Southern Made Simple

Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm

Laura Tucker

Free Printable: I’m “Nuts” Over You Valentine

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These “I’m Nuts Over You” Valentine Printables are a fun way to make any Valentine recipient feel loved! 

Maybe it’s because I grew up in the land of peanuts, or that my grandfather was a peanut farmer, or perhaps it’s because I’ve never breathed air that didn’t consist of at least 35% peanut dust, but whatever the reason is for my extreme love for all-things-peanut, I sure am glad I was made that way. 

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

Not long ago I shared my recipe for these Sugar Roasted Peanuts, and as we’ve inched closer and closer to Valentine’s Day I decided to come up with a unique Valentine’s Day treat featuring the crunchy candied snack!  Of course, you can also use dry roasted or parched peanuts if those are your preference. Heck, you could even use circus peanuts if you’re a fan of those! 

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

You really don’t need a whole lot of supplies to make these Valentine treats, just a pack of cellophane treat bags which you can find on Amazon, at Walmart or the Dollar Tree. Once you prepare the peanuts, just print off the free printable Valentine tag I have below on cardstock, staple it all together and you’ve got a scrumptious peanut-y treat ready to hand out!

 


I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

Click the image below to download the free printable, or find it linked below! 

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

CLICK  >>HERE<< TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE!

If you use this printable, I would love for you to subscribe to my blog in return! Of course, it’s certainly not required. Just appreciated! Happy Valentine’s Day!

I'm Nuts Over You Valentine Printable

If you’re looking for more fun Valentine’s Day printable or snack ideas, check out the links below – all found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Free Printable Rubber Ducky Valentine Printable | I’m Beary Glad You’re My Friend Valentine | Free Printable “You Make My Heart Glow” Valentines | Valentine’s Day Snack Crafts for Kids | Healthy Valentine’s Day Snacks for Kids

How to Make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

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This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LANDOFROSTLUNCHES

As we’re marching onward into the new year, I’ve been reflecting on many of the changes and transitions my family made during the previous year. One of my goals for 2021 is to find ways to make those transitions we made feel a little more seamless in our daily lives, particularly the large transition of moving from traditional school to homeschool for my oldest daughter. Keeping a semi-flexible schedule and daily routine is important for all of us in the house, but keeping things fresh, fun and interesting is a top priority when it comes to not only school work, but preparing our meals as well.

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

One way I’m changing things up this year is letting my oldest daughter be much more hands-on in the kitchen during lunch time. While we aren’t ready to dive right into cooking with precise measurements, cook times and ingredients just yet, I still want her to become familiar with putting balanced meals together and show her that she can use her creativity in the kitchen just like she does in the classroom. One of our favorite ways to do that is to create kid friendly charcuterie boards filled with a balance of interesting colors, textures and wholesome goodies to fuel us through lunch and snack time!

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

Traditionally, charcuterie boards feature cured meats, dried fruits, cheeses and nuts. However, the beauty of creating charcuterie boards or “snack” boards is that there truthfully isn’t a wrong way to do it. The sky is the limit when it comes to what you can add to your own board! Because we love to make these boards to serve for lunch and then to munch on later in the afternoon for snack, I love to add fresh meats, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, a variety of cheeses and crackers.

One piece of advice that I feel is important when creating a charcuterie board with your children – listen to their cues when it comes to filling up the serving platter. If your child is easily over stimulated, scaling back on the variety of foods you include may be a good idea. On the flip side, you may have a little one who wants ALL the snacks, and that’s okay, too! Creating a charcuterie board is a great way to learn about the food pyramid and all of the different food groups. Let them pull things from the pantry and refrigerator that they truly love, all while showing them how to incorporate healthy and balanced options onto the board!

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

At the beginning of the week, I always make out my Publix shopping list and try to make sure I have plenty of fresh produce and other ingredients to build a charcuterie board on hand. In addition to fruits and veggies, I love to keep a variety of Land O’ Frost® premium meats on hand – particularly Land O’ Frost® Premium Meat Oven Roasted Turkey Breast and Land O’ Frost® Premium Meat Old World Style Black Forest Ham. These meats are a go-to staple for my family as they’re a healthy and affordable protein, contain no added hormones, no artificial flavors, and no by-products. Plus, Land O’ Frost is a family owned company, and I love having a large variety of products and flavors to choose from while shopping at my local Publix.

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

To add a little “pizzazz” to our charcuterie boards, I taught my daughter how to fold the meat accordion style and keep it in place using toothpicks. Not only was this a fun way to make our board look extra pretty, but it was also a great tool for improving her hand-eye coordination! We used cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of cheese slices, and this can also easily be done with the slices of meat on the board.

Here are a few of the things we added to our board to give you some ideas for how to create your own kid friendly charcuterie board:

Fresh Fruit (grapes, strawberries, blueberries)
Dried Fruit (raisins, yogurt covered cranberries)
Nuts or granola
A variety of cheeses
Fresh Veggies (carrot sticks, broccoli, etc.)
Fruit Dip or Veggie Dip
Crackers or pretzels
Cured Meats (if your children are into it. We chose pepperoni!)

How to make a Kid Friendly Charcuterie Board

We’re looking forward to getting really creative in the kitchen in 2021 and perfecting our charcuterie board skills while learning about the importance of making mealtime balanced and fun. Next time you’re making your grocery list, make sure you swing by your local Publix to pick up all of your charcuterie boards needs, including Land O’ Frost premium meats to make your charcuterie board complete!

What things are you looking forward to in 2021? What are some of your favorite things to add to a charcuterie board? Leave a comment below and share your ideas! Happy New Year, friends!





2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

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This 2 ingredient Fruit Dip is so simple, sweet and versatile! It’s a must-make if you love to make charcuterie or snack boards, and it also makes an awesome topping for pancakes, French toast, etc.! 

Charcuterie and snack boards have grown tremendously in popularity over the last 2-3 years it seems, and I am absolutely a fan of the craze. Not only are they a beautiful and an aesthetically pleasing way to serve finger foods for a gathering, but they’re also a perfectly acceptable way to transition snacks into a meal when cooking is the farthest thing from your mind. When I break out the giant serving platter and start pulling snacks out of the pantry and fridge, my family knows that this mama isn’t cooking anything else the rest of the day. 

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

You may recall some of the charcuterie boards I’ve done in the past. My Halloween Charcuterie Board is a favorite of mine, and I also have a Sweet & Savory Charcuterie Board, a Spring-themed Charcuterie board and the Ultimate Summer Charcuterie board on the blog if you’re looking for a few ideas when creating your own. I love to incorporate a mix of both fresh and dried fruits on the boards I create, and I love to have a dip to serve alongside the fresh fruit or to smear on top of crackers. 

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

Making a fruit dip is super simple, and this 2 Ingredient Fruit Dip is a go-to for me when making charcuterie boards. All you need to whip up this dip is a container of whipped topping and a container of strawberry (or whatever flavor you prefer) cream cheese!

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try:

Print Recipe

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz container Cool Whip thawed
  • 1 8 oz container strawberry cream cheese spread softened

Instructions

  • Using a hand or stand mixer, combine thawed whipped topping and softened cream cheese and mix until smooth and there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
  • Serve immediately and refrigerate any leftovers.
  • Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

If you want to lighten this dip up just a bit, you can swap out the whipped topping with a sugar free variety, or you can even make your own from scratch!

2 Ingredient Fruit Dip

This recipe will make more fruit spread than you’ll need for a charcuterie board, so my favorite thing to do with the leftovers is to serve it on top of French toast, pancakes or smeared over a bagel of piece of toast for breakfast. 

Looking for more Charcuterie Board Inspiration? Check out these posts right here on Southern Made Simple!

Spring Charcuterie Board | Ultimate Summer Charcuterie Board | Sweet and Savory Charcuterie Board | Halloween Charcuterie Board

A New Adventure + TWO Giveaways!

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Towards the beginning of 2020, my husband purchased a CNC machine with a laser attachment to cut and laser engrave on wood. He spent a lot of time tinkering with it, and one day he handed me a beautiful pair of earrings he cut and designed. And then, naturally, the requests began pouring in from me with ideas for new earring designs. Over the span of a few months, my wooden earring collection had grown quite a bit, but the thought of selling them to the public never even dawned on me until a few weeks before Christmas. 

When the Hallmark channel started rolling out those beloved Dolly Parton Christmas movies, my love for The Queen of Country Music was rekindled, just like it always is during the holiday season. I asked my husband if he could laser engrave a picture of Dolly onto a pair of earrings for me, and ever since the moment those earrings first dangled from my earlobe, he’s been cutting and lasering earrings out in his shop ever since. I shared these earrings on my social media pages and the orders began rolling in! I was pretty surprised at the newfound success and demand these earrings brought. We cut dozens upon dozens of monogrammed and custom earrings for locals in our community shopping for last minute stocking stuffers. We honestly never thought we’d be selling earrings like this, but it’s been such a blessing to us!

When we built our home in 2017, my husband and Grandaddy saved several large chunks of the cedar trees that were pushed down to clean the land for our build. My husband has sawed and sanded each piece of cedar used to make these earrings, and in a way it’s our way of sharing a little piece of us with the rest of the world. Right after Christmas I opened up our own Etsy shop where people can search and shop online for our handmade items. 

A New Adventure + TWO Giveaways!

In fact, if you’d like to take a look at what we’ve got available in our shop, you can easily click on the “Etsy Shop” tab located at the top of my website! If you’re viewing this on your desktop computer, it’ll look like the picture shown above. 

In the meantime, you can also CLICK HERE to go directly to our Etsy shop! 

And now for the best part: The Giveaways!

A New Adventure + TWO Giveaways!

I’m giving away a total of 4 pairs of handmade laser engraved earrings to two lucky Southern Made Simple followers! Each winner will receive a pair of leopard print earrings and a personalized pair of monogrammed earrings, just because I love you all! 

You can enter over on Instagram and Facebook – and YES! You can double dip and enter at both places! The only requirement to enter is to make sure you’re following and to leave a comment sharing what state you’re following from. Easy peasy!

Click HERE to enter on Facebook

Click HERE to enter on Instagram

The giveaways will end on January 8th, 2021 at 11:59pm CST. Open to US residents only. The giveaways are in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Facebook or Instagram. Good luck, and thanks so much for following!

 

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

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Peanuts! Get your peanuts! Sugar roasted peanuts are a scrumptious snack that are very easy to make, and if you package them up and tie a ribbon around them, they make a wonderful treat to share with a friend! Growing up right next door to the peanut capital of the world, peanuts have always played a significant role in my life and the community that I was raised in. As the granddaughter of a peanut farmer, I’ve learned quite a bit over the years about the economical importance this tiny nut has had not only on my own family, but on the state of Alabama as a whole. They’re arguably one of the most important crops grown on American soil, and they’re loaded with important nutrients that just might surprise you! 

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

During peanut harvest season in the early fall, I shared my recipe for Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts – which are a true southern delicacy that most folks around here just can’t get enough of. I’ve even been known to eat them for breakfast, truth be told. While boiled peanuts are undoubtedly my favorite way to snack on these lovely little legumes, these sugar roasted peanuts come in at a close second. 

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

Most people know that peanuts are a great source of protein, but did you know that incorporating a handful of peanuts into your daily diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and promote healthier cholesterol levels? (You can read more about the health benefits of peanuts here.)  Peanuts are actually classified as a superfood, which further proves that not all heroes wear capes! 😉 

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

These sugar roasted peanuts, or “candied peanuts” are vey easy to make. In fact, I use the same recipe when making my Sugar Roasted Pecans! I frequently make these around the holidays or for special occasions, but they’re great to make and eat any time of year. I love to add them to charcuterie boards, too! Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz container unsalted dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 egg white
  • 4 tsp water
  • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 250 F
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Using a mixer, beat egg white until frothy. Add in water and vanilla and continue mixing
  • Stir in cinnamon, sugar and salt
  • Add in peanuts and coat with egg mixture completely using a large spoon
  • Spread the peanuts evenly on to the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, being sure to stir every 15 minutes
  • Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

The photo below is of my 2 year old daughter sneaking a peanuts while I was trying to photograph them. She crawled up in my lap while the camera was still in my hand, so I kept snapping photos to capture the sweet moment!

Sugar Roasted Peanuts

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out these other peanut favorites found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts | No Bake Peanut Butter Pie | Peanut Butter Fudge | Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats | Peanut Butter Corn Flake Candy

Venison Sausage Balls

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We’re currently in the heart of deer season here in south Alabama, and my husband has been in the woods quite a bit lately trying to make sure our freezer is stocked with venison to last us a full year until next year’s deer season begins. These venison sausage balls are a quick, simple, no-fuss and no-fail appetizer that I love to whip up any ol’ time, but especially on game days when college football is on the big screen.

Venison Sausage Balls

These sausage balls only call for a handful of ingredients, and they take about 15 minutes to cook all the way through in the oven. My husband loves to eat them by themselves, but I personally love to dip them in a little bit of pepper jelly or drizzle a smidge of syrup over them to give them a bite of sweetness. If I’m lucky and there’s any leftovers the next morning, I love to pop them in the microwave and have them for breakfast!

Venison Sausage Balls

While this recipe calls for ground venison sausage, you can easily adapt this recipe to use pork sausage. If you want to spice things up a tad, spring for a spicy sausage blend instead of using mild! I use a combination of shredded cheddar and shredded mozzarella in the mixture because I believe the mozzarella adds in a little extra moisture to keep them from feeling dry. You can experiment with different cheeses if you so choose, and even add in a little creole or cayenne pepper to give them so extra flavor!

Venison Sausage Balls

To make sure my sausage balls are even in size so they will all cook evenly, I love to use a click-release cookie scoop and plop them right on top of the baking sheet without getting my hands dirty. If you happen to have any leftovers, just store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for 4-5 days, but they’ve certainly never lasted that long in my household!

Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Venison Sausage Balls
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Bisquik baking mix
  • 1 lb ground venison or ground pork sausage
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2/3 cup whole milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F
  • Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients and blend until well combined
  • Use a cookie scoop or your hands to roll out dough into ping-pong sized balls and place on a greased baking sheet
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes
  • Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Venison Sausage Balls

Looking for more great venison recipes? Check out these recipes found right here on Southern Made Simple!

Venison Meatloaf | Grilled BBQ Bacon Venison Burgers | Venison Country Fried Steak | Bacon Wrapped Venison Tenderloin | Venison Pot Roast | Venison Taco Bites

And while you’re at it, check out this roundup of other amazing venison recipes!

Do you have a favorite venison recipe you’d love to share? Or maybe a favorite game day (or any day) appetizer that’s your go-to this time of year? What would you pair with these venison sausage balls? Leave a comment below and share the love!


Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potatoes

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This post was sponsored by Southeastern Mills as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

For me, holiday cooking and baking is all about bringing out those family favorite recipes that exude comfort and nostalgia. Especially during a year that proved to be quite trying and difficult, I believe we all could use a little more comfort food to help warm our spirits and fill our bellies with goodness as we near the end of this year. Some of my absolute favorite comfort foods that we love to eat near the holidays are cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, freshly carved turkey and a little gravy to go with it all.

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

And for those holiday feasts where comfort foods are often in abundance, sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to “spruce” up the leftovers and enjoy them in a new and exciting way. Personally, I’m not a big fan of leftovers. I’ll eat leftovers once, maybe twice, and then I’m ready to move on, even if it is some of my favorite comfort foods. After Thanksgiving this year, I got a little experimental with our leftovers and created the ultimate holiday comfort food dish…with a twist. These Turkey and Dressing Loaded Baked Potatoes are a perfect portion of pillow-soft buttery baked potatoes, topped with homemade cornbread dressing, turkey, brown gravy and a smidge of cranberry sauce on top. Truthfully, I may never want these classic holiday dishes any other way now!

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

Cornbread dressing is a popular side dish in the southern portion of the United States. While others enjoy “stuffing” during the holidays, my family prefers cornbread dressing made with Southeastern Mills Cornbread Mix. I keep a variety of Southeastern Mills baking and gravy mixes on hand at all times. The made from scratch quality you find in Southeastern Mills baking and gravy mixes make meal prep easy and convenient any time of year, but especially right here at the holidays. The cornbread dressing made with Southeastern Mills Cornbread Mix is a star ingredient in these loaded baked potatoes, and I love the that I’m able to simply mix, bake and enjoy perfect cornbread every time I pour the batter into a skillet. Southeastern Mills baking and gravy mixes are the perfect complement to any meal, and they can be used in so many unique and non-traditional ways!

Ultimate Thanksgiving Loaded Baked Potato

When making cornbread dressing, you’ll want to make your cornbread a day or two in advance. You’ll start by preparing two packages of Southeastern Mills Cornbread mix according to package instructions. Allow it to cool completely, then crumble into very fine little pieces inside a gallon sized resealable bag. Seal it up and set it aside until you’re ready to prepare the dressing.

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

Freshly carved turkey is my favorite thing to serve alongside dressing, and pouring a little Southeastern Mills Roast Turkey Gravy Mix on top is like the icing on the cake. I love to serve gravy on top of mashed potatoes as well, so including it in these Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potatoes to achieve the ultimate comfort food just felt so right. 

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

Making these Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potatoes is as easy as 1-2-3. You’re basically just layering up those classic holiday dishes and using the potato as the vessel. You’ll start with a baked potato. You can bake them in the oven, or cook them in an instant pressure cooker to speed up the process a little bit. Once your potato is cooked, add a little salt and butter if you like. 

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

Next, spoon in a little bit of cornbread dressing, and use a fork to gently incorporate the dressing a little into the potato. Then, shred some turkey and add it on top of the potato. As I mentioned earlier, this is a really great way to get creative with holiday meal leftovers if you’re looking for a fun and delicious way to jazz up the giant turkey you prepared for the holidays! 

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

Finally, it’s time to top the potato with your favorite turkey and dressing toppings. Some people prefer gravy, other people prefer cranberry sauce, and then there are those people (I’m raising my hand high over here) that love to add both! The Roast Turkey Gravy Mix from Southeastern Mills was the perfect touch to top off these baked potatoes, and taking that first bite into this unconventional baked potato was truly comfort food at its finest! 

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

If you’d like to jazz up those holiday leftovers like I did, or if you’re looking for a fun and unique way to serve up traditional holiday menu items, you can find my recipe for these Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potatoes, including the cornbread dressing below!

Print Recipe

Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

For Cornbread Dressing

  • 2 packages Southeastern Mills Cornbread Mix prepared
  • 6-8 slices white sandwich bread gently torn into thumb size pieces
  • 2 large yellow or white onions very finely chopped
  • 1 bunch celery both ends removed and very finely chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 26 oz family size can Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 Tbs rubbed sage
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

For Baked Potato

  • 3-4 large russet potatoes baked
  • 2-3 cups cooked shredded turkey
  • 1 package Southeastern Mills Turkey Gravy Mix prepared
  • Cranberry Sauce if desired

Instructions

For Cornbread Dressing

  • Prepare cornbread according to package instruction and allow to cool completely
  • Crumble cornbread into very fine pieces and seal in a sealable zipper bag and set aside over night
  • Grease a large casserole dish (9x13 or larger)
  • Grease a large casserole dish (9x13 or larger)
  • Combine very finely diced onions and celery in a stockpot and add just enough water to cover the top of the onions and celery
  • Boil until the celery is good and tender, or to your liking. Do not drain. You'll use the broth off of the vegetables in the dressing.
  • Transfer crumbled corn bread to a very large mixing bowl and place torn white bread right on top - do not stir in
  • Pour onion and celery mixture over cornbread, followed by the can of cream of chicken, 2 cups chicken broth, and your seasonings.
  • Pour into greased baking dish and bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes, or until bubbling and a nice thin crust has formed around the edges. Serve immediately

Assembling Baked Potato:

  • Layer prepared cornbread dressing, shredded turkey, Southeastern Mills Roast Turkey Gravy and cranberry sauce (if desired) and enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

Comfort Food With A Twist: Loaded Turkey & Dressing Baked Potato

Do you have a favorite way to jazz up holiday leftovers? Incorporating Southeastern Mills gravy and baking mixes into your holiday meals is a great way to elevate your meals with a made-from-scratch quality, so be sure to keep an eye out for them during your next grocery store run!

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

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The house is quite as I’m sitting here typing this, sipping my coffee. My children are nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of every single toy they circled with a red crayon in the Target Christmas Catalog dance in their heads. The aroma coming from the kitchen is slowly creeping its way throughout the rest of the house, and I can hardly wait to sit down at the table with my family and a bowl full of this Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole. Oh, if only I could capture the scent of this dish in a candle. It smells exactly like Christmas, and not the candy-cane or evergreen tree scent so many people try to make it. It smells like true homemade holiday magic, and the smell isn’t even the best part!

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

French toast casseroles are pretty popular around here. I make them for my family quite a bit. I’ve made Strawberry French Toast Casserole, Mixed Berry French Toast Casserole, and I’ve even made a Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole, but there’s just something about this gingerbread version that really steals the show. Personally, I’m a huge fan of molasses and ginger together. Gingerbread in general gives me those warm-fuzzy Christmas feelings, and adding a little powdered sugar and maple syrup on top? Honey, that’s some sho’ nuff certified goodness.

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

I typically use a loaf of Italian bread from the bakery at my grocery store to make any french toast casserole. Walmart always sells their loaves for $1 each, which is much cheaper than what you’ll find down the bread aisle! I simply slice the bread into thumb-sized pieces and toast them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Next, I whip up the egg mixture with a variety of spices typically found in gingerbread. Of course, molasses and ground ginger are a must in this recipe. I recommend using a milder version of molasses over blackstrap for this recipe.  Then, pour the egg mixture over the bread crumbs, cover, and refrigerate overnight for best results before baking.

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

Try not to get too hung up on the “overnight” part of this recipe, though. If you don’t have that kind of time, don’t worry about it! You can certainly pop it into the oven right away if you need it in a hurry. It’ll still be fabulous, I promise! 😉 

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

The cinnamon sugar crumble on top is probably my favorite part of this recipe. It gives a slight crunch that soaks up the warm syrup perfectly. Here’s a copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

For French Toast Casserole

  • 1 loaf Italian bread cubed
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

For Crumble Topping

  • 1 stick cold salted butter cubed
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

  • Cube loaf bread into small pieces and toast in over at 300 F for 15 minutes
  • Remove from oven and pour bread cubes in a greased 9x13 casserole dish
  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, molasses, vanilla and spices
  • Pour egg mixture over the bread. Cover dish and set in refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours. See note.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, then add topping and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
  • Serve with maple syrup and/or powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes

For best results, allow bread mixture to set in refrigerator overnight or for a few hours before baking. However, baking at this point will be fine as well if you are in a hurry.

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

What do you love to make for breakfast during the holidays? Leave a comment below and share the love!

Looking for more recipes similar to this Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole? Check out these favorites found right here on Southern Made Simple! 

Strawberry French Toast Bake | Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Bake | Mixed Berry French Toast Bake | Molasses Cookies | White Chocolate Drizzled Gingerbread Stars

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Do you have a really good, classic, no-fail and dependable chocolate chip cookie recipe that you love to reach for when a cookie craving comes along? If not, allow me to introduce you to the new love in your life. Seriously. These Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are lightly crispy on the outside, perfectly soft and chewy on the inside and have an irresistible buttery and brown sugar flavor with the perfect chocolate chip-to-cookie ratio. I may be tooting my own horn a little bit here, but I’d say these chocolate chip cookies are pretty darn close to perfect.

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are the most googled cookie recipe of all time, and that holds especially true during the holidays. Many folks are grasping at things that bring them comfort and joy during this time of year, and that means savoring classic recipes that they know are good. And honestly, I think chocolate chip cookies would even bring the Grinch himself a little bit of joy and happiness. I’ve never seen a grumpy person with a stack of cookies and a glass of milk in their hands. 😉 

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The base of this recipe may look a little familiar to you, as it’s the same dough that I use in my Soft & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies that I shared just a few weeks ago. It’s my go-to cookie dough for just about any cookie, especially ones that I really want to have that soft-batch bakery feel. 

Here’s a free printable copy of my recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Print Recipe

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup salted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tbs vanilla flavoring
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer, combine butter, white sugar and brown sugar
  • Add in vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated
  • Slowly add in flour, baking soda and corn starch and mix until soft, thick dough forms
  • Add in chocolate chips and stir until just combined
  • Refrigerate 1 hour or longer (Don't skip this step!)
  • Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or use a non-stick silicone baking mat
  • Once dough is thoroughly chilled, roll or scoop into 1 1/2-2 inch balls and place an inch or more apart
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes. *Cookies will appear undercooked when first removed from the oven. Do not cook any longer - the cookies will continue to set while left to cool on the cookie sheet.
  • Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

By the way, here’s a few of my must-haves in the kitchen when it comes to baking cookies. There’s still time to let Santa know about these items if you’re adding them to your wish list! 

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

When these cookies first come out of the oven, they’re going to look a little undercooked. That’s exactly what you want them to look like. I promise. They’ll continue to cook a little while they’re cooling on the cookie sheet, and the texture will be everything you’ve ever wanted a cookie to be. You’ll definitely be going back for seconds and thirds. And then you’ll go back for another one to dunk into your coffee the next morning. I’m just speaking from experience here. 😉 

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you like this recipe for Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, be sure to check out these other great recipes found right here on Southern Made Simple!

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies | Molasses Cookies | Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies | Soft Batch Candy Corn Cookies | Strawberry Milkshake Cookies

What types of cookies will you be baking during this holiday season? Do you like to try new-to-you recipes, or do you prefer to stick to the classics? Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite kinds of cookies. I always love to hear what’s cooking in your kitchen!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

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Since we put up our Christmas tree and decorations last week, we’ve been spending a lot of family time watching kid friendly Christmas movies almost every night. We turn all of the lights in the house off except for the tree, lighted garland and a few flameless candles, and my two girls have been absolutely mesmerized over the new ambiance that the Christmas lights bring. Even though our girls are very young and their attention span can’t last the length of the movie, we still enjoy the time we spend together. I’ve also enjoyed making a special treat for us to munch on while we all curl up together and watch. Popcorn is always a must when watching movies, and I love to zhoosh it up a bit and make it feel a little more Christmas-y. This White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn is the perfect blend of sweet and salty, and has been the perfect movie snack for us all to enjoy while watching the big screen!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

When I was in college, I worked at the local movie theater for about 2 1/2 years to help pay for my wedding. During that time I sort of had a love-hate relationship with popcorn. Sure, freshly buttered popcorn smells absolutely amazing, but for the entirety of those 2 1/2 years I smelled like popcorn too. My clothes, car, even my bedroom smelled like popcorn. I had to nearly crawl inside the giant popper each night to disassemble and clean the machine, and you would be amazed at how quickly that “extra butter” can get all over everything. 

So all that is to say, I never really popped popcorn very much after I left my job there. Popcorn was my supper many a night when I was working late, and I always felt that I had had my fill of it. But every now and then I circle back around to it, and adding fun toppings like melted white chocolate and crushed peppermint candies makes this snack irresistible!

 

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

If you find yourself curling up on the couch this season to enjoy your favorite Christmas movies, here’s a few of my favorite things to cozy up with on movie night!

And if you want to spruce up your  popcorn and make it feel a little more festive, here’s a free printable copy of the recipe for you to try!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 bags buttered popcorn popped
  • 1 8oz bag Wilton White Chocolate Melts
  • 1/8 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 tsp fine red sugar sprinkles (feel free to add more or less!)
  • 10-12 peppermints crushed

Instructions

  • Pop popcorn according to package instructions, set aside
  • In a microwave safe bowl, pour in chocolate melts and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted
  • While chocolate is melting in microwave, carefully crush peppermints
  • Pour popcorn into a large mixing bowl and pour melted chocolate, crushed peppermints and sprinkles and stir until well coated
  • Pour popcorn onto a baking sheet and spread out to dry
  • After about 15-20 minutes, the chocolate should be dry and the popcorn is ready to eat. Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram: @SouthernMadeSimple or use the hashtag #SouthernMadeSimple and share your love of southern cuisine!

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

And if you’re looking for a bit of a different flavor profile for your popcorn on movie night, check out these recipes for Caramel Apple Bourbon Popcorn and Smokin’ Sriracha Popcorn! 

Are you enjoying watching holiday movies this Christmas season? What are some of your favorite movies and snacks to enjoy? I’m always looking for a good recommendation! Leave a comment below and share the love!