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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Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

Some things just belong together…like raspberries and summertime or raspberry pretzel jello salad and your next BBQ! Three layers of jello salad joy.

Now I don’t know if this is a salad or a dessert, but it is so delicious that it doesn’t matter! It has a sweet and salty pretzel crust layer, a sweet cream cheese filling layer and a fruity tart jello layer on top.

I’m realizing people have a bigger opinion on berries than I ever knew. Are you a lover of raspberries and hater of blueberries? 

If you had to pick would you go strawberry or raspberry?

Our strawberry pretzel jello salad brought up so many requests for one vs the other and since I happen to love both, I tend to pull for team strawberry, but I really had no choice but to create a raspberry pretzel jello version. I mean, it’s all in the name of research, am I right? 😉

Plus it tastes like cheesecake but you serve it as a side dish. Who in the world is the genius that brought this first to Thanksgiving dinner?

Ingredients Needed for Raspberry Pretzel Salad

Here is your grocery list for each of the three layers of this salad:

Pretzel Layer

• Pretzels: any brand or shape of pretzel will work great since they crushed into small pieces
• Butter: helps bind the crust together and adds rich yummy flavor
• Brown Sugar: adds flavor and sweetness
• Sugar: adds more sweetness

Cream Layer

• Sugar: adds sweetness to the creamy layer
• Cream Cheese: make sure it is softened to room temperature so it doesn’t get lumpy
• Cool Whip: adds sweetness, structure and creaminess to the cream layer

Jello Layer

• Raspberry Jello: you will follow the instructions on the Jello box to make this layer
• Water: used to make the Jello
• Raspberries: fresh or frozen can be used and will work great

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

How to Make Raspberry Pretzel Salad

The steps for making this recipe are simple. Here they are broken down by layer:

Pretzel Layer

• Preheat oven.
• Combine all the ingredients well.
• Press into baking dish.
• Bake and let cool completely.

Cream Layer

• Beat the sugar and cream cheese together.
• Fold in Cool Whip.
• Spread over cooled pretzel layer.

Jello Layer

• Mix the jello powder and boiling water until the powder is dissolved.
• Stir in the rasp

Garlic Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Fingerling potatoes brushed with garlic butter, seasoned with fresh herbs and roasted to golden perfection! This is a tried and true potato side dish in our house!

I adore fingerling potatoes, especially these rosemary and thyme fingerlings. They are creamy unlike Russet potatoes that are more starchy.  I love how tender they are and while it doesn’t really do anything to the flavor, I also happen to love how little they are. They are just perfect for a delicious side dish.

What is a Fingerling Potato?

A fingerling potato is a small, stubby, finger-shaped type of potato. They are fully mature when harvested and should not to be confused with new potatoes.

Because they are low in starch, they are extra creamy inside. They have a very thin skin that doesn’t need to be peeled before cooking them, and they come in a variety of colors.

Can You Roast Fingerling Potatoes?

Fingerling potatoes are ideal for roasting. Their small size means they will roast up quickly and evenly.

Ingredients for Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

You only need a few ingredients to make this potato recipe. Here is what you will need:

• Fingerling Potatoes: You can buy multicolored fingerlings or all one color.
• Olive Oil: used to roast the potatoes and make the outside crispy
• Butter: also helps with the crispiness and adds flavor
• Rosemary: strip the needles from the main twigs and finely chop the needles
• Thyme: grab a twig of thyme by one end and then pinch the twig between your thumb and index finger and run your fingers in the opposite direction that the little leaves are growing and the leaves will pop right off
• Garlic: the reason for garlic is always flavor, flavor, flavor
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor

This is meant to just be an overview of the ingredients used in the recipe. The measurements of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Roasted Fingerlings

Fingerling potatoes look like the potatoes you would get at a fancy restaurant, so they must be difficult to make, right? Wrong! They are so simple and here is an overview of the

1. Prep the oven and potatoes.
2. Melt the butter, then add the olive oil, herbs and salt and stir together.
3. Add the potatoes and stir until well coated.
4. Place the potatoes cut side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven.
5. Flip the potatoes over part way through baking.
6. Remove the potatoes from the oven and top with the rest of the herbs.

Scroll down for the detailed instructions in the recipe card. You can also print and save the recipe there.

Tips for the Best Roasted Fingerlings

Try to keep the size of the potatoes the same so that they

Sautéed Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

Harvest the last of your green beans and cherry tomatoes and make this quick and simple side dish that is both healthy and appetizing!

I literally make this dish every month all year long. Snapping beans and the “thunk” of each pod hitting the bottom of a large, white bucket is burned into my childhood memory . We’d busily snap beans for my mom to can during the summer in Washington and then enjoy them all year long.

Nowadays I’ve leaned away from canning a bit and instead savor those summery flavors every month but keeping two basic ingredients in hand, just cherry tomatoes and green beans. So simple and budget friendly!

Recommended Equipment

• Wusthof Knives
• Tongs

Before You Begin…

You’ll want to get started by washing and trimming your green beans and giving them a quick blanch. See section below for how to blanch green beans.

What Do I Need for Sautéed Green Beans and Tomatoes?

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty vegetable side dish.

• Green Beans: fresh is best, either from the garden or grocery store
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor to the water that you boil the green beans in
• Water: used to boil the green beans
• Olive Oil: helps sauté the shallots and vegetables
• Shallot: adds a mild onion flavor
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Cherry Tomatoes: different varieties are best, grape tomatoes also work great
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Lemon: adds a bright citrusy flavor
• Fresh Herbs: You can use any combination you want. We like to use herbs such as thyme, parsley, dill or oregano.
• Feta: or cotija works too…and the cheese is totally optional

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

How to Blanch Green Beans So They Actually Stay Crisp

Blanching is the process of cooking a fruit or vegetable by quickly scalding them in boiling water then moving them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. For this recipe, you will only leave the green beans in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. This is just enough time to cook the green beans until tender but still crisp.

If you let them go much longer, they will start to get soggy and lose their bright green color. By transferring the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water, they stop cooking and stay crisp for the next step of the recipe.

Do You Have to Trim Green Beans?

You should remove the top end of the green bean. This is the end that was once connected to the plant. It can be quite hard and chewy, so you wouldn’t want to eat it. Some people like to also remove t

Fresh Tabbouleh Recipe

Tabbouleh is a light and fresh Mediterranean salad made with fresh parsley, bulgur wheat, green onions, mint, and tomatoes tossed in a lemon dressing.

Tabbouleh (pronounced tuh-boo-lee), also know as tabouli salad, is a parsley heavy salad commonly found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. While I have seen many Americanized versions where they include way more bulgur wheat so it is more grain-focused, I love it when the star of the show is the parsley just as it was in Israel! It’s a healthy and herbaceous side dish for any meal!

Having tabbouleh in Israel at Magdala’s changed my life. The freshness of the dish was one of the moments that I just sat back and felt the reality of where I was, the simplicity of food and life ya know. I’ll never forget it!

What is Bulgur Wheat?

Bulgur wheat is an edible cereal grain made from parboiled cracked wheat that is dried before packaging. It has a nutty or earth taste and has a texture similar to couscous or quinoa. It is quick and easy to cook and versatile in how it can be used.

What is in Tabbouleh?

For the Dressing

• Olive Oil: the base of the dressing
• Lemon Zest and Juice: adds acidity and bright flavor to the dressing
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor

For the Tabbouleh

• Fine Bulgur: You’ll find it on the same row as the grains or the pasta at the grocery store. If you have a hard time finding it, you should be able to find it at any health food store.
• Flat Leaf and Curly Leaf Parsley: I love the combination of the two for this salad. I use the Italian (flat leaf) parsley which has more flavor but that smooth look and texture mellows it out. While the curly is more mild but I love the texture it adds.
• Green Onions: The green onions add flavor, you can also use chives
• Mint Leaves: You will definitely want fresh mint for this recipe!
• Grape Tomatoes: I like to half or quarter them so they are easier (and less messy) to eat.

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

Substitutions and Additions in Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh in it’s authentic form is just parsley, green onions, mint, tomatoes and bulgur with olive oil and lemon juice. You can see that we have taken a few liberties with our version here. It’s really a versatile salad, so feel free to add or omit items as desired. Here are some ideas:

Additions

• Cucumber
• Pomegranates
• Chickpeas
• Feta
• Sliced Grilled Chicken

Substitutes

• Bulgur Wheat – couscous or quinoa

Important Tips

1. Chop everything small. It is meant to all blend together. You can do it by hand with a knife or use a food processor or small blender. Jus