TikTok Feta Pasta Recipe

Many of you who use the TikTok app or even Instagram might have seen the viral recipe that originated in Finland for Feta Pasta. Apparently this recipe became so popular that grocery stores were completely sold out of feta. The basic idea behind the recipe is to start with cherry or grape tomatoes, a block of feta cheese, and seasonings that gets baked, and then pasta is added.  If you search the #fetapasta hashtag you will see thousands of videos showing so many variations. I admit I don't normally hop on the bandwagon with what's popular on TikTok, but I knew I had to try this dish. 

I was a tad nervous about the idea of using an entire block of feta and wondered if it would be overpowering. Good thing I didn't let that stop me, because the flavor was absolutely wonderful. It was tangy, but in the best way! I did check out several recipes so that I could get a better idea of what I wanted to do to make this dish my own. I shared my results on Instagram and received a lot of positive comments. It turned out that not too many people had heard about it, so I thought I was share a step-by-step recipe with pictures to show you how to make it. 

Here are the ingredients you'll need: 

Cherry or grape tomatoes (one pint per block of feta)

A block of  Feta cheese (can use vegan feta)

Fresh garlic (if cloves are huge, cut in half)

Fresh basil

Olive oil

Seasonings I recommend: Sea salt, cracked black pepper, red pepper flakes, and dried herbs like Oregano, Basil, parsley or Italian seasoning

Pasta of your choice (I used mini Farfalle)

Optional: 

fresh spinach

Grilled chicken or shrimp

How to make it

1. Heat your oven to 400°. Start by adding your tomatoes and garlic cloves to a baking dish, then drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Make sure the tomatoes are well coated. Make a space in the middle of the baking dish to place your block of feta cheese. Drizzle more olive oil and add more seasoning. 

2. Once the oven has come to temperature, place your tomatoes and feta in oven and bake for 30 minutes. If want the tomatoes and cheese to get a little brown, you can broil on high in the last few minutes or turn on the convection feature if you have that option. Cook your pasta in well-salted water while this step in being done, and set aside one cup of the cooked pasta water. 

3. Take a large fork or spoon to lightly smash the tomatoes and mix it with the feta. Make sure to smash up your garlic cloves first so you don't forget, otherwise you'll have huge chunks.  

4. Now add your fresh basil and spinach. 

5. It's time to add your pasta and gradually add the pasta water depending on how saucy you want it to be. The pasta will absorb the liquid so I added the whole cup. I promise it won't be watery. 

6. Top with grilled chicken or shrimp and enjoy! 

Tips and recommendations: 

• Do not skip the fresh basil or red pepper flakes. Both of them add so much flavor! 
• If you can't get a block of feta cheese, crumbles will work just as well. Add it in the middle of the baking dish the best you can. You might need a larger size container, so keep that in mind. 
• If you don't like feta cheese, you can use goat cheese or Boursin 
• If you are making a larger batch, you can double the ingredients. Be sure to use a large enough baking dish to give enough space to add your pasta. 
• I highly recommend reserving some of the pasta water to keep your pasta from being too dry. Do this by using a glass measuring cup or any heat-proof cup and scoop out some of the water from the cooked pasta before draining. You can add as much or as little as you like. 

Check out these other popular recipes: 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes Side Dish

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Greek Pasta Salad

Delicious Mashed Sweet Potatoes Side Dish Recipe

Are you a fan of sweet potatoes? They have been a family favorite in my home for decades. My husband and kids love the classic Southern style candied yams, while I prefer a them baked or as a mashed sweet potato side dish. One of our favorite steakhouses makes a delectable sweet potato casserole. While I do love it, the topping adds so much extra sugar that can be a bit too much.

I have experimented with sweet potatoes and finally came up with the winning combination that makes for a delicious side dish. I like serving mashed sweet potatoes with pretty much any protein and some steamed or sauteed veggies. I used to bake the sweet potatoes in the oven, but it takes way too long and heats my kitchen up a lot, especially during the warmer months. Now I use my electric pressure cooker which takes about one third of the time to bake them to perfection.

The first step is choosing sweet potatoes that are very close to the same size and thickness. This ensures that they will all cook through properly. Trust me, I've used different sizes before and it was a disaster! I recommend going with smaller, slimmer potatoes if they are available. It might all be in my head, but I find them to have a smoother texture and a sweeter taste.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes Side Dish Recipe

Ingredients: 

4 small to medium size sweet potatoes

3 tbsp salted butter

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/8-1/4 cup maple syrup

pinch of salt

Preparation: 

Rinse off sweet potatoes with cold water and dry with paper towels. Pierce whole sweet potatoes with a fork in multiple places. Pour 1 1/4 cup water in the bottom of your pressure cooker. Place rack on the bottom. Place whole sweet potatoes on rack as evenly as you can. Set pressure cooker on low setting for 14 minutes. I use a Cuisinart 6-qt pressure cooker, so you might have to check your instruction manual for the brand you have. 

Let sweet potatoes sit for 5 minutes when the cooking process ends, then release the remaining pressure. Place potatoes on a plate and carefully remove the skin and place in a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and add the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt. Give it a taste to see if you need to add any additional brown sugar or syrup if needed. 

Transfer sweet potatoes to a oven-proof baking dish. Add several tiny pieces of butter on top of potatoes (optional) and microwave for 5 minutes or bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite fish, chicken or beef dish. Enjoy! 

This sweet potato dish is so creamy and delicious! You can make it as sweet as you like. If you aren't a fan of maple syrup, you can omit it and add a little bit of cinnamon and some vanilla extract. 

Our favorite main dishes we enjoy pairing with these mashed sweet potatoes are meatloaf, salmon, air fried chicken thighs and ribeye steaks. We also love to serve it at holiday dinners along with this mac and cheese recipe. 

If you are a sweet potato lover, you will definitely enjoy this recipe. If you decide to give it a try, drop me a line and let me know what you thought of it. Thank you so much for stopping by today! 

Easy Small Batch Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe

For ages, macaroni and cheese has been one of those quintessential comfort foods that most anyone enjoys. Of course, it is not considered a diet-friendly dish, but we don't really eat it for that reason, to begin with. Nothing beats a nice creamy, cheesy scoop of homemade baked macaroni and cheese. There is something irresistible about the corner edges that crisp up just a little while baking that is the perfect texture and bite.

Growing up Guyanese, our macaroni and cheese wasn't like the classic American style. Ours had extra things in it like onion, scallions, and hot pepper. It was also baked firm so it could be cut into thick slices. While it was still delicious, I always preferred the more classic version. One of the things that can sometimes be a turn off when making mac and cheese is having such a huge amount left over. While that might not be a bad problem to have, some of us do not want to have too much of a good thing.

I have been working on a small-batch mac and cheese recipe that is perfect for smaller families. This recipe is so good since it doesn't require a lot of ingredients, and doesn't take a whole lot of time to prepare. Of course, you can always make a double batch for larger families, potluck meals, or if you simply can't get enough. Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning (optional) OR 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups milk

How to make it:

1. Heat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions in well-salted water, then drain. 

2. While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large saucepan and add flour. Whisk until butter and flour are well combined. Add Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. 

3. Whisk in milk and bring to a low boil, until slightly thickened. 

4. Add shredded cheese, reserving a little to sprinkle on top for baking. 

5. Add in drained pasta to cheese sauce mixture, then pour into a 9x9 baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.  

Tips: 

• Sprinkle either cayenne pepper or paprika on top before baking for extra color and flavor. 
• Crush buttery crackers and top before baking if you like extra texture and crunch. 
• Add ham or crumbled bacon or turkey bacon, and sweet green peas or green onions to make it an entree. 
• You can experiment with other types of cheese like Swiss, colby-jack, or gouda. 
• Make this dish vegan by using plant-based butter, cheese and milk. I have made it before and t comes out great! 

This small batch mac and cheese is sure to please anyone who wants an ooey-gooey comfort classic. As a matter of fact, it's so easy to make that it can be whipped up in no time, even on a school night. You can Pin this recipe for later.

Be sure to check out these other delicious recipes:
Shelly's Easy and Moist Meatloaf
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Perfect Greek Pasta Salad

The Perfect Potato Salad To Take To A Cookout

I don't know about you, but I think the side dishes at a cookout are the best part of the meal. I admit I will often pass up the grilled meats for a plate of just sides. One of my all-time favorites is potato salad. That is one dish that not everyone can make well. The food snob in me judges other people's potato salad mighty hard. HA! Seriously though, I make an excellent one that everyone raves about. Today I am sharing my recipe with you all.

Ingredients: 

Red potatoes (about 6-7 medium size)
2 whole large eggs
Finely chopped red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, and Italian parsley
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
Dressing ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp pickle relish
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
a few splashes of hot sauce (optional)

How to make it: 

Slice potatoes in even pieces, about 1/4 inch thick. I like to leave most of the skin on mine for added color and texture. Rinse and place them in a large pot of cold water. Salt generously! Place the 2 whole eggs on top of potatoes so they can cook at the same time. Boil until potatoes are fork tender about 10 minutes. Do not overcook! Scoop eggs out and place in ice water (this makes for easier peeling). Drain potatoes and place on a large plate or dish to cool down.

While potatoes cool, combine your dressing ingredients so that the sugar dissolves. Peel and chop the boiled eggs. Once the potatoes are mostly cool, you gently toss together all of your ingredients. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Be careful with adding salt since your potatoes should already be salty and the dressing ingredients have salt in them. Chill in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Quick tips:
If you do not care for mayo, you can substitute it with fat-free sour cream or Greek yogurt.
You can customize your vegetables or add-ins by using celery, carrots, bacon, or whatever you fancy.

This potato salad recipe took me a few years of tweaking and perfecting and is what I have been using for years. I'm often asked to bring it to a cookout or party. I love that you can make it ahead of time so there is no stress on the day you need it. I hope you try my recipe. Thanks for stopping by today!

You may also like:
Best Deviled Eggs Recipe
The Perfect Margarita Recipe
Shelly's Easy & Moist Meatloaf

4 Ingredient Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Have you ever eaten something before that was so delicious that you couldn't stop thinking about it? That's how I felt after having some Greek pasta salad from a local restaurant. I was lucky enough to have a friend share what goes in it so I could recreate it at home. The best part is it only requires four ingredients!

Here's what you need: 

2 cups Orecchiette pasta (uncooked)
1 4-ounce container of crumbled Feta cheese
2-3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
A handful of fresh basil, chopped

How to make it: 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Boil pasta for about 12-15 minutes, or to the doneness you prefer. I find this type of pasta to be way undercooked from following the package instructions. Drain pasta and cool. I like to toss it in a bowl and pop it in the freezer for about 8-10 minutes to get a quick chill. Chop your tomatoes and basil. Now all you do is toss pasta, tomatoes, basil, and Feta together. That is it!

This Greek pasta salad is a great item to take to a cookout or potluck. It can be made the day before. So easy, right? It pairs very well with grilled chicken or steak. If you decide to try this recipe, let me know how you liked it. Thanks for stopping by today. 

Low-Carb Italian Zucchini Boats

If you are like me, you probably have about 50 links on Facebook you saved of recipe or exercise videos that caught your eye. You tell yourself you will try that amazing ab and butt workout or will bake that triple chocolate ganache brownie cake. Am I right? Of course I am! I think Facebook sends me bi-weekly reminders that tell me I have saved links to look at. 

Recently I saw a recipe floating around Facebook for Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats and it really caught my attention. This time it was only saved for one week instead of 6 months. Today was finally the day I would try it. I followed the recipe for the most part, but tweaked it to my taste. First, here is the original recipe from Valerie's Kitchen. 

I omitted the extra flesh that was scraped out of the zucchini as well as the panko bread crumbs at the end. Also, I used a 4-cheese pasta sauce instead of marinara like the recipe stated. I put my own favorite seasonings including some extra hot pepper and let me tell you, this one is a winner! It was so full of flavor and good texture. I like the fact that you top it with the cheeses at the end so that it doesn't get too gooey or lose it's cheesiness (if that makes sense).

My husband does not like zucchini at all. He will tolerate trying one or two slices in a stir-fry, but still never actually liked it. He is currently practicing a lower carb lifestyle and I begged him to try it. He started with half of one "boat" and soon went back to the kitchen for the other half. He was so shocked that he really liked it. I was super shocked myself! I think it was because the zucchini was still pretty firm that he enjoyed it. If it was squooshy, he would not touch it. 

I did notice that if you reheat any of the leftovers that they become a whole lot softer. I think I will bake for 5-8 minutes less next time. One of my blog friends mentioned that her mother makes these with eggplant. I will definitely have to try that in the future. If you are looking for a delicious dinner idea (especially if you are doing LCHF), you must try this one!

Thanks for stopping by 💓