Whilst browsing our site for my favorite dessert posts, I began to think about all my favorite meals, and that brought me to thinking about what my last meal would be. I’ve always said it would contain Cool Ranch Doritos, and I maintain that, but you don’t need a blog post for that. Here I have my favorite meals starting with breakfast and then ending with basically a 7 course meal. You’ll never find this 7 course meal at any reputable restaurant because it has no theme or vision other than what strikes my fancy. I’ve never really been one for pairing though; I’m 37 and still don’t pair my wines with anything, like I thought I would do after turning 30. This could easily be turned into a Mexican themed day though: sub in the breakfast burrito for the pancakes, creamy sweet corn and roasted poblano soup for the chowder, mexican style street corn instead of brussels sprouts, maybe the chipotle chicken, and throw tequila into the grilled lemonade and there you are! If this were my real last meal, I would have the grilled lemonade cocktail in the middle of the day and finish with a hefty pour of a good red wine though (no recipe needed there either).
Favorite Breakfast: Swedish Blueberry Pancakes
These are the only pancakes we grew up eating. We knew the recipe by heart, because its stupid easy. I was always in charge of making the “syrup” which I’m pretty sure was equally easy (equal parts brown sugar, white sugar, and water, with some vanilla? microwaved until the sugar dissolved). These pancakes are more like crepes than fluffy pancakes, and blueberries were a fav addition, but strawberries (thinly sliced), bananas (also thinly sliced), or chocolate chips also work!
Favorite Appetizer: My Favorite Guacamole
I’m not kidding, this is the only guacamole recipe you need. It’s better than any guacamole I’ve had anywhere. And its super easy, and very scale-able. Stop looking for other guac recipes.
Favorite Salad: Mexican Chopped Salad
I’ve always loved this salad. I’m the kind of person that needs a put together/themed/well thought out salad. AJ will just throw salad ingredients together and I’m always like, “no.” I also love a chopped salad. There’s something about big pieces of lettuce that I find annoying — they’re hard to fit in your mouth and are just awkward. This Mexican chopped salad fits me so well because of the variety of fresh, crunchy, flavorful ingredients, and everything is chopped and mixed together. Same with the dressing, store bought dressings never do it for me (unless its ranch…), this one has great flavor, especially from the jalap. It is seriously so good.
Favorite Soup: Cheddar Veggie Chowder
This soup is nearly as perfect as chicken noodle soup for comfort. It doesn’t have the brothy goodness of chicken noodle, but it makes up for it with more substance. This guy will fill you up and you’ll feel good about it because of all the veggies. It even works to trick my toddler into eating veggies (because…cheese…)
Favorite Main Dish: Slow Cooker Pot Roast
My actual favorite meal is my mom’s pot roast. But, since she (or I) never blogged it, I’ll settle for Dana’s slow cooker pot roast. Either way, you get an easy meal that has every thing you need all there together. Its great for a chilly fall or cold winter dinner to fill you up and warm you from the inside.
Favorite Side or Veggie: Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts…the cutest of all the vegetables. Like tiny baby cabbages. Especially if you see how they grow on the plant. So cute. And those teeny cabbages are so delicious. Crispy only, please. Well, I guess shaved and raw in a salad is okay, but steamed is yuck. This recipe cooks the brussels in a pan until they are crispy and then adds bacon (never a bad choice) and maple syrup, among other things. A delicious, and festive, combination.
Favorite Drink – Adult Beverage: Grilled Lemonade (Bourbon) Cocktail
It’s summer time in Minnesota, grilling and lemonade are summer classics, what could be better? Answer: combining them and adding booze. This is an excellent refreshing cocktail to sip on a hot sunny day. It would also be a classy cocktail to serve at your backyard gathering!
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