The Christmas Cookie Club is made up of, from left, Ruth Ann Barker, Robin Gallagher, Karen Grubbs and Beabea Horoszko.
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Christmas Cookie Club delivers memories annually. These women have been friends since they were 7 years old. What’s remarkable is the fact that the women are developmentally disabled.
Since 1992 they got together and baked their Christmas cookies. 31 years.
They enjoy a special connection which has become a testimony to the joy of the season, and an act which offers a deeper meaning — that the most important part of the Christmas holiday is being together.
The four starts at 10:30 am and bake till 4:30 pm. After baking, the group will go Christmas caroling at the homes of family members and then have dinner together. “They love that, they love going out to eat,” Bobbie said.
Mary Yoders is the place to be. Part 2. Back in July I did an article on one of my favorite Restaurants. Mary Yoder’s. Since we’re going there tomorrow to meet some friends, I thought I would post a link and an Amish recipe.
We’ve had their bread, pies, pastry, plus jelly and jams. For those who don’t live nearby, they have online ordering.
Wilt cabbage leaves by placing them in boiling water for 3 minutes and then drain. Mix all other ingredients together except soup. Shape meat mixture into oblong rolls and wrap in cabbage leaves. Fasten with toothpicks. Put tomato soup in a skillet and add rolls. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until meat mixture is well done. You may need to add a little water during cooking period. Serve immediately.
Rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Directions:
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Butter the parchment.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until frothy. Add 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, combine the egg yolks, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and the vanilla. Beat on high speed until thick and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the melted butter and coffee until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and beat on low speed until well combined. Fold a spoonful of the beaten egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, gently nudging the batter so it fills the corners. Give the pan a little shimmy to even it out. Bake until the top just starts to spring back when gently pressed, 10 to 12 minutes (the top might still feel a little tacky). Do not over-bake or the cake will crack.
Place a clean dish towel on a large wire rack. Dust the cake with 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar. While the cake is still hot, loosen the edges from the pan, then turn out the cake onto the towel; carefully remove the parchment. Dust the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
Starting at one of the long sides, use the towel to tightly roll up the cake with the towel inside. Position the cake seam-side down and let cool about 1 hour.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on low speed until just smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the heavy cream 1/4 cup at a time, making sure the mixture is smooth before adding more cream. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for a few more seconds, just to combine.
Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch border on all sides. Re-roll the cake, using the towel to help you. Cover the cake roll with parchment paper and then tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, for the frosting: To a medium bowl, add the chocolate. In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let thicken at room temperature until spreadable, about 2 hours.
Unwrap the cake on a cutting board. Cut off one-fourth of the cake on a sharp diagonal for the branch. Position the branch against the remaining cake roll on a platter. Cover the cake with the frosting using an offset spatula, then drag a fork through the frosting to create a bark-like texture. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds.
Is there a holiday cookie, bar, or baked good in your life that makes you misty-eyed? If so, you’re not alone. There’s something about the aroma and the simple act of baking and sharing that bring up nostalgic memories for people.
This year, we’d like to share with you a handful of RADA employees’ favorite recipes for holiday sweet treats. Maybe one of these will become your new favorite too. From the employees of Rada Cutlery, have a wonderful start to your holiday season!
From Sandra’s office comes this recipe from the 1959 Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Cookbook. She says it’s an old but reliable recipe she has used for many years and creates perfect dough for using cookie cutters.
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1 C. butter or margarine
1½ C. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3½ C. sifted enriched flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
Directions
Cream the butter. Add sugar gradually, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the dry ingredients; add gradually to creamed mixture. Chill thoroughly (3 to 4 hours).
On a well-floured surface, roll dough ⅛” to ¼” thick. Cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375˚ for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before removing to a rack to cool.
Frost and decorate as you wish.
Kristi shared this recipe for Toffee that her grandma always made for Christmas. Kristi and her sister still make it as a tradition every year, but she says it never turns out as good as Grandma’s (but it’s still delicious).
Toffee
Ingredients
About ½ C. chopped pecans
1 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
About ⅔ C. semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Line an 8″ or 9″ square pan with foil, allowing the edges of the foil to hang over the pan. Grease the foil lightly with cooking spray. Spread chopped nuts over the bottom of the pan; set aside.
In a large saucepan, bring the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat, stirring to help melt the butter. Bring the mixture to a boil and, stirring constantly, boil the mixture for exactly 7 minutes. Mixture will be thicker and caramel colored. Stir in the vanilla and pour the mixture over the chopped nuts.
Immediately sprinkle with the semisweet chocolate chips in an even layer; let sit for a few minutes until the chips are melty then spread out over toffee. Break into pieces when cool.
This recipe from Andrea is easy to make—no scooping into individual cookies—and you can make them festive for any holiday by using holiday M&Ms!
No Flour Christmas Monster Cookie Bars
Ingredients
½ C. butter, softened
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
1½ C. peanut butter
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
4½ C. quick oats
1 C. M&Ms
1 C. chocolate chips
Directions
Cream butter and sugars. Mix in peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla then add the baking soda and oatmeal. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Press into a 12×17″ jelly roll pan (dough is sticky so I use a greased sandwich bag over my hand). Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes. Super easy and yummy!
Mel shares this recipe from her neighbor who made these when Mel’s daughters were little. The cookies found their way over to their house many times along with stories of early morning fishing trips and camping adventures. They’ve always been a family favorite.
Peanut Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies (a.k.a. “Fishing Cookies”)
Ingredients
¾ C. Parkay or butter
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar, packed
½ C. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2½ C. unsifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ pkg. Heath toffee chips
1 (11.5 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips
Directions
Mix butter, sugars, and peanut butter until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in toffee and chocolate chips.
Bake at 350˚ for 10 to 12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets.
This recipe from Sue has been on friends’ and relatives’ Christmas cookie trays for as long as she can remember. They’re delicious—just don’t eat them above your pretty velvet party dress.
Pecan Snowballs
Ingredients
2 C. flour
¾ tsp. salt
2 C. chopped pecans, divided
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
⅓ C. sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla
Powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325˚ and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the flour, salt, and 1 cup of the pecans. Finely grind the remaining pecans in a food processor, then stir them into the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla and the flour mixture until mixed. Roll into scant tablespoon-sized balls and bake for 18 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes, then move to a rack to finish cooling.
Roll cooled cookies in powdered sugar. Let stand about an hour, then roll again in powdered sugar.
What’s your favorite Christmas/holiday sweet treat?
Looking for folks to write some good articles on Food, Music, and Feel Good stories. We here at Koda invite folks to add articles to our website. These are non political articles.
We feature Music, Food, and feel good articles. If you would like to try, contact me at
ledbed12345@gmail.com
We use wordpress here, if not familiar we will teach you.
The more flavor you can cram into a wrap, the better. Loaded with chicken, dried cranberries, and all the flavorful, crispy, chewy, tangy ingredients imaginable, these rollup pinwheels are the best! Let’s dig in!
What Makes the Best Wrap?
FLAVOR! Check out the ingredients in our recipe:
chicken
dried cranberries
celery
red onion
lemon zest
dried tarragon
water chestnuts
walnuts
alfalfa sprouts
Rounding out the list of flavor-bomb ingredients is a combination of Greek yogurt, mayo, and Dijon mustard.
Cranberry Chicken Wraps
INGREDIENTS (Makes 4)
1 T. vegetable oil
¾ lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 (5.3 oz.) container plain Greek yogurt
¼ C. plus 1 T. mayo
1½ tsp. Dijon mustard
⅓ C. dried cranberries
2 celery ribs, diced
1 red onion, finely chopped
Zest from 2 lemons
1½ tsp. dried tarragon
1 (6 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained & chopped
½ C. chopped walnuts, toasted if desired*
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 (10ʺ) flour tortillas
Alfalfa sprouts
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a skillet and add the chicken, cooking until no longer pink; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, mayo, mustard, dried cranberries, celery, onion, lemon zest, tarragon, water chestnuts, and walnuts; stir in the set-aside chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the tortillas according to package directions. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas and add some sprouts.
*To toast, place walnuts in a single layer in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Food is more than a simple snack or meal: It symbolizes comfort, connection, and care, and we’ve been using it to nurture social relationships since at least the Bronze Age. So when Rhiannon Menn found herself yearning to make an impact as the COVID-19 pandemic caused layoffs, school closures, and illnesses, she started cooking.
“I just thought, well, what do I love to do? And what do I know how to do? And for me, that’s cooking; it’s my happy place,” the mother of three told Nice News. In March of 2020, Menn began making extra pans of lasagna, then got on Facebook, found a few “mom groups” in the San Diego area, and offered to drop them off to anyone in need. She delivered seven meals her first week and quickly began getting messages from other people inspired to help. “All of a sudden I found myself managing this network of amazing volunteers who all wanted to feed people in their community,” Menn said.
Just over two years later, Lasagna Love has become a registered nonprofit with over 35,000 volunteers — or “Lasagna Chefs” as they are called — in all 50 states, as well as Canada and Australia. Altogether, they’ve delivered more than 250,000 lasagnas, feeding over one million people in total. The organization has been featured on Good Morning America and The Kelly Clarkson Show. And Menn believes it’s all a testament to how many people are looking for an outlet to show kindness and help others.
Lasagna Chefs are matched with families based on distance and dietary restrictions. Once a match is made, all communication occurs directly between those two people. “We do feed families, and that’s important, but really what we’re doing is spreading kindness and strengthening communities, and it’s through those one-on-one bonds that it moves the needle on connectedness,” said Menn.
Lasagna Love
And there are no eligibility requirements to request a meal or nominate a family. One of the nonprofit’s core values is zero judgment. “We can’t say what needing help looks like,” Menn said, “only you, as a recipient, know what it means to need help”
Virginia resident Jan Delucien, who experienced a traumatic brain injury that left her unable to work, requested a lasagna after hearing about the organization in a support group. For the 64-year-old, the smiling volunteer handing her a home-cooked dish at her door meant much more than just a free meal. “It really was a gift of love,” Delucien told the Associated Press through tears.
According to Menn, when asked if they felt inspired to pay the act of kindness forward, 97% of Lasagna Love meal recipients said they did, and a quarter responded that they already had. “I deliver a lasagna to you, and then you’re inspired to go donate a bag of clothes, or maybe share the meal with somebody, or maybe volunteer at the local animal shelter. So, all of a sudden, those million people that were fed — how many acts does that actually result in? And that’s where we have the power to really shift communities,” she said.
The founder hopes that one day the world won’t need Lasagna Love anymore and that people will help each other entirely organically. But until then, Menn and her team will keep spreading kindness one lasagna at a time.
If nothing says Thanksgiving to you like a wobbly red blob with the can lines still on it, you’re not alone—Ocean Spray (whose farmers produce 65% of the world’s cranberries) told the Wall Street Journal that Americans will consume 80 million pounds of the tart berries next week. Though the holiday makes for the 93-year-old farming cooperative’s biggest sales, it’s been innovating for decades to keep cranberries on your mind even when you don’t have a turkey or a UTI: The company pioneered juice boxes in the 1980s and coined the term “craisin” in the 1990s.
A dump cake is a cross between a cake and a cobbler. Basically, all the ingredients are dumped into a baking dish and then baked until golden brown. This Pumpkin Crunch Dump Cake is a delightful combination of pumpkin pie and cake with a crunchy pecan topping. Serve with some whipped topping for a pumpkin dessert that will knock everyone’s sock’s off!
Pumpkin Crunch Dump Cake
Ingredients 2 (15 oz.) cans of pumpkin 16 oz. evaporated milk (2 cups) 4 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1 tsp cinnamon) 1 1/2 sticks of butter 1 box of yellow cake mix 1 cup chopped pecans Instructions In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon.
Stir until smooth. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture and then add the pecans. Cut butter into slices and lay all over the top. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until top is golden brown and center is set.
Whenever I was in Dana Point California, there was a small Italian Restaurant where I always ordered the Shrimp Piccata. It’s been closed for about 10 years now, but I always remembered how this was one awesome dish. Here’s a recipe that’s similar.
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4
Ingredients
1(16 ounce) packagelinguine pasta
¼cupolive oil
¼cupbutter
1pounduncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
10baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2clovesgarlic, chopped
1(6 ounce) jarmarinated artichoke hearts, chopped, with juice
½lemon, juiced
3tablespoonscapers with juice
1splashdry white wine (Optional)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
Heat olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shrimp, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add artichokes, lemon juice, capers, and white wine. Cook and stir until shrimp is tender and mixture is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
Spoon shrimp piccata over individual beds of pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
Pumpkin Nut Muffins. Delicious for breakfast, these muffins are also good with lunch or your afternoon coffee break.
Ingredients
2cupssifted all-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonground ginger
2eggs
⅓cupbuttermilk
⅓cupbutter, melted
1tablespoonmolasses
½teaspoonvanilla extract
1cupwhite sugar
1cupcanned pumpkin
½cupchopped pecans
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin-pan cups, 2 1/4 inches in diameter.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger onto wax paper.
Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, molasses, vanilla, sugar and pumpkin in a large bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients, all at once, just until moistened. Fold in the nuts. Spoon into the prepared muffin-pan cups, filling almost to the top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the cups and cool on wire racks. Serve warm.
Getting the Gardens ready for winter. Well planting time’s over and this was a so so year. Sure had a ton of Tomatoes and green bell peppers. But the Cantaloupe and Watermelon not so good. Cucumbers were also so so. Garlic and onions were awesome. But now it’s time to get the gardens ready for next year.
I’m going with only two gardens plus sharing another. My first garden will be something new for me. It’s my tree, garlic, onion, and berry garden. I’m going with a Lemon, Orange, Peach, Plum, and Nectarine trees.
This garden will be the shared garden. Tomatoes, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe.
And finally my world famous ghetto garden. This year I’m changing the name to the Fred Sanford Garden. This will be strictly a vegetable garden. Last year I went with heirloom seeds. Next year we do the plants.
When you add the ingredients of a delicious pizza with the heavenly cream cheese, you get this amazing hot pizza dip! Caution: don’t serve this unless you want friends and family to ask you to make it over and over!
Hot Pizza Dip Recipe
Ingredients you will need:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 8oz. can pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mini-pepperoni
Breadsticks, crackers, or tortilla chips (for dipping)
Chop 2 tablespoons green peppers. Thinly slice 2 tablespoons onions.
In a bowl, mix 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
Spread mixed cream cheese across bottom of 9″ pie pan.
Combine 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in bowl.
Sprinkle half of the cheese across the top of the cream cheese in the pan.
Pour 1 8 oz. can pizza sauce over the top of cheese mixture.
Spread the sauce evenly.
Put remaining cheese on top of pizza sauce.
Spread chopped green peppers and onions across cheese.
Place 1/4 cup mini-pepperoni across the top. Place in microwave and heat on high for 3 or 4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from microwave. Let sit for 2 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars | Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Treat. Brace yourself; this Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bar is so delicious it will knock you out of this world! Just make sure to grab yourself a piece early, because once your friends and family taste them, they’ll be gone in a flash! Pick up some apples and get out the baking pans! It’s time to make dessert!
Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ingredients you will need:
1 (1 lb 1.5 oz) package oatmeal cookie mix
3 Granny Smith or Gala apples
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 cup chopped pecans of walnuts
2 eggs
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, pour 1 package oatmeal cookie mix. Add 1/2 cup butter.
Combine butter with cookie mix. Try using the Rada Food Chopper, a useful tool that makes this an easy task.
Set aside half of the crumb and butter mixture for later.
Place the other half in a 9 x 13″ pan. With most pans you should line with foil and grease lightly. With the Rada Rectangular Baker, no foil or grease is necessary. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
While the mixture is baking, combine 2 packages cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Beat until smooth.
Core and slice 3 apples. Try using the Rada Vegetable Peeler to peel and the Heavy Duty Paring Knife to slice.
With a large knife, finely chop the apples. The Rada French Chef Knife is ideal for this. In a bowl, combine apples, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Mix well.
When cookie mixture is done baking, remove from oven and spread cream cheese mixture evenly across the top.
Sprinkle cream cheese mixture with apple mixture.
Chop 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts.
Add remaining cookie mixture to top. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts. Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until topping has set.
Be the hit of the next party with these quick and easy pepperoni pizza puffs. These appetizers are great at any number of different events. They are easy to make and in no time at all you will have a great snack. Even better, kids love them!
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Puffs:
Ingredients you will need:
3/4 C. flour
1 (3 oz.) pkg. pepperoni
3/4 t. baking powder
1 C. shredded Italian cheese blend
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. grated Romano cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. pizza sauce
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grab the pepperoni and chop it into smaller slices. Kristy used the Rada Cook’s Utility knife. Set aside.
Be the hit of the next party with these quick and easy pepperoni pizza puffs. These appetizers are great at any number of different events. They are easy to make and in no time at all you will have a great snack. Even better, kids love them!
Prep Time15minutesmins
Cook Time20minutesmins
Total Time35minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Servings: 28puffs
Ingredients
3/4C.flour
1(3 oz.) pkg. pepperoni slices, chopped
3/4t.baking powder
1 T.Italian Seasoning
1C.shredded Italian cheese blend
3/4C.milk
1/4C.grated Romano cheese
1egg, beaten
1/2C.pizza sauce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 28 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and Italian seasoning.
Whisk in milk and egg.
Stir in chopped pepperoni, Italian cheese blend and Romano cheese; let stand about 15 minutes, then stir again.
Divide mixture evenly among greased mini muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Mix crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter and 2/3 cup of the crushed peanuts. Put in a 9×13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
SECOND LAYER: Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping.
Spread over first layer.
THIRD LAYER: Mix chocolate pudding and milk. Chill to set. Spread over second layer.
FOURTH LAYER: Spread 2 cups whipped topping over third layer.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the chopped peanuts over top. Grate chocolate bar (Rada Cutlery Vegetable Peeler shown above) and sprinkle over top. Chill overnight.
Wow your guests and enjoy rave reviews with this recipe for Drumstick Bars!
Course: Dessert
Ingredients
2cupsvanilla wafers, crushed
1/2cupbutter or margarine, melted
1cupcrushed salted peanuts
1(8 oz.) pkg.cream cheese, softened
1/3cuppeanut butter
1cuppowdered sugar
4cupswhipped topping
2small pkgs.instant chocolate pudding
3cupsmilk
1largechocolate bar
Instructions
FIRST LAYER: Mix crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter and 2/3 cup of the crushed peauts. Put in a 9 x 13″ pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
SECOND LAYER: Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Spread over first layer.
THIRD LAYER: Mix chocolate pudding and milk. Chill to set. Spread over second layer.
FOURTH LAYER: Spread 2 cups whipped topping over third layer. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the chopped peanuts over top. Grate chocolate bar and sprinkle over top. Chill overnight.
This 20-minute Big Mac salad recipe (or simply cheeseburger salad) will convince you to skip the drive-through! This dish captures the satisfying taste of a cheeseburger with all the crisp freshness of a salad. It also gets a classic McDonald’s upgrade with copycat Big Mac sauce — just like the casserole version of this burger.
The inspiration for a hamburger salad came from my childhood memories of rare stops at McDonald’s after gymnastics practice. We seldom ate out when I was growing up (my parents much preferring home cooked meals), so even though I loved my mom’s food, those unexpected stops for fast food were such a treat. Now I try to avoid all those processed ingredients myself, and with this keto Big Mac salad recipe, I can enjoy the same flavors at home, all the time — and so can you!
Let’s be real — the key to this cheeseburger salad is the Big Mac salad dressing! The sauce at the fast food joint is loaded with sugar, but I sweeten mine with Besti powdered instead. It’s just as sweet and has no aftertaste, but has 0 net carbs, 0 calories, and unlike most sweeteners, dissolves easily for a smooth texture. Try it out and see for yourself!
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
This section explains how to choose the best Big mac salad ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
CHEESEBURGER SALAD:
The main ingredients for this salad are very similar to what you’d find in a Big Mac:
Ground Beef – Use hamburger for classic flavor (I usually use 85/15 lean ground beef), but if you like, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
Sea Salt& Black Pepper
Romaine Lettuce – Chopped iceberg lettuce, arugula, or spinach leaves would also work.
Tomatoes – I used chopped Roma tomatoes, but you could use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes if you prefer. You can also omit them if you want to, as a traditional Big Mac doesn’t have any.
Cheddar Cheese – The Big Mac sandwich traditionally includes a slice of processed cheese, but we’re using shredded cheddar. You can omit to make the salad dairy-free and paleo-friendly if needed.
Pickles – Dice up some dill pickles and add them to the salad for a delightful crunch and an extra layer of flavor. You can also add diced or sliced red onions for even more crunch!
Sesame Seeds – Instead of a sesame seed bun, garnish with sesame seeds for the same flavor!
Mayonnaise – I used my own homemade avocado oil mayonnaise, but store-bought would work as well (this is my favorite store-bought brand when I don’t have time to make my own).
Pickles – Use dill pickles and dice finely for the special sauce. You can also use sweet pickle relish instead, but beware that this will have added sugar or corn syrup.
Mustard – I used classic yellow mustard, but you could use Dijon instead, or even keto honey mustard if you like extra sweetness.
Vinegar – Adds tang to the dressing. I used white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar can all work instead.
Smoked Paprika – Adds a subtle smokiness to the dressing, and is responsible for its signature color. Regular sweet paprika would also work.
Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I used this instead of ketchup to add natural sweetness to the dressing, as it dissolves better than other sugar substitutes. You could also use zero sugar honey or sugar free ketchup. Regular powdered sugar works from a recipe standpoint, but I can’t recommend it because the whole point of this Big Mac salad is to make it healthier!
HOW TO MAKE BIG MAC SALAD
This section shows how to make cheeseburger salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Brown the meat. Add the ground beef to a large skillet. Break apart with a spatula and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
Blend the Big Mac salad dressing. Combine the mayo, pickles, mustard, vinegar, smoked paprika, and powdered Besti in a blender. Puree until smooth. Adjust sweetener to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
TIP: Need thinner sauce?
If the dressing is thicker than you like, you can thin it out with water or oil and puree again.
Plate the cheeseburger salad. Add lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and pickles to a salad bowl.
Add the beef and dressing. Top with ground beef crumbles, then drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Garnish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Store: Keep leftover Big Mac Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, with the dressing stored in a separate container. If you already added the dressing, it will only be good for 1 day.
Meal prep: Chop the pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce, precook the ground beef, and make the sauce. Store in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Assemble just before eating.
Make this fresh 7-Layer Greek Dip recipe for a tasty appetizer everyone will love! This healthy dip recipe features an array of fresh ingredients perfectly layered for an out-of-this-world flavor. Just be sure to make enough for everyone!
8 oz. hummus
1 C. fat free Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 t. fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 t. red onion, minced
1 C. English cucumber, 1/2-inch dice
1 C. Roma tomato, seeded, 1/2-inch dice
1/4 C. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. Kalamata olives, sliced
In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Make this fresh 7-Layer Greek Dip recipe for a tasty appetizer everyone will love! This healthy dip recipe features an array of fresh ingredients perfectly layered for an out-of-this-world flavor. Just be sure to make enough for everyone! 7-Layer Greek Dip Recipe
Ingredients
8oz.hummus
1C.fat free Greek yogurt
1clovegarlic, finely minced
1t.fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinchsalt
Freshly ground black pepper
2t.red onion, minced
1C.English cucumber, 1/2-inch dice
1C.Roma tomato, seeded, 1/2-inch dice
1/4C.feta cheese, crumbled
1/4C.Kalamata olives, sliced
Instructions
In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
