These Cookies and Cream Popsicles are the perfect summer treat, and all you need to make them is two ingredients and a popsicle mold!
I feel like I always start my posts with a Hey, do you need X problem solved? Here’s a recipe that will do that!
Like, hey, do you have a sad brown banana? Make One-banana Small-batch Banana Muffins !
Or, hey, do you have tons of leftover pesto? Make a Pesto Chicken Sandwich !
But that’s how I approach most of my recipe creation because I love recipes that solve problems, even when X problem = something silly like too much ice cream.
So, hey, do you have some vanilla ice cream you need to get rid of? You should make some Cookies and Cream Popsicles!
A few weeks ago, my lovely sister gave me one of those giant tubs of bargain ice cream that she bought for a class party and didn’t use. And when faced with that much ice cream, these popsicles were the very first things I decided to make with it. (BTW, that tub is still going strong. I’ve made about a 75 things with that ice cream so far, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to last me until NEXT summer.)
I’m not much of a vanilla ice cream fan, but add some crushed Oreos and a wooden stick, and it’s like something magical happens and turns the most boring of boring ice cream into a perfect summer treat. They’re cool, refreshing, and refreshingly easy to make.
To make these Cookies and Cream Popsicles, you just let your ice cream get a little melty and then layer it into a popsicle mold with crushed up Oreos. Freeze for a few hours and you’re good to go.
So if you have some ice cream in your freezer, grab some Oreos and try this ASAP, and if you don’t, these popsicles are totally good enough to justify buying a carton just to make them. You won’t regret it!
If you don’t have a popsicle mold, this is the one I have, and I love it. And once you have a popsicle mold and try these Cookies and Cream Popsicles, you can try my Red Wine Popsicles and Smoothie Popsicles !
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Popsicle mold
- ▢ Popsicle sticks
Cookies and Cream Popsicles
- ▢ 15 Oreos
- ▢ 4 cups vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15 to 25 minutes until quite soft.
- Place oreos in a plastic bag and crush into pieces with the bottom of a glass or rolling pin.
- Add about 1 heaping teaspoon of crumbs to each popsicle mold. Fill halfway with softened ice cream. Add another heaping teaspoon of crumbs (this should use up the rest of the Oreos) and add the rest of the ice cream, leaving about a 1/2 inch of space. Replace lid, add popsicle sticks and freeze for 4 hours.
- Run popsicle mold under lukewarm water to loosen popsicles, gently remove, and enjoy!
Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast is the perfect dish when you want something a little extra special for dinner.
Hey, is it date night? A birthday? A special occasion? Need something a little special for dinner tonight?
I have two words for you:
Feta and bacon
Okay a couple more:
Chicken
Garlic
Peanut butter
–JK on that last one.
Throw all (most of) those things together, and you have a recipe for one of my very favorite slightly special dinners, Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast.
This is the best dinner when you need something a little above and beyond because:
- It tastes amazing. Like seriously amazing.
- It’s basically fool-proof to make–you’d have to really, really try to ruin this dish.
- You can make Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast mostly in advance, so if you are making it for company, it’s a low-stress dish to manage while you are running around getting ready.
- It will make your house smell like HEAVEN. I’m serious. If you have guests coming over, they minute they walk through the door, they will ask you what smells so amazing before they even say hi.
Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast is about as simple to make as it gets. You butterfly a chicken breast ( watch this if you’ve never done that before ) and then stuff it with feta cheese and some cooked, crumbled bacon. After that, you mix together some olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a little salt and pepper and pour it over the top. That all goes into the oven and 25 to 40 minutes later something magical comes out.
The chicken is moist, stuffed with salty, tangy feta and smokey bacon. And the leftover drippings in the pan are perfect for spooning over steamed veggies. My family also likes to serve rice on the side with the drippings. I think a little Parmesan Orzo goes better, but you do what you want. 😉
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Asparagus-stuffed Chicken
- Easy Roasted Chicken
- Salsa Chicken
As written, this Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe generously serves two. To change the recipe yield, hover over the number of servings (or click if you are on mobile) and slide the slider–no preparation changes are necessary for doubling.
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- ▢ Instant-read thermometer
- ▢ Garlic press optional but nice to have
Sauce
- ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic pressed*
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Stuffed Chicken
- ▢ 2 small (8oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ▢ 3/4 cup ( 3oz ) crumbled feta cheese garlic and herb preferred, divided
- ▢ 4 slices cooked bacon crumbled or chopped, divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish (large enough to fit two chicken breasts).
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Butterfly chicken breasts and place them in your prepared baking dish. Fill each breast with (about) 1 ounce of the feta mixture and 1/3 of the bacon (if doubling the recipe, divide 2/3 of the bacon between the chicken breasts). Close breasts. Sprinkle remaining cheese and bacon over top. Pour olive oil mixture over the breasts and bake for 25 to 35 minutes (longer for very large breasts), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 to 165°F.
- Allow to rest for five minutes before serving. Spoon leftover drippings in the pan over rice and veggies or serve with orzo, and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted From AllRecipes
This Small Macaroni Salad is the perfect simple side for small get-togethers and dinners with friends!
I have a confession: You know what my favorite summer food is? It’s not ice cream. It’s not s’mores. It’s not even a perfectly cooked and marinated ribeye steak (though that’s a really close second). It’s spoonfuls of macaroni salad stolen from the fridge on a hot summer day.
I don’t know what makes this taste so good. Maybe it’s the blast of cold air you get every time you open the fridge or the delicious feeling that you’re doing something vaguely naughty and getting away with it, but for whatever the reason, it’s the best, and I highly recommend it.
My go-to macaroni salad recipe (AKA the Best Macaroni Salad in the world) is party-sized. It’s made with a pound of macaroni and makes waaaay too much food unless you are having a party. And most of the time I make it, I’m not having a party, so it either ends up going to waste OR I eat a cutlery-drawer’s worth of spoon and forkfuls and don’t feel great about my life choices at the end of the weekend.
So, today I’m shrinking down my fav and sharing a Small Macaroni Salad recipe. It uses just four ounces of pasta and makes two to four very reasonable servings, making it perfect for burger nights with one or two friends, and leaves you with a little left over for fridge stealing the next day. 😉
Aside from being the perfect size, I LOVE THIS PASTA. I wasn’t kidding when I called the original the best macaroni salad in the world. And this small version is just as good. It’s not soaked in gallons of goopey mayonnaise like some pasta salad. There’s mayo to be sure, but just enough for a light dressing that’s sweet but not too sweet, tangy and not too vinegary. It’s loaded with crunchy bits of celery and bell pepper and is basically perfect.
Everyone I’ve ever served this pasta salad to falls instantly in love with it, even people who don’t normally like pasta salad. It’s that good.
So, serve with Tri-Tp Sandwiches . Serve with Oven-baked Ribs . Serve by itself in a bowl with a spoon. However you choose to eat it, it’s gonna be a good time.
Ingredients
Pasta
- ▢ 4 ounces ( 1 cup) macaroni
Dressing
- ▢ 1/4 cup ( 52g ) mayonnaise
- ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢ Pinch of cayenne
Vegetables
- ▢ 1 small green onion diced, use green and white parts
- ▢ 1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper any color
- ▢ 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- ▢ 1/4 cup finely grated carrot
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to boil and cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool completely. Stir occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together too badly.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until pasta is cool.
- Once pasta is cooled, stir pasta into the dressing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted From Food Wishes
Two-Ingredient Cookies and Cream Popsicles
Ingredients
Special Equipment
- Popsicle mold
- Popsicle sticks
Cookies and Cream Popsicles
- 15 Oreos
- 4 cups vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15 to 25 minutes until quite soft.
- Place oreos in a plastic bag and crush into pieces with the bottom of a glass or rolling pin.
- Add about 1 heaping teaspoon of crumbs to each popsicle mold. Fill halfway with softened ice cream. Add another heaping teaspoon of crumbs (this should use up the rest of the Oreos) and add the rest of the ice cream, leaving about a 1/2 inch of space. Replace lid, add popsicle sticks and freeze for 4 hours.
- Run popsicle mold under lukewarm water to loosen popsicles, gently remove, and enjoy!
