We’re in the thick of the holiday season and I couldn’t be more pumped to be around all of the holiday decor, pretty twinkly lights and Christmas trees everywhere—I love the holidays! I also obviously love holiday foods like cookies and cheesy appetizers and gingerbread everything. I’ve been sharing my fair share of sweet treats so I wanted to break the typical programming with something super savory and delicious. This Seared Scallops with Cheesy Acorn Squash Mash is just the thing to whip up for a special holiday dinner. Or just a regular weeknight meal since it’s not too difficult at all!
(This post is sponsored by ALDI. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep A Cozy Kitchen cozy.)
This Creamy Baked Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese has a rich cheese sauce, tossed with the pasta and then topped with a crunchy bread crumb mixture; the mac and cheese is then baked until the topping is crunchy and delicious.
The hardest question I’ve been asked lately has been, “What’s your favorite pie to make at Thanksgiving?!” THIS IS HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER. But, if I had to answer, I’d wince and say this Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. Of course I love all pie but chocolate and pecans are a match-made in heaven. They’re meant for each other!
For this post, I teamed up with Karo® Corn Syrup which is my go-to ingredient for the silkiest smoothest pecan pie. It’s an essential ingredient in classic pecan pie because it prevents the crystallization of sugar. This is crucial when cooking all of these ingredients together.
The corn syrup isn’t overly sweet but I really love the dark chocolate because it balances the sweetness in the pie and gives a really complementary bitterness.
Let’s dive in!
How to Make a Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
– For this recipe, you can use store-bought pie crust or homemade pie crust. I made my own. If you want more of an in-depth post, click here! – Fit the pie crust into your pie dish and transfer it to the fridge. – Whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, Karo Light Corn Syrup, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.
This Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread has crispy edges, a super moist crumb, is very cheesy and spicy (thanks to the cheese, cornmeal and jalapeño), and a teeny bit sweet. It’s delicious and moist for days after! If you love Jiffy cornbread, this will remind you a bit of that! Make this in a skillet OR make them as muffins. Serve it with your favorite cozy beef stew, vegan chili or pumpkin chili.
Thanksgiving is merely a few weeks away and we gotta get ready! Today I couldn’t be more excited to share these Cacio e Pepe Mashed Potatoes with you all. They’re buttery, peppery, slightly tart and utterly perfect.
For this post, I teamed up with Le Creuset!! Woohoo! I have always loved my Le Creuset cookware and have used it all up on this blog over and over and over again. Le Creuset is truly my kitchen ally. I love it for numerous reasons but here are just a few:
– My Le Creuset cookware is incredibly multi-functional. I use the Dutch ovens to make everything from arroz con pollo to soups to—in this case—boiling potatoes. – Since Le Creuset is so beautiful, it’s easy to take it from oven or stove directly to the table. – The enamel coating on the inside of their cookware make them super easy to clean. A few light scrubs and BOOM…squeaky clean, looking like new!
In this post, I’m using their gorgeous Dutch oven in the color Truffle. And while I absolutely think it’s possible to put the Dutch oven on the table, it was a bit dark inside and wasn’t photographing the way I wanted so I transferred it to the 2 1/4-quart braiserin Persimmon.
These fall colors are a gorgeous addition to my Thanksgiving autumnal table.
I think it’s time to jump into the mood!
What is Cacio e Pepe?
Let’s tackle the basics: Cacio e Pepe which literally translates to “cheese and pepper.” It’s a dish that hails from Rome, italy and it’s typically super simple. It involves a bucatini pasta tossed in a simple sauce of Pecorino Romano, black pepper, salt and starch water from boiling the pasta. It’s ridiculously simple but like all simple dishes, the technique and precision is everything.
