Who doesn’t love a good burger? They’re an affordable dinner option, especially for a larger family or crowd as takeout and restaurant prices keep climbing. This line-up of burger recipes is about to get you excited to fire up the grill and make your own at home.

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As a kid, a bowl of vanilla ice cream felt like magic on quiet afternoons, especially when someone drizzled warm homemade chocolate syrup over the top, the glossy ribbons melting into soft swirls. Pink sprinkles scattered like tiny confetti made it feel extra special, as if dessert itself was celebrating something secret and joyful. The first bite was always the best — warm and cold together, sweet and comforting — a small moment that turned an ordinary day into something cozy and unforgettable.

The post Homemade Chocolate Syrup appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

A great chicken salad is a weeknight lifesaver, and my repertoire has grown far beyond the Classic Chicken Salad Recipe. I’m always experimenting with new chicken salads and dressings.

This particular orange chicken salad is a current favorite, inspired by the vibrant tastes of Southeast Asia. It’s a textural dream, combining crunchy cabbage, crisp cucumber, and tender chicken with juicy mandarin oranges and a generous handful of fresh herbs. The entire dish is brought together by an incredibly flavorful peanut-soy dressing that’s so good, you’ll want to put it on everything.

The post Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

If you’ve never made jam before, you might be surprised at just how simple it is, requiring just one skillet and about 40 minutes from start to finish. Once the bacon is crispy and the onions caramelized, the rest of the process for this bacon onion jam recipe is largely hands-off, as the jam simmers gently into a thick, glossy spread. 

This bacon onion jam goes way beyond just a basic burger condiment! Keep a jar of it in your fridge as your new secret weapon for elevating everything from a weekday grilled cheese to an impressive holiday appetizer platter. It stores beautifully and can easily be doubled – because we know you’ll need more!

The post Bacon Onion Jam appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

This orange juice salad dressing brings back memories of my mom freezing concentrated orange juice as a convenient way to make the base of this dressing while adding loads of sweet and tangy orange flavor. That and making Orange Julius drinks! It’s truly genius and a little recipe hack that I’ve gladly adopted – a perfect pairing for other green salads!

Make this vibrant salad dressing with orange juice ahead and store it in the fridge, ready to toss in a freshly assembled orange salad or drizzled over roasted veggies. 

The post Orange Juice Salad Dressing (with Orange Salad) appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

This Miso Steak Marinade has a rich and deep umami flavor, which is delicious with all cuts of meat. Try it with chicken, pork chops, lamb, and other cuts of beef (tenderloin is amazing!). I love to serve this in the summer months with summer grilling, with the burst miso (savory, with a hint of sweetness and toasty nutty flavor).

Miso Steak Marinade

The grilling process is simple! After marinating the steak (20-30 minutes max), the grilling process includes flipping, basting–repeating the process–until the steak is deliciously caramelized; about 10-12 minutes for medium-rare.

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There is nothing better than a classic, homemade caesar salad dressing. This creamy caesar dressing without anchovies is thickened with an egg yolk and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (no mayo here!) Using an immersion blender, emulsify it to a savory, cheesy and a little peppery salad dressing!

Caesar Salad Dressing without Mayo

And yes, I love a good Caesar salad dressing with NO mayo, made up and stored in my fridge in a canning jar! My family has been making grilled romaine salads for many years, and when you have a homemade caesar dressing drizzled on top, with melty Parmesan cheese and fresh garden tomatoes–it truly is the best all-time salad.

The post Caesar Salad Dressing without Mayo appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Enjoy this Irish Pub Salad, a delicious salad if you’re hosting a St. Patrick’s Day bash! Irish food is not all about Irish potatoes, which so many people think, although you may want to try this Irish Potato Pie recipe! Or, grab the recipes to this St. Patrick’s Day MENU!

What is the difference between an Irish Pub Salad and English Pub Salad?

The few days we enjoyed Dublin, it seemed salads were included with every meal, usually with some kind of pickled vegetable, tomatoes, eggs, and cheese.

The post Irish Pub Salad appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I’m a pickle lover! Whether it be a dill pickle salad, or a fried onion pickle dip (so good), we really love this new deconstructed cream cheese spread. It’s tangy, creamy, and so good (you can even try sweet pickles!) This Cream Cheese (with pickles) is a creamy and refreshing spread for so many applications.

This versatile spread is perfect for bagels, sandwiches, or even on an Epic Pickle Board. It’s really great for spring and summer parties, and game day events.

The post Dill Pickle Cream Cheese appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I love an easy pasta salad! Not only is this Big Mac burger salad packed with flavor, but it’s the kind of salad that goes great as a side dish or served as the main dish. Replace the buns with spaghetti pasta for this fabulous Big Mac Pasta Salad. It tastes just like the burger–packed with flavor, texture, and color, amazing sauce–and served in an epic salad bowl. Everyone loves this ultimate potluck salad!

Big Mac Pasta Salad

This is my go-to “party” salad, and it is particularly good with anything grilled. I can make the salad ahead of time and keep it in the fridge so it’s ready to serve when the brats or burgers come off the grill. 

It’s also a terrific choice for the holidays or if you need to take a dish to a party. Everyone loves it, and it’s so pretty with all the bright colors and textures.

Ready for a pasta salad that scores a 10 on flavor? Give this epic Big Mac Pasta Salad a try and grab your epic salad bowl. We have 2 sizes (17 inches and 21 inches). Get them while they are stocked – they sell out quickly.

Why I love this recipe

• It’s the perfect salad for a small crowd. It feeds 12 comfortably and is easy to double if you need more.
• This dish goes so well with so many other dishes and is the perfect potluck salad.
• You can prep everything ahead.

Gather these ingredients

For the salad:

• Ground beef
• Garlic powder
• Spaghetti pasta
• Cheddar cheese
• Cherry tomatoes
• Dill pickles (we used Grillo’s pickle spears)
• Red onion
• Chopped butter lettuce

For the Big Mac copycat dressing:

• Mayonnaise
• Sweet pickle relish
• Yellow mustard
• Apple cider vinegar
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder

How do you make a Big Mac Pasta Salad:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, al dente. NOTE: When adding the spaghetti, break it in half before adding to the boiling water. Rinse pasta under cool water and drain. Set aside.
2. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. 
3. Drain excess grease, or absorb with a paper towel, and season with garlic powder. Set aside.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
5. Make the salad: In an epic salad bowl, add the drained spaghetti, the lettuce, cooked ground beef, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and onions.
6. Pour the mixed dressing over all of the ingredients and using 2 wood spoons or paddles, mix the dressing into the salad until fully combined.
7. Serve pasta salad warm or at room temperature.

Tips and substitutions:

• Make the dressing ahead. Store the dressing separately in the fridge if making the salad sooner than that.
• Break the spaghetti in half before adding to the boiling water (easier size to eat).
• Cook the pasta al dente (1-2 minutes less) so it is not soggy.
• Use your favorite pasta, like spaghetti, ziti, penne, shells, etc.
• Optional is to use ground turkey or ground chicken (if you don’t want beef). But honestly, the beef tastes more like a “Big Mac hamburger.”
• Cut the cheese chunks small.
• In the summer you can use heirloom tomatoes. Yes, they are juicy, but the flavor is out of this world.
• Don’t want to use butter lettuce? You can use iceberg (but BUTTER is way better).
• Not a dill pickle fan? Add sweet pickles – yum!
• For the best flavor, make sure the dill pickles are a good brand. We love Grillo’s pickles. YUM!
• EPIC SALAD BOWL: Get while we have them in stock, we have 17 inch bowl and 21.5 inch bowl.
• We also love the wood paddles.

Serving suggestions

I love serving this salad as a side dish next to delicious burgers, grilled chicken, or grilled steaks. It works so well with so many dishes! For the holidays – serve a salad potluck one night. You can make our Pizza Salad, this salad, Cake Pan Salad, and so many more yummy recipes.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I love serving the leftovers in a wrap or tortilla the next day to make a Grinder Pasta Salad sandwich! Yum!

Check out these awesome pasta salad recipes while you’re here:

• Grinder Pasta Salad
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
• Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Pacific Rim Pasta Salad

Print

Big Mac Pasta Salad

Packed with flavor, texture, and color, this Big Mac Pasta Salad is just like a Big Mac burger, with amazing sauce, served in an epic bowl. Serves 12-16.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 18 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 673kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 lbs ground beef cooked and crumbled
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pound spaghetti pasta cooked and drained
• 3 cups diced cheddar cheese
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 3 cups dill pickles cut into chunks we used Grillo’s pickle spears
• 1 cup diced red onions
• 2 7 oz bags chopped butter lettuce (or about 4 cups)

For the Big Mac copycat dressing:

• 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sweet pickle relish
• 3 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. NOTE: When adding the spaghetti, break it in half before adding to the boiling water. Cook the pasta about 1-2 minutes less so it’s al dente. Rinse pasta under cool water and drain. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until cooked through. Drain excess grease, or absorb with a paper towel, and season with ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, add the dressing ingredients. Whisk until combined.
• In an epic salad bowl, add the drained spaghetti, the lettuce, cooked ground beef, cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and red onions.
• Pour the mixed dressing over all of the ingredients and using 2 wood spoons or paddles, mix the dressing into the salad until fully combined.
• Serve pasta salad at room temperature. But if you are making ahead, you can serve it chilled.

Nutrition

Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 834mg | Potassium: 479mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 846IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 3mg

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