It’s a weekend meant for cheese!

Super bowl weekend is here and this hot honey chili crunch dip could not be more perfect. It’s cheesy, creamy, a little spicy and fluffy enough to be a dip, spread or stuffed in a grilled cheese.

It’s sure to be a hit of your game day gathering! 

This dip has so many ingredients that I love. Hot honey! Chili crisp! Sharp cheddar! Green onions! Cue all the exclamation points because it’s very delicious and super easy to make. 

It’s also a great dip to make ahead of time. Trust me, it only gets better as it sits. You can make this the night before or the morning of a party and it will be FANTASTIC. 

You can put it in the center of a snack dish piled high with just about anything because absolutely everything dipped in this is pure heaven.

It tastes so good! In these photos, I’m serving it with these red pepper cheddar crackers. 

And you guys know that I don’t love super spicy things, so if I love it… it’s manageable. 

This dip is served chilled and can be compared to the consistency of pimento cheese or my jarlsberg dip. It also reminds me of my chilled queso, which is another fabulous recipe you should make this weekend. 

It’s creamy but also mousse-like, making it the perfect dip for things like pretzel sticks, crackers, and even celery and carrots.  (more…)

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Just sharing a cool 50 of my favorite recipes with you today!

Ha. Yes, 50! Of course. I would have 50 favorites.

I know that the big big game is still a few weeks away, but if you’re watching the games this weekend, make some good eats!

Regardless of if you actually want to watch the game or just enjoy the snacks, these are my top picks. I used to do a huge football food post every september and I have a LOT of delish ideas for game day. These are my absolute top picks – all of which I wish could appear in my kitchen right now!

These are GOOD.

50 Game Day Recipes

Buffalo chicken guacamole pizza

Our favorite pimento cheese

Smoked cheddar and caramelized onion potato skins (more…)

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This is the week to celebrate cheese!

And there is no better time to do it than with whipped brie cheese. 

Oh my gosh. YES.

Whipped.

Brie.

Cheese. 

I can’t get over how delicious this is. And if you’re in the mood for the perfect cheesy appetizer for new year’s eve, this is it. 

It serves a crowd. It’s very customizable. You can add just about anything on top!

Last year I became obsessed with this idea of whipped brie after seeing it all over the internet. And this has become my favorite topping for it.

Enter: maple bacon and rosemary. 

I like to fry the bacon, adding a bunch of fresh rosemary at the end. It sizzles and crisps up and flavors the bacon in an excellent way. 

I drizzle maple syrup on the brie first, then add the rosemary bacon. It’s crunchy, savory, sweet and fresh. Super delicious! 

The method for this whipped brie is crazy! But it works. 

This is how I make it: 

First, remove as much of the rind as you can off a wheel of cold brie.

Next, cut it into pieces and let it sit at room temperature until softened. 

Then, throw the whole thing in your stand mixer and beat it into oblivion! Whip it until creamy and smooth and silky. Delicious. 

Finally, add your toppings. It’s that easy!

The brie is so impressive on its own. So decadent, creamy and smooth, it’s like a spreadable heaven for crackers, vegetables, crostini or more. 

This is something so special and fun – plus is lasts in the fridge too! It can be a spread on a sandwich or even base for toast. (more…)

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I’m here with your game day food.

Sheet pan cheese fries. Chimichurri cheese fries, to be exact. Sprinkled with crispy chipotle bacon for an extra pop of flavor. 

I wish I could eat these every single day! 

Ever since making my smashburger fries, we’ve been loving sheet pan fries of every variety. Some have cheese. Some don’t! I love a good salt and malt vinegar fry. 

These are clearly cheese-loaded fries. With a few other good things.

I’ve learned a lesson over the last few years of having kids: just buy frozen fries. I have countless recipes on this blog where I make a homemade version of french fries. 

But! 

You can get such excellent, crispy and delicious fries in the freezer section these days – and they are your best bet. You can fancy them up like this.

P.S. you can also put them on salad for a huge win.

I mean, think about it. You buy tortilla chips to make sheet pan nachos. So why not buy fries to make sheet pan fries?!

The best idea I ever had. 

Now let’s talk about how incredibly wonderful these are. Perfect for a party, game day snack, appetizer or late night treat. 

And I’ve even made chimichurri fries before. It’s one of my favorite condiments to put on fries and, frankly, potatoes in general. 

But these chimichurri cheese fries are legit. 

I make a cheese sauce.

And I make my chimichurri too! Unless I already have it made in the fridge. Which in most cases, I do. Because I make it frequently. 

Then I also make some chipotle bacon! Yes, this is a little high maintenance. My chipotle bacon is just diced bacon sprinkled with chipotle chili powder and cooked until super crispy and crunchy. You want to eat it on everything.

Next, I make a batch of frozen fries. Yes. You could use the air fryer, but I don’t like that because it can usually only handle one small batch at a time. So instead, I spread the fries on a sheet pan and roast them at 450 degrees (at least! Even if the directions specify a lower temp!) until crispy. You know, like it’s 1997 again. Before air fryers existed.

And that’s it!

I don’t think I need to go on and on and on about the amount of flavor these fries have – you can see it right on the plate. Cheesy sauce, chimi drizzle, crunchy bacon sprinkle.  (more…)

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Oh hello!

This is where I grill pizza dough, smother it with melted butter, tons of garlic and fresh herbs, then slice it into strips and call it breadsticks.

My kind of breadsticks.

I debated on calling them… pizza sticks? Grilled dough sticks? Grilled pizza bites? I had no idea what to call them for you. But we call them grilled breadsticks. Even if they are just grilled pizza dough. Sliced into strips. Doused in garlicky butter.

I just can’t get enough of the butter part. I mean you can straight up SEE the butter here, right? 

So here’s how I do it!

I like to use my pizza dough recipe. Usually half of the recipe. But you can use any pizza dough that you like! One from Trader Joe’s, one from your favorite pizza joint – anything. 

While the dough rises, I make the most delicious garlic butter. Butter, garlic, salt, fresh herbs like parsley and basil. Any herbs work! I melt this all together in a saucepan and let it sit and marry together. 

The grill is preheated to the highest setting. I roll out the dough like I’m going to make a pizza – but that’s it! The dough itself goes right on the grill, just plain. I grill it until it’s puffy and cooked and charred in a few places.

The minute it comes off the grill, I brush the garlic butter over every.single.inch. Don’t miss a spot! Then give it a big sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

I let this sit for a few minutes and slightly cool. Then I slice it into strips.

THAT IS IT. (more…)

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Snacks snacks snacks! 

I’m always on the lookout for new good snacks to serve, whether it’s to my family on the weekend, an at-home date night or a last minute get together.

And let’s be honest, said snacks usually include cheese. 

Maybe always. 

Cheese forever! 

Yes, I’m full of exclamation points today but when it comes to bubbly, golden and melty cheese?

There is no better time for an exclamation point.

This grilled feta is topped with chopped pistachios and the most flavorful chimichurri, then served with crackers or little crostini or fresh bread. It’s heavenly!

Such a hit at a party, such a hit at home for a snack. 

The feta is wonderfully creamy and a little crumbly. The chimichurri is refreshing and tangy, with a bite from the red wine vinegar and crushed red pepper flavors. The pistachios add that perfect crunch that every meal needs. A nutty buttery crunch. 

The bottom line is that this checks all the flavor boxes. It’s crunchy, creamy, savory – all wrapped in a little cheese package. 

It’s easy too. Preheat the grill and throw a cast iron skillet on it when you do. The feta gets grilled right in the skillet. Trust me – this is key! You could also use a grill pan without holes. Just don’t put the feta directly on the grates. It doesn’t hold up like halloumi does, and it will melt into the grill before it gets charred enough to enjoy. (more…)

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Hello hello!

Welcome to the side dish I make multiple times a week every single summer. Grilled bread, the most delicious and insanely garlicky tomatoes with fresh basil and balsamic spooned on top… HEAVEN. 

Absolute summer heaven. 

This is one of those no-recipe recipes. It’s embarrassingly easy. It’s more of a method than an actual recipe. Tomatoes on toast? Why yes, I am sharing this!

But it’s more of an idea for your meals, rather than a “here’s how to make this” type of recipe.

If you ever read my week in the life posts, especially in the summer, you usually see my grilled bread escapades for sunday dinner. I love throwing sourdough right on the grill when we’ve making a delish summer meal and have tons of tomatoes to pile on top. 

This is the perfect easy summer side dish when you don’t know what else to make. Aren’t sure what to serve with your grilled chicken tonight? Make grilled bruschetta. Don’t know what to eat with your salad? Grilled bruschetta. It works on almost any occasion. 

And it’s very customizable!

I love tons of fresh garlic in my tomatoes. So much garlic that there’s a spicy bite. But if that’s not your thing, tone it down. You can also saute the garlic in some olive oil first to soften the flavor a bit. 

You can add diced sweet peppers to the tomatoes or even shallots. More herbs like rosemary, parsley and chives. Even a handful of leftover grilled corn!

Shockingly, I love the simplicity of this more than anything. And that is huge for me. I don’t often go for the simpler option.

But there is something about the charred toasty bread and sweetest tomatoes that do it for me.

Also, this recipe works double duty for us. If we don’t have sourdough, or if we’re eating a bread-heavy meal already (like burgers or something), I will make the tomatoes exactly as written below. Then I sprinkle in some feta or goat cheese. That is one of Eddie’s most favorite side dishes ever. He adores tomatoes that way. 

The bruschetta topping also lasts in the fridge for a day or two. Sure, the basil gets a bit wilty but the flavor is still there. You can throw the tomatoes in salads or even on pizza. 

Basically, you can do just about ANYTHING with these tomatoes. 

The limit does not exist!  (more…)

The post The 10 Minute Grilled Bruschetta I Make All Summer Long. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Summer snacks!

Is there anything better?

This adorable little appetizer has everything you want in the perfect bite: crunchy toast, creamy cheese and sweet and spicy roasted tomatoes. Oh, and fresh basil for that bright summer bite! 

And – they are cute too.

Throw these on a plate for happy hour with some ice-cold sauvignon blanc and summer heaven is here.

I am always looking for a fabulous appetizer that I can either take to a summer gathering, BBQ or make for a nice little evening on the patio. Even though this one takes some prep time, it’s pretty darn easy and the ingredients aren’t anything that too fancy.

If you’re in need of more summer snacks, I’m a little crostini obsessed. I’ve made burrata peach crostini with basil butter, peach bruschetta with whipped ricotta and my summer crostini with garlic goat cheese which has been a long-time favorite. It gets made over and over again by you guys too. So, of course, why not add in another one?!

Slow roasted tomatoes are everything.

My usual slow roasted tomatoes have a tiny sprinkle of sugar on top. This helps them get extra fabulous in the oven, so today we’re swapping the sugar for honey. And not just any honey, but hot honey! 

I love how accessible hot honey is now. I love the mike’s hot honey version and I find mine on amazon or at Target. But before that, I always just made my own. I have the recipe here on the site, but the basic idea is to simmer honey with a hot pepper. Like a jalapeno or something similar. It’s super easy and makes the honey so delicious. I love a little heat + sweet. 

Of course, it doesn’t HAVE to be hot honey. The extra bite here makes this taste special, especially when combined with the creamy ricotta cheese. Regular honey works too though. 

I actually love to make slow roasted tomatoes when the tomatoes aren’t perfect. I enjoy doing this either right before tomato season or right after – or heck, even in the dead of winter. Slow roasting the tomatoes makes them so super sweet and caramelly. It can turn an unflavorful tomato into a piece of tomato-like candy. And that’s right up my alley! 

Slow roasting is a little high maintenance, in that it does take awhile. About two hours or so. But it’s mostly hands-off work, so you can roast the tomatoes while you’re cleaning or working or doing just about anything else inside the house! 

Plus, they last in the fridge too. Keep them in a sealed container for salads, wraps, snacks and more. They are one of my favorite things!  (more…)

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It’s summer snack time!

These grilled shishito peppers are one of our favorite snacks in the summer and they take mere minutes. Just MINUTES I tell you! 

We can’t get enough of these and they are the perfect thing to throw on the grill before the main dish. I also love to make them for a quick happy hour or even just a late afternoon snack if we’re hanging out on the patio. 

There’s basically zero prep, barely any cleanup and they taste so fresh and delicious. 

And most of the peppers are NOT hot and spicy. They say that one in ten shishito peppers is spicy, but I find that it’s even less than that. I’ve probably had hundreds of shishitos in my life and have maybe only had two spicy ones. 

This is how I make them!

I use a grill pan and it makes the process so simple. My favorite one is this all clad grill roaster. It’s super high quality and I use it almost every single day. Sometimes twice a day!

I toss the peppers with a little olive or avocado oil. Then I throw them in the grill pan, right on the grill. I close the lid and let them char and blister, tossing every few minutes.

As soon as they are done, I hit them with super flakey salt (like this maldon), some fresh lemon juice and crumbled cotija cheese.

The cheese softens a bit since the peppers are hot and the whole plate is just super fresh, delicious, warm and light. Embarrassingly easy and ridiculously flavorful.

(more…)

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Let me tell you all about this salsa that I want to eat with a spoon. 

It’s an embarrassingly easy recipe, if we can even call it a recipe. It’s an excellent happy hour snack or tex-mex weeknight side. Juicy strawberries, creamy avocado, spicy jalapeño pepper, red onion and all the lime, cilantro and salt that you can eat. 

Bring on the chips!

I am always looking for a delicious snack that I can make in mere minutes when it comes to spontaneous summer entertaining. Even if that “entertaining” consists of Eddie, the kids and myself sitting out on the patio as the days get longer. A Saturday snack, if you will. One that is fruit forward and perfect for when you’ve had a huge brunch and aren’t hungry for dinner yet.

But you’re dying to sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather with an icy margarita or cold pinot grigio.

I’ve got you!! 

I’m basically throwing it back to 2011 today. There was a time here on the site (well over a decade ago!) where I could not get enough fruit salsa. Seriously, if I found a fruit, I would put it in salsa. And that obsession still holds – I love a sweet and savory salsa.

Anything that can be prepped ahead of time and served with chips or over a main dish is my kind of food. This is sweet and bright and spicy and refreshing and really packs a punch with flavor.

A few other recipes that check this box for me are my mango shrimp salsa, jarlsberg cheese dip, chilled queso, peach bruschetta and marinated cheese. Those can all be made relatively quickly, even ahead of time, and are great for snacking with pretzels, crackers, chips or veggies.

Also let’s just take a moment to note that almost all of those include cheese, and this strawberry salsa does not. So we’re winning there! 

I usually have spicy strawberry margaritas on the brain when I make this salsa. Now I’m not including a splash of tequila, though I’m tempted. But the combination reminds me of a strawberry margarita with a spicy rim and I just can’t get enough.

Especially in this warmer season where strawberries are incredible. The strawberries are ridiculously sweet, the peppers can be fairly spicy and the avocado cools everything down with the rich creaminess. The combination is unbeatable.  (more…)

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