These red velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting have a buttery cookie base with a light touch of cocoa and a tangy, lightly sweetened topping. The dough uses red liquid food coloring and two kinds of sugar, while the frosting stays simple with cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Give the cookies room to spread, cool them completely before frosting, and plan for refrigerator storage once the dairy topping is added.
These air fryer churro bites use whole wheat flour, applesauce and almond milk to make small cinnamon-flavored dough bites. They are soft inside with a cinnamon-sugar finish, and the basket cooking method uses a light spray of oil. Expect a spooned dough with a cake-like center rather than the piped, deeply fried texture of classic churros. Small, even portions and an uncrowded basket make the cooking easier to judge.
This creamy garlic Parmesan chicken pasta combines browned chicken breast pieces with twisted pasta and a sauce made from butter, garlic, broth, cream and freshly grated cheese. A separate pasta pot keeps the noodles easy to control, while the skillet collects flavor from the chicken. The important finishing step is gentle heat: dissolve the cheese into the sauce, then toss in the chicken and pasta without giving the already-cooked breast another long simmer.
These buffalo chicken bacon mozzarella bombs are breaded ground-chicken balls with mozzarella and cooked bacon tucked inside. Buffalo sauce seasons the meat, and a flour, egg and breadcrumb coating surrounds the filling before frying. A thermometer is essential for this recipe: a golden crust and melted cheese do not show whether the chicken layer is cooked through. Make twelve evenly sized pieces and fry in uncrowded batches for the clearest control.
These sausage egg breakfast roll-ups tuck scrambled eggs, crumbled cooked sausage and optional cheese into refrigerated crescent dough. One standard package gives eight rolls, enough for four servings of two. The filling is cooked before it meets the dough, which keeps the oven stage focused on baking the pastry. Drain any moisture from the eggs, divide the filling evenly, and roll from the wide end so the small parcels stay together.
This creamy garlic penne pasta has a garlic-infused white sauce made with butter, flour, whole milk, heavy cream and Parmesan. The flour thickens the dairy before the cheese goes in, giving the cooked penne a coating that stays together without a long reduction. Keep the garlic pale, whisk the milk in gradually, and finish the Parmesan over gentle heat. It is a meatless pasta main that also fits beside a simply cooked protein.
This chicken avocado melt sandwich puts cooked shredded chicken, mashed avocado and cheese between buttered slices of bread, then toasts the outside in a skillet. The avocado binds the filling so it is easier to spread, while the cheese softens around it as the bread turns golden. A moderate burner and a brief covered stage help a thick filling heat through before the crust becomes too dark. The recipe makes two substantial sandwiches.
This ranch chicken penne is a creamy skillet pasta with cooked shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, cheddar and crumbled bacon. Dry ranch seasoning gives the sauce its herb-and-onion flavor, while a little broth helps the cream cheese melt into a coating. The pasta is boiled separately, then folded into the finished sauce. Divide the cheddar before starting: half goes into the sauce and the other half melts across the top.
This homemade butter chicken uses bite-size chicken thighs with a short yogurt-and-spice marinade, followed by a generous tomato and heavy cream sauce. Garlic, onion, curry powder and garam masala build the flavor in a skillet, and butter finishes the sauce. It is a mild, rich version with optional cayenne for heat. Plan for the refrigerator marinating time as well as cooking, and serve the sauce with prepared rice or naan.
A coconut chicken rice bowl combines bite-size chicken breast with a pourable coconut milk sauce flavored by garlic, ginger, soy sauce and a small splash of lime. Spoon it over cooked rice so the grains catch the sauce, then finish with cilantro or green onions.