Cobb salad

The cobb salad is a main-dish American garden salad that’s created with chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, tomato, red onions, blue cheese, and drizzled with a tangy red wine vinegar dressing.

When you’re looking for a meal that will satisfy your hunger, a classic Cobb salad recipe has everything you could possibly crave. The kitchen sink of salads, it was invented in the 1920’s by the store manager of the original Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood California, Bob Cobb. Thanks to his creativity and desire for variety, it’s now an American staple and one that you can easily make at home.

I’ve got to admit, there are a lot of components, but nothing you can’t tackle. Tender chicken breast, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and lots of vegetables. What brings all of the rich and creamy ingredients together is the bright red wine vinegar dressing. The cobb salad requires a little bit of prep work, but it’s worth the delicious results.

How To Make a Cobb Salad

Three things need to be cooked in a cobb salad, the eggs, bacon, and chicken in that order. For easy to peel hard-boiled eggs I’ve found three reliable methods; boiling, steaming or pressure cooking. The eggs can be made in advance so you can just crack and go!

The bacon is cooked in a hot skillet until nice and crispy. I make oven roasted bacon every week, so I always have it on hand to help cut down on prep time. If the bacon is already pre-made, just add 1 tablespoon of olive oil for sauteeing the chicken.

The chicken breast is seasoned with paprika, salt, and pepper. These ingredients make the white meat flavorful and help create a beautiful crust. When sauteeing chicken breast in a skillet, I like to flatten the pieces to even thickness, about 1/2″ to 3/4″ so that the lean meat cooks at the same time and doesn’t dry out.

Making a homemade salad dressing like my balsamic vinaigrette is one of the easiest things to prepare in just a few minutes. The cobb salad is typically either served with a blue cheese dressing or a lighter french. As much as I enjoy a creamy, cheesy dressing, the cobb salad can quickly get heavy with the bacon and avocado.

To brighten things up and help refresh the palate, a tangy red wine dressing is made to toss and drizzle over. It’s a simple combination of red wine vinegar, olive oil, shallots, and Dijon mustard, that’s it!

Now for the fun part of making the salad, serving! This recipe can be made in a large bowl served family-style, or in 4 smaller salad bowls. Arrange the chicken on top of the lettuce in the center, and the rest of the ingredients in little piles around it.

You can also toss the ingredients together with the dressing, so it’s easier to portion, however, it just doesn’t look as pretty. When this cobb salad hits the dinner table, I promise it will disappear in minutes!

More Salad recipes

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #jessicagavin on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

How to Keep a Salad Dressing from Separating

A salad dressing is creating an emulsion, mixing two ingredients (olive and vinegar) that do not normally combine and keeping it suspended. Most salad dressings are semi-permanent emulsions, meaning eventually they will separate over time. There are some things you can do to make the emulsion stay long enough to enjoy the salad. Mustard helps to keep a longer suspension and acts an emulsifying agent. A small amount of mayonnaise can also be added if storing the dressing for longer than a few hours. Make sure to add the oil to the vinegar gradually, and briskly whisk to break the oil into small droplets to create a thickened dressing.

Cinco de mayo recipes

While the most obvious choice for celebrating Cinco de Mayo might be your old taco night standbys and a big bowl of guacamole, for the ultimate spread, we recommend branching out and trying some new dishes. Impress your fellow margarita-drinking buddies with your vast knowledge of Mexican cuisine, from spicy soups to chalupas you won’t find at Taco Bell. Don’t forget the essential every-kind-of-hot-sauce bar either. Try these 15 Mexican-inspired recipes for the most delicious fiesta.

1. Elote: This tasty street food snack is so fun to eat. Try grilling the corn instead of boiling for a nice char and smokey flavor — either way, they’re getting slathered in mayonnaise and cotija cheese, so they’re bound to please. (via So Munch Love)

2. Chicken Flautas With Avocado Crema and Ancho Chile and Tamarind Sauce: These chicken flautas are the ideal finger food for a party. Because the contents are baked and sealed inside a rolled tortilla, you won’t even need a fork and knife to eat them. They make a great portable bite for those times when your favorite song comes on and you *have* to bust a move. (via Hatchery)

3. Brisket Sopes: If you love tacos, you’ll adore sopes. They’re a traditional Mexican dish made from thick rounds of fried masa, and this version is topped with ultra-tender slow-cooked brisket. Crack open a cold cerveza and enjoy. (via Muy Bueno Cookbook)

4. Jicama, Mango and Citrus Salad: This refreshing salad, full of tropical flavors and fresh citrus, will make you feel like you’re on vacation. There’s no wrong way to enjoy it: Eat it plain or packed into lettuce as a delicious wrap. (via Sobre Mesa)

5. Cheesy Avocado Quesadilla: If you’re short on time but still want to party, these quesadillas are just the dish for you. Upgrade the basic cheese ‘dillas you know and love from childhood with avocado slices and seasoned ground beef, for a hearty bite that’s easy to make but still tastes impressive. (via Damn Delicious)

6. Avocado and Tomatillo Green Chile Salsa and Baked Flour Tortilla Chips: This creamy salsa is like a cross between salsa verde and guacamole. This means it’s highly addictive, so you better have a lot of chips handy. Try it on top of tacos, nachos or even on a torta — this salsa tastes good on *everything*. (via Muy Bueno Cookbook)

7. Easy Restaurant Style White Queso: This ooey, gooey white queso is bound to steal the show at any party thanks to a fiery kick from red pepper flakes and pickled jalapeños. You’d better make extra to feed the margarita-drinking crowd. (via The Cookie Rookie)

8. Churros With Chocolate and Espresso Sauce: What’s better than fried dough and chocolate? If you can come up with something, good for you — we’ll be over here munching on these churros. These amazing, crispy treats are coated in cinnamon sugar and paired with a velvety chocolate and espresso dipping sauce you won’t be able to get enough of. (via Drizzle and Drip)

9. Skinny Mexican Pizza: Quash two cravings at once with Mexican Pizza. Though it’s hard to pinpoint many similarities between this dish and actual pizza (save for its round, open-faced nature), once you take a bite, you’ll get it. Cut into slices and share with friends… or don’t share at all. (via Snixy Kitchen)

10. Ceviche: Use sushi-grade fish for the best taste and peace of mind. Though you’ll be marinating the fish in lime juice, you’ll still want the freshest, best quality product you can get. (via Feasting at Home)

11. Mexican Torta With Refried Beans and Guacamole: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the most delicious Mexican sandwich around. Some of the bread is scooped out to make extra room for fillings like refried beans, guacamole and cheese. We’re okay with that, and we might even suggest saving those bread fillings for sopping up any sandwich spillage. You’re welcome. (via Amuse Your Bouche)

12. Mexican Street Corn Salad: Forgo the corn on a stick for a less-messy, easy-to-eat elote salad. Add black beans, red onions and bell peppers to make it more salad-like and colorful. Bonus: The dressing uses yogurt instead of mayonnaise and sour cream for a healthy twist. (via Live Eat Learn)

13. Red Beef Pozole: This traditional Mexican soup is full of tender stewed beef, hominy (dried maize) and a super flavorful red chili sauce. It’d be nice if you had leftovers after your Cinco de Mayo festivities, but don’t count on it — this soup doesn’t play around. (via Muy Delish)

14. Homemade Chalupas: These chalupas are nothing like the kind you’ll find at your local Taco Bell. Set out toppings like shredded beef, avocado, salsa and cheese, and let everyone assemble their own. (via The Stay at Home Chef)

15. Chicken Enchiladas With Salsa Verde: These saucy enchiladas take a little patience to prepare, but they’re totally worth it. Invite some friends to make the process fly by. You’ll need to fry the tortillas, dunk them in sauce, fill and roll, so the more friends on this assembly line the merrier. (via Tasting Table)

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Chocolate pie

Plowing through Life in the Country. One Calf Nut at a Time

Aug 2019

Chocolate Pie

by The Pioneer Woman on October 8, 2014

Whenever my husband, the strapping stallion I call Marlboro Man, imagines chocolate pie—and I imagine that he imagines it frequently, because it’s one of his favorite desserts—he doesn’t think of French Silk Pie or Chocolate Chiffon Pie or Chocolate Chess Pie or any other variation. He thinks of this one. This is just good ol’ basic, can’t-go-wrong, everyone-loves-it, super-easy-to-make, been-around-forever chocolate pie with a pudding filling, and my beloved could seriously eat a slice every day of his life and never get bored.

I could too, I might add.

And speaking of that: This pie is always one of those things that drives home to me the differences between Marlboro Man and me, and let me explain: In no universe would he ever, ever consider adorning his chocolate pie with anything. Not whipped cream, not fruit, not nuts, not sauces…nothing. To him, that would mar the beautiful simplicity of this luscious dessert and he sees absolutely no logical reason for it.

I, on the other hand, will keep adding stuff to the top of my chocolate pie until my fridge is empty, my pantry is cleaned out, and the cows come home.

Differences make the world go ’round!

Now, the first step to making this homemade pie is to put a storebought frozen pie crust into the oven. Ha. At least that’s what I did. I was out of my frozen crusts and I didn’t feel like making one on the spot, so I used a storebought frozen one.

I am not ashamed.

Now, if you really want to impress your friends, forget about the pie crust and come close to burning it, as I did above.

They’ll be amazed at your talent!

All of that’s about to be forgotten, though, when you make this luscious pie filling, which is nothing more than chocolate pudding. (So consider this a chocolate pudding recipe, too!) Start by putting sugar into a saucepan…

With some cornstarch…

Add a little salt (about a fourth a teaspoon; don’t be thrown off by the 1/2 teaspoon measure you see here, as I only added half. Don’t be like me)…

Stir it together gently—I say gently, because if you stir it violently or vigorously, you will create a cloud of cornstarch in your kitchen! And who needs that.

Now, pour in some whole milk. Normally, I’d say “or you can use 2% or skim milk” but in this case, I absotively, posilutely insist that you use whole milk! You must! It makes the pie creamier and gives it the texture it needs. You can always use the skim milk on your Wheaties tomorrow!

Sorry for being bossy.

Separate four eggs…

Pour in the yolks…

Then stir it together and start heating it up over medium heat, stirring very gently but constantly.

The bubbles will calm down and it will start to heat up and thicken. This will seem to take forever at first…

But then, before you know it, it starts to bubble/boil! Right after it starts to boil and thicken, you need to remove it from the heat.

Oh! I forgot to tell you that way earlier, I grabbed some bittersweet chocolate…

And chopped it really finely.

(Note on the chocolate: I have tried this pie with cocoa powder, with semi-sweet chocolate, with unsweetened chocolate…and I prefer bittersweet. You can play around with the different chocolates to see what you like.)

It’s important to have the chocolate all chopped and ready ahead of time, because the second you pull the filling/pudding off the heat, you’ll want to throw it right in…

With some vanilla…

And stir it around to start melting the chocolate, which will happen pretty much instantly because of how hot and lovely it is.

The final step, of course, is to add a little butter for silkiness, flavor, and richness…

And stir it until it melts. Again, this should only take about 4.2 seconds.

Pour it into the baked (and cooled!) pie shell…

Then smooth it out, lick whatever you use to smooth it, and pop the pie in the fridge (uncovered) for at least 3-4 hours. You want it to be totally cool and set!

This filling amount is enough for a deep-dish pie crust, so when I use a standard crust, I always have a little filling left over. So I just scoop it into little cups…

And stick those in the fridge. Ready-to-go pudding!

At long last! The pie is chilled and ready. And gorgeous. And seductive. And irresistible.

Just like Marlboro Man.

Cut a nice, big wedge…

And, if you’re serving it to my husband, just stick it on a plate.

Positively perfect pie!

If I’m eating it, though? Oh, how about some squirt whipped cream and a raspberry?

How about some chocolate syrup?

I actually forced myself to stop there, but I could have gone nuts (literally): Chopped pecans, chopped walnuts…and man, oh man, a drizzle of caramel sauce would be just decadent.

Here’s the handy dandy printable. Make it today! It’s the easiest pie there is. (Note that you could change it up and do an Oreo or graham cracker crust—totally delicious, too.)

Cheesy chicken bake recipe

Posted by KathrynSteed on November 17th, 2010 at 05:17pm

A tasty dinner that’s finished in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

* one 10 3/4-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
* one 8-oz. jar processed cheese spread
* 1/2 C. milk
* 2 C. diced, cooked chicken
* 3 Tbs. chopped green chilies
* 2 tsp. instant minced onion
* 4 C. coarsely crushed taco shells

Directions

In a saucepan, heat together soup and cheese spread until blended. Gradually stir in milk; add chicken, chilies, and onion. Cook and stir until mixture bubbles. Place half of the crushed taco shells in 1 1/2-quart casserole. Pour in soup mixture and top with remaining shells. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

More recipes chicken bake.

Chocolate ganache frosting

Baking Basics
Last updated on: June 13, 2018

Learn how to make chocolate ganache with this easy tutorial. You only need chocolate, heavy whipping cream, a microwave, and 5 minutes to make this simple ganache recipe!

I feel like chocolate ganache sounds like a difficult or fancy thing to make. Is that just me? Honestly, chocolate ganache is really simple to make and only requires two ingredients: chocolate and heavy whipping cream.

You can also adjust the ratio of chocolate and heavy whipping cream, depending on what you’re wanting to make with it. In this post I’ll be showing you how to make a 1:1 ratio of ganache, which is perfect for topping on ice cream pies, cheesecakes, drizzled over ice cream, and so much more.

I’ll explain more about adjusting the amount of each ingredient at the bottom of the post. So, let’s get started!

You’ll start out with some semi-sweet chocolate that’s been roughly chopped into smaller pieces. I really like Bakers brand chocolate bars, but Ghirardelli is a great option too.

You don’t have to perfectly chop the chocolate, just make sure the pieces aren’t too large so they’ll melt easily. The pieces of chocolate kind of look big in this picture, but that’s actually a small bowl and whisk.

Then, you’ll warm up 1/2 cup of heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. I typically just use the microwave to heat up the heavy whipping cream because it’s easier, but you can use the stove too. If you’re using the microwave put it in for 45 seconds-1 minute, but keep a close eye on it!

Every microwave is different, you just want it to be nice and warm but not super hot and bubbling over. Once it’s heated, you’ll pour it right over the chopped chocolate.

Then, you’ll let it sit for about 2-3 minutes so the warm heavy whipping cream can melt the chocolate.

And finally, you’ll whisk it until it starts to come together. It helps to start out slowly whisking in the middle of the bowl and whisking in one direction the whole time.

Here’s a visual of what it will look like as you’re whisking the mixture. Just make sure to keep whisking until the mixture comes together into a nice silky, smooth chocolate ganache.

And that’s it. I told you this was easy, right? This recipe is a 1:1 ratio for chocolate ganache, which means that you’re using 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and 4 ounces of heavy whipping cream. This picture is of the ganache while it’s still warm, once it cools it will thicken.

This recipe is perfect if you’re looking for a thicker glaze. I used this particular recipe to drizzle over these cupcakes.

Here’s another visual of what this ganache will look like on an ice cream pie.

You can also use a 2:1 ratio (8 ounces chocolate and 4 ounces heavy whipping cream) for homemade truffles. Or you can use a 1:2 ratio (4 ounces chocolate and 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream) for a much thinner ganache that you can pour.

Burrito recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef


• 1 envelope taco seasoning


• 1 can (16 ounces) refried beans


• 6 flour tortillas (12 inches), warmed


• 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese


• 4 teaspoons canola oil


• Sour cream and salsa

Directions

• In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning; remove from skillet and set aside. Wipe skillet clean.


• In a small saucepan, cook refried beans over medium-low heat until heated through, 2-3 minutes.


• Spoon about 1/3 cup of beans off-center on each tortilla; top with 1/4 cup beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends of tortillas over filling and roll up.


• In same skillet over medium-high heat, brown burritos in oil on all sides. Serve with sour cream and salsa.
  Freeze option: Individually wrap cooled burritos in paper towels and foil; freeze in a resealable plastic freezer bag. To use, remove foil; place paper towel-wrapped burrito on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high until heated through, turning once, 3-4 minutes. Let stand 20 seconds.

Nutrition Facts

Reviews

I've been making these for years, but like another reviewer, I mix the beans with the meat. I prefer old el paso Burrito Seasoning instead of taco seasoning. Our stores do not stock it anymore, but I get it online at walmart or Amazon. Occasionally, it is stocked in walmart super centers.

I love these, oil and all.

I've made these for years, but I heat the beans in with the meat after the meat is browned. I also use salsa instead of taco seasoning, but either one is good. I add the cheese to the meat/bean mixture and it's the perfect one pan meal.

Broooooooo these things are beast I make them with cilantro and onion and fry them till they're flaky and crispy hmmmmmmm mmmmmm

I too fix these babies and my family loves them. it’s the frying and being crispy that makes them taste so good with side condiments. Yummy!

Tasty easy to prepare and a timesaver

Easy and great recipe! I love recipes that I can follow exactly the first time I make it to give it a fair shot AND play with/add whatever pops in my head for follow-up cooking. If you do choose to add additional ingredients, be careful not to add to much or over stuff. I never thought I would live crunchy tortillas so much. Thanks for the recipe.

why the oil ? a Tortilla will brown great with out any added oil at all . when we make them at home we use our panini press works great.. i have also used a frying pan.. and NO oil of any kind

I make these, using salsa in the burritos, instead of taco seasoning mix. Plate them on a bed of shredded lettuce, for that authentic taqueria look!

Loved these. Did add small amount of Mexican rice. Easy. Made enough (just 2 of us) for 3 days of meals and seemed to better! thank you for sharing this recipe!

Braised short ribs

Ingredients

6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 1/2 cups tomato paste

2 to 3 cups hearty red wine

1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string

Directions

1. Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.


2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.


3. While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.


4. Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

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