- 3 hours ago
Looking for rich, creamy comfort food that tastes like a million bucks? Nicole is serving up 5 indulgent “million dollar” recipes that are big on flavor, easy to make, and guaranteed to impress. From cheesy baked pasta to decadent desserts, these dishes bring that over-the-top, cozy goodness to your table without the fuss.
This lineup is all about creamy, dreamy comfort: a hearty Million Dollar Spaghetti layered with sauce and cheese, a crowd-favorite Million Dollar Dip perfect for any gathering, tender and flavorful Million Dollar Chicken, juicy Million Dollar Meatballs packed with savory goodness, and a sweet, rich Million Dollar Cake to finish it all off. Whether you’re cooking for family dinner or entertaining guests, these recipes deliver that extra-special touch every time.
This lineup is all about creamy, dreamy comfort: a hearty Million Dollar Spaghetti layered with sauce and cheese, a crowd-favorite Million Dollar Dip perfect for any gathering, tender and flavorful Million Dollar Chicken, juicy Million Dollar Meatballs packed with savory goodness, and a sweet, rich Million Dollar Cake to finish it all off. Whether you’re cooking for family dinner or entertaining guests, these recipes deliver that extra-special touch every time.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Indulgent and rich, but easy to make,
00:02here are five million dollar recipes
00:04that you're gonna love.
00:05Starting with the most popular of all,
00:07million dollar spaghetti.
00:09When you hear million dollar anything,
00:11what you really can expect is cheesy, creamy,
00:16rich, and indulgent.
00:17I'm gonna start by boiling the spaghetti,
00:19salt the water, drop the noodles,
00:21and then you're gonna cook this until it's al dente.
00:24Now let's go ahead and get a couple things out of the way.
00:26This spaghetti dish is by no means Italian.
00:30Okay, number two.
00:31Million dollar spaghetti is built like a casserole.
00:34It's like a spaghetti casserole.
00:35And it has all of the creamy indulgence one can handle.
00:39So I'm gonna make a little meat sauce in here.
00:41Little olive oil.
00:43And I like to get my onion going first
00:45just to get it a little softened.
00:46Just give it about a minute head start.
00:48I'm going in with a pound of ground beef
00:50and Italian sausage just to maximize
00:52the flavor and richness.
00:55Yummy.
00:56Get this good and brown and crumbled.
00:59Just gonna add in a little bit of garlic powder here.
01:01All right, meat is browned, pasta is cooked.
01:05Let's drain it.
01:06Add in a half a stick of butter
01:08and let that coat those noodles.
01:10I'm gonna drain some of this fat off of the meat.
01:13And then we're just gonna use some store-bought sauce
01:15since we already have enough stuff going on.
01:17I'm gonna add a splash into the noodles,
01:20the rest into the sauce.
01:21Just a little splash of water to rinse out the jar.
01:23All right, now I'm just gonna let this simmer for about five minutes.
01:27And then we're gonna start building our layers.
01:29Before we layer, I have to make the iconic creamy layer.
01:33This is what makes this million-dollar spaghetti versus just any other baked spaghetti.
01:38I think this dish, while it is indulgent, could also be considered a high-protein meal.
01:43So we have two pounds of meat and now eight ounces of cottage cheese going in.
01:48Now, I don't think this is weird because, like, my dad used to always put cottage cheese in lasagna.
01:52But what he didn't do was put sour cream in it.
01:56But here we are breaking all the Italian rules, which is why this is not Italian.
02:00And then also eight ounces of softened cream cheese.
02:03I've studied a lot of million-dollar spaghetti recipes,
02:06and I've kind of taken what I think is the most consistent things
02:10plus the best things from the recipes
02:12and created what I'm calling the best million-dollar spaghetti.
02:16But this right here is consistent with all of them.
02:18I got us a million-dollar casserole dish because it is only sitting.
02:23All right, in goes half of our buttery noodles,
02:27then all of our creamy layer, and the rest of your spaghetti.
02:31Some may also argue that they're called million-dollar recipes
02:34because they take a million dollars to make.
02:36In this economy, that is accurate.
02:39All right, and then goes the sauce.
02:43Boy, this is, like, giving lasagna vibes, but it's easier.
02:46All right, and then, you guessed it, we're just going to top it
02:49with some more cheesy indulgence.
02:51This time, mozzarella.
02:53Now, a lot of recipes also use cheddar here.
02:57I just couldn't do it, y'all.
02:59Just couldn't do it.
03:00I've already gone against so much of what I believe in.
03:04But I just remember coming home, like, from spending the night
03:07at a friend's house when I was a kid,
03:08and I couldn't believe they put, like, a slice of American cheese
03:10on their spaghetti, and I told my mom because that seemed so wrong.
03:14And then some grated parm.
03:16This goes into the oven 350 degrees
03:19until it's hot, browned, and bubbly.
03:21Everything is still, you know, pretty warm,
03:24the sauce and the noodles, so it shouldn't take that long,
03:27probably no more than half an hour.
03:28If it does start to get too brown,
03:30you can always put a little foil over it halfway through.
03:32That is gorgeous.
03:34Let this sit for about 10 minutes before digging in.
03:37Come on, baby.
03:39Woo!
03:40Look at the layers that we have created in here.
03:43I'm going to finish it off with a little green.
03:46And the longer you let it set,
03:49the more defined your layers are going to be.
03:51You know I'm impatient like that.
03:53And you know only a gold fork will do.
03:59Mmm.
04:00With that cream cheese in there, a little bit of sour cream,
04:02it's a whole different experience than lasagna
04:05or any other baked spaghetti.
04:06So I am consistent with saying the million-dollar spaghetti
04:09is different than any other baked spaghetti.
04:12I know my kids would love this also because they don't love
04:14when lasagna or spaghetti is like too saucy.
04:17They almost like just like a light coating of tomato sauce.
04:20And that's what you get with the pasta.
04:22All the sauce kind of stays on top.
04:23And then that cheese forms a nice crust.
04:26As much as I want to finish this whole plate,
04:28I've got four more to go.
04:30This next recipe is arguably the original million-dollar recipe.
04:35So you decide, is it the spaghetti or is it this?
04:37Million-dollar dip.
04:39I think this is like the millionaire's version
04:42of pimento cheese, okay?
04:44Very similar, more upscale, maybe more crowd-friendly also.
04:49So it starts with a block of cheddar cheese,
04:52and you have to grate your own cheese.
04:54It's going to give it the right texture
04:56and really just kind of help hold together.
04:58Because if you use pre-shredded cheese,
05:00you know, it's got that like powdery coating on the outside.
05:02To add to the indulgence, some bacon.
05:05This also adds a smoky flavor, some extra crunch.
05:09And who doesn't like bacon?
05:11Some of the stuff you have to measure with your heart.
05:13You know, recipe says six slices or as needed,
05:16because you might need more.
05:17All right, and then some green onions for freshness.
05:20And I love this in this recipe.
05:22I don't always love like nuts kind of, you know,
05:25scattered throughout some things,
05:27but this is the time and the place.
05:29Slivered almonds, it adds the perfect crunch to this.
05:32And then just a little bit of cayenne pepper.
05:34To tie it all together, a whole heaping scoop of mayonnaise.
05:38We love a good no-bake party app.
05:42Now this is one of those things
05:43that needs to kind of come together,
05:45firm up a little bit in the fridge.
05:47So you mix it and then you let it chill for a bit.
05:49This, my friends, is million dollar dip.
05:52I'm gonna garnish with just a few more green onions.
05:56But you know, we don't have to overcomplicate things.
05:58Something this simple is incredibly delicious
06:01and tastes like it's worth a million dollars,
06:03which is why I'm gonna put it on a Ritz cracker,
06:05because we're ritzy.
06:06And that is a perfect bite right there.
06:12Mm.
06:14Makes me want a cold glass of white wine.
06:16I know you've seen me make this before,
06:18but it is as good the 10th time I eat it
06:21as it was the first time I ate it.
06:23You can taste every single ingredient we put in there.
06:26You get that freshness of the green onion,
06:28the creamy kind of saltiness of the cheese and the bacon,
06:32and then that little crunch from the almond.
06:33I mean, the cayenne is super subtle.
06:36You can even go more if you want a little kick,
06:38but you do taste it in the back.
06:39This dip is a 15 out of 10, and you need to be making it.
06:44Inspired by million dollar dip comes million dollar chicken.
06:47All the flavors of that delicious dip turned into a full meal.
06:51Can't get much more indulgent than that.
06:53This, to me, replaces that poppy seed chicken.
06:57If you're looking for a good chicken casserole,
07:00this is like poppy seed chicken,
07:02but about like, I don't know, eight, 10, 12 times better.
07:04But just like poppy seed chicken,
07:06it starts with cream of chicken going in the sauce.
07:09And for this, I just use rotisserie chicken.
07:11Then we're gonna add in some softened cream cheese,
07:13just about half a block.
07:14Half a cup of sour cream.
07:16Then half a cup of cottage cheese.
07:18So this part could be inspired by the million dollar spaghetti.
07:22All right, then it's just a little garlic and onion powder
07:24and a little Cajun seasoning.
07:26And we just mix it up.
07:27Then just to freshen it up
07:29and make it just a little bit healthy, some fresh parsley.
07:32I mean, just a little bit of fresh parsley.
07:33You've heard me say this before,
07:34but it adds so much freshness
07:36without changing the flavor of anything,
07:39especially when you're using anything that comes out of a can.
07:41I love using fresh parsley.
07:43Then everything just goes straight into a casserole dish.
07:45There's nothing bulky in here.
07:47There's no rice or potatoes.
07:48So you can serve this over rice if you want,
07:51or you can just serve it alongside a salad.
07:53Go in with some mo cheese and cracker topping,
07:57the Ritz cracker, and some melted butter.
08:00All right, then this just goes into the oven,
08:02350 degrees for about 35 minutes,
08:04or browned and bubbly.
08:06Here at Bublin, that crunchy top and that creamy underneath.
08:11And I finish it with some fresh green onions
08:14because that's in just about everything that's million dollar.
08:16I mean, I like to serve it like I do my poppy seed chicken,
08:19just simply over some rice with a little green salad.
08:22Telling y'all, next time you're thinking
08:25of what to bring those friends and neighbors,
08:27skip the poppy seed chicken and thank you later.
08:34Mm.
08:37It's just so good.
08:38Everything is just tied together so beautifully.
08:41The cream of chicken is really hidden,
08:43I think is one of the reasons why I like it.
08:45Even that little bit of parsley freshens it up.
08:47The little Cajun seasoning in there,
08:49there's just so much flavor in this chicken casserole,
08:51and it doesn't taste like just a can
08:54that's been sitting on the shelf
08:55that you mixed with some chicken.
08:57It's so much more than that.
08:59I mean, tastes like a million bucks.
09:01This is a million dollar recipe you've never had before.
09:04You know how I know?
09:05Because I just made it up.
09:07This is million dollar meatballs.
09:09Just sounds good, you know it's gonna be good,
09:11you know I love a good meatball.
09:12These meatballs can be served as a main dish over pasta,
09:15which is what I'm gonna do,
09:17or you could just make this and then stick it in a crock pot
09:20on warm and serve these at a party.
09:22I'm gonna go in with an egg.
09:24You know, I always like to make my mixture
09:25before I add the meat so they don't get overworked.
09:27And then instead of breadcrumbs,
09:29although you can totally use breadcrumbs,
09:30I'm doing crushed up Ritz crackers.
09:32I don't have to explain why.
09:33Kind of moisten these cracker crumbs with some half and half,
09:37and then some grated parm.
09:38And then I'm going in with two garlic cloves,
09:40just really like picking up the flavor of these meatballs.
09:43All right, let me give this a mix.
09:45You don't really want any big chunk of crackers,
09:47so make sure those are broken up.
09:49In goes ground chicken.
09:50So these are chicken meatballs.
09:51You can do them with beef if you want.
09:53I have done both, and I think the chicken is better here.
09:58Half a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper.
10:01For another cheese factor, in with some shredded mozz.
10:05Okay, now we roll.
10:07Remember my tip about rolling meatballs,
10:10it's always easier, especially with ground chicken,
10:12which tends to be a little stickier,
10:14to wet your hands and then roll.
10:17For whatever reason, I like to make these meatballs
10:20a little more like cocktail size.
10:21Normally when I do my like spaghetti and meatballs,
10:24I do them like golf ball size.
10:25This is about half of that.
10:26So you get more on your plate.
10:28And then I'm gonna bake these meatballs
10:29while we make the sauce.
10:31All right, these are rolled and ready to go.
10:33I'm gonna pop these into the oven at 400 degrees.
10:35And while they cook, we'll make the million dollar sauce.
10:38So for the sauce, I've started with bacon
10:41because million dollar.
10:43Getting that good and crispy.
10:45I'm gonna drain off a lot of that grease.
10:47You can save it obviously for cooking something else
10:51and then just put your bacon back in.
10:53And then we're gonna turn this into a bacon Alfredo.
10:56And I'm just using store-bought Alfredo sauce here.
10:59You could also just go in straight
11:00with heavy cream if you want.
11:01I'm gonna add a little more half and half to the jar.
11:04Shake it up and pour that in.
11:06Million dollar recipes.
11:08The more indulgent, the better.
11:10All right, and then I'm just gonna let that simmer.
11:12I'm gonna add a little more to the sauce,
11:13some crushed red pepper, grated parm,
11:16and a little lemon zest.
11:18A little juice too.
11:20All right, now drop those meatballs in.
11:23Just take 10 minutes in the oven.
11:25Does it look like it's worth a million dollars yet?
11:27I'm gonna let that come together
11:28for just about five minutes.
11:29Then I'm just gonna finish it off with a little sour cream.
11:32I don't wanna put the sour cream in now
11:33because I don't want it to break if this gets too hot.
11:36It's just gonna kinda brighten everything up.
11:38Kinda add that tang and almost like a hint of sweetness.
11:41And you just wanna stir that in
11:42and then take it off the heat or keep it on super low.
11:46At the end, if the sauce gets a little too thick,
11:48go in with a little water.
11:52You've never had this one before.
11:55This might be the first one you need to make.
11:57All right, to serve this up,
11:58I've just taken some pasta and tossed it
12:00with a little of the sauce and parsley, a little sauce.
12:04I'm gonna give it a little sprinkle of crushed red pepper.
12:07Optional, but recommended.
12:08And the rest of the green onions from earlier.
12:11Million Dollar Meatballs coming right up.
12:13Let's see if the taste lives up to the name.
12:16Mm-hmm, that's a perfect way.
12:17You can just look and you can see how tender
12:20it's gonna be before you even bite into it.
12:25Mm-hmm.
12:27The indulgences I have taken in today is unmatched.
12:33I'm gonna have to eat some green veggies tonight,
12:34but a million percent worth it.
12:36This meatball is so full of flavor.
12:39There's something about a chicken meatball.
12:41It is the most tender meatball,
12:43but also it's the perfect vessel
12:45to absorb all these flavors.
12:47So you taste the bacon, you taste the green onion.
12:50I feel like this is just a new take on chicken Alfredo
12:52and definitely one you're gonna wanna try.
12:54These are incredible.
12:55This is the first time you're seeing it.
12:56You gotta try it.
12:58And these Million Dollar Meatballs won't break the bank.
13:01Even desserts can taste like a million dollars,
13:04so we're ending on a sweet note with Million Dollar Cake.
13:07What goes in between and around the cake
13:10is where the million dollar comes in.
13:11A, because it starts with cream cheese,
13:14and B, because it has so many sweet surprises.
13:16Starting with the cream cheese,
13:18I'm gonna beat this till it's light,
13:20and then add in some powdered sugar.
13:21Now we go in with a can of crushed pineapple,
13:25juice included.
13:26And this is a can of mandarin oranges.
13:30Saving a few for the pretty topping.
13:33And then the rest go in.
13:34And then mix it up.
13:36Then we go in with some instant pudding.
13:39This is gonna help thicken it.
13:41And then one more ingredient.
13:42But we gotta go in with the cool it.
13:44I think if you make fresh whipped cream,
13:46it's not gonna stay stable.
13:48So last thing, fold this in.
13:49I'm just gonna keep this in the fridge
13:51so that it stays kinda thick.
13:54There's one thing I can bake.
13:56It's a box cake.
13:57And then we have to let this cool completely.
14:00I mean, I'm proud of a box cake.
14:04Cakes have cooled.
14:05Slice them in half.
14:07And now we build.
14:08I'm just gonna go ahead and get
14:09whatever you're gonna serve it on
14:11because you're not gonna wanna move it afterwards.
14:13Go ahead and protect your edges.
14:16Try to get it as centered as you can.
14:18Fill the first layer.
14:19Box cake mix is really spongy.
14:21So it's gonna absorb like, if any juices come out,
14:24kinda like strawberry shortcake.
14:26And you don't have to go all the way to the edges
14:28because when you put the outer layer on, it'll fill in.
14:31Really, I bet it would be delicious if we stopped here.
14:33You don't even have to do the outside, but we will.
14:36Ta-da!
14:38Now the thing is, this cake needs to refrigerate
14:41and set and come together so that those layers
14:44can absorb some of that moisture
14:45in the outer layer, at least several hours,
14:47preferably overnight.
14:49Those oranges we saved earlier can decorate the top.
14:53A little star.
14:55I think a professional made this.
14:57Yum to the yum, yum, yum.
14:59This is my first time having million-dollar cake,
15:02but I feel like I'm not gonna be disappointed.
15:07Mmm, that's delicious.
15:09It's so, it's almost like refreshing.
15:11It's sweet, but not too sweet.
15:13All the other million-dollar things
15:15we've had so far are really rich.
15:17This doesn't feel so rich
15:18because it feels a little lightened up thanks to the fruit,
15:21but it makes you feel like a million bucks, you know?
15:25You don't have to be a millionaire to eat like one.
15:27These million-dollar recipes are rich, they're indulgent,
15:31and they're definitely worth trying.
15:32Which one you're gonna try first?
15:34That's gonna be your own decision.
15:36This is the best meatball I've ever eaten.
15:40Yep.
15:41Now that's how you end an episode.
Comments