Mary // Chattavore, Author at Chattavore

8 Great Cold Side Dishes to Take to a Cookout

June 29, 2020

Whether you’re celebrating a summer holiday with friends or just planning a quiet night of outdoor dining with the family, you can never have too many cold side dishes! Here are eight of my favorite cold sides that you can make ahead for a cookout!

Cookouts are all about grilling, but who wants to go to a cookout and just eat grilled meat and chips? Okay, I am sure that there are some people. I was one of those people until I discovered that pasta salad doesn’t have to come out of a box. Having a selection of delicious cold side dishes to take to a cookout at your disposal is always a good thing. The best thing about these sides is that they can be made ahead, sometimes even a day or two, so you don’t have to rush around making them. I like to make cold sides to pack in my lunch as well. What are your favorite cold sides?

Potato Salad

I don’t really love potato salad. I never really have. I’ll eat it if it’s being served, but I never make it. Except this potato salad.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Loaded with bacon, cheese, green onions, and sour cream, this loaded baked potato salad is a crowd-pleaser that will make the mayo-haters in your crowd happy!

Check out this recipe

Pasta Salad

I used to think that pasta salad meant Suddenly Salad or the goopy stuff you tend to find on restaurant salad bars. My mom never served pasta salad when I was a kid and they did not appeal to me. When I started making my own, I discovered that a lightly dressed pasta salad with tons of flavorful ingredients could really hit the spot!

Tortellini Pasta Salad

This pasta salad combines all of your favorite Italian sub ingredients with a tangy vinaigrette and cheesy tortellini. SO delicious and it doubles as a main dish!

Check out this recipe

Classic Macaroni Salad

My grandmother’s classic macaroni salad is loaded with cheese, pickles, celery, and peppers in a classic, creamy dressing.

Check out this recipe

This classic macaroni salad is another treasure from my grandmother's collection. It's easy and just a little different from the norm.

BLT Pasta Salad

BLT pasta salad is exactly what it sounds like: bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes tossed with pasta and a creamy dressing. It’s perfect as a side dish or a main dish!

Check out this recipe

Chattavore.com | BLT pasta salad is a BLT sandwich in a bowl!

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad is one of my faves…I love to make it as a side but also just to pack in my lunch. Even with a creamy dressing, it’s pretty healthy!

Honey-Sesame Broccoli Salad

This isn’t your classic broccoli salad, but it is every bit as delicious!

Check out this recipe

Honey-sesame broccoli salad is a delicious and light side dish for your picnic, weeknight dinner, or your lunchbox! | chattavore.com

Classic Broccoli Salad

This IS the classic broccoli salad. It’s full of ALL the good stuff: bacon, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, and pickled red onions, tossed with a creamy dressing. Can’t go wrong with the classic!

Check out this recipe

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs can be a real crowd pleaser! The classics are always great, but you can’t go wrong when you add some unexpected flavors, either. I make deviled eggs even easier by cooking my eggs in the Instant Pot, which results in perfect, falling off the egg shells!

Classic Deviled Eggs

You can pack these deviled eggs on ice to avoid any spoilage. They’re so good, though, that they won’t be around for long!

Check out this recipe

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

What could be more southern than a deviled egg stuffed with pimento cheese? These are so yummy and so easy! Buy good pimento cheese at the store to make them even easier.

Check out this recipe

Baked Creamy Tortellini

April 27, 2020

With a cheesy cream sauce and a touch of tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella and cooked to cheesy perfection, this baked creamy tortellini is pasta comfort food at its best. Cheese tortellini, butter, flour, heavy cream, milk, garlic, parmesan, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. What could be better?

Ordering at Restaurants

I try to order different dishes when I go to restaurants, as opposed to always ordering the same thing every time. Notice that I said I try, because I do not always succeed. Funny thing is, it seems that the places where I fail most frequently seem to be Italian restaurants. Probably because I love filled pastas and creamy sauces so much.

My typical Italian restaurant order tends to be some sort of tortellini or ravioli and a sauce with some sort of creamy element…like tortellini Gabrielle, served at BiBa’s: cheese tortellini tossed in Alfredo sauce, with a touch of marinara and melted mozzarella. This baked creamy tortellini is, with a creamy Parmesan béchamel, topped with marinara and baked with mozzarella, is my tribute to that.

What Do I Need to Make Baked Creamy Tortellini?

Refrigerated or frozen tortellini (I used cheese but you can use whatever kind you like)
Butter
Flour
Heavy cream, milk, or half-and-half (or a combination of the three)
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Garlic
Diced tomatoes
Basil
Mozzarella

How to Make This Tortellini

Melt the butter in a skillet
Make a roux by whisking the flour into the butter
Let the roux cook briefly
Whisk the dairy into the roux
Whisk the Parmesan cheese into the roux
Combine the tortellini with the béchamel sauce
Spread the tortellini into the baking pan
Wipe out the skillet; heat the olive oil and cook the garlic in the olive oil
Add the diced tomatoes to the olive oil/garlic mixture and cook until slightly reduced.
Stir basil into the tomato mixture.
Spread the tomato sauce on top of the tortellini.
Top the tortellini with mozzarella and bake until the mozzarella is browned; cool briefly then serve.

This tortellini is a crowd-pleaser for sure. It’s one of those dishes that makes me look forward to leftovers. It’s easy and so delicious!

This recipe was originally posted in 2014 and was loosely based on a recipe originally posted on the Facebook page (Queen of the Little Red Kitchen) of a co-worker of mine, Alicyn Wilkey. Alicyn was an amazing teacher and friend who was loved by many. She sadly passed away in 2014. This recipe was originally my own feeble attempt to remember her. Her Facebook page is gone now, so I am no longer able to provide a link to her original recipe…but I hope that this recipe inspired by her will bring all of you some happiness!

Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite and The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Mary

Baked Creamy Tortellini

20 minPrep Time:

25 minCook Time:

45 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

2 9 ounce packages refrigerated tortellini-whatever variety you like (or 1 19-ounce bag frozen tortellini, which is what I used because I couldn't remember where to find refrigerated tortellini at my grocery store)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heavy cream, or half and half (I usually use a mixture of half heavy cream and half whole milk...and yes, I realize that this is essentially half and half, but I save that for my coffee)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Cloves garlic
1 14-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes (depending on whether you like a chunky or smooth texture-I used diced)
1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped or cut into a chiffonade)
salt (to taste)
4 Ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded or thinly sliced)

Instructions

If using frozen ravioli, cook briefly according to package directions to defrost (or thaw them in the fridge beforehand). Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk/cream/half-and-half and cook until thickened. Whisk in the Parmesan then salt to taste. Set aside.
Place the tortellini in a bowl and pour the béchamel over the top. Stir gently to combine.
Wash the pan you used to make the béchamel and place back over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Sauté the garlic briefly (thirty seconds should be plenty). Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly reduced, 6-8 minutes. Salt to taste. Stir in basil.
Combine the tortellini and the béchamel then spread into an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch Pyrex pie pan. Evenly spread the tomato sauce over the top. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil until it reaches desired brownness. Let stand for ten minutes before serving.

https://chattavore.com/baked-creamy-tortellini/

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats + Video

April 20, 2020

With brown butter (and double butter, at that) and salt, these salted brown butter Rice Krispies treats are sure to be the best you’ve ever had! (Scroll down for video!)

Click here to save this recipe on Pinterest!

The Best Rice Krispies Treats

Rice Krispies treats have always been fine in my book. Not my favorite. Just fine. Just okay. That is, until I tried Smitten Kitchen’s Rice Krispies treats. Salted brown butter Rice Krispies treats. They are sheer perfection. They are my contribution to 90% of potlucks and birthday parties. They are, simply put, the best version of Rice Krispies treats out there, especially zhuzzed up with just a tiny bit more salt than the original recipe. Ah, yes.

What Makes These Rice Krispies Treats So Amazing?

Double butter. They’re totally healthy. Got it? Butter is health food. The extra butter makes them so rich but also it makes the texture absolutely amazing.
Browning the butter. Shhhhhh. Trust me. This adds a depth of flavor that you won’t even believe, and if you are willing to stand and watch the butter for five minutes so it doesn’t burn, it’s totally easy too.
Salt. Just a little bit. I love a sweet and salty vibe. Did you know that salt intensifies flavors? Don’t leave it out here.
Using a small pan. Usually, this size recipe for RKTs would be made in a 9×13 inch pan. I make them in an 8×8 inch pan so they are double thick. Combined with the double butter, this makes the texture of these RKTs out of this world.

How Do You Make Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats?

Glad you asked! They’re so easy!

Butter an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
Place one stick (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring/swirling frequently, until the butter is golden brown. Don’t turn your back – it will burn in an instant!
Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon of table salt, which is much saltier than kosher salt).
Add 10 ounces of mini marshmallows.
Stir the marshmallows until completely melted. I find it helpful to place the pan back over medium heat to help the marshmallows melt.
Stir in 6 ounces (half of a regular size box) of crisped rice cereal. I am not brand loyal. This is about 5 1/2 cups of cereal.
Turn the mixture into the buttered pan.
Use the butter wrapper to press the mixture into the pan.
Cool the treats completely. Turn them out onto a cutting board and cut into 16 squares.

By the way, Deb Perelman’s recipe is featured in her original Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I also love her second cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Every Day. She has wonderful recipes. I encourage you to check out her website and her books!

Since I discovered the tricks of doubling the butter and using a smaller pan, I have developed a true passion for Rice Krispies treats. Try my other recipes: wedding cake Rice Krispies treats, candy corn Rice Krispies treats, and malted chocolate Rice Krispies treats!

Click here to save this recipe to your Pinterest snack boards!

Yield: 16 squares

Pinterest Test Kitchen: Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

5 minPrep Time:

10 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter plus more for buttering the pan
1 bag miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
6 ounces (1/2 of a regular size box) crisped rice cereal

Instructions

Generously butter an 8 x 8 dish.
Place the stick of butter into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Don't throw away the wrapper-I like to smear a little bit of the butter that I used to butter the pan onto the wrapper (I'll use this at the end).
Cook the butter, stirring frequently, until browned bits separate and the butter stops foaming. Don't walk away or you'll burn the butter!
Stir in the marshmallows and the salt. Stir until completely melted and smooth and remove from heat.
Add the cereal and stir until completely coated with the marshmallows. Spread into the buttered pan. Use the buttered wrapper to press the mixture into the pan.
Allow the Rice Krispies treats to cool completely. Turn out of the pan and cut into squares.

https://chattavore.com/pinterest-test-kitchen-salted-brown-butter-rice-krispie-treats/

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. This does not affect the cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosures. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite and The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Instant Pot Duo Crisp – My Review

April 13, 2020

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker and an air fryer in one. Is it worthy of the hype? What can it do? Would I buy it again? Here’s my honest review.

Instant Pot + Air Fryer

I haven’t made it much of a secret that I am obsessed with my Instant Pot. Well, Instant Pots – I have three! I have quite a few Instant Pot recipes on here, and I’ve been teaching Instant Pot classes at The Chattery for a few years now. I also have a pretty passionate love for air frying as well.

Not too long before Christmas, I noticed a new Instant Pot product – the Instant Pot Duo Crisp. The Duo Crisp was, for all intents and purposes, Instant Pot’s answer to the Ninja Foodi, a pressure cooker/air fryer combo that I’d looked into but ultimately decided to forego just because I did not need one more gadget in my tiny kitchen.

The Duo Crisp, though, was pretty tempting. I could get rid of an Instant Pot and my air fryer, actually freeing up a little bit of space in my kitchen. It didn’t exactly work out like that (more on that in a minute) but I was still sold. I didn’t talk myself into it before Christmas, but in January I caught a sale on the Duo Crisp on the Kohl’s website so I decided to take the leap.

What are the Parts of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp?

The first thing that you notice about the Duo Crisp (or, at least, the first thing that I noticed) is that the box is freaking huge. It’s twice the size of a regular Instant Pot box, and when you open it up you realize why: the Duo Crisp has more parts than a regular Instant Pot. Here are the parts of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp:

Instant Pot body
Inner pot
Pressure cooker lid (including the sealing ring, float valve, steam release handle, and anti-block shield)
Air fryer lid + base (you set the lid on the base when it is hot)
Air fryer basket
Dehydrating/broiling tray to add a second level to the air fryer basket
Condensation collector

How Big Is It?

Another reason that the box is so big is that, well, the Instant Pot is big. The Duo Crisp is an 8-quart Instant Pot, presumably to make it large enough to hold a decent-sized air fryer basket. My air fryer was a 5 1/2 quart air fryer, so I was okay with the size of the 8-quart Instant Pot.

I was concerned, however, that the large size of the 8-quart Instant Pot might be a little much for me. I typically recommend that attendees in my classes get a 6-quart Instant Pot, as, unless you have a very large family, the 6-quart should be plenty big enough to accommodate your needs.

There are only two of us in my house, so I definitely don’t need a gigantic Instant Pot. I worried that the 8-quart pot would be too large for my recipes, which were tested in a 6-quart pot. I needn’t have worried. I have not had any problems with recipes burning or not cooking correctly using the amounts or times that I tested in my original (6-quart) recipes.

What are the Settings on the Instant Pot Duo Crisp?

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp does not have as many settings as my Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 or my Instant Pot Ultra, but that’s fine with me. Honestly, the only settings I use are: Pressure Cook, Sautè, Steam, and, on rare occasions, Slow Cook or Yogurt. The settings that are available are:

Setting	Default Temperature	Suggested Use	Which Lid?
Air Fry	400 degrees	Smaller foods: fresh or frozen fries, shrimp, frozen snacks, chicken tenders and smaller cuts of chicken.	Air Fryer
Roast	380 degrees	Larger cuts of meat: pork or beef roasts, lamb, whole chicken, potatoes	Air Fryer
Bake	365 degrees	Cakes, breads, pastries	Air Fryer
Broil	400 degrees	Melting cheese, browning tops of foods	Air Fryer + broil/ dehydrate tray
Dehydrate	125 degrees	Dehydrating fruits and vegetables, making jerky	Air Fryer + broil/ dehydrate tray
Pressure Cook and Steam	Lo Pressure	Fish and seafood, rice, soft vegetables	Pressure cook lid
Pressure Cook and Steam	Hi Pressure	Hard vegetables, chicken, meat, soups and stews	Pressure cook lid
Sautè	Lo	Simmer, reduce, thicken, caramelize	No lid
Sautè	Hi	Pan sear, stir-fry, sautè, brown	No lid
Slow Cook	Lo (comparable to low on a regular slow cooker, suitable for all-day cooking)	Soups, stews, roasts	Pressure cooker lid
Slow Cook	Hi (comparable to high on a regular slow cooker, suitable for quicker slow cooker – usually about 3-4 hours)	Appetizers, chicken, sauces	Pressure cooker lid
Sous Vide	133 degrees	Various dishes	Pressure cooker lid

What are the Pros and Cons of the Duo Crisp?

Pros

Cons

Eliminates need for separate Instant Pot and air fryer
Can use air fryer to brown/crisp foods pressure cooked in the Instant Pot
If you are familiar with using an Instant Pot and an air fryer, easy to use; easy to learn to use if you are not familiar
Several functions that allow multiple types of cooking (pressure cooking, steaming, slow cooking, sous vide, sauté, air fry, baking, roasting, dehydrating, broiling)
Much quicker to heat up than conventional oven
Air fry functions reduce time required for baked/roasted foods
Easy clean-up

Very large
Air fryer lid must be stored separately and therefore takes up additional space
When trying untested recipes using air fryer settings, must check the food frequently to avoid overcooking
Size/shape of air fryer basket may limit the size/shape of food that can be cooked in the air fryer
Doesn’t have the yogurt setting, which is the only setting from the popular Instant Pot Duo that cannot easily be replicated using the pressure cook setting

Would I Buy It Again?

I’m not going to lie, I haven’t tested the full capability of the Duo Crisp. I have used it for sautéing, pressure cooking, slow cooking, air frying, broiling, and baking. I have not yet used it for steaming, roasting, or dehydrating. It has worked perfectly in all of the applications for which I have used it, including baking banana bread in 3/4 of the time of the regular recipe. It doesn’t take up less space per se than my Instant Pot Duo and air fryer did, because of the separate air fryer lid, but I am okay with that. It has worked just as well as my traditional air fryer did for all air frying functions, including cooking bacon, making fries, and heating frozen snacks. Of course, the pressure cook settings are super-handy and I have not found any difference between how this 8-quart model cooks and how my 6-quart Instant Pot cooks. So, yes – I would definitely purchase the Instant Pot Duo Crisp again.

I could go on for days talking about how to use the Duo Crisp, but I won’t do that here. Instead, keep an eye out for recipes that include tutorials of how to use the different settings.

Note: Instant Pot also sells a stand-alone air fryer lid that converts 6-quart models to an air fryer. For more information, check out the listing on the Instant Pot website.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and make a purchase, I will make a small commission. This does not affect the cost to you.

Classic Deviled Eggs (Quick and Easy!)

July 1, 2019

These classic deviled eggs only have six ingredients that you probably have in your house right now. They are a perfect easy appetizer or side dish! All you need for this easy recipe is boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper. You can use sour cream if you don’t like mayo! So easy and so good!

Deviled eggs are a classic side dish and appetizer, and they are so easy to make. Believe it or not, though, it’s only been in the last few years that I started eating them at all.I liked eggs, I liked boiled eggs, I just didn’t like deviled eggs. I don’t even know what my aversion to them in the past was.

To be honest, though, I don’t think I ever even tried them. I just decided one day, as a kid, that I didn’t like deviled eggs. And then one day, I decided that I was going to eat one and guess what? I decided that I liked them.

Classic Vs. Fancy

I like deviled eggs when they are fancied up, but truth be told, a classic deviled egg is all I need. And really, all you need for an easy deviled egg recipe is boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. I add just a little mustard and some dill relish to mine. Super simple.

I make these classic deviled eggs most often to pack in lunches, but they are perfect for holiday potlucks or an easy snack or appetizer. There really couldn’t be an easier recipe to make, and I almost feel like I am cheating a little bit by calling this a “recipe”.

Five Tips for the Best Easy Deviled Eggs

For perfectly centered yolks, place a rubber band around the center of the egg carton and turn the carton on its side on the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will help the yolks to migrate to the center of the eggs. Thanks to Alton Brown for this tip!
When slicing the eggs in half, wipe your knife off with a paper towel after each egg. This will help the eggs to be less messy.
Mash the yolks thoroughly to avoid lumpy filling.
Use enough mayonnaise. Don’t think that you can reduce the amount of mayo to cut the fat and get the same results. For the filling to be creamy enough, you have to have enough mayo! If you don’t like mayonnaise, you can use sour cream instead.
Use a plastic storage bag or a piping bag (like you would use for piping cake icing) for piping the filling.

Mary

Yield: 12

Classic Deviled Eggs

15 minPrep Time:

15 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or sour cream, if you don't like mayo)
1 teaspoon mustard (I used Creole mustard, but you can use whatever variety you prefer)
1 teaspoon dill pickle relish (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika, optional

Instructions

Remove the yolks from the halved eggs. Use a fork to mash the yolks until no lumps remain.
Add the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper to the mashed yolks and stir until well-combined. Check seasonings and adjust to taste.
Use a spoon to scoop the filling into a quart-sized storage bag. Cut a corner off of the bag and carefully pipe the filling into the eggs. You may have just a tiny bit of filling left.
Sprinkle the eggs with paprika if desired. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to three days.

Notes

This recipe can be easily scaled up or down. You can leave out the relish or the mustard if you wish. If you do so, you may need to add a touch more mayonnaise to adjust the moisture levels.

https://chattavore.com/classic-deviled-eggs/

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