8 Things To Do Right Now So You’re Ready for the Holidays

We’re swiftly approaching that “most wonderful time of the year,” right? Ah yes, but it can be stressful, too – especially if some aspect of your kitchen prep has gone awry.

Here’s a list of eight things you can start crossing off your list right now so that when the holidays descend — and it always happens quickly — you’ll be armed and ready to tackle whatever casserole or cookie comes your way!

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5 Tomato Soup Pairings For a Full Fall Meal

All the cues for the fall season are here—the crisp breeze, the changing leaves, and the ubiquitous use of pumpkins in every recipe and product. But nothing is better about the season than the indulgent, comfortable lifestyle, properly known as “hygge,” the Danish term for “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” (Pronounced hoo-guh).

“Hygge” life means treating yourself with whatever makes you feel good inside. If you’re aspiring to achieve this level of comfort, a good place to start is by giving yourself a liberal helping of tomato soup, and a rich, substantive side that’ll keep you warm and toasty. What’s ahead will show how you can make a warm, tangy tomato soup into a full meal.

Classic Tomato Soup with Mozzarella Sticks

Let’s start with the classic tomato soup. Its saltiness and acidity make it good on its own, but you can also break up the uniformity by pairing it with some mozzarella sticks. That way you can go back and forth between spoonfuls of tomato soup, and bites of oozing, cheesy goodness. Now mozzarella sticks are nothing new, but if you’re looking to change it up a bit, try Panko Coated Fried Mozzarella sticks. Get the recipes:

Tomato Soup

Chowhound

Panko Mozzarella Sticks

Big Bear’s Wife

Mexican-Inspired Tomato Soup with a Fried Catfish Po’Boy

Need something heartier and with a little more kick to it? Try a spicier or Mexican-inspired variety of tomato soup, and pair it with a Fried Catfish Po’Boy. This time you get some heat with the addition of some traditional Southern flavor profiles like Tabasco sauce, cayenne peppers, and Cajun seasoning. Get the recipes:

Mexican-Inspired Tomato Soup

Simple Vegan

Fried Catfish Po’Boy

From Val’s Kitchen

Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Shrimp Ceviche and Avocado Salad

Tomatoes, shrimp, avocado, and greens work so well together in this basic but tasty match-up. It’s a little more summery as well, but it’ll be a refreshing change if you want something that isn’t so heavy. Cook the shrimp for about 4 minutes in a pot of boiling water, then throw it into an ice bath so that it doesn’t continue to cook. Afterwards, take a large bowl and mix onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, jalapeño, clam juice, cumin, and honey, add in the shrimp, and refrigerate it for at least two hours. The longer you let it marinate, the better. Serve the salad with fresh avocado, alongside fire roasted tomato basil soup, and you’ve got a full meal. Get the recipes:

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

The Novice Chef

Shrimp Ceviche and Avocado Salad

Skinny Taste

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with a Grilled Tuna Melt

The grilled tuna melt is a comfort food classic, and an essential for American “hygge” living. Dress up the tuna with onions, celery, mayo, paprika, chives, peas, onions, vinegar, and olive oil, and spread over 2 slices of bread with pickles and cheese. Press the 2 halves together and apply liberal amounts of butter on each side before placing into the frying pan; cook both sides until golden. Both the grilled tuna melt and creamy tomato basil soup are quick to make, and are easily a family favorite. Get the recipes:

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Martha Stewart

Grilled Tuna Melt

Olive Magazine

Roasted Garlic & Tomato Soup with a BLT

The BLT will always be an American classic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade this traditional lunch recipe. Give your BLT more character by throwing in peppercorn-crusted bacon, pesto, mayo, mustard, and sprouts. You’ll get crunch, creamy avocado, juice, and smoke, all in one bite. Pair this with roasted garlic and tomato soup, and you’ll have a lunch everyone will be asking about at the office. Get the recipes:

Roasted Garlic & Tomato Soup

Jo Cooks

Ultimate BLT

Little Kitchen Big World

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6 Ways to Make An Edible Cornucopia and What to Put Inside It

The cornucopia has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. While it has many mythological origin stories, the one told most frequently is associated with the god Zeus. In order to protect the divine babe from the vengeful god Kronos, he was hidden in Mount Ida on the island of Crete and nourished by the goat god Amalthea.

During one of his sucking sessions, the overzealous baby broke off one of Amalthea’s horns which was transformed into a divine vessel of abundance and plenty, finding a prominent place on celebration and holiday tables ever since.

The virtues of plenty, fertility, and prosperity have always been associated with the cornucopia, making it a natural fit for harvest festivities. Its name is derived from the Latin words “cronu,” or horn, and “copia,” which means plenty. It has been associated with Thanksgiving since the holiday’s inception and often graces the table in the form of a woven wicker basket.

The goodies that spill from the cornucopia vary with the region and the era but vegetables, fruit, nuts, grain, and flowers have always been favorites. Here are six ideas for making your own edible cornucopia and recipes for what to put inside.

1. Bread Cornucopia: This is an easy way to add drama to the table with a few everyday household items. To make the cornucopia, wrap multiple layers of aluminum foil around a plastic water bottle, using the opening as the tip of the cornucopia. Continue layering and shaping the aluminum foil until it is strong enough to hold its shape and resembles a cone. Remove the water bottle and shape and bend the cone into a cornucopia.

Wrap ready-to-bake breadsticks around the foil until the entire cone is covered. Each layer should slightly overlap the next to hold the cornucopia together once the foil cone is removed after baking. Gently press each layer into the next for even more stability.

For added flourish, cut one of the breadsticks into thirds lengthwise and braid it. Use this piece to rim the opening of your cornucopia, stretching the braid to make it fit. Press the ends together tightly.

Follow the baking instructions on the package. Once the bread is golden brown and cooked through, remove it from the oven and let the cornucopia cool to room temperature. Gently remove the foil coin. Fill the cornucopia with your favorite ingredients.

2. Herbed Cornucopia: Follow the instructions from the first cornucopia idea. Once the breadsticks have been wrapped around the foil cone. Press herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano leaves into the bread before baking. Follow the rest of the baking and cooling instructions.

3. Puffed Pastry Cornucopia: Follow the instructions from the first cornucopia idea. Swap out the breadsticks for puff pastry. Working quickly, slice the puff pastry into long strips and wrap them around the foil cone, following the method from step one.

For added flavor, sprinkle the puff pastry with grated cheese such as Parmesan or Romano. Bake the cornucopia according to the puff pastry baking instructions and follow the same cooling instructions.

4. Pizza Cornucopia: Follow the instructions from the first cornucopia idea. Swap out the breadsticks for ready-to-bake pizza dough. Working quickly, slice the pizza dough into long strips and wrap them around the foil cone, following the method from step one.

Brush the dough with pizza sauce, sprinkle with dried oregano, powdered garlic, and grated cheese such as Parmesan or Romano. Bake the cornucopia according to the pizza dough baking instructions and follow the same cooling instructions.

5. Cinnamon Roll Cornucopia: Follow the instructions from the first cornucopia idea. Swap out the breadsticks for ready-to-bake cinnamon rolls. Working quickly, unroll each roll into a strip and wrap them around the foil cone, following the method from step one.

Follow the baking instructions on the package. Once golden brown and cooked through, remove it from the oven and let the cornucopia cool to room temperature. Gently remove the foil coin. Drizzle the cornucopia with warm icing.

6. Ice Cream Cone Cornucopia: Use large sugar ice cream cones for the cornucopias. Dip the tops in melted chocolate and sprinkle with grated coconut.

Garlic Herb Bread Twists

Shutterbean

Breadsticks spilling from one of the breaded or puff pastry ideas is a graceful, enticing way to fill a cornucopia. This recipe is comprised of just a few simple ingredients that belie the nuanced flavor. Get the recipe.

Baked Parmesan Chicken Bites

Home Cooking Adventure

Chicken bites are already an addictive snack for children and adults alike. When they’re baked with Parmesan and spilling from a breaded cornucopia, they’re irresistible. Serve the dipping sauce alongside your bites for a true feeling of plenty. Get the recipe.

Baked Pesto Risotto Balls

My Diary Of Us

Baking helps keep these addictive risotto balls healthy and pesto ratchets up the Italian flavor. They’re perfect as filling for one of the breaded cornucopias but for a truly over the top experience, stuff them into the pizza cornucopia alongside the suggested dipping sauce for a dish that will delight all ages. Get the recipe.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

The Gunny Sack

Kids can’t resist baked mozzarella sticks and when served inside the pizza or one of the breaded cornucopias, it’s an over-the-top after school or celebratory meal snacking experience. This recipe keeps it simple by using mozzarella cheese sticks as their base and amplifies the crunchy texture with the addition of panko. Get the recipe.

Cinnamon Roll Cake Pops

I Heart Naptime

Brunch has never been more fun than when it includes a cinnamon roll cornucopia with cinnamon roll cake pops spilling from it. This recipe drizzles the icing on top of the pops but to serve them inside a cornucopia, place a small bowl of pop sticks alongside in addition to a bowl of icing. Instruct guests to create their pop and then dip it in the icing. Get the recipe.

Toasted Coconut Truffles

What The Fork

Few things are more alluring than a sugar cone cornucopia dipped in chocolate and filled with these truffle flavor bombs of coconut and chocolate. The ancient Greeks might be horrified by this twist on their beloved cornucopia but everyone in your family will be thrilled to be served this treat for dessert. Get the recipe.

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How To Cook Potatoes in the Pressure Cooker

I don’t always prep or cook in advance, but boy am I glad when I do. It’s so nice to go into the fridge and find things that are easy assemble into a quick meal.

Like potatoes! A pressure cooker makes fast work of steaming a bunch of cubed potatoes, and I use them for all sorts of things all week long.

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Meal Plan for November Week 1

This month, you can look forward to meal plans from Marta Rivera. Marta is a trained chef, mom of twins, and Army wife – and she is also one of our Simply Recipes recipe testers!

November is in full effect! Also in full effect are the numerous commitments that literally drive us away from our kitchens and the comfort of great home-cooked meals.

Setting the stage for creating wholesome dinners for my family is very important to me. The ability to plan out my meals, prep the ingredients, and cook them quickly means I don’t have to feel guilty when outside activities fill up our schedules.

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A Fall Chili Dish for Every Personality

It’s time to drive the coziness factor into full effect. Oversized sweaters, warm blankets, and—most importantly—comfort food are essential staples for the cooler months. If you’re going to be stuck indoors, a delicious meal is obviously in order.

Chili is one of the great dishes for the fall and winter. It’s hearty, filling, and hits the spot when temperatures are less than pleasing. No dinner party or guy’s night watching football is complete without a bowl.

Though no one will dispute its taste, the origins of chili are relatively mysterious—except for the fact that it did not come from Mexico like most people believe (even though some of its main ingredients did). Some will argue that immigrants from the Canary Islands who settled in Texas in the 1700s brought along their chili recipes. Then, there is a fable that suggests a nun was inspired to create chili con carne (beans and meat) after the idea came to her in a trance —quite the stroke of luck! Others believe that things got cookin’ in the late 1800s with the creation of chili powder.

Regardless of how chili made its way to America, you just have to be grateful that it did. After all, what’s better than a few scoops for your Saturday lunch? Recipes often call for kidney beans because they amp up the flavors of the spices and take the heat well (and you know things are going to get hot). However, there is the opportunity to get creative and add other beans to the mix, depending on what you’re preparing. Cannellini beans can do the trick as well.

No matter the type of bean, one thing’s for certain: There’s a recipe for everyone. Hungry carnivores and veggie-only eaters will find a chili dish to their liking. Since that’s the case, now is the time to satisfy those winter food cravings. You can heat up the kitchen this season with these myriad of options (or all if you’re feeling adventurous).

Turkey Chili

Chowhound

Want to spice up your weekday dinner? Look no further. Thanks to the sautéed ground turkey with hints of chili powder, cayenne, ground cumin, and even cinnamon, your taste buds are in for one hot ride. In about an hour, you’ll be ready to dunk tortilla chips into this tasty dish with cannellini beans—just make sure you don’t forget the sour cream. Get our Turkey Chili recipe.

Basic Vegetarian Chili

Chowhound

Looking for a quick and hearty meal? This dish—complete with kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, ground cumin, black peppers, among other ingredients—provides a satisfying veggie option for those who pass on meat. But thanks to the delicious flavor, you won’t miss the meat too much (if at all). Get our Basic Vegetarian Chili recipe.

Bacon and Black Bean Chili

Chowhound

Anytime bacon is added to the mix, you’re in for a treat. This smoky and fun dish is perfect for a get-together, so save a helping for yourself because it’ll surely go quickly. Crushed tortilla chips are not required, but highly encouraged. Get our Bacon and Black Bean Chili recipe.

Bison and Bean Chili

Chowhound

It’s not everyday you enjoy a helping of bison, so grab some kidney beans, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and sprinkle chili powder  to really wow your dinner guests. Get our Bison and Bean Chili recipe.

Texas-Style Chili with Brisket

Cooking Light

For a girl who cannot resist a pitstop at Katz’s Deli on E. Houston Street, learning about a chili option with brisket sounds like magic in a bowl. With a helping of ancho chile and Tabasco, this dish really packs a punch. Where can I sign up? Get the recipe.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili

Chowhound

What’s better than a bowl of chili that requires minimal effort but fully delivers in taste? With this slow cooker method, the smoky flavor will make it seem as though you spent hours in the kitchen when in fact your crockpot did the heavy lifting. Plus, you get to switch up the typical kidney beans and opt for cannellini beans. Get our Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili recipe.

Chili Con Carne

Chowhound

This recipe is a classic, and although there are plenty of renditions of the fan-favorite, one that provides a bit of spice is the way to go. Get our Chili Con Carne recipe.

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Chili

Chelsea’s Messy Kitchen

Though chili didn’t originate in Mexico, there’s nothing wrong with paying homage to delectable Mexican flavors. The creator behind Chelsea’s Messy Apron opts for a crockpot recipe that calls for black beans and chili beans. Once all is said and done, don’t be afraid to add hints of lime, avocado, or cilantro. After all, this is Creamy Chicken Enchilada Chili. Get the recipe.

Chili Mac

All She Cooks

Chili Mac…or heaven on earth? If there’s anything better than mac ‘n’ cheese, it’s mac ‘n’ cheese with chili. Jessica, the brains behind All She Cooks, certainly knows the way to our heart. Get the recipe.

Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili

Cotter Crunch

Blogger Lindsay Cotter offers a gluten-free paleo addition to the plethora of chili recipes that offers just the right amount of spice. Get the recipe.

Colorado Bean Pork Chili

A Dish Of Daily Life

Michelle, the food blogger behind A Dish of Daily Life, will satisfy all those looking to spice up the way they serve pork. Comfort food at its finest. Get the recipe.

Game Day Beer Chili

How Sweet Eats

Nothing says “football” like this option from the blogger behind How Sweet Eats, which she says she prepared from the cookbook The Seasoned Life. This is a definite touchdown. Get the recipe.

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We Tasted and Ranked All 25 Pringles Flavors and Created Our Own Unique ‘Stacks’

There is, perhaps, no other snack food that is more universally adored than the beloved potato chip. It’s crispy, it’s salty, and—most importantly—it’s carb-heavy. That’s why it was essentially Christmas morning for us at Chowhound when we received a delivery of Pringles’ 25 flavors. From tried-and-true classics like Salt & Vinegar and BBQ to the bizarre and over-the-top like Chile con Queso and Kicken’ Chicken Taco, we put our palates to the ultimate test by sampling, discussing, and ranking each unique can. Here are the final results, as well as some helpful takeaways.

1. Jalapeño

2. Dill Pickle

3. Extra Hot

4. Sour Cream & Onion

5. Salt & Vinegar

6. Memphis BBQ

7. Ketchup

8. BBQ

9. Chile con Queso

10. Bacon

11. Honey Mustard

12. French Onion Dip

13. Fiery Chili Lime*

14. Ranch

15. Original

16. Cheddar Sour Cream

17. Pizza

18. Loaded Baked Potato

19. Cheddar Cheese

20. Buffalo Ranch

21. Salsa Fiesta*

22. Spicy Queso*

23. Kicken’ Chicken Taco

24. Mighty Margherita Pizza*

25. Super Cheesy Italian*

– Flavors with asterisks are part of Pringles’ LOUD line of corn, grain, and vegetable chips. While the Fiery Chili Lime was delicious, the other “bold” flavors were too much of a departure from the hyperbolic paraboloid‘s classic taste and texture. This is why the ended up on the bottom. Sorry, not sorry.

– We were delighted to see that Pringles traditions like Salt & Vinegar and Sour Cream & Onion rounded out the top five. There’s just no messing up a good thing.

– The Chowhound team clearly loves their spice. Jalapeño (the winner) was the perfect balance between mild heat and ample saltiness, though true connoisseurs of sweat-inducing crunch should opt for Extra Hot. It was absolutely the most satisfying surprise of the day.

– Dill Pickle was another treat, but frankly, we question anyone who doesn’t enjoy dill pickle-flavored anything.

– Buffalo Ranch was the biggest disappointment. Why didn’t this taste anything like the wings we crave every Sunday?

– If you’re a fan of BBQ, give the Memphis variety a shot. We were really into its perfect balance of sweet and salty. In fact, they ended up edging out Pringles’ classic BBQ by a grill brush hair.

– You may want to stay away from Kicken’ Chicken Taco, unless you enjoy an assaulting amount of cumin.

In addition to taste-testing, Pringles tasked us with creating “Stacks” of three separate flavors to create an entirely new flavor. Here’s what the team came up with:

Carleigh Connelly, Director of Content: Chicago Dog (Dill Pickle, Honey Mustard, Salt & Vinegar)

Owen Stretch, Video and Social Media Manager: From the Grill (Memphis BBQ, Loaded Baked Potato, Bacon)

Joey Skladany, Senior Content Producer: Bathroom Break (Extra Hot, Jalapeño, Spicy Queso)

Guillermo Riveros, Senior Video Producer: Sour Puss (Extra Hot, Dill Pickle, Sour Cream & Onion)

Nathan Carpenter, Video Producer: Taco Diablo (Extra Hot, Kickin’ Chicken Taco, Sour Cream & Onion)

Chike Ezeude, Associate Video Producer: Spicy Bacon (Bacon, Original, Jalapeño)

Jessica Gentile, Associate Editor: It’s Basically a Salad! (Dill Pickle, Jalapeño, Ketchup)

Think you can top us? Sound off with your tasty trio in the comment section. But be forewarned: Once you pop, the fun really doesn’t stop.

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