Let’s be honest, holidays would be pretty darn lackluster without the food.
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Of course there’s that whole “making memories and spending quality time with friends and family” thing, but everyone knows holidays are all ‘bout that food.
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Luckily, there are entire days dedicated to certain foods and dishes, giving you an excuse to indulge every day of the month. Here are the most bizarre and delicious April food holidays and recipes to help you celebrate them.
1. April 2nd: National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
Photo by Tarika Narain
Up your PB&J game with this gooey, toasty Peter Pan-ini. Serve with a glass of chocolate milk for instant nostalgia (curly straw optional).
2. April 6th: National Caramel Popcorn Day
Photo by Meredith Marcus
Forget the overpriced salted caramel mocha and satisfy your salty-sweet tooth with this Microwaveable Caramel Popcorn instead. Channel your inner Olivia Pope and enjoy with red wine and a side of Netflix
3. April 8th: National Empanada Day
Photo by Dani Czemerinski
Skip Taco Tuesday and celebrate Empanada Wednesday this April 8th. It might not have the same catchy ring to it, but what’s better than an authentic Argentinian Empanada stuffed with delicious fillings? Definitely not a mediocre taco.
4. April 12th: National Grilled Cheese Day
Photo by Libby Perold
When you’re in college, basically everyday is National Grilled Cheese Day, AMIRITE? With this Red Pepper and Pesto Grilled Cheese you can celebrate with an Italian twist on the old student standby.
5. April 14th: National Pecan Day
Photo by Kathleen Lee
Who says it has to be Thanksgiving to enjoy pecan pie? Whip up these Easiest 18-Minute Pecan Pie Muffins and treat yo’ self to the ooey-gooey deliciousness of pecan pie this April 14th. Plus, they’re muffins, so you can totally eat ’em for breakfast.
6. April 16th: Day of the Mushroom
Photo by Devon Carlson
April 16th is this edible fungi’s time to shine. If ya love ‘em, celebrate with this Creamy Mushroom Rotini. If ya think they taste like dirt, try celebrating National Baked Ham and Pineapple Day (also on the 16th) with Gluten Free Hawaiian Pizza Bites.
7. April 17th: National Cheeseball Day
Photo by Celeste Holben
Okay, so these Bacon Jalepeño Cream Cheese Poppers aren’t exactly representative of your classic savory cheeseball, but they’re spherical and contain cream cheese so they definitely count, right?
8. April 19th: National Garlic Day
Photo by Parisa Soraya
Blend up a batch of gahlicky goodness on April 19th with this Healthy Pesto Garlic Pasta. And don’t worry about that notorious garlic breath. Apparently, it’s a major turn on for some people.
9. April 20th: Lima Bean Respect Day
Photo courtesy of foodnetwork.com
Detested by kids around the world, it’s about time this poor little guy got a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Give the lima bean some lovin’ with this Lima Bean Dip (P.S. It has bacon so you know it’s gonna be good).
10. April 23rd: National Picnic Day
Photo by Lily Allen
Ditch the dining hall, grab your shades, and have a College-Style Picnic on the quad this April 23rd. Still too damn cold and/or rainy out to have a picnic? Create a Cozy Indoor Picnic in the comfort of your own dorm room.
11. April 25th: National Zucchini Bread Day
Photo by Carl Pieri
Can’t stand kale? Sneak some extra servings of veggies into your diet with this Chocolate Zucchini Bread. Because chocolate makes everything better.
12. April 26th: National Pretzel Day
Photo by Abigail Wilkins
Sure, you could go to Auntie Anne’s, OR you could bake a batch of these insane-looking Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Pretzels. I REPEAT: WARM COOKIE DOUGH INSIDE OF A SOFT, SQUISHY PRETZEL! I think the better choice is obvious.
13. April 30th: National Raisin Day
Photo by Molly Stein
Have you ever struggled to choose between a warm, cinnamon-y oatmeal raisin cookie and good ol’ chocolate chip? Same here. But with these Loaded Vegan Oatmeal Raisin cookies you’ll never be forced to make such an exasperatingly difficult decision again. Phew.
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