Nothing says summer quite like a good burger! This time we are teaching you how to make a perfect smash burger and there’s one secret that is life-changing.

Look, I don’t know why smashing a burger, literally the one thing you should NEVER do to meat totally works in this recipe, but it does. Ok, I do actually know why, it’s because it caramelizes every single piece of that patty thus making for more flavor in each bite, but the point is, it doesn’t make sense and so therefore you should absolutely eat it. 

It’s kind of like that crazy wedge salad story; it’s simple and therefore it’s the beeeeeest!

Cade and I discovered smash burgers when we were in our first few years of marriage and I think it’s actually what kind of turned me from burger hater to burger enjoyer and now lover. I still loooove a crispy chicken sandwich, don’t you get me wrong, but a smash burger will always make my mouth water. 

They are juicy, buttery, and have those crispy edges that are the star of this burger show. And the best thing about this is that smash burgers are simple and cook so fast…exactly what you want to feed the fam on a busy summer weeknight or to feed a crowd for your 4th of July festivities!

Ingredients for Smash Burgers

There’s nothing crazy going on with these ingredients. The crazy comes in the cooking technique, so your ingredient list looks like this:

Burger Patties

• Canola Oil
• Burger Buns
• Butter
• Ground Beef (60/40) – this probably sounds crazy, but just ask your butcher and trust me on this one…all the flavor comes in the higher fat content!
• Salt
• Pepper

Toppings

• American Cheese
• Lettuce
• Killer Burger Sauce
• Pickles
• White Onion

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below.

Grilled Corn and Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

It’s one of my favorite quick dinner ideas for summer – grilled corn and roasted tomato pesto pasta is so fresh and ready in just 15 minutes!

When you find something that the whole family will eat, you make it in every form possible! By some miracle, all my kids will eat pesto. PESTO! Of all the things! I’m not complaining because pesto is life!

We have pesto pizza, pesto paninis, pesto veggies, pesto chicken pasta, and even pesto tarts! See…all forms possible and every one is so delish!

This recipe is so tasty with a little smokiness from the roasted tomatoes and grilled corn. I love the addition of the bocconcini for the creaminess and added protein. It’s also healthy and so satisfying!

What Ingredients Go in Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta?

This ingredients list is simple and so yum! You’ll need the ingredients for homemade pesto and then just a few other items to get this recipe on the table. Here is your list:

• Pine Nuts
• Garlic
• Basil
• Olive Oil
• Tomatoes
• Grilled Corn
• Parmesan (fresh)
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Penne
• Bocconcini

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

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Welcome to the weekend and hooray for school finally being out for summer! It’s been a whirlwind of a week and our summer plans have been turned on their head due to some repairs needed for the RV. We’re rolling with it though and looking forward to some fun weekend getaways and a lot of local fun.

Oh! And speaking of local fun, if you have suggestions for things to do and places to see as day trips in Ohio, I’d love to hear about them! We’re planning to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, do some hiking in Cuyahoga Falls, we’ve planned a trip to TN, and hopefully will still get to camp for a week in MI and WI if we get the RV back from the shop in time for that.

ON THE BLOG this week: From the very first bite, these Buttered Steak Bites and Mushrooms became an instant favorite for my whole family. This is the most tender steak you can imagine and my whole family goes nuts for it.

Homemade Steak Sauce is tangy, barely sweetened, and just a little bit smoky. Perfect for steak dipping and burger topping, this sauce is all the best parts of A-1 and Heinz 57 sauce flavors, made at home.

The Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad is my newest favorite salad. I don’t do a whole lot of copycat recipes, but this one, I can’t even tell you how much this one needed to be made.

Creamy refried beans are layered with spicy ground beef, green chile, and plenty of cheese in these Cheesy Beef and Bean Burritos. These burritos have been such a hit with my boys, we’ve made them several times already.

Sweet and tangy Southern Coleslaw is nicely balanced with just enough tang from the vinegar and a sprinkling of sweetness from the sugar. The dressing is so simple, so sweet and tangy, this is a classic coleslaw recipe perfect for any occasion.

What I’m CRAVING: I’m fascinated by this French Toast Fondue that my friend Lynne shared the other day! It’s a childhood favorite for her and I love that it turns a weekend breakfast into a whole experience. I think this could be a fun thing to try for a girls’ night or a sister trip one of these days.

What I’m READING: Lake Silence by Anne Bishop. You already know that my reading tastes are all over the place and I’ve really been enjoying a step away from reality with fantasy and paranormal reads lately. This is a suspense-filled fantasy that is a fun fast read.

“Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shape-shifters, and even deadlier paranormal beings. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget….”&

Sweet and tangy Southern Coleslaw is nicely balanced with just enough tang from the vinegar and a sprinkling of sweetness from the sugar. The dressing is so simple, so sweet and tangy, this is a classic coleslaw recipe perfect for any occasion.

Coleslaw for Pulled Pork

This is the coleslaw we use for the ever-popular BBQ Sundaes and Pulled Pork Sandwiches. When I make BBQ Pork Mac and Cheese, I make a batch of this coleslaw to serve with it every time. We love it that much!

I made this coleslaw recipe for the first time, at my husband’s request, along with the first batch of Memphis Style Ribs we ever cooked. We all loved it so much; I wound up making this slaw twice more with each subsequent batch of ribs.

Updated to add: I’ve been making this coleslaw at least once a month for the past six years. Every time someone tastes it (especially if said person is not already a fan of coleslaw) they ask for the recipe. This is the coleslaw that you’ll want to serve all summer long.

Southern Coleslaw Recipe

If you’ve never made coleslaw before, let me share a secret: it’s the easiest side dish in the world. (Check out the video to see just how easy it is to make it!)

I found this Southern Living recipe for Memphis Style Coleslaw over at Our Best Bites and gently adapted our version from that one. It takes about 3 minutes to stir it all together and then you’re done.

(Even if you shred your own cabbage instead of buying a bag of shredded cabbage, you’re only looking at maybe two minutes longer.)

It couldn’t be any quicker and easier to pull this tasty side dish together. Even grabbing a container of ready-made coleslaw from the grocery store takes longer than this coleslaw recipe.

Let me tell you, that homemade coleslaw is so much better than anything you can get from the deli section at your grocery store. Crunchy crisp shredded cabbage with creamy mayo and tangy mustard makes the ideal complement to so many savory main dishes.

When we all happily eat the same dish three times in a week, that’s good evidence that the recipe was loved. Last night, I piled the last of this slaw over pulled pork sandwiches and pretty much solidified the fact that this the best southern style coleslaw I’ve ever tasted.

If you had a bad experience with a soggy, sloppy coleslaw that’s left you

Creamy refried beans are layered with spicy ground beef, green chile, and plenty of cheese in these Cheesy Beef and Bean Burritos.

Served with Spanish Rice or Chipotle Lime Rice, Elote Dip, and some Pico de Gallo, this is a meal that everyone will enjoy.

Easy Beef Burritos

As soon as I saw these burritos in my friend Jessica’s new Beef It Up cookbook, I knew I’d be making them. Cheesy Beef Burritos? Yes, please!

I have a few other things bookmarked on my must-try list as well, but these babies? I made them for the first time the same day I received the cookbook in the mail.

Next up on my must-try list are Cheeseburger Soup, Pan-Fried Steak, and Beef Pot Roast. Everything in the Beef It Up cookbook looks absolutely mouthwateringly delicious!

I always (and I do mean always) have some of the Best Ever Taco Beef in either the fridge or freezer. So, I grabbed a package and started rolling burritos. I had a very happy family that night.

I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit for my family’s tastes and to provide directions for making the burritos with ground beef, versus with leftover beef that you may or may not have on hand.

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