The Grateful Girl Cooks!

22
Jul
2025

Clam and Potato Chowder

categories: Soups

2 Shares

Enjoy a bowl of Clam and Potato Chowder any time of the year! This tasty chowder is easy to make, and the recipe yields about 5 servings.

I don’t know about you, but we love soup at our house! I used to think soup was only a cold weather dish but have now come to appreciate a good bowl of soup any old time of the year.

Today I want to share a recipe for a hearty clam and potato chowder that is actually pretty simple to make. It is packed with lots of tender cubed potatoes and clams and is flavored with bacon, spices, broth and cream.

As written, the recipe typically will yield about 5 good sized bowls of chowder as a main dish, and more if you serve smaller portions of chowder (as a “soup” side dish).

I really think you will enjoy this thick chowder as a delicious main dish, especially when served with thick, crusty bread slices on the side (to dip!). Here’s how to make clam and potato chowder.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

First- A Little Prep

Cut two strips of bacon into small pieces, then cook them until they’re fully cooked and crispy in a medium skillet. When done, leave the bacon pieces AND any bacon grease that has accumulated in the skillet (don’t clean it out!).

Add 2 Tablespoons of butter to the skillet and cook on Medium heat until the butter melts. Add chopped onions, celery and HALF of the cubed potatoes called for in the recipe.

These potatoes will become tender and will help the chowder to thicken slightly later as the remaining ingredients including liquids are added.

Cook this mixture for 10 minutes, stirring often. During the last minute of cooking, add minced garlic and stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.

Stir in all-purpose flour until it is becomes fully blended into the potatoes, etc. The flour will help act as a thickener for the chowder as several liquids are added while the chowder cooks.

Adding the flour and letting it “cook” a minute or two helps cook the “flour” taste out. Cook this mixture for about 1-2 minutes, stirring often to coat the potatoes, celery and onions with flour.

Cook The Chowder

Add 3 cups of chicken stock, the reserved clam juice, salt, pepper and dried thyme. Stir well until combined, then stir in the remaining half of the cubed potatoes.

Cook the chowder on Medium-Low until the chowder has thickened and the potatoes are tender. Stir the chowder often, until the newly added potatoes have become tender.

Pour in 2 cups of half and half and stir until combined. NOTE: You can substitute heavy whipping cream for the half and half, if desired (this results in a lot more calories per serving but makes the chowder creamier).

Add the drained clams to the chowder and stir them in until they’re fully incorporated. Continue to heat the chowder on LOW heat.

Heat the soup until everything is heated through, but don’t let the chowder come to a boil. Keep it at a low simmer, stirring often until it becomes hot.

Time To Serve The Clam and Potato Chowder

Ladle the hot clam and potato chowder into individual serving bowls and garnish each serving as desired! We enjoy this dish served with crusty French bread slices on the side (which we use to sop up some of that chowder)!

I hope you have the chance to make this lovely clam and potato chowder, and trust you will enjoy it, too! The recipe, as written usually yields enough chowder for about 5 servings.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day.

Looking For More SOUP and CHOWDER Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious soup and chowder recipes to choose from, including:

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I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
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Original recipe source: unknown (original found on an old handwritten index card and adapted to our taste)

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Clam and Potato Chowder

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Enjoy a bowl of Clam and Potato Chowder any time of the year! This tasty chowder is easy to make, and the recipe makes about 5 servings.

Category: Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: clam and potato chowder

Servings: 5

Calories Per Serving: 348 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 slices bacon slices cut into thin strips
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup minced celery
1¼ pounds russet potatoes peeled, cut in small cubes, *divided use
1 clove garlic minced
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 6.5 oz. cans of minced clams** **reserve the juice!
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups half and half

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut bacon in small pieces; cook until browned/crispy in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. When done, leave bacon AND bacon grease in the pan (don't clean it).
Add butter to the pan; cook on Medium heat until butter melts. Add onions, celery and HALF of the cubed potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. During last minute, add minced garlic; stir constantly so it doesn't burn.
Stir in flour until it is fully blended in. Cook this mixture for about 1-2 minutes, stirring often to coat the potatoes, celery and onions with flour.
Add chicken stock, reserved clam juice, thyme and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Stir well, then add remaining half of the potatoes; stir to combine.
Cook on Medium-Low, stirring often until newly added potatoes have become tender. Pour in 2 cups of half and half and stir until combined. NOTE: You can substitute heavy whipping cream if desired (more calories per serving but makes chowder even more creamy).
Add drained clams to the chowder; stir until fully incorporated. Continue to heat chowder on LOW heat until fully heated through. Taste; add additional salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle hot chowder into bowls; garnish as desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Clam and Potato Chowder

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 348 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 58mg19%

Sodium 849mg37%

Potassium 719mg21%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 550IU11%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 143mg14%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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18
Jul
2025

Crème de Menthe Brownies

categories: Bar Cookies, Chocolate, Desserts

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Crème de Menthe Brownies are decadent dessert bars, with a fudgy brownie layer, mint filling layer and chocolate top. Recipe yields 16 bars!

Today I want to share an amazing recipe for crème de menthe brownies, delectable and decadent dessert bars I’m confident you’re going to love.

If you love chocolate (like I do-sigh) then I’m sure these brownies will be a big hit. The brownies have three distinct layers consisting of a baked brownie base, spread with a peppermint flavored filling, then topped off with a hardened chocolate glaze. They are amazing!

The prep work does take a bit of time as each layer is made separately and has to cool or be refrigerated before the next layer goes on. That’s not a problem for me; it’s just something you will need to take into account if you plan to make them.

Believe me, these fudgy, layered brownies are worth every minute of your time once you taste them! Here’s how to make crème de menthe brownies.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Brownie Layer

Before beginning, preheat your oven to 350°F. and lightly grease a 9″ x 9″ square baking dish on the bottom and sides. You will want your oven and prepared pan ready to go after mixing the brownie layer!

In a double boiler, heat unsweetened baking chocolate with butter on low heat until they melt. **This involves putting the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and placing it over a larger pan of simmering water. Be careful to not let any water get into the pan with the chocolate or butter.

Once they are fully melted, stir to combine, then remove the pan up and out of the simmering water and let the mixture cool slightly.

While the chocolate mixture cools, prepare the batter for the brownie layer. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk eggs well, then add granulated sugar and whisk again until the mixture is fluffy, and fully combined.

Add flour, vanilla extract, crème de menthe liqueur and salt, then pour the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the bowl. TIP: The chocolate needs to be cooled before adding so it doesn’t “scramble” the eggs! Whisk (or stir) until all these ingredients are fully combined together.

Prepare The Batter To Bake The Brownie Layer

Once the batter is fully combined, you will have your brownie batter ready to go. Pour the brownie batter into the greased baking dish.

Bake the brownie layer at 350°F for about 20-22 minutes. When done, the brownie layer should have slightly pulled away from the sides of the dish. If you insert a toothpick into the center of the brownie layer, it should come out clean (free of batter).

Place the baking dish on a wire rack, set aside and let the brownie layer cool (still in the pan) to room temperature.

Make The Crème de Menthe Filling Layer

While the brownie layer is cooling, make the crème de menthe filling for the second layer. Beat the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar using an electric mixer on Medium speed until they’re well-blended.

Add crème de menthe liqueur to the filling mixture. Crème de Menthe is a liqueur found in grocery or liquor stores and is known for its bold peppermint flavor. It can be used to flavor drinks, cakes, frostings, grasshopper pie, etc.

I make my own from scratch, and plan to share the recipe soon on my blog. It’s simple to make and adds a lot of mint flavor to many recipes!

Beat the batter very well until it becomes thick and creamy. The batter for layer #2 will have a slight, pale green color, as well. TIP: If you want the filling to look greener, simply add a drop or two of green food color (making it greener is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!).

Spread the Mint Filling

When you’re sure the brownie layer is cool, spread the crème de menthe filling on top to cover. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill until the mint layer is very cold and firm.

Keep the dish in the refrigerator while you make the final chocolate topping layer. Remove it from the fridge only when you are ready to pour the warm (not hot) chocolate topping glaze on!

Make A Chocolate “Glaze” Layer

The final layer for the crème de menthe brownies is a chocolate “glaze”. Use a double boiler to make it (once again using a small pan over a larger pan of simmering water).

Put chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler. Cook, stirring often, until they melt and the glaze is completely smooth. Remove the pan from the heat once it is done and let it cool down until it is “WARM” (but not hot).

Pour the WARM chocolate glaze over the mint layer, spreading or tilting the baking dish until the entire surface is covered. Place the brownies back in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.

Serve And Enjoy Crème de Menthe Brownies

Take the brownies out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before slicing (to avoid cracking the cold, hardened chocolate glaze). Cut the brownies into 16 portions, serve and enjoy!

Creme de menthe brownies are absolutely fudgy and delicious, with that lovely little pop of peppermint flavor from the middle layer! We absolutely LOVE these brownies, and hope you will, too!

Any leftovers you may have can be stored in the refrigerator (for best results) for several days. However, I need to warn you that they may not last too long because they are so GOOD!

Thanks for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog. I hope you have the chance to make (and enjoy) these delicious brownies. They are quite decadent and are such a yummy treat!

Take care, may God bless you, and I hope you enjoy an absolutely wonderful day.

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some amazingly delicious bar cookie recipes you can check out, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
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Recipe adapted from: Paula Deen’s Creme De Menthe Brownies Recipe – Food.com

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Crème de Menthe Brownies

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Crème de Menthe Brownies are decadent dessert bars, with a fudgy brownie layer, mint filling layer and chocolate top. Recipe yields 16 bars!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: crème de menthe brownies

Servings: 16

Calories Per Serving: 314 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Brownie Base- Layer #1:

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
½ cup butter =1 stick
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup all purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon crème de menthe liqueur
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Mint Filling- Layer #2:

½ cup butter softened (but not melted)
¼ cup cream cheese softened
2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
2 Tablespoons crème de menthe liqueur

Chocolate Topping- Layer #3

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease bottom/sides of a 9" x 9" baking dish.
BROWNIE LAYER (#1): In a double boiler, melt unsweetened baking chocolate with butter on low heat, stirring often until smooth. Remove from heat; let mixture cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs; add granulated sugar; whisk until mixture is fluffy and fully combined. Add flour, crème de menthe and salt; pour cooled chocolate mixture into the bowl. TIP: Chocolate must be cooled before adding so it doesn't "scramble" the eggs! Stir until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared dish.
Bake brownie layer at 350°F. for 20-22 minutes. When done, brownies should have slightly pulled away from sides of the dish. Insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean (free of batter). Place baking dish on wire rack; set aside/let cool (still in the pan) to room temperature.
MINT LAYER (#2): While brownies cool, make mint filling. Beat butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on Medium until well-blended. Add crème de menthe. Beat well until it becomes smooth, thick and creamy. TIP: If you want greener filling, add 1-2 drops of green food color.
Once brownie layer is cool, gently spread mint filling on top. Place pan in refrigerator; chill until mint layer is cold/firm. Keep refrigerated while you make chocolate topping.
CHOCOLATE TOPPING (#3): Put chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler. Cook over simmering water, stirring often until melted and smooth. Remove pan from heat; let it cool down until "WARM" (but not hot). Pour WARM chocolate glaze over the mint layer, spreading or tilting baking dish until covered. Place brownies back in refrigerator- chill them until chocolate hardens.
TO SERVE: Remove brownies from refrigerator 15 minutes before slicing (to avoid cracking the hardened chocolate glaze). Cut into 16 portions, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: This recipe's prep time does not include the time needed to cool down layers after baking or refrigerate the layers (times may vary), so plan accordingly.

Nutrition Facts

Crème de Menthe Brownies

Amount Per Serving (1 brownie)

Calories 314 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 169mg7%

Potassium 86mg2%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 30g33%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 477IU10%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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14
Jul
2025

Asian-Style BBQ Sauce

categories: Sauces and Dressings

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Make a batch of Asian-Style BBQ sauce for baked or grilled chicken, pork or beef! This easy, flavorful sauce is made in under 10 minutes.

It’s summer and we love to BBQ at our home! Today I want to share a yummy recipe for making Asian-Style BBQ sauce quickly (and simply) from scratch in the comfort of your own home!

This Asian inspired sauce is a wonderful twist on a traditional BBQ sauce. We love our “good old BBQ sauce”, but every now and then it’s fun to shake it up a bit and add a slightly different flavor palette to grilled or baked meats!

This simple sauce fits the bill perfectly, so I hope you’ll read on to see how easy it is to prepare and use. Here’s how to make Asian-style BBQ sauce.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

What Ingredients Do I Need?

To make this Asian-style BBQ sauce you will need 7 ingredients (plus water). They are ketchup, Hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh ginger and a pinch of red chili flakes.

The rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil can typically be found in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores nowadays. If you have an interest in making hoisin sauce from scratch, here is the homemade hoisin sauce recipe from my blog.

NOTE: I understand some people may not keep hoisin sauce, rice vinegar or sesame oil on hand, but if you’re able to buy them, they will last quite a while, so you can make more BBQ sauce (or use in other Asian recipes).

Place all the ingredients (along with 2 teaspoons of water) into a small saucepan. Stir the mixture well, until all ingredients have been well-combined.

Cook The Asian-Style BBQ Sauce

Bring the sauce to a simmer on Medium-Low heat, stirring this mixture occasionally to prevent it from scorching (from the sugar in the ketchup).

Continue to cook the sauce for approximately 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, the mixture should be hot, and the Asian-style BBQ sauce should have thickened slightly.

Ready To Use The Asian-Style BBQ Sauce

Now your homemade Asian inspired BBQ sauce is ready to be used on a variety of meats. This delicious, flavorful sauce is good on chicken, pork or beef!

Use a pastry brush to apply the sauce to the meat of your choice. The recipe as written will yield about ½ cup of BBQ sauce, so adjust the recipe accordingly, to suit your needs.

This recipe for sauce can easily be doubled or tripled, but you may have to cook it a couple extra minutes until it thickens.

We especially love the tangy kick this sauce brings to grilled chicken or pork chops. It really tastes great on baked chicken, as shown in the photos above and below.

When we bake the chicken, we bake it until the chicken is almost done, THEN baste it with this sauce and pop it back in the oven to finish cooking.

TIP: If grilling or baking, remember to keep an eye on it and turn the meat occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning!

I hope you have the opportunity to make this quick and easy to make Asian-Style BBQ Sauce, and trust you’ll enjoy it as much as we do!

If you would rather try another BBQ sauce for meat, be sure to check out my recipe for a more “traditional” honey BBQ sauce, shown below with other sauce recipes from my blog.

Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SAUCE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of sauce recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
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Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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0 from 0 votes

Asian-Style BBQ Sauce

Prep Time

3 mins

Cook Time

4 mins

Total Time

7 mins

Make a batch of Asian-Style BBQ sauce for baked or grilled chicken, pork or beef! This easy, flavorful sauce is made in under 10 minutes.

Category: Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian-style BBQ sauce

Servings: 1 (total= about ½ cup)

Calories Per Serving: 356 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup Hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce regular or low-sodium
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger (finely grated)
1 pinch red chili flakes
2 teaspoons water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place all the ingredients into a small saucepan. Stir the mixture well, until all ingredients have been well-combined.
Bring the sauce to a simmer on Medium-Low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from scorching (from the sugar in the ketchup).
Continue to cook the sauce for approx. 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, the Asian-style BBQ sauce should have thickened slightly.
Use as desired on baked or grilled meats. When grilling or baking, apply sauce once the meat is about halfway done cooking. Turn meats on grill occasionally to prevent burning. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: The caloric calculation provided is based on the entire amount of sauce (½ cup total), as the amounts of sauce used on individual portions of meat may vary greatly.

Nutrition Facts

Asian-Style BBQ Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 (½ cup total))

Calories 356 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 7g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 2238mg97%

Potassium 338mg10%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 32g36%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 342IU7%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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10
Jul
2025

Air Fryer Salad Croutons

categories: Air Fryer Recipes

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It’s quick and easy to make delicious, well-seasoned Air Fryer Salad Croutons to add crunch and flavor to a favorite mixed green salad.

Today I want to share a very simple way to make croutons for green salads in the comfort of home using an air fryer! I’ve baked homemade croutons for years, but when it is hot outside, I use my air fryer instead of our oven, because it helps our kitchen stay cooler!

Once you’ve cut up about 4 pieces of stale French or Sourdough bread, you’re ready to go! Now you’ll add a buttery seasoning mix to the bread cubes and cook them! It is so easy and pretty quick to make salad croutons using an air fryer!

When the croutons are done cooking, they’re golden brown, crispy, delicious and ready to use on top of mixed green salads! Here’s how to make air fryer salad croutons!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make A Seasoning Mix For The Salad Croutons

You will need butter, dried parsley flakes, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and seasoning salt to make the seasoning for the croutons.

Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat and add the spices to the pan once the butter has melted. Stir until the spices are fully incorporated. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly.

Season The Croutons

Cut four 1″ slices of stale French or sourdough bread into bite-sized cubes. The bread cubes shown below are cut from a loaf of Cheddar Chive No-Knead Bread I made (recipe coming soon).

Stale bread is the best choice instead of fresh, because the bread cubes don’t get soggy once the melted butter and spices are added. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.

Pour the melted butter and spice mixture over the bread cubes in the bowl. Toss the croutons gently to allow the seasoning mix to coat all of the bread cubes.

Cook The Air Fryer Salad Croutons

Preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the croutons are well-coated with the seasoning mix, place them in the inner air fryer basket in a single layer.

Cook the croutons at 300°F. for 4 minutes, then remove the basket from the air fryer. Gently toss or turn the croutons to the other side (as quickly as possible).

Lay them back in the basket in a single layer. Continue to cook the croutons 4-5 more minutes OR until they’re golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on them because you don’t want them to burn.

NOTE: I use a Cosori air fryer, and the croutons typically take about 8 minutes total to be done. Your time may vary slightly (less time or more), depending on crouton size and your air fryer.

Use The Air Fryer Salad Croutons

When the croutons are done, browned and crispy, remove them from the air fryer. Transfer the croutons onto paper towels to allow them to cool.

Here’s a close-up photo of these delicious croutons! Once they’re cooled to room temperature they are ready to serve on top of a yummy mixed green salad.

Add several croutons to a favorite salad and dig in! The croutons are seasoned well, and are a nice, crunchy topping for your salad. Enjoy!

I really hope you have the chance to make homemade air fryer salad croutons because they’re delicious, simple to make and easy on the ol’ budget!

Thank you for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day!

Looking For SALAD RECIPES To Use Croutons On?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful salad recipes these croutons would be great on, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Air Fryer Salad Croutons

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

13 mins

It's quick and easy to make delicious, well-seasoned Air Fryer Salad Croutons to add crunch and flavor to a favorite mixed green salad.

Category: Condiment, Miscellaneous, Salad

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: air fryer salad croutons

Servings: 1 (total amount of croutons)

Calories Per Serving: 338 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 1" slices sourdough or French bread, slightly stale or other white bread
3 Tablespoons butter melted
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese* *Kraft shaker can is best for croutons
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon seasoning salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Melt butter in a small pan on low heat, then add the spices. Stir until the spices are fully incorporated. Remove pan from the heat; set it aside to cool slightly.
Cut four 1" slices of stale French or sourdough bread into bite-sized cubes (about 2 cups total). Place bread cubes in a large bowl. TIP: Stale bread is the best choice, because it doesn't get soggy once butter and spices are added.
Pour butter and spice mixture over the bread cubes. Toss the croutons gently to allow seasoning mixture to coat the bread cubes.
Preheat air fryer according to manufacturer's instructions. Once preheated, place seasoned croutons in the inner air fryer basket in a single layer.
Cook croutons at 300°F. for 4 minutes, then remove basket from the air fryer. Gently toss or turn croutons to the other side (as quickly as possible). Spread them back in the basket in a single layer. Continue cooking croutons 3-4 more minutes OR until they're golden brown and crispy. NOTE: Your cooking time may vary slightly (less or more time), depending on crouton size and your air fryer.
When croutons are done, transfer them onto paper towels to cool. When cooled, use them on green salads. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: The caloric calculation shown is for the entire recipe, as the number of croutons used per salad may vary greatly. This calculation is an estimate only, based on using four 1" slices of sourdough bread.

Nutrition Facts

Air Fryer Salad Croutons

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 338 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 22g138%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 9g

Cholesterol 95mg32%

Sodium 1544mg67%

Potassium 45mg1%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 0.3g0%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1094IU22%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 59mg6%

Iron 0.3mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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07
Jul
2025

Broiled Honey Dijon Salmon

categories: Main Dishes, Seafood

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Looking for a quick dinner? Make Broiled Honey Dijon Salmon in 10 minutes! Coated in honey Dijon sauce and broiled, it’s easy and delicious!

Today I want to share a delicious dinner recipe featuring skinless salmon fillets! You know those nights when you need to get something good on the table for dinner, but it’s been a CRAZY busy day? That’s when this recipe will come in handy.

It’s as simple as whipping up a super easy sauce in under a minute, basting it on salmon fillets and cooking it under an oven broiler until done. That’s it!

How easy is that? The whole thing is typically on the table in about 10 minutes, from start to finish and has wonderful flavor. It’s EASY, it’s QUICK, and it’s GOOD! Here’s how to make Broiled Honey Dijon Salmon.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make the Honey Dijon Sauce

The only other ingredients you’ll need besides the salmon fillets are the ones used to make the delicious seasoning sauce. They are sea salt, chili powder, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, honey, Dijon mustard and ground black pepper.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir well, until they are fully combined. This mixture is what you will use to bring additional flavor to the salmon.

Prepare The Salmon

Pat boneless, skinless salmon fillet dry by blotting them well using a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

The salmon I used this time were fairly thin (about ¾” thick), which means less cooking time, because thinner fillets take less time to cook through (approx. 7 minutes).

I normally use fillets that are 1″-1¾” thick, but either size is perfectly fine for this recipe, and both will yield good results if you simply keep an eye on them as they cook.

Place the fillets on parchment paper or aluminum foil and then place them on a rimmed baking sheet before seasoning the salmon.

Here’s a photo of two thicker salmon fillets. If using fillets this size (about 1″-1¾” thick) it will usually take about 8-9 minutes to fully finish cooking them through.

Add The Honey Dijon Sauce And Then Broil

Use a pastry brush to fully coat each salmon fillet with the honey Dijon sauce. Put the sauce on thick and use it all to cover the top and sides of each piece.

Turn your oven setting to BROIL. Place the baking sheet about 5″-6″ away from the heat source. Broil the salmon for 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets you are using.

Rotate the pan once during the broiling time to ensure even cooking. Keep an eye on the salmon as it cooks, to make sure it doesn’t “overcook” and dry out. The salmon, when done, should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145° and should flake easily with a fork.

Serve the broiled honey Dijon salmon with some of your favorite sides and enjoy this quick and easy seafood meal!

Steamed white rice and some crisp-tender steamed asparagus were the side dishes that were enjoyed with the salmon. Both pieces are shown on the plate in the photo below. It was all quite delicious!

I hope you have the opportunity to try broiled honey Dijon salmon and trust you will enjoy it as much as we do! It is such a quick prep for a really delicious dinner.

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day, friend.

Looking For More SALMON Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious salmon recipes to choose from, including:

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Original recipe source: unknown

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Broiled Honey Dijon Salmon

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

10 mins

Looking for a quick dinner? Make Broiled Honey Dijon Salmon in 10 minutes! Coated in honey Dijon sauce and broiled, it's easy and delicious!

Category: Entree-Seafood

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: broiled honey Dijon salmon

Servings: 2

Calories Per Serving: 201 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 (4-5 oz.) skinless salmon fillets approx. 1" thick

For Seasoning Sauce:

1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Turn oven to BROILER setting to preheat. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir until fully combined.
Blot salmon fillets dry using a paper towel. Place fillets on prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to fully coat each salmon fillet (top and sides) with sauce.
Place baking sheet 5"-6" away from the heat source. Broil salmon for 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Rotate the pan once during broiling to ensure even cooking. Keep an eye on the salmon as it cooks, so it doesn't "overcook" and dry out. The salmon should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145° and flake easily with a fork when done.
Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Broiled Honey Dijon Salmon

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 201 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 432mg19%

Potassium 589mg17%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 220IU4%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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03
Jul
2025

Cranberry Pistachio Scones

categories: Breads, Scones

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Make 8 delicious, buttery Cranberry Pistachio Scones in about half an hour! These yummy treats are wonderful for a quick breakfast or snack!

I’ve been making scones for years and years and always enjoy trying new recipes for these breakfast or snack treats! Years ago, I found this recipe in an old Southern Living magazine I had and am now getting around to sharing it here on the ol’ blog!

Cranberry Pistachio scones are light, slightly crumbly, very buttery, and filled with chewy dried cranberries and roasted pistachios. They look wonderful and taste delicious!

Today I want to share this easy recipe with you. My hope is that you see HOW to make them and then decide to make this recipe for yourself, your family or friends. Here’s how to make cranberry pistachio scones.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Scone Dough

Before beginning to make the dough, preheat your oven to 450°F. Use shortening or non-stick cooking spray to grease a medium-sized cookie sheet.

Place all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir until they are combined.

Add chunks of COLD butter to the flour mixture in the bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the mixture until the butter has been reduced to the size of peas. Place the bowl into the freezer (uncovered) for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the bowl from the freezer. Add ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. of half and half into the flour mixture (**This is MOST of the half and half required. You will still have 2 Tbsp. half and half remaining to use later).

Stir these ingredients very well, but only until all the mixture is moistened and just barely combined. Do not overmix this dough.

Add Cranberries And Pistachios

Add the dried cranberries and roasted pistachios, then stir only until they have been incorporated into the dough.

Pour the dough out of the bowl and onto wax or parchment paper (shown below). Use your hands to shape the dough into a cohesive ball. The dough will be slightly crumbly.

Gently press the dough ball down and out into a circle shape, approximately 7″ across. Use your hands to press and shape the dough as you go.

Cut the dough into 8 equal sized wedges. TIP: A pizza cutter works great, and I highly recommend using one, otherwise use a very sharp knife.

Prepare Scones For Baking

Place the scone wedges about 1-2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with the reserved 2 Tablespoons of half and half.

Sprinkle the top of each of the cranberry pistachio scones with raw sugar (or sanding sugar). NOTE: Raw sugar is an optional topping, but I like to add it. If you prefer not to use it, no problem!

The scones are not overly sweet as is, so I prefer this little bit of added sugar to add a bit more sweetness (and crunch)!

Bake And Serve The Cranberry Pistachio Scones

Bake the cranberry pistachio scones at 450°F. for 13-15 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown. Be careful to not overcook them or they may become dry!

TIP: I recommend checking on them at the 13-minute mark, then keep an eye on them until they reach the desired color and “done-ness”.

Remove the scones from the oven and use a knife to separate them from each other, if necessary. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.

We prefer these scones best served at room temperature, but if you want to enjoy them while they’re still warm, go for it! They look and taste wonderful, and plump cranberries and crunchy pistachios really enhance the flavor of these treats.

Place the cooled cranberry pistachio scones on a plate or platter and serve! If you have any leftovers, they freeze well, too (if wrapped and stored in an airtight container).

I’m confident you will really enjoy these scrumptious cranberry pistachio scones! I hope you will have the opportunity to make some for yourself and those you love.

They are so good to have around for a quick breakfast served alongside a piping hot cup of coffee! My husband and I have also been known to enjoy them for an afternoon snack. YUM!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Looking For More SCONE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious scone recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Original recipe source: Mary Allen Perry via “Southern Living Magazine”, Dec 2010 issue, page 194

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0 from 0 votes

Cranberry Pistachio Scones

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

13 mins

Total Time

33 mins

Make 8 delicious, buttery Cranberry Pistachio Scones in about half an hour! These yummy treats are wonderful for a quick breakfast or snack!

Category: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: cranberry pistachio scones

Servings: 8 scones

Calories Per Serving: 326 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter cut into small chunks (= 8 Tbsp.)
1 cup half and half *DIVIDED USE
⅓ cup sweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup pistachios (roasted, salted) roughly chopped
raw sugar (if using) to sprinkle on top (as desired)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; stir until combined. Add COLD butter chunks. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until butter is reduced to the size of peas. Place bowl in freezer (uncovered) for 5 minutes.
Remove bowl from freezer. Add ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. of half and half. Stir well, but only until moistened and combined. Do not overmix. Add cranberries/pistachios; stir only until they're incorporated into the dough.
Pour dough out onto wax or parchment paper. Shape dough with your hands into a ball (dough will be slightly crumbly). Gently press dough ball into a circle, approx. 7" wide. Cut into 8 wedges. TIP: A pizza cutter works great; I highly recommend using one, otherwise use a sharp knife.
Place wedges about 1-2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone with remaining 2 Tbsp. of half and half. Sprinkle the top of each scone with raw sugar (or sanding sugar), if using.
Bake at 450°F. for 13-15 minutes, or until they're cooked through and golden brown. TIP: Check on them at the 13-minute mark, then keep an eye on them until they reach the desired color and "done-ness". Remove scones from oven; use a knife to separate them from each other, if necessary. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool, then serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES: Can substitute heavy whipping cream for the half and half. *The raw sugar topping (optional) is not included in the caloric calculation as the amount used may vary.

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Pistachio Scones

Amount Per Serving (1 scone)

Calories 326 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Trans Fat 0.5g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 257mg11%

Potassium 270mg8%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 478IU10%

Vitamin C 0.5mg1%

Calcium 110mg11%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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30
Jun
2025

Patriotic Chocolate Pops

categories: Chocolate, Desserts, Holidays!

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Patriotic Chocolate Pops are a great addition to your holiday celebration! They look festive and the yummy chocolate filling is delicious!

If you’re looking for a fun treat to serve at your Independence Day celebration, perhaps you would be interested in making colorful patriotic chocolate pops?

Each “pop” is filled with a simple, two ingredient chocolate filling. The outside is decorated with layers of red, white and blue chocolate that make the pops look wonderfully “patriotic”.

Set these cute treats out along with some favorite July 4th decorations and see how fast they get gobbled up by your family and friends. They are REALLY tasty and I’m sure you will love them!

They do take a little bit of a time to make (waiting for layers of colored chocolate to harden), but the results are worth every minute! Here’s how to make these patriotic chocolate pops.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Making The Chocolate Pops

To make these patriotic chocolate pops you will need 36 Oreo (or other chocolate and creme filled cookies). See note below for important info. about the cookies.

IMPORTANT- Do NOT use double-stuffed or it will not produce the firm chocolate pop needed! Simply use good ol’ Oreo cookies, original flavor and filling. One regular sized package will contain approximately 36 cookies.

Place the cookies in a food processor with the regular blade attachment. Process the cookies until they become fine crumbs. You can use a blender to do this if you don’t have access to a food processor. TIP: Process about half of the cookies first, then add the remaining cookies for easiest and best results.

Once all the cookies have been processed into fine crumbs, add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese into the food processor. If you cut the cream cheese into chunks, it will be easier!

Shape The Chocolate Mixture Into Balls

When the cookie and cream cheese mixture is fully processed, it is time to shape the chocolate into balls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper, because you’ll put each chocolate ball onto it once formed.

For each ball you will use 1 Tablespoon of the mixture, so use a cookie scoop if you have one that size. Place a Tablespoon of the chocolate mixture in the palm of your hand and roll it between your palms until it forms a cohesive ball.

Set the chocolate ball onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and continue this process until all the “dough” is gone. You should end up with approximately 32-35 chocolate balls of “dough”.

Refrigerate the chocolate pops for 1 hour OR put the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze them for 30 minutes. TIP: Don’t skip this step, because you need the chocolate pops to be really cold before you cover them with chocolate “icing”.

The Next Step

Now it’s time to think ahead to where you will hold all the chocolate pops as you put the colored chocolate layer on. It needs to be someplace where each chocolate pop (with the stick inserted) can stand up (separate from the other pops) while the chocolate sets up.

I came up with an idea for this because I didn’t know how to do this and didn’t have any fancy kitchen gadget to use. Here’s what I did, and perhaps this would work for you, as well!

Place dried uncooked beans about halfway up in 6-7 juice glasses. I used black beans which held the pop sticks securely in the cup. This way I could add several finished pops (5-6) to each cup. I suppose you could also use rice to do this, but I haven’t tried that method.

Dipping The Chocolate Pops

For the patriotic chocolate pops, I used red, white and blue chocolate candy wafers found in grocery stores or in some craft stores. The is also called “almond bark” in some stores.

I got these bags (shown below) at Hobby Lobby, and I know that Michael’s craft store also carries similar products. This time I used these 3 colors for July 4th but use whatever icing colors you choose any time of the year or holiday!

Each of these bags of colored candy wafers was 12 ounces, but you won’t use the entire bag. Save any remaining chocolate wafers to make more pops or use in other recipes.

When I make them, I only melt and use one color at a time (and only about ¼ bag at a time) following the package directions. NOTE: I also add a tiny bit of vegetable shortening when melting the chocolate to thin the icing a little.

Once the chocolate icing hardens for the first layer, I melt and cool another color and apply that in a drizzle or as desired, etc. It takes a while to do this, but the end result is worth it!

Dipping The Chocolate Pops

Melt the chocolate wafers (and shortening) according to pkg. instructions, then let the chocolate cool for about a minute. I usually melt the chocolate wafers with a tiny bit of shortening and microwave them for 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave them again for 30 seconds and stir again.

Continue until the chocolate is completely smooth and creamy. Let the chocolate cool for only about a minute, then remove the pops from the refrigerator (or freezer).

Remove about 10 pops at a time from the refrigerator or freezer so the rest can remain firm for dipping. Insert a lollipop stick into each ball, being carefully not to poke it all the way through.

You can place this first batch of pops into the bean-filled cups to hold them intact while you coat each one, which helps!

Decorating The Chocolate Pops

Pick a color to cover the entire pop. You can see in the photo below how the blue colored chocolate looked during the heating and how it looked when I covered the chocolate ball.

Holding the pop by the “stick” immerse it in the chocolate and rotate it until fully covered. Use a spoon if necessary to ensure the entire ball is covered.

Let any excess drip back into the bowl, then carefully place the stick into a bean-filled glass to hold it secure and upright while the chocolate sets or hardens. As the chocolate hardens, it will also hold the “stick” firmly in place.

Finishing The Colorful Patriotic Pops

The basic method for decorating the pops is to fully cover the pop with a chosen base color. After that, you’ll drizzle with accent colors (1 at a time) once the chocolate hardens.

Here’s how I decorated the pops (blue base and red base shown below). Once the blue pops were done, I moved on to red and white base colors, covering as many of the pops in those colors as I wanted. *Remember to only remove the number of pops needed for a certain color from the fridge.

When all the patriotic chocolate pops are covered with a base coat and the chocolate has set up, melt more of the three colors (one at a time) for drizzling and adding additional colors.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over each of the pops to decorate them, letting each color harden before adding another color. You can also add decorative sprinkles to the pops, if desired, while the final chocolate layer is still “wet”.

Serve And Enjoy Patriotic Chocolate Pops!

Once the outer layer on the finished patriotic chocolate pops have hardened, I suggest placing the pop-filled cups in the refrigerator to *fully chill them before serving (*optional but recommended).

Place the patriotic chocolate pops out with a few table decorations and watch how fast they disappear! The outside is firm, and the chocolate filling is so fudge-like and crazy delicious, I’ll bet you can’t eat more than one! They’re DELICIOUS!

Give Some to Friends!

I bundled up about 6-7 of the pops with some pretty ribbon and gave a “bouquet” of patriotic chocolate pops to some of our neighbors and another one to a dear friend and got rave reviews!

Yes, making these chocolate pops is a bit time-consuming, but it’s worth it in my opinion! What a great start to our upcoming July 4th holiday celebration!

Here’s a peek at the inside of one of the patriotic chocolate pops. The outer chocolate covering “cracks” a bit as you bite into it, and then you see the delicious chocolate filling inside. Yum!

I hope you have the opportunity to make these decadent treats! Honestly, if you simply only want to make them and dip them in one color and add sprinkles, they would be just as good!

I’m confident your family and friends will really enjoy these fun little treats full of chocolatey goodness, regardless of how they are decorated!

Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful Independence Day celebration with those you love.

Looking For More JULY 4TH Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of recipes that are perfect for your July 4th celebration, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Patriotic Chocolate Pops

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Refrigeration Time and Decorating Time

1 hr 45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 55 mins

Patriotic Chocolate Pops are a great addition to your holiday celebration! They look festive and the yummy chocolate filling is delicious!

Category: Appetizer/Snack, Desssert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: patriotic chocolate pops

Servings: 32 (approximate)

Calories Per Serving: 77 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Chocolate Pop Filling:

36 Oreo cookies (regular, not double-stuffed) or chocolate-creme filled cookies
8 ounces cream cheese softened

For Chocolate "Icing" and Decoration:

chocolate candy wafers red, white and blue
colored decorative sprinkles, if desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make Chocolate Pop Filling:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside.
Place half the cookies in a food processor. Process until they become fine crumbs. Add remaining cookies, process again. Cut cream cheese in chunks; add to chocolate crumbs. Process until ingredients are fully combined.
Put 1 Tbsp. of chocolate filling in the palm of your hand. Roll it between your palms until it is a cohesive ball. Set ball onto prepared baking sheet. Continue until all "dough" is gone (approx. 32-35 chocolate balls of "dough"). Refrigerate chocolate balls for 1 hour OR freeze them for 30 minutes. TIP: Don't skip this step- chocolate pops must be cold before covering them with colored "icing".

Decorating The Pops:

Using one color and about ¼ bag at a time, melt colored chocolate following pkg. directions (if desired). NOTE: I also add a tiny bit of vegetable shortening when melting the chocolate to thin the icing out. I usually melt the chocolate wafers with a tiny bit (about a tsp. or so) of shortening and microwave them for 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave them again for 30 seconds and stir again. Continue until the chocolate is completely smooth, lump-free and creamy. Let the chocolate cool for about a minute.
Remove about 10 pops from the refrigerator or freezer. Leave the rest chilling so they remain firm for dipping. Insert a lollipop stick into each ball, being carefully not to poke it all the way through. Holding the pop by the "stick" immerse the entire chocolate ball in the colored chocolate, rotating until fully covered. Use a spoon if necessary to ensure the ball is covered. Let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl, then place the stick into a bean-filled glass to hold it secure and upright while the chocolate hardens. Repeat until this first batch of chocolate balls are covered.
Repeat process using additional colors for the base, (removing only the number of pops needed for each color from the fridge). When all pops are completely covered and chocolate has hardened, melt more of the three colors to decoratively drizzle (one color at a time). Drizzle the melted color chocolate over each of the pops to decorate them, letting each color harden before adding another color. You can also add decorative sprinkles to the pops while final chocolate layer is still "wet".
Once the finished patriotic chocolate pops have hardened, place the cups holding the pops in the refrigerator to chill the pops before serving (*optional but recommended). Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

IMPORTANT NOTE: The caloric calculation is for 32 chocolate pops (filling only). The amount and type of the colored chocolate "icing" used on the outside of each pop will vary widely for each home cook, so it cannot be calculated accurately.

Nutrition Facts

Patriotic Chocolate Pops

Amount Per Serving (1 chocolate pop (filling only))

Calories 77 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 4mg1%

Sodium 78mg3%

Potassium 49mg1%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 0.4g2%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 39IU1%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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26
Jun
2025

Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites

categories: Appetizers

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Serve baked Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites plain or with toppings for appetizers or snacks! They’re easy to make, crisp, tasty and well-seasoned!

If you’re looking for a quick and easy (yet delicious) recipe that can be enjoyed as a snack or appetizer, I hope you’ll check out this one!

The basic recipe yields about 40 well-seasoned buttery crackers (I use Ritz Crackers). Covered in a butter seasoning sauce and then baked until golden and crisp, these snacks can be enjoyed as is or used as a base for various toppings.

These tasty crispy treats only take a few minutes to prepare, then they bake for about 7 minutes… that’s it! After they’ve cooled, they are ready to gobble up or serve with your favorite toppings.

They’re tasty enough to serve with toppings as an appetizer for a buffet, potluck, or other get together, or save them to have around for a quick snack. Here’s how to make them.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Seasoned Butter Sauce

Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Once it has melted, add garlic powder, grated Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, onion powder, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

While I typically prefer using freshly grated Parmesan cheese in most recipes, for this one I recommend using the store bought “green shaker can” variety for a finer Parmesan texture.

Stir this mixture together until everything is fully combined. Remove the saucepan from the heat source.

Season the Ritz Crackers

Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Spread the crackers out in a single layer leaving just a bit of space between each one.

Use a pastry brush to cover the top surface of the crackers very well using the seasoned butter sauce. I use about 40 crackers and there is always plenty of the sauce to cover them all.

When done, you should have a single layer of buttered and seasoned crackers, all ready to be baked in a preheated 350°F. oven.

Bake The Seasoned Crackers

Make sure your oven is fully preheated before adding the crackers. Bake the Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites at 350°F. for 7-8 minutes or until they become golden in color and CRISPY!

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully transfer each of the crackers onto a large wire rack. Let them cool to room temperature before eating or serving.

Need Serving Ideas For Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites?

The first thing you’ll need to know is that the Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites taste great, just as they are! They have great flavor and crunch, and will be gobbled up, as is.

One way we enjoy these little snack treats is to serve them with a thin slice of Brie cheese on top. This is a delicious item to add to any appetizer board or serving platter!

Another idea for serving Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites is to add a small amount of cream cheese on top of the cracker. After that, put a dollop of pepper jelly on top! This is my FAVORITE way to enjoy them.

If you’ve never made pepper jelly, you might want to check out my recipe for homemade jalapeño pepper jelly. It’s a recipe to can the jelly for long-term storage, because then you can keep it around to use. The jelly tastes wonderful on cream cheese topped crackers!

For this batch shown below, we were given some marionberry pepper jelly and cherry habanero pepper jelly from a family member. Our family enjoyed BOTH of them on the Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites!

There is so much delicious flavor in every bite! One of my favorite ways to eat them is to add cream cheese, topped with marionberry pepper jelly. A close-up photo is shown below, and it tastes amazing!

This is such an easy appetizer or snack to make, without a lot of prep work involved. I’m confident any family member or guest you serve them to will enjoy them, as well.

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to stop by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day, friend.

Looking For More SNACK or APPETIZER Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a great variety of appetizer and snack recipes you can check out, including:

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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

7 mins

Total Time

17 mins

Serve baked Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites plain or with toppings for appetizers or snacks! They're easy to make, crisp, tasty and well-seasoned!

Category: Appetizer/Snack

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: garlic Parmesan Ritz bites

Servings: 40 crackers

Calories Per Serving: 37 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

½ cup butter melted (=1 stick or 8 Tbsp.)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes approx. ⅛ tsp. or less
40 Ritz crackers

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make The Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Once melted, add garlic powder, finely grated Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, onion powder, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until fully combined. Remove saucepan from the heat source.
Spread crackers out in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between each one. Use a pastry brush to cover the top of the crackers very well using the seasoned butter sauce.
Bake at 350°F. for 7-8 minutes or until they become golden in color and CRISPY!
Remove baking sheet from oven; use a spatula to transfer crackers onto a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature before eating or serving. Store leftover crackers in an airtight container to keep them crispy.
Serve at room temperature as is, or top with a variety of cheeses, pepper jellies, or other condiments. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation is for each cracker and does not include optional toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Garlic Parmesan Ritz Bites

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 37 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 64mg3%

Potassium 8mg0%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 0.3g0%

Protein 0.4g1%

Vitamin A 74IU1%

Vitamin C 0.01mg0%

Calcium 8mg1%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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21
Jun
2025

Skillet Chicken and Garbanzo Salad

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes

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Skillet Chicken and Garbanzo Salad is an easy meal, with a Mediterranean-inspired salad and dressing served with (and on) pan-seared chicken.

If you’re looking for a quick-and-easy meal to prepare, I want to share this recipe for Skillet Chicken and Garbanzo Salad. I found the original recipe in one of the cookbooks I own and slightly adapted it for my husband and I.

This is an all-in-one meal, because pan-seared chicken AND garbanzo salad (also known as chickpeas) are prepared separately but served together sharing a common flavorful salad dressing.

The garbanzo salad takes a minute or two to make, because it only has 3 main ingredients: garbanzo beans, mint and red onion slices. This simple salad is then tossed with an easy to make salad dressing (with traditional Mediterranean flavors of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mint and spices).

The beauty of this yummy salad dressing is that part of it is reserved to drizzle (like sauce) over the pan-seared chicken once it’s done! This means the salad and the chicken share similar flavors making it a great combination of main dish and side dish!

This recipe will serve two people (one chicken breast and half the salad per person), but it can EASILY be doubled or tripled to meet your needs! Here’s how to make skillet chicken and garbanzo salad.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Dressing For The Salad And Chicken

Measure 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice into a medium-sized bowl. Add honey, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt and black pepper. Use a whisk to combine all these ingredients until they are fully incorporated.

IMPORTANT: Divide the prepared salad dressing in half, reserving one half in a small separate bowl for later to drizzle on chicken when you serve it).

Set the other half of the remaining dressing aside. You will use this half to add to the garbanzo salad.

Prepare The Garbanzo Bean Salad

Drain and then rinse the garbanzo beans. Place the rinsed garbanzos in a bowl, then add thinly sliced red onion and chopped fresh mint leaves.

Add the salad dressing (use one of the two portions set aside), and toss well, to fully combine the salad ingredients and dressing. Take a small bite of the salad and add additional salt and pepper, if desired, to suit your taste.

Set the salad aside while you cook the chicken. There’s no need to refrigerate it because the chicken will cook very quickly!

Prepare The Chicken Breasts

Trim any visible fat off two boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Place each piece in between two sheets of plastic wrap (on a cutting board).

Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet until the thicker parts of the chicken breast have flattened out slightly. This will help the chicken breast to cook faster, so don’t skip this step.

Repeat this with the second piece of chicken, then lightly season each chicken breast with enough salt and black pepper to suit your taste.

Place 3 heaping Tablespoons of flour on a dinner plate and spread it out slightly. Dredge chicken breasts in the flour (one at a time), turning until all the sides are coated.

Pan-Sear The Chicken Breasts

Heat 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet on Medium-High heat. Heat the oil until it is very hot, but only BARELY smoking.

Carefully add both of the seasoned, floured chicken breasts into the hot skillet. Once you add the chicken breasts, do not move them in the skillet, because you want to “sear” the underside of the meat well.

Cook the chicken, undisturbed for 4-5 minutes. The bottom of the chicken should be nicely browned and have a slight “crust” on it.

Carefully turn the chicken to the other side with tongs and continue cooking the chicken breasts for 4-5 more minutes. When done, the chicken should be nicely browned on both sides and have an internal temperature of 160°F.

NOTE: Typically, the chicken breasts take about 8-10 minutes total time to cook through, but this time may vary slightly, due to the thickness of the chicken breasts you use.

Remove the pan-seared chicken from the skillet. Cover the chicken loosely with foil to keep it hot, and let it rest for 3-4 minutes so the internal juices have a chance to redistribute in the meat. The internal temperature of the chicken will continue to slightly rise as it rests.

Serve The Skillet Chicken And Garbanzo Salad

Now you’re ready to serve the skillet chicken and garbanzo salad! Place the chicken breasts onto two dinner plates and evenly divide the garbanzo salad next to each piece of chicken.

Remember that reserved portion of salad dressing you set aside earlier? Grab that bowl and then spoon or drizzle that delicious dressing over the top of each piece of chicken.

Pretty easy to make this simple Mediterranean-style dinner for two, right? Serve with other favorite side dishes or a piece of crusty garlic bread and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal!

The garbanzo salad is simple yet delicious, and the chicken is tender and enhanced with the same yummy dressing flavor!

I hope you have the opportunity to make this delicious combination of skillet chicken and garbanzo salad, and trust you’ll enjoy it like we do! It’s such an easy recipe to pull together quickly after a busy day.

Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious chicken recipes to choose from, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
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Recipe adapted from: “The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook”, page 293, published in 2016 by The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Skillet Chicken And Garbanzo Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

Skillet Chicken and Garbanzo Salad is an easy meal, with a Mediterranean-inspired salad and dressing served with (and on) pan-seared chicken.

Category: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: garbanzo salad, skillet chicken

Servings: 2

Calories Per Serving: 563 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil* *DIVIDED USE
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper + more to taste, if desired
15 ounces canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained, rinsed
¼ small red onion very thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast* *2 breasts, about 4-6 oz. each
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour* *use heaping Tablespoons
salt and pepper, to season chicken as desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Salad Dressing:

Measure 2 Tablespoons olive oil (not the entire amt. listed) and lemon juice into a small bowl. Add honey, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Whisk these ingredients until fully incorporated. Divide salad dressing in half, reserving one half in a small separate bowl for later. Set remaining half of the dressing aside (this half is for the salad.

Salad:

Drain/rinse garbanzo beans. Place garbanzos, red onion and mint in a bowl. Add salad dressing one of the two portions set aside). Toss until combined. Taste; add more salt & pepper, if desired. Set salad aside while you cook the chicken.

Chicken:

Trim visible fat off chicken; pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place each piece in between two sheets of plastic wrap (on a cutting board). Pound chicken with flat side of a meat mallet until thicker parts are flattened (helps it cook faster, don't skip this). Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Measure flour onto a plate; spread it out. Dredge chicken breasts in flour (one at a time), turning until all sides are coated.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet on Medium-High heat. Heat until oil is very hot, but only BARELY smoking. Add chicken breasts, then don't move them in the skillet. Cook the chicken, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes. The bottom of each piece should be nicely browned and develop a slight "crust".
Turn chicken over; continue cooking 4-5 more minutes. When done, chicken should be golden brown on both sides and have an internal temp. of 160°F. NOTE: The chicken typically takes about 8-10 minutes total to cook through, but time may vary slightly, due to the thickness of the chicken breasts you use. Remove chicken from skillet. Cover with foil loosely and let it rest 3-4 minutes to let internal juices redistribute in the chicken.
To serve, place 1 chicken breast and half the garbanzo salad on each plate. Drizzle reserved dressing over each chicken breast, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation was made using two, 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Nutrition Facts

Skillet Chicken And Garbanzo Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 piece chicken + salad)

Calories 563 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 17g

Cholesterol 73mg24%

Sodium 872mg38%

Potassium 820mg23%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 36g72%

Vitamin A 530IU11%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 102mg10%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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17
Jun
2025

How To Can Mandarin Oranges

categories: Canning And Preserving

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Learn how to can Mandarin oranges in a water bath canner for long-term storage! Recipe yields 5 half-pint jars from a 3 lb. bag of oranges.

I love keeping mandarin oranges in our pantry and use them in several dishes we eat occasionally. They add sweetness, color and flavor to green salads, a Classic 5 Cup Salad, and are a colorful addition to my recipe for Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice.

When I go shopping, canned mandarin oranges are typically not a staple ingredient on my list. That’s why I find it very convenient to can several jars at a time every 4-5 months to keep stocked in our pantry.

I assume you are still reading because you’d like to know how to can mandarin oranges if you haven’t done so before. Well… you’re in the right place! I’ve been canning mandaring oranges for several years and am happy to walk you through the step-by-step process.

For this recipe, you will need a water bath canner, 5 half-pint canning jars and corresponding 2-piece lids. Here’s how to can mandarin oranges for long-term storage.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

First Things First

Gather all the canning necessities together before starting. Prepare your canner, jars, lids, etc. according to manufacturer instructions before beginning to prepare the oranges and light syrup.

Prepare The Mandarin Oranges For Canning

For this recipe I buy a 3-pound bag of mandarin oranges (this bag shown below contained 17 mandarin oranges). This number of oranges will be enough to yield about 5 half-pint jars of canned mandarins.

Place the oranges in a large bowl and remove all the peels (and stem ends) from them. Once you have all the peel removed, separate each mandarin orange into segments.

Remove any white “pith” or ” stringy pieces” you find on the segments (they have a bitter taste, and you do not want that). I sit down in front of the TV and do this while watching (or “listening”) to a show.

Yes, it takes a small amount of time to “clean up” all of the mandarin segments, but the pretty orange mandarin orange slices you end up with are the reward!

Make A Light Syrup For Canning Mandarin Oranges

When canning mandarin oranges, I make a light sweet syrup to add to the jars which slightly sweetens the canned oranges. It only has two ingredients and is really simple to make.

NOTE: Yes, you can use plain old water instead of a syrup, but the mandarins won’t taste too sweet at all. I heartily recommend canning them in this very “lightly sweetened” syrup.

In a small saucepan, heat water and granulated sugar until the sugar has fully melted. Keep this light syrup warm while you fill the canning jars with the mandarin orange segments.

Fill And Cover The Jars

Pack the mandarin oranges tightly in sterilized, hot canning jars, leaving ½” headspace in each one. Pour the hot syrup mixture over the mandarin oranges into each jar, again leaving ½” headspace.

Use a plastic canning utensil to remove air bubbles from each jar by inserting it several times around the edges of each jar. Once you do that, check the headspace to make sure it is still ½”.

Add or remove syrup as necessary to maintain the correct headspace. Use a damp cloth to wipe the rims of each jar to remove any syrup or fruit that would prevent the jars from sealing.

How To Can Mandarin Oranges

Place flat lids on top of each jar, then add the screw bands (or rings), and screw them on, tightening them to fingertip tightness. Position the jars onto the canning rack and carefully lower the rack into the pot of simmering water.

Make sure the water level is 1″ above the very top of the jars, and add additional water, if necessary. Turn the heat up to Medium High. If you have a lid for your water bath canner, put it on at this time.

Bring the water to a gentle rolling boil, then set the timer and process the jars for 10 minutes once boiling. If you live above 1,000 feet elevation, process the jars for 15 minutes.

When done, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Let the jars sit in the hot water for 2-3 minutes then remove them from the pot, one at a time, using canning tongs.

Transfer the very HOT jars out of the canner and onto a dish towel on the countertop. NOTE: Do not put the hot jars directly on the kitchen counter because temperature variances could cause the jars to crack and you DO NOT want that!

Let the jars cool completely (overnight is best). As they begin to cool, you should hear a “ping” or “popping” sound as each of the lids seal. It is best to not disturb the jars while they cool.

Storing Your Canned Mandarin Oranges

After the jars have cooled completely, make sure they have all successfully sealed. Use a fingertip to press down in the middle of the jar lid. If it pops back or is raised in the middle, the jar didn’t seal properly so you will need to refrigerate that particular jar and use it fairly soon.

Carefully unscrew the bands of the sealed jars (for storage), then wipe down the jars to remove any sticky residue. Label the jars and then store them in a dark closet or pantry.

That’s it! You’ve learned how to can mandarin oranges and should be very proud of yourself for stocking your cupboards with this delicious fruit!

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to can mandarin oranges and hope you will have the chance to do this, too! They are a wonderful resource to keep stocked in your pantry!

Thank you for stopping by and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day!

Looking For More WATER BATH CANNING Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few recipes using the Water Bath Canning method to check out, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

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Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe adapted from Victoria at “A Modern Homestead”: Water Bath Canning Mandarin Oranges using Sugar or Honey

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

How To Can Mandarin Oranges

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Learn how to can Mandarin oranges in a water bath canner for long-term storage! Recipe yields 5 half-pint jars from a 3 lb. bag of oranges.

Category: Breakfast, Canning, Condiment

Cuisine: All Cuisines

Keyword: , water bath canning, how to can mandarin oranges

Servings: 5 half-pint jars (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 236 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

17 mandarin oranges approx. 3-pound bag

For Light Syrup:

1 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare your canning jars, water bath canner with simmering water, screw bands and flat lids per manufacturer instructions.
Place oranges in large bowl; remove peels (and stems). Separate each mandarin orange into segments. Remove any white "pith" or "stringy pieces" you find on the segments (they have a bitter taste, and you do not want that). Set aside.
Make syrup: In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar until sugar has melted. Keep syrup warm while you fill canning jars with mandarin orange segments.
Pack orange slices tightly in sterilized, hot canning jars, leaving ½" headspace. Pour warm syrup mixture over mandarin oranges, again leaving ½" headspace. Use a plastic knife or utensil to remove air bubbles from jars by inserting it several times around inside edges. Check headspace to make sure it is still ½". Add or remove syrup as necessary to maintain correct headspace. Use a damp cloth to wipe rims of each jar to remove any residue that would prevent jars from sealing.
Place flat lids on each jar, then add screw bands (or rings), and screw them on, tightening to fingertip tightness. Put jars on canning rack, then lower rack into the pot of simmering water. Make sure water level is 1" above the top of the jars. Add additional water, if necessary. Turn heat up to Medium High. Cover canner.
Bring water to a gentle rolling boil, then set timer; process for 10 minutes once boiling. If you live above 1,000 feet elevation, process the jars for 15 minutes. When done, turn off the heat; remove lid. Let jars sit in the hot water for 2-3 minutes then remove them, one at a time, using canning tongs.
Transfer HOT jars onto a dish towel on the countertop. NOTE: Do not put hot jars directly on countertop because temperature variances could cause jars to crack. Let jars cool completely (overnight is best). As they begin to cool, you should hear a "ping" or "popping" sound as each of the lids seal.
After jars have cooled completely, make sure they have all successfully sealed. Use a fingertip to press down in the middle of the jar lid. If it pops back or is raised in the middle, that jar didn't seal properly. Refrigerate and use it fairly soon. Carefully remove screw bands off the sealed jars for long-term storage. Wipe jars to remove any sticky residue. Label jars; store in a dark closet or pantry. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

How To Can Mandarin Oranges

Amount Per Serving (1 half-pint jar)

Calories 236 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 0.1g1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g

Sodium 9mg0%

Potassium 497mg14%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 52g58%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 2038IU41%

Vitamin C 80mg97%

Calcium 112mg11%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!