Rich with butter and cream, aromatic, and seasoned very simply with salt, pepper, and thyme, these herb mashed potatoes are simply delicious. Mashed potatoes are always a hit with my family, but these are a step above the average.

Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

As much as we love mashed potatoes, I do not enjoy peeling potatoes. To avoid peeling potatoes, I use Yukon or golden potatoes in most of our mashed potatoes. The skins are so thin you can leave them on.

Rich, fluffy mashed potatoes with soft potato pieces and skins that melt into the creaminess are what you will get with this recipe. Yes, skin-on mashed potatoes can still be fluffy.

I’m a great big fan of rustic mashed potatoes. Why do I call them rustic? Because they aren’t supposed to be perfectly smooth, there should be some texture and it shouldn’t be fussy at all.

Mashed potatoes used to intimidate me, but I’m happy to tell you that there is nothing to worry about when making mashed potatoes. Just drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot over very low heat to make sure that any liquid or steam is released while you’re mashing them.

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Roasted Pear & Apple Salad with Caramelized Shallot Maple Vinaigrette

We love to make this roasted pear and apple salad in the fall with all the freshly harvested apples and pears!

It is topped with prosciutto, cinnamon pecans, pepitas, gorgonzola and raisins then tossed with the most stunning caramelized shallot maple vinaigrette. 

Ingredients for Roasted Apple Salad

Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for this salad recipe:

• Prosciutto – adds crunch and smoky delicious flavor
• Honeycrisp Apples (or Jonagold) – these apples hold up great to roasting and the flavor is the best
• Bartlett Pear (or Bosc) – become so flavorful and delicious when roasting
• Cinnamon Pecans (or Hazelnuts) – You can buy these at the store or make them on your own. See section below for how to make them at home.
• Olive Oil – helps keep the apples and pears from sticking to the pan
• Black Pepper – adds flavor
• Mixed Greens with Arugula – If your container of mixed greens doesn’t include arugula then buy some arugula and add it. Arugula just shines in this salad!!
• Gorgonzola – We love gorgonzola but it is easily substituted with any cheese you love. Try smoked cheddar, gouda, goat cheese, manchego, gruyere, etc.
• Pepitas – adds a yummy little crunch and nutty flavor
• Golden Raisins – can be replaced with regular raisins, craisins or pomegranate seeds

Vinaigrette

This recipe was inspired by a Taste of Home recipe I was reading. It just sounded so good and it was fabulous on this salad! Here is what you will need:

• Shallots – have a mild onion flavor and caramelize quickly
• Kosher Salt – adds a touch of flavor to the shallots as they caramelize
• Maple Syrup – use the real stuff!
• White Balsamic Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar) – you gotta have vinegar for a vinaigrette, both these options are sweet and tangy
• Olive Oil – the base of the vinaigrette

What Apples are Best for Salads?

I am forever loyal to honeycrisp apples! Jonagold will also work great. If you can’t find those or if they are too expensive (they can get quite pricey), then go with gala, granny smith, or Braeburn.

How to Roast Apples and Pears

Roasting apples and pears is so easy! You will want to slice them pretty thin, cutting the pears a little thicker than the apples. Then lay them on a baking sheet that has been drizzled with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Make sure all the slices are in a single layer. Place them in a preheated oven (425 degrees) and let them roast for 10 minutes. Then flip them all over and roast them for about 5 more minutes or until they are golden.

How to

Sweet Potato Rounds with Cranberry, Feta and Hazelnuts

Sweet potato rounds are like crostinis that you load up with goodness, but it’s all on top of roasted sweet potatoes making them a totally delicious and healthy side dish.

Years ago I started making little sweet potato rounds for our Christmas dinner. We did the gruyere sweet potato stacks the most but then with leftover cranberry sauce I started to experiment and eventually that led me to an adapted version of sweet potato rounds by Tidy Mom. I absolutely love making these and they are surprisingly very easy.

I love that I can use leftover cranberry sauce or fig spread. The cheese is also easy to swap and mix up. But most of all, I love that they taste absolutely scrumptious while looking stunning. Sometimes the best food is the ugliest, but that is not the case here!!

What Do I Need to Make Sweet Potato Rounds?

Just wait until you read all the delicious ingredients that go into this recipe! So much flavor in every bite…this is what you will need:

• Sweet Potatoes – you can peel the sweet potatoes if you want but I like to leave the skins on
• Olive Oil – used to roast the sweet potato rounds
• Fresh Orange Zest – you can’t beat the flavor of fresh citrus and it plays so well with the flavor of the toppings
• Kosher Salt – adds so much flavor
• Black Pepper – adds flavor and a teeny tiny kick
• Cranberry Sauce – you can use our recipe or make your own, but definitely make it from scratch
• Crumbled Feta – buy the brick of feta and crumble it yourself

For the Nuts

• Hazelnuts – easily swapped out for other nuts if you want, but roasted hazelnuts are so perfect for the holidays!
• Butter – helps roast the nuts and adds richness and flavor
• Cinnamon – adds flavor and warmth

For the Drizzle

• Honey – acts as the base for the drizzle and adds natural sweetness
• Balsamic Vinegar – adds a sweet tangy punch to the drizzle
• Fresh Thyme – adds a bright pop of flavor and freshness

Cheese Substitutes

If you aren’t a feta fan or want to change things up a little, then these are my suggestions for some possible cheese substitutes:

• Gorgonzola
• Bleu Cheese
• Gruyere
• Goats Cheese
• Parmesan Aged White Cheddar
• Manchego

Nut Substitutes

Hazelnuts can be a little harder to find than other nuts so if you have a hard time finding them or aren’t a fan, then try swapping them with any of these:

• Hazelnuts
• Pecans
• Walnuts
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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is the week after next. (Unless of course, you’re Canadian and Thanksgiving was celebrated a month ago. In that case, Happy belated Thanksgiving, friends!) Wasn’t it the first of September just yesterday? 

I’ll be spending time this weekend immersed in the oh-so-exciting tasks of cleaning out the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to make sure we’re ready to go for the holidays. While I’m at it, I should probably make sure that we get the patio furniture put away before the first snow arrives too.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Ground beef Philly cheesesteaks are a tasty, convenient twist on the classic Philadelphia sandwich. This skillet version is prepared using ground beef instead of thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin steak, making it a quicker and budget-friendly option.

If you want something a little different for your Thanksgiving this year, this roast turkey with herbs and wine is a great way to go. Using this method, you can cook a 12-pound turkey in under an hour.

This homemade brown gravy is delicious on turkey, chicken, beef, potatoes, poutine, and more – best of all, it’s easily made without any meat drippings.

When you combine crisp, tender green beans with earthy artichoke hearts, and bathe them in a garlicky cream sauce, the result is a whole new kind of green bean artichoke casserole that is certain to be a win on your holiday table.

These roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes (with bacon!) combine savory, sweet, and smoky flavors perfectly.

Pieces of fudge and chocolate-covered peanuts dance through swirls of rich fudge sauce in this tin roof sundae ice cream.

All the awesome buttery sweet pecan pie goodness of the classic pie in a cobbler-style dessert that you can stir together in just a few minutes? Absolutely! This Pecan Pie Cobbler was a HUGE win from the very first bite.

What I’m CRAVING: My friend Gina’s Tuna Waldorf Salad caught my eye this week and it sounds like the perfect lunch for after church tomorrow. I’m going to grab some grapes and more apples at the store tonight.

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are these tiny reading li

Paula Deen Banana Pudding

Not Yo Momma’s Paula Deen Banana Pudding is a fluffy mixture of creamy pudding and whipped cream with cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Plus it’s served with Chessman Cookies on the bottom and on top!

I loved banana pudding anything as a little girl. If lip smackers had been smart when I was entering jr high they would have made bank off of a lip gloss for banana pudding anything. 

Did you buy Lip Smackers as well? Something like, white cake batter, or Dr Pepper? Those were the good ol’ days. 

Paula Deen’s Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding 

Paula Deen Banana Pudding, or the full name, Paula Deen’s Not Yo Momma’s (or Mama’s) Banana Pudding is a little bit deceiving so I just want to get this out of the way first, it’s not a banana pudding recipe. 

I mean, it is. There are banana slices under the pudding. But the actual pudding is a french vanilla pudding whipped up with sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese. 

That’s a legit pudding dessert. 

Ingredients for Not Yo Momma’s Banana Pudding

Here’s your quick grocery list to make your banana pudding with Chessman Cookies. 

• Chessman Cookies: traditionally used in a classic recipe for banana pudding and can be found on the cookie aisle
  • Fun Fact: This recipe is sometimes known as Chessman banana pudding!
• French Vanilla Instant Pudding Box: make sure it is instant pudding and not cook & serve pudding
• Cool Whip: if you can’t find a 12oz tub of Cool Whip, use 1 and half of the 8oz tubs
• Cream Cheese: make sure it is room temperature so that it doesn’t get lumpy
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: adds sweetness and creaminess to the dessert
• Milk: combines with the pudding mix the create the pudding
• Bananas: ripe bananas are the best for their sweetness and bold banana flavor

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

Substitute for Chessman Cookies

Vanilla Wafers are the best substitute for Chessman cookies if you can’t find them. Chessman Cookies are usually by the Pepperidge Farm brand so look by the Mint Milano cookies.

How to Make Paula Deen Banana Pudding  

1. Set the Cool Whip in the fridge or on the counter for a faster thaw.
2. Whisk milk and the instant pudding mix together in a small bowl. 
3. In another bowl, blend the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk with a handheld electric mixer.
4. Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture. 
5. Stir together the vanilla pudding mixture and cream cheese mixture. 
6. Layer 1 bagof cookies on the bottom of a 9×13 dish, top the cookies with a layer of bananas. 
7. Pile on the pudding.