Sweet, tart, and full of cranberries, apples, raisins, and spices, cranberry chutney is sure to become a must-have on the holiday table.

Cranberry Chutney

I am a HUGE fan of cranberries that is clear. But what I love is creating recipes that celebrate the tartness of the cranberries and don’t just overpower it with sugar.

There are so many ways to create that balance and this chutney does that beautifully with a combination of sugars from other fruits, spices, heat from red pepper flakes, acid, and a deeper sweet note that comes from brown sugar, not white.

I know it is a bit of a stretch to say this will replace your cranberry sauce. But give it a chance it just might. The delicious scents that come from putting everything in the pan and just letting it simmer might be even better than eating it.

Apple Cranberry Chutney

I am always curious to know how others serve cranberry chutney. Do you serve it hot or cold? It is a very important question and some have strong opinions about it. I am team it depends, just hold the canned cranberry sauce though.

If I am serving it to go on a warm savory item like pork chops, ham, or a turkey, I like to warm it up. It doesn’t make sense to put a super cold item on top of something that is best enjoyed hot.

So if I make the apple cranberry chutney the day before I plan to serve it, I reheat it on low in a saucepan. It doesn’t need to be brought to a boil or anything, just a low simmer is perfect. If I am going to serve it cold, I set it out for about an hour before serving, just enough to take the refrigerator chill off of it.

There are countless ways to serve cranberry chutney! You can use it in dips or on a sandwich. Top a crostini or spoon it on top of a puff pastry baked brie.

The options are endless for the sw

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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Tart cranberries and spicy peppers mingle in this sweet and spicy Cranberry Pepper Jelly. Everyone goes crazy for this spicy jam at the very first bite!

When I realized I had been buying cranberry pepper jam almost every time I was at the grocery store, I knew it was time to make my own version of this jam.

I first tasted this jam with brie and fancy wafer crackers. Then I poured the jam over a simple block of cream cheese and served it with Ritz crackers. My kids went nuts over that.

Next, I spread this pepper jam on the Best Ever Ham Sandwich. When you layer this Cranberry Pepper Jam with creamy goat cheese, salty ham, and fresh arugula, it’s the sandwich that everyone is going to be talking about.

Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned an upcoming recipe that has been as highly anticipated as this recipe for pepper jam.

I mentioned that I would soon be sharing the recipe when I first shared that awesome ham sandwich recipe a few weeks ago. In the time since, I’ve received countless emails, messages, and snaps asking when I’ll be sharing the recipe for cranberry jalapeno jelly.

I’ll apologize now for the delay, because the recipe just wasn’t perfect until this version. And when I say it is perfect, I mean it. It is absolutely positively PERFECT now.

Side note: if you love sweet heat combinations and cranberries as much as we do, you definitely need to put this cranberry jalapeno dip on your must-try list too!

Spicy Jam

When you’re working with cranberries, I’ve found that it’s really easy to make a cranberry sauce. As evidenced by this classic homemade cranberry sauce and this spicy hot pepper cranberr

Brown sugar and butter simmer together and create a caramel toffee flavored homemade syrup like nothing you’ve ever tasted.

This sauce is no substitute for maple syrup, maple syrup is its own bit of wonderful that nothing can replace. Butter Sugar and Butter Homemade Syrup is awesome all by itself.

I drizzled this syrup over some Banana Nut Oatmeal last week and my boys liked it so much, they requested it on their oatmeal again the very next morning. I couldn’t resist making a batch of our favorite waffles for the last of the syrup.

This syrup is on par with our family’s beloved Waffle Sauce; it’s an entirely different kind of deliciousness and I already love it. If you enjoy homemade sauces and syrups as much as we do, you’ll want to try this awesome Buttermilk Syrup too, for another terrific homemade syrup option.

When my friend Rebecca told me about her recipe for Brown Sugar Butter Pancake and Waffle Syrup, I was immediately taken back to childhood when my mom used to make a simple sugar homemade syrup for our pancakes. This version, oh Mom forgive me, this version puts that one to shame times about 1000.

This is one instance where butter not only makes it better, but it transforms the recipe into something that will take your breath away with its deliciousness.

Your kitchen will smell amazing and you might even be left without words to describe it.

How To Make Homemade Syrup

1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat to medium and allow the mixture to boil for 4 minutes.
2. Add the butter and stir until the butter has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the extract if desired.
3. Let the syrup cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a pitcher or jar for storage. Serve immediately or store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.

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You know those foods that you taste once and then you simply can’t get it out of your mind? This Sausage Gravy is one of those foods.

You’ll find yourself remembering it (and craving it again!) at all hours of the day. The hints of fragrant rosemary add something unforgettable, many people have told me this immediately became their all-time favorite gravy.

Easy Sausage Gravy

Would you like the secret behind making the best sausage gravy you’ll ever taste? It’s that little sprinkling of rosemary. After tasting a rosemary sausage gravy at a restaurant, I started adding rosemary to my gravy when I made it.

That little herb addition takes a simple old-fashioned recipe for biscuits and gravy from being something that we enjoy eating to the level of being something that I crave on a regular basis.

This rich, creamy sausage gravy recipe is the heart of one of my favorite “brinners” – breakfasts that we eat for dinner; although this gravy is always a hit for breakfast as well.

Sometimes we dunk toast sticks into the gravy or pour the gravy over hot biscuits. (I couldn’t resist sharing this video of my baby making biscuits for the first time.) Sausage Gravy is also heavenly over hash browns with an egg on top.

How To Make Sausage Gravy

Making a truly excellent sausage gravy is easier than you might think. Start with a sausage that you like. I typically use a country or breakfast sausage.

Crumble the sausage as it starts to cook in a large skillet. Once it has browned, sprinkle with flour and toss well to coat. Add the milk, salt, and pepper.

Let the gravy cook and thicken for about five minutes, while you stir frequently. Add the rosemary, taste the thickened gravy, and add additional salt and pepper only if needed. I will tell you this is one dish where extra pepper gives it tons of flavor!

My youngest son’s favorite breakfast for dinner is this Breakfast Poutine: crisp, hot fries and melting cheese curds topped with sausage gravy and a fried egg. What’s not to love?

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