I've seen some conversations recently about the cold start method. It's a great way to do skin-on chicken thighs, because the slow ramp up of heat allows the fat to render and gradually crisp up the skin so you get a nice color and texture without scorching. In case you've been struggling or just not really sure about trying this, I thought it might be helpful to share what works for me!

This time, we also tried a little hack that made for the most awesome crispy skin I've ever achieved. We mixed 1 tsp of baking powder in with the seasoning (paprika, garlic, onion powder, black pepper and salt).

We started off by drying the thighs well with a paper towel and then hit them with the baking powder/seasoning mix.

Next we added the thighs to the pan cold, then turned the heat to medium (5/10 on my electric coil stove) and left the chicken alone. It pretty quickly started to sizzle and pop and that's good! 20 minutes in though and the skin was still sticking to the frying pan, so left it another two minutes and nudged again, that time it released!

So from there, we cooked the other side for about 2 minutes, then pulled them and put them into the oven at 425F to finish. We did this on a baking sheet so I could make a pan sauce in the skillet. I believe the chicken spent about 5 minutes in the oven. We used an instant read thermometer to check them and pulled them when they temped at 175!

Served these with a creamy parm & pepperoncini pan sauce over mashed potatoes.

TLDR TIPS:

-Make sure the chicken is dry (no need to dry brine, but make sure you dry it well with paper towels)
- Add a little baking powder to your seasoning (I'll be doing this every time now. lol)
- Be patient! You can start nudging the chicken with your tongs somewhere between 15-20 minutes in, if it is still stuck don't panic. Just give it another minute or two before you nudge again. Sometimes it just takes some time!

Updated to add the sauce recipe:

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓–½ cup sliced pepperoncini
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup pepperoncini brine
1 tsp Dijon mustard
⅓ cup heavy cream
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Sauté the Pepperoncini and Garlic:
In the same skillet you made the chicken, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sliced pepperoncini and sauté for 1–2 minutes, allowing them to soften slightly and release their flavor into the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30–45 seconds, stirring frequently, until fragrant.

After Cooking the Arromatics, Deglaze the Pan:
Reduce the heat to medium. Pour the chicken stock and pepperoncini brine into the skillet, scraping the bottom to release the browned bits.

Build the Dijon Sauce:
Add the Dijon mustard to the skillet and stir until fully incorporated. Bring to a lively simmer and allow the liquid to reduce slightly for 2–3 minutes.

Make It Creamy:
Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until fully incorporated. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 1–2 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust with additional black pepper or pepperoncini brine, if desired.

I'm still working out the details on this recipe, but one thing that is not changing - King Arthur bread flour. Big KA girly over here. 😌

I've been working on a pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe and decided instead of using store bought pumpkin spice spread, I wanted to make my own pumpkin butter. Turns out this is SO easy and could have so many uses if you're craving fall flavors, so I'm sharing!

• 425 g pumpkin puree
• 100 g dark brown sugar
• 38 g pure maple syrup
• 2¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

I started off by warming the pumpkin puree over medium-low heat, then added in the rest of the ingredients, turned it down a bit and let it all come together, stirring frequently for probably 10 minutes.

I'm using mine in my next batch of pumpkin rolls, but it's also great stirred in to yogurt with some pecans or on toast. I know it would be incredible on pancakes or even served with apple slices as a little snack, too.

Keep it in the fridge and it should last about a week!

I picked up some fresh chorizo from Publix and this was my first time cooking with it. Just removed the casing and fried it up over medium-high until it was nicely browned. No oil needed! It was already perfectly seasoned and had just the right amount of heat. Really easy and so good. Need to find some other things to make with this chorizo asap.

These are the best thing I've made in cast iron this year.

Started these off with a layer of seasoned butter, then layered on a mix of shredded pepper jack & mozzarella, tossed on some crispy chorizo, a layer of crumbled cotija, and green onions. After I baked these, I brushed on an herb butter (cilantro/chive/garlic) while they were warm. Baking these in cast iron gave the bottoms of them the most perfect crispy cheesy spirals. I wish I had more right now. lol They were stupid good.

Updated w/ Recipe below:

Chorizo, Cotija & Cheese Sourdough Rolls
Makes 8 large rolls
Dough

• 300g all-purpose flour
• 100g sourdough discard
• 120g whole milk, lukewarm
• 1 large egg
• 25g honey
• 6g instant yeast
• 4g baking powder
• 5g salt
• 113g (8 Tbsp) cold butter, grated

Filling

• 8 oz fresh chorizo
• 100–115g shredded pepper jack or Monterey Jack
• 75–85g cotija, crumbled
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Savory Butter Spread

• 42g (3 Tbsp) softened butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Herb Butter

• 56g (4 Tbsp) butter, melted
• 1 small garlic clove, grated OR ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1–2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Make dough: Whisk together milk, sourdough discard, egg and honey. In a separate bowl, combine flour, yeast, baking powder and salt.
2. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix into a shaggy dough. Knead for about 5–6 minutes.
3. Gradually add the cold grated butter, kneading between additions. Continue kneading until the butter is incorporated and the dough is soft, smooth and slightly tacky.
4. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, until visibly puffy and roughly doubled.
5. Prepare chorizo: Remove chorizo from casings. Cook over medium heat, breaking into small crumbles, until completely cooked and lightly browned. Drain excess grease and cool completely.
6. Make butter spread: Mix softened butter with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
7. Roll risen dough into approximately a 12 × 18-inch rectangle.
8. Spread the seasoned butter evenly over the dough, leaving about ½ inch bare along one long edge.
9. Layer evenly with shredded cheese → cooled chorizo → cotija → scallions.
10. Starting from a long edge, roll tightly into a log. Cut into 9 large rolls.
11. Arrange in a lightly buttered 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Cover and let rest/rise for about 45–60 minutes, until slightly puffy.
12. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
13. While baking, combine melted butter, garlic, cilantro, chives and a pinch of salt.
14. Immediately after removing the rolls from the oven, brush generously with the herb butter.
15. Let sit for about 5–10 minutes, then pull apart and serve warm.

Started these off with a layer of seasoned butter, then layered on a mix of shredded pepper jack & mozz, tossed on some crispy chorizo, a layer of crumbled cotija, and green onions. After I baked these, I brushed on an herb butter (cilantro/chive/garlic) while they were warm. Hands down the most delicious savory roll I've made so far!

Chorizo, Cotija & Cheese Sourdough Rolls
Makes 8 large rolls
Dough

• 300g all-purpose flour
• 100g sourdough discard
• 120g whole milk, lukewarm
• 1 large egg
• 25g honey
• 6g instant yeast
• 4g baking powder
• 5g salt
• 113g (8 Tbsp) cold butter, grated

Filling

• 8 oz fresh chorizo
• 100–115g shredded pepper jack or Monterey Jack
• 75–85g cotija, crumbled
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Savory Butter Spread

• 42g (3 Tbsp) softened butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Herb Butter

• 56g (4 Tbsp) butter, melted
• 1 small garlic clove, grated OR ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1–2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Make dough: Whisk together milk, sourdough discard, egg and honey. In a separate bowl, combine flour, yeast, baking powder and salt.
2. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix into a shaggy dough. Knead for about 5–6 minutes.
3. Gradually add the cold grated butter, kneading between additions. Continue kneading until the butter is incorporated and the dough is soft, smooth and slightly tacky.
4. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, until visibly puffy and roughly doubled.
5. Prepare chorizo: Remove chorizo from casings. Cook over medium heat, breaking into small crumbles, until completely cooked and lightly browned. Drain excess grease and cool completely.
6. Make butter spread: Mix softened butter with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
7. Roll risen dough into approximately a 12 × 18-inch rectangle.
8. Spread the seasoned butter evenly over the dough, leaving about ½ inch bare along one long edge.
9. Layer evenly with shredded cheese → cooled chorizo → cotija → scallions.
10. Starting from a long edge, roll tightly into a log. Cut into 9 large rolls.
11. Arrange in a lightly buttered 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Cover and let rest/rise for about 45–60 minutes, until slightly puffy.
12. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
13. While baking, combine melted butter, garlic, cilantro, chives and a pinch of salt.
14. Immediately after removing the rolls from the oven, brush generously with the herb butter.
15. Let sit for about 5–10 minutes, then pull apart and serve warm.

Chicken thighs in a little creamy garlic and onion sauce situation. I'd say this was a weeknight dinner win for sure!

There was a post recently talking about uses for larger skillets. People were saying how great it is to use one like a griddle and make your breakfast in it, like the eggs and bacon cooking together, which is so intriguing to me, but I keep finding that this size comes in so handy for baking!

Also these maple pecan knots are my first time making knots and they were surprisingly easy to assemble! Happy to share the recipe if anybody wants it.

I am feeling very proud of this one!

I mean does it get any better than filet mignon on a random thursday?

(and yeah the dog got a little steak too, don't worry. lol)

Our freezer has been acting up for two weeks so I’ve been avoiding most grocery shopping until the repair guy comes and we know we won’t need a replacement. Anyway, I’ve been making the most of pantry staples and last night it was black beans and rice!

Started off by cooking some onion and garlic in oil, then added cumin, chili, garlic, and onion powder and let it bloom for a minute. Deglazed with a squeeze of lime before adding the beans and simmering. Served over rice with baked chicken tenderloins and El Yucateco. Fast, easy, cheap, and satisfying!

This is the second time I've made these sourdough discard jalapeno cheese rolls and they are one of my new favorite things to make (and eat) haha.

After rolling out my dough into a large rectangle, I smeared a garlic butter mustard spread on coast to coast, then sprinkled a ton of chopped green onion and jalapeno all over before layering on both shredded cheddar AND cheddar jack. Rolled it up and cut it into thick pieces with a bread knife. The cheddar jack was a new addition for this batch and I topped them off with a lot more cheese before baking at 350 F for 30 minutes in a well greased 12-inch cast iron skillet. I used the broiler for another minute or so at the end to add a bit more color on top and then finished with melted garlic herb butter (I just melted some butter with garlic confit oil and added chopped chives/parsley/flaky salt) and some jalapeno slices.

Tough pill to swallow: stainless steel does stain. The good news is, you can get virtually any stain out and your pan will last forever. All you need to treat these three commons stains are white vinegar, stainless steel cleaner, a stainless steel scrubber (not steel wool!), Dawn Powerwash and a little water.

First time using my dutch oven to fry something and I feel like I just leveled up in the kitchen. I have officially fried dough now, so pretty sure nothing can stop me!

Also, if you try these do NOT skip the brown butter maple glaze because holy moly... it was incredible.

Recipe in comments!

I finallllly tried making fritters for the first time over the weekend and omg - they were a lot of work and so. damn. good. haha Probably won't be doing this again soon, but will absolutely be doing it again, because well, fried dough good. Loosely planning an apple fritter recipe for the fall. I think I could see myself putting in this amount of effort once a quarter. lol

My biggest learning: make them smaller - my first one kind of exploded in the oil, so I decided to pivot and chop the rest in half and kind of pushed them together more by hand! Also next time I'm going to start heating my oil before I assemble them. They sat for a long time and got a little too juicy on the parchment paper, which made a bit of a mess. haha

Even still, for my first try, I'm pretty proud!

Dough

3½ cups (420 g) bread flour

1 cup (240 g) whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F

2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg

4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

Filling

2–3 ripe but still slightly firm peaches, diced (I left the skins on)

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp flour

Pinch of salt

Brown Butter Maple Glaze

2 tbsp butter, browned

1 cup powdered sugar

2–3 tbsp milk or heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp maple extract

Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Combine the warm milk, yeast, sugar, egg, flour, and salt until a shaggy dough forms.
2. Knead about 5 minutes, then add the softened butter a little at a time. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky (about 5–8 more minutes).
3. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60–90 minutes.
4. While the dough rises, toss the diced peaches with the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it into a rectangle. Spread the peaches over the dough, then fold it over itself a few times to distribute the fruit. Divide into 6–8 rough portions and gently press each into an irregular fritter shape. Don't worry about making them perfect—messy is good!
6. Place each fritter on its own square of parchment paper and let them rest for 20–30 minutes while heating the oil to 350°F (177°C).
7. Carefully lower each fritter on its parchment square into the oil. After about 20–30 seconds, remove the parchment with tongs. Fry until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2–3 minutes on the second side. Drain on a wire rack.
8. Brown the butter, let it cool for about 5 minutes, then whisk together with the powdered sugar, vanilla, maple extract, salt, and enough milk or cream to make a pourable glaze.
9. Dip or spoon the glaze over the warm fritters and let it set before serving.

A few notes!!

• The dough looks very messy before frying. That's normal. but smaller makes it easier.
• The brown butter and maple glaze was my favorite part. It tastes like an old-fashioned donut shop glaze without being overpoweringly maple.
• Best enjoyed the same day while still slightly warm.

Decided to try to do a blueberry version of the strawberry spoon cake I have been obsessed with recently in my little stainless gratins. These were perfect and easy - but I still think I like the strawberry version more!

Blueberries

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• Optional: ½ tsp lemon zest
• pinch of salt

Spoon cake batter

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Method

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Butter both mini stainless gratins.
2. Toss the blueberries with the 2 tbsp brown sugar, lemon zest if using, and tiny pinch of salt. Let them hang out while you make the batter. Don't mash them or macerate them for long—we don't need a ton of juice.
3. Whisk the melted butter + brown sugar together. Whisk in the milk.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir just until you don't see any dry flour. Don't overmix.
5. Divide the batter evenly between your two gratins. Spread it gently toward the edges.
6. Divide the blueberries over the batter — about ½ cup per gratin. They'll look pretty heavily covered, which is exactly what I want. Gently press a few down, but leave most sitting on top.
7. Bake at 350°F for about 22–28 minutes. Start checking at 22. You want bubbling blueberries, browned edges, and set cake peeking through in the center. If the middle still visibly jiggles like liquid batter, give it another 3–5 minutes.
8. Let them rest for 10–15 minutes before attacking them with a spoon. The berry juices will thicken as they sit.

I recently got a random craving for hamburger helper, but my fiance and I hadn't had it in probably 20 years. lol So after looking at a couple of recipes online, we just winged it. Ours ended up turning into more of a beefy macaroni and cheese situation. No complaints, but not exactly what I was after either. haha

I know I could go buy a box, but I'd rather make one from scratch. Has anyone made a hamburger helper style recipe they love? I was really wanting something with a little more umami flavor, not that I've ever been mad about a cheesy pasta haha I am just still trying to scratch that itch.

This was the first time I've made this recipe that has been shared sooo many times on my feed, and I totally understand now why this went viral.

I LOVE how the cake itself is not too sweet, and really balances the sugar from the strawberries in their syrup. I added a little vanilla to the batter, finished with some lemon zest, and served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The most time consuming part was hulling the strawberries, but otherwise the cake comes together FAST. I absolutely recommend this and will be baking it again before the end of the Summer!

Here's a link to the OG recipe, and I'll include the amounts I used, adjusted to fit my 9x13 baking slab below.

Ingredients

Strawberries

• 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, divided

Cake

• 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1¼ cups whole milk
• 1¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp vanilla

Optional

• Zest of 1 lemon
• Vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F and generously butter a 9×13 baking slab.
2. Lightly mash the strawberries with a fork or pastry cutter. Stir in ⅜ cup of the brown sugar and let sit for about 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining ⅜ cup brown sugar, milk, and salt.
4. Whisk in the flour and baking powder just until smooth.
5. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking slab.
6. Spoon the strawberries and all of their juices evenly over the batter.
7. Bake for 40–45 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into a cake-only area comes out with moist crumbs.
8. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
9. Finish with fresh lemon zest and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.