Pumpkin Cobbler Style Cake

This homestyle, cozy autumn dessert is something that should be made a least once during the holiday season each year. It comes together in minutes, doesn't require making pie crust and you get the bonus of sweet cake atop.

It's the perfect alternative treat for those who don't prefer pie and would be a welcome addition at a holiday feast.

I've made it the traditional way with box cake mix to make it speedy, though you could try whipping up your own blend if you've got a little extra time (see note below).

It's a no-fuss, minimal effort dessert that uses pantry staples and leaves you with a crowd pleasing old fashioned style, utterly delicious cake!

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Here's a simplified version of holiday turkey, no oven required. You just need a decent size slow cooker (6 to 7 quart) and to plan a bit of extra time for that low and slow cooking.

It's a no fuss method that yields a deliciously seasoned, butter infused turkey breast, plus plenty of drippings for turkey gravy to pour atop. It's final result of tender juicy turkey made with less hassle may have you turning to this method year over year.

This is also a great option if your family only likes the white meat of turkey, no need to even start with and waste the dark meat. No turkey thighs here.

Pair this turkey breast with some other simple sides to round out the holiday meal such as buttery slow cooker mashed potatoes, quick sauteed green beans, tender 1-hour dinner rolls, and finish with the easiest 5-ingredient pumpkin pie.

A simplified feast with classic, comforting, homestyle flavor.

Like this Winter version? Also try my go-to classic fruit salad recipe filled with summer fruit.

Winter Fruit Salad Recipe

Typically we think of fruit salads as a summer side dish but there's still an abundance of fruit in season during winter so why not take advantage of that and make a healthy winter fruit salad?

I first shared this recipe eight years ago and we've made it several times each year since. It's so good it almost passes as a tempting dessert!

This is a great dish to add to a holiday menu because there are often lots of heavy sides served but this is a light, refreshing and nutritious option to help balance those out a bit.

You'll find this inviting fruit salad is so easy to make and it adds so much festive natural color to your table.

Just keep in mind the most important thing about a fruit salad is the quality of the fruit. You want the fruit to have a sweet ripe flavor and firm enough texture that it won't get mushy.

From there the honey and lemon will just balance and highlight all of it's natural, fresh fruity goodness.

The Fastest Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe!

Who doesn't love a freshly baked homemade roll warm from the oven?

It's amazing that something made up so few of the most basic ingredients, that's so reasonably easy to make can create something so supremely delicious!

These dinner rolls have the best melt-in-your-mouth texture with a light chew, a rich buttery flavor and just a faint hint of background sweetness. They're the perfect side to homemade Vegetable Soup or Minestrone Soup!

I've shared so many soup recipes so of course it only makes sense to have some delicious rolls to serve with them. These rolls also double as great base for sliders or sandwiches (pulled pork, holiday ham and turkey etc), or use leftovers the next day for a breakfast casserole (like French toast or a strata).

These easy dinner rolls are the ultimate upgrade to a cozy, comforting meal especially when slathered with a fair layer of creamy whipped butter or homemade freezer jam.

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Pie!

Wether you are novice pie maker or an experienced baker this no fuss pie is an absolute dream! It takes such minimal effort but makes a perfectly impressive homemade pumpkin pie!

The beneficial ingredients here are sweetened condensed milk and a pumpkin pie spice blend. These slim down the ingredient count, plus who doesn't love sweetened condensed milk anyway? It's such a treat.

It starts with a store-bought pie crust but if you'd prefer you could always swap that out for homemade. If doing so I'd just recommend partially blind baking first so crust doesn't end up soggy, store-bought crusts tend to bake up nicely without this extra step.

This traditionally flavored pie is perfectly pumpkin-y, deliciously spiced, has just enough sweetness, and includes a nice flakey crust to enclose it.

It's worthy of a holiday celebration and no one needs to know just how easy it was for you to prepare.

Just don't forget the billowy, sweetened whipped cream for topping. I'd say that's an absolute must for a pumpkin pie garnish it adds that creamy crowning finish that pairs beautifully with the pie.

Our Favorite Apple Salad Recipe!

Who doesn't love a salad that includes fresh seasonal ingredients? Many of us are baking with those delicious seasonal fall apples (making apple crisp, apple pie or apple cobbler) but those juicy apples are also such great addition to savory recipes (like this autumn sheet pan chicken dinner) and side salads like this.

Apples are the crowing star of the show in this salad and they are highlighted beautifully by the other ingredients like the tangy feta and rich smoky bacon. Bacon makes everything better though right?

This salad is simple enough to be an addition to weeknight meal but it's also delicious enough to be served at a holiday gathering or a weekend party.

If you want to make it a main dish just add some chopped rotisserie chicken to it for more protein or consider tossing in a grain like farro, barley or even seedy tri color quinoa.

So much to love about this colorful, vibrant, sweet and savory salad!

Easy S'mores Pie Recipe

Are you ready for a new favorite pie? With this dessert, you get all the classic s'mores flavors blended into a three-layered incredibly decadent pie that's served perfectly chilled and refreshing!

Usually, we all think of s'mores as a summer dessert, but thanks to this pie you can have a s'mores dessert any day of the year when the craving strikes. I love taking it to Thanksgiving dinner, because you definitely need some chocolate to compliment the pumpkin pie. Plus, this is an easy pie to make ahead of time and doesn't require the oven!

It begins with a simple homemade graham cracker base (I include a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness of the pie), then it's layered with a silky smooth chocolate filling that melts in your mouth, and topped with a meringue (the kind that will remind you of fluffy marshmallows).

And last but not least—it's toasted to a stunning golden brown finish with a culinary torch!

The only difficult part of making this pie is waiting to dive in. There may just be a slice missing when you take it to the party, it's just too irresistible!

An upgraded coleslaw that's crunchy, fresh and delicious. Made with cabbage, apples, cranberries and almonds and it's all coated in sweet and tangy dressing. It's the perfect side for BBQ's, parties or picnics!

Apple Slaw Recipe

Who doesn't love coleslaw? It's crunchy, it's creamy, it has just enough sweetness, and it goes with just about anything. It's always quick to be polished off.

Here you get the perfect blend of textures and flavors with the mix-in additions of apples, cranberries, almonds and optional cheese. And it's covered in a more wholesome, lighter Greek yogurt dressing (versus a classic coleslaw dressing that has as much as a cup of mayonnaise in it).

This apple slaw recipe has a pleasant mild flavor to it, but if you'd like a more pronounced flavor you can add in a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the dressing.

And if you want to skip a step and go with a shortcut, you can use a coleslaw mix in place of the shredded cabbage and carrots. Also just chop the apples instead of getting paticular and cutting into matchsticks to save time.

I think it's time for pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwiches this week for dinner, don't you? And then of course this homemade coleslaw to go with it!

Perfect Beef Tenderloin

Yes beef tenderloin is expensive because it only makes for a small percentage of the meat yield from a steer (or heifer), so that rarity along with it's highly sought after demand makes it a pricey cut of meat.

But of course during the holidays it's worth the splurge. It's buttery tender and doesn't get better than this! The tenderloin (or filet mignon when cut into individual portions) has the best texture (it's ruined many cheap cuts of roast for me because it's so superior).

Here we follow a straight forward method to prepare and cook it, it's seriously easy and hard to mess up. It is however almost imperative you have a key piece of kitchen equipment. You'll need a trusty probe oven thermometer (I highly recommend the Chef Alarm I own a few and they work well. Other cheaper options are available online as well).

If you are going to spend that much on a cut of meat you don't want to ruin it. The cook time will vary based on thickness of the roast and desired doneness, so it's best to take out all the guess work and risk and use a thermometer that will monitor the temp the entire time and alert you when it's ready to your desired target temperature.

It's understandable though if you don't already own one and you just have an instant read food thermometer. If going this route you'll just want to start to check the temperature at about 1 hour then continue to closely monitor it, while taking the temp quickly and don't let heat escape the oven for long.

Note that you can purchase beef tenderloin peeled of silver skin and other tough connective tissue that's ready to cook (you'll pay a bit more per pound), or you can peel it yourself and save some money (just keep in mind you'll need a 6 lb roast here rather than 5).

What to Serve with It

If you are wondering what to serve with this, I know this may be repetitive, but everyone seems perfectly pleased by the classic meat and potatoes combo especially over the holidays. Whether it's scalloped potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, a roasted potato veggie blend, parmesan mashed potatoes, or just baked potatoes you can't go wrong with comfort food classics.

Salads and the typical bright greens go well too. Steamed or roasted broccoli, green beans, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts.

And make it a completely homestyle meal with homemade rosemary dinner rolls, then fancy it up with my favorite vanilla bean cheesecake to finish for dessert. I'd call it the perfect meal!

Love a good stuffing recipe? Also try my classic stuffing recipe, crockpot stuffing, and apple rosemary stuffing.

Our Favorite Cornbread Stuffing!

Once you try this recipe you'll likely want to make it over and over again. It's so good in fact it may take the place of your favorite bread-based stuffing.

There's just something about that extra corn flavor here that really makes it shine. And no drying out bread cubes is necessary in this recipe.

Of course, it's perfect for a holiday meal (Cornbread Stuffing is ideal for Thanksgiving!) but it's actually simple enough that it fits well into a weekend meal, paired with a roast chicken and mashed potatoes of course.

It has browned and crisp edges, a soft buttery interior and there's layer after layer of flavor throughout. In other words, it's destined to become the highlight and talk of any dinner meal!