Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Can you even believe that today is the first of November? I’ve had a bit of a bug all week, so I’m enjoying a lazy weekend at home with hot tea and honey to soothe my throat.

I have a stack of books (metaphorical, of course, since they’re all on my Kindle) and several games waiting to be played with the kids. They’re all home today and I’m loving it. Now that they’re mostly grown, it’s kind of rare to have most of us at home at the same time, so we try to make the most of it. 

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Soup season is officially here, and I don’t know about you, but I could happily live on cozy bowls of soup all fall and winter long. To make things easy (and extra delicious), I’ve gathered the top 10 fall soup recipes people are cooking right now.

This recipe for Dutch Oven Pot Roast is a timeless classic. Carrots and onions simmer in the rich broth for hours, while the beef gets so tender that it practically falls apart on its own. How could we say no?

These Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes take a classic and make it even better. We’re talking about velvety smooth potatoes, bursting with rich cheesy flavor. This is the kind of side dish that everyone is still talking about, long after the potluck is over. (And you’re going to want a scoop of these potatoes alongside that amazing pot roast!)

Before we move on, yes, I KNOW how weird this one sounds, but once you’ve tried this Cheesy Broccoli Cornbread, you’ll understand. It’s the kind of side that starts with “I guess I’ll take just a small piece,” but always ends with me going back for more. 

The first time I tossed broccoli florets into the air fryer basket, I honestly didn’t expect much. But when the timer dinged and I opened the basket, I was thrilled with how gorgeous the Air Fried Broccoli looked. The florets had golden brown to slightly charred edges, and vibrant green stems that weren’t mushy at all. This has become one of my go-to snacks and easy sides when there are just a few of us at home.

Classic pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are super soft and moist, the kind of dessert that melts in your mouth and makes you wonder why you ever waited until fall to start baking with pumpkin.

You’ll savor every spoonful of this M&M Ice Cream, where the unmistakable crunch of M&Ms collides with the smoothness of luscious vanilla. 

What I’m CRAVING: My brother made this Chicken Pot Pie Casserole this week and raved about it so much that now I’m craving it! I’m putting it back on the menu for later this week, and my youngest son is thrilled about that. 

My FAVORITE THING this week is this new board game, Wingspan. We played it for the first time just a week or so ago, and we’ve played it several more times already. I love it! If a strategy-based game can actually be relaxing, this one is. It’s laid back, not aggressively competitive, and engaging without being overly complicated. It’s almost ridiculously fun. Have you tried it?

What I’m LISTENING to: Night Diving and Willfully Blind by Max McNown. He’s a new-to-me country-folk artist that my son introduced me to, and I’m really enjoying his music.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 ESV

Wishing you a beautiful week filled with little things that make you smile!

Mary

The post The Little Things Newsletter #493 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food! appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

This homemade Velveeta mac and cheese recipe is a creamy comfort dish. Macaroni is stirred into a silky Velveeta and cheddar sauce, topped with a crunchy breadcrumb mixture, and baked until bubbly & delicious!

Our Easy French Toast Casserole is a classic recipe for brunch or breakfast, especially a holiday breakfast! You’ll go nuts for the cinnamon crumb topping. 

It has been years and years since we’ve updated this old post for our favorite, simple french toast bake, but I’m finally getting around to it. Every year I’ve made it for a special breakfast, vowed to take new photos and then gobbled the entire thing up. 

Well, a few months back we lost a few of our older posts in a tragic mishap on the blog, so here we are, desperate to get this baked french toast back up because it’s the perfect holiday breakfast!

Ingredients for French Toast Casserole

There’s nothing too surprising here, but starting with a good bread is crucial! Other than the bread, you’ll probably have everything else at home already. Here is your ingredients list:

• Challah, Brioche or Sourdough Bread: you want a dense sturdy bread and day old is best
• Eggs: large eggs, medium and you’ll need more eggs, extra large and you’ll need less
• Milk: don’t use fat free milk, but any other milk will work fine, we prefer 2%
• Heavy Cream: essential for the custard base of the casserole and adds richness and flavor
• Sugar: any granulated refined sugar works great
• Brown Sugar: adds flavor and richness
• Cinnamon: any brand of cinnamon is great
  • NOTE: If you’re a nutmeg fan, you could add a little pinch of nutmeg too. I especially love that during the holidays!
• Vanilla: real vanilla extract is preferred

Topping

• Butter: chilled and cut into small (1/2 inch-ish) cubes
• Flour: just all purpose
• Brown Sugar: I never need a reason for brown sugar…haha…but really it’s all the flavor and sweetness
• Cinnamon: combined with the brown sugar and it’s all the flavor you need
• Salt: just a little pinch enhances all the flavors
• Optional: Top with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.

How to Make French Toast Casserole

This is a great recipe for the holidays because you can make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. In fact, it’s better if you let it sit overnight. Overnight french toast casserole makes breakfast on Christmas morning so easy! Just a thought! Here are the simplified steps for making this breakfast casserole:

1. Prep: Tear or slice the bread into bite size pieces and prepare a baking dish by spraying with cooking spray. Place the bread into the pan.
2. Whisk: Whisk the eggs, milk and cream together and then add the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture all over the bread.
3. Rest: Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
   • NOTE: If you need to bake it earlier, let it rest for at least 1 hour before baking.
4. Make Topping: Prepare the crumble topping by adding all the ingredients except the butter to a bowl and whisk together. Cut in the butter and squeeze it together into clumps. Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to bake the casserole.
5. Prep: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven.
6. Bake: Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the crumb topping all over the soaked bread. Bake.
7. Garnish: Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle with fresh berries if desired. Serve with buttermilk syrup or your favorite syrup of choice.

What is the Best Bread for French Toast?

You want a good dense bread that can hold up to the egg custard mixture. My preferred types of bread are brioche or challah, but a good sourdough, french bread, or Texas toast will work fine too.

How to Avoid Soggy French Toast Casserole

The key to avoiding a soggy casserole is the bread. You want to use a good sturdy bread and cutting it into thick bread cubes so it can soak up the egg mixture.

Letting the casserole soak for a long time is also crucial. That way the egg mixture gets more evenly distributed throughout the dish and when it bakes, it bakes evenly and give you the texture you desire. You can also press the bread down into the egg to help it get coated.

Do You Eat French Toast Casserole with Syrup?

Yessssss…I mean, why wouldn’t you?!? I guess you don’t have to if you prefer less sweetness. It will be plenty moist if you don’t overbake it. But we love it with buttermilk syrup or our coconut buttermilk syrup!

If you want a thicker more caramel-y syrup, add a cup of brown sugar to our buttermilk syrup recipe.

What to Serve with French Toast Bake

I love a mix of savory and sweet for breakfast so a side of scrambled eggs or fried eggs and some bacon is a great option. Oooh some chorizo potatoes could be good too! However, this casserole is hearty enough to stand on it’s own.

Storing, Reheating, and Freezing French Toast Casserole?

Leftover french toast casserole stores really well in the fridge. Cover the leftovers with plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

We usually reheat the casserole one serving at a time with a quick zap in the microwave. If you want to reheat the whole casserole, warm it up in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.

This dish also freezes very well. Make and bake it as written in the instructions and let it cool completely. Be sure to bake it in a dish that is freezer safe. Once it is cool, wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. It will freeze for up to three months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm it up in the oven at 350 degrees for around a half hour.

So if an easy make ahead breakfast that everyone will devour is what you are after, then this french toast casserole recipe is exactly what you need. It makes the best breakfast for dinner too!

More Breakfast Casseroles to Try:

• Savory Hash Brown Casserole
• Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
• Sausage Monterrey Jack Souffle
• Cheesy Sausage Hash Brown Casserole
• Apple French Toast Casserole
• Eggnog French Toast Casserole

You know the feeling. You’ve got maybe 10 minutes before everyone starts asking for dinner, and you need something fast, hearty, and actually satisfying. That’s exactly when I reach for this Southwest Chicken Soup.

Loaded with our favorite Mexican flavors, this soup is slightly spicy with chunks of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and tender chicken. I like to top each bowl with shredded cheese and tortilla strips. This is one of my go-to recipes for quick and easy dinners.

Southwest Chicken Soup

Look, I get it. I’m also skeptical of what gets claimed as a “10 minute” this and that online. But, this really does get dinner on the table in just ten minutes. I even timed myself making this soup when I made it the second time, because I couldn’t believe how fast it came together. And, it’s so good!

All the moms I know have a go-to list of meals. Usually, it’s because our families love the flavors, sometimes, it’s because it reminds us of a loved one. And, sometimes it’s because it’s exactly what we need, when we’re exhausted and need to get food ready with as little effort as possible. For quick and easy, this Southwest Chicken Soup is the winner, winner, chicken dinner!

About all that you will need to make this soup is a handful of pantry ingredients and some leftover chicken. You can also make it with a rotisserie chicken, roasted chicken, shredded chicken, or a couple of leftover grilled or baked chicken thighs. Pretty much ANY cooked chicken will do, here.

Because the chicken is already cooked, you really only have to heat up the ingredients. After a few minutes on the stove, this soup is hot and ready. We make a version of this soup at least once a month throughout the cooler months of the year.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Let’s talk about flavors for a second. A good southwestern chicken soup hits every note. We get savory chicken, earthy beans, sweet corn, acidity from the tomatoes, all wrapped up in a gentle (and adjustable!) spiciness. This is hearty, simple food makes it look like you tried way harder than you actually did.

If you’ve got a pot and a can opener, you can throw this together in no time flat. And, honestly, one of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is really flexible. If I have extra vegetables leftover in the fridge, I almost always add them to the soup. Missing the chicken, but have sausage on hand? Still works. Want to make it spicier? Dial up the cayenne. It supports a wide range of ingredients.

Southwest Chicken Soup Recipe

Half the fun of a meal like this is letting everyone top it the way they want. I usually top my soup with shredded cheese and tortilla strips, or even slice an avocado if I have it on hand. My boys like to dice up a jalapeno or add hot sauce or red pepper flakes to theirs.

If you want to avoid any potential heat in this soup, you can skip the cayenne or add a dollop of sour cream. You can dress it up with fresh herbs and lime, or just keep it simple for a cozy night in. There’s really no wrong way to make this soup. If you do make this recipe, please share with me what toppings you used! I’m always looking for more suggestions.

Quick and Easy Soup Recipes

I am a planner at heart. I block out my day by the hour, deciding ahead of time where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing. But, I think we all know how often a plan can go awry. So, I’ve got a lot of quick and easy soup recipes on the blog, which have been made countless times over the years. Here are some of my best soups that go from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.

This sausage soup with Italian white beans and cabbage is loaded with great flavors. Bonus, it’s not just a broth with a few chunks in it. It’s full of vegetables and meat and will absolutely fill up your hungriest eater.

I love the velvety broth in this cheesy, creamy vegetable soup. It’s loaded with sweet corn, earthy potatoes, and colorful bell peppers. And, if you’re craving beans, try my three bean minestrone soup. This is the kind of meal you that warms you all the way up in winter.

My cousin Helene gave me a recipe for pizza soup years ago. My boys are old enough now to point out that pasta, beans, and sausage don’t make a pizza. But, when they were little, they cheered for the soup that smelled just like pizza, loving it from the very first bite.

Print

10 Minute Southwest Chicken Soup

Loaded with Mexican flavors, this is a slightly spicy soup with generous chunks of tomatoes, corn, black beans, and chicken.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 341kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

• 14 ounces corn drained
• 14 ounces black beans drained and rinsed, about 1 1/2 cups
• 20 ounces diced tomatoes with green chile use a mild version for almost no heat
• 28-32 ounces chicken broth, about 4 cups
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste as desired
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped bite-size, about 3/4-inch pieces

Optional Toppings

• shredded cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Mexican cheese blend
• tortilla strips
• sour cream
• chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
• Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is warm and the soup is steaming. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and add the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 1010mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 5mg

{originally published 6/28/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/5/25}

The post 10 Minute Southwest Chicken Soup appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

This oven-roasted chicken is so easy and loaded with delicious flavor! Add this to Sunday dinner! ❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE We love to make this roasted chicken on a Sunday and enjoy it over the week. This chicken is perfect to make chicken salad, or just enjoy a chicken breast with a delicious meal,…

Cornish hen is roasted with fresh veggies until juicy & crispy. Serve with a side salad and homemade buns for a hearty meal that will impress your guests!

You’ll savor every spoonful of this M&M Ice Cream, where the unmistakable crunch of M&Ms collides with the smoothness of luscious vanilla. Bonus? It takes just a few minutes of effort to whisk everything together for the ice cream maker.

M&M Ice Cream

This ice cream is on the simpler side of the recipes I’ve developed. But, simple is a good thing with this M&M Ice Cream. How could I complain about being able to serve freshly churned, colorful, and fun ice cream with very little fuss?

While M&Ms aren’t my favorite candy, I do keep them on hand. They appear in some of my favorite recipes, like this incredible cookie dough ice cream which was inspired by my grandma’s monster cookies. But, it’s not like M&Ms are my whole identity, ok?

This one is for you, Miles.

I feel the need to point that out because my brother Miles has a long and storied history with the yellow M&M. It started in 1995, the year he started high school. That was when M&Ms first gave their animated candies distinct personalities.

Miles used the yellow M&M as his calling card in his candidacy for high school president (which he won!). And so my siblings and I have been surprising him with Yellow M&M swag pretty much ever since. As a result, this ice cream makes me think of him when I eat it.

Ice Cream Mix Ins

There are so many different candies, treats, syrups, nuts, and more that can be used as ice cream mix ins. I’ve made a ton of recipes like this M&M ice cream, already. And, one thing I’ve found is that ice cream is so versatile, you can use what you have on hand.

I used miniature M&Ms in this recipe because the smaller size is less of a problem when frozen solid. But, you could also use regular M&Ms or even the larger peanut M&Ms if don’t have miniature ones. Just be sure to crush them into smaller pieces, first.

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

With over 160 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.

These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting (who doesn’t love homemade ice cream?) storage, re-using, etc. I write the flavors on the lids with a sharpie and it washes off with dish soap.

I have more ice cream scoops than I can keep track of at this point and I definitely play favorites. This ice cream scoop does the best job ever of cutting through firm ice cream and still delivers a pretty scoop. It gets bonus points for being one of the least expensive scoops I own as well.

Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs. Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!

Candy Ice Cream

If you’re like me, and you have ever opened the cupboard to discover that someone already polished off the last of the M&Ms, don’t fret. There are loads of candy ice cream recipes to choose from!

Fresh and creamy strawberry ice cream is sprinkled throughout with Nerds candy to create this super fun Nerds Ice Cream. My crew and I can’t resist it. And, if you’re looking for a way to use up some leftover Christmas candy, who says no to Candy Cane Ice Cream? I sure don’t.

Maybe you’re looking for something with a bit more chocolate? If so, try my chocolate malted crunch ice cream. It’s made with the classic Whoppers candy. For an even more indulgent flavor, go all in with this Twix Ice Cream, bursting with chunks of cookies, caramel, and chocolate.

Print

M&M Ice Cream

Creamy vanilla meets crunchy milk chocolate in this M&M Ice Cream, a fun and tasty dessert that everyone in your family will love.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 1/2 cup servings

Calories 346kcal

Author Mary Younkin

Ingredients

• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 1½ cups whole milk
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup miniature M&M candies

Instructions

• Combine the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour into the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• When the ice cream finishes churning, scoop into an airtight container, sprinkling M&M candies over each scoop. Do not stir much, as the candies will immediately begin to melt into the ice cream.
• Serve immediately for soft serve ice cream or transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 774IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post M&M Ice Cream appeared first on Barefeet in the Kitchen.

A homemade pot of bean soup simmering on the stove is the ultimate comfort food. It’s wholesome, hearty, and a budget friendly way to stretch a bit of ham or meat. They always reheat well, freeze beautifully, and bean soups are one of those meals that seem to get better with time. A classic bean…