mexican, main dishes Ava Dreessen mexican, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Red Chili Chicken Tacos with Drizzled Queso

Earlier this week, after a few hours spent in the spring cold watching my youngest daughter win her first tennis meet (yay, Maya!), I realized that I had yet to give dinner a second thought. What to do but scour the pantry for ideas once I got home! My eye caught the dried chilis I always keep on hand, and a lightbulb went off. Chili chicken! So delicious, and the simple added step of using your own dried chilis takes chicken tacos to a whole new level. Just a few steps, and under an hour, you’ll have your own authentic Mexican dinner at home. Hope you all enjoy!

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italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Creamy Pesto Fettuccine with Burrata and Crispy Pancetta

Valentine's Day is just around the corner... have you picked your date night meal yet?? Don't worry... we've got you covered. In this quick and easy recipe, I teach you how to combine just a handful of cheap, delicious, and unique ingredients for a rich and scrumptious meal. And the star tonight is pasta! Have I not sold you yet?? Just wait until you see the toppings. Hope you enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

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main dishes, italian, sides & salads Ava Dreessen main dishes, italian, sides & salads Ava Dreessen

Italian White Bean and Prosciutto Soup

We are full-force into the season of healthy food and habits, and what better way to accompany this lifestyle than with smart and easy cooking?? This recipe is perfect for a low-calorie, vitamin-rich, and light dinner, sure to fill you up with all that healthy stuff! Plus, a bonus... it's DELICIOUS. In fact so delicious you won't even care that it's healthy!! Hope you all enjoy as much as we did! Happy cooking!

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The BEST Pulled Pork Nachos

Raise your shot glasses and ring in the new year! Today, we say goodbye to a memorable and AMAZING year of food, family, friends, and so much fun! What dish could best pair with this bittersweet goodbye to 2021? Pulled pork nachos. Obviously! Using pre-cooked pork, your favorite barbecue sauce, and a quick and simple but all-too special slaw to top, this dish culminates all the joy and excitement of the coming year. AND it's so dang delicious. We scarfed it up as soon as the cameras turned off!! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and we wish you all an amazing 2022!

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drinks & appetizers, breakfast, main dishes Ava Dreessen drinks & appetizers, breakfast, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Biscuits and Gravy Christmas Tree Pull-Aparts

Christmas is only a week away... seriously?!? If you're looking for a last-minute Christmas brunch, you've come to the right place! We have just the easy and equally delicious recipe, all for you! Easy rich and savory sausage gravy to top biscuits stuffed with sausage and cheese... absolutely mouth-watering! A blast to make, fun to eat, this breakfast will definitely make your holiday season memorable. Enjoy!

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main dishes, other Ava Dreessen main dishes, other Ava Dreessen

Classy Frito Pie

We're back in the kitchen-- a brand spanking new one at that!! We're doing our first official video in our complete kitchen, donned with all the fixings to accommodate our obsession with food! What better to christen our new kitchen with one of our classiest recipe yet... Frito Pie. An easy beef, bean, and corn chili to stage a cheesy Frito topping... I mean, there's no more classy (or scrumptious) than that. Hope you all enjoy, and we look forward to this new journey of cooking with you all!

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main dishes, other Ava Dreessen main dishes, other Ava Dreessen

Pepperoni Sheet Pan Pizza

Looking for an easy family dinner? This is the video for you!!

We love our easy sheet pan pizzas, topped with everyone’s favoite toppings, and finished with a perfect sweet and spicy chili honey drizzle! Needless to say, the pan-ful of pizza was gone in a single serving. Take note, and you children will thank you without a doubt! Enjoy!!

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main dishes, other Ava Dreessen main dishes, other Ava Dreessen

How to Grill Pork Chops

I hate to break it to you all, but YOU'RE GRILLING PORK CHOPS WRONG! I always get questions on how to cook pork chops, everyone's favorite grilled meal! The thing is, I can't tell you all how many times I've had pork chops that are way too dry!! In this video, I show you the best way to grill a tender, JUICY, and flavorful pork chops! Hope you all learn a few things and enjoy!!

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other, main dishes Ava Dreessen other, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Creme Focaccia with Pulled Barbecue Chicken

Happy Saturday and happy game day! When it comes to quick and easy, let me just say I have perfected this type of meal-making! I love love the pulled pork or pulled chicken you can buy at your local big warehouse or grocery store, and I’m always trying to find unique and yummy ways to use it, like in my pulled chicken (or pork!) soup! But today, I thought I would combine my easy focaccia bread with some smokey and juicy pulled chicken. If you don’t want to make the focaccia, no worries! Just pick some up at the bakery!

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drinks & appetizers, main dishes, other Ava Dreessen drinks & appetizers, main dishes, other Ava Dreessen

Beer Cheese and Bacon Loaded Fries

Guilty pleasure at it's finest... ... Wasps not included. Today, I try to cater towards my children, who you can always find in the Freddy's drive-through for loaded fries! I wanted not only to make a better fry than fast food has to offer, I wanted to combine some extra ingredients to make it unforgettable! So, I came up with this Beer Cheese and Bacon Fry... and wow. I don't think my kids will be driving thru anytime soon!! Hope you all enjoy it as much as they do, because I KNOW you'll be taking this recipe to your own kitchen!


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Cast Iron Baked Cheese with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

So recently I posted a picture on my Instagram account of a Cast Iron Baked Cheese with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil. You. Guys... You went nuts!! And I’m not gonna say I wasn’t excited, but I wasn’t prepared for the amount of requests for the recipe!

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main dishes, drinks & appetizers, other Ava Dreessen main dishes, drinks & appetizers, other Ava Dreessen

Roast Beef and Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry

Today we have another quick and easy appetizer, lunch, or dinner recipe for you all! Roast Beef with Caramelized Onion and Sharp Cheddar Cheese on Puff Pastry! Quite a mouthful, but even better after you take a bite! These simple ingredients match perfectly together, and I couldn't be happier with the result. We are suckers for the savory and sweet, so to add to the amalgamation, why not some fig jam? This is such a great lesson on flavor pairing, so good that the whole thing was gone within minutes!! Hope you all enjoy. Happy cooking!!


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breakfast, main dishes Ava Dreessen breakfast, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Buttermilk Waffles... in a pinch!

Happy Saturday and holy humidity... this is probably NOT the day to have your oven on, am I right?!? To me, this is the perfect day for breakfast for dinner! Just ask my nephew Owen. He’s celebrating his “sweet 16” and is a super fan of breakfast food. So, Auntie is on duty for some amazing waffles! Hey, I aim to please.

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main dishes, asian, drinks & appetizers Ava Dreessen main dishes, asian, drinks & appetizers Ava Dreessen

Korean Pork Belly Sliders

There's a lot of magic happening in this kitchen... Today I combine some the greatest Korean flavors with some simplified kitchen tricks to create these awesome pork belly sandwiches. Let me warn you though, my family gobbled these up in about 10 seconds, so make extra!! My quick pickling turned out so amazing, and with a gochujang sauce, it was a match made in heaven! Hope you all enjoy!


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main dishes, mexican Ava Dreessen main dishes, mexican Ava Dreessen

Crispy Potato Tacos

Today, I try my hand at a recipe that I've wanted so long to create... tacos de papa! I loved the idea of frying a taco, and on top of that, filling it with potatoes?? This isn't the healthiest vegetarian delight, but wow is it delicious!! If you love Mexican food (and fried food!) as much as I do, I just know this is the recipe for you. Enjoy!!


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main dishes, italian Ava Dreessen main dishes, italian Ava Dreessen

Italian Beef Cannelloni

Happy Blog Wednesday, Creme foodies! I hope everyone had a fabulous long Fourth of July weekend— and got some much needed time with friends and family ❤️Perhaps you made a Fourth of July Flag Cookie? Perhaps if you did you should send photos now! 😂🇺🇸A much needed front came through overnight, and it relieved us from the scorching hot weather we have been having lately. Much to my surprise, it brought on some fall-like hankerings for something warm and cozy to have for dinner! One of the things I tend to always keep in my pantry is a container or jar of Rao’s red sauce. You can get them almost anywhere now— I, of course, go to Costco!

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italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Crispy Stuffed Chicken Thighs

It's time to stuff some chicken, so roll your sleeves up and join me as I combine the most delicious ingredients in this fabulous dinner! Now, it doesn't take much to make crispy chicken, cheese, and salami mouth-wateringly amazing, but with a simple technique and some added pizzazz, this recipe's is tough to top. Hope you all get a kick out of it and go on to create it yourself! Enjoy!


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italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Make-Ahead Cheesy Italian Potato Casserole

Hello to all my Creme foodies! I’m headed to the lake house with some friends for the weekend and as I leave my family behind, I want to make sure they have some easy-peasy meals and food made ahead so they can just pop it in the oven! So, I decided to create an “on the fly” make ahead casserole, which is a spin on the “funeral potatoes” that I usually make as a quick meal. I, of course, usually add a great protein along with like chopped ham to make the perfectly delicious to-go meal! Hope you all enjoy the new take!

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italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen italian, main dishes Ava Dreessen

Pasta with Asiago Cream Sauce and Truffle Breadcrumbs

Wow, was this a good one... Today, I create my now and forever replacement for Pasta Alfredo... this cheesy, creamy sauce was so simple and yet SO rich in flavor. And to top it all off with toasted truffle breadcrumbs?? Absolutely to die for. But don't take my word for it... go grab a bottle of truffle oil and make it yourself!! Hope you all enjoy!!

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