Chattavore

What I ate, plate by plate.

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

What are your thoughts on cranberry sauce? Do you hate it? Or do you like the log of cranberry sauce that comes out of a can, complete with the lines from the can completely intact? If fresh, homemade cranberry sauce is your Thanksgiving style, then this tutorial on how to make cranberry sauce is perfect for you!

a photograph of a jar of homemade cranberry sauce with a spoon in the sauce, with an orange and some loose cranberries in the backgroundClick here to save this recipe on Pinterest!

When I was growing up, my grandmother always made cranberry relish for Thanksgiving dinner. Fresh cranberries, whole oranges, and sugar, all ground up together. No cooking. I liked it okay but the bitterness of the orange pith made it a little much for my young tastebuds.


an overhead photograph of a colander full of fresh cranberries
We really never ate the cranberry sauce that came out of a can, and honestly, I can’t even remember when or where I first tried it. I do remember, though, that when I did try it, I realized that I had been missing out on the deliciousness that is cranberry sauce.
an overhead photograph of a zested orange and a zester with orange zest

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

And then I figured out how to make homemade cranberry sauce. I fell in love, hard, and realized that the canned stuff that you slice is just gateway cranberry sauce. I promise you, canned cranberry sauce in no way compares to homemade cranberry sauce.
a photograph of an orange half on a juicer with freshly squeezed orange juice
Cranberries are a truly amazing little fruit. They have little pockets of air in them, and as you cook them they pop open. Full of their own natural pectin, they thicken their own sauce without the addition of packaged pectin or other thickeners. Literally, all you need to make a delicious cranberry sauce are three ingredients:

  • Fresh cranberries
  • Sugar
  • Water

a photograph of a jar of homemade cranberry sauce with a spoon in the sauce with oranges and cranberries in the background

Cranberry Orange Sauce

I love how the flavor of orange pairs with the flavor of cranberry, so I always use some orange juice and zest to give my homemade cranberry sauce a little zip. But, if you don’t like orange or have another reason not to use it in your sauce, then just leave it out!
a photograph of a jar of homemade cranberry sauce with a spoon in the sauce with oranges and cranberries in the backgroundClick here to save this recipe to your Pinterest holiday cooking and sauce boards!

I call myself a cranberry hoarder because the second that cranberries show up in my grocery store, I start throwing a bag or two into my cart every week so that I can have frozen cranberries available all year. That way, I can have homemade cranberry sauce anytime I want it. Which means that year-round I can make my Instant Pot turkey breast and some cranberry sauce and have a Thanksgiving sandwich whenever. I. Want it.

And that, my friends, is a reason to be happy.

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


a photograph of a jar of homemade cranberry sauce with a spoon on the jar lid with oranges and cranberries in the background

Yield: 2 1/4 cups

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

This recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen , whose recipe is adapted from Ocean Spray .

5 minPrep Time:

15 minCook Time:

20 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

  • 1 12-ounce bag fresh or cranberries (I freeze bags of fresh cranberries, and you can just use them straight from the freezer)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water OR the juice of one large orange plus enough water to make a cup
  • zest of one orange, optional

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients except orange zest, if using, in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and all berries have burst. I use the spoon to gently mash the berries against the side of the pan to make sure they all burst. This takes 10-15 minutes total.
  2. Stir in the orange zest, if using. Place the sauce into a covered container or jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or up to two months in the freezer.
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https://chattavore.com/how-to-make-cranberry-sauce/

Fried Yellow Squash in the Air Fryer

If you are a huge fan of fried yellow squash but not a huge fan of frying, air fried yellow squash is going to be a game changer! Easy, low oil, low mess!

a photograph of a plate of air fried yellow squash

Click here to save this recipe on Pinterest!

Summer Squash!

Besides a tomato sandwich, there are not many things that scream “SUMMER!!!” to me more than some fried yellow squash. Fried squash is a quintessential Southern summer side dish.

In fact, if my husband liked sliced tomatoes (he is a freak of nature who likes tomatoes when they are cooked but not so much when they are fresh), I could probably simplify my summertime meal planning by putting fried squash, sliced tomatoes, quick Southern green beans, and mashed potatoes on at least a weekly rotation.

I would certainly be happy. But alas, he is not a sliced tomato fan, and so I continue to plan.


an overhead photograph of a plate of air fried yellow squash

Air Fried Yellow Squash!

When I decided to try frying squash in my air fryer, I was sure that the results would be pretty “meh”. I was very, very wrong. Actually, it turns out that I like air fried squash better than pan fried squash. Say what?!?!?!

Yep. Pan fried squash is delicious, certainly, and it’s pretty simple in its preparation – a quick dredge in milk or a milk/egg mixture then a dip into a cornmeal and flour mixture. However, I always find that when I pan-fry yellow squash that I can never get consistent browning on the slices and they are never quite as crispy as I want them to be.

These were not problems with the air fryer. First of all, there was no popping oil everywhere. Since the air fryer circulates the air around the food while you are cooking, everything cooks at the same rate and temperature. There are no limp pieces and no overly browned pieces – everything is perfectly browned and crispy. I am obsessed! I can’t tell you how many times I have already made this air fried squash!

a photograph of a plate of air fried yellow squash

Tips for the Best Air Fried Yellow Squash:

  1. Use the smallest yellow crookneck squashes you can get your hands on. They are the most tender and flavorful!
  2. Give everything a bath in a milk or buttermilk and egg mixture before dredging.
  3. Dredge in a seasoned cornmeal and flour mixture (though I have included suggestions for specific allergies in the recipes notes section).
  4. Spray it down with olive oil spray! You can buy this in a can (like Pam) or you can put olive oil in a Misto or similar sprayer.
  5. Don’t crowd the air fryer. Everything will cook more evenly if you cook it in a single layer…you can do more than one batch if you need to!
  6. Stir frequently to encourage even cooking and make sure that you don’t overcook the squash.

What are your favorite tips for cooking fried yellow squash? Have you made fried squash in your air fryer?

Click here to save this recipe to your Pinterest air fryer, southern cooking, and side dishes boards!

Shared on the Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook and Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite!
an overhead photograph of a plate of air fried yellow squash


Yield: 4 servings

About 1/2 cup

460

Air Fried Squash

10 minPrep Time:

6 minCook Time:

16 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

  • 4 small yellow crookneck squashes, outside flesh wiped clean
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal*
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
  • *you can sub 1 cup of cornbread mix for the cornmeal and flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • olive oil spray

Instructions

  1. Cut the stem end and the skinny "neck" off of the squashes. Cut them into 1/8-inch slices.
  2. Whisk together the milk/buttermilk and egg in a small (cereal size). Place the slices of squash into the milk and egg mixture.
  3. Use a fork to stir together the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using) in a small bowl.
  4. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees.
  5. Set out a baking sheet. I like to place a cooling rack on it but this is not an absolutely necessary step. Remove the squash pieces one at a time from the milk bath. Dip into the cornmeal mixture and make sure both sides are well-coated (it will be a thin coat, you just want to make sure the whole slice of squash is coated). I like to use one hand to touch the wet ingredients and the other hand to touch the dry. Place the breaded squash pieces on the baking sheet.
  6. Spray the squash on both sides with olive oil spray. Place the squash in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 3 minutes then stir and cook for another 3 minutes. The squash should be tender and golden-brown after 6 minutes but if not, stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining squash. Serve immediately.

Notes

Substitutions for allergies: corn - plain (not panko) breadcrumbs flour - almond flour dairy - unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, soy, etc.) egg - omit egg and increase liquid slightly (will slightly impact texture)

Tags

Diet
vegetarian
lacto vegetarian
pescetarian
Allergy
egg free
soy free
peanut free
seafood free
treenut free
sesame free
mustard free
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https://chattavore.com/fried-yellow-squash-in-the-air-fryer/

a close-up photograph of a plate of air fried yellow squash

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Loaded baked potato salad is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: potato salad with all the ingredients of a loaded baked potato. It’s easy, delicious, and it’s great for the mayo or traditional potato salad haters in your life!

a close up picture of a small bowl of loaded baked potato salad with a larger bowl in the background
I have always, repeat always hated potato salad. In fact, I pretty much boycott all side dishes that routinely come alongside barbecue: potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. We had barbecue for our rehearsal dinner when we got married back in 2001, and I gave my mother-in-law specific instructions to buy chips because I did not eat barbecue sides.

I’ve softened a little…I’ll occasionally put a spoonful of sweet bacony beans on my plate at a cookout, and I’ve learned to like good slaw on top of my barbecue sandwich or tacos. I’ve really never learned to like traditional potato salad, though.

I don’t know what it is about it. I like all the ingredients…potatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, eggs…but something about combining them all then chilling them just weirds me out. I’ve tried, but it turns out that regular old potato salad is just one of those “uh-uh” foods for me.

One of my friends mentioned to me once a while back that a barbecue joint (now closed) that was near my house served “baked potato salad”. For some reason I first thought that baked potato salad was some sort of salad featuring lettuce and a baked potato (what a weird thing to think, right?). I was wrong.
an overhead picture of a bowl of ingredients for loaded baked potato salad that have not been mixed
Baked potato salad (or loaded baked potato salad is potato salad with all the toppings that you’d put on a regular loaded baked potato:

  • sour cream
  • cheese
  • bacon
  • green onions

I prefer firmer, less starchy red potatoes to the Russets that are traditional for baking, and, well, I don’t actually bake the potatoes. The name’s not about the cooking method, it’s about the dish that this mimics.

This potato salad is great for the people at your picnic, cookout, or party who don’t like mayonnaise (and I know a lot of those people!). You can buy baked potato salad at some grocery stores, but this is so simple that you won’t bother with spending $4.00 on a teeny little tub with a bunch of ingredients that you can’t pronounce.
an overhead picture of a bowl of loaded baked potato salad
I can tell you that loaded baked potato salad has not only changed my mind about potato salad, but it’s changed the minds of a lot of people I know also disliked potato salad! Do you have a favorite potato salad recipe?

This is a great side dish for your 4th of July festivities! Make this loaded baked potato salad and see if it changes your mind (or someone else’s) about potato salad!

Shared on The Weekend Potluck on Served Up With Love and Meal Plan Monday on Southern Bite!
a small bowl of loaded baked potato salad with a larger bowl of loaded baked potato salad in the background

Yield: 10 servings

10

91

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

This loaded baked potato salad is the perfect cookout or picnic side dish for the mayo or traditional potato salad hater in your life!

15 minPrep Time:

15 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • salt
  • 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
  • 4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
  • 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2-3/4 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the potatoes in a 4-6 quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Liberally salt the water. Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and leave in colander until cool and water is completely drained away,
  2. Place the drained potatoes in a large bowl and add the cheese, bacon, green onions, and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Mix to thoroughly combine. Add remaining sour cream if the potato salad is too dry. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Chill the potato salad until ready to serve.

Notes

Prep time does not include time to allow potatoes to drain and cool.

Tags

Occasions
Cookout
Allergy
gluten free
egg free
soy free
wheat free
peanut free
seafood free
treenut free
sesame free
mustard free
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https://chattavore.com/loaded-baked-potato-salad/

Tortellini Pasta Salad

What’s better than cheesy tortellini with fresh antipasto ingredients? These tortellini pasta salad has all of those components in one bowl. It’s perfect as a main dish or as a side to serve at your next picnic or cookout!

An overhead picture of a small bowl of tortellini pasta salad with a larger bowl of tortellini pasta salad in the background

Pasta salad used to be one of those foods that I just did not like. I honestly don’t know what it was about them, unless it was the fact that to me, pasta was something that should be served hot. Also, my mom really never made pasta salad so most of my experience with pasta salad was creamy pasta salads on salad bars that had so much mayo that you could not distinguish their individual ingredients.
a large bowl with unmixed ingredients for tortellini pasta salad and a small jar of vinaigrette in the background
As an adult, I’ve discovered a love for pasta salads, though. It could be the fact that they are ridiculously easy to make. It could also be the fact that they are ridiculously easy to serve. I mean, what’s not to love about a cold salad that you just grab from the fridge and dish from the bowl?

Make It How You Want It

The other clear advantage to pasta salads is their adaptability. The pasta salads of my youth were mostly “macaroni salads” (including my grandmother’s macaroni salad, which I honestly do not remember her making but it is delicious). However, pasta salads are definitely NOT limited to macaroni, nor are they limited to only creamy dressings.

My personal favorite pasta salad is the BLT pasta salad that I make that was inspired by a menu item at Southern Star. A friend of mine makes a fantastic bacon ranch pasta salad. And then there is this tortellini pasta salad…

Inspired By Antipasto Ingredients

A few years back I discovered a chopped salad on Smitten Kitchen that was inspired by the ingredients of an Italian sub, one of Philip’s very favorite sandwiches. The salad was hearty and did not disappoint. Every time I buy the ingredients I will eat the salad for at least a week. 
an overhead picture of a large bowl of tortellini pasta salad
I wanted to make something along the lines of that salad but with pasta instead. A tortellini pasta salad seemed to fit the bill because I❤tortellini. I mean, cheesy stuffed pasta, right?

This antipasto tortellini pasta salad is infinitely adaptable. I’m not Italian, but as I was researching antipasto ingredients it certainly seemed like there were few rules. You can use what you have on hand and it is definitely going to be delicious.
a small bowl of tortellini pasta salad with a larger bowl of tortellini pasta salad in the background
I used salami, pepperoni, mini bocconcini (mozzarella balls), sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, a sprinkle of basil, and a tart vinaigrette. Roasted red peppers, chickpeas, prosciutto, marinated mushrooms…there are lots of delicious things you could toss in there. Just let it chill in the fridge for a bit and you have a perfect tortellini pasta salad!

Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Plate!
a close-up picture of a bowl of tortellini pasta salad with a larger bowl of tortellini pasta salad in the background

Yield: 4 main dish serves or 8-10 side dish servings

Tortellini Pasta Salad

15 minPrep Time:

8 minCook Time:

23 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

    For the dressing
  • 2 tablespoons red wine, white wine, or sherry vinegar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
    • For the pasta salad
  • 9-10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions (one regular sized package or 1/2 of a large package)
  • 1/2 cup julienned or diced salami
  • 1/2 cup julienned or diced pepperoni
  • 2 canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives, diced
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned or diced
  • 4 ounces mozzarella pearls, diced bocconcini, or diced fresh mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup julienned fresh basil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl or shake together in a small jar.
  2. Rinse the cooked tortellini with cold water and allow it to stand until cooled, shaking the colander occasionally to drain the water away.
  3. Combine the cooked tortellini in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Pour the vinaigrette over and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The salad will keep covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
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https://chattavore.com/tortellini-pasta-salad/

Blueberry Dump Cake From Scratch

Knowing how to make dump cake from scratch is a valuable skill to have. Forgive the name but dump cake literally just requires dumping ingredients in a pan and baking them. This blueberry dump cake from scratch is a delicious, perfect summer recipe, and you probably have all the ingredients you need!

a close-up picture of blueberry dump cake with vanilla ice cream on a white plate with the pan in the background

Click here to save this recipe for later!

Dump Cake?

First of all, let me apologize to you for the name of this recipe. I hate the term “dump cake”. I mean, I get that it is called that because you literally dump the ingredients into a pan and bake them, but GAH. It just sounds very unappetizing. Ditto for “dump dinners” (I have seen a cookbook in my favorite local used book store with this name and I. Just. Can’t.).
an overhead picture of a pan of blueberry dump cake from scratch on a cooling rack
But alas, when you write a blog you have to give the people what they are looking for, and according to Pinterest and Google, people are looking for dump cakes. Or, if they are like me, they are looking for “dump cake from scratch”.

The dump cakes from my previous experience are absolutely delicious and are made with a few basic ingredients:

  1. Canned pie fillings
  2. Cake mix
  3. Butter
  4. Maybe some other ingredients like canned pineapple, brown sugar, etc., but these are not necessary.

a close-up picture of a spoonful of blueberry dump cake from scratch in the pan

Dump Cake from Scratch!

And you guys know me…I have an insatiable need to make everything from scratch (i.e. without a mix or a can). Mostly because I know that I am always going to have some sort of fresh or frozen fruit, butter, and dry ingredients for a cake in the house. But also because I really do, at least in theory, try to avoid processed food as much as possible (though I have not been as good at this lately. Stress, am I right?).

I did a little poking around the interwebs trying to figure out how to make a dump cake from scratch. I found a recipe on Simply Recipes and riffed on that a bit. My filling follows their formula but my dry cake is actually a divided recipe for yellow cake from the book The Perfect Cake from America’s Test Kitchen, which I somehow miraculously managed to score the Kindle edition of last week for $3.99. A miracle indeed, because ATK books never go on sale!
an overhead picture of a plate of blueberry dump cake on a white cake with vanilla ice cream on top
I used frozen blueberries for mine, but you could definitely use a variety of fruits instead. And while this may not be a literal “dump and go” recipe like the original dump cake, dump cake from scratch is still dead simple and you probably have the ingredients in your house:

  • fruit
  • sugar
  • cornstarch
  • flour
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • butter

Easy, right? And because when I use a bowl for dry ingredients I just wipe it out with a towel and put it back, the only dishes that I dirtied were the pan and the bowl I used to melt the butter. 100% worth it for this delicious dessert that is perfect for summer and that, by the way, I baked in my Breville Smart Oven so I didn’t even have to heat up my kitchen.

Oh yeah – vanilla ice cream is non-negotiable. Don’t even try.

Shared on The Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Click here to save this recipe to your Pinterest baking or cake boards!

a picture of a white plate of blueberry dump cake from scratch with vanilla ice cream on top

This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click the link and make a purchase from Amazon, 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!

Products used for this recipe:

Yield: 1 9x13 inch cake

Blueberry Dump Cake From Scratch

This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes and from the book A Perfect Cake from America's Test Kitchen.

10 minPrep Time:

45 minCook Time:

55 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

    For the filling
  • 3 pounds fresh or frozen fruit (there is no need to thaw frozen fruit)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • pinch salt
    • For the cake
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375? Fahrenheit.
  2. In a 9x13 inch pan, combine the fruit with the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle the dry cake ingredients evenly over the fruit mixture.
  4. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mixture.
  5. Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes, until the cake is light golden on top and the fruit is bubbling. Frozen fruit may need to bake slightly longer (my fruit was frozen and I baked my cake for 55 minutes). There may be a few small patches of dry ingredients on top. I just smoothed these with a spoon.
  6. Cool the cake for at least an hour before serving. I know that this is a difficult step but eating the cake too soon will result in unpleasant mouth burns! Vanilla ice cream is non-optional!
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https://chattavore.com/blueberry-dump-cake-from-scratch/