Elote Dip (a.k.a. Hot Mexican Corn Dip) is everything we love about Mexican street corn in a fabulous scoopable dip. It is made with roasted corn in a creamy sauce of spicy mayonnaise, lime, and cotija cheese. Whether you eat it with a spoon or dip into it with tortilla chips, this is a snack that everyone loves.

As soon as fresh corn is available each year, this is one of the first foods to make. (Along with this street corn pasta salad!) In Mexico, corn is roasted over an open grill then slathered with mayo, sour cream and sometimes butter and cheese, sprinkled with plenty of spices, and drizzled with fresh lime juice. It’s sold from stands and street carts on the cob or sometimes off the cob in small cups.

Biting into an ear of corn with lightly charred sweet corn kernels covered in chile powder and tangy lime is an experience everyone needs to have. Elote is a treat that I cannot resist any time it’s on a menu.

Elote Dip

This recipe is the creation of Chef Jeff Smedstad, the chef-owner at Elote Cafe in Sedona, AZ. On a weekend getaway in Sedona many years ago, my first taste of this corn dip had me purchasing a copy of Chef Jeff’s cookbook.

My friend Augusta and I wound up going back to Elote Cafe the very next night because we couldn’t stop talking about the Elote Dip!

We spent our weekend in Sedona hiking, wandering, and eating (of course!), and this simple dish was the food highlight of our trip.

Once I got home, I made this three times and ate it for lunch almost every day for a while. I may have even texted three friends and my sister just to rave about this corn dip after we tasted it.

Read more

With a buttery, crispy flour tortilla wrapped around melty Pepper Jack cheese and incredible pork carnitas along with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, this Carnitas Quesadilla is the best lunch I’ve had all week. If you’re making carnitas, add this one to your meal plan. You can thank me later.

Friends, this recipe for carnitas quesadillas is exactly what happens at my house in the days after I make a batch of my slow cooker pork carnitas or pork carnitas in the oven. Leftover carnitas are absolutely perfect for adding to salads, rice bowls, and more.

But, this quesadilla that makes me actively happy about those leftovers. As in, I wake up grinning thinking about lunch. Don’t judge me for that, okay?

Crisp buttery edges. A gooey tangle of cheese and shredded pork in the middle. A little cilantro, because it needs that fresh green pop. That’s the whole thing. And, since the meat freezes like a dream, once you start making carnitas, you’ll always have it on hand.

Carnitas Quesadilla

There are only a handful of foods I could genuinely eat every single week, and carnitas are darn near the top of that list. A batch usually goes pretty fast around here, but whenever there’s a cup or two lingering in my fridge and I’m feeling like treating myself, rest assured that I’m going to use it in this carnitas quesadilla recipe.

And, while I love cheesy quesadillas, I do not actually like my quesadillas overloaded with cheese. I know, I know. Hot take. But, it just makes me feel so lethargic. So, I err on the side of using just enough cheese to hold everything in place. But, if YOU want to add more? I’m on board. Follow your heart.

Read more

If crispy hot tater tots make you grin, then you have got to try these irresistible Smashed Tater Tots! Every time I make these, my whole family just stands around and grabs them off the pan.

Who doesn’t love cheese and potatoes? I’ve been making snacks, entrees, and side dishes around this pairing since “the 1900s”, as my boys are all too happy to laughingly remind me. This recipe was inspired by our favorite cheesy bacon tater tots, and these smashed potatoes with parmesan are also quite similar. I will caution you, though. These tots are immensely snackable. They will not last long!

And the best part? It’s just four ingredients. Tots, cooking spray, cheese, and parsley. That’s it. The prep work takes less than five minutes. Then, it’s just a matter of time!

Smashed Tater Tots

My friends, I have to admit that I love tater tots. Whether served as a side dish, main course, or just a snack on the go, they’re a simple, satisfying, and endlessly versatile potato. And, you already know how much we love potatoes around here! Tots have become one of my favorite options to bulk up a last-minute dinner, or try out any new dipping sauces I’m testing.

But, smashing is the move! You bake the tots first to get them warm and soft inside, then press each one flat with the bottom of a measuring cup. They go back into the oven at a higher temp, and get so wonderfully crunchy and crispy. And, since you’re starting from frozen, there’s absolutely no fuss with this recipe for smashed tater tots.

Read more

The crispy golden tortilla of this Ham and Cheese Quesadilla contains gooey melted cheese and warm slices of savory, deli meat. Each bite is a satisfying blend of classic flavors, making this an easy choice. And, I should know! I choose quesadillas more than just about anything else when it comes to lunchtime.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after making hundreds of quesadillas, it’s that once you understand the method, you can riff on it pretty much forever. And, since I love ham and cheese (ahem, ham and cheese biscuits), it was just a matter of time. I’m happy to report that this irresistibly crunchy quesadilla absolutely nails the classic combo that I love.

Ham and Cheese Quesadilla

I’ll be honest. Some days, I don’t want trendy flavors. And, when I’m just in the mood for something reliable, ham and cheese is a combination that always delivers. It feels like comfort food, with almost no effort at all.

I also love how approachable this quesadilla is. Not everyone has cooked chicken, leftover steak bites, or a batch of caramelized onions waiting in the fridge. But, almost everyone has some version of ham and cheese in their deli drawer. This one proves that even a beginner cook can transform simple ingredients into an absolutely mouth-watering lunch or snack. Try it and see!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Flour Tortillas – I love the

Sometimes the simplest things end up being the biggest wins. That’s how I feel about this cheesy, crispy, Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla. My boys and I threw them together a few weeks ago for the first time with some of the items we tend to on hand in the freezer. Suffice it to say that these are way tastier than they have any right to be!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla

I fell in love with the Just Bare brand of frozen chicken bites several years ago when I first found them at Costco. We make ours in the air fryer, and they are the perfect solution for adding some quick protein to a salad or a sandwich.

I could lie and tell you that this recipe was a long series of difficult developments. But, it’s so much simpler than that. We literally just threw together our favorite air fried chicken bites with cheese and some crumbled leftover bacon. Dip your hot quesadillas in some homemade ranch and it all still counts as cooking, OK?

And for what it’s worth, I’ll happily eat this for lunch, or for dinner. And I do. On repeat, my friends. I eat this on repeat. I’ve made a LOT of quesadillas over the years. They’re one of my favorite quick snacks or meals, and they never get old because you can just swap out ingredients.

And, what I’ve learned while making probably hundreds if not thousands of quesadillas over the years is that the right pan makes a big difference for steady, even heat. This hard anodized non-stick pan is HANDS DOWN the best nonstick pan I have ever used. Don’t waste your money on the trendy and viral brand names. I’ve owned them, and they aren’t worth it. This one will not let you down.

Read more