Turkey and mashed potatoes are great, but no Thanksgiving meal is complete without stuffing. There are so many different stuffing recipes out there, from slow-cooker varieties to vegan and gluten-free options, and we’ve rounded up our favorites below. These drool-worthy recipes might just steal the show at your holiday dinner.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins

The Colorful Kitchen

Think outside the turkey! Not only are these stuffing muffins kid-size, but they’re also vegan and gluten-free. Add a scoop of mashed potatoes on top and you’re all set for a can’t-miss combo. Get the recipe from The Colorful Kitchen.

Creamy Mushroom and Swiss Stuffing

Fox Valley Foodie

Fox Valley Foodie is sure to be a winner, with its indulgent cheese topping and hearty mushroom filling. And it’s super easy to make, too, with the help of a boxed stuffing mix. To get the recipe, click here.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Cornbread Stuffing

Life Made Sweeter

This delish dish from Life Made Sweeter combines butternut squash, cornbread, cranberries, sweet potatoes and more into a stuffing of epic flavors. Bonus points: it uses the slow cooker, so you can set it and forget it. Click here to grab the recipe.

Classic Vegan Stuffing

Raepublic

Plant-based eaters don’t have to miss out on the feast thanks to this tasty stuffing recipe from Raepublic. It’s made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, making it a win for your shopping list. Click here to grab the recipe.

Stuffing in a Bundt Pan

A Spicy Perspective

With this stuffing from A Spicy Perspective, the magic word is “bundt.” That’s right, with your handy bundt pan, you can actually make a stuffing sculpture that’s fit for any Thanksgiving dinner table! Get the recipe by clicking here.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

Damn Delicious

We’re all for any Thanksgiving recipe that involves the slow cooker. This top-notch stuffing from Damn Delicious cooks in the crockpot and uses delish Hawaiian sweet bread. We dare you to eat just one spoonful. Click here to get the recipe.

Marilyn Monroe's Stuffing

The New York Times

Ready for a Hollywood-worthy stuffing? This yummy dish is adapted from Marilyn Monroe’s own recipe. To read more about how it was found, check out The New York Times’ article for the full low-down.

Italian Chard Stuffing

Myrecipes.com

Your kids may be wary of the chard but with chunks of French bread and juicy sausage swarming around the fresh green, they won’t be able to resist this unique recipe. Get the details by clicking here.

Mom's Classic Stuffing

Savory Sweet Life

This timeless recipe from Savory Sweet Life is a traditional masterpiece because of its beautiful simplicity. It's perfect for your really picky eaters as the three main ingredients are bread, onions and celery. To snag the recipe, click here.

Spinach and Broccoli Stuffing

Little B Cooks

This tasty stuffing has a creamy texture and comes to us from Little B Cooks. It’s a great recipe for your kids to get involved in because it’s simple–just four ingredients! Find out how it's made by clicking here.

Cranberry Pistachio Stuffing

Season With Spice

If you like your stuffing more crispy, check out this cranberry pistachio stuffing from Season with Spice. This dish is full of crispy bites of bacon and toasted bread chunks, plus an added pistachio crunch. Click here to get the recipe.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

Weelicious

Thank goodness for Weelicious, where you can find all kinds of recipes (like this apple sausage stuffing) designed around pleasing little bitty taste buds. You’ll like it, too, because the prep time is minimal. To grab the details, click here.

Surf 'N Turf Stuffing

A Taste With Koko

Looking to add some seafood flair to your family feast? Try this New England style stuffing from A Taste with Koko. It’s packed with sausage and oysters, for extra rich and out-of-the-box flavor. Get the recipe by clicking here.

Simple Herb Cornbread Stuffing

The Diva Dish

A hit recipe from The Diva Dish, this cornbread stuffing combines lots of fresh herbs, homemade cornbread and several other kid-friendly flavors into one tasty package. Snag the recipe by clicking here.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Stuffing

Marla Meridith

If you or a family member has gluten restrictions, check out this stuffing option from Marla Meridith. It’s gluten-free, soy-free, vegan and satisfying for carnivores, too. Click here to get the recipe.

 

— Abigail Matsumoto

 

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Also known as Iranian cuisine, Persian food is uber kid friendly with it’s slew of rice and meat dishes. From quick kabobs and saffron rice, to Persian rice cookies, this roundup of recipes will have your kids taste buds expanding before your very eyes.

Salad Shirazi

Unicorns in the Kitchen

Your kids won't spy any lettuce in this Persian salad. The cucumber and tomato-based dish from Unicorns in the Kitchen comes together quickly and packs lots of flavor from simple ingredients that make this the perfect side dish any time of the year.

Persian Rice

Dinner in the Dessert

Persian saffron rice is a staple in many dishes, and this easy 30 minute version from Dinner in the Dessert will have it on the table in no time. You'll be using a mortal and pestle to ground saffron threads in no time!

Dolmeh Felfel

I Got It From My Maman

One you eat Persian Stuffed Peppers, you may never go back. I Got It from My Maman shares a delicious recipe where you can customize your stuffing so any picky eater will be asking for seconds.

Caramelized Onion and Herb Chicken Patties

LivLaughCook

Lots of chicken and hidden spinach? This dish from LivLaughCook is a parent's dream come true. A new take on a traditional Persian frittata, these ground chicken patties mixed with caramelized onions pack the perfect amount of sweet and savory punch that kids and adults will both enjoy.

Kuku Sabzi

Savory Thoughts

Still want that OG Persian Herb Frittata recipe? Savory Thoughts has the perfect meatfree dish that focuses on herbs and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Barbari Bread

Silk Road Recipes

This Persian flat bread from Silk Road Recipes is worth the seven-day wait it takes to get the dough ready for baking. If you've mastered your pandemic sourdough, you'll love trying your hand at this yeast-free dip-worthy bread.

Fesenjan

Feasting at Home

Perfect for your little foodies, this Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew from Feasting at Home is the perfect cold night comfort soup. Made with chicken, ground walnuts and lots of spices, it's served perfectly alongside that bath of Persian rice.

Kabab Tabei

The Delicious Crescent

You can skip the skewers and the grill for this easy pan kabob recipes from The Delicious Crescent. Made just on the stovetop, you can get this dinner together in a flash when you serve alongside simple veggies or rice.

Persian Almond Cardamom Pistachio Cake

Spoonabilities

Break us off a piece of this delicious pistachio cake! Spoonabilities' recipe is flourless with almond extract and cardamom to give that perfect, warming essence that even kids will enjoy.

Nan-e Berenji

Ahead of Thyme

Cute and bite-size, these Persian rice cookies with poppy seeds from Ahead of Thyme will quickly become a fave. The butter-free cookies are made with rice flour which also makes them perfect for gluten-free kiddos.

––Karly Wood

 

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This summer, Portland showed us how hot it can get! And while we seem to have made it through the record-breaking temps, our city is certainly staying warm. There’s no better way to stay cool than with a sweet scoop of ice cream. These awesome shops serve up some of the best ice cream, gelato, froyo, and sorbet in the city. You’ll want to try them all before the temps start to drop again.

Sugarpine Drive-In:There's nothing sweeter than getting your soft serve cone from a retro drive-through after a day on the Sandy River. Located in Troutdale, Sugarpine serves up great lunches, but it's the cones that'll make you beg for more. Go for the Larch Mountain, a chocolate and vanilla swirl topped with crumbled brown butter blondies, blueberry lavender sauce, and homemade pine nut honeycomb crunch. Also, they serve froze (frozen rose) popsicles. 

1208 East Historical Columbia River Hwy.
Troutdale, OR 

Online: sugarpinedrivein.com

Fifty Licks: Fifty Licks started as a food cart then swiftly moved into the spotlight at their two locations (both currently open for takeout). Quality ingredients mixed into a custard base means flavors like Hood Strawberry or Toasted Milk shine through. The vegan options are coconut-based and will not disappoint anyone, like the turmeric-yellow Golden Milk or the Mango Sticky Rice.

Multiple locations
Online: fifty-licks.com

Salt and Straw: Portland’s ice cream craze basically kicked off with this shop and their curious flavors--you can find their shops flung far in LA, San Francisco, Miami, Seattle, and even Disneyland (yep). Closer to home, it’s still massively popular. The one good thing about 2020 is that you can now skip those heinous lines by ordering online ahead of time for pickup (or delivery!). They keep a list of favorites like strawberry and balsamic, olive oil, and sea salt and caramel, but their monthly rotating flavors are surprisingly unique, but crazy good— like goat cheese marionberry habanero. 

Multiple locations
Online: saltandstraw.com

Pinolo Gelato: Founded by a native Italian, Pinolo Gelato lets ice cream’s European cousin shine. Gelato is mostly made without eggs--because it has less fat and is also served slightly warmer than ice cream, it’s argued to be more flavorful. Take a Roman holiday with classic flavors like chocolate, stracciatella or pistachio, or enjoy the seasonal rotation like almond fig. They also serve Cafe Umbria espresso. 

3707 SE Division
Online: pinologelato.com

Ruby Jewel: Delicious ice cream, sandwiched between two thick cookies. It’s the dessert for when you can’t decide if you want ice cream or baked goods, and nobody in Portland does it like Ruby Jewel. Try the Double Chocolate and Peanut Butter, or the Lemon and Honey Lavender, or test out a new flavor! The four store locations are town are open for business this summer, and perfect for your warm-weather breaks. 

Multiple locations
Online: rubyjewel.com

Cloud City Ice Cream: This gem in the Woodstock neighborhood of Southeast Portland has been impressing kids of all ages since 2011, using natural and local ingredients to serve up a prolific menu of dairy and non-dairy scoops, sundaes, and shakes. They’ve simplified their menu to the classics (like Golddigger with chocolate ice cream and peanut butter ripple, or the honey lavender), and are offering scoops and pints to go. As it says on their door, everything is made with equal parts love and magic.

4525 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland
Online:
cloudcityicecream.com

Eb and Bean: The froyo from Eb and Bean has taken the city by storm the last few years. The swirling cones of goodness come in fantastic flavors (dairy or non-dairy, without artificial sweeteners, flavors, preservatives, or corn syrup). It’s then topped with seasonal, all-natural goodies, many from local Oregon companies. They have three locations around town, making it the perfect spot for families wherever they may live. 

Multiple locations
Online: ebandbean.com

 

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New year, new winter menu. Starbucks just launched their new offerings to help customers kick off 2021 feeling their best. Starting today, customers can enjoy the new Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew, Pistachio Latte, Kale and Portabella Mushroom Sous Vide Egg Bites, and Earth Cake Pop as well as celebrate the return of the Honey Almondmilk Flat White and Red Velvet Loaf. 

 

Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew

honey almondmilk cold brew

Cold coffee and cold beverages continue to be a hot trend at Starbucks. This non-dairy beverage is made with slow-steeped Starbucks Cold Brew, combined with honey and then topped with almondmilk for a creamy finish.

 

Pistachio Latte

pistachio latte

Sweet flavors of pistachio pairs with Starbucks Signature Espresso and steamed milk and then finished with a salted brown buttery topping for a cozy beverage crafted to comfort. The Pistachio Latte can also be ordered as a blended beverage or iced.

 

Honey Almondmilk Flat White

Honey almondmilk flat white

This flat white pairs almondmilk and Starbucks Blonde espresso with honey, making a perfect amount of creamy, nutty sweetness. Customers looking for more non-dairy milk choices will be happy to know that this tasty treat is part of Starbucks permanent menu.

 

Kale and Portabella Mushroom Sous Vide Egg Bites

egg bites

These new egg bites feature delicious chopped kale and portabella mushrooms delicately folded into cage-free eggs with Monterey Jack cheese and cooked using the French “sous vide” technique. Joining the menu permanently, this delightful high-protein breakfast has 15 grams of protein and is under 250 calories.

 

Earth Cake Pop

Earth cake pop

Rich chocolate cake, dipped in a blue chocolaty icing and finished with green and white sprinkles to resemble the earth, a globe of goodness.

 

Red Velvet Loaf

red velvet loaf

Delicious vanilla cake swirled with classic red velvet cake and topped with a white chocolaty icing—a sweet spot of red velvety-yum.

 

Starbucks Reserve Whole Bean Coffee

Starbucks reserve

If you are looking for new ways to enjoy your Starbucks from home, there are a few new Starbucks Reserve Whole Bean Coffees to discover this winter. These exceptional coffees have been hand-selected from family farms around the world and are roasted daily at Starbucks Reserve Roasteries.

  • Starbucks Reserve Guatemala Huehuetenango is rich and elegant with notes of candied orange, dark chocolate, and graham cracker.  
  • Starbucks Reserve Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelelektu features delicate floral aromas and sparkling acidity with raspberry and tangerine notes.  

Customers can use the Starbucks app to find a store near them that carries the Starbucks Reserve whole bean coffees.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Starbucks

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If your young Jedi’s Baby Yoda obsession is next level, they’ll be over the Endor moon for the Baby Yoda ice cream being dished up at this Southern California gelato shop.

Eiswelt Gelato is betting Star Wars fans will fall hard for their Baby Yoda-inspired ice cream cones and we think they’re right. The dessert shop in Westminster, California, which is already famous for its animal-shaped scoops, is now serving up a cone that resembles The Child from the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

Customers can order the “Alien Baby” treat with any of the shops green colored flavors like matcha, avocado, pistachio or green tea. It can be made to order in a cup or a cone.

You won’t want to wait long to try it out if you’re in the area, however, as this limited-time treat is only available through the end of February.

Of course, you can always check out one of Eiswelt Gelato’s dozens of adorable animal scoops that are available all year round.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Eiswelt Gelato via Instagram

 

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Tuck the kids into bed and treat yourself to a new chocolate treat unlike anything you’ve had before. Pink chocolate is officially a trend and what’s not to love?

Häagen-Dazs Ruby Cacao collection is the latest entry into the parade of sweet treats to feature this unique cacao bean and you’ll be dying to try it. The brand has not one, but two new limited-edition ice cream treats featuring the newly created chocolate.

As Häagen-Dazs explains, the ruby cacao bean gives the taste of intense berry fruitiness (similar to blueberries). The end result of processing this special cacao bean is a special chocolate that is pink and fruity without the addition of any color or fruit flavoring.

The ice cream maker is introducing both a pint and a bar featuring this intriguing new ingredient. The Ruby Cacao Crackle TRIO CRISPY LAYERS features Häagen-Dazs pistachio and sweet cream ice cream layered between crispy ruby cacao.

The other limited release flavor, Ruby Cacao Ice Cream Bars is a sweet cream ice cream dipped in rich ruby cacao coating with berry fruity notes.

Both new treats will be available in stores nationwide now through September. Starting Feb. 1. Häagen-Dazs shops will also offer ruby cacao sundaes, dipped bars and cones.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Häagen-Dazs

 

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photo: Halo Top Facebook page

Hitting the ice cream shop with the kids can sometimes be a battle of the wills. Do you just take a nibble of your kids’ scoop, or go all in and get a cone of your own? The struggle is real. The great dilemma might soon be over though thanks to big news from everyone’s favorite low-calorie ice cream.

Halo Top is opening its very first scoop shop and it sounds pretty amazing. The location is opening in Los Angeles on November 15 and will feature seven different flavors of the company’s best-selling pints of low-calorie ice cream. In case you haven’t yet tried this magical dessert, it has grown in popularity over the last year because the entire pints have fewer calories than most average bowls of ice cream, without lacking any flavor.

photo: Halo Top Facebook page

Besides offering its signature flavors, the new Halo Top location will also be dishing up a new soft serve version of its popular brand. According to Food & Wine, the soft serve will be around 90 calories per 4 oz. serving and will come in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, birthday cake and peanut butter flavors.

Both versions of Halo Top’s ice cream can be ordered either in a cup, or any of their four different styles of cones, including waffle cone, Halo “puffle” cone, cake cone and traditional sugar cone. If you’re really feeling festive, you can also order your ice cream in a colorful waffle taco shell or sandwiched between two high-protein or vegan cookies.

Psst…according to their Facebook page, Halo Top hopes to open more locations across the country soon, if all goes well.

Are you a fan of Halo Top? Share your favorite flavors in the comments below.

If you think dessert is the most important meal of the day, raise your hand. (Oh, good, we’re not alone.) Now get out there and try these four new sweets shops, which just flung open their sugary doors in Chicago and the ‘burbs. From gourmet lollipops to gelato to ginormous candy bars, the treats will have your kids hooked.

photo: Lolli & Pops

Lolli & Pops
What it is:
This small family of candy and chocolate stores has just set up shop in the Chicago French Market. Fitting, considering one of their claims to fame is the fact they source sweets from across the world. Let your mouth do the globe-trotting as you dig into chocolate from Madagascar, sourbelts from Spain, sodas from Japan and all matter of yummy indulgences from local artisans. The experience is like paying a visit to an old-world candy shoppe, where the treats are carefully displayed in wooden cabinets, and on glass shelves and marble counters.

What to snap up: The French Market location is particularly strong in truffles (try the strawberry ones), and also hawks everything from amaretto cookies to craft chocolate bars.

131 N. Clinton St.
The Loop
312-620-1770
Online: lolliandpops.com or frenchmarketchicago.com

photo: Dylan’s Candy Bar

Dylan’s Candy Bar Chicago
What it is: This place has serious buzz — and it’s only beginning. Maybe you’ve heard of its founder, Dylan Lauren, daughter of fashion icon Ralph Lauren and author Ricky Lauren. She’s opened the first Midwest location of her blow-your-mind candy shop in a historic converted museum space in Tribune Tower. So far, the retail area is open, with plans for a full-service cafe and bar opening this spring (they’ll do birthday parties!). Our favorite part of this space is the floor-to-ceiling lollipop tree.

What to snap up: Gummies. Hands down, the gummies. You’ll find all kinds of wild and wonderful varieties, from good ol’ bears to centipedes. It’s also known for chocolate bars and candy bark that give you just the right sugar buzz.

445 N. Michigan Ave.
Downtown
312-702-2247
Online: dylanscandybar.com

photo: Frost / Kelly Aiglon

Frost: A Gelato Shop
What it is: There are two things you should know right away about this ice-tastic gelato shop: They make gelato fresh daily in their store and all of the ingredients come straight from Italy. (All of the equipment has been sourced from Italy, too, so you know you’re going to taste the real deal.) It might seem like a chilly time of year to open a gelato shop in the Midwest, but the Naperville location is hopping. The attractive gelato case has dozens of varieties of the cool treat, artfully presented with fresh fruit. Trust us: Your kids won’t be able to peel their eyes away.

What to snap up: If you like to stick to old favorites, try the chocolate gelato (there is also a dietetic chocolate with no sugar added) or, for a fruity twist, the raspberry or lemon sorbet. More adventurous eaters should go for the green tea, panna cotta and rum raisin. Oh, and did we mention the Nutella flavor?

50 S. Main St.
Naperville
630-210-8457
Online: frostgelato.com

 photo: Bon Macaron

Bon Macaron
What it is: Used to be, you needed an appointment to drop by this neighborhood treasure — the first macaron specialty shop in Chicago. Now, swing by on a designated “Retail Saturday” to ogle the sweets and, of course, buy a few to take home. Upcoming Retail Saturdays are February 14 and 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; more will be announced soon on the shop’s Facebook page. Founder and chef Catherine Cooper is a Chicago native and trained in Paris at Ecole Ferrandi. Her macarons are gluten-free and made with almond meal. Bon Macaron is an actual kitchen, where Catherine makes everything by hand, and it’s fun to take a peek around.

What to snap up: If you haven’t introduced your kiddo yet to the joy of macarons, this is a good place to start. Not only are the sandwich-like cookie treats perfectly sized for tiny hands, but they come in every color of the rainbow. Flavors are another scrumptious story altogether and include dark chocolate, pistachio, salted caramel, PB&J and candy bar.

1407 W. Grand Ave.
West Town
312-228-4325
Online: bonmacaronchicago.com

What is your favorite spot to stop for dessert? Let us know in the Comments!

— Kelly Aiglon

The donut as a comfort food has enjoyed a return to popularity so successful, one might hardly recognize the original fried, circular treat. Donuts nowadays are a trend, adorned with meat or breakfast cereal and infused every imaginable sweet and savory flavor from Dr. Pepper, melon and mojito, to garlic, seaweed and pistachio. In a world where variety is usually the spice of life, we may find ourselves gazing nostalgically into that vast, complicated pastry case, looking for a familiar face: the original glazed donut. This date night, take back the joy of hot, sugary simplicity with the top five picks in the city.

1. Happy Donuts, 3801 24th St. (Noe Valley)
Appearance: Big and puffy, with a crackly glaze.
Sweetness level: Pretty darn sweet, but not achingly so.
Melt-in-mouth factor: Excellent. It’s light, airy, and super fresh.

2. All Star Donuts, 2095 Chestnut St. (Marina)
Appearance: Medium-puffy with a nice sheen.
Sweetness level: Off the charts.
Melt-in-mouth factor: Fair. This one was a bit cakey.

Still hungry? Read the full article here.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at 7×7, a site that keeps you up on the best of SF. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a fantastic Date Night idea each week. Be sure to check out their blog for hourly doses of the best of SF.