I’ve been making them for a long time, ever since my cousin’s wife Erica brought them to us years ago and I fell absolutely in love with them.
I bothered her for the recipe, as one does, and she sent me this recipe from All Recipes.
The adjustments I’ve made over the years have mostly to do with convenience: standard-size boxes and bags rather than the hard-to-find ones, light brown sugar instead of dark, and ditching the corn syrup, since you already have the sticky caramel to hold it all together.
And also because I’m known to be a fan of short ingredient lists.
These Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Bars Aren’t For Everyone
If you’re the kind of person who likes an understated dessert, you might need to look elsewhere.
These are butter-forward, sugar-forward, and salt-forward. These are not subtle. They are simple, but they are also big, very sweet and salty, obnoxiously extra, and so deliciously life-changing.
They remind me of the Extra Good Puppy Chow – like, you’ve probably already had puppy chow, but you haven’t had AMAZING puppy chow until you’ve basically doubled the butter and chocolate and stuck the whole thing in the freezer.
That’s what’s happening here. You’ve had a Rice Krispie Bar, but you have not lived until you’ve had THIS Rice Krispie Bar. Extra butter, extra gooey goodness in the form of a quick homemade salted caramel, and extra textural goodness from a pop into the fridge. DIAL IT UP.
I won’t judge if you’re a person who takes their treats a little more restrained. But for those of us who enjoy a massively caramelly, unapologetically salty-sweet bite of a classic RKB, this one will deliver.
Please Refrigerate These Rice Krispie Bars – Yes, I Said It
Rice Krispie Bars usually aren’t refrigerated, but here is my weird secret: I really enjoy these Rice Krispie Bars cold out of the fridge.
For regular Rice Krispie Bars, that would not work. They’d dry out in two seconds.
But in this case, we have twice the butter (yay!) so the cold treatment tightens up the buttery-mallow-salty-caramel mixture into something a bit more firm, but still very soft and chewable. So what you get is a tight, tender, chewy, sweet and salty crispy-crunch that is just so ultra-satisfying.
They are a 10 in all forms, so room temp will also work for you and be nice and soft. But just try refrigerating them for a texture boost. See if I’m crazy.
You’ll want soft caramel for these bars. To achieve this, avoid boiling the caramel excessively. I’d recommend just keeping the caramel over low heat and heating it just enough to get it incorporated and slightly thickened.
Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Bars! Perfectly chewy, crispy, caramelly, buttery, soft, and exactly as over-the-top as you need them to be.
Ingredients
1cupunsalted butter
1cuplight brown sugar
1/2cupheavy whipping cream
2teaspoonsflaky sea salt
one 10-ounce packageminiature marshmallows
12-ounce box of Rice Krispies or crispy rice cereal (about 12 cups)
Instructions
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add sugar and whipping cream; stir to incorporate. It will take a minute, but as it heats, you’ll start to see a smooth, creamy caramel mixture form. Heat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or so, until you have a caramel-like sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the salt.
Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.
Stir in the cereal. Press mixture into a 9×13 pan. You might have a little bit of extra that doesn’t fit in the pan – perfect for a little snack, if you ask me.
Cool slightly, cut into squares, and enjoy! You can eat these at room temperature, but I also love them in the refrigerator! They stay excellently soft and chewy, and for some reason that cold, crispy, buttery texture is just really enjoyable.
Notes
You don’t want to boil the caramel mixture excessively, otherwise you’ll end up with firm caramel instead of soft caramel once the bars cool. I’d recommend just keeping the caramel over low heat and heating it just enough to get it incorporated and slightly thickened.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Category:Dessert
Method:No-Bake
Cuisine:American
Keywords: rice krispie bars, salted caramel rice krispie bar, dessert bar
Chicken and orzo literally never fail. It can do no wrong. And make that chicken and orzo in an almost tomato soup form and you have a foolproof, everybody-likes-it dinner that is practically SOS-level easy.
This soup is a pantry essential with just a few ingredients coming straight out of the cupboards: tomato paste, garlic, broth, and orzo. And this is one of those cases where simplicity just wins.
The Flavor Of This Soup
This chicken orzo tomato soup can be a little bit of a chameleon – you can give it the flavors that you like. You build the base by caramelizing tomato paste and garlic (idea coming from a recipe in a Milkstreet cookbook!) and you can spice to your heart’s delight. I like to stay in the mainstream flavor zone for this one with Italian seasoning (almost has a pizza-like flavor to it with the tomato paste and garlic), but I feel like smoked paprika or other more zippy herbs could also be successful. The version I was inspired by in the Milkstreet cookbook had mint as one of the herbs! I wasn’t quite ready for the mint jump, but I’m just saying, you have options. Let the spirit lead!
In This Post: Everything You Need For Chicken Orzo Soup
I consistently use DeLallo orzo – it is made IN ITALY and it’s bronze cut, which gives it unparalleled texture. It’s available in both semolina and whole wheat varieties, which is just really wonderful. Whole wheat orzo can be almost impossible to find, so if you’re looking for a stock-up, DeLallo is your place.
We’ve worked with DeLallo forEVER and we love their products.
The Pesto Bread Dip Situation
Let it be known that I am a big fan of homemade pesto here, and I find that the best way to do things is to first dunk your bread in the pesto (it’s thick, flavorful, and delicious) and then dunk your pesto-ed bread into the soup. SO GOOD.
Fresh flavor in every nook and cranny.
I still have a bunch of basil left in my garden that is nearing the end of its life (aka winter is coming), so I am excited to be making a bunch of pesto right now. And the flavor – ugh. It’s so fresh and so good. I was licking the remnants of it right out of the food processor.
This recipe is so easy that I promise this extra step won’t feel like too much.
Variations On This Chicken Orzo Soup
Few ideas if you want to play around with it:
Get some wilted greens right up in the soup!
Try white beans in addition to (or instead of) chicken.
Reduce the broth and use ground Italian sausage for your protein – think Hamburger Helper but Italian style and homemade. Yum.
Omit any additional protein at all and just serve it like a spaghetti-o’s old school bowl of soup! Truly so magical.
Use cashew cream instead of heavy cream.
Add some pureed roasted red peppers for a red pepper flavor.
What To Serve With This
I mean, bread is a given. A take-and-bake loaf is great – but if you want to make your own, you need to try this No-Knead Miracle Bread.
Salad is nice – just something to really make this into a real you-pick-two lunch or dinner situation. And yes, once again, I would recommend the Simple Green Salad that goes with everything.
And if you want to go all-out with your veggies, Liz’s Roasted Broccoli Salad is legitimately exciting every single time.
This soup is cozy and comforting, easy and crowd-pleasing, and kind of just a love letter to all things simple and uncomplicated. Thank you, chicken and orzo!
Chicken Orzo Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make this soup vegetarian-friendly?
Easy! Just sub a can of white beans instead of the chicken and use veggie broth.
How do I make my own pesto?
Just blitz 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste), 1 cup packed basil leaves, and 1 cup packed other greens, like spinach (!), in a food processor until it makes crumbles; drizzle in about 1/4 cup olive oil until it comes together into a sauce. Finish with a bunch of lemon juice and you’re good to go!
How can I make my own bread for lots of delicious bread dips?
The very best (and incredibly easy!) bread recipe can be found here!
2cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken (I use the pulled meat from a rotisserie chicken)
1/4cupheavy cream
1–2cupswater as desired
parmesan, herbs, red pepper flakes, and lemon for serving
bread for serving
pesto for serving (optional – recipe in notes)
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. (See notes on types of pan to use!) Add the garlic; sauté for 1-2 minutes until soft and fragrant but not browned.
Add the tomato paste and Italian seasoning; cook until it becomes caramelized and turns a deep red color, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth gradually until the mixture incorporates into a smooth liquid. This is a good time to add salt; I recommend tasting the liquid to see how much salt it needs depending on how salty your broth was. Otherwise just add 1/2 teaspoon to start, and add from there.
Add the orzo and bring the whole thing to a simmer for about 10 minutes until the orzo is soft. If needed, add a cup more of water and/or broth to get your desired consistency. Stir in heavy cream.
Add the chicken and squeeze in a bunch of lemon juice to wake the whole thing up.
Serve topped with Parmesan, herbs, red pepper flakes, and hot crusty bread. If you want, serve with a little side of pesto for dipping the bread in before dunking in the soup. YUM. So good!
Notes
I recommend using a nonstick pan for this – you can also use a Dutch oven or another type of pan, but you’ll need to stir periodically so that the orzo doesn’t stick. If the only nonstick you have is a large-ish sauté pan, I would use that!
For the pesto, I blitz 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste), 1 cup packed basil leaves, and 1 cup packed other greens, like spinach (!), in a food processor until it makes crumbles; then I drizzle in about 1/4 cup olive oil until it comes together into a sauce. Finish with a bunch of lemon juice and you’re good to go! Perfect bread-and-soup dunking companion.
Well hello! I’ve got a coffee in my hand and a smile on my face and it’s time to chat like real people!
These days I’m drinking regular coffee with cream, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt in my little Keep Cup thing, which is my go-to in the fall. Or if it’s evening and I’m sitting in front of the TV, I’ve definitely got my hands wrapped around a mug of Good Earth sweet and spicy tea.
But please note that I’m also averaging at least 2 if not 3 Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes per week at this point in time, and the budget committee would like to have a word with me about that.
If you’re not a PSL person, try my PSL order: medium, decaf (anxious person problems), oat milk, 3 pumps instead of 4, hold the whip. It’s decadent but in a rich coffee decadent way. And it has to be from Starbucks. Caribou has its time and place, and I know everywhere else has their own knockoff, but I’m a big believer in sticking with the OG on this one. It’s also approximately $15, hence the budget committee. Moving on.
Let’s talk about life. ♡
Mom Life In a Nutshell
The thing that takes up the majority of my time, energy, money, sleep, and general headspace these days is these two little people.
They are so beautiful and weird and funny and we are so lucky.
I really love being a mom.
Fall highlights in the Family Life category include:
Excitement and routine with starting some new school programs this fall
The magic of watching new skills and interests develop (friends, dance, swimming, art)
Getting outside in our beautiful fall weather: apple orchard, petting zoo, walks in the double jogger
Taking a family trip up north with good friends, and having an ACTUALLY FUN, AMAZING TIME! What is life!
Solvi’s heart is healthy, and Lena is sleeping like a normal baby after a year of struggles! Gratitudes all around.
Some fall NON-highlights that deserve their spot in this recap as well:
Runny noses and coughs and fevers
A highly anticipated mom-and-dad-only trip needing to be canceled at the last minute due to kid sickness, which may go down as the heartbreak of the year
An untimely broken dishwasher (is it ever timely?)
And a toddler obsession with Sage’s fish oil pills, featuring one incident in particular that included squeezing the softgel oil all over herself, tracking it around our home on hands and feet, and inter-mingling the fish scent and oils with furniture and clean laundry
Life generally feels like this:
But it also feels like this.
And it is exhausting, but it the love is just simple and so pure.
It is really, really wonderful.
I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
New Chapters
Which, I guess, brings me to work.
We’ve been working on Pinch of Yum for 12 years now. (And no, this photo is not our studio OR our home – I wish! it’s a work space we rented for some projects.)
I was going to say that the majority of the last 12 years have been a straight line, with clear objectives and the direction of things feeling settled and set. But when I look back a little more closely, the truth is there hasn’t really been any season that didn’t have some type of transition woven into it.
Change has maybe been the only constant.
So it’s not that unusual to say that I feel the winds of change blowing again. As they always do. As life always does. And so much of that has to do with being a mom.
As an Enneagram 6, I’m constantly second-guessing myself – did I really want to do that? what about that other thing? what does so-and-so think? is there a better way? – and so, as cliche as it sounds, this is a season where I’m really trying to get honest and real with myself. I’m trying to drown out the noise, the assumptions, the expectations, even my own ego, and just focus on my own answer to the theme question from Emily Freeman’s podcast: what is the next right thing?
I remain in love, possibly more in love than ever before, with sharing recipes and spreading ideas out into the world that make people’s real lives better with the joy of a good meal. It is a joy and a privilege to do this and get to call it work.
I’m also hoping that as the winds of change blow, I’ll be able to build the next iteration of that work gracefully and confidently, chasing my own definition of success and being okay if that looks different than what someone else’s might look like.
Life is so good at keeping us on our toes, right?
Skin Cancer PSA and My Upcoming Plastic Surgery
Yes, I said plastic surgery.
At a routine dermatologist appointment earlier this year, I had a mole right on my hairline biopsied that came back as severely atypical. That means it’s at the highest risk for turning into melanoma, and that also means it requires further, more extensive removal.
Since the mole is on my face, that extensive removal needs to be done by a plastic surgeon.
What I found out at my consult with him isn’t super thrilling: they’ll have to shave a bit of my hair down to do the removal, and when this is all said and done, I’ll end up with a 2-inch scar on my face. I’ll also end up having a slightly lopsided face for a while as my skin on one side will be pulled tighter with the stitches – like a facelift, but… not a good one.
And you know what? It’s not a HUGE huge thing, but I’m sad about it. I’m sad to have a big scar on my face and possibly a strange-looking asymmetrical look going on for a while. I’m sad to have my hair shaved off in a weird pattern. I’m also sad that one of my favorite things – being in, soaking in, laying in the sun – won’t really be a part of my life in the future.
What you can learn from my mistakes: wear sunscreen, and go to the dermatologist for regular skin checks.
I had been going to the dermatologist for annual checks for a while, but I fell off the wagon after Lena was born so I’ve missed the last two years. But I’m so glad I went this year because without me realizing, something changed with that hairline mole that we had been watching. And while this is all really a bummer and not something I’m looking forward to, I will hopefully be able to avoid a full blown melanoma because of it.
My dermatologist told me “there’s no such thing as a safe tan.” Outside of a few burns as a teenager, I have always avoided getting burned and almost always wear sunscreen. And since I tan really easily, I never thought that I’d be a person at high risk of skin cancer (unlike my fair skinned husband). But alas, here I am.
Schedule the skin check! And if you’ve had anything like this done, you know I’d take a positive, encouraging story from you.
A Vote In Favor Of The CSA
Today is literally our last CSA pick up of the summer! It’s been another amazing of fruits and veggies. The fall produce (squash, in particular) was some of my favorite! And the beets! OMG the beets. I’ve never heard Bjork rave about a vegetable more than he raved about those plain steamed CSA beets this summer. They were so buttery and perfect.
One of the best perks of doing our CSA this summer has been watching the girls start to fall in love with veggies.
I say that with a little side eye because, of course, what they love changes by the minute and tends to be centered on variations of dairy and cheese. But the “unboxing” process every week with a new carton of veggies each week is undeniably exciting. And I absolutely feel like it’s helped educate and expose the girls to new vegetables that I otherwise wouldn’t have thought to try. I hugely credit any interest in veggies, no matter how fickle or fleeting, to being connected to our community agriculture!
We’ve done Little Big Sky Farm for the last two years and they’re wonderful! Highly recommend.
Foods That Are Bring Me Joy This Fall
This lunch salad is delicious and should probably get its own post at some point, but for now this will have to do: it’s spring / salad mix, cranberries, spicy sweet pecans, bleu cheese crumbles, baked salmon, and a spicy white truffle dressing made with mayo, white truffle oil, sriracha, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. Oof! I don’t know if bleu cheese normally goes with salmon but I’m digging this combo of everything. She’s a real fall beauty.
This post contains referral links for products we love to make bringing meals to someone a bit easier. Pinch of Yum earns a small commission on these links at no cost to you, and the links will always be marked with an asterisk. We ♡ honesty!
Food is a love language. It says “I love you” and “I see you” and “I am there if you need it” and also sometimes just, “Hi. Here. Tacos.” And that is enough. Food has the words when sometimes we don’t.
Maybe you want to drop something off for a friend juggling the world with a new baby or just moved into a new house and who knows where all the kitchen boxes wound up?! Maybe someone is sick or grieving (see our recipes in our Feeding a Broken Heart series for more ideas) or just completely overwhelmed by the managing-life of it all.
There are a lot of reasons why a meal or two or five is the best way to show up for someone, whatever the need may be.
We have a collection full of meals (and extras! hello, snacks and treats!) that travel well, keep or freeze well, and require very minimal effort on the part of the recipient. Vegetarian options, baked goods, freezer stocks for the gift that keeps on giving…it’s all here.
Just a little way to offer a little comfort and care, and feed the people you love.
In This Post: Everything You Need To Make a Cozy Comfort Meal
A super simple take on a staple of Mexican cooking. Tender shreds of juicy pork slow-cooked in heavy spices, citrus, beer and salsa. Your friend can just pop all that beautifully cooked meat under the broiler so each bite is complete with perfectly browned, crispy edges and then pile on all their favorite taco bits!
How to package it:
Cook the carnitas yourself, remove meat from the crockpot, cool, and store in a large plastic bag.
Buy and prep all the other fixings: tortillas, chopped cilantro, diced onion, lime wedges, some shredded cabbage, guacamole, chips and salsa, maybe a pre-made batch of margaritas??
Deliver the meal with instructions to spread the carnitas on a sheet pan, and broil in the oven until warmed and crisp.
Super creamy and lush, totally flexible spice level, and impeccably savory with a teensy bit of sweet. This Thai-inspired curry is just what the doctor ordered. Plus, the homemade yellow curry paste makes enough for several batches of this dish so you can send that along too!
How to package it:
Make the recipe from start to finish, let the curry cool, and store in a large disposable container.
Prepare a batch of rice (or buy a couple pouches of microwavable rice for a quick option) and pick up some naan to have on the side. Send along any extras you have of the homemade yellow curry paste in a jar so that they can pop it in the freezer for another batch of this curry later on.
Deliver the meal with instructions to rewarm on the stove or in the microwave.
Basically a hug in a bowl. Super creamy, savory goodness with tender shreds of chicken and perfectly cooked veg. Wholesome piles of deliciously satisfying wild rice throughout. Send along some warm crusty bread because who needs spoons.
How to package it:
Make the recipe from start to finish, let the soup cool, and store it in a large disposable soup container.
Prepare a loaf of No Knead Crusty Bread (or pick up some bread at the grocery store) for extra soup swoopy fun!
Deliver the soup with a small pint of whole milk in case the soup needs a couple spashes to thin it out when reheating. Send instructions to reheat the soup on the stove or in the microwave until warmed.
The texture of the meatballs is lush and delicious, the gravy is creamy, silky, slightly tangy perfection. And if you really want to say “I love you,” maybe tuck in some buttery mashed potatoes and a little sweet pickled cucumber in the bag too?
How to package it:
Make the recipe from start to finish and store covered in a disposable 9×13 pan. Note that the gravy will thicken over the course of a few hours, which makes for perfect Swedish meatballs.
Prep the sides: mashed potatoes, a zippy cucumber salad, and a side of cranberries or lingonberries.
Deliver with instructions to rewarm the meatballs in the oven for a few minutes or in a pan on the stovetop.
Chili is a love language. Especially when it is mega-thick, chunky but nothing too giant, smoky, warm, just a little bit spicy with deep rich flavor, and not just all beansbeansbeans. Cozy, easy, super delicious, and extremely scoopable so don’t forget those tortilla chips.
How to package it:
Make the recipe from start to finish, let the chili cool, and store it in a large disposable soup container.
Buy and prep all toppings: avocado, cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, red onion, and cilantro.
Deliver the meal with instructions to rewarm the chili on the stove or in the microwave.
This one tastes like care and patience and love. Rich, slow country stew with juicy shreds of chicken, tender bits of carrot and cabbage, smoky bacon, and almost creamy beans. The whole chicken is cooked in the stew so the broth is superb, the texture is everything, and it is all just begging for bread dips and swoops.
How to package it:
Make the recipe from start to finish, reserving the lemon juice or red wine vinegar for just before serving. Let the stew cool and store it in a large disposable soup container.
Prepare a loaf of fresh crusty bread and package up some garlic herb butter to serve with it.
Deliver the stew with instructions to rewarm it on the stove and to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving.
This one is a super simple 5-ingredient stunner that will heat up beautifully when the time is right. All the warm, cheesy deliciousness of a more-involved enchilada prep but instead a super simple stacking method that will give you a pan of “I am here for you” ready to deliver in no time.
How to package it:
Fully layer and assemble the casserole in a well-oiled disposable 9×13 pan.
Prepare the casserole toppings: cilantro, lime, avocado, and sour cream.
Deliver the casserole with instructions to pop it in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes covered with foil, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Send a note to let the casserole rest for 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven.
Back that chili-as-a-love-language thing but this time, creamy dreamy, and oh so special. This chicken chili is a decidedly not authentic, cheap-thrills, big flavor situation and please trust every step because it starts with bacon and ends with cream cheese and EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN IS PERFECT.
How to package it:
Make the recipe from start to finish, let the chili cool, and store it in a large disposable soup container.
Prepare the chili toppings and sides: cilantro, green onion, cheese, and tortilla chips or cornbread.
Deliver the meal with instructions to rewarm the chili on the stove or in the microwave.
The sauciest of lasagnas, where you kind of scoop it out with a spoon and bask in the glory of all the tomato sauce swirling around the perfectly chewy noodle edges, a creamy garlicky spinach layer peeking out here and there, making its way through all the bubbling cheese.
How to prepare:
Assemble lasagna completely in a greased disposable 9×13 pan. Cover with foil.
Pick up a Caesar salad kit to include on the side or grab some salad greens and whip up a simple green salad.
Deliver the lasagna with instructions to pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, to remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, and then to let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Comfort comes in a lot of forms: a big sweater, cozy socks, a weighted blanket or a heaping bowl of these saucy, spicy, creamy red lentils. Made in the instant pot with some warm curry spices, a can of tomatoes, and a bit of coconut milk. Once steamy rice is involved, you have easy delicious comfort food.
How to prepare:
Prepare the recipe from start to finish, let it cool, and store in a large disposable container.
Pick up a bag or two of microwaveable rice pouches and cut up some cilantro for a topping.
Deliver the curry with instructions to warm the lentils in the microwave before serving.
So simple, so delicious and it almost always leads to grilled cheese which…well, really is the best gift. You’ll start this from-scratch classic with bacon so they’ll know you mean it! Also, everything gets blended up with a touch of cream, so it’s a real huggable treat. Smoky, rich, creamy, velvety perfection.
How to prepare:
Prepare the recipe from start to finish, let it cool and store in a large disposable soup container.
Buy and prepare grilled cheese sammies to have on the side. Place a slice of cheese between two pieces of sandwich bread and butter the outsides of the bread.
Deliver the meal with instructions to reheat the soup on the stove or in the microwave and to cook the grilled cheese sandwiches in a pan or griddle.
On a scale of *very* to *runs out of room screaming*, how intimidated are you by the thought of making your own curry from scratch? GOOD. You are a real person with well-adjusted fears! But, seriously, you can totally do this. It’s easier than you think and will be so, so worth it for whoever gets to eat this beauty.
How to prepare:
Prepare the recipe from start to finish, let it cool, and store in a large disposable container.
Pick up a bag or two of microwaveable rice pouches (so quick! so easy!) and chop up cilantro and peanuts for toppings.
Deliver the curry with instructions to reheat it on the stove and serve it over rice.
We know, sometimes a baked pasta can get dry or (eep!) gritty or dare we say, snoozy – well, NOT. THIS. It is so saucy, so creamy, possibly criminally cheesy and easy easy easy. It is a baked pasta masterpiece that will make anyone smile.
How to prepare:
Cook the sauce and pasta, and prepare the mascarpone cheese. Layer the ziti in a disposable 9×13 pan and cover with foil.
Prepare a Brussels and Kale Caesar Salad to have on the side and include pasta toppings, like parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Deliver the pasta with instructions to bake it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until the baked ziti is warm and bubbly.
An amazing little soup/stew is a little bit spicy and a lot bit creamy. It’s nutritious and so delicious, warm, and welcoming that one might just want to crawl right in the bowl. (Though we wouldn’t recommend that.)
How to prepare:
Prepare the soup from start to finish, let it cool, and store in a large disposable soup container.
Chop cilantro and peanuts for soup toppings to include. You could also include a simple green salad to enjoy alongside.
Deliver the soup with instructions to rewarm it on the stove or in the microwave.
Who doesn’t want to nestle beneath the warm cover of some creamy mashed potatoes? Honestly sounds better than a weighted blanket. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW COZY? Rich, delicious, totally vegetarian and heats up beautifully.
How to prepare:
Prepare the mashed potatoes, veggies, and gravy. Assemble the shepherd’s pie in a disposable 9×13 pan.
This is a pretty hearty meal, so no sides are really needed. Maybe just include a bottle of red wine to lean into the cozy vibes this shepherd’s pie delivers on.
Deliver the meal with instructions to finish baking in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes with a quick minute or two broil at the end to get the potatoes browned on top.
The easiest of easy with none of the kneads and all of the warm, crusty, carby, rip-apart beauty. Bread can’t fix it, but man, it sure helps. You can whip up the dough for this one and hand it off for your friend to bake up fresh the next day, or deliver fresh and hot out of the oven knowing that warm bread says everything you need to say.
How to prepare:
Prepare the recipe from start to finish, let the bread cool, and store in a plastic bag.
Deliver the bread with instructions to rewarm it in the oven and slather a slice with butter.
Super tender and densely textured, almost blondie-like, and a very pleasing diversion from a more typical sweet bread. Hints of coconut from the flour, the nuttiness of the pistachios, the sweetness that is not overly sweet…wowowow, it’s all just so good. Whoever gets it will thank you forever.
How to prepare:
Bake the recipe from start to finish in a disposable bread pan.
Deliver with instructions to enjoy the loaf warm or cold and to store it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Exquisitely gooey, soft, pull-apart, cinnamon-slathered, perfectly glazed little pillows of sheer joy and wonder. They take a little time, a little patience, a little love and a lot of butter to bring together but every single second is worth it. Plus this recipe makes enough dough for three batches so send that along as well for the gift keeps on giving.
How to prepare:
Prepare the unbaked cinnamon rolls and place in a disposable 9-inch round pan. Prepare the cream cheese glaze and store in a small plastic container.
Deliver cinnamon rolls with instructions to bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Include a note to warm the glaze and spread it on the rolls once they come out of the oven.
Zested lemon for fresh, bold, citrusy flavor and a full gorgeous cup of olive oil in the batter to make a deliciously dense, luscious and soul-warming zucchini cake? Bread? Doesn’t matter. Yum. Such a treat for everyone.
How to prepare:
Bake the recipe from start to finish in a disposable bread pan.
Deliver with instructions to enjoy the loaf warm or cold and to store it in the fridge or at room temperature.
There are three types of juicy berries speckling this masterpiece which is not a muffin, not a cheesecake and not an exorbitant pile of streusel. IT IS ALL THREEEEE! A fluffy, dense, crumbly, juicy, sweet, super snackable way to say you care.
How to prepare:
Prepare the muffins from start to finish, let them cool, and store in a plastic bag.
Deliver the muffins with instructions to store at room temperature.
For when you want to give them something they’ve probably never had before. A perfectly soft, intensely buttery cookie speckled with chewy bright little bits of strawberry and silky-sweet white chocolate chips. Just, so good.
How to prepare:
Prepare cookie dough, roll into balls, and flash-freeze dough on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. After that, store cookie dough in a plastic bag.
Deliver cookies with instructions to bake in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the edges look cooked but the middles are slightly soft and puffy. Include instructions for the cookies to rest on the sheet pan for a bit after removing them from the oven.
Thin, crispy golden edges with a chewy gooey centers and a deep rich almost caramelly flavor thanks to a hefty amount of beautiful, patiently browned butter.
How to prepare:
Prepare cookie dough, roll into balls, and flash-freeze dough on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. After that, store cookie dough in a plastic bag.
Deliver cookies with instructions to bake in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until the edges look cooked but the middles are slightly soft and puffy. Include instructions for the cookies to rest on the sheet pan for a bit after removing them from the oven.
Sure apples can go in many things but pretty sure they were made for apple cake. Warm, so light and fluffy, and so very perfect for your care package. The magic cinnamon-sugar crisp layer up top will be calling their name for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.
How to prepare:
Prepare the cake from start to finish in a disposable 9×13 pan and let the cake cool.
Mix up some honey butter to be served on top of the cake.
Deliver with instructions to enjoy the apple cake warm with a bit of melty honey butter on top. Include a note to store any leftovers covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Do not underestimate the importance of coffee in someone’s time of need. And this homemade cold brew is such a nice way to stock their fridge with a smooth, mellow little caffeine boost at the ready. Maybe throw in some oat milk and homemade vanilla mint syrup, too?
How to prepare:
Prepare cold brew from start to finish. Include a bit of homemade vanilla mint syrup, too, if you’d like. Store in a quart-size glass mason jar.
Deliver with instructions to serve the cold brew over ice and to keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
A little breakfast cake that really means it. An exquisite little carrot cake topped with a thick crumbly cinnamony streusel layer that sits just perfectly under the swath of honey butter that melts over the top for serving.
How to prepare:
Prepare the cake from start to finish in a disposable 9-inch round cake pan and let the cake cool.
Whip up a little honey butter mixture to go with the cake.
Deliver with instructions to enjoy the cake warm with a bit of melty honey butter on top. Include a note to store any leftovers covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
A nice healthy base of oats, almonds, and unsweetened coconut flakes, with a desserty twist thanks to the cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil and chocolate chips melted all up into the clusters. Why not sprinkle with crunchy turbinado sugar and flakes of sea salt to finish?
How to prepare:
Prepare the granola from start to finish and let it cool on the sheet pan to let it get nice and clustery. Store in a large plastic bag.
Pick up a large container of yogurt to serve with the granola.
Deliver with instructions to enjoy with yogurt or in a big bowl by itself.
These are perfect because they are put-in-literally-anything meatballs. Could be served with spaghetti, popped into a Swedish meatball prep, thrown on a sandwich or just snacked on right off the baking sheet. Such a win.
How to prepare:
Bake the meatballs from start to finish, let them cool, and store them in a large plastic bag.
Legit better-than-meat taco meat. In some sort of vegetarian magic spell, it manages to be crisp, spicy and so smoky, roasty delicious. Good old fashioned plant-eating at its finest.
How to prepare:
Bake recipe from start to finish, let it cool, and freeze in a large plastic bag.
Buy and prep sides for veg taco bowls: corn salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, and a bag of microwaveable rice.
Deliver with instructions to reheat in a large skillet. Include instructions to add a bit of water to the pan if they want it to resemble more saucy-style taco meat.
The perfect little freezer send-along. Fluffy baked eggs with bacon and spinach, topped with cheese and tucked into toasty english muffins. Get these little sammies all baked, stacked, wrapped and ready for your friend to grab-and-heat a quick, wholesome little breakfast any day they need it.
How to prepare:
Prepare sandwiches from start to finish and wrap in aluminum foil to freeze.
Deliver with instructions to reheat frozen breakfast sandwiches still wrapped in the foil in the oven for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.
As long as you’re making some meal-prepped breakfasts, why not toss in some spicy little grab-and-go burrito lunches? Chipotle-spiked ground turkey, black beans, any veggies you got (sweet potato is a real gem here), and cheese all wrapped in big flour tortillas and stocked in their freezer.
How to prepare:
Prepare burritos from start to finish and wrap in aluminum foil to freeze.
Deliver with instructions to reheat the frozen burritos in the microwave, making sure to fully remove the foil before microwaving. Include a note to first defrost them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and then heat for 1-2 minutes.
We see you working hard to bring that special person a meal to boost their spirits and make them feel loved and cared for. The gift of a homecooked meal (or treat!) is a special one, friend!
Total Time: 15 minutes
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Bake
Cuisine: American
Yield:
