A super simple recipe to make lazy skillet lasagna using ravioli! No need to boil the noodles separately, dirty a bunch of dishes, or make layers. This one-pot lasagna combines and cooks everything in one pot!

Hooray for one skillet lasagna!

It goes like this. Sometimes (read: most times), my love for good comfort food is borderline inappropriate. As soon as the weather is slightly more crisp than the day before, I am getting out the pasta and cheese and saying a final farewell to grilled chicken and salad. So, I ask you to feel all the feelings you get when a warm, cozy dish of lasagna is baking away in your oven. 

The way the house smells like cheese and ground beef cooked in tomato sauce mingling with garlic, Italian seasonings, and hints of fennel seeds. The warmth surrounding a dish of cheesy, melty, saucy, and noodle-y lasagna straight out of the oven. As it hits the table, you bring forth your plate for what you mentally beg to be one massive, bubbly, and cheesy slice. And of course, you have to serve this low-effort lasagna with the best garlic bread in the world and a salad because it’s healthy.

Are you feelin’ me now? 

So the minute I got my skillet lasagna recipe finalized and extra cheese, I was ready to bring it to y’all. Who doesn’t want to cut the prep time by half when it comes to making lasagna? I mean, super easy lasagna all the time? No need for layers, and everything cooks itself in one pot?

This is one pot lasagna reality, my friends.

Ingredients for easy skillet lasagna

• Ground beef: I like to use ground beef for my homemade ravioli lasagna, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken. Some people also like to use Italian sausage out of the casing for a classic lasagna, which would also work here. You could even do a split of ground beef and ground sausage. Depending on the type of meat you use, you may want to drain the excess grease so that the lasagna isn’t too greasy.
• Olive Oil: You’ll need a glug to saute the onions and garlic.
• Onions: We’ll add roughly 1 cup of diced onions once the ground beef has rendered its fat.
• Garlic: We’ll add 5 minced garlic cloves to the recipe. This makes sure that the lasagna is uber-flavorful!
• Seasonings: I like to use oregano instead of Italian seasoning for my lasagna recipe, although either would work here. You’ll also need red pepper flakes, sugar, and crushed fennel seeds. Feel free to omit the fennel if you used sausage with fennel already in the seasonings. It can become overpowering.
• Marinara or spaghetti sauce: I like to use store-bought marinara because it already has all the slow-simmered flavors of a lasagna built in. My favorite is this brand; I buy it in bulk from Costco!
• Crushed Tomatoes: No need to drain; add it right into the sauce!
• Chicken or Beef Broth: Either works for this recipe. Just be sure to use low sodium so that you can adjust the salt that’s needed in the recipe.
• Frozen Ravioli: I like using ricotta cheese ravioli, but any flavor you like will do. I usually opt for the ricotta or spinach variety to get extra veggies!
• Mozzarella Cheese: As always, I do recommend shredding your mozzarella for this recipe. Preshredded mozzarella doesn’t stretch the same way as a block does. If you must use pre-shredded mozzarella, I like the thick-cut variety from this brand. Otherwise, I usually ask the deli attendant to cut me a 1/2-pound block. And I’ll shred it at home on my box grater.
• Parsley and Parmesan Cheese: I like to use parsley for topping, but fresh basil works too. Use grated or shaved parmesan, whatever you have on hand!

How to make ravioli skillet lasagna:

1. Cook the meat first. First, heat a large cast iron skillet or oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef to break up any large chunks. Then drizzle with olive oil if the meat is very lean. If you used a fattier ground beef, you may want to drain the additional grease so the lasagna isn’t too greasy.
2. Saute the aromatics. Add the onions and saute them for for a few minutes or until they are tender and translucent. Then add the garlic and let cook for 30 seconds before you sprinkle the seasonings over the other ingredients. Allow the spices to bloom in the oil, then add the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth.
3. Simmer the sauce. Bring the marinara sauce to a boil, taste, then adjust with salt if the sauce is lacking severely. You don’t want it to be overly salty at this point because we’ll add the lasagna noodles, mozzarella, and parmesan, which all have sodium. Stir in the ravioli and bring the sauce back to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and allow the noodles to simmer for a few minutes until the ravioli heats through and the sauce reduces. This is the part where you bake a traditional lasagna. 
4. Finish and serve it up. Add the mozzarella cheese to the top, turn off the stove, cover, and let the cheese melt. You can also pop the skillet under the broiler for a few seconds to allow the cheese to get bubbly and golden the way it would on a traditional lasagna. Top with parsley and parmesan, and serve warm!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Creamy Pesto Pasta with Chicken
• Sun-dried Tomato Baked Salmon and Orzo
• Comforting One Pot Lasagna Soup
• All-Purpose Meat Sauce Recipe
• Tomato Mozzarella Baked Chicken

Yield: 6 servings

Lazy Ravioli Skillet Lasagna

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

A super simple recipe to make lazy skillet lasagna using ravioli! No need to boil the noodles separately, dirty a bunch of dishes, or make layers. This one-pot lasagna combines and cooks everything in one pot!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (turkey or chicken)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon EACH: crushed fennel seeds AND red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano AND sugar
• 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) crushed tomatoes
• 1 ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth (or beef)
• 20 ounce frozen ravioli (I like ricotta)
• 1 ½ cup cubed or shredded mozzarella cheese
• Parsley + parmesan for topping

Instructions

1. CRUMBLE: Heat a 4-quart cast iron skillet or oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, cook, and crumble for 5-7 minutes, breaking up large chunks. Drizzle with olive oil if the meat is very lean.
2. SAUTE: add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until tender and translucent. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, oregano, and sugar. Continue to cook for 60 seconds. Then add the marinara, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth.
3. SIMMER: Bring to a boil, taste, and add a little salt if it needs it. Then, add the ravioli to the skillet and allow the lasagna to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and the ravioli is cooked.
4. FINISH AND SERVE: Add the mozzarella cheese on top, turn off the stove, and cover allow the cheese to melt for 5-7 minutes. Alternatively, you can pop the skillet under the broiler and broil for 30-60 seconds until the cheese turns golden. Top with parsley and parmesan, and serve warm.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 514Total Fat: 26gCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gProtein: 39g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

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An even better version of the traditional Jiffy Corn Casserole! We’re swapping out one ingredient and making the best corn casserole your family has ever had! It’s got sweetness from the corn, cheesiness, and so much more!

Not another corn casserole recipe!

Oh, but it is. And it’s an even better version of the traditional Jiffy corn casserole because we’re introducing a new player to the game. And this one makes everything 10x better. 

I know what you’re thinking… she’s going to add cheddar cheese to the mix and think she reinvented the wheel. But no, that’s not it! Meet the Jiffy Corn Casserole with a puck of Boursin cheese.

Don’t worry! It’s still loaded with all the corn kernels and creamed corn you love, but we’ll swap out some of the sour cream with a puck of room-temperature Boursin…

And I’m willing to bet your family is going to love it as much as mine.

I’m not kidding. A couple of Thanksgivings ago, I ran short of sour cream. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. And when I looked in the fridge to find something to substitute for this holiday staple, it came down to mayonnaise, Boursin, or Greek yogurt. I opted for Boursin because, well, it’s Boursin. 

And guess what? Best thing that’s ever happened to a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.

Bake it all up in a casserole dish and just watch how quickly this becomes the new favorite Thanksgiving side dish. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get requests to make this corn souffle for Christmas dinners too!

Ingredients for a Jiffy Corn Casserole Recipe

• Jiffy Mix: This one is pretty self-explanatory! The cornbread mix typically contains ingredients like cornmeal, flour, and baking powder, amongst other ingredients and preservatives. A heads up for my vegetarian friends, be sure to get the box that’s marked vegetarian. Regular jiffy corn mix has some ingredients in it that makes it not vegetarian-friendly!
• Eggs: You’ll need a couple of eggs for this recipe. We’ll add them with all the wet ingredients. They add texture and stability to this savory, yet sweet casserole.
• Melted Butter: I like to use salted butter to help better balance the sweet and saltiness of this casserole. For a sweeter casserole, I do suggest you opt for salt-free or unsalted butter.
• Sour Cream: We’ll still add some to our casserole, but we’ll opt for ⅓ cup instead of the traditional recipe.
• Garlic and Herb cheese: You’ll need one 5.3 ounce puck of garlic and herb cheese. I prefer to use Boursin for this recipe as that’s what I’ve done for the last couple of Thanksgivings. You can swap this for other types of garlic and fine herb cheeses, but be sure that the texture is similar to that of gournay cheese.
• Whole Kernel Corn: I stick to the theme of canned ingredients here because canned corn and creamed corn and both pantry staples for me. You could also defrost sweet corn kernels and use those here instead if you prefer.
• Canned Creamed Corn: Creamed corn is made by combining pieces of whole corn kernels with milky mixture from immature pulped corn kernels scraped off the cob. You can typically find this ingredient next to canned corn in most grocery stores.
• Cooking Spray: You’ll want to use either butter or cooking spray to grease the baking dish with before we pour in the shuffle batter.

Homemade Cornbread Casserole Recipe

1. Prep the dish and the oven. Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside for now.
2. Melt the butter. Grab a large microwave-safe mixing bowl and melt the butter. You want to let the butter cool to room temperature before proceeding. Otherwise, you run the risk of scrambling the eggs. Once the butter is cooled, stir in the Boursin cheese until it melts into the butter.
3. Add all the remaining wet ingredients. Then add the drained corn kernels, creamed corn, sour cream, and eggs and mix until everything is combined.
4. Add the dry cornmeal. Fold in the corn muffin mix and stir until it’s just combined. Don’t overmix this.
5. Bake until golden. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake the casserole until the center springs back, and you have no wet batter when you test the center with a toothpick. Let the casserole cool for several minutes before serving. It’s such an easy. side dish recipe!
6. Storing. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator or freeze them according to the directions below.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Green Bean Casserole
• Homemade Herb Butter Turkey
• Spoon Bread Casserole (aka Corn Pudding)
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Ground Beef Skillet Chili with Cornbread Crust

Yield: serves 8-9

Even Better Jiffy Corn Casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

An even better version of the traditional Jiffy Corn Casserole! We're swapping out one ingredient and making the best corn casserole your family has ever had! It's got sweetness from the corn, cheesiness, and so much more!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• ½ cup salted butter, melted
• 1 (5.2 ounce) garlic and herb cheese puck (such as Boursin)
• ⅓ cup sour cream, room temp
• 1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn
• Cooking spray, for the dish

Instructions

1. PREP: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside now.
2. MELT: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature. Stir in the Boursin until it melts into the butter.
3. WET INGREDIENTS: Add the drained corn kernels, creamed corn, sour cream, and eggs and mix until combined.
4. MIX: Then add the corn muffin mix and stir until just mixed. Don’t over-mix it!
5. BAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center springs back with no wet batter when tested with a toothpick.. Let cool for several minutes before serving.

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Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

This copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cold Foam Recipe is sure to be a hit! Load up as much as you’d like on top of an ice-cold glass of cold brew coffee. Made with just a few ingredients and so much cheaper than going through the Starbucks drive-thru every morning!

‘Oh, look.. another glorious morning!’

If you can name what movie that line is from, you are my people and you’ve come to the right place!

But really, what a glorious morning it would be if you could top up your favorite fall drink with homemade pumpkin cream cold foam and be out the door without having to swing by the drive-thru to grab your $8 cup of joe in the morning. It’s life-changing.

I can promise you this: my pumpkin cold foam recipe is probably going to cost you less than the number of fingers on both hands and it’s going to make so many more batches too. We’ll use simple ingredients like heavy cream, half and half, and of course, a dash of pumpkin spice and some real pumpkin puree. Top your cold brew, homemade pumpkin spice lattes, or even pour over coffee with this. 

I have a couple of different ideas for the sweetener portion of the recipe. I think my salted caramel lovers might even like my version a bit better than Starbucks’. It tastes like a salted pumpkin pie cloud! 

I know, I know, that’s a bold claim but I’m serious! I’ve got your homemade iced coffee solution right here!

Ingredients for pumpkin cream cold brew:

• Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream can be used interchangeably for this recipe. Heavy cream just has a higher fat percentage than heavy whipping cream. Not a big deal for this particular recipe.
• Half and Half: in the States, this is a produce that we get here. I know that in places like Canada, the UK, and the rest of the world, this is either labeled differently or a product that might not even be available. Essentially, it is a 1:1 ratio of whole milk to cream. Since the recipe calls for a quarter cup or 4 tablespoons, you would use 2 tablespoons of whole milk and 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream in place.
• Sweetener of choice: you can use maple syrup, simple syrup, or my favorite – salted caramel syrup! This adds sweetness to the pumpkin cold foam recipe. If you aren’t a fan of salted caramel you can use vanilla extract or even vanilla syrup here to give it a lighter flavor.
• Pumpkin pie spice: the pie spice contains ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice. These ingredients add warmth to the recipe and work beautifully with the natural sweetness of pumpkin puree.  You’ll need anywhere from ½-¾  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice depending on how spicy you like things!
• Pumpkin puree: You’ll need real pumpkin puree for this recipe. Be sure not to use pumpkin pie filling as that is what you use to make pumpkin pies. We need the real pumpkin to give it that real pumpkin flavor!
• Kosher salt: Helps elevate the sweetness and all the pie spices used in this recipe.
• Cold brew: You’ll also need your favorite cold brew coffee to serve this pumpkin cold foam recipe with.
• Handheld milk frother: I know, this isn’t really an ingredient but if you have one of these or have been considering purchasing a milk frother, this is a great one that doesn’t cost much! These make it so much easier to froth or whisk the pumpkin cream cold foam. If you don’t have one and don’t see yourself purchasing one, check out the FAQs below for other options!

How to make Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew:

1. Add it all together. In a 2-cup measuring cup or a tall mason jar, combine the heavy cream, half and half, your sweetener of choice, pumpkin purée, pie spice, and kosher salt. 
2. Make it frothy. Then use a handheld frother, a frothing jug, or even a blender, and blend the ingredients. Keep in mind if you use an electric frothing jug, you want to make sure to do this on the cold setting. You want the foam to be thick and super aerated.
3. Make cold brew and serve. Once the cold foam is thick and aerated, you can stop. Add ice and homemade or store-bought cold brew to your favorite glass. Finally, top with a few tablespoons of pumpkin cold foam. Taste and adjust with more pumpkin cold foam as desired. Honestly, it only takes a few mins! Serve and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• The BEST Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf
• Copycat Starbucks Espresso Brownies
• Chai Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
• Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Yield: Serves 4-6

Cold Brew with Pumpkin Cold Foam Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

This copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cold Foam Recipe is sure to be a hit! Load up as much as you'd like on top of an ice-cold glass of cold brew coffee. Made with just a few ingredients and so much cheaper than going through the Starbucks drive-thru every morning!

Print

Ingredients

• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or my favorite salted caramel syrup
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• ½ - ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pinch of kosher salt
• prepared cold brew, for serving

Instructions

1. COMBINE: In a 2-cup measuring cup or a tall mason jar, combine the heavy cream, half and half, maple syrup (or salted caramel) pumpkin purée, pie spice, and kosher salt.
2. FROTH: Using a handheld frother or in a frothing jug, combine the ingredients. Keep in mind if you use an electric frothing jug, you want to make sure to do this on the cold setting. Once the cold foam is thick and aerated, you can stop.
3. SERVE: Add ice and cold brew to your favorite glass. Top with a few tablespoons of pumpkin cold foam. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Sweeteners: You can use sweetened condensed milk, vanilla syrup, salted caramel syrup, or even simple syrup if you'd like. I find that honey does get a bit grainy, especially when the milk products are cold (which they need to be to aerate better!) so I don't suggest using that!
• Storage: Make sure to keep leftover pumpkin cream cold in an airtight container topped with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge. You don't want to leave it open as it will absorb all the refrigerator smells!

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Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

The perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee! These spiced chai pumpkin cheesecake muffins are tender and loaded with warm chai spices. No dry crumbs here, just tender, delicious pumpkin muffins all around!

New fall favorite muffin recipe right there!

And I’ve got pumpkin fever. As in, give me all the pumpkin spice, savory pumpkin (or any squash, really) recipes, and all the pie, cupcakes and muffins you can find. I’ll take it all.

These pumpkin cheesecake muffins happen to be the newest addition to the party. They’re ridiculously perfect served with a warm mug of joe. Not too sweet, topped with cheesecake batter and tender on the inside. If there’s anything I love more than cake or muffins, it’s those same things topped with cheesecake!

A few weeks ago I ran a poll on Instagram asking if you guys would like to see a cheddar jalapeno bread on the blog or if you’d rather see chai spiced pumpkin cookies. And though these are indeed not the cookies I talked about, the flavors are the same — just in muffin form. My favorite thing(s) about these spiced chai pumpkins cheesecake muffins? I can’t pick just one. They make your house smell all warm and fuzzy. They’re not overly sweet. They’re great with a warm mug of tea or coffee for breakfast or a midmorning snack.

What can I say?! I like sweet stuff for breakfast sometimes!

Muffins in the fall are my favorite things to bake. Don’t get me wrong, I make plenty of casseroles too, but muffins like these healthy carrot cake ones not only make your house smell like fall but also allow you to pack in veggies or squashes into something compact and easy enough to grab and go for breakfast.

Today’s pumpkin cheesecake muffins have two main parts: the chai spiced pumpkin muffins and the cheesecake batter topping.

What is chai spice?

Chai spice is a blend of warm spices used in making masala chai. Usually, when you’re making chai tea/lattes, you use them in the whole form, but for today’s recipe, we’re using the ground version to flavor our pumpkin cheesecake muffins.

What do I need to make the pumpkin cream cheese muffins?

• All-purpose flour: is the base of this recipe.
• Baking soda: is the leavening agent we use in this recipe.
• Salt: this one is pretty self explanatory.
• Sugar: you’ll need both brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Chai spices: You can use pumpkin pie spice for this recipe or you can make the custom blend that I use for my homemade chai spice. If you want this to be a true, chai-flavored pumpkin muffin, I suggest using my unique blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom. Allspice is one of those ingredients that is heavily used in pumpkin pie spice but not in chai spice. I also like to add nutmeg, but this is also not a spice that is typically used for pie spice.
• Large eggs: add structure and stability to this recipe.
• Pumpkin puree: gives the recipe moisture and makes the muffins tender and moist. Be sure to use homemade or canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The filling contains sugar and spices and since we’ll be adding these in ourselves, the pie filling won’t be a suitable substitute for good ol’ puree!
• Oil: adds moisture to the recipe and is the main source of fat.
• Pure vanilla extract: adds the most delicious scent and flavor. We’ll use this in both the filling and the muffin base.
• Softened cream cheese: we’ll use the cream cheese to create the filling or the topping/
• Powdered sugar: sweetens the create cheese mixture.
• Lemon juice: adds a bit of tang and makes the cream cheese mixture taste like cheesecake!

How to make pumpkin cheesecake muffins:

1. Do the prep work. Start by preheating the oven. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray of add paper liners to the muffin tin. Set this aside for now.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set this aside for now.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients. This is the sugar, eggs, pumpkin purée, oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
4. Make the cheesecake batter. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of stand mixer or use a bowl annd ann electric mixer and whip it together to loosen it up. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and the lemon juice and mix until just combined.
5. Load the muffin tins. Scoop the pumpkin batter into the lined tin. If you want to use the cream cheese filling in the center, add a tablespoon to each of the muffins once they are halfway filled and then add more pumpkin muffin batter on top to fill the liners about two-thirds of the way full. More ways to use the cheesecake filling below!
6. Bake the muffins. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the muffins rise and are golden brown on top. Insert a toothpick in the center to see if they muffins are cooked all the way through. Allow the muffins to cool for a bit. I like to serve them at room temperature with a warm mug of coffee!

Ways to use the sweet cream cheese filling:

Okay. So you’ve got a few different options.

• You can add a dollop of the cheesecake batter on top of the muffins as I did. I find this more visually appealing, and I love that the cheesecake batter is front and center.
• You can use a piping bag to insert the cheesecake filling into the center.
• You can add a dollop to the top the way I did and then swirl it around to give it a more marble effect.
• You can fill it inside AND marble it on top.

There’s so much you can do with the filling. And what I love the most about it is that this recipe is super forgiving, all of these methods work!

So good I’ll be making these again before pumpkin season is up for sure!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
• Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf
• Homemade Pumpkin Bread Recipe
• Super Moist and Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
• Buttermilk Pumpkin Waffles

Original recipe posted Oct. 2018, updated Sept 2023.

Yield: 14-16 muffins

Chai Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

The perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee! These spiced chai pumpkin cheesecake muffins are tender and loaded with warm chai spices. No dry crumbs here, just tender, delicious pumpkin muffins all around!

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Ingredients

Muffin:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons EACH: ground cinnamon AND vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon EACH: baking soda AND ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon EACH: salt, ground cloves, AND ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup oil (coconut, olive, vegetable, canola)

Cheesecake batter:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon EACH: vanilla extract AND lemon juice

Instructions

1. PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray two muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt; set aside.
2. WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix using a rubber spatula until *just combined*
3. CHEESECAKE BATTER: Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream for 30 seconds just to loosen it up, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice and  mix until *just combined*
4. MUFFINS: Fill the muffin pans with the pumpkin batter about two-thirds full. Add a tablespoon worth of cheesecake filling to the center and you can press it in, leave it on top, or swirl it on top using a toothpick to make a design. You can also use the cheesecake batter and a filling rather than a topping, if you'd like, both methods work!
5. BAKE: Bake the muffins for 16-19 minutes or until the muffins have risen and are golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes before trying to remove from the pan. Serve warm or room temperature!

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Marinated Beef Souvlaki Wraps start with sliced beef marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, and lots of garlic! Cook up the steak souvlaki and serve it in warm pitas topped with french fries, tzatziki sauce, onions, and tomatoes!

It’s all sunshine and Mediterranean skies when you’ve got warm, pita-wrapped, beef souvlaki on deck!

I know when you look at the short ingredient list for these steak souvlaki wraps, you won’t believe that they’re as yummy as I’m describing them to be. But I have a theory, the shorter the list of ingredients for souvlaki, the more delicious they are! Check out my chicken souvlaki skewers, you’ll see what I mean. 

For this recipe, we’ll start with your favorite cut of steak – feel free to use the economical cuts; they work just fine here! The key is to make sure the beef has an ample amount of time to marinate. I usually toss these in a skillet instead of the grill and then loaded them into pitas with french fries, sliced onions, tzatziki sauce, and sliced tomatoes. Also, when in doubt, dunk them in more homemade tzatziki sauce! The flavors of fresh dill, garlic, lemon juice, etc. work so well with the flavors of the beef souvlaki!

Honestly, the street food in Greece was one of my favorite things!

Ingredients for beef souvlaki wraps:

• Beef cuts: Feel free to use top sirloin, NY strip, or even a flank or skirt steak. The key is to remember that regardless of the cut of steak, it needs to be sliced against the grain here before we add it to the marinade. If you want to make beef skewers for kebabs, you can use top sirloin and just dice it into 1-inch cubes before you thread them onto wooden skewers. This marinade would work that way too! Make sure to grill the beef souvlaki skewers on an outdoor grill for the best flavor – perfect for BBQs!
• Lemons: You’ll want to use the juice of fresh lemons for this recipe
• Red Wine Vinegar: is another source of acid for this recipe.
• Paprika: Hot paprika the souvlaki a deep red color and works well with the other ingredients in the recipe.
• Olive Oil: is the base of the marinade. 
• Garlic: you’ll need a handful of garlic cloves. Mince them or grate them into the dressing so that the flavors all mingle together quickly. If you’re making this within 1-3 hours of marinating, I highly recommend grating the garlic rather than mincing. It’ll flavor everything much quicker.
• Dried Oregano: You can also use fresh oregano for this recipe, I suggest doubling the quantity if that’s the case.
• Salt and Black Pepper: these are standards!
• Things to serve: prepared tzatziki sauce – this is ingredients like cucumbers, dill, Greek yogurt, some kind of acid like red wine vinegar, or lemon juice – you get the gist! You’ll also need warm Greek pitas, french fries, sliced tomatoes, and sliced red onions.

How to make Greek beef souvlaki wraps:

1. Start with the marinade. In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, paprika, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Sprinkle in the salt and black pepper. Add the steak pieces and let them marinade for at least 1 hour and ideally, overnight if you can.
2. Sear off the steak (or you can make kebabs and grill them.) Remove the steak 30 minutes before you plan on cooking it. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add half of the marinated steak to the skillet and let it sear before giving the meat a flip. When it’s cooked through, remove the meat to a dish and repeat with the remaining meat.
3. Warm up the sides. You’ll want to start heating the pitas in a skillet. I also like to make a light salad with onions, tomatoes, parsley, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. You can even toss in a little bit of lemon juice if you’d like, or make a Greek salad instead of this. I recommend my Marinated Feta Greek Salad!
4. Assemble the wraps. Top your warm pita bread with the prepared steak, add in your vegetables, fries, and top with a tzatziki sauce. Serve with more french fries on the side, sweet potato fries, or even zucchini fries if you want to keep things light! If you have leftover meat, make sure to keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to make tzatziki sauce from scratch:

Okay, what are souvlaki wraps without tzatziki sauce? Grab some cucumbers, I like to use Persian cucumbers here. I prefer the flavor of those over English cucumbers. Peel half of the cucumber so that your tzatziki isn’t completely green. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice (or use red wine vinegar) and a big pinch of salt to the cucumbers and let them sit in a bowl. The salt and lemon juice will draw out the excess moisture. Add a clove of pressed garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil to a bowl and press it down with the back of a spoon. The olive oil will help mellow out the garlic and get rid of that harsh bite. Then, whisk in the Greek yogurt and dried dill. Squeeze all the liquid out of the cucumbers in a tea towel or paper napkins and add the cucumbers to the sauce. Stir to combine, taste and adjust with another big pinch of salt and more lemon juice as desired. 

I also have an alternate feta and mint sauce you can use if you aren’t a fan of cucumbers! Check out my Harissa Chicken Bowls for that recipe.

What about gyros?

Now, if you’re looking for gyros, don’t worry, I have a couple of different versions of those two! You can check out my lamb and beef gyros here and my chicken gyros loaded with french fries, here!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
• Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta
• The Easiest Greek Grilled Chicken
• One Pan Greek Chicken and Potatoes 
• Greek Chicken Meatballs in Lemon Cream Sauce

Yield: Serves 6

Marinated Beef Souvlaki Wraps

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Marinated Beef Souvlaki Wraps start with sliced beef marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, and lots of garlic! Cook up the steak souvlaki and serve it in warm pitas topped with french fries, tzatziki sauce, onions, and tomatoes!

Print

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds NY strip, flank, skirt, sirloin, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt + ½ teaspoon pepper

For serving:

• Prepared Tzatziki (see notes)
• Warm Greek pitas
• Prepared french fries
• Sliced tomatoes/red onions

Instructions

1. MARINADE: In a bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, paprika, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Allow the steak to marinade for a minimum of 1 hour and ideally, overnight.
2. SEAR: Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the marinaded steak and sear it off; about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the meat to a plate and continue searing the remaining steak the same way.
3. PREP: Warm the pitas in a skillet. Then toss the onions, tomatoes, and some fresh parsley if desired with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. ASSEMBLE: Top warm pitas with the steak, french fries, tomato, and onion salad, and add a dollop of tzatziki on top, wrap up, and serve warm!

Notes

• Tzatziki Sauce: Add ½ cup grated cucumbers to bowl, season 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Let the cucumbers sit for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil using the back of a spoon mash the garlic into the olive oil. Then add the yogurt and 1 teaspoon of dried dill and stir. Drain cucumbers in a tea towel and wring out excess moisture. Add to yogurt and stir. Taste and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt if desired as well as up to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Keep sauce refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Summer in a bowl! This sweet Peach Goat Cheese Salad is the perfect light summer lunch or dinner recipe. Loaded with sweet peaches, crisp cucumbers, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted almonds with your favorite salad greens. Toss it with balsamic dressing for a refreshing summer meal!

Flavor overload!

That’s how I like my summer salad recipes. And this peach salad is one for the books!

Inspired by Sweet Green, I found myself ordering this peach goat cheese salad over and over again. Until I stopped and said, I can make this at home! It tastes like summer in a bowl with sweet ripe peaches, crispy cucumbers, herbs like mint and fresh basil, and tons of crunchy almonds. To make it a bit heavier on protein, I love serving it up with grilled chicken or even salmon. 

If you’re thinking how can I get even more flavor into this salad – the answer is grilled peaches! Toss them on the grill until they get those delicious grill marks, then chop them or add slices to the salad. The balsamic vinaigrette pairs beautifully with the peaches and mint. 

It’s such a refined summer salad and it’s downright delicious when peaches are in season!

Ingredients for Peach Goat Cheese Salad:

• Peaches: Sweet peaches are what truly make this salad. Feel free to add apricots in with the peaches if you want to give the salad a bit more dimension. You could even serve it up on a serving platter to really show off the stone fruit. Peaches are low in calories and high in fiber which makes them a great choice for salads!
• Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers are my favorite summertime snack! The clean flavor pairs beautifully with the floral notes of stone fruit. Feel free to use hothouse cucumbers or any other variety you typically like. Cucumbers are naturally low in carbohydrates so they are light and refreshing in this summer salad!
• Fresh herbs: I love how mint and basil taste with fresh peaches! I sometimes make a small bowl of sliced peaches with fresh mint and a small drizzle of white balsamic for dessert. The vinegar helps release the juices from the peach and it all just works so well together!
• Roasted almonds: Roasted almonds work well with the other ingredients. Feel free to use sunflower seeds or other nuts if that’s what you have on hand.
• Goat Cheese: I love using goat cheese because the flavor pairs beautifully with the peaches. Feel free to swap this for feta cheese if you like, though it does add a bit more tang to the salad.
• Other additions: sliced tomatoes or charred corn are both summer staples for us and for a variation on this salad, I love adding them in for another layer of flavor. Sliced red onions would also add a new layer of flavor to this salad.
• Mixed greens: feel free to use kale, a spring mix, baby spinach, or arugula salad leaves. The base of the salad is entirely up to you!
• The Dressing: For the dressing, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. Simply add the ingredients to a jar and give them a good shake until the dressing emulsifies. You can also swap the honey or maple syrup if you prefer.

How to Make a Summer Peach Salad Recipe

1. Start with the dressing. I like to use white balsamic vinegar for this recipe but you could use regular balsamic as well. Add it to a clean jar with a tightfitting lid along with olive oil, dijon, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. The prep time on this recipe is super minimal!
2. Massage if the base is kale. Add the kale or your desired salad greens to a bowl. If you’re using kale like I do, you might want to massage the kale with the dressing to help make it more digestible. This is optional but I like to massage the kale to really give it a bit more flavor.
3. Serve it up. Combine the salad base (if it’s something other than kale) in your bowl. Then, top with sliced peaches, cucumbers, fresh herbs, roasted almonds, and any other add-ins you like. Add the dressing on top and toss to combine. Finish the salad with goat cheese and serve it up! Feel free to drizzle with more dressing as desired.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Summer Chicken Cobb Salad with Charred Corn
• Pear and Walnut Salad with Gorgonzola
• Quick Summer Tuna Pasta Salad
• Summer Watermelon Feta Salad
• Refreshing Cucumber Melon Salad
• Grilled Peaches with Cookie Crumble

Yield: Serves 4

Sweet Peach Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Print

Ingredients

Balsamic Dressing:

• ¾ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar (see notes)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoon honey (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Peach Goat Cheese Salad:

• 2 large peaches, sliced
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• ½ cup fresh herbs (I like basil and mint)
• 6-8 cups mixed greens (I use kale or spring mix)
• ⅓ cup chopped roasted almonds (salt-free)
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Instructions

1. DRESSING: Using 1 tablespoon of honey, combine the ingredients for the dressing in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Taste and adjust with more seasonings or the second tablespoon of honey as desired.
2. PREP: Prep the ingredients by slicing the peaches and cucumbers, and cleaning and chopping the herbs.
3. KALE: If using kale, I suggest cleaning and chopping the kale. Toss half of the dressing with the kale in a bowl. Massage the kale and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before topping.
4. SALAD: Arrange the kale or spring mix (arugula or baby spinach works too) on a platter. Top with the sliced peaches, cucumber slices, fresh herbs, roasted almonds, and goat cheese crumbles. Dress with more dressing as desired and serve.

Notes

• Balsamic: I like to use white balsamic vinegar for this recipe, but either will work!
• Dressing: You most likely won't end up using all the dressing. For us, this makes enough to dress two batches of this salad. We keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks!

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Pickle-Brined Crispy Chicken Sandwiches are a Southern classic! These fried chicken sandwiches start with extra crispy chicken between soft brioche buns loaded with sweet and tangy homemade Chick-fil-A sauce, and extra pickles! Simple and so delicious!

If there’s anything on this planet that is ‘worth the calories’, it’s a homemade spicy chicken sandwich.

We start by brining chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs in a buttermilk pickle juice combo overnight. This allows the flavor to really get all the way into each bite. And then we’ll dredge them in seasoned flour and fry them up until they’re extra crispy.

I know, the internet is filled with chicken sandwich recipes. And if you’re not in the mood to make one, fast food chains like Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and KFC are typically right around the corner. But trust me when I say this, homemade is so much better. The hot and spicy honey mustard sauce gives this such an amazing flavor. Paired with a steamed potato bun, crisp lettuce, dill pickles, the taste is phenomenal!  This isn’t your average grab-and-go Chick-fil-A crispy chicken sandwich either! It’s one that’s treated with lots of love and care and enjoyed on hot summer evenings on the patio with friends or family.

As I said, it’s actually worth every. single. calorie.

What’s a crispy chicken sandwich?

A tender piece of boneless, skinless chicken that’s dredged in a flour mixture that often contains a variety of seasonings and spices. The flour coating adheres to the chicken, which is often brined in buttermilk or other liquids, creating a crumbly crust. When you fry the chicken, the coating becomes crispy and crunchy! Then, you pop this into a soft bun and top it with your favorite toppings.

Ingredients to make a super crispy chicken sandwich:

• Chicken: you have a few different options here, you could use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or even boneless skinless chicken thighs. This recipe uses 1 pound of chicken (or two hefty chicken breasts) that were cut down the middle and pounded using a meat mallet into an even thickness. This allows the chicken breasts to fry up evenly in the oil so that each bit is perfect.
• buttermilk: because of its low pH, buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken without toughening it. I usually have buttermilk cubes in the freezer – I freeze leftovers in cubes so I have some when I need them. Or I use ⅓ cup of buttermilk powder with ¾ cup of water for this recipe, instead of the amount written on the package. I find it tastes much better this way!
• pickle juice: used as a brining liquid that helps tenderize and flavor the chicken. I typically use the juice of dill pickles, but you can use whatever you like here. We’ll add the chicken to a shallow dish and them let it soak in the pickle and buttermilk brine so that it gets nice and tender!
• sugar: sugar is used both in the brining mixture as well as the crunchy coating to create a well-balanced flavor
• all-purpose flour: is the base for our dredging mixture. I use a 50:50 mix of AP flour and cornstarch to add a better crunch to the chicken. What you won’t find in my recipe is panko or breadcrumbs! I find that these ingredients absorb a lot of oil during frying and make the sandwich a bit greasy!
• cornstarch: used 50:50 along with the flour to make the chicken breasts extra crispy.
• seasonings: we use a combination of chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to create an ultra-flavorful flour coating and brining liquid. If you aren’t a fan of spice, swap the cayenne for paprika.
• oil for frying: You want to use high-heat oil for frying, such as peanut oil. Using oil that has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor is essential. If you didn’t want to use peanut oil, you could also use avocado, canola or vegetable oil.

How to make a crispy chicken sandwich:

1. Brine the chicken: Combine the ingredients for the pickle brine in a glass measuring cup. Add the chicken to a glass dish and pour the brining mixture over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 18 hours in advance.
2. Dredge the chicken: Combine the flour, cornstarch, and seasonings in another pie dish and whisk until evenly combined. Remove the chicken from the brining liquid, but don’t discard it! Add a tablespoon of the brining liquid to the flour and whisk to combine. The crumbly texture will add extra crunch to the chicken! Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and place on a clean surface.
3. Let it hang out: Allow the chicken to sit for at least 10 minutes so that the flour mixture absorbs all the liquid. This will create a more crispy chicken sandwich!
4. Fry the chicken: Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet and allow for it to heat up to 350ºF. You can check the temperature by clipping a thermometer to the side of the skillet so you can monitor it or frequently testing with a digital thermometer. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken in the skillet in batches and allow for it to fry for roughly 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a wire rack and allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes, you can fry the second batch while you wait, so you aren’t wasting time. Then, add the chicken back to the skillet and fry a second time until the chicken is crispy and cooked through to 165ºF.
5. Assemble the sandwich: Add a layer of mayo or homemade sauce (recipe below) to toasted buns, with sliced cheese, thinly sliced onions, romaine lettuce, and pickles! Or you could go the slaw route (which is how the Southerners do it!)

Toppings to use for your chicken sandwich:

• homemade coleslaw (a Southern classic!)
• pickles (you could even use fried pickles instead (!!!)
• homemade sweet and tangy sauce (recipe below)
• thinly sliced sweet onions
• romaine lettuce
• sliced cheese
• beefsteak tomato slices

Homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce:

It’s a simple sauce that tastes just like Chick Fil A sauce! I slather it on my sandwich and even use it to dunk my fries in!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons bbq sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ½-1 tablespoon sriracha (omit for less heat)

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Crispy Chicken Salad with Sriracha Honey BBQ Dressing
• Vietnamese Chicken Sandwich
• Best Homemade Sloppy Joes
• Chicken Gyros with French Fries
• Greek Gyros with Tzatziki

Original Recipe Shared June 2020, updated August 2023.

Yield: serves 4

Pickle-Brined Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Pickle-Brined Crispy Chicken Sandwiches are a Southern classic! These fried chicken sandwiches start with extra crispy chicken between soft brioche buns loaded with sweet and tangy homemade Chick-fil-A sauce, and extra pickles! Simple and so delicious!

Print

Ingredients

Brining:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 pieces (or 4 thighs)
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ⅓ cup pickle juice
• 1 teaspoon EACH: kosher salt, sugar, AND garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Breading:

• ½ cup EACH: all-purpose flour AND cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder AND kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon EACH: black pepper, cayenne pepper AND onion powder

Serving:

• oil, for frying
• Buns, pickles, lettuce, cheese, sauce (in notes) and/or coleslaw

Instructions

1. BRINE: Combine the ingredients for the brine in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken and make sure it’s all covered in the marinade. Cover with wrap or a lid and refrigerator for 1-18 hours.
2. SET IT UP: Remove chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before frying. Combine the breading ingredients in a shallow dish and whisk. Add 1 tablespoon of the brining liquid, this helps create a crumbly crust.
3. BREADING: Remove chicken from brine, dripping off the excess before dredging it in the flour mixture. Press down to ensure the coating adheres. Gently lift the chicken pieces and shake to dust off excess. Place on a baking sheet and allow the coatings to dry, this creates a crispier chicken! Repeat with the remaining chicken.
4. FRY: Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat with 3-4 inches of oil to 350ºF. Gently lower the chicken into the oil in batches and fry. For 5-7 minutes, flipping around the halfway mark to cook the chicken all the way through. Remove to a baking sheet with a wire rack and immediately sprinkle with some kosher salt.
5. ASSEMBLE: Toast buns if desired top with prepared chicken, coleslaw, pickles, lettuce and or sauce (in notes.)

Notes

• Marinade: keep in mind that most of the flavor comes from the marinade. The longer the chicken sits in it, the more flavorful it will be. Plan ahead on this one if you can!
• To make the sauce: whisk together 2 tbsps honey, 2 tbsps bbq sauce, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, and ½-1 tbsp sriracha sauce in a small bowl and until smooth.
• feel free to omit the cayenne pepper from the breading and brining mixture if you prefer to keep this on the mild side!

August 2023 – Recipe updated with minor edits and easier to follow directions.

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Mango Lassi is a creamy and refreshing yogurt-based drink blended together and slightly sweet. Typically made with fresh or frozen mango, yogurt, and honey or sugar. My mango lassi recipe has a thick and creamy consistency. It’s the perfect refreshing summer drink! 

What a way to cool off!

For as long as I can remember, sweet lassi has always been a staple in our household. Typically, I like to use an extra tangy yogurt, blend it together with lots of ice cubes, a generous pouring of sugar, and some milk to thin it out a smidge. Throw it all in a high-power blender until you’re left with something that’s a milky slushie-like consistency. I may not be doing a good job selling it there, especially if you aren’t a fan of milk or dahi (yogurt) in general. Think of it as a mango milkshake or smoothie but with a yogurt base instead of ice cream or heavy cream. I hope that sounds a lot better. 

And if you’ve never tasted mango lassi at an Indian restaurant, it’s definitely something to try out. It’s the perfect way to balance out all of the spices that are typically used in Indian dishes.

In the past, I’ve shared my strawberry lassi recipe with you in hopes of introducing a new fruit to the mix. But honestly, they’ve been doing it this way for generations in India, Pakistan, and across the Indian subcontinent for a reason. 

Mangoes are meant to be blended with yogurt and made into a creamy and sweet mango lassi.

Ingredients for my Mango Lassi recipe

• Mangoes: You can use frozen mangoes or fresh mangoes for this recipe. Before sure to peel the mangoes if you prefer to use fresh. Champagne, Alphonso, or Kesar mangoes are the ones that I typically suggest using. You want to use ripe mangoes if possible as this way you’ll need to use sweetener in the recipe. I suggest using high-quality frozen mangoes, if possible. Your lassi just won’t be as creamy if you use low-quality frozen mangoes.
• Milk: I like to use 2% or whole milk to make this recipe. If you want to make vegan lassi, I suggest swapping the dairy milk for almond milk, cashew milk, or something similar.
• Mango Pulp: Canned mango pulp or mango puree is easily available in most Indian and Pakistani stores. These days, you might even be able to find it in the international aisle of your mainstream grocery store – I definitely was! I know not everyone will be able to find mango pulp so you can replace it with a scoop or two of mango sorbet. Keep in mind that if you use sorbet, you’ll want to play around with the amount of sweetener you add to the recipe to ensure the lassi doesn’t become overly sweet.
• Kosher Salt: I prefer to use just a pinch. The sodium helps balance the sweeter ingredients in this recipe.
• Plain Whole Milk Yogurt: Sometimes also called curd. The tartness of the lassi will heavily depend on how sweet the yogurt you use is. And by that, I mean that as yogurt sits in the fridge, it tends to become more tart. Freshly purchased yogurt will have less of a tang, while opened cartons of yogurt that have had a week to sit in the fridge, will have a tangier flavor. I prefer to use plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt for my mango lassi recipe. I find that Greek yogurt sometimes doesn’t allow the mango lassi to get as smooth. Low-fat yogurt will also work, but I do find that the lassi isn’t as creamy or luscious when I use low-fat. I think it’s okay to use coconut yogurt to make a vegan mango lassi recipe if you’d like.
• Sugar: I prefer cane sugar as my sweetener of choice. But honey, agave, or simple syrup would also work here. Feel free to skip this entirely if you think the mangos and mango pulp will make this sweet enough for you!
• Add-ins: Depending on the flavor of mango lassi you prefer, you can always add a couple of saffron strands, a pinch of cardamom, some lime zest, shredded coconut, some mint leaves, or even some rosewater. How you flavor your mango lassi is entirely up to you!

How to make creamy mango lassi

1. Give it a whirl. If you’re using frozen mangoes, you’ll want to give them a bit of a head start. For fresh mangoes, you can toss everything into the high-power blender at once and just blend. Combine the mangoes, with the mango pulp, milk, and a pinch of salt. Run the blender until the frozen mangoes break down into slushie-like consistency.
2. Make lassi. Add the yogurt, sugar, and ice cubes (if you used fresh mangoes only) and continue to blend until the lassi is smooth. Taste then adjust with more sugar to your taste. Pour the lassi into serving glasses, garnishes are always a good idea. Finally, serve cold!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Restaurant Style Basmati Rice
• Finger Lickin’ Butter Chicken
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Weeknight Chana Masala
• 30-Minute Spicy Shrimp Masala

Yield: serves 2-3

Creamy Sweet Mango Lassi

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Mango Lassi is a creamy and refreshing yogurt-based drink blended together and slightly sweet. Typically made with fresh or frozen mango, yogurt, and honey or sugar. My mango lassi recipe has a thick and creamy consistency. It's the perfect refreshing summer drink! 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup frozen mangoes (see notes for fresh)
• ¾ cup milk (such as whole or 2%)
• ⅓ cup mango pulp (see notes)
• Pinch of kosher salt (less than ⅛ teaspoon)
• ¾ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons sugar (or honey), optional

Instructions

1. WHIRL: Combine the frozen mangos, milk, mango pulp, and a tiny pinch of salt in the high-power blender and give it a whiz until the mangoes break down.
2. BLEND: Add the yogurt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ice cubes (if using) and continue to blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with more sugar as desired and blend to combine before pouring into glasses and serving cold.

Notes

• Fresh mangoes: If you use fresh mangoes, you can throw everything into the blender at once, no need to do it in two steps. You’ll still want to use 1 ¼ cups of fresh mangoes for this recipe. Additionally, you’ll need ½-¾ cup of ice to give the lassi the texture we’re going for.
• Mango pulp: if you’re having trouble finding mango pulp, I suggest replacing it with equal parts store-bought mango sorbet. Talenti brand makes one that would work beautifully. I also suggest adding a pinch of saffron if you have access to it. This should mimic the mango pulp pretty closely. Keep in mind that both the pulp and mango sorbet contain sugar, so if you typically prefer drinks that are less sweet, I suggest using 1 tablespoon of sugar and adjusting at the end as necessary.
• Variations: there are plenty of additions you can make to play with the flavor of mango lassi! Feel free to add in some lime zest, shredded or desiccated coconut, mint leaves, or even saffron or rosewater to give it a unique twist.
• Decorate: Feel free to squeeze mango pulp from a squeeze bottle into each cup before pouring the mango lassi to give it a restaurant-style look!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 4gCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 5g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

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Crunchy asparagus orzo salad topped with lemon garlic toasted breadcrumbs! We’ll cook the pasta and asparagus together then toss with lots of fresh herbs, and a lemon shallot dressing. Top it all off with crumbled feta cheese and lots of toasty breadcrumbs for the most amazing flavor!

Crispy, crunchy and so delicious! Asparagus orzo salad has it all!

Pasta salads like this are my jam. It’s the perfect quick summer lunch to keep on hand for the week because it pairs beautifully with chicken, shrimp, or salmon. It’s quick enough to shovel in your mouth at lunchtime while you juggle all the things. But it’s also fancy enough to serve as a side dish with grilled chicken and grilled sweet bell peppers drizzled with balsamic for dining al fresco.

What really seals the deal for me on this salad is that it takes about 30 minutes to put together and what you’re left with is a refreshing cold asparagus salad with rice-like pasta and a lemon vinaigrette that you could chug with a spoon!

Ingredients for asparagus lemon orzo pasta salad:

• Orzo pasta: dried orzo pasta makes the base of this salad. You can also use any other small-shaped pasta that you’d like if you don’t happen to have orzo on hand. Ditalini and pearl couscous are just a couple of options. You could also use quinoa to make it a quinoa salad, however, you’ll need to guesstimate how much you need as I haven’t tested this yet.
• Asparagus spears: this salad is perfect to make when asparagus is in season! You want to use fresh tender spears and you’ll need roughly a pound before trimming the ends.
• Panko breadcrumbs: Toasted panko gives the salad a crunchy element.
• Garlic: We’ll use the garlic to season the breadcrumbs. I highly suggest a fine grater for this recipe.
• Lemon Zest + juice: The zest will go into the breadcrumbs when they’re hot off of the skillet. This gives the breadcrumbs the most delicious lemony fragrance. The lemon zest releases lemon oil when it hits the panko and it is glorious! The lemon juice will go into the dressing for the salad.
• All the herbs: You’ll need scallions, dill, mint, fresh basil, and parsley. Use any or all of those herbs. I’ve started an herb garden recently, so for me, it’s a no-brainer to use as many as I can!
• Feta cheese: feta gives the salad a briny punch. We’ve got acid from the lemon dressing, salt and brininess from the feta, and sweetness from the honey. Each bite is an explosion of flavor.
• Olive oil: Good olive oil works best here as this recipe will be consumed cold. 
• Shallots: You can use a minced red onion as well if you don’t have a shallot on hand, but I find the shallot does make the dressing a bit milder.
• Dijon mustard: Imulsifies the dressing and adds a bit of umami.
• Honey: helps balance the dressing. It also sweetens it a bit so the acid from the lemon juice isn’t as harsh.
• Seasonings: Of course, you’ll need kosher salt and black pepper for seasonings!

How to make crunchy asparagus orzo salad:

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a 3-quart pot or larger to boil. Season the boiling water with salt and then add the pasta to the water. As the pasta cooks, keep an eye on it. Add the trimmed asparagus spears during the last 60 seconds to blanch them. Drain the pasta and asparagus in a colander and let them cool. You can transfer them to a boil and drizzle with a little olive oil if you’d like. 
2. Dressing the salad. While the orzo cooks, I like to start preparing the dressing. You’ll want to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced shallots, a big pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, dijon, and honey in a mason jar and give it a good shake to combine. Taste the dressing and adjust anything you find missing.
3. Toast the breadcrumbs. You’ll want to heat a tbsp of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When warm, add the panko and saute stirring it around until all of the panko is evenly toasted. Grate in the garlic cloves and cook for another 30-ish seconds. You’ll want to season the breadcrumbs if you’d like with a pinch of salt. Then remove them from the heat and immediately add the lemon zest to the panko so that the peels release their oils from the heat.
4. Toss it all together. Add the cooked orzo, asparagus, scallions, and other herbs in a bowl. Toss to combine, then press with half of the dressing and mix. Taste and adjust with more dressing or seasonings to your preference. Add the crumbled feta and toss lightly. Top with the breadcrumbs right before serving.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Roasted Corn Chicken Orzo Salad with Garlic Lime Dressing
• Garlic Parmesan Orzo Risotto
• Tomato Basil and Feta Orzo Salad
• Creamy Chicken Mushroom Soup with Orzo
• Herb-Loaded Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Yield: serves 6 as a side, 4 as a main

Crunchy Asparagus Orzo Salad with lemon Shallot Dressing

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Crunchy asparagus orzo salad topped with lemon garlic toasted breadcrumbs! We'll cook the pasta and asparagus together then toss with lots of fresh herbs, and a lemon shallot dressing. Top it all off with crumbled feta cheese and lots of toasty breadcrumbs for the most amazing flavor!

Print

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 cup dry orzo pasta
• 1 pound asparagus, washed/trimmed/ sliced diagonally
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup chopped scallions, greens only
• ½ cup combined dill, mint, basil, and parsley, chopped
• ½ cup crumbled feta

Dressing:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon
• 2 teaspoons honey

Instructions

1. PASTA: Bring a 3-quart saucepan filled with water to boil. When boiling, salt the water generously and cook the orzo to package directions, adding in the trimmed asparagus during the last 60 seconds and blanching. Drain the orzo and asparagus when done in a colander. Drizzle with oil if desired and allow the pasta to cool.
2. DRESSING: While the water is boiling, add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid, along with 3 tablespoons lemon juice, minced shallots, a big pinch of kosher salt, black pepper, dijon mustard, and honey. Give the dressing a good shake. Taste and adjust with more seasonings as desired.
3. TOAST: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. When warm, add the panko and stir to combine. Cook the panko until golden and toasted about 2 minutes. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds. Allow the garlic to get fragrant then remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs to a bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and a big pinch of salt while the panko is still warm.
4. TOSS: Add the cooked orzo and asparagus, scallions, and other herbs in a bowl. Toss to combine. Then dress with half of the dressing and mix. Taste and adjust with more dressing or seasonings as desired. Add the feta and breadcrumbs right at the end. Enjoy!

Notes

IB: NYTCooking.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1/6th of recipe
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 361Total Fat: 16gCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 5gProtein: 11g

The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

Lemon Tiramisu is the summer-inspired dessert you didn’t know you needed! Ladyfingers dipped in lemon basil simple syrup, layered in a dish topped with a whipped mascarpone mixture and lemon curd! It’s the stuff lemon dreams are made of!

Creamy, dreamy, and lemony!

My favorite descriptors for a perfect summer dessert. Luckily for me, my homemade lemon tiramisu hits all of those marks. It’s no secret that I love a good lemon dessert. See here and here for proof. 

For this recipe, we start with a homemade lemon simple syrup – don’t worry, it’s just a combination of water sugar, lemon juice, lemon slices, and basil. If you can toss it all in a saucepan, you can make this easy simple syrup recipe (which, might I add is great for summer cocktails and mocktails?)

To make the whipped mascarpone filling, we’re going to whip together a combination of cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a stand mixer and then add in a packet of vanilla pudding mix to stiffen the mascarpone cream. I like to use French vanilla pudding mix so that it’s speckled with vanilla bean throughout.

And then it’s on to assembly! Start with the savoiardi cookies (or ladyfingers) dip them in the lemon syrup, make a single layer in the dish biscuits, add mascarpone cream, followed by homemade or store-bought lemon curd. Repeat these layers one more time and you’ve got a fun twist on a classic Italian dessert!

Ingredients for Lemon Tiramisu:

• Cream Cheese: You’ll need both a package of cream cheese and a package of mascarpone cheese. Using a combination of these two products helps cut down a little on cost.
• Vanilla pudding mix: You’ll need a small pack of vanilla pudding mix. I find that it not only whips the cream cheese into a wonderful, almost banana pudding-like texture. But it also adds sweetness and the perfect vanilla flavor. I like to use French vanilla pudding mix for this, if you can only find vanilla, it’s fine just add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Lemon curd: You’ll need roughly 12 ounces of homemade or store-bought lemon curd. Lemon curd is made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sometimes lemon zest, and thickened with egg yolks.
• Ladyfinger cookies: These are easily available in most mainstream grocery stores these days. Sometimes they’re in the international aisle, and brands such as Delallo make these. Sometimes, you can also find them in the cookie aisle, depending on where your grocery store stocks them. You can also purchase them online.
• Sugar: You’ll need a 1/4 cup sugar to sweeten up the lemon basil simply syrup! Bonus: The syrup works beautifully with sparkling water to make an Italian Soda!
• Lemons: Fresh lemon juice and lemon slices go into the simple syrup recipe. This gives the simple syrup a luscious lemon flavor. We’ll soak the ladyfingers in this syrup before layering it in the dish.
• Basil: I used fresh basil from my garden and any variety you like eating will work well for this recipe.

How to make my lemon tiramisu recipe:

1. Start with the simple syrup. You’ll combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Once the syrup reaches a boil, we’ll cook it for another 30-45 seconds before removing it from the heat. Let the lemon slices and basil steep in the simple syrup for a few minutes before discarding them. Remove the simple syrup from the saucepan and let it cool completely.
2. Whip the mascarpone mixture. I like using a hand mixer and a bowl for this step but a stand mixer will also work. You’ll want to whisk together the mascarpone cheese and the cream cheese until it’s light and airy like whipped cream. Add in the vanilla pudding mixture and continue mixing. Then slowly add the milk in batches while you run the mixer on low. Using a spatula, stir the mixture to make sure it’s evenly combined.
3. Layer the tiramisu. Dip each ladyfinger into the cooled simple syrup quickly and line half of the fingers in an 8×8 baking dish. When the dish has an even layer of biscuits, top it with half of the fluffy mascarpone mixture. Then we’ll add half of the lemon curd on top. And basically repeat the same layers until you’ve used up all the ingredients. Cover the dish and pop it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours. Something magical happens in there. The ladyfingers puff up into a cake-like texture and the lemon flavor is beautiful throughout! It’s good old summer magic!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Italian Orange Cake
• Key Lime Pie Bars
• Mangonadas (Frozen Mango Slushie)
• No Bake Nutella Pie
• No Bake Biscoff Cheesecake

Yield: Serves 9-12

Creamy, Dreamy Lemon Tiramisu

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Lemon Tiramisu is the summer-inspired dessert you didn't know you needed! Ladyfingers dipped in lemon basil simple syrup, layered in a dish topped with a whipped mascarpone mixture and lemon curd! It's the stuff lemon dreams are made of!

Print

Ingredients

Tiramisu:

• 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, softened
• 1 (3.4-ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix (french vanilla preferably)
• 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• 12-ounces prepared lemon curd
• 1 (7-ounce) package ladyfingers

Soaking syrup:

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
• handful of basil (or 1 tbsp dried lavender)

Instructions

1. SOAKING SYRUP: Combine all the ingredients for the soaking syrup in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling, cook for 45 seconds, then remove from heat and let steep for 4 minutes. Remove the lemon slice and basil ANd discard. Pour the syrup into a shallow bowl and allow it to cool completely.
2. MASCARPONE MIX: In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese and mascarpone together with a hand mixer until completely smooth. Add the instant vanilla pudding mix and continue to mix until smooth. Make sure all of the pudding is mixed in by mixing it with a spatula. Then slowly add the milk in batches while you run the mixer on low.
3. TIRAMISU: Dip each ladyfinger in the syrup and then place in an 8x8 baking dish. When the dish has an even layer of ladyfingers, stop. Spread half of the prepared mascarpone over the ladyfingers. Then dollop half of the lemon curd and spread it out into a thin layer. Dip more ladyfingers in the lemon basil syrup to make a layer for the dish. Then finish with the mascarpone and finally the lemon curd. Cover the dish and allow the tiramisu to cool for at least 4 hours, and ideally, 8-12 hours so that it sets up. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Notes

• Pudding mix: I like to use french vanilla pudding mix. You can also use regular vanilla and amp it up with a teaspoon of vanilla extract or bean paste.

Recommended Products

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  Lemon SImple Syrup
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Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!