive oil in this Gluten Free Chocolate Cake keeps it incredibly moist. I’ve successfully used light flavored olive oil in almost all of my baked goods for the past few years.

There isn’t a hint of olive oil flavor in the finished products. Be sure to use a light oil and NOT an extra virgin oil.

Picture me jumping up and down with glee over how perfectly this cake turned out. I tried a few different variations before this one turned out perfectly. I’ve made this cake over a dozen times now.

Best Chocolate Gluten Free Cake Recipe

Kitchen Tip: I use this sheet pan, this cake pan, or this cupcake pan to make this recipe.

• ⅓ cup potato starch
• ⅓ cup sorghum flour
• ⅓ cup brown rice flour
• 1¼ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup, plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably dutch process
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup light flavored olive oil
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Buttery sweet caramel sauce with just a hint of salt combines with cream cheese for silky smooth salted caramel frosting perfection.

Salted Caramel Frosting

I knew before I made this frosting that {Salted + Caramel = Frosting} it was going to be a good thing. However, I had no clue that it was going to be a great thing: an almost indescribably awesome frosting.

I’m not usually a big fan of frosting, but I am a huge fan of homemade caramel sauce. So, pouring caramel sauce into a whipped cream cheese frosting sounded too delicious not to try.

I am a big fan of real flavors. It can take a bit longer to develop those flavors sometimes – but it is truly just minutes in many cases. Caramel is one of those.

Water and sugar simmer slowly in a simple syrup. No need for a candy thermometer, just keep cooking until the sugar dissolves. Once that happens turn up the heat and keep cooking until it turns an amber color.

Caramel can be tricky because you want to keep it moving to prevent burning but not really get any of the sugar crystals that might form on the sides of the pan back into the caramel. Those pieces will make little crunch bits in the caramel sauce.

Once it achieves that rich amber color, add the butter, cream, vanilla, and salt. Stir them in gently and let the sauce cool before refrigerating.

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Homemade salted caramel sauce is ridiculously decadent and delicious. This sweet sauce makes a terrific addition to countless desserts.

From ice cream to cakes, coffees, and brownies, it is delicious. But this sauce also makes a great food gift for any occasion.

Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe

I LOVE this sauce. I made it for a special dessert and loved it so much, I just kept making it. I’ll be sharing that dessert soon, but first, here is the sauce.

I made this three times in a month when I first started making this and it rapidly became a favorite addition to a cup of Cafe con Leche. (Authentic? no. pure heavenly caramel latte deliciousness? yes.)

This no candy thermometer required caramel sauce is the perfect balance of salty and sweet. While many homemade salted caramel sauces boast of just having 4 ingredients. I am quite okay with this version having 6.

The addition of a little bit of water and vanilla is just right. I like dissolving the sugar completely in the water and cooking it down to an amber color. This will decrease the likelihood of burning the sugar.

My other secret ingredient is vanilla. Whether you use the extract, paste, or scraped vanilla bean it gives it such a warm rich depth, I can’t imagine making salted caramel sauce without it.

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