They’re so easy to make. Make sure to completely thaw your shrimp if using frozen which I usually do. If I’m running short on time, I’ll submerge them in a bowl of cold water to speed up the thawing process. Drain and season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder and drizzle them with olive oil.

Now you slide them onto skewers or if you have a blackstone you don’t have too and can just dump them on the hot griddle. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until they’re pink and cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. 
Remove them from the grill and place them in a pan. Melt the butter and mix in the garlic powder. Pour the warm melted butter over the shrimp and give it a stir. 
And that’s it, you’re ready to enjoy them! 
I learned how to make these shrimp from our good friends Billy and Becky. They made them for us while visiting one summer and it was an instant hit. 
Happy Grilling! 
~Rachel Ballinger 🍤🍤🍤

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”  ~Rachel 

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Grilled Garlic Butter Shrimp

These buttery garlic grilled shrimp are so good and the perfect addition to your next bbq.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Appetizer, Main Course, Meat, Shrimp

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 lbs frozen raw peeled shrimp
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• 1 stick butter 8 tbsp
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Instructions

• Thaw the shrimp and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Skewer shrimp onto skewers. If you have a Blackstone, that’s not necessary. I dump them directly onto the hot surface.
• Grill for about 5 minutes on each side or until the shrimp turn pink. Cooking them too long will make them tough and chewy.
• Remove from grill and place in a pan or bowl.
• Melt the butter and stir in the garlic powder. Pour it over the cooked shrimp.
• Serve hot!

The post Grilled Garlic Butter Shrimp appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Country coleslaw is a creamy side dish made with cabbage, carrots, and onion in a sweet and tangy buttermilk sauce. It’s the perfect accompaniment for fried chicken or bbq sandwiches.

I love the coleslaw at KFC and this recipe is really close to theirs and maybe even just a tad bit better. I love cabbage and this is a delicious way to eat it. 

Ingredients Needed: 

• mayonnaise 
• whole milk
• buttermilk
• lemon juice
• vinegar, white or apple cider both work
• salt 
• black pepper 
• cabbage
• carrot
• onion 

How to Make Country Coleslaw:

• In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Chop the cabbage and onion and grate the carrot and add it all to the sauce and mix it well. 
• For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours before serving. 

This is a recipe that I make a lot especially in the summer when we grill out a lot. It goes with pretty much any grilled meal. Sometimes I’ll pull out my hand crank veggie grater to chop the veggies but it’s just as good all chopped and diced with a knife. 
Y’all enjoy!

~Rachel Ballinger ☕️💕

 

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel 

 

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Country Coleslaw

Country coleslaw is a creamy side dish made with cabbage, carrots, and onion in a sweet and tangy buttermilk sauce. It’s the perfect accompaniment for fried chicken or bbq sandwiches.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ, Cabbage, Coleslaw, Salad, Side Dish

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar white or apple cider work
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 head of cabbage chopped
• 1 carrot shredded
• 1/4 cup minced onion

Instructions

• Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
• Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion and stir to combine.
• You can serve it right away but I highly recommend covering and refrigerating for at least two hours before serving. The rest time gives the ingredients time to marinate and increases the flavor.

Notes

You can substitute the cabbage and carrots for two 16 oz bags tricolor coleslaw mix if desired.

The post Country Coleslaw appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

These tangy dill pickle deviled eggs are a favorite in my house full of pickle lovers. All the great taste of traditional deviled eggs with an added lunch from the dill pickles and pickle juice. They make a great appetizer and are also substantial enough to be a side dish. 

These start with hard boiling eggs and I don’t know any fancy tricks to hard boiling eggs and making them easy to peel. I just cover them with water, bring it to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, remove from heat and drain off hot water and cover with cold water. Some people cover the cooked eggs with ice and let them sit. I do know that older eggs peel easier so if I know I’m going to make deviled eggs, I’ll set some eggs aside and let them sit for a week before using. Other than that my only advice is, peel carefully and hope for the best! 

Ingredients Needed for Tangy Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs: 

• eggs, at least a week old is best 
• mayo
• apple cider vinegar
• dry mustard
• sugar
• salt
• black pepper
• dill weed, fresh or dried 
• dill pickle juice 
• dill pickles, finely chopped 

How to Make Them:

• Hard boil the eggs. Peel them and cut in half. Put the yolk in a bowl and the whites on a plate. 
• Mash the egg yolks. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl with the egg yolks and stir to combine. 
• Fill the egg white halves with the yolk filling.
• I like to serve them on a bed of lettuce on a serving tray. 
• Garnish the tops with fresh dill and a sprinkle of paprika.
• Enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers. There probably won’t be any leftovers. Usually people are fighting over who gets the last ones! 

Of course, you can always make classic deviled eggs by leaving out the dill, pickle juice, and pickles. They are quite amazing like that too. 
Enjoy!

~Rachel Ballinger 🥚💕

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel 

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Tangy Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs

This is a tangy twist on classic deviled eggs made especially for the lovers of dill pickles. Makes a great appetizer and also substantial enough to be a side dish.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Appetizer, Dill, eggs, Side Dish

Servings 24 Eggs

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp mustard
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed or 1 tsp fresh dill chopped, and a little extra for garnish
• 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
• paprika for garnish

Instructions

• Hard boil the eggs. Peel and wash them and then cut in half. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and mash them with a fork.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
• Using a fork, fill the egg white halves with the egg mixture.
• Place the filled eggs on a serving tray on top of lettuce and sprinkle the tops with paprika and chopped fresh dill.

The post Tangy Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

It’s quite simple to throw this salad together and yet it’s very festive and pretty. I mix up all the dressing ingredients in a pint jar. Makes it easy. Just put the lid on and shake! You can serve the dressing on the side or tossed in with the salad. I usually toss in it when I’m serving a bunch of people and know it will be eaten soon but serve it on the side when I know it’ll be in the fridge and enjoyed over the next couple days. 

I toast the sliced almonds by heating up a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, add the almonds and toast for a couple minutes keeping a watchful eye on them because they go from toasted to burnt really fast. If you smell them, they’re done. Remove them from the hot pan and let them cool before adding them to the salad. 

Ingredients needed to make this beautiful salad: 

• spinach, baby spinach is preferred but you can tear up large spinach jus as well 
• strawberries 
• cucumbers 
• red onion 
• slices almonds, toasted 
• lemon juice 
• olive oil
• honey
• Dijon mustard 
• salt
• minced garlic 
• poppyseeds 

How to Assemble this Spinach Strawberry Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing: 

• In a bowl, toss together the spinach, strawberries, cucumbers, red onion, and almonds.
• In a pint jar, combine all the dressing ingredients, cover, and shake well to combine. 
• Serve and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers. 

I hope you enjoy this beautiful salad! It’s especially perfect for spring and summer. 
~Rachel Ballinger 🥗🍓

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

A crisp salad perfect for any occasion with the beautiful colors of green spinach and cucumbers, red strawberries and onions, a sprinkling of toasted almonds, and a zesty lemon poppyseed dressing.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Salad, Side Dish, Spinach, Strawberry

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 Servings

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

Salad:

• 6 oz baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup sliced cucumber
• 1/2 half red onion thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds toasted

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds

Instructions

• In a serving bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, cucumbers, red onion, and toasted almonds. Toss together mix.
• Assemble the dressing by placing all ingredients in a pint jar, putting the lid on, and giving it a good shake to combine.
• Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.

The post Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

These soft and fluffy Parmesan garlic knots are irresistible and addicting! A light yeast dough browned to perfection and smothered in a garlicky Parmesan butter makes them the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Who can resist a fresh dinner roll twisted into a fun shape and coated with butter? Not me, that’s who! You don’t need any special equipment to make these. Just mix up the dough in a bowl and knead by hand or make it in a mixer. Punch down dough, shape it and bake it on a baking sheet. 

Ingredients needed:

(scroll down for complete printable recipe with measurements and directions) 

• lukewarm water, between 100-105 degrees Fahrenheit, when the water is too hot it kills the yeast
• white sugar (or honey) 
• salt
• instant dry yeast (it doesn’t require blooming) Here’s a good one. I usually buy a 2 pack and pour one in a wide mouth quart jar that I keep in the fridge and put the other pack in the freezer until I need it
• olive oil
• bread flour 
• butter, I use salted butter for everything
• garlic powder
• dried parsley for a nice touch of color 
• parmesan cheese, (yes, the grated stuff in the bottle) 

The Five Easy Steps to Making Parmesan Garlic Knots: 

1. Mix up the dough and knead it.
2. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour.
3. Punch down the dough, divide, and shape into knots. You can leave the ends out or tuck them underneath. 
4. Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown. 
5. Brush with Parmesan garlic butter.  
6. Eat them!!! I guess that’s six steps. 😄

If you show up to a potluck with a big bowl of these soft little dough knots, I can guarantee you’ll go home with an empty bowl. They go perfectly with my Lasagna Soup.

Having fun making the dough, punching it down, and making these delicious little Parmesan garlic knots. 
~Rachel Ballinger 💕🤗

”A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel 

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Parmesan Garlic Knots

These soft and fluffy Parmesan garlic knots are irresistible and addicting! A light yeast dough browned to perfection and smothered in a buttery Parmesan topping make them the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword Bread, Dinner Rolls, Garlic, Parmesan, Side Dish

Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20 Knots

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups flour

Parmesan Garlic Butter:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Instructions

To Make the Dough:

• In a mixer with the dough attachment, add the water, sugar, salt, yeast, oil, and then slowly add the flour while mixing. Mix and knead on low to medium speed for about 5 minutes until dough is soft and smooth.
• Remove dough hook and cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
• Place dough on floured surface and with your hands shape it into a rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise with a dough cutter and then cut each strip into ten equal pieces.
• Roll each piece into a 6-8” log and tie into a knot. Place them on a baking sheet.
• Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush with the garlic butter.

To Make the Parmesan Garlic Butter:

• Melt the butter in a small bowl and add the garlic powder, parsley, and Parmesan. With a pastry brush, brush the butter over the hot knots.
• They are ready to be enjoyed!

The post Parmesan Garlic Knots appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

Reasons to love this butternut squash Mac n Cheese Dish:

• Because it’s Mac n cheese! Who doesn’t love Mac n cheese?
• It’s a delicious fall meal. Full of the warm fall flavors of squash and nutmeg and lots of cheese, it’s a comfort food dish. 
• It’s perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish. You can assemble it the day before and put it in the fridge  and then bake it on Thanksgiving Day so it’s nice and fresh. 

This dish is made in three parts: the sage breadcrumbs, the puréed butternut squash and cheese sauce, and the pasta. It’s so rich and creamy with the squash giving it a beautiful golden color. The sage breadcrumbs are amazing and tie the dish together perfectly. 

This is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. Here’s a couple more dishes you might enjoy for your Thanksgiving Menu:

• The Best Thanksgiving Turkey 
• Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes 
• Creamy Cranberry Salad 
• Pumpkin Pie 

Enjoy this delicious fall dish,

~Rachel Ballinger 💕

“A lot of living happens in the kitchen.”   ~Rachel

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Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese

A creamy mac n cheese dish, full of warm butternut squash flavor and topped with toasted sage infused breadcrumbs. Perfect fall dish!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Butternut Squash, cheese, Pasta,, Side Dish

Servings 12 Servings

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

Breadcrumb Topping:

• 1 stick butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp fresh sage chopped

Butternut Squash:

• 1 average size butternut squash
• Olive oil
• Salt

Pasta:

• 1 lb. small shell pasta cooked and rinsed

Cheese Sauce:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 4 cups whole milk
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Breadcrumb Topping:

• Melt the butter and mix in the chopped sage and panko bread crumbs. Set aside.

Butternut Squash:

• Cut your butternut squash in half. Remove seeds, peel, and cut into 1” inch pieces. Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until soft. Place in blender and puree till smooth. Add a little water if necessary. Set aside.

Pasta:

• While the squash is roasting in the oven, cook the pasta in salt water until soft. Drain and set aside.

Cheese Sauce:

• In a large pot (you can use the same one you cooked the pasta in), melt the butter. Add the flour and sauté for a couple minutes till browned and aromatic.
• Whisk in the salt, nutmeg, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the milk and whisk often, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Heat until bubbly and starting to thicken.
• Add the cheese and stir till melted and smooth. Stir in the prepared squash puree. Stir in the cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Pour it into a 9”x13” baking dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

The post Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese appeared first on My Everyday Ordinary Life.

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Zucchini Fritters

Course Side Dish

Keyword Side Dish, Zucchini

Servings 8 Fritters

Author Rachel Ballinger

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Oil for cooking

Instructions

• Grate unpeeled zucchini on a box grater, on the side with larger holes.
• Transfer zucchini into a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix until well combined.
Preheat a skillet over medium low heat. Add some oil to pan. Scoop out even amounts of zucchini mixture and place into the skillet, gently pressing down to flatten into patties. 
Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Try to only flip once so there is less chance of them breaking apart.

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