Fall and winter entertaining is here, which means lots and lots of food! Last year I found myself serving the same appetizer of a charcuterie board (which I love) but I wanted to mix it up a bit this year. We do a lot of hosting, so having easy go-to recipes ideas on hand is key. I recently tried this simple appetizer of sweet potato rounds with Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, and it turned out so good! I used three simple ingredients of white sweet potatoes, the ever so popular Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, and olive oil. It makes for such a fast and easy appetizer that also won’t fill you up too much!

I love using white sweet potatoes in this recipe, but you can certainly use orange sweet potatoes! If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, they sell the Nothing But The Bagel Seasoning on Amazon as well.

The key to the sweet potato rounds is cutting them in an even width. I cut them in about 1/2 inch rounds and it worked perfectly.

As the sweet potato rounds are baking, it smells almost like a bagel shop in your kitchen because of the seasoning! It smells amazing!

You can serve this appetizer as is, or you can also add in a dipping sauce. To keep it healthy I used Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing as a dip but you could also make a homemade ranch, katchup, mustard and the list goes on! You could also serve these along side burgers, on top of a warm fall salad, or just as an afternoon snack.

If you are feeding a crowd over 4 people, I would suggest doubling the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Sweet Potato Rounds with Nothing But The Bagel Seasoning Recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 Tbs. olive oil
Nothing But The Bagel Seasoning

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes and the olive oil to coat.
On a large baking sheet, arrange the sweet potato rounds in a single layer.
Bake the sweet potato rounds for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip each round. Sprinkle each round with desired amount of seasoning.
Lightly spray non-stick spray over the rounds (optional), and place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

This recipe was adapted from this original recipe

Recently I have found myself wanting to cook healthier meals that have simple yet quality ingredients. I think it has something to do with the warmer temperatures and the looming bikini season coming up. I took all of my current favorite seasonal vegetables and came up with this delicious and simple grilled asparagus and caprese salad. It is perfect for a spring or summer night!

I found these gorgeous asparagus at my local farmers market that I could not pass up! I like to buy the stalkier asparagus whenever I am grilling them since they hold up better. I started by tossing them in olive oil and sprinkled them with sea salt before grilling for about 6-8 minutes.

While the asparagus were grilling, I prepped the rest of the ingredients. I found a mix of red and yellow cherry tomatoes that I sliced in half and mixed with good olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sea salt.

The next thing I did was finely slice some fresh basil leaves. I absolutely love the smell of fresh basil in the kitchen! It instantly makes me feel like I am in Italy making a fancy meal, even on the most ordinary of week nights.

Assembling this dish is so incredibly easy. I started with the grilled asparagus as the bottom layer and then added in some feta cheese to the tomato mixture before I poured it on top. You could also use goat cheese, mozzarella, or cotija; these would all be amazing as well.

The addition of the cheese breaks up all of the veggies and gives it a nice salty flavor. Once you sprinkle the cheese on top, it's time to enjoy it!

My husband and I enjoyed this dish along side grilled chicken but it would be a great side dish to any protein. The best part about grilling dinner is that it makes for super easy cleanup in the kitchen after (score!).

Cheers to kicking off grilling season and warmer evenings! I would love to know what you think of this recipe, so be sure to comment below or on my Instagram.

Grilled Asparagus and Caprese Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. fresh asparagus (about 2 bundles)
1 pint red and yellow cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade or thinly sliced
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese, mozzarella or cotija)
4 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt, divided
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.
Wash and dry the asparagus. Remove the tough ends of the asparagus by snapping it at its tender point at the bottom. Drizzle 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Spread the asparagus on the grill and grill for about 6-8 minutes, turning once until they are slightly charred. Remove from the grill and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk 2 Tbs. of the olive oil with the red wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Slice the tomatoes in half and add to the bowl. Chiffonade or thinly slice the basil and add to the bowl. Stir the mixture completely.
To assemble, place the asparagus on the bottom and top with the tomato and basil mixture (down the center). Top with crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold and enjoy!