Ice Cream Cake Basics

This no-bake, super simple recipe is made up of three different parts. All equally important and delicious.

The Ice Cream

I used two 1.5 quart containers of Breyers ice cream; one chocolate and one vanilla. That’s 3 whole quarts of ice cream OR 3/4 of a gallon if you’re counting. See my variations below to switch things up.

The Filling

Falling in love with Dairy Queen Crunch Cakes at an early age, I’ve learned that magic shell and chocolate wafer crackers aren’t going to cut it for me! Plus, I could make it better. So I used crushed OREO thins and store bought hot fudge sauce. And it was so freaking good. It was decided by all that that was the most delicious part of the cake.

The Frosting

I was going to use marshmallow fluff, but then upon further investigation, I realized it would have frozen pretty solid. I didn’t want to chance it, so I just used whipped cream. But it worked perfectly and tasted delicious. Easy to spread, easy to slice, and added a little extra creamy bite.

How to make Ice Cream Cake

While the process to making an ice cream cake is super simple, it is time consuming (freeze times) and you’ll want to plan ahead. For full recipe details, see the printable recipe card and helpful tutorial video down below.

Remove Ice Cream from Freezer + Prep Cake Pans

Remove ice cream from the freezer and defrost about 15 minutes. While ice cream is softening, line two 8-inch cake pans well with plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang.

Spoon + Press Ice Cream into Prepared Pans

Spoon soft ice cream into each prepared pan, pressing down to remove air bubbles as you go. Cover with plastic wrap and press down evenly to smooth the top. Freeze for 8-12 hours or until hardened.

Place Serving Platter into Freezer {1 hour before}

1 hour before assembling cake, place serving platter into freezer. (Make sure your platter can freeze!)

Make the Frosting + Refrigerate

Place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate.

Assemble the Cake

Remove ice cream layers and serving platter from freezer. Unwrap the tops of the ice cream layers and using the excess plastic wrap, remove layers from pans. Place chocolate layer on the bottom. Smooth an even layer of hot fudge over the chocolate layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle crushed OREO thins over hot fudge and press down gently. Add vanilla layer overtop. Spread whipped cream overtop of the entire cake, add sprinkles as desired.

Freeze Cake Until Ready to Serve

Once the cake is assembled, place back into the freezer until ready to serve.

Check Out My Tutorial Video

Be sure to watch my video tutorial to ensure success. And, if you happen to be working in a warmer kitchen, don’t be afraid to assemble the cake first, freeze again and then finish frosting and decorating.

Try Different Flavor Combinations

Using different flavors of ice cream, kinds of cookies or fillings can really allow you freedom in creating a unique and super delicious ice cream cake. Here are a few ideas! The sky really is the limit here.

• Mint Chocolate Chip: Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream + crushed thin mint cookies + hot fudge filling
• Butter Pecan: Butter Pecan ice cream + chopped pecans and shortbread cookies + butterscotch filling
• Chocolate Brownie: Chocolate Brownie ice cream + chopped brownie filling + chocolate sauce filling
• Reese’s: Reese’s Peanut Butter Ice Cream + chopped Reese’s Peanut butter cups and chopped peanuts + hot fudge sauce filling
• Ultimate Oreo: Oreo ice cream + chopped Oreos + hot fudge filling

Storing Ice Cream Cake

You’ll need to store leftover ice cream cake in the freezer. Keep it wrapped well in plastic wrap or an airtight container with a lid. You can expect your cake to stay good in the freezer for about 7 days. After that, ice crystals will begin to form and the flavor of the cake will begin to diminish.

More Ice Cream Cake Recipes to Try!

• Peanut Butter Oreo Ice Cream Cake
• Salted Caramel Ice Cream Cake
• Funfetti Ice Cream Cake
• Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Try this Homemade Ice Cream Cake Recipe out today! Whether it’s for a birthday, a BBQ, an anniversary or just because, this recipe is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Printable recipe card is below as well as a super helpful video! Enjoy!

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Homemade Ice Cream Cake

This Homemade Ice Cream Cake recipe is better than store bought, guaranteed!! Filled with Oreos and hot fudge, this is the ultimate dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword frozen dessert, ice cream cake

Prep Time 13 hours

Total Time 13 hours

Servings 12 servings

Calories 742kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1.5 quart container vanilla ice cream
• 1.5 quart container chocolate ice cream
• 3/4 cup hot fudge sauce
• 12 OREO thins crushed
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• rainbow sprinkles or other decorations as desired.

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Remove ice cream from the freezer and defrost about 15 minutes.
• While ice cream is softening, line two 8-inch cake pans well with plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang.
• Spoon soft ice cream into each prepared pan, pressing down to remove air bubbles as you go. Cover with plastic wrap and press down evenly to smooth the top. Freeze for 8-12 hours or until hardened.
• 1 hour before assembling cake, place serving platter into freezer. (Make sure your platter can freeze!)
• Place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate.
• To assemble cake: remove ice cream layers and serving platter from freezer. Unwrap the tops of the ice cream layers and using the excess plastic wrap, remove layers from pans. Place chocolate layer on the bottom. Smooth an even layer of hot fudge over the chocolate layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle crushed OREO thins over hot fudge and press down gently. Add vanilla layer overtop. Spread whipped cream overtop of the entire cake, add sprinkles as desired and freeze until ready to serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 742kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 1425IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 312mg | Iron: 2.5mg

The post Homemade Ice Cream Cake appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Sweet Sweet Simplicity

Being a true vanilla lover, I’ve tried my fair share of homemade vanilla cake, cupcakes, sheet cakes…you name it. It’s my go-to flavor and dare I say I like it more than chocolate cake? It took me several weeks to develop this particular recipe, yielding an end result that is moist, lightly sweet and very vanilla-y.  I’m confident that if you don’t like vanilla cake, you haven’t truly had GOOD vanilla cake. So friends, meet my vanilla cake recipe.

If you’d prefer to make a rectangular 9×13 cake or cupcakes, see in a section below and in the notes section within the recipe card for baking times, located at the bottom of this post.

Homemade Vanilla Cake Success

After lots of trial and error, here are my best tips and tricks for making a delicious vanilla cake recipe the first time around.

• Follow the recipe. Use the listed ingredients in the recipe card below.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Believe it or not, using butter, eggs, egg whites and milk all at room temperature yields you a smoother, better incorporated cake batter and thus, a better cake.
• Do not over-bake. Moist vanilla cake comes with just the right amount of time in the oven. Start checking your cake for doneness after 30 minutes and then go from there. Every oven is different (some run hot, some run cold) so be sure you are checking your cake for doneness every few minutes once you’re getting close to it being completely baked.
• Line baking pans with parchment paper. Parchment paper is my favorite kitchen tool. Your cakes will come out with ease!
• Cool completely before frosting. Frosting is primarily made up of butter and the butter will melt if your cakes are not cooled completely.

How to Make Vanilla Cake

Making a scratch vanilla cake is easier than you think! Just make sure you don’t over-bake! Dry vanilla cake is NOT delicious. For full recipe with exact measurements and baking times see the recipe card below.

Prepare Your Pans

Preheat your oven. Line baking pans with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (I spray my round cake pans, add the parchment paper circles in the bottom and spray lightly again.)

Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together to combine (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Set aside. Whisking helps aerate the ingredients and works well in place of sifting.

Measure milk and vanilla separately and set aside.

Make the Vanilla Cake Batter

In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil, and sugar together until combined.

Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy. You want to incorporate a lot of air at this point. Because we aren’t separating the eggs and whipping the whites separately, you want to whip the eggs well.

Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour.

Bake!

Divide cake batter between baking pans as evenly as possible, smooth the tops and bake on a middle rack in the oven. Cakes will be done when the edges look golden and the middle of the cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick.

Cool 15-20 minutes in pans or until you can handle the warm pans with your hands. Turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Baking Flat Cakes

Here’s a little trick for getting flat cake tops! The tops of my cakes actually weren’t all that flat, but when I flipped them out of their cake pans, the bottoms certainly were! So that’s why they look so flat. You’re seeing the bottoms of the cakes! So when I frost them, I place them all upside down to have flat “tops” to my cake.

If you overmix your batter, you will tend to have more of a peaked top. If you are wanting to frost a two or three layer cake, use a serrated knife to cut off the tops to achieve that flat, level cake.

Can I use a different baking pan?

You bet! This recipe will make:

• 1- 9×13 thick cake (bake for 40-55 minutes)
• 2- 8 or 9-inch round cakes (40-50 minutes)
• 24 cupcakes (bake for 18-20 minutes)

Regardless of how you bake this cake, be sure to use lighter colored baking pans (or glass). Using a darker teflon will give you darker, crispier edges which doesn’t really have a place in vanilla cake, in my humble opinion.

Frost Your Cake

The purist in me would recommend making this cake with this Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe but this chocolate frosting would be equally delicious. Both frostings will make you fall in love with vanilla cake, possibly more than you’ve ever loved it before.

For more frosting options, check out these recipes: Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, Reese’s Frosting, and Poured Chocolate Frosting.

Make Ahead Vanilla Cake

The best thing about making this recipe (and really any baked cake) is they store beautifully if you make them ahead! Here are a few storage options:

Storing at Room Temperature

Once your cake has been baked and cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temperature overnight. Prepare the frosting, then cover and store in the fridge overnight as well. When you are ready to assemble and decorate, set the frosting out at room temperature to soften for about 30-45 minutes. Give it a quick mix to loosen it up in your mixer for about a minute, then frost away! (You may have to add a splash of heavy cream or milk to bring it back to life.)

Storing in the Freezer

If you want to make this Vanilla cake even farther ahead of time, consider freezing it! Baked vanilla cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap baked cake layers well in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of heavy duty foil and store flat in the freezer. To thaw, transfer from the freezer to the fridge overnight and then bring to room temperature before decorating.

Love Vanilla Cake? Try These Other Cake Recipes:

• Classic Chocolate Cake
• Funfetti Cake
• Rainbow Cake
• Red Velvet Cake
• Coconut Cake

You really don’t need a reason to make this vanilla cake but it goes without saying this would be the perfect Birthday, Anniversary or Holiday cake. Maybe you had a rough day. Someone else had a rough day. You had a good day and want to celebrate. Basically, this recipe is perfect for any occasion.

Printable recipe card with directions and increments is below! Happy baking, friends!

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Homemade Vanilla Cake Recipe

This Vanilla Cake Recipe will become your new favorite. A simple recipe with a tender and moist crumb and just the right amount of sweetness.

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Best Vanilla Cake Recipe, How to Make Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Cake Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 406kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 whole large eggs
• 2 whole egg whites

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking pan with parchment paper and/or spray well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (See notes)
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together to combine. Set aside.
• In a liquid measuring cup, stir milk and vanilla together. Set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, mix butter, oil and sugar together until combined. Mix in eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until mixture becomes very light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again briefly.
• Alternate adding in flour mixture with milk mixture, being sure to start and end with flour. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure a smooth batter. Divide evenly between baking pans and smooth the top. Bake 30-40 minutes in the lower ⅔ of the oven. Cake will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool 15-20 minutes in cake pans before trying to invert on cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting and decorating.

Notes

Recipe will make:

• 1- 9×13 thick cake (bake for 40-55 minutes)
• 2- 8 or 9-inch round cakes (40-50 minutes)
• 24 cupcakes (bake for 18-20 minutes)

Regardless of how you bake this cake recipe, be sure to use lighter colored baking pans (or glass). Using a darker teflon will give you darker, crispier edges which doesn’t really have a place in vanilla cake, in my humble opinion.

Nutrition

Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 119mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.5mg

The post Homemade Vanilla Cake Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Birria Tacos: An Overview

Like I mentioned above, Birria Tacos are based off of Birria, a mexican stew, that is slow cooked in a flavorful savory and slightly spicy sauce. While you can enjoy this recipe just as a stew, I like to take it to the next level and turn it into tacos by frying corn tortillas in a pan with Oaxaca cheese and the birria beef. Top it with some white onion and cilantro, then dip away in the cooking liquid it braised in. Truly heaven in a tortilla.

Traditional Birria vs. Birria Tacos

Birria is a slow cooked stew, traditionally made with goat. While this recipe certainly would work by substituting out the beef for the goat, it is harder to find and will certainly have a different flavor. Most of the recipes online call for beef chuck roast and sometimes short ribs (to help thicken the sauce and add flavor). Feel free to use any combination of these cuts of meat.

Birria Tacos are simply this same meat taken from the stew and fried in corn tortillas and turned into tacos. It’s a slightly crispy exterior with a creamy and flavorful filling. Topped with the much needed freshness of the onion and cilantro, it’s the perfect balance between salty, spicy and flavorful.

Birria Tacos: Flavor Packed, Slow Cooked

There is a reason this recipe is super popular on TikTok and Instagram….it’s a delicious, decadent taco that is flavor-city. Building that flavor takes time and the right ingredients, but it is SO worth it. These Birria Tacos do not disappoint.

Peppers to Use

• Dried Guajillo Peppers – these are sweeter peppers and are added for flavor and not spice. Found in the Mexican food aisles or online. I paid $2.99 for a bag. If you can’t find Guajillo peppers, try dried ancho chiles. But be warned anchos do have a little more heat that the Guajillos.
• Dried Chiles de Arbol – these are added for flavor, but mainly for heat. A little goes a long way! These are about 6 times spicier than jalapeños. I marked these as optional on the recipe card. I did not use these the first time I made this because I was feeding it to my children and they don’t handle spicy foods well.
• Jalapeños – I love the flavor of cooked jalapeno, plus it adds a little heat to the overall dish. I remove the ribs and seeds for the least amount of heat.

Lots of Spices, But all Important!

The flavor profile of the cooked Birria is layered and complex and that is thanks to all of these spices! They are all fantastic and I used everything for a reason:

• Cinnamon – adds warmth; you won’t taste cinnamon in the finished dish
• Smoked Paprika – love the light smoky flavor this adds
• Cumin – a classic Mexican spice
• Oregano – really common in Mexican cooking…look for Mexican Oregano for bonus points
• Bay Leaves – adds a mild and light undertone. Again, you won’t notice that it’s been added, but it makes a difference.

How to Make Birria Tacos

Slow and steady wins the race…or in this case enjoys the tacos. Here’s how to make Homemade Birria Tacos from scratch:

Toast & Reconstitute Dried Chiles

Cut open dried guajillo chiles and chiles de Arbol (if using; see notes below) using scissors and remove seeds and dried stems. Add to a dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, careful not burn. Once they start becoming fragrant, add water to cover and bring water to a boil. Once water has boiled, turn off completely and let chiles sit 15-20 minutes. Discard water and reserve reconstituted chiles. This water can be bitter, so I prefer to discard.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown the Meat

In a large dutch oven pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Pat all pieces of meat dry with paper towels and sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Brown meat in batches, searing a few pieces at a time as to not crowd the pan. Place browned meat onto a plate and continue browning until all meat has been seared.

Make the Sauce

Cut 3/4 of the white onion into large chunks. Finely dice the remaining 1/4 onion and reserve for serving. Crush the garlic. De-seed the jalapeno peppers and chop roughly.

In the same hot pot, reduce heat to medium and add in onion, jalapeno and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and cook 2 minutes to brown slightly and get a little color. Add in cinnamon, smoked paprika, oregano and cumin. Stir and cook another minute. Deglaze pan with beef stock and vinegar. Remove from heat.

Spoon pot contents into a blender. Add in reconstituted peppers and a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Taste sauce and add salt if necessary.

Braise Birria

Add browned meat back to the dutch oven and pour sauce overtop. Add bay leaves. Bake covered 3-3.75 hours or until meat is very tender.

Shred the Birria for Tacos

Remove meat from braising liquid and shred using two forks. Remove excess fat and gristle and discard. Meat should be moist, but feel free to add in a little extra cooking liquid.

Spoon off excess fat from the top of the cooking liquid and reserve for frying tacos. Add extra beef stock to thin out sauce, if desired. Set aside and keep warm.

Make Birria Tacos

Place 8″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush both sides of corn tortilla with reserved fat. Place tortilla onto hot skillet. Top tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of shredded oaxaca cheese and warm shredded birria.

Once cheese has melted completely and tortilla is starting to get crispy, fold into a taco and remove from pan. Continue frying tacos.

Serve Birria Tacos with Consommé (cooking liquid)

Top birria tacos with reserved white onion and cilantro. Ladle warm consommé into a bowl and serve tacos on the side with lime wedges. I find that these tacos by themselves are fine, but are so much more delicious with the fresh hit of the onion, cilantro and the squeeze of lime juice. The acid and freshness really goes a long way.

What Cheese To Use for Birria Tacos

I would recommend using a good Mexican melting cheese like Oaxaca or Queso Asadero. Mozzarella or Monterey Jack is a great substitute, but honestly you can use what you have. As long as it melts and is mild in flavor, it should do the trick in these tacos.

Making Birria Ahead

The beauty of this recipe is you can easily make the Birria (stew portion) of this recipe days in advance and then fry up the tacos as you’d like. It will last up to five days in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer as long as it’s wrapped well. Reheat meat on the stove or in the microwave and then fry the birria tacos according to the recipe card below.

What to Serve with Birria Tacos

Here are some of my favorite Mexican Sides. While you can fill up completely just on these tacos, having a delicious variety is great!

• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Grilled Corn Salad
• Pico De Gallo
• Homemade Salsa
• Classic Guacamole

Anyways, there you have the crazy-amazing, super popular Birria Tacos! It’s a delicious recipe I hope you will try this week! Be sure to save/bookmark/print/pin/share this recipe. It’s a good one you will want to make again and again. Have a great day, friends!

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Birria Tacos (Tacos di Birria)

These Birria Tacos are a slow braised beef that is cooked then shredded and fried in corn tortillas with cheese.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword birria tacos

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 24 tacos

Calories 340kcal

Equipment

• 1 dutch oven
• 1 8" nonstick skillet

Ingredients

For the Birria

• 3 dried guajillo chiles
• 1-2 dried chiles de Arbol optional; see notes below
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3.5 pounds chuck roast cut into large pieces
• 3 pounds short ribs 4-5 ribs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 medium white onion
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 14.5 oz fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 large bay leaves

For the Tacos

• 24 corn tortillas
• 16 oz oaxaca cheese grated
• chopped cilantro, white onion, lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Toast & Reconstitute Dried Chiles

• Cut open dried guajillo chiles and chiles de Arbol (if using; see notes below) using scissors and remove seeds and dried stems. Add to a dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Once they start becoming fragrant, add water to cover and bring water to a boil. Once water has boiled, turn off completely and let chiles sit 15-20 minutes. Discard water and reserve reconstituted chiles.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown the Meat

• In a large dutch oven pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Pat all pieces of meat dry with paper towels and sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Brown meat in batches, searing a few pieces at a time as to not crowd the pan. Place browned meat onto a plate and continue browning until all meat has been seared.

Make the Sauce

• Cut 3/4 of the white onion into large chunks. Finely dice the remaining 1/4 onion and reserve for serving. Crush the garlic. De-seed the jalapeno peppers and chop roughly.
• In the same hot pot, reduce heat to medium and add in onion, jalapeno and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and cook 2 minutes to brown slightly and get a little color. Add in cinnamon, smoked paprika, oregano and cumin. Stir and cook another minute. Deglaze pan with beef stock and vinegar. Remove from heat.
• Spoon pot contents into a blender. Add in reconstituted peppers and can of fire roasted tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Taste sauce and add salt if necessary.

Braise Birria

• Add browned meat back to the dutch oven and pour sauce overtop. Add bay leaves. Bake covered 3-3.75 hours or until meat is very tender.

Shred the Birria for Tacos

• Remove meat from braising liquid and shred using two forks. Remove excess fat and gristle and discard. Meat should be moist, but feel free to add in a little extra cooking liquid.
• Spoon off excess fat from the top of the cooking liquid and reserve for frying tacos. Remove and discard bay leaves. Add extra beef stock to thin out sauce, if desired. Set aside and keep warm.

Make Birria Tacos

• Place 8" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush both sides of corn tortilla with reserved fat. Place tortilla onto hot skillet. Top tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of shredded oaxaca cheese and warm shredded birria.
• Once cheese has melted completely and tortilla is starting to get crispy, fold into a taco and remove from pan. Continue frying tacos.

Serve Birria Tacos with Jus

• Top birria tacos with reserved white onion, cilantro. Ladle warm cooking liquid into a bowl and serve tacos on the side with lime wedges.

Notes

Dried Chiles de Arbol are very spicy peppers- they run around 15,000-30,000 Scoville Units. This is six times hotter than a jalapeno. I marked them as optional. I did not use them because I was feeding this to children, but feel free to make this as spicy as you’d like.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 338mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Birria Tacos appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Stuffed Shells: The Easy Way!

I’m so excited to be sharing this Stuffed Shells recipe with you today! After testing this recipe and having five devoted readers test this recipe too, I am thrilled that I can finally share it with you. While I have a couple of recipes for stuffed shells on my site (Alfredo Stuffed Shells and Crockpot Pesto Stuffed Shells), I wanted to make sure I had a classic recipe that was fail-proof and delicious!

The larger pasta shells are par-boiled, filled with a mixture of cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese then nestled in a rich marinara. Topped with a little alfredo sauce, extra cheese, and baked to perfection. You will fall in love with this recipe.

Using really good store-bought alfredo and marinara sauce are my secrets to getting this on the table fast while still tasting amazing. Rao’s is my all-time favorite if you can find it! Or just find and use a brand that you love! Worst case scenario, you make homemade alfredo sauce and marinara sauce (aka bolognese without the meat).

A Note about Cheese

In this recipe, I stuff my shells with a combination of three kinds of cheese: cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmigiano Reggiano. For best results, please read these notes:

Cottage Cheese

I use low-fat cottage cheese in my stuffed shells because I prefer the taste and texture much better than traditional ricotta. After it bakes, it melts together and is smooth and creamy through and through. Ricotta isn’t quite as smooth and tastes a little different.

Can I substitute Ricotta Cheese for Cottage Cheese in Stuffed Shells?

If you would like to substitute ricotta cheese for cottage cheese, just be aware that because it’s thicker, it will fill fewer shells. Expect to get about 30 shells total.

Mozzarella Cheese

For good mozzarella that melts beautifully, you will want to look for a block of whole milk low moisture mozzarella and grate it yourself. The pre-grated kind will work but doesn’t melt as nicely because of the food starch it’s coated in (to prevent the shreds from sticking to each other). Also, fresh mozzarella adds extra moisture and doesn’t grate well at all, so I’d recommend the firmer low moisture mozzarella.

Parmigiano Reggiano

Please please please don’t confuse Parmigiano Reggiano with a regular (pre-grated) parmesan cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano is real parmesan cheese that you will want to grate yourself that has its name stamped on the rind. Most grocery stores will have the Parmigiano Reggiano close to the deli section with more specialty cheeses, like brie, feta, and goat. Of course, you *can* use the pre-grated kind, but just know it won’t be as good as it could be.

Do I Really Have to Use Eggs?

You don’t *have* to use eggs however the filling won’t hold together quite as well. But the taste will be there!

Can I Add Veggies to the Filling?

You can absolutely add veggies to the filling. I would suggest something classic and simple like wilted spinach, steamed broccoli, or riced cauliflower for taste and nutrition.

How to Make Stuffed Shells | Directions

The biggest secret to making these stuffed shells is using these disposable pastry bags to fill them. It makes life SO much easier and the whole process really quick. If you don’t have the disposable bags, use a sturdy freezer bag and snip a 1-inch hole in the corner to pipe. Of course, spoons are a simple way to fill them too, it just is a little more time-consuming.

Cook the Pasta Shells

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook according to package directions. I like cooking mine for a few minutes less than the recommended time so they stay sturdy as you fill them but then soften up as they bake in the marinara sauce.

Make the Filling

In a large bowl, stir together cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper until well combined. Spoon into a piping bag and set aside.

Fill the Shells

After you drain the pasta, rinse with cold water. Pour two entire jars of marinara sauce into your two baking pans. Using the piping bag, fill the par-boiled shells and place them into the marinara sauce, 20 shells per baking dish.

Top with Alfredo Sauce and Bake

Spoon pre-made Alfredo Sauce over the shells and top with more mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. In the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, remove the foil to brown the cheese.

Storing Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shells can be stored either in the baking pan or individual containers wrapped well. Stuffed shells will last for up to four days in the refrigerator. To reheat simply cover and bake in the oven or the microwave until heated through.

Freezing Instructions

These Stuffed Shells are one of the best recipes to freeze! They freeze so beautifully and bake up perfectly from frozen! To freeze, simply make the shells according to the recipe directions below, being sure to place them in disposable pans. Then before freezing, simply wrap well with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to four months.

To bake, transfer stuffed shells from the freezer to the hot oven. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour or until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil to brown the tops or simply broil for the last few minutes.

What to Serve With Stuffed Shells

This stuffed shells recipe goes perfectly with cooked vegetables, bread, salads, you name it. Here are some tasty ideas to get you started:

• Homemade Garlic Bread
• Craigo’s Breadsticks
• Caprese Salad Recipe
• Caesar Salad Recipe
• Roasted Asparagus
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Cauliflower

Love Stuffed Shells? Try These Other Italian Favorites:

I have published lots of Italian Recipes through the years, but here are some of my favorites (and reader favorites, too!)

• Best Ever Lasagna Recipe
• Italian Sausage Peppers Pasta
• Browned Butter Alfredo Pasta
• Amazing Italian Cream Cake
• Easy Cannoli Recipe

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Classic Stuffed Shells

Make amazing Stuffed Shells at home with this classic recipe. Filled with three cheeses, topped with Alfredo sauce and baked in a store-bought marinara. Lick your plates clean with this delicious recipe!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword stuffed shells recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 40 shells

Calories 103kcal

Ingredients

• 12 oz pasta shells 1 box, about 40 shells
• 4 cups low fat cottage cheese
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese divided
• 3/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 48 oz marinara sauce 2 jars of Rao's recommended
• 15 oz alfredo sauce 1 jar
• chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta shells for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain. Pour both jars of marinara sauce into the bottom of two 9×13 baking dishes, one jar per pan.
  
• In a large bowl, stir cottage cheese together with 1 cup mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, eggs, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Fill disposable piping bag (or large freezer bag) with filling. Snip the end of the bag to create a 1-inch hole and fill each shell. (Spooning it into the shells also works, it just takes a little more time.)
  
• Place the filled shells into the prepared pans, 20 shells per pan.
  
• Spoon prepared alfredo sauce overtop the filled shells. Sprinkle the tops with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella (1/2 cup cheese per pan), cover with foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for remaining 15 minutes to brown the tops.

  Alternately, you can keep the pans covered for the full 45 minute bake time and broil the tops at the end of the cooking time.
  
• Remove from oven and set 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot.
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Classic Stuffed Shells appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Chicken Options

An essential part of this recipe, obviously by the title. I love using chicken tenders because they cook much faster than an actual chicken breast. Be aware that your cooking time will increase if you’re using whole chicken breasts. Chicken cutlets would work well and have the same cooking time as listed below. If you only have the thicker chicken breast, feel free to cube it up and throw it in the bottom of the 9×13 dish.

The Ranch Sauce

The creamy sauce for this casserole is made up of cream of chicken soup, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and cheese. All four of these ingredients are mixed together to make the most delicious slather for chicken that there ever was.

Feel free to use light sour cream and a homemade version of cream of chicken soup for a healthier option.

Crunchy Topping Options

I tend to gravitate towards crushed Ritz crackers for any casserole topping because they create a perfectly crunchy and buttery top, but feel free to use club crackers, soda crackers, french fried onions, or even corn flakes (a la funeral potatoes).

Can I add bacon into this recipe?

You can absolutely add bacon to this recipe! You’ll be going from a chicken casserole to a *fancier* chicken bacon ranch casserole. Simply precook the bacon, crumble, and sprinkle it on top with the ritz crackers. I prefer cooking bacon in the oven but you could always use store-bought crumbled bacon.

How to Make Chicken Ranch Casserole

You only need about 10 minutes of prep to get this casserole ready for the oven! Don’t forget the exact measurements and directions are listed in the recipe card below.

Preheat and Prep

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Make Sauce

Stir cream of chicken soup, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and cheese together in a large bowl.

Layer Ingredients

Spread the chicken pieces into the bottom of the pan.

Spread the creamy mixture over the chicken evenly. It doesn’t look good now but trust me, when it comes out of the oven it will look like heaven.

Crush Ritz Crackers and top casserole. You’re looking for medium to small pieces.

Bake and Serve!

Bake 25-35 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Enjoy on its own or with rice.

Can I Make This in Advance?

Yes! Simply make according to recipe directions and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you are planning on storing it longer than that, I’d recommend adding the crushed crackers right before baking.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

This chicken ranch casserole recipe can last 3-4 days, stored in the refrigerator covered.

To reheat, bake at 325-350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. Or for individual portions, you can nuke it in the good ol’ microwave. Either way, be careful because the contents WILL be hot.

Can you Freeze Chicken Ranch Casserole?

Yes, you absolutely can! Put together the whole casserole, minus the topping, seal in an airtight container and then freeze, unbaked. When ready to bake, thaw, then add the Ritz topping and bake.

Thaw it out in the fridge the day before baking or reheating.

If you want to freeze a baked casserole, follow the directions, let cool completely, and then freeze.

What to Serve with Chicken Ranch Casserole

If you’ve got some time on your hands while the casserole is baking consider making these side dishes:

• Roasted Green Beans
• Roasted Cauliflower
• Famous Butter Rice
• Homemade Crescent Rolls (No-Knead Recipe)
• Strawberry Salad
• Pear Salad

More Chicken Casseroles to Try!

• Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
• Swiss Chicken Casserole
• Southwest Chicken Pasta Casserole
• Pesto Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Southwest Crockpot Egg Noodle Casserole

Be sure to pin, save, email, bookmark or share this recipe because it’s one you’re going to keep coming back to again and again! Have a great day, friends!

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Creamy Chicken Ranch Casserole

Made with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor this creamy Chicken Ranch Casserole is a simple dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Course Casserole, Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken ranch casserole

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 465kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken tenderloins
• 10 1/2 oz cream of chicken soup 1 can
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 oz ranch seasoning packet
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
• 40 Ritz crackers crushed

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a bowl, stir cream of chicken soup together with sour cream, ranch seasoning, and cheese.
  
• Spread chicken into the bottom of the pan. 
  
• Spread the creamy mixture over the chicken evenly. 
  
• Top with crushed crackers and bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Enjoy on its own or with rice.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 974mg | Potassium: 973mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 1.6mg

The post Creamy Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

Seriously the Best Baked Chicken Legs

I’m not one to buy chicken legs very frequently because its habit for me to reach for the boneless skinless chicken breasts. But man oh man I forget how inexpensive chicken legs are, how easy they are to throw together on a busy weeknight and that all my kids eat them no problem. I think a lot of times, people see the drumsticks at the grocery store and just don’t know what to do with them so they pass them by completely. But I’m here to tell you that the simple approach is best and making a really basic spice rub to sprinkle over top is where the magic happens. 

A hot oven and homemade spice mix will give you chicken legs with:

• crispy skin
• that are juicy and flavorful

Even though this recipe is pretty basic, it is delicious and is one I keep coming back to time and time again.

I’ve got some step by step photos below to walk you through the process, but I promise it’s super simple!

A Note About the Homemade Spice Mix

Chicken in general, including these baked chicken legs, need a lot of seasoning because on their own don’t have a lot of flavor.

I don’t necessarily like adding a lot of huge and big flavors to meat, especially if I’m feeding kids (which I always am). But, that doesn’t mean this is an out for making gross chicken. I want this seasoning blend to come across as “yum that’s good and I don’t know why” instead of some random kid yelling “why did you put garlic in this?” and then storming off to their room…not that this has ever happened at my house. Ha!

I purposely kept things neutral with my flavor profiles and I’m not just talking about salt and pepper, though they definitely help. With enough of a hit of poultry seasoning, onion powder and paprika, the mixture works magically to produce really REALLY good chicken without anyone really knowing why. The cherry on top is the crispy skin you get from that rub down with olive oil. It’s really so good.

How to Make Baked Chicken Legs

I purposely made this recipe as easy as possible with the simplest of ingredients. After the 10 minutes of prep work, this turns into the easiest recipe ever. Just let the oven do the work! While the chicken legs bake, you can make whatever sides you like so by the time you pull them out, dinner can be served right away.

Prep Your Chicken Drumsticks

Start by opening up your package of chicken legs and drying them off with a paper towel. I used two pounds of chicken drumsticks which ended up being about 8. Every package will be different based on weight, but 8 should be about average. Lay the dried drumsticks onto a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Set aside.

Make the Spice Rub

In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, onion powder, poultry seasoning, and paprika. This spice mix doesn’t have any pronounced or obvious flavors so when it is rubbed and baked onto this chicken, you will notice yourself saying “wow, this is good chicken” without realizing what is making it so good. Spoiler alert: its this spice rub!

Season the Chicken Legs + Bake

Rub each chicken leg with olive oil and sprinkle with the homemade spice mix. I did end up lining my baking sheet with foil because I like the easy cleanup but you don’t have to do this if that is preferred.

Bake, uncovered in a hot oven (about 40-45 mins) and you will have crispy, flavorful, golden brown chicken legs.

If you notice your oven runs hot or if you have the chicken on a lower rack in your oven, you may notice the chicken skin roasting too quickly, thus making it darker on the outside quicker than you may like. In this case I would cover it with foil for the duration of the bake time until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You can also cover it and move it to a higher rack in the oven.

Side Dishes to Serve with Baked Chicken Legs:

• Butter Rice (my favorite way to make rice!)
• Classic Coleslaw Recipe
• Funeral Potatoes
• Iceberg Wedge Salad Recipe
• Best Pan Fried Potatoes
• Caprese Salad with Garlic Balsamic Dressing

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover chicken legs in an airtight container or tightly wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Storing this way will keep them fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To Reheat: Skip the microwave, and throw them on a baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until hot.

More *Amazing* Chicken Recipes to Try:

• Roast Chicken, 
• Chicken Piccata Recipe, 
• Oven Fried Chicken, 
• Sticky Chicken Drumsticks  
• Lauren’s Roasted Chicken Thighs.

So there you have it, friends! A delicious, simple dinner that everyone loves! Be sure to print/save/pin/bookmark this recipe because it’s one of those basic recipes that you’ll keep coming back to. Have a great day, friends!

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Baked Chicken Legs

This recipe for Baked Chicken Legs is the simplest dinner to make any weeknight. Rub with a little olive oil, homemade spice mix and bake.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken, baked chicken legs, chicken leg recipes, chicken legs

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 341kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds chicken legs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together all seasonings and spices.
• Open package of chicken legs and pat dry with paper towels. Place onto prepared baking sheet and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasonings on all sides. 
• Bake, uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until browned and meat thermometer registers 165 degrees or higher. Serve warm.

Notes

If you notice your oven runs hot or if you have the chicken on a lower rack in your oven, you may notice the chicken skin roasting too quickly, thus making it darker on the outside quicker than you may like. In this case I would cover it with foil for the duration of the bake time until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You can also cover it and move it to a higher rack in the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 262mg | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Baked Chicken Legs appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

How To Make Sweet Donut Cinnamon Bread (YUM)

This is a pretty simple loaf to make, you just need to be prepared to get a little messy whilst dipping the whole loaf into melted butter…and then cinnamon and sugar. For full recipe details see the printable recipe card and video down below.

Prep

Preheat oven. Grease light colored loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Batter

In large bowl, mix oil, butter and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk until uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present.

Reserve 1/2 Cup of Cinnamon Bread Batter

Reserve 1/2 cup prepared batter from bowl and place into a separate smaller bowl. To that small amount of batter, stir in cinnamon and molasses.

Pour into Pan, Swirl + Bake

Pour half of the prepared batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spoon half of the cinnamon batter in small dollops overtop the batter. Pour remaining plain batter over the top. Dot the top with remaining cinnamon batter. Using a butter knife, swirl two batters together.

Bake until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs…about 40-45 minutes.

Prep Coating

While loaf is baking, get coating ready. Pour melted butter into a large shallow dish. Stir sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a separate large shallow dish.

Cool

Cool 10 minutes before loosening edges and removing loaf from pan. The loaf should be very warm, but cool enough to handle with your hands.

Coat Loaf in Butter + Cinnamon Sugar

Dip each side of loaf into melted butter until fully coated. Spoon remaining melted butter over the edges that tend to be more crispy. Transfer buttery loaf to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press into the sides and top until fully coated. Slice into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

Storing Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon Swirl bread can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock beg at room temperature. This bread will stay fresh for 4-5 days.

To Freeze: Let Cinnamon Bread cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and placing in a freezer safe bag. Bread will stay fresh in the freezer for 3 months.

Can I Make These into Muffins Instead?

Yes! You can totally make this buttery cinnamon bread into muffins. Be sure to grease the muffin tin and fill 2/3 full and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, around 13-15 minutes. Paper liners wouldn’t work here because you would have to coat the whole muffin in butter, then cinnamon sugar. Unless you just dip the top, which could be a great option if you’d rather not bother washing a muffin tin.

More Sweet Cinnamon Recipes To Try:

• Cinnamon Butterscotch Chip Cookie Recipe
• Snickerdoodle Cookies
• The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Buttery Monkey Bread Recipe

So, there you have it! A buttery, sweet, delicious cinnamon bread that you are sure to love. Be sure to save this recipe for your next breakfast or brunch gathering! Have a wonderful weekend!

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Cinnamon Bread (swirled donut bread)

This Swirly Cinnamon Bread recipe is a cakey bread, baked until perfection and then dipped into butter and coated with cinnamon sugar!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 8 slices

Calories 475kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon molasses

coating:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• In large bowl, mix oil, butter and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gently stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk until uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present. Remove 1/2 cup prepared batter from bowl and place into a separate smaller bowl. To that small amount of batter, stir in cinnamon and molasses.
• Pour half of the prepared batter into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spoon half of the cinnamon batter in small dollops overtop the batter. Pour remaining plain batter over the top. Dot the top with remaining cinnamon batter. Using a butter knife, swirl two batters together. Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• While loaf is baking, get coating ready. Pour melted butter into a large shallow dish. Stir sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a separate large shallow dish.
• Cool 10 minutes before loosening edges and removing loaf from pan. The loaf should be very warm, but cool enough to handle with your hands.
• Dip each side of loaf into melted butter until fully coated. Spoon remaining melted butter over the edges that tend to be more crispy. Transfer buttery loaf to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press into the sides and top until fully coated.
• Slice into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 126mg | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.4mg

The post Cinnamon Bread {Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread} appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

What is a Crepe?

A Crepe is a version of a thin pancake that originated in France. Usually, people eat crepes in two ways, savory or sweet. The savory kind is filled with a variety of things including but not limited to: bacon, ham, cheese, and/or mushrooms. The sweet can be filled with fresh fruit, Nutella, and topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or even ice cream.

Here’s a variety of crepes to help inspire your crepe filling needs: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Topped Cinnamon Vanilla Crepes, Lemon Cream-filled Crepes with Strawberries & Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filled Crepes.

Is Crepe Mix the Same As Pancake Mix?

While I know there are people out there thinking crepes are just thin pancakes, they are not! Crepes and Pancakes are two totally different beasts and are not considered equal! Pancakes are thick and fluffy thanks to their thicker batter and baking powder. The combination of the thicker batter plus the leavening gives pancakes that big rise. (See my fluffy pancake recipe here.)

Crepes have a much thinner batter made with mostly eggs and milk with no leavening added. Pancakes are primarily and traditionally served warm with butter and maple syrup but Crepes are larger, paper-thin, and filled with just about anything from Nutella to fresh fruit and cream to simple sugar and lemon juice. While I can understand explaining crepes as ‘thin pancakes’, they are not the same.

How to Make My Crepe Recipe

Crepes are made with a simple mixture of ingredients that you probably already have on hand! Take these steps one at a time. It’s easier than you think! And don’t get frustrated if your first crepe doesn’t turn out. It’s the sacrificial crepe that makes the rest of them turn out perfectly. If you are looking for a gluten-free crepe try using your favorite gluten-free and gum-free multi-purpose flour.

Make the Batter

Place ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Scrape the sides and blend again briefly until the batter is lump-free. Refrigerate for at least an hour…ideally 2 hours.

Does Crepe Batter Need to Rest?

For tender and soft crepes, it is highly recommended to let the crepe batter rest in the fridge for about 2 hours before frying. This allows the flour to get absorbed completely and lets the gluten relax, yielding a softer crepe. That’s not to say they aren’t good when fried fresh from the blender without that rest; they just give you a more tender crepe. In a perfect world, yes, let them rest. But in the real world, you’ll still get a good crepe straight from the blender.

Heat Pan + Melt Butter

Preheat a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet on the stove. Melt a little butter or oil in the bottom of the pan and swirl to coat.

Pour a Very Thin Layer of Batter into the Hot Pan

Slowly and steadily pour crepe batter into the center of the pan, tilting the skillet around to spread the batter evenly across the bottom in a very thin layer. It takes some practice but after 3 or 4 times, you can get consistently even crepes.

Fry for 10-15 Seconds Per Side

Fry crepes for 10-15 seconds per side or until the crepe batter doesn’t look shiny anymore; it should appear more matte and the bottom should be lightly browned. Flip crepe and cook another 10 seconds or so. Remove from pan.

Repeat this process until no more batter remains.

This recipe is simple and the method for pouring the batter into the pan takes some practice, but honestly, after a few tries, you’ll get it down and become a pro!

Tips for Frying Crepes

I think the most important thing to remember about making this crepe recipe at home is you don’t need any special equipment to do it! Growing up, my mom simply used two frying pans alternating pouring and flipping between the two! This is the pan I’ve come to use and love for frying crepes. It’s not too heavy, is nonstick, holds its heat pretty well, and is a perfect 10 inches across. Here are a few more tips:

• Every stove is different and frying crepes takes a pretty high temperature, but you’ll have to experiment to see what is best for you. Anywhere between medium and medium high should be your sweet spot!
• Add butter or oil to the hot pan and swirl to coat the bottom. Add your batter in and swirl it around to coat the bottom in a thin layer. After 10-15 seconds, you should be ready to flip.
• When your crepe is done, pull it out of the pan and add more crepe batter to the pan. No need to add butter or oil every time. I can usually fry 2-3 crepes before needing more fat in the pan. (Why I love using a nonstick pan!)

I pile my crepes into a pie plate or dinner plate covered with some foil throughout the cooking process to keep them all warm, a trick my Mom does. Serve immediately with whatever toppings you desire.

Can You Make the Batter Ahead?

This recipe is perfect to make ahead the night before. For best results, refrigerate your batter no more than 2 days before you make them. If you notice it starting to get discolored (starting to look a little grey) in the fridge, it’s bad and you should throw it out and make a fresh batch. Fry as directed in the recipe card below.

Storing Leftovers

I usually stack leftover crepes in an airtight container or ziplock bag and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I Freeze Crepes?

Yes, you can freeze crepes! Fully cook them, then stack them in between wax paper and store them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to two months!

To reheat, thaw crepes in the fridge and then reheat them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds (depending on how many crepes you’re reheating time may vary). I do not recommend freezing the batter.

Toppings and Filling Ideas for Crepes

After reading a ton of comments about what you all like with your crepes, I decided to publish some of them in this post. So here are some sweet topping and filling ideas from readers like you!

• Homemade Whipped Cream and Strawberries- a classic choice great for the holidays!
• Jam – strawberry, raspberry, plum, apricot, whatever your heart desires.
• Cream Cheese and Fresh Strawberries – I love the sweet-tart flavor idea!
• Fresh Blueberries and Pineapple – whatever is in season, pile your fresh fruit high!
• Palacsinta: Ricotta, Nutmeg, and Lemon Filling – a sweet holiday family tradition.
• Nutella – probably my favorite filling ever!
• Dulce de Leche – a drool-worthy addition.
• Homemade Blackberry Syrup – incase you can get your hands on some fresh blackberries this summer, this is downright delicious! Frozen also works well.
• Lemon Juice and Sugar – simple and delicate filling, yet so so tasty!
• Lemon Curd – store bought or homemade is perfect!

Love Crepes? Try These Other Sweet Treats:

• Banana Nut Bread Recipe
• Pancake Mix Recipe
• Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Recipe
• Fluffy Pancake Recipe
• Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread
• Nutella Crepes

I’ve written out all the tips I can think of to ensure success for this recipe in the printable version below. If you end up making these, I would love to hear about it in the comments below.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this crepe recipe as much we do! It’s a tasty one

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Easy Crepe Recipe

Making Crepes is faster, simpler and way easier than you think! Made with only 6 ingredients, this Crepe Recipe is even better than the ones you'd find in Paris!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword Crepe Recipe, Crepes, How to Make Crepes

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings 16 crepes, depending on pan size

Calories 127kcal

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter or canola oil
• good pinch of salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in order as listed in a blender and blitz until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides and blend again briefly until batter is lump-free. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, but 2 is ideal.
• Place nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat* to preheat. Melt a little butter or oil in the bottom of the pan and swirl to coat. With the hot skillet in one hand and the batter in the other, slowly and steadily pour crepe batter into the center of the pan, tilting the skillet around to spread the batter evenly across the bottom in a very thin layer. It takes some practice but after 3 or 4 times, you can get consistently even crepes.
• After 10-15 seconds, the crepe batter shouldn’t look shiny anymore, it should appear more matte and the bottom should be lightly browned. So, flip it over and cook another 10 seconds or so. Remove from pan and repeat this process until no more batter remains.
• I like to pile my crepes into a pie plate covered with some foil throughout the cooking process to keep them all warm, a trick my Mom does. Serve immediately with whatever toppings you desire.

Video

Notes

– A few notes about making crepes: The first one usually doesn’t work perfectly. I don’t know why. Just eat this one as a quick snack and continue on. No one needs to know

– You only need to add more butter or oil to the hot pan every 3 crepes or so to ensure the crepes flipping perfectly, although adding it every time certainly isn’t a bad thing!

– Practice makes perfect.*The medium to medium-high heat is an approximation because all stovetops are different. If your crepes are cooking in about 30 seconds total, you are at the right temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 77mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.9mg

The post The Best Crepe Recipe appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

A Family Favorite Recipe

Today I’m so happy to be sharing the Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe because truth be told, I prefer banana bread with nuts. Some people are banana bread purists and others prefer chocolate chips, but I am in the nut category (though if I’m being honest, I’ve never met a banana bread I didn’t like). This is a delicious, adaptable, moist banana bread recipe that is nearly fail-proof. It’s the epitome of comfort and happiness and by the end of the week, I always seem to have spotty bananas around.

Pro Tips For Banana Nut Bread Success

Keep Banana Bread Moist

I have created this recipe using specific ingredients to keep this loaf as moist as possible. Things like mashed banana, oil, butter and buttermilk all add moisture to banana bread so when it’s baked, it’s still soft and tender. Also, watch the clock when you’re baking this so you don’t over bake it! Over baked, dark and dry banana bread is not delicious.

Use the Right Loaf Pan

I use this lightly colored loaf pan that doesn’t darken the sides too quickly. Since loaves usually take about an hour in the oven, you want to limit how brown the sides get. If you’re using a nonstick, darker metal pan, you’ll end up with really crispy edges. If you like crispy edges, then all the more power to ya. But, I love a soft loaf the entire way around and I find a lighter-colored loaf pan is the way to achieve that. If you happen to pull your loaf out of the pan and it has a few crispy edges, wrap it in plastic wrap when it’s lukewarm (not to be confused with warm) for an hour or two. It’ll soften those edges right up.

Use Fresh Walnuts

Nuts have oils in them and if they have been sitting on your pantry shelf for a little too long, those oils will go rancid. This goes for any nut, not just walnuts! If you try a walnut out of the package, you should be able to tell if it has gone rancid. (It should have a stronger, unpleasant flavor.) Since half of this recipe is bananas and the other half is basically nuts, you want to make sure you use the tastiest and freshest ones.

Let Your Loaf Cool Completely

This is just a rule of thumb for any sort of loaf recipe. If you want clean and beautiful slices, wait until it’s cooled completely. If you don’t really care, slice away! Warm banana bread is hard to beat, even if it isn’t completely picture perfect.

How to Make Banana Nut Bread

My recipe for banana nut bread obviously calls for walnuts (classic) but be sure to check out my adaptions below. For full recipe details and ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

Prepare your Pan

Preheat oven. Spray a light colored loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Batter

In a large bowl, stir oil, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and mashed banana together until mostly smooth.

Add in dry ingredients slowly with buttermilk until a uniform batter comes together. Stir in chopped walnuts by hand. Pour into prepared loaf pan and top with more nuts.

Bake Your Loaf, Cool + Slice

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool at least 15 minutes before removing from hot pan and slicing.

Love bread as much as I do? Check out these recipes: Soft Zucchini Bread Recipe (super easy!), Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, EASY Homemade Bread Recipe, and Seriously *the best* Cornbread Recipe.

Variations to Try

If walnuts aren’t your thing, here are a few common and delicious options!

• Purist– simply omit nuts and bake plain banana bread.
• Change the nuts – if you don’t like or don’t have walnuts on hand, pecans, almonds or cashews are a great option!
• Chocolate chips – substitute out the chopped walnuts for chocolate chips. 1/2 cup in the batter and 1/4 cup sprinkled on top. Delicious!

Storing Banana Bread

Store any uneaten Banana bread in a ziplock bag or airtight container to retain the moisture and softness as long as possible, usually 4 days on the counter. After then, it’s still fine to eat, you’ll just notice its drying out a little.

To Freeze: Allow loaf to cool completely. Wrap loaf in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing in a ziplock bag or freezer safe container. Banana bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

Even More Banana Bread to Try!

• Classic Banana Bread
• Banana Bread Muffins
• Spiced Banana Bread
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The printable recipe card is below. Save/Print/Pin/bookmark this glorious Banana Bread! Well worth it to have this recipe in your arsenal. It’s worth every calorie for sure

Have a great day, friends!

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The Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe

The Best Banana Nut Bread Recipe is moist, sweet and flavorful every time! If you have spotty bananas lying around, this recipe is for you.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword banana nut bread, banana nut bread recipe, best banana nut bread recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 259kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup salted butter softened
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 whole bananas mashed
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup walnuts chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease light colored loaf pan (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 3/4” high) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix oil, butter, and sugar until well combined. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and banana until smooth.
• Gently stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk until a uniform batter has formed. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps are present. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and top with remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the lower half of the oven or until completely baked. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.1mg

The post The *BEST* Banana Nut Bread appeared first on Lauren's Latest.

But First, What is No Bake Cheesecake?

Just as the name suggests, a no bake cheesecake doesn’t require any baking whatsoever. It’s the perfect dessert for hot weather, if you need a quick treat for a crowd or if you don’t want to take the time to make a traditional New York Style Cheesecake.

The graham cracker crust nor the filling requires any baking which means there are no eggs in this recipe and there is no extended baking or cooling times required. A no bake cheesecake is truly the fail-proof way to make cheesecake. No cracking, no baking, no water bath, no worries!

A Note About Cream Cheese

Just like my Classic Cheesecake recipe, you’ll only need a few basic ingredients for this. Nothing new and very obvious items. For the cream cheese, I prefer Philadelphia brand because I think its a little more tangy that the other no-name brands out there. Be sure this is at room temperature to avoid lumps.

How to Make No Bake Cheesecake

There are only a few steps and a little fridge time standing in between you and this no-bake cheesecake recipe! As easy as can be!

Make the Crust

Stir melted butter together with graham cracker crumbs and a touch of sugar. Be sure every crumb is coated in butter to have a crust that sticks together. Press into a pie pan and refrigerate.

Do I Have to Bake the Graham Cracker Crust?

While a traditional cheesecake does call for pre-baking the crust, I find it isn’t necessary for a no-bake cheesecake because the melted butter works as glue to hold the graham cracker crumbs together for neat and tidy slices. The melted butter hardens in the refrigerator and works perfectly. I wouldn’t bother baking the crust. It’s an extra step that I think is unnecessary.

Make the Filling

In a stand mixer, stir room temperature cream cheese together with granulated sugar and a touch of vanilla. Slowly incorporate the cold heavy cream into the cream cheese filling being sure to scrape the sides after each addition. Once all the whipped cream has been added, whip the filling for 30-60 seconds or until very thick and it holds its shape easily. Be sure to not over beat! If you beat it too long, it will go from thick back to thin and won’t set.

My Filling Isn’t Thickening. Now What?

If you are familiar with no bake cheesecake, you may know that getting a thick and luscious filling can seem harder than all us online folks make it look. It’s not hard, you just need to know how to make your filling properly.

Be sure to use room temperature cream cheese and blend with sugar and vanilla to get a smooth base to mix the whipped cream into. Next, using COLD heavy whipped cream, slowly incorporate it by thirds into the cream cheese mixture, letting it mix in completely and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Once all the whipped cream has been incorporated, you want to whip it until its thick enough to hold its shape, completely smooth and creamy. You’re essentially whipping the cream within the cream cheese mixture.

Like I mentioned above, over mixing can turn your thick filling into soup. So once it’s thick, turn the mixer off and spoon it into your crust.

Also, using cold heavy whipping cream is important and helps thicken the filling. (Heavy whipping cream has a higher fat content than just whipping cream, so be sure to find the containers that say “heavy whipping cream” for ultimate success.)

Of course this cheesecake is delicious as in with no toppings whatsoever, though I am a little partial to a little lemon curd.

Pour Filling into Crust + Chill

Spread that thick and creamy filling into the chilled crust, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours (or up to a few days).

Serve With Any Desired Toppings

Serve with any desired toppings. From canned cherry or blueberry filling to fresh fruit or chocolate sauce, the sky is the limit!

Crowd-Pleasing Cheesecake Toppings

Since this is a very basic, beautiful and delicious cheesecake recipe, try to find delicious toppings that will help enhance the flavor. Here are a few classic ideas:

• cherry pie filling (what most no-bake cheesecakes call for)
• fresh strawberries or raspberries
• strawberry or raspberry sauce
• chocolate shavings
• chocolate sauce
• melted nutella
• whipped cream
• lemon curd
• chocolate ganache
• salted caramel sauce

Storage Directions

Leftover cheesecake should be covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.

To Freeze: Cheesecake can be frozen as a whole or cut into individual pieces. Be sure to wrap in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil before placing it in the freezer. Cheesecake will stay fresh for up to 1 month.

To Thaw: Place Cheesecake in the fridge overnight. The foil can be removed, but leave the plastic wrap on it until ready to serve. You can also microwave individual pieces for about 30 seconds at a time and then check it. I wouldn’t microwave an entire cake though.

Other Cheesecake Desserts:

• Gluten-Free No-Bake Cheesecake
• No-Bake Brownie Batter Cheesecake
• No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake {Gluten + Sugar-Free}
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Nutella Cheesecake
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake

This recipe is certainly one of my favorites and I know you are sure to love this easy no bake cheesecake too With the holidays quickly approaching, be sure to bookmark, pin, save or print this recipe so you don’t lose it. It’s another great one to add to your repertoire! Enjoy, friends.

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No Bake Cheesecake

No-Bake Cheesecake has never been so easy or delicious! A silky smooth cream cheese filling surrounded by a buttery graham cracker crust. Enjoy plain or with any desired toppings with no oven required.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword no bake cheesecake recipe, No-Bake Cheesecake

Prep Time 10 minutes

refrigeration 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 479kcal

Author Lauren’s Latest

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons butter melted
• 16 oz cream cheese softened (two 8 oz packages)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream cold
• 1 cup canned pie filling cherry, blueberry, etc.

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together to moisten. Press into an 8 or 9-inch glass pie plate and refrigerate.
• In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth and well combined. Scrape the sides and mix again to ensure there are no lumps. Stir in vanilla.
• With the mixer on, add cream in four increments, letting it whip into the cream cheese after each addition. Whip 1 minute until thick and light. Scrape the sides to ensure even mixing and whip again if needed.
• Pour into prepared pie shell and smooth the top. Refrigerate 2 hours to overnight, covered in plastic wrap. 
• To serve, cut into pieces and top with two tablespoons of pie filling (or whipped cream) if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1460IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 0.8mg

The post No-Bake Cheesecake appeared first on Lauren's Latest.