Categories
Main Dish

This week’s dish is ravi‘whole’i made for someone with spare time

Beef and spinach ravioli can be made completely from scratch at home, and while it is a lot of work, the freshness and flavor are definitely worth it.
Beef and spinach ravioli can be made completely from scratch at home, and while it is a lot of work, the freshness and flavor are definitely worth it.

Something I love about Joey is that he is often quite willing to jump into a grand kitchen experiment with me.

Recently, that was when I pulled out my pasta roller, and instead of merely making noodles, as I have so far since I bought it, I proposed creating ravioli from scratch.

He was totally on board.

We did some troubleshooting together, trying to hone our technique, and by the end, we had some pretty nice looking stuffed pasta, ready to be made into dinner. (It might have also been after 8 p.m. by the time we finally accomplished this, but that’s not the point.)

This recipe is a combination of a beef ravioli recipe from the blog “Josie and Nina” (you can find their original post at https://josieandnina.com/italian-beef-ravioli/) and from “Easy Italian Cookbook” by Jennifer Donovan.

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Beef and Spinach Ravioli

Beef and spinach ravioli can be made completely from scratch at home, and while it is a lot of work, the freshness and flavor are definitely worth it.
Course Main Course
Keyword baby spinach, breadcrumbs, fresh pasta, fresh spinach, ground beef, nutmeg, onion, panko, parmesan cheese, ravioli, ricotta cheese, white wine, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 6-8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 16 ounces fresh spinach
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs I used panko
  • 1/2 rounded cup parmesan cheese grated
  • garlic salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 8 ounces ricotta cheese
  • batch of fresh pasta dough

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  • Add the onion and saute until it is cooked through. Add in the garlic and saute for about a minute or until it just starts to be fragrant.
  • Add the ground beef to the pan and saute, breaking it apart as it cooks, until it’s cooked through. Remove any excess fat from the pan, and then pour in the wine, being sure to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the spinach, and let everything cook for about two minutes, stirring to wilt the spinach into the mixture.
  • Add the meat mixture to a food processor and process for a bit, just to get things incorporated, and then add in the bread crumbs, parmesan, garlic salt, pepper and nutmeg, and process until the mixture is kind of a paste.
  • Mix the ricotta into the meat mixture.
  • Assemble your ravioli by rolling out the dough into long strips. Using the utensil you’ll use to cut the ravioli (I used a two-inch scalloped cookie cutter), gently make impressions along the dough where you’ll want to cut out each ravioli (you’re just marking it, not cutting the dough), and then scoop about one teaspoon of filling (or more, if your ravioli are larger) into the center of each of the spots. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of water around the edges of each spot. Cover with another sheet of dough and press around each mound of filling with your fingers to seal them, working out as much air as possible, and firmly press your cutter to cut out each individual ravioli.
  • Set the finished ones off to the side.
  • To freeze, place them on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper, and place them in the freezer until they are frozen through. Then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag until you’re ready to cook them.
  • To cook them, fresh or frozen, boil a large pot of salted water, and carefully drop the ravioli in. Let them boil for a couple minutes until they float to the top and are warmed through. (You don’t need to thaw the frozen ones before cooking them.)
  • Serve with your favorite sauce.

We ate our ravioli with pesto, and they were really tasty. I did learn that it’s imperative to really flour your surface when you’re cutting out the ravioli so that you can get them to release without tearing.

These were a lot of work, and I’m sure many people would think it’s a waste of time to make your own ravioli, when there are excellent ones in the freezer section at the grocery store. But Joey and I had a great time cooking—and eating—together, and that made it worth it.

This piece first appeared in print April 2, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Bread

Flake’ it ’til you make it with easy crescent roll bread

A delicious loaf of freshly baked bread can be achieved with nothing but canned crescent roll dough, a pan and an oven.
A delicious loaf of freshly baked bread can be achieved with nothing but canned crescent roll dough, a pan and an oven.

One of my favorite forums or “sub-reddits” on the social media site Reddit is called “Breadit.”

Anyone who has read this column for any length of time probably assumes I like it for the pun (and, yeah, I totally do), but I also adore seeing all the amazing baked goods people create and share with the group.

Breadit has made me really want to try making a loaf of challah, a beautiful braided loaf from the Jewish tradition, at some point.

The one that I don’t know that I will ever try, though, despite my undying admiration for people who achieve a perfect bake, is the croissant.

The idea of rolling out dough and layering it with butter and then rolling out the dough and layering it with butter, over and over again into eternity, is one of the most unappealing ideas I’ve ever seen. In the world of croissants, I’m definitely more of an eater than a baker. The same goes for crescent rolls, which I would much rather just buy in a can and skip the layering.

I think that’s why I was completely fascinated by a video I watched on Instagram recently, which took premade, canned crescent roll dough and turned it into a flaky, buttery loaf of bread—with pretty much zero effort.

I’m sure any chef would tell you it’s an abomination, but of course, I had to give it a try. After all, you know it must be at least a somewhat good idea when the Pillsbury Doughboy’s account comments on the recipe with “Hoo hoo! I love this with my whole tummy!”

This idea comes from a video by an influencer who goes by @that40yearoldguy on Instagram. You can do this with literally just one or two cans of crescent roll dough, or you can turn this into a flavored bread, too, which is what I did.

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Quick Croissant Loaf

A delicious loaf of freshly baked bread can be achieved with nothing but canned crescent roll dough, a pan and an oven.
Course Bread
Keyword butter, crescent roll dough, easy bread, garlic salt

Ingredients

Bread Ingredients

  • 1 or 2 8-ounce cans of crescent roll dough
  • butter for greasing pan

Optional Garlic Bread Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1-2 teaspoons garlic salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare a nine-by-five-inch loaf pan by greasing it with butter and lining it with parchment paper hanging over the sides so the loaf is easy to remove. Set it aside.
  • If you’re not adding other flavoring, just open the canned crescent rolls and place them, rolled up, in the prepared pan (either one in the middle or two of them side by side).
  • If you are adding to it, melt the butter in a pan or in a microwave-safe dish, and mix in the garlic salt. Carefully roll out the dough, and press the seams together to create a solid surface.
  • Brush the melted butter all over the dough, and then sprinkle all over with the cheese. Roll the dough back up like it was and place it in the prepared pan. If you have a little of the butter mixture leftover, brush it on top of the bread.
  • Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Slice and serve.

You could easily spread some melted butter with cinnamon and sugar on the inside for something sweeter. Or grab some hazelnut spread or peanut butter to make it a bit gooey.

Really, if it’s something you like inside of bread, it’s not hard to add it to the crescent rolls and see what happens.

This turned out really well. We had it alongside some pasta, and it was a great addition. It was buttery and flaky, and obviously, it was an incredibly simple way to enjoy garlic bread hot out of the oven with pretty much no effort.

Who knew you could actually find an even lazier way to bake canned dough?

While this is no substitution for homemade crescent rolls and definitely not for the even more complicated croissant, it was definitely something I’ll make again at some point.

But despite how many times it ends up in the dinner rotation, I don’t think I’ll be sharing it on Breadit. No matter how good it is, it’s definitely not up to their standards.

This first appeared in print March 26, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

This traditional Indian milk sweet is simply ‘moo’velous

Pistachio barfi is a traditional milk sweet, hailing from India. This version takes the traditional recipe and makes it infinitely easier to create in your own kitchen.
Pistachio barfi is a traditional milk sweet, hailing from India. This version takes the traditional recipe and makes it infinitely easier to create in your own kitchen.

I was a pretty stereotypical kid when it came to liver and onions.

It was a “no, thank you” for me.

Actually, I’m sure I said something much less refined than that, but the message was the same.

On one occasion, my mom decided to trick my sister and me by telling us we were having steak, hoping our distaste for liver was all in our heads.

It was not.

(Good try, though, Mom.)

I was thinking about whether the name of something changes how you taste it this week when I made an Indian dessert called barfi. According to several checks I made online, yes, it is pronounced exactly how it seems it should be.

The good news is, though, the name (as it sounds in English) is nothing like the texture and flavor that it may invoke. It’s kind of like a fudge and is traditionally made with milk fats and ghee. In our case, though, this version makes the job a whole lot simpler, with excellent results.

This comes from the blog “Sanjana Feasts.” You can find the original post at https://www.sanjanafeasts.co.uk/2023/10/pistachio-barfi-recipe-2-ingredients. Because this was a two-ingredient recipe, I didn’t add or subtract anything to it.

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Pistachio Barfi

Pistachio barfi is a traditional milk sweet, hailing from India. This version takes the traditional recipe and makes it infinitely easier to create in your own kitchen.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Keyword dry milk, ice cream, milk powder, pistachios

Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 cups pistachio ice cream I used a pistachio honey version
  • 4 1/3 cups whole dry milk don’t use non-fat

Instructions

  • Prepare a nine-by-13-inch pan by lightly greasing the interior with oil or cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Add the ice cream to a large skillet, set over medium low heat. Stir regularly until the ice cream is melted completely.
  • Reduce the heat to low and stir in the dry milk, making sure to fully incorporate it into the ice cream.
  • Now, continue stirring constantly, keeping the mixture on low heat for about 15 minutes. Once it has thickened into a sticky paste (kind of a thick fondant texture), remove it from the heat and transfer to the prepared pan. Spread it out evenly and press it flat.
  • Let the barfi cool completely on the countertop before cutting. I ended up putting mine in the refrigerator and cutting it cold, because it was a little less sticky to do it this way, but it does not need to stay refrigerated.
  • Store it in an airtight container.

This was really good. It created a chewy bar that had a nice nuttiness and wasn’t too sweet. You could easily make this out of any ice cream flavor you like, and it would have been nice with some chopped pistachios pressed into the top.

It’s a lot of hands-on stirring, but the final result is really satisfying and tasty.

And if you need to call it something else to get your friends and family to try it, I think that’s OK. Of course, you can also tell them the real name and hope they leave it all for you.

Even better, though, just say it’s flavored like liver and onions. That would have kept me away.

This piece first appeared in print March 19, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

This classic casserole is entering a new school of ‘tot’

Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.
Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.

Back before my married days, one of my favorite dishes to make for myself was a big nine-by-13-inch pan of good, old-fashioned tater tot casserole.

Of course, being one person, that also meant I was dedicating one meal a day for the next week to eating plenty of leftovers.

I’m a sucker for leftovers, though, so while that might have driven some of you crazy, I always loved it.

When Joey and I married, I learned that he wasn’t against a tater tot casserole. It was just on his “it’s fine” list of foods, so I don’t make it too often these days. (Plus, with needing to try a new recipe every week, sometimes the old favorites take a backseat to something experimental.)

That means, when I found a recipe that is a big twist on tater tot casserole this week, you know I had to give it a try.

This comes from the blog “Inspire Spire.” You can find the original post at https://inspirespire.com/2025/07/18/chicken-alfredo-tater-tot-casserole-recipe/. I added extra seasonings and some veggies and mushrooms in my version.

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Chicken Alfredo Tater Tot Casserole

Chicken alfredo tater tot casserole puts an Italian twist on a classic casserole concept. It’s a creamy, delicious dinner that’s easy to make and easy to customize.
Course Main Course
Keyword Alfredo sauce, baby bellas, basil, bell pepper, chicken, easy casserole, fresh mushrooms, garlic powder, mozzarella, onion, onion powder, oregano, parmesan, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, tater tots, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 small bell pepper diced (any color)
  • 1/2 cup diced mushrooms I used baby bellas
  • 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
  • 15 ounces alfredo sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, and saute until everything is cooked through.
  • Add the chicken, alfredo sauce, and seasonings to a bowl and mix it well. (If your alfredo sauce is already seasoned the way you like, you don’t need to add all the extras. Just follow your heart.)
  • Evenly spread the chicken mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
  • Cover the top with a single layer of tater tots, and then top evenly with the cheese.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned on top.

This was creamy and delicious, and the leftovers were fabulous. I will say that if you put a little extra cheese on it like I did, you might want to layer that under the tater tots so they get nice and crispy.

I definitely made this more complicated than the original, which honestly just included the sauce, chicken, tots and cheese, but I couldn’t resist adding the extra veggies and mushrooms to the mix, and they were really good.

I think Joey secretly knew I was trying to trick him into moving tater tot casserole up on his list with this twist, but he just has too many other meals he likes a lot more. He did like it, though.

Regardless, if I’m ever going to be at home by myself for several days, I might need to opt for this new tater tot casserole to sustain me through the week.

This piece first appeared in print March 12, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Breakfast Main Dish

Oh, baby, are you going to love this Mexican-Dutch fusion

A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Sometimes I feel like I must try a recipe, just because it sounds too ridiculous or strange to ignore.

In this case, it was finding a guy online making a “Mexican Dutch baby.”

If you’re not familiar with a traditional Dutch baby, it’s basically a large, puffy pancake made in an already preheated pan in the oven.

I have generally only seen Dutch babies filled with fruit and powdered sugar once they come out of the oven, so the idea of a savory one—and a Mexican one, at that—intrigued me.

Now, I will warn you that I probably ruined this from being a true Dutch baby, because I beefed it up quite a bit, making it pretty impossible to puff up as much as a traditional one would, but just trust me that having this as a hearty, filling meal is totally worth whatever puffiness sacrifice you’re making.

I found this recipe on the YouTube channel @yaydadcooking. I doubled the recipe for my version, increased the amount of chorizo and paprika and also added garlic, onion and bell pepper.

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Mexican Dutch Baby

A Mexican Dutch baby combines the traditional puffy pancake with lots of great south-of-the-border flavors, like chorizo and salsa, to make a meal that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course
Keyword bell pepper, chorizo, Dutch baby, fresh garlic, garlic, minced garlic, oaxaca cheese, paprika, potatoes, queso fresco, Russet potato, salsa, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces chorizo
  • 1 large Russet potato diced
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • Oaxaca cheese or queso fresco to taste
  • Your favorite salsa for serving

Instructions

  • Place a large, cast iron or oven-safe deep skillet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. (Mine is a 13-inch pan.)
  • While it preheats, heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the chorizo. Saute until it’s cooked through, and remove it from the pan, setting it aside.
  • In the leftover grease from the chorizo, saute the potato, onion and pepper until everything is cooked through (if there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a little canola or vegetable oil to supplement). Add the garlic and saute for just a couple minutes or until it’s fragrant. Remove it from heat and stir the chorizo back into the mixture.
  • Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or fork, and then stir in the flour, milk, paprika and salt and pepper. Whisk it some more until the mixture is lump free.
  • If the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot pan and add the butter, letting it melt and swirling it to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chorizo/veggie mixture and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan, and then pour the batter mixture over the top of that.
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the batter is golden brown and set.
  • Top the Dutch baby with cheese and salsa, slice and serve immediately.

This was really tasty, and it reheated extremely well out of the fridge the next day.

This would make for a good dinner or breakfast, either one, and the neat thing is you can really control the spice level, based on what salsa you choose. We went with a spicy green salsa, and it was delicious.

And I’m pretty excited to see this Dutch-Mexican fusion. It combines the best of both types of recipes into one, and that’s the kind of culinary world I want to live in.

This piece first appeared in print March 5, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

I’ll give this recipe my ‘stamppot’ of approval

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.
Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.

I love finding recipes that claim to be “national dishes” or “traditional” ones.

But I will also confess that, more often than not, when I declare that something is “traditional,” there is someone who will email me (very nicely, mind you) to let me know that, actually, the recipe I found wasn’t quite right.

Inevitably, the person I found making that dish online or in a cookbook somewhere doesn’t quite live up to the food one of my readers grew up enjoying.

So, I am very cautiously introducing you to what is supposedly the Dutch national dish: stamppot.

Stamppot is a mashed-potato meal that is mixed with some vegetables and served with sausage. It’s hearty and simple, and while Joey swore it could really have benefitted from a bit of gravy, it’s delicious, too.

Plus, while you’re eating a big plate of mashed potatoes, you’re also getting a huge serving of veggies along with it. That seems like a win to me.

This comes from the blog “Gypsyplate” by Jason Beiser. You can find the original post at https://gypsyplate.com/stamppot/. I added extra kale and garlic in my version and substituted an onion in place of shallots.

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Stamppot

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands, featuring creamy mashed potatoes, fresh kale and smoked sausage to create a hearty, but simple, meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Dutch, Netherlands
Keyword bay leaves, comfort food, fresh garlic, garlic, kale, mashed potatoes, minced garlic, nutmeg, onion, smoked sausage, stamppot, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds potatoes cubed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 16 ounces kale cut into strips (a big bunch)
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 1/2 cups milk warmed
  • pinch nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound smoked rope sausage cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

  • Add the potatoes to a large stock pot and just cover them with cold water. Add the bay leaves and add a large pinch of salt.
  • Bring the water to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water and discard the bay leaves.
  • While the potatoes cook, heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it’s tender. For the last couple of minutes, add the garlic and give it a quick saute until it’s fragrant.
  • Remove the onion and garlic and place it on a plate or bowl to the side, and add the kale to the skillet, along with one-half cup of water. Place the lid on the skillet to wilt the kale. Check on it after a few minutes and stir to help the kale cook down. Add more water if all of it evaporates, and continue that process until the kale is cooked to your liking.
  • Meanwhile, mash the potatoes with four tablespoons butter, the milk, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (This made a slightly looser mash than I would normally make, but it had a great consistency once it was combined with everything else.)
  • Add the kale and sauteed onions and garlic to the mashed potatoes and stir to combine.
  • Set the potatoes aside, keeping them warm.
  • In the same skillet as before, saute the sausage until it’s cooked through and has a little color on it.
  • Serve the stamppot by placing a layer of the mashed potato/kale mixture on the bottom and topping with some sausage.

The amount of kale was a bit intimidating at first, but it does cook down a lot, and the flavor actually melds in with the mashed potatoes really well. I was afraid it would take over, but it was just a nice compliment to the rest of the dish.

The leftovers also reheated nicely, which was nice later in the week.

And this recipe may or may not be exactly what someone from the Netherlands would expect, but regardless, it was a darn tasty meal.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 26, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Raise the bar with a dangerously easy pecan dessert

Butter pecan bars are made with a secret ingredient—a cake mix—making them super easy to put together while being a delicious addition to any dessert table.
Butter pecan bars are made with a secret ingredient—a cake mix—making them super easy to put together while being a delicious addition to any dessert table.

The National Pecan Shellers Association has a wealth of knowledge about pecans on its website.

One of the items that interested me the most is that the pecan tree is the only major nut tree native to North America.

I thought that was strange, because I know quite a few nuts who were born here, but what do I know?

Pecans have a long tradition in the region, with Native tribes cultivating wild trees as far back as the 1500s.

Even today, the association states that the United States produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecans.

When I was trying to decide what to make for a recent gathering, I found myself with a real hankering for something nutty, and that’s when I ran into a super easy dessert online.

It comes from the account @debtfreegranny on Instagram. This was simple enough that I didn’t mess with the recipe, but I did decrease the baking time by quite a bit, and that was a good move.

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Butter Pecan Bars

Butter pecan bars are made with a secret ingredient—a cake mix—making them super easy to put together while being a delicious addition to any dessert table.
Course Dessert
Keyword bar cookies, butter, butter pecan, cake mix recipe, cream cheese, easy dessert, pecans, powdered sugar

Ingredients

  • 13.25 ounce butter pecan cake mix
  • 8 tablespoons butter softened
  • 3 eggs
  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • 16 ounces powdered sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup pecans chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  • Grease a nine-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, and set it aside.
  • Add the cake mix, softened butter and one egg to a mixing bowl, and beat until it’s well combined.
  • Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Add two eggs, melted butter, sugar and cream cheese to a mixing bowl (you can use the same one), and beat until it is smooth.
  • Pour the mixture evenly over the bottom layer, and sprinkle the top with all of the pecans, pressing them lightly into the batter.
  • Bake for one hour or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only wet crumbs (think cheesecake consistency).
  • Let the bars cool completely before cutting.
  • Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This was really simple, and the flavor was out of this world. It had a cake-y bottom with a cheesecake-y middle and lots of great pecan crunchiness on top.

It was perfect to throw on a dessert table to share with friends.

And, it appears, eating pecans is a great North American tradition, so I’m pretty sure these bars are an excellent way of honoring our history.

I just wonder if the Native tribes had cake mixes laying around, too.

This first appeared in print Feb. 19, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Give yourself the green light to make spicy chile verde

Chile verde spends a lot of time simmering in a pot, but putting it together is really easy. With plenty of fresh pepper and onion flavors, it’s a filling and excellent meal.
Chile verde spends a lot of time simmering in a pot, but putting it together is really easy. With plenty of fresh pepper and onion flavors, it’s a filling and excellent meal.

With the Chiefs out of the Super Bowl this year, it felt like there was a lot less pressure for Joey and I in hosting our annual party.

But that also meant a lot of hemming and hawing from our friends and family about attending.

It’s tough to commit to a Sunday night when you don’t really have a dog in the fight and Monday morning is looming.

We ended up with a great crew of four guests to watch the game and, thanks to our smaller contingent, a fridge full of leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.

The recipe I made for the group comes from the blog “Kevin is Cooking.” You can find the original recipe at https://keviniscooking.com/pork-chile-verde/. I added extra garlic in my version and added the optional potatoes.

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Chile Verde

Chile verde spends a lot of time simmering in a pot, but putting it together is really easy. With plenty of fresh pepper and onion flavors, it’s a filling and excellent meal.
Course Main Course
Keyword anaheim peppers, chile verde, cilantro, cumin, fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, jalapeno peppers, minced garlic, pork butt, pork shoulder, Serrano, slow cooking, tomatillos, white onion

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder/pork butt
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1.5 pounds tomatillos
  • 6 anaheim chile peppers
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 1 large white onion
  • 8 to 10 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro around 2 cups, stems included

Instructions

  • Prepare the pork shoulder by cutting it into one-inch cubes. Add them to a large bowl and season with the cumin, salt and pepper. Mix to coat the meat, and then set it aside. (I put mine in a covered container in the fridge over night.)
  • Husk the tomatillos and slice the stems off the peppers and give them all a good rinse. Also cut the onion in half, and add the tomatillos, peppers and onion to a large stockpot, covering them with water. Boil for about 8 minutes, and then remove them with a slotted spoon directly into a blender or food processor, along with the garlic and cilantro, blending until the mixture is smooth.
  • Set the sauce aside.
  • Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven with a lid, and saute the pork cubes on all sides (do this in batches), just until each side has some nice color on it.
  • Add all the pork back into the pot, along with all but one cup of the sauce, and stir to coat.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for about three hours (stirring occasionally) or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 180 to 190 degrees.
  • While the pork cooks, cube some Russet potatoes into one-inch pieces, and boil them until they are fork tender. Drain them and set them aside.
  • When the pork is done, add in the potatoes and the rest of the sauce, and stir to combine. Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Serve with tortilla chips, with corn or flour tortillas or just in a bowl.

This was really, really good. It’s a bit spicy but not over the top. You could easily throw in a couple more anaheim peppers and skip the jalapenos and serranos, if you wanted to make it extremely mild.

We also threw a can of kidney beans in a few servings for leftovers, and that was great.

In the past, I made tomatillo sauces by roasting my vegetables under the broiler or in my air fryer and then blending them, and you could absolutely do that with this recipe, too.

The next time we make chile verde, if I decide to boil the veggies, I’m going to plan on making another soup at the same time to use the leftover water, because it smelled absolutely amazing.

And while I was bummed that we didn’t get to see some of our friends and family who didn’t get out on Sunday, at least I can drown my sorrows with some awesome food they didn’t get a chance to enjoy.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 12, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Appetizer Snack

Relish the thought of a dill-laden dip this week

This pickle dip features lots of great pickle flavor, accentuated by bacon bits, fresh onions and lots of cheese.
This pickle dip features lots of great pickle flavor, accentuated by bacon bits, fresh onions and lots of cheese.

A few months ago, my niece and I were talking about wish lists.

At 8, her most recent birthday and Christmas desires have featured Barbies and their myriad accessories, and she’s also an accomplished artist, loving anything and everything craft-related.

“You know what your mom asked our grandma to get her for her birthday one year?” I asked her.

“What?”

I’m sure she was expecting something brilliant, since my sister is still held in reverence in their house.

“Pickles.”

“Pickles?”

She scrunched up her nose in disgust. The love of dill clearly skipped a generation.

She was even more horrified when I told her our grandma went all out and purchased a big, gallon jar of whole dills and that my sister ate and enjoyed every last one in the weeks following her birthday.

If that story disgusts you, as well, this may not be your favorite week for recipes. However, if you do like dill pickles, this is a great snack for you to make, and it’s a great one for a crowd.

This comes from the influencer “timewithariana.” You can find her on TikTok and on YouTube. I put more cheese in my version and figured out the amounts for all the ingredients.

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Pickle Dip

This pickle dip features lots of great pickle flavor, accentuated by bacon bits, fresh onions and lots of cheese.
Course Appetizer, Snacks
Keyword bacon bits, cream cheese, dill pickle, easy snack, Greek yogurt, green onion, non-fat Greek yogurt, pickles, ranch seasoning, sharp cheddar cheese, snack table, whipped cream cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 8 ounces whipped cream cheese
  • 3 ounces bacon bits
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 ounce Ranch seasoning packet
  • 4 to 5 stalks green onion diced
  • 32 ounces pickles drained and diced

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, and stir to combine well. That’s it.
  • Serve with crackers or pretzels, and keep any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.

I made this for a couple get-togethers at our offices last week, and it went over really well. It’s one of those things that, when you tell people what it is, they look at you really skeptically. But once folks tried a scoop, quite a few came back for another try. It’s a little addictive.

It’s also not as overwhelmingly pickle-y as you kind of expect it to be. The cream cheese, cheddar and bacon really help to balance that out.

I also had a few questions about prepping the pickles from people we shared this with. I didn’t dab them dry, just tapped them on the side of the jar, and it didn’t mess up the consistency of the overall dip at all. Also, if you like heat, I think using spicy pickles would be awesome in this, too.

And it does make plenty, which makes it a great dip for a crowd.

And, in my case, the leftovers are all mine, because Joey happens to be in agreement with my niece on pickles.

The two of them don’t know what they’re missing.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 5, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Dessert

Don’t be ‘choco’late to the party if you want a chance at these brownies

These chocolate ganache gooey brownies feature a thick, chocolate topping with a hint of peanut butter, on top of dark-chocolate-laden cake-y brownies to provide a sinfully decadent dessert.
These chocolate ganache gooey brownies feature a thick, chocolate topping with a hint of peanut butter, on top of dark-chocolate-laden cake-y brownies to provide a sinfully decadent dessert.

In past years, January and February have felt like reset months for us.

Things slow down, activities are fewer, and it’s time to catch our breaths.

Not so this year. Last week, Joey and I were honored to be invited to speak at the Kentucky Press Association’s annual conference, and we ended up spending an extra day out of town, thanks to the deluge of snow, and while I might have normally been tempted to phone in my column this week, due to a lack of time, that simply wasn’t possible.

I have a dessert auction counting on me.

Well, OK, so it’s not really counting on me, but I promised Peace Connections in Newton that I would provide a dessert for their annual auction next week, and I was not about to disappoint.

I needed to find something that would be delicious and look darn tempting to drive up the bids for a great cause. Enter some chewy, decadent brownies.

This comes from the blog “Georgina Eliza.” You can find the original post at https://georginaeliza.co.uk/2022/09/23/chocolate-ganache-gooey-brownies/. I converted everything into U.S. measurements, and I added extra vanilla and chocolate in my version.

Print

Chocolate Ganache Gooey Brownies

These chocolate ganache gooey brownies feature a thick, chocolate topping with a hint of peanut butter, on top of dark-chocolate-laden cake-y brownies to provide a sinfully decadent dessert.
Course Dessert
Keyword brownies, chocolate ganache, cocoa powder, creamy peanut butter, dark chocolate, dessert auction, peanut butter, vanilla

Ingredients

  • 8 1/4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 16 ounces dark chocolate chips divided
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease an eight-by-eight-inch baking pan, and set it aside.
  • Add the butter to a saucepan, and heat over low heat. When the butter is melted, add the sugar, milk and vanilla, stirring regularly until the sugar is dissolved, and then stir in half of the chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate is melted.
  • Meanwhile, add the flour, salt and cocoa powder to a mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
  • Add in the chocolate mixture, and stir until everything is well combined, and pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until the top of the brownies looks set and crackled. (The brownies are meant to stay a bit gooey.)
  • Set the brownies aside to cool completely.
  • When they’re cooled, add the rest of the chocolate chips to a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring regularly, until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the peanut butter until everything is smooth, and pour it over the brownies, spreading evenly.
  • Put the brownies in the fridge until the topping sets up, and then store them in an airtight container.

These were fabulous. They were dense and chewy and would be awesome with a bowl of ice cream or a good cup of coffee.

They would also be a wonderful dessert to bid on to support Peace Connections on Thursday, Feb. 5, at Salem United Methodist Church, 115 Old Main St., Newton. The soup dinner is by donation and starts at 5:30 p.m. The dessert auction will begin at 6:15 p.m.

If you want more information about this awesome group, visit their website at https://www.peaceconnections.org/. They do a lot of good to help a lot of people in the area each year.

And if you’re like me, and your 2026 is already insanely busy, what better way to take something off your to do list than not having to make dinner yourself on Feb. 5?

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 29, 2026.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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