I am ashamed to admit that I'm new to gnocchi. It never sounded appealing to me and I shrugged it off as some sort of Food Network fad for people who have too much time on their hands.

Our family was invited to some friends' house for dinner last year and gnocchi soup was on the menu. I was hesitant to try it due to the fact that its appearance reminded me of a sea creature and the texture sounded less than appealing. But, the joke was on me. I was hooked after that first bite...a bite that started an obsession.

After trying every variety Trader Joe's had to offer and everything I could find at my local supermarket, I broke down and decided to challenge myself by making homemade gnocchi. TV chefs make it look so easy, but I was pleasantly surprised at exactly how simple it was. We've enjoyed them fried, seared in butter, boiled with sauce, made with sweet potatoes, made with spinach...the possibilities are endless when it comes to gnocchi.

So what exactly is gnocchi? Gnocchi is a traditional Italian pasta, often referred to as a potato dumpling. The dough is rolled out before it is cut into small pieces and pressed with a fork or a cheese grater to make ridges or cut into little lumps. The shapes and flavors of gnocchi vary across different cultures.

In the recipe below, I used classic potato gnocchi that I purchased at our local supermarket in place of traditional lasagna noodles to create a simple, flavorful skillet lasagna. I cooked it on my Traeger grill to add some smokey flavor and doubt that I will ever cook lasagna in my home oven again. The result was so good that my kids scraped every last bite out of the skillet. Give it a try and let us know how you like it!

Get the recipe for 30-Minute Skillet Gnocchi Lasagna HERE: https://cntryrbl.us/Gnocchi-Lasagna-Recipe
Try one of our other favorite skillet recipes, Crack Skillet Totchos, HERE: https://cntryrbl.us/Crack-Totchos

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I'm a sucker for good queso, especially when it's loaded with spinach and artichokes. Some of my favorite queso comes from Chili's and other chain restaurants in our neck of the woods. So, I got to thinking....what would happen if I took some of the most popular copycat spinach queso recipes on the internet and meshed them to make the ultimate spinach queso recipe?

The result was everything I dreamed it would be. Well, almost everything. It would fulfill all of my chips and dip dreams if there were such thing as a healthy queso that tasted like it was just made in a restaurant kitchen. But, since I'm not too concerned about calorie count (even if I should be), I went all in on this recipe. Let me tell you, it was so worth it!

Before I got started, I researched the best copycat recipes for Applebee's Spinach Artichoke Dip, Olive Garden Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Cheddar's Spinach Dip, and Chili's White Spinach Queso. I found the recipes with the best reviews, took the best parts of each recipe and combined them into one recipe. For instance, one of the copycats called for a jar of alfredo sauce. Others used a variety of cheeses from Mozzarella to Romano. All of the recipes called for cream cheese, so that was a no-brainer.

All of the ingredients are combined in one bowl then spooned into a baking dish. The mess is minimal with this recipe, so cleanup is a breeze. I baked it in my cast iron skillet, but feel free to use a disposable aluminum baking pan for even less mess.

While the recipe I came up with can easily be baked in the oven, I baked mine in my Traeger and left the cast iron skillet uncovered to incorporate some smoky taste. I would highly recommend this option if you have a grill or smoker!

Give the recipe below a try and let us know what you think!

GET THE RECIPE FOR ULTIMATE RESTAURANT SPINACH QUESO HERE: https://cntryrbl.us/Copycat-Queso

Get the recipe for Pepperoni Pizza Dip as seen in the video here: https://cntryrbl.us/PizzaDip

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If you haven't figured it out yet, those of us in the Country Rebel Kitchen are crazy about bacon, ranch and tater tots. You can imagine our excitement when we meshed all of those together to make a tasty appetizer just in time for the big game. If we're being honest, this recipe will be enjoyed all year round, with or without a big game.

What exactly did we come up with when we combined bacon, ranch and tater tots? Crack BLT Totchos! Tater tots meets nachos in this easy-to-make one-pan treat. Frozen tots are tossed with dry ranch dressing mix and baked before being topped with loads of cheese, bacon, tomatoes, chopped baby spinach and a creamy sauce.

The result is a fun twist on traditional nachos that everyone will enjoy! Get the full recipe for Crack BLT Skillet Totchos here: https://cntryrbl.us/Crack-Totchos

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Brownies are nearly as controversial as "beans in chili" or "dipping fries in milkshakes." But, we've found a brownie recipe that we're darn certain everyone will agree on.

Lunch Lady Brownies will evoke memories of childhood school lunches....in a good way. Next to grilled cheese and tomato soup day, our favorite school lunch was anything followed by brownies. They were the best when enjoyed with an ice cold carton of milk. Sometimes the lunch lady was feeling extra generous and we were allowed to get seconds. Thanks to this recipe, not only can we recreate our favorite brownies, but we can eat as many as our little hearts desire.

Brownies are one of those desserts that is incredibly simple to make, but folks like to overcomplicate it by adding fancy ingredients. Trust us when we tell you that simple is better when it comes to brownies. This recipe uses basic pantry staples that everyone should already have on hand. The bakes brownie base is topped with a fudgy, rich frosting that melts onto the top of the piping hot brownies. If you're feeling extra indulgent, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Give our recipe for Lunch Lady Brownies a try! Post a photo of the finished produce on social media and tag @CountryRebelRecipes and use the hashtag #rebelrecipes.

Get the recipe for LUNCH LADY BROWNIES here: https://cntryrbl.us/Lunch-Lady-Brownies

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John Wayne Casserole. One of the few casseroles that gives tater tot casserole a run for its money. Loaded with beef, veggies, and cheese, this simple hotdish is topped with flavorful biscuits smothered in butter.

It's unclear exactly where John Wayne Casserole originated, but it has apparently been around for decades as the Duke himself considered it a personal favorite. According to 12 Tomatoes, "John Wayne was asked to contribute a recipe for the cookbook, Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends. Proceeds from the book were to benefit the American Cancer Society. The book was a compilation of recipes from celebrities and John Wayne submitted his favorite casserole. This recipe was released in the book in 1979, the same year that Wayne died from cancer."

Numerous varieties of this casserole can be found online, but there is one thing that nearly all of them have in common. They feature a biscuit layer and lots of beef. We've taken the classic recipe and put our own Rebel twist on it by turning it upside down (putting the biscuits on top instead of the bottom) and added a ranch dressing kick.

We think you and your family will love gathering around the table to feast on this hearty hotdish. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Get the recipe for Ranch-Style John Wayne Casserole here: https://cntryrbl.us/John-Wayne-Casserole

Follow Country Rebel Recipes on Facebook and Instagram for more recipes so good they should be outlawed.

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Whipped coffee is so last year. The hot new drink for 2021 is none other than hot chocolate. Most would argue that hot chocolate has never gone out of style, and we would have to agree. But, the method of making this chocolate-lovers' dream beverage has evolved.

If you're hot chocolate craving requires immediate satisfaction, then don't hesitate to stir a package of Swiss Miss mix into a cup of piping hot milk or water. But, if you're up for a unique and tasty twist, we suggest treating yourself to a whipped hot chocolate. One of our favorite parts about this trend is that it is easily tweaked to make all kinds of flavors.

So, what exactly is whipped hot chocolate? Dry hot chocolate mix is beat with heavy whipping cream to make a rich, chocolatey whipped cream. This cream is then spooned onto a cup of hot milk and topped with marshmallows and any other topping that suits your fancy. These ingredients are stirred together just before indulging.

Coffee creamers make a great addition to whipped hot chocolate to switch up the taste, and the whole milk can be replaced with chocolate milk for a super chocolatey treat! It can even be enjoyed over ice for a summertime treat. We've put together a list of three of our favorite whipped hot chocolate recipes to share with you. Check them out below and watch the video to see just how simple it is to take hot chocolate to the next level!

Get the recipes for Whipped Hot Chocolate Three Ways here: https://cntryrbl.us/Whipped-Hot-Chocolate

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If there's ever an excuse to make candy, Christmas time is it! The season brings out the most nostalgic feelings in all of us, and many of the memories surrounding the holiday can be found in food. It may be the smell of your momma's homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, showing up at grandma's house to find that she's baked a huge spread of treats for you to enjoy, or perhaps it's joining your loved ones in the kitchen to bake all of your favorite treats.

All of the above apply to us at the Country Rebel Kitchen, and some of our favorite things to make during the holiday season are cookies and candy! We recently shared our best Old-Fashioned Divinity recipe with you. Now it's time to share one of the coolest candies you'll ever make....Honeycomb Toffee. Also known as sponge candy, hokey-pokey and cinder toffee, this candy is incredibly easy to make, but requires a candy thermometer and a little bit of patience.

Sugar, water, corn syrup, honey and salt are cooked to make a dark syrup. Baking soda is whisked in and the result is basically a science experiment that will have your kiddos ooh-ing and ahh-ing. As soon as the baking soda hits the hot syrup, it begins to grow and bubble, creating the candy's signature air pockets...aka honeycomb.

The result is a crunchy, sweet, honey-flavored toffee that is stick-to-your-teeth good! Give it a try using the recipe found here: https://cntryrbl.us/Honeycomb-Toffee

Follow Country Rebel Recipes on Facebook for more recipes so good they should be outlawed here: https://cntryrbl.us/RebelRecipes

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Peanut brittle, spice drops, peppermint sticks, and divinity....few candies evoke Christmas memories for us like these. Long before Williams Sonoma's Peppermint Bark and Brown & Haley's Almond Roca topped the holiday candy game, our grandmothers (and their mothers and grandmothers before them) were hand-crafting candy with skill and precision that many of today's candy makers only dream about.

One of our favorite old-fashioned homemade candies is divinity. The nougat-like treat is made with only a few simple ingredients, but delivers a one-of-a-kind candy that you'll be making year after year.

A mixture of sugar, corn syrup, water and a dash of salt is cooked to 260 degrees F (also known as hard ball stage) then slowly poured into a bowl of stiff egg whites. The mixture is beaten until thick and dull before optional mix-ins are added. Our preference is chopped pecans, but the possibilities are endless! Crushed peppermints, walnuts, chopped maraschino cherries and coconut also make great additions to divinity!

The most common mistake people make when making divinity is that they get impatient and stop beating the candy too soon. It's crucial that the candy is whipped until it holds it's shape, otherwise it will spread when you spoon it onto the parchment and the candy won't have it's signature melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Grab yourself a candy thermometer and your favorite mix-ins and give it a try using the recipe found here: https://cntryrbl.us/Old-Fashioned-Divinity

FOLLOW COUNTRY REBEL RECIPES ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES SO GOOD THEY SHOULD BE OUTLAWED: https://cntryrbl.us/RebelRecipes

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Some of the greatest recipe gems can be found scribbled on paper scraps or index cards or in handwritten notebooks from years gone by. Most often it's impossible to know where a recipe originated and who to give credit to. The recipe sometimes takes on a life of its own and gets handed down through generations of home cooks until it becomes a family treasure.

Such is the case for Johnny Cash's mother's pineapple pie. According to a post made online several years ago, the wife of Johnny Cash's cousin was the lucky recipient of a cookbook full of Johnny's mother's recipes. The book was called Favorite Recipes from Mama Cash's Kitchen and included the recipe for Carrie Cloveree Cash's pineapple pie. We don't know about you, but we would go crazy over finding such a priceless recipe collection!

Thankfully, Miss Carrie's family has graciously shared her recipe for pineapple pie, and it's simple enough that even a novice baker can master it. It can be made with a homemade crust or a refrigerated store-bought crust, and it doesn't require any fancy ingredients.

While the recipe is absolutely delicious, the real thrill comes from knowing that we're enjoying a treat that the Man in Black likely enjoyed many times himself. We can't help but picture Johnny and his siblings gathered around their family table, anxiously awaiting a slice of their mama's homemade pineapple pie.

Travel back in time with us as you enjoy this recipe for Johnny Cash's mother's pineapple pie.

Get the recipe for Momma Cash's Pineapple Pie here: https://cntryrbl.us/Johnnys-Pineapple-Pie

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