When I received a new Dutch oven, I struggled to decide what to make first in this beauty. Quickly, the air turned cool and all I could think about was soup and casseroles.

We had one of those nights where there wasn’t much in the kitchen and I just started throwing ingredients together. It was actually pretty good and my kids both had seconds. Hmmmm. The next week, I tried it again, adding a little more garlic. Again, it was a hit. Then this week, I KNEW I had the magic finish. YES!

The game changer is three-fold: 1) rubbing the Dutch Oven down with garlic, 2) using a Dutch Oven to take advantage of those seared bits in the bottom of the pot, 3) the vegetable broth – SO much more flavor with Pacific’s Vegetable Broth.

As I am sitting here typing, I asked my better half, “What are we going to name this soup?” His response? “Satisfaction Soup.” That’s right. It is THAT good and when the winter blues or the season’s colds hit, you will want to have a pot of this ready to go.

Print

Hearty Rosemary Chicken Soup

Author Val Curtis

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground sausage
• 1 whole organic chicken cleaned and quartered
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 6 cloves of garlic 2 smashed, 3 chopped
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 boxes of vegetable broth
• 10 oz frozen cut spinach
• 4 carrots thinly sliced
• 4 white potatoes diced
• Grated parmesan optional

Instructions

• Take 2 cloves of garlic, smash them and rub them all over the bottom of your Dutch oven.
• Over medium heat, brown sausage and then remove from the Dutch Oven.
• Add rosemary sprigs, garlic and onion. Place chicken in Dutch Oven, skin side down. Flip after 7 minutes and stir onions and garlic around from the bottom. Place lid on top and let everything cook for 15 more minutes.
• Add 2 boxes of vegetable broth, sausage, spinach and carrots. Simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the pot. Remove the meat from the bones and add back to the Dutch Oven.
• Skim fat from the top of the soup.
• Add potatoes and simmer for 20 more minutes.
• Serve and top with grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

The extra box of vegetable broth is to increase the volume of the broth as you work your way through the pot the next day

If you need a little more soup inspiration?

Follow Bonbon Break’s board Soups to Warm Your Soul on Pinterest.

More of our favorites:

Butternut Squash Risotto

Easy Chicken Enchilada Crockpot Soup

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Green Chili Enchilada Spaghetti Squash Casserole

The post Hearty Rosemary Chicken Soup first appeared on BonBon Break.

Our Favorite Gluten-free Side Dishes

Roasted Acorn Squash Tart by A Clean Bake

Easy Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole by Wholesome Yum

Green Beans With Cranberries, Bacon and Goat Cheese by Running To The Kitchen

Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad by Making Thyme For Healthy

Splash o’ Port Orange and Cranberry Relish by BonBon Break

Crock Pot Stuffing with Wild Rice Cranberries and Almonds by Well Plated

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes by The Anthony Kitchen

Sweet and Savory Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts by Pass Me Some Tasty

Radicchio Pear Gorgonzola Pomegranate And Walnut Salad by A Beautiful Plate

Apple and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing with Sage (gluten-free) by Snixy Kitchen

Baked Vegan and Gluten-Free Mac And Cheese by Gluten Free Vegan Pantry

Artichoke Gratinata by Oh My Veggies

Vanilla Bean Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole by Well Plated

Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (gluten-free) by Making Thyme For Healthy

Roasted Baby Carrots by Simply Recipes

Gluten Free Spinach Balls with Hot Sweet Mustard by Mama Gourmand

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta with Parmesan, Lemon and Garlic by Two Healthy Kitchens

Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds by Spoonful of Flavor

Butternut Squash Cranberry Sorghum Salad by Savory Simple

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe by A Girl Worth Saving

Autumn Roasted Vegetables with Feta Cheese and Red Grapes by Zesty Olive

SEARCH ALL OF OUR GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES FOR MORE INSPIRATION

A few of our favorites:

10 Minute Warm Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprout Salad with Pecans

Our Favorite Sheet Pan Dinners for Busy Weeknights

Pin it for later:

The post 20 Gluten-free Side Dishes for the Holidays first appeared on BonBon Break.

Quite a few years ago, back when I used to go wine tasting every Spring…yes, before kids, we bought Port. Goooooooooood Port.

Before I tasted this Port, I never was a Port-fancier.

And then it happened.

We were meandering from winery to winery, and walked our way into this particular storefront and were escorted to the back in the warehouse.

One friend was already in a group, hovering over a barrel, looking very focused on what the winemaker was saying.

The group moved on…she stayed.

“Oh, I am just going to catch up with my friends here”, she said to him. I gave her a sideways glance. She raised her eyebrows and gave me that “don’t-draw-attention-to-me-just-listen-to-the-man” look with a little jerk of her head.

What was she doing?

The winemaker asked if we were all present and he began his presentation once again. I was catching it for the first time. She was on Round 2. This is a Portuguese-style Port. Warm undertones. They use *peach brandy* during the fermentation process. Common descriptors are: Black cherry, boysenberry, chocolate, spice and black pepper.

Interesting and it had my attention. “Would any of you like a taste?”

Her glass charged out like a cash register drawer and in a shy, little voice she whispered, “Yes, please“.

She was going for another round. This had to be a good one and it was. Honestly, I had never had anything like this Port before (being I was relatively new to the wine tasting circuit). “Are they all this good?”, I asked. “No“, she quickly replied and I think she was heading for a third.

I told the Good Apple we should buy some, and we did. I believe that year we bought a single bottle. The next year, 3. The following year, half a case for ourselves and another half for friends and family who now had the same addiction appreciation and that is how it continued for years.

So… Emeril.

It was Thanksgiving and we were watching the Food Network. Emeril was telling us about this cranberry relish. Whoop-di-doo.

OH, wait… it has port in it. That means we would have to open a bottle. 

We made the recipe and have tweaked it over the years, but it is a staple on our table now, even when we are guests elsewhere.

I am providing you with a recipe that I use for this post, however, I make a TON whenever I make this and it is all consumed. And the bottle of port doesn’t last either. The amounts are enough for 8 people at dinner and leftovers. Feel free to half it.

Your Holiday table needs this cranberry relish…enjoy!

Print

Cranberry and Orange Port Relish

Ingredients

• 9 cups of fresh cranberries
• 2 oranges zested
• 1 cup of orange juice
• 1   cup of port
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar more if you like it sweet
• 1 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring cranberries, zest, port and juice to a gentle boil.
• Lower heat and add cinnamon and sugar.
• Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Once cranberries are soft, mash using a potato masher.
• In a cup, mix cornstarch and 2 tbsps of water. Whisk in cornstarch slurry to cranberry sauce and mix until the relish thickens.
• Serve slightly warm or cool. Tastes great the next day.

DISCOVER MORE OF OUR RECIPES IN THE KITCHEN

A few of our favorite gluten-free recipes:

• Green Chili Enchilada Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Easy Gluten-free Pancake Recipe
• The Ultimate Pub Sauce Recipe
• Easy Hawaiian Slow Cooker Kalua Pork
• Butternut Squash Risotto

The post Splash o’ Port Orange and Cranberry Relish first appeared on BonBon Break.

I won’t lie. I wondered if my kids would take the bait and go for this instead of enchiladas and lo and behold, they did. They even asked for seconds! I think that might have to be my new standard for whether or not I will share a recipe. For example, the stew I made the other night? One helping. You won’t be seeing that recipe here. I should have stuck with my Pot Roast recipe which is a winner. Well, a girl has to try, right?

While we have lots of time-saving recipes to help with your meal planning, this isn’t one of them. However, it is just a little over an hour which isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Let’s go ahead and get started, shall we?

We tried this two ways. The first was to stuff the chicken mixture back into the spaghetti squash shells. This presents the recipe really well and there are fewer dishes to clean. We also baked one in a casserole dish. This was a pain to clean, however, it was easier to store leftovers. The kids had a lot more fun digging into the stuffed spaghetti squash shells, so for us, I think that was the winning option.

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and could easily turn into a vegetarian dish with some minor adjustments like replacing the chicken with chopped red, yellow and orange bell peppers and not using the sour cream. Wouldn’t that be pretty? We might have to try that combination next!

Print

Green Chili Enchilada Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Spaghetti Squash

• 1 spaghetti squash cut in half with seeds removed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Chicken Mixture

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 4-oz cans diced green chilis
• 1 10-oz can green enchilada sauce
• 1/3 cup sour cream

Final

• 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
• cilantro coarsely chopped
• Tapatio to taste

Instructions

Spaghetti Squash

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cover a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
• Drizzle olive oil over cleaned spaghetti squash halves and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Flip onto the cookie sheet - oiled side down - and bake for 45 minutes. 

Chicken Mixture

• Drizzle skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Dry chicken tenders and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to the heated skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes, until they are opaque. 
• Add green chilis and green enchilada sauce. Simmer until reduced. About 30 minutes. Stir frequently. Using forks, shred chicken.  Add sour cream and mix thoroughly.

Final

• Remove squash from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. 
• Using a fork, scrape spaghetti squash into a large bowl. Add the chicken mixture to the bowl and mix thoroughly. 
• a) Place the mixture back into the spaghetti squash shells -OR-

  b) Place the mixture into a casserole dish.
• Sprinkle cheese on top of the squash mixture and bake on a low broiler for 8 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve hot with cilantro and a sprinkle of Tapatio, if that suits your taste buds.

Here are a few more of our favorite dinner ideas:

• Quick and Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
• Roll Over Recipes – Cook Once, Eat Twice (or more!)
• 31 Days of Easy Dinners
• Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

PERUSE ALL OF OUR RECIPES IN THE KITCHEN

The post Green Chili Enchilada Spaghetti Squash Casserole first appeared on BonBon Break.

I fell into a snack and lunch slump. This realization hit me hard between the eyes because of the following conversation I had with the Lil Man.

Me: What would you like to have for lunch today?
LM: Mac and Cheese
Me: I haven’t made any and we don’t have any Annie’s. Any other ideas?
LM: A quesadilla
Me: Well, we don’t have any tortillas. Anything else?
LM: Grilled cheese sandwich.
Me: Ya, it is time for us to change things up.

I realized I was stuck in a cheese rut. This wasn’t my usual MO, but we were in it and we were in it deep. I looked inside my fridge and one of the veggie compartments was filled with 3 different bags of cheese, plus two bricks. Yikes.

New day. New leaf. I have approximately 6 pounds of quinoa sitting in my pantry and I need to use it. We tried these quinoa bites today and the Lil Man suggested that we call them “Num Nums”. Alrighty then. He ate 6 and Lil Miss ate 2. I consider that a success.

The veggies combinations you can add in are numerous. I used kale, broccoli, and carrots. Other options might be peas, squash, spinach, chard, corn, or cauliflower. This is an easy way to use those leftover veggies from dinner the night before.

I served them up with some apple rings (use an apple corer to take out the core and then slice into thin slices). The kids ate two apples worth and had fun pretending they had apple eyes, apple ears, and apple noses. Who knew that cutting the fruit a different way would make it a renewed hit?

So here you go…ENJOY!

Print

Quinoa Veggie Bites

Course Snack

Keyword gluten free, kid-friendly cooking

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 24 bites

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped veggies
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons flour All purpose or GF
• 1/2 tsp curry
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Put water and quinoa into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and keep covered for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and remove from heat.
• Grease a mini muffin pan with olive oil.
• In a bowl, combine all ingredients, except for salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Using a tablespoon, fill mini muffin pan cups. Press contents firmly into the base of the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top.
• Bake for 15 minutes. To remove from pan, use a butter knife to slide around the edges if there is any sticking. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or plain!

Notes

Makes 24 bites

TAKE A PEEK AT MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS IN THE KITCHEN

The post Quinoa Veggie Bites – Superfood Snack for Kids first appeared on BonBon Break.

Well, maybe not like that, but this isn’t a new problem. Whenever an incredible array of organic produce is at my fingertips, I want to roast it or grill it. Tonight was a roasting night. The best part of this recipe is that two trays will easily work their way into at least two meals. In this case, they served as a side dish to ravioli on the first night and alongside teriyaki chicken over brown rice on the second night.

We Love Roasted Veggies

We love our roasted vegetables in this house. I will add them to pasta, throw them in a tortilla with a little salsa and sour cream, add them to soups or serve them alongside meat. To be honest, I am not a snob when it comes to my roasted veggies. I will eat them hot. I will eat them cold. I will eat them with kosher salt and pepper and fresh rosemary. I will eat them with reduced balsamic. I will eat them plain. If it were up to me, they would be part of every meal.

When slicing and chopping, err on the side of making your pieces too big; however, you want them to be consistent. This is where the mandoline is really handy with the sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and yellow squash. Small pieces cook too quickly and tend to burn or get mushy. Throw some whole cloves of garlic in and you get a treasure hunt when serving. I usually add 10 cloves or so at the request of my family. I usually chop and slice everything and then break my veggies into two groups: slow roasters and quick roasters.

How to Roast Vegetables

S  l  o  w roasters:

• Sweet potatoes
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Cauliflower

Quick roasters:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Asparagus
• Red, yellow and orange peppers
• Broccoli
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash

This time I used sweet potatoes, red onions, asparagus, peppers, and broccoli.

Directions for Roasted Veggies

1) Preheat the oven to 475° and place two large baking sheets inside.

2) Cut the sweet potato and the onion using a mandoline on the 3/4″ setting. Slice the peppers into inch wide strips and cut the broccoli into florets.

3) Toss the sweet potato with 1 tbsp of olive oil and slide onto hot baking sheet, making sure they are in one layer. Set timer for 10 minutes.

4) Toss onions, asparagus, peppers and broccoli with 2 tbsp of olive oil. When the timer goes off, add these veggies onto the second sheet and give the sweet potato sheet a good shake. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

5) After 15 minutes, check all of the veggies. There should be a little roasting color, but no burning. If you need a little more time, check every 4 minutes.

6) Remove all veggies from the oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Side note:

Tonight I added a few dollops of the rosemary, garlic and lemon butter I made for our steaks earlier in the week. It was a first and it WILL be repeated. (Add 1/2 c room temperature butter, 2 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp fresh rosemary and 5 cloves of garlic to a mason jar. Use a hand mixer to completely chop and mix the ingredients. Scoop into a square of wax paper and create a roll of butter, making sure it is completely covered. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then you have a delicious flavored butter. Dollop away and add it to EVERYTHING – including your just grilled steaks.)

Here are a few other recipes we can’t wait to make:

• Easy Fall Recipes on Our Bucket List That We Can’t Wait to Make
• Savory Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

PIN IT FOR LATER:

The post How to Make Roasted Veggies for the Week first appeared on BonBon Break.

It all started from a trip to Maui and then another trip and another. Each time we went, we would go to a few of the local favorite restaurants and our go to lunch once a week was Kalua Pork. It is served as a HUGE plate of pork, with a healthy serving of rice and some sauteed cabbage. We would pour a little soy sauce over the top and have really happy bellies.

Our trips were always during February or March and by September, it all felt like a distant memory – because it was. However, I wanted to bring that taste back to our tongues. If I couldn’t bring the warmth of the island back, at least I could bring the taste, right?

After playing with the recipe, I knew I had it. Well, at least the quick(er) version.  What I mean by that is that you don’t have to dig an imu (Hawaiian pit with coals) to make this pork, but do not be mistaken. This is delicious, but the Kalua Pork made using an imu is AMAZING. Throw your shovel aside and go for “really good”. Head to Hawaii for the real deal.

This makes a LOT of pork, which is also why it is one of my favorite slow cooker dishes. Here are some others:

1. Cook once, eat three times.
2. 10 minutes prep
3. Enough food for a crowd.
4. People are going to think you labored over this. (That can be our little secret.) Friends request this all of the time.

Three different ways to enjoy your Kalua Pork

Night 1:  Traditional

Straight up pork, with sauteed cabbage and rice. After you finish using your fry pan for the Kalua Pork *magic* (more on that in a minute), add half a cup of water to the hot skillet and a head of sliced cabbage. Sautee until it is ready to serve. In our house, this version takes on many forms. Some of us like nice tidy piles of each on our plate…

…others. Well, they really love it and mound it all up!

I like to call this the post-soccer practice food coma. Yes, he ate it all. Actually, he put a small portion away and then ate that and more. Growing, active boys, but at least he’s grateful for a full plate of food.

Night 2: Tostadas

Warm up the pork and add refried beans, avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, Tapatio hot sauce, olives, lettuce (I can’t stand hot lettuce, so you won’t see it on our table) and tostada shells. This self-serve dinner is SO fast and it makes them happy. Want proof?

I know. It just looks like a hot mess. Mine was much tidier – just sayin’.

Night 3: Fried Rice

If we make it to Night 3, I can usually add leftover rice, some veggies and the remaining pork into our skillet with a little toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. At the end, I will scramble in 2 eggs by making a hole in the middle of the rice in the pan, add a tablespoon of oil and then I drop the eggs in there when it’s all hot and scramble them up. Top with chives and sesame seeds and BOOM, you have Night 3.

Guten-Free Notes:

1. Use a gluten-free soy sauce, like Bragg’s Amino Acids
2. Make sure your liquid smoke is gluten-free. We prefer Stubbs.

Now that I have convinced you to make it, here’s the recipe:

Print

Hawaiian Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

This is an easy way to bring the taste of Hawaii to your table and to cook once for up to 3 meals.

Course Main Course

Keyword roll over dinners, slow cooker

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 hours hours

Frying Pan 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the Slow Cooker

• 1 large onion sliced
• 6 lb pork butt or shoulder
• 1 tbsp coarse salt kosher or Hawaiian
• 1 tbsp Liquid Smoke Stubbs is GF

For the Skillet

• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp coarse salt

Instructions

Getting it into the Slow Cooker

• Slice onion and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Pat pork dry with a paper towel and then rub it down with the salt. Place it into the slow cooker.
• Pour liquid smoke over the top of the meat.
• Cover and cook on low for at least 6 hours and up to 8.

After it is Cooked

• Get your largest skillet and heat it up on high on your stove top. 
• Carefully pull pork pieces from your slow cooker and add to the hot skillet. After all of the pork is in the skillet, pour the juices and onion from the slow cooker over the pork and gently shred the pork. Add the soy sauce and salt to taste. Reduce. Lower heat to medium.
• Start to scrape the bottom of the skillet. This is where the awesome crispy bits live.
• Once it is fully reduced and the meat has "fried up" a bit, remove it from the skillet to a serving dish.
• If your skillet looks like this, do not waste it! Throw a little chicken or veggie broth in there and deglaze that pan. Pour the remains over your pork. Another option is to add some sliced cabbage during the deglazing process, you won't regret it!
  

Here’s a little Hawaiian music for you while you get this going:

The post Easy Hawaiian Slow Cooker Kalua Pork first appeared on BonBon Break.

Pomegranates are one of the current, trendy “wonder foods” that you are seeing pop into salads, cocktails, curries and more on food blogs. TV cooking shows and restaurants. Every Fall, they are in my house. Always have been and always will be.  Of course, they have been part of the food chain much longer than my fascination. The pomegranate is being touted as a wonder food due to it’s traditional medicinal uses that have been around for centuries.

Well then, eats those lovely arils (the “seeds”)!!

As a wee one, I called them “yummy pits”. You can see why. For my birthday, I would get one and my parents would sit me down in the middle of the den on a mat of newspapers and wearing old clothes where I could have at it. It was always a mess, but oh so good.

Well, I have plenty of messes around my house these days, thank you. However, I want my kiddos to enjoy these fall treats, so I have been in pursuit of a cleaner alternative to the popping, crunching opening of a pomegranate I knew as a kid.

How to Clean a Pomegranate

Supplies:

• Pomegranates

• Medium bowl

• Water

• Kitchen knife

• Hand strainer

Procedure:
1) Fill bowl 2/3 of the way with water.
2) Slice X’s into the base of each pomegranate and set into bowl to soak for 10 minutes.

3) Tear the pomegranates into 1/4s and gently roll the arils into bowl.

4) The pulp remnants will float on top and the seeds will sink.

5) Skim the excess pulp from the surface of the water and discard.
6) Scoop the arils from the bowl and remove any extra pieces of pulp that have strayed behind.

Your arils are ready for snacking, a favorite dish or cocktail.

All of this being said, I still think I will take my kiddos outside to enjoy the messy version of the pomegranate that made it so enjoyable to eat as child.

And just to show I can handle being outdone. Here is POM’s version…in a tux. Very classy. on Vimeo.  How to Open a Pomegranate in Six Movements from POM Wonderful.

How to Open a Pomegranate in Six Movements from POM Wonderful on Vimeo.

Here is some more Fall inspiration:

Refreshing Apple Mint Iced Tea Recipe

6 Ways to Wear a Scarf with Your Favorite Fall Outfits

Easy Fall Recipes on Our Bucket List That We Can’t Wait to Make

20 Clogs and Mules for Fall

The post How to Clean a Pomegranate first appeared on BonBon Break.

This is perfect for those of you who meal plan. Add the ingredient to your shopping list and then just toss everything into the crockpot or your Instapot in the morning for a hearty and delicious soup that your family and friends will love.

I had this posted on an old site of mine and a friend mentioned that she used to make it all of the time and could no longer find it. Well, here you go!

Chicken Enchilada Crockpot Soup How To Video

Print

Easy Chicken Enchilada Crockpot Soup

This soup is a perfect fall weeknight dinner. It is a crowd pleaser!

Course Main Course

Keyword gluten free, soups

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 1059kcal

Author Val Curtis

Ingredients

Into the CrockPot

• 4 cups of organic chicken stock
• 2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts
• 28 oz. can of organic diced tomatoes*
• 3 tsp. cumin
• 3 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 4 jalapeños seeded and minced
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 cups of frozen organic corn
• 1- 15 oz. can of organic black beans rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup tomato paste

Add after cooked

• 1/2 cup corn masa
• 8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese

Garnish

• Cotija
• Sour Cream
• Cilantro

Instructions

• Place all ingredients, up to and including the tomato paste, into the crockpot. Gently mix together. 
• Turn on High setting and walk away...for at least 4 1/2 hours - or on low for 8. 
• At the end of cook time, use an immersion mixer 4-5 times quickly in the pot. 
• Add pepper jack cheese and stir until melted.
• Sprinkle in masa little by little while gently mixing with a wooden spoon. 
• Top with your garnishes of choice and serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 1059kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 141g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 374mg | Sodium: 835mg | Potassium: 2902mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1480IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 332mg | Iron: 8.2mg

Here is another one of our favorites:

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

The post Easy Chicken Enchilada Crockpot Soup first appeared on BonBon Break.

That little shoe was just another poke at me feeling overwhelmed with my inability to keep my house clean. The floor reflects our weekday story and the fast shuffles that take place each day.  My son’s underwear is on the floor next to my daughter’s hairbrush, which is next to a U.S. state map puzzle that went unfinished. Plastic parts and toys peek out from under the piano seeking shelter by dust bunnies. I remember the couch was a great place to sit long ago when it wasn’t covered in unfolded clean laundry. And my dining room table is currently being eaten by paperwork.

Calgon, take me away.

Bliss is just a bubble bath and chocolate bonbon away, right?

I think so; I’m all about self-care.

When the day is long, the house is a disaster, and the only relief is chocolate, give yourself a bonbon.

Not just any bonbon, give yourself a Nutella bonbon. I know what you’re thinking. When you need medicinal chocolate, the last thing you have in great supply is time. You need that chocolate ASAP. Stay with me.

There is no baking.

There are only four ingredients.

The recipe is simple.

I can hear you cheering. Cheering is totally allowed.

These melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate cookies are perfect for yourself or great for sharing (the recipe makes 30). Cosmo called my Nutella Bonbons, “Pleasure Grenades.” I giggle every time I write or say that. Standing in my living room looking through the motherhood chaos, I know two things: no matter how many times I give in and clean up this mess, the mess returns in no time and second. I need to give myself more bubble baths and bonbons.

Nutella Bonbons How To Video

Print

Nutella Bonbons

Course Dessert

Keyword chocolate, gluten free, holiday dishes, kid-friendly cooking

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 30

Author Alison Lee

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup Nutella
• ½ cup salted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Optional

• sea salt

Instructions

• In a stand mixer, blend Nutella, butter, and powdered sugar until combined. 
• Form into 30 balls. 
• Once balls are formed, heat chocolate, and dip each ball. 
• Once dipped, add sea salt if desired.

READ THIS NEXT:

• The Easiest (and Most Powerful) Way to Give This Holiday Season
• Our Secret Code
• Food to Share: Meal Train Recipes and Ideas
• What Moms Want for Their Kids
  

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ABOUT ALICE: Alice Seuffert is a Minnesota mom, wife, education researcher, and blogger at Dining with Alice, where she shares her food and family adventures. She works full-time as an education researcher for a Twin Cities nonprofit organization.  On her blog, she shares her adventures making creative comfort food, her experiences as a mom, and fun activities like enjoying craft beer. Alice is the Kitchen Star on the Twin Cities television show, Twin Cities Live and is known for her creative comfort food recipes and tips for busy parents.

Follow Alice on her blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+

PIN FOR LATER

Nutella Bonbons was written by Alice Seuffert exclusively for BonBon Break Media LLC.

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The post Nutella Bonbons first appeared on BonBon Break.

This is great to make ahead and then let it sit and chill for a couple of hours. The flavors will permeate the salad and most of all – the colors in this salad are BEAUTIFUL! You are truly eating a rainbow of goodness.

A couple of notes on the ingredients.

First, let’s chat about the dressing. PLEASE use organic canola and peanut butter. Canola and peanuts are two of the crops most heavily sprayed with pesticides and you owe it to yourself to get organic.

If you are going for a gluten-free version, use a GF soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos.

If you are looking to save some calories, use PB2 instead of peanut butter. Why? A tablespoon of peanut butter has about 190 calories. Organic PB2 has 35 calories. I wouldn’t suggest that you use this all of the time, the oils in peanuts are good for you; however, in a dressing that already has two oils, the extra isn’t needed and saving those 155 calories is a pretty sweet deal.

In addition, the canola oil and the chopped peanuts are the two largest calorie contributors. Cut down on the amount of oil or chopped peanuts to shave off more calories.

I hope this salad helps you solve your dinner woes on one of those hot summer days! Bring it to a potluck or accompany it with some sausages on the grill, but for goodness sake…DON’T TURN ON THAT STOVE!

There may be some affiliate links below.

That just means that we are getting a little extra change for sharing something we love with you.

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Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodles Salad

This zucchini noodle salad is great to make ahead and then let it sit and chill for a couple of hours. The flavors will permeate the salad and most of all - the colors in this summer salad are BEAUTIFUL! You are truly eating a rainbow of goodness.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Thai

Keyword gluten free, salad, zoodles, zucchini noodles

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 626kcal

Ingredients

Dressing

• 2/3 cup organic canola oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp of soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp of organic peanut butter or organic PB2
• strong squeeze of lime

Salad

• 3 large zucchini spiraled and lightly chopped
• 1 rotisserie chicken shredded
• 10 oz edamame shelled
• 2 bell peppers red and yellow, thinly sliced
• 3 large carrots julienned matchsticks
• 1 cup cilantro coarsely chopped
• 3/4 c roasted peanuts coarsely chopped

Instructions

• Add all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
• Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the top and gently mix entire salad.
• Chill for 1-2 hours or more. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 560mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5230IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3.5mg

Cool Tools and Ingredients to Make this Recipe

Spiralizer

We LOVE ours!

OXO Angled Measuring Cups

So kid-friendly and just a genius design.

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons with Magnetic Snaps

The magnetic snaps on these are another genius design by OXO.

PB2 Peanut Butter Powder

FIND MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS IN BONBON BREAK’S KITCHEN

The post Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodles Salad first appeared on BonBon Break.

The blueberries have been amazing this year! I keep buying more and more, eating some and freezing others. We finally satiated ourselves enough to give some up to some gluten-free blueberry muffins.

These blueberry muffins are the perfect recipe to whip together in the morning. My kids love smelling baked goods in the morning and these are so easy to put together.

The first time, I tried to mix it up with frozen berries and the dough was a little gummy right around the berries. The second time, I defrosted the berries. Surprisingly, they held their shape as well, and the dough cooked more thoroughly.

Keep an eye on your muffins. These don’t get puffy like a typical muffin. Once they brown on the top, check with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, go another 5 minutes. You don’t want your muffins to be gummy in the middle!

Due to their consistency, they are a little thick when going into the muffin pan. You could sprinkle a little coarse sugar over the top or drizzle some lemon glaze over them after they are out of the oven – that would be an extra treat.

We would love to hear about any variations you make!

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Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are the perfect recipe to whip together in the morning and fill your house with the smell of fresh, baked muffin goodness.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword easy breakfasts, gluten free, kid-friendly cooking, muffins

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 226kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 cups All-purpose Gluten-free Flour we prefer Pamela's
• 1/2 TBSP Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp  salt
• 2 eggs large
• 1 cup Vanilla yogurt
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 8 TBSP butter melted
• 1 tsp  Vanilla Cook's is GF
• 1 1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Grease a standard 12 muffin pan.
• Mix all ingredients together, except blueberries, until well mixed.
• Gently fold in blueberries.
• Divide into muffin pan cups.
• Place into oven on the center rack and bake after 20 minutes. Do a toothpick test. If it comes out clean, they are ready to go.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg

Check out our other Gluten-Free Recipes 

The post Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins first appeared on BonBon Break.