TODAY tonight: Smoky Bacon Mac & Cheese

Goooooood morning, Internet!  I'm back with another TODAY tonight, which is a series where I make something at home that Carson ate at work and absolutely loved, mostly just to get him to shut up about it.  Just kidding!  I love hearing him talk!  Anyway, after he tried this Smoky Bacon Mac & Cheese (along with the gruyere and caramelized onion one) he said it was probably the best thing he's ever eaten on the show, and that Matt Lauer shared similar sentiments.  That's a pretty good review, if you ask me.  We had some friends over this weekend so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make it and it, was, delicious.  Delicious enough to use commas inappropriately.  It's made with smoked gouda and pepperjack cheese, applewood smoked bacon and seasoned with cayenne and paprika... which all contribute to the most wonderful smoky flavor.  And it doesn't hurt that you use bacon fat to make the roux.  Definitely try it at your next gathering, especially if you're a bacon fan, and if you try the other one please send me your thoughts!   

Recipe HERE.

One-Pot Pasta + Black Bean Brownies

Let's talk about friends for a second.  There are so many different kinds... the friends you've had since you were little, the ones that you don't see much but when you do can pick up right where you left off, the mom friends that just GET IT, and the ones you meet later in life but you instantly feel like you've known them forever.  One is silver and the other gold, or something like that.  Anyway, I have only known Savannah Guthrie for a couple of years, but it seems like much longer.  She just GETS it, and is a pretty amazing human being as well.  Just look at how I'm cuddled next to her in the photo below, completely ignoring my husband...   

It's always fun cooking with her (AND Carson) - if you missed the One-Pot Mexican Pasta and the Black Bean Brownies I made yesterday morning, you can find the recipes here and here.

Photos by Nathan Congleton

Veggie Tacos + Strawberry Salsa

I'm back in New York!  I have a chronic case of the "Sunday Scaries" over the upcoming back-to-school season!  And I have an equal amount of ecstatic joy for that momentous Tuesday after Labor Day!  I need it to be here NOW, no - wait, I'm not ready, just kidding... HURRY UP!  I'm manic.

Emotional roller coaster aside, it feels good to be home where everything is familiar and friends and neighbors are readily available to commiserate over the re-entry into reality.  It also felt great to be back at Today this morning, and I'm looking forward to a couple more appearances in September.  This morning I was fortunate to grab fresh, garden-grown vegetables from this truck to make Veggie Tacos with a Tomato and Strawberry Salsa.       

Click HERE for video and recipes.

And for your enjoyment, a really attractive photo of myself...

Photos by the talented Nathan Congleton at TODAY

Spinach and Shrimp Risotto + TODAY

Ohhhh, here we are again.  Morning time.  For those of you with kids, when you hear that pre-6am "mama, mama, mama, mama," do you ever think, hmm, maybe today the breakfast fairy will whisk them out of bed and change their diapers and prepare a meal and I will be able to sleep for another 20 minutes.  Do you ever think that?  Yeah, me neither, that's weird and silly.  Anyways...

We're up!  And it's all good.  I actually needed to get up early to prepare for Father's Day weekend, which is also Carson's birthday weekend, so tonight I'm baking him a cake and I can't wait to share it with you next week.  In the meantime, if you missed my Father's Day segment with Carson on the Today Show yesterday, you can find all the recipes here.  Easy surf and turf... our kind of meal!

p.s.  That is a risotto my mom made while she was visiting last week.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!  She followed this recipe but added peas and pancetta (the latter she cooked in the beginning and added at the end).  I hope you all have lovely weekends celebrating the dads in your lives!  Go dads!  

TODAY tonight: Cacio e Pepe

On this episode of "TODAY: tonight" - where I recreate something Carson ate at work and loved more than his wife and kids (just kidding) - I'm showing off this cheesy, peppery, SIMPLE AF pasta dish that only requires 3 ingredients.  Three!  Pasta, pepper and cheese, and, you know, a little bit of olive oil and water... but that doesn't count.  It couldn't be easier and yet there are definitely crucial steps, like cooking the pasta until al dente, reserving the pasta water for the sauce, using course ground pepper and really good cheese.  If you do those things, you will truly love this dish.  Perfect for a night when you have no other plans for dinner... just serve with a salad and crusty bread and you're done!  Check out the recipe here.

Fajitas and Queso on TODAY

Yesterday morning I woke up bright and early and made chicken fajitas and queso dip on the Today Show.  The recipes were based on some dishes from one of my favorite childhood restaurants, Chili's!  Today I woke up bright and early to write this blog post.  Ok that's a lie, my daughters woke me up bright and early... at 1:30 and 4:30 and 5:00 and 5:30.  You know how it goes, right?  PLEASE TELL ME YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES.  Sometimes people ask me, is it hard to wake up so early for the show and I say no, no, no, no, no.  I get to drink my coffee in peace.  Someone blow dries my hair, and I get to wear eyeliner that doesn't make me look like a cat (I've never been able to do my own makeup properly).  It's the mornings when I wake up, milk bottle, vitamins, breakfast, pack lunch, pack snack, get clothes, stop fighting, brush your teeth, wipe the nutella off your face, brush your hair WE'RE GOING TO MISS THE BUS... those are the hard mornings.  Sooooo that said, I better go!      

You can find the recipes and video from yesterday here.  

Stay tuned for some delicious pasta later today!

Girl Scout Cookies on TODAY

If you are like us, you bought way too many Girl Scout Cookies.  Then you realized how many you had, and started handing them out to family, friends and complete strangers.  Of course, after finishing the boxes you DID keep, you felt very sad.  But I have a solution!  Make homemade versions of my personal favorites - Tagalongs and Samoas - at home!  I was on the Today Show this morning demonstrating my recipes.  If you missed it, you can view them and the segment here.

Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki

Veggie Burgers on TODAY

Hello Blogging World!  I have been SIRIously absent, as I'm sure you've noticed.  February has been a month of highs and LOWS in our house.  It started with Carson getting the flu, BIG time: low.  Then there was my 35th birthday: high!  Err, I guess?  Then our middle child had a 6-day fever: low.  Aaaaaand, then the baby got it: low, low, low.  After that, we flew to Pebble Beach, California to watch Carson play in a golf tournament: major HIGH.  During which, I came down with a really bad cough: low (imagine me on the golf course - a very silent setting - ducking into the forest with the deer trying to suppress a coughing fit).  I think I even cracked a rib or two from all the hacking!  Low!  Valentine's Day: blegh.  Now our son, who seemed to escape all the sick, has gone down: lowwwww.  Too many lows.  Anyone else ready for spring??

But this morning, I was at the Today Show: high!!  I made two different veggie burgers and some rutabaga fries (recipes here) and it felt so great to be back in the kitchen.  Once I knock this jet lag, I plan on making all the things I've been dreaming of these past few weeks.  So come back!  Don't forget about me!  (Photos by Samantha Okazaki)   

Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie

Holy Moly, people, you will need to try the dish I made on the Today Show this morning.  There may be a few more steps than your average "throw it all in the crockpot" meal, but I'm telling you, it's worth it.  Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie will be a hit this weekend, between the blizzards and the football and the "oh come on, January is almost over and I deserve some comfort food" attitudes.  Click on the link above for the recipe, and please enjoy these photos of when Savannah and I realized we were out of time, and when Carson randomly posed with a vase of flowers...

Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki

Caramel Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Yesterday I whipped up this Today Original Recipe with Willie and Natalie... Caramel Pumpkin Bread Pudding.  I made it over the weekend, too, and it's truly ridiculous.  Perfect Thanksgiving dessert turned into Black Friday Breakfast.  I mean, if you're going to participate in that madness, it's probably best you carb-load that morning, am I right?

If you missed the segment or want the recipe you can check it out here.  

TODAY Food Club Launch

Yesterday I was honored to help launch the TODAY Food Club.  If you're still unfamiliar with it, it's an online community where people can share recipes and connect with on-air talent, chefs and Today Show staff.  It includes monthly challenges, weekly tips and meal-plan ideas (lord knows I need that), and the chance to win prizes and be featured on air!  Instead of just an online place to find recipes, it will be a place to have a conversation and receive feedback.  Food is my favorite thing to talk about (duh), so I couldn't be more excited about this!

Yesterday, I made the infamous Spaghetti Pie (which was Today.com's number one recipe for 2015), and Today Food Stylist, the lovely Alli Simpson, made her family's Ultimate Banana Bread (truly the best I've ever had).  It was a treat to be there for such a special event.  Go join the club, share your recipes, get your friends to vote for you, and maybe I'll see you on the Today Show someday soon :)

Alli and I (top) and some of the fabulous Today Food team (below)...

All photos by Samantha Okazaki

Thanksgiving Sides on TODAY

Did you know Thanksgiving is 3 weeks from tomorrow?  NOBODY PANIC.  I say that as I panic, of course.  However, if you tune into the Today Show everyday this month, you'll become inspired with a new Turkey Day idea.  Today Carson and I made two side dishes: his mom's "Drunken Mashed Potatoes" and my version of the Midwest classic, Green Bean Casserole.

If you missed the segment or want to view the recipes, click here.

Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki.

International Delight on TODAY

I recently had the opportunity to work with International Delight - the coffee creamer that comes in delicious, everyday as well as innovative flavors - and this morning I had the chance to share some brunch ideas using these creamers on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda!  If you missed the segment or want to view the recipes, click here.  By the way, it's totally acceptable to make Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast for dinner in the month of October.  Also, make sure to check out International Delight's website for more information on their delicious creamers and more easy, everyday recipes.  Aaaaaaand, if you're in the mood for more PUMPKIN (you know you are), I pulled up a few other treats I've tried in the past... have a happy fall weekend! 

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Cookie Stacking and Other Things...

Hello Internet People.  I'm sorry I've been a little absent, but this has been a busy and emotional week.  Therefore, I present to you this scatterbrained post of odds and ends...

Many of you have been curious about the infamous "cookie stacking" Instagram post (infamous, really Siri?).  The origin of this layered dough can be found in this recipe for Peanut Butter Honey Cookies.  I was instantly intrigued to see if by stacking two blobs of dough on top of each other, the result would be a cookie that spread less, as suggested.  Well, perhaps I did something wrong, but my cookies just ended up looking like butts, so... delicious recipe, however.  Honey?  Peanut Butter?  Yes.

Last Thursday I was all set to appear on the Today Show, and you may have caught a glimpse of me even, however, breaking news about the Pope's whereabouts interrupted my segment.  Of course, I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was actually very exciting to witness... yet another reminder of how surreal it is to be a small part of a news institution like Today.  If you're interested in the recipes I was planning on preparing, you may click here: Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ultimate Queso Dip. 

Last night, I was very honored to be a part of the launch of Keurig Kold, a revolutionary new drinkmaker that brews perfectly chilled beverages like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and so, SO much more.  It is available for purchase today on their website... check it out!

And finally, I wanted to repost this recipe in honor of a great woman, Lucy.  If you've been following my blog for awhile then you probably know this sandwich, but to have known the woman behind it was something else.  The heavens above gained a beautiful soul.  Team Lucy forever!

Cheeseburger Stuffed Shells

You read that right, Cheeseburger Stuffed Shells.  If classic Italian stuffed shells and good ol' American cheeseburgers made sweet love and had a baby, it would be this dish.  A perfect, family friendly, crowd pleaser.  Make it ahead, pop it in the oven, freeze the leftovers.  I apologize for not writing in full sentences but I'm so tired.  The second week of school is WAY more intense than the first.  But, my delirious state of mind aside, it was so much fun cooking with Hoda and Carson this morning on Today!  If you missed the segment, you can check it out here.  Enjoy the weekend!

(Photo credit: the lovely Director of Culinary Production at the Today Show, Bianca Borges)

Grilled Veggie Pasta on TODAY

Friendly friends!  I am back from vacation.  I am officially home, being an official, productive mom.  I am putting my kids to bed before 8pm (after lots and LOTS of nighttime reading), we are eating only the healthiest of foods, and I've stopped drinking wine!  Except for all of this is a lie.

Ok not all of it.  I AM home.  Vacation IS over.  I am ATTEMPTING to be productive.

I even cooked up a Today Original pasta dish this morning, and if you missed it you can check out the segment and view the recipe here.  Baby steps to waking up early.

But GUESS WHAT?!  I am going to post a recipe every, single, day this week.  So take THAT you lazy, indulgent, carefree, delicious summer.  Take that.  

Photos by Samantha Okazaki

Mini Pies on TODAY

I've been trying to write this post for a day and a half.  A day and a half!  Trying to balance life is a daily struggle of mine, and I'm sure you can all relate.  I have so much I want to cook, so much I want to share with you, and yet I'm trying to actually put my swimsuit on this summer and go UNDERWATER with my kids.  As in, who cares about how cold the water feels or what my hair looks like or having to shower after (or not).  I'm trying to play with my kids!!  And so my to-do list grows and grows and grows... WHY IS BALANCE SO HARD.

Back to trying to share with you, my virtual friends.  Yesterday I had so much fun baking mini blueberry pies with my friend Savannah on Today.  It was a Today Original recipe, and they were simple and delicious.  Yes, yes, I may have made a few mistake during the segment, but I think you know that I embrace errors in the kitchen and I certainly try not to take cooking too SIRIously.   

You can check out the segment and view the Today Original recipe here.

All photos by Samantha Okazaki

TODAY Show: Eggplant 3 ways

Well, "veggie week" at the Today Show has come and gone, and I may have converted Carson (and Savannah) a teeny, tiny bit with my greek yogurt eggplant dip (however it's true, eggplant is technically a fruit... whatevs).  If you missed yesterday's segment, or want the recipes (plus a delicious bonus stuffed eggplant recipe), check everything out here!

AND, I'll be back on TODAY on Monday, baking up something summery and sweet.

Have great weekends!

(photo by Samantha Okazaki)

TODAY tonight: Cauliflower Steak

If you're unfamiliar with my "TODAY tonight" series, it's when Carson won't stop talking about something he ate at work, so I make it at home to shut him up.  However, this time around, I didn't even have to wait to hear him rave.  I was watching Aarti Sequeira on the show and I instantly wanted everything she cooked.  She made cauliflower three ways, and I could practically taste the vibrant, Indian flavors through my TV screen.  

It was the "cauliflower steak" with a lime yogurt sauce that made me run to the store for the vegetable.  I cook cauliflower a lot, but something as simple as cutting it differently and marinating it with different spices completely transformed it for me.  I am obsessed.  Even my son loved it!  I will make this again, and again, and again.  Recipe here.

And speaking of Today Food and vegetables, I will be there tomorrow trying to get Carson to eat a particular one he doesn't like... wish me luck!

We served it with a version of this salad because we just can't get enough.