Jalapeño Popper Mac & Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ homemade mac & cheese? It’s gooey and cheesy and delicious. It just hits the spot.

If you have been following my blog for any period of time, however, I’m sure you have realized that I am partial to a little bit of spice – jalapeños in particular!

I have jalapeño cheddar knots, jalapeño popper stuffed chicken, spicy salsa, and chunky salsa – all featuring jalapeños.

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Jalapeño popper mac & cheese has a nice bit of kick to it, but isn’t too spicy. And you can always adjust it, according to your tolerance of heat!

It is so fast and easy to make and is a great crowd pleaser when we have last-minute company.

This past Christmas, we hosted an impromptu family event and I needed something that was quick and easy to make that would feed everybody who was coming out to our acreage.

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Even people who are not fans of spicy food, loved this dish and it was completely polished off, even though I made a huge, heaping pan of this jalapeño popper mac & cheese.

What little leftovers we did have got sent home with said people who are not typically spicy food eaters!

So hopefully, now that I have sold you on trying this recipe, let’s get into the details of the step-by-step instructions. 😉

First, you need a large pot of water. Bring it to a full boil and add salt and your macaroni, then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to cook for about 7 to 9 minutes depending on how firm you like your pasta to be. I typically like nine minutes cook time for the ideal texture I prefer.

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While your pasta is cooking, go ahead and prep your jalapeños. I use pickled jalapeños because they do seem to be a little more mild than fresh jalapeños sometimes can be (I can handle the heat, but I don’t want to burn my guests so they never come back!)

Oh! I should also mention right now you should turn your oven on to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven heat. If you start the oven preheating now it will be good to go by the time your pasta is ready to be popped in.

If you do use pickled jalapeños, you can add some of the juice to the pasta water while the pasta cooks. I feel like it adds a little extra flavor (but this is not a necessary step, though)

Give your jalapeños, a rough chop. They do not need to be tiny because the chunks give extra colour and texture to the dish.

Next measure out your wet ingredients.

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You will need one cup of heavy whipping cream, one cup of cream cheese, and 2 cups of cheese whiz (depending on how cheesy and gooey you would like it to be… You can go with just one cup of cheese whiz if you are trying to cut down on the amount of cheese, but what’s the point of making mac & cheese if you’re not using alllll the cheese??!)

You will also need one cup of cheddar cheese. It is up to you whether you would like to shred it – or what I do is just cut it into cubes.

I find the cubes are faster and easier for prep time, but it does take a bit longer for things to melt down into a nice even consistency.

So by now, your macaroni noodles should be fully cooked. Drain them in a colander in your sink.

I rinse my noodles with cold water to ensure they don’t continue cooking beyond the texture that I tested and decided was what I wanted.

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Don’t worry, the sauce will be hot, which will warm the mac & cheese up and you are going to put it in the oven for a short period of time as well, so cold noodles are totally fine.

Use the pot you had cooked the noodles in and add your heavy cream, cream cheese, cheese whiz, and cheddar cheese, as well as your chopped jalapeños.

Next comes my secret ingredient – Worcestershire sauce!

Worcestershire sauce is one of my favourite flavour boosting ingredients. I’ll put just a splash of it in many recipes and it adds the extra wow factor.

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Optional ingredients:

I try not to overcomplicate my recipes by having a myriad of ingredients that some people don’t have in their kitchen however, if you do have some of these ingredients and feel like changing the recipe up, you could add some thing like bacon bits, or mild Italian sausage (fully cooked), or chives.

BUT! Back to that pot you have on the stove. On a low temperature slowly melt all the cheesy ingredients together, stirring occasionally.

Mix well once everything is melted. You can add your macaroni noodles back into the pot.

Now we mix again!

Once all your ingredients are fully integrated, you can scoop the mixture into a large baking pan. For this recipe, I use a 9 x 13 extra deep baking dish.

Growing up, we didn’t bake our macaroni and cheese. It was simply a stove top version (which was still incredibly delicious)!

But for this recipe, however, I do bake it -which means I have decided to add breadcrumbs to the top.

If you choose to add breadcrumbs to the top of your jalapeño popper mac & cheese, you can melt your butter in the microwave and stir your breadcrumbs directly into the melted butter.

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The other method is to melt the butter in a frying pan on low heat, then once it’s melted, you add the breadcrumbs and allow them to get a little bit golden-brown before you add them to your pan of jalapeño popper mac & cheese (be sure not to overcook it!)

Whichever method you choose for your breadcrumbs (once they are fully integrated with the butter), spread them evenly across the top of your jalapeño popper mac and cheese.

I should also caution you not to make the same mistake that I did when I first started adding breadcrumbs to the top of mac & cheese.

I thought, “more is better!”

It is not.

It makes a mess.

I feel like in this situation, the expression “a little goes a long way” is appropriate.

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So now that you have your jalapeño popper mac & cheese dish in the pan and you have the breadcrumbs spread on top, it’s time to put it in your beautifully preheated oven.

Because the sauce is already warm, the main goal is to get your jalapeño popper mac & cheese just to the point of bubbling and to have the breadcrumbs golden brown.

This should only take 15 to 20 minutes.

Make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven. If it is too high, your breadcrumbs will crisp too quickly and perhaps even burn. If your oven rack is too low, it may take far longer than you expect to get the nice golden brown finish.

If you find that your jalapeño popper mac & cheese is bubbling, but the breadcrumbs are not yet golden brown, you can turn your oven to broil.

I caution you, though, if you do use the broil setting, don’t walk away. You need to stand there – and you watch that oven until you get the perfect golden brown you were looking for!

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Many times have I seen people use the broil setting, only to be disappointed by a charcoal dinner as a result… because they were not standing there watching the entire time.

Once you have achieved the perfect golden brown and bubbly dish, make sure you let it rest after removing it from the oven for a few minutes.

We don’t want to burn your guests mouth after all!

And that’s all I have for you so I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please drop a comment and photo below when you make it!

Ingredients:

4 cups dry macaroni noodles

3/4 cups jalapeños, diced

1 cup cream

2 cups cheese whiz

1 cup cream cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese

Topping:

1/2 butter

1 cup breadcrumbs

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Recipe:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, then add dry macaroni noodles
Reduce heat to simmer for 7 to 9 minutes, depending on desired texture
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional heat
Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water
In the same pot add jalapeños, heavy cream, cheese whiz, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and allow to melt together on a low heat stirring frequently.
Once the sauce is hot and well mixed, add the cooked macaroni noodles and stir together
Place the jalapeño popper macaroni mix and a 9 x 13 pan (no oil needed)
Melt butter in a frying pan on low heat. Then add breadcrumbs and mix together.
Evenly spread the breadcrumb mixture over the jalapeño popper macaroni & cheese in your pan
Next, place your baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the mac & cheese is bubbling.
Remove from oven and allow your meal to rest for five minutes or until cool enough to eat
Enjoy!

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Jalapeño Cheddar Knots

I love a good savoury jalapeño cheddar loaf during the cold winter months, so I decided to turn my recipe into super pretty dinner rolls!

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It looks so fancy doing these as knots, but it is actually very easy to make. Why not get the “wow factor” with just a minute or two of extra effort?

I have a bread maker and use it quite a bit; some of my recipes I will do by hand, but this one I just pop into the bread maker on the “dough” setting and it kneads and rises until the dough is ready for me to roll out and finish.

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And NO! I am not going to give you some big, long story before getting down to the nitty gritty of h0w to make this recipe (YOU’RE WELCOME! haha)

First, add all the ingredients to your bread maker. Start with the lukewarm water, then salt, butter (or oil works if you don’t have butter), powdered milk, flour, and then the yeast.

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Then, add the diced jalapeños and cayenne powder on top. I typically use pickled jalapeños because I almost always have them on hand, but fresh jalapeños work too!

Now hit that dough setting and carry on with your day! Mine runs for about an hour and a half before the dough is ready to be rolled out and cut.

If you are in the middle of something and the dough sits a bit after the bread maker beeps (signalling it is ready), that’s fine. Just make sure it doesn’t sit sooo long that it gets dried out or falls. This means you have 30-60 minutes grace period.

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When your dough is ready, roll it out on a floured surface so it is long and wide, as pictured below.

Next, drizzle some melted butter over the bottom two-thirds of the dough and spread it so you have an even coating.

Then, sprinkle your shredded cheddar cheese over that same area. You can add more or less cheese, depending on your taste, but keep in mind that if you add too much it will melt out and make a mess in the bottom of your oven!

After you’ve added the cheese, fold the dough over by one third and then one more time (as pictured below).

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Gently press the roll so it sticks together well.

Now you are ready to start on the fun part!

Find the middle of the roll and cut it in half (I typically just fold it in half to find the middle, but some people actually get out a ruler to measure). Then cut each of the sides in half again, then cut each section into three pieces.

This will give you 12 sections total, which is a perfect dozen to fit in your muffin tins!

Optional: before cutting into sections, you can trim the ends so all your sections will have even sides and filling. I hate wasting, so I don’t trim the ends.

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Once you have 12 sections, make two slices in each section, leaving just a little dough connecting it at the top (pictured below). This will give you three strands of dough to braid.

Do a simple braid, as pictured below.

Then, tuck the ends underneath the jalapeño cheddar knot into a muffin tin that has been brushed with oil (or better yet, butter!)

They should look like the examples in the photo below.

Once you have repeated this step with all 12 sections, cover the jalapeño cheddar knots with a damp tea towel and allow them to rise in a warm location for about an hour.

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Once your knots have risen, pre-heat the oven to 480°

Place the jalapeño cheddar knots in the oven and immediately turn it down to 450° – this method may sound odd, but it gives the perfect golden finish with a nicely baked (and fluffy) inside.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, depending on how golden you would like the knots to be.

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Optional: before baking, you can brush your jalapeño cheddar knots with butter or egg wash to change the final look. I did not do this for the photos included and it is just a matter of personal preference.

You can also brush the knots with melted butter after they have finished baking for an extra soft, delicious finish. Once again, I did not do this in the example photos and it is a matter of personal preference and if you want to spend a little extra effort doing this.

Allow the jalapeño cheddar knots to cool just enough that they won’t burn you before you dig in! Haha

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One of my favourite parts of making the jalapeño cheddar knots like this versus a traditional dinner roll is #1 – they look so pretty and #2 – they pull apart in tender little pieces that are fun to eat.

For the extra couple steps it takes to braid these, I feel like it elevates the look of a simple, homemade dinner roll to a high-end, luxurious experience. So why not?? (or should I say “KNOT?” lol)

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I hope you have enjoyed my recipe! If you did, please be sure to share it with your friends and leave a comment below with a photo of how yours turned out!

Ingredients

1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup diced jalapeños (fresh or pickled)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (OPTIONAL)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

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Instructions

Combine all ingredients in your bread maker with the paddle facing upward.
Select “dough” setting and start.
Once the dough cycle has finished, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a long, wide strip as pictured above.
Next, brush the dough with melted butter.
Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the bottom 2/3 of the long portion of the dough (refer to picture above, if needed).
Then, fold the dough over into thirds, longwise (refer to picture above, if needed).
Cut into 12 strips, then slice each piece twice, leaving a small amount at the top of each piece to connect them (refer to picture above, if needed)
Do a simple braid for each piece, then tuck the ends underneath and place in a greased or buttered muffin tin.
Allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm location, covered with a damp tea towel.
Pre-heat oven to 480º
Place muffin tin in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 450º
Bake for 13-15 minutes (depending on the desired goldenness).
Remove muffin tins from oven and place on cooling rack; cover with a tea towel and allow to cool.

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Optional Finishing Touches

Brush the Jalapeño cheddar knots with egg wash prior to baking
Brush with melted butter after removing from the oven

Serves 12

… The End… And they lived happily ever after. 😉

If you like short, to-the-point recipes, check out my other posts!

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Roasted Halibut Steaks with Lemon-Dill Cream Cheese

You don’t have to break the bank going to a fancy restaurant to get a gourmet halibut dinner – and this recipe is so quick and easy you’ll be in love!

My mom made a similar recipe when I was a kid, but (as always), I enjoy adding my own twist and trying new things… So this is an “Ellie Original” recipe!

When cooking fish, the biggest mistake you can make is overcooking it; if you undercook it, you can always put it back on the heat again.

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But once it is overcooked, there is no going back. Overcooked fish gets dried out and chewy, rather than the perfectly tender, flaky result we are going for.

The bake time will depend on the size and thickness of your halibut, so I recommend checking the “done-ness” by cutting into the centre of one of your halibut steaks at 10 minutes. The fish should be white when it is fully cooked; if it still has a translucent look, you should leave it in the oven for another minute or two.

Did I mention that this recipe is super fast? With only 10ish minutes in the oven, this meal can be ready in a flash!

While fresh halibut is ideal, you can also use frozen halibut steaks.

Growing up, we always had TONS of fish in the freezer from fishing season (though we usually had more salmon than halibut), so we ended up eating our fair share of fish throughout the year – hence getting creative with recipe ideas!

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Pro tip for storing fish without getting freezer burn:

Fold your fresh fish fillet into thirds with the smallest part of the fillet toward the inside and freeze.

Once it is fully frozen, fill the freezer bag with cold water and freeze again.

The ice jacket that forms will protect your fillet from freezer burn for long-term storage.

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If you are using frozen halibut for this recipe, allow it to thaw overnight in your fridge.

When you are ready to start dinner, pre-heat your oven to 450º F while you prep your halibut steaks.

Note: you likely want to start your other dishes at this point, as well, since the halibut steaks only take 10 minutes in the oven.

Pat your halibut dry with a paper towel and cut into strips about two inches wide, then sprinkle with a bit of salt & pepper.

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Next, mix your cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh dill, chives, and garlic.

Personally, I prefer to use oven roasted garlic, but you can simply mince a couple fresh cloves of fresh garlic if you don’t want to take the time to make oven roasted garlic.

As with most of my recipes, you can adjust the amount of garlic and herbs to your personal taste.

The cream cheese adds a creamy richness that pairs well with the halibut and the lemon-dill blend has such a bright, refreshing zing to it!

Once all the ingredients are well incorporated, spread the cream cheese & herb mix evenly over the top of your halibut steaks and then sprinkle a little smoked paprika over the top.

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Transfer your halibut steaks to a lightly oiled baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, and enjoy!

I personally love rice with fish, so I typically will make my rosemary rice recipe and do a side of green beans or some other garden-fresh veggie to go with dinner.

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Roasted Halibut Steaks with Lemon-Dill Cream Cheese

Recipe

4 halibut steaks, cut to 2″ wide

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped

2-3 cloves oven roasted garlic, chopped

Smoked paprika

Salt & pepper to taste

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Directions

Pat halibut dry and cut into 2″ wide steaks. Sprinkle salt & pepper to taste.
Chop garlic and herbs, then zest and juice the lemon.
Mix cream cheese, garlic, herbs, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well incorporated.
Spread cream cheese mixture over the halibut steaks, then sprinkle with paprika.
Transfer halibut steaks to a lightly oiled baking sheet and place in pre-heated oven.
Bake at 450º for 10 minutes or until no longer translucent in the middle of the halibut.

Serves 4

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I also love grilling our meals and I imagine this recipe would be fabulous on a cedar blank, grilled on a hot summer day.

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Easy Homemade Marmalade

With everything going on in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had a lot more time on my hands at home to try out new things that interest me.

Having extra oranges on hand that may or may not get eaten before they got hard, the idea of trying to make my own marmalade so they didn’t go to waste came to mind. Also, a bit of extra vitamin C in my diet wouldn’t hurt, right?

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I personally do not like overly sweet food, so I adjusted the recipe I found to have less sugar than called for by about half.

First, I washed my oranges and lemon, cut the ends off, then cut them into quarters and then into thin strips. Next time I would try cutting them into thin rounds first and then into quarters to see which method is easiest to get the thinnest strips.

Make sure there are no seeds before adding the orange and lemon to the pot. (I saved the cut off the ends of the oranges to make a vinegar cleaner later).

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Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.

I let the batch set overnight as this gives the orange’s natural pectin time to set. Some recipes called for pectin, which I did not have on hand, so I chose this method rather than wait until the next time I made it to the grocery store (which wouldn’t be for a while given the government’s strong recommendation to stay home unless absolutely necessary).

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The next day, I brought the batch back up to a boil, then turned it down to a simmer for 2 hours.

The next step was to bring it to a gentle boil for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning. The recipe said to use a candy thermometer and bring the temperature to 220 Degrees F – I actually whipped out my candy thermometer, despite my temptation to “wing it!”

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That being said… My batch only made it to about 210 Degrees before it started looking gelled enough, so I took a spoonful of the marmalade out and put it in the fridge for a minute to test how it set up.

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It was the consistency I wanted, so I took my marmalade off the heat and put it into 3 clean, sanitized pint jars and sealed.

Of course my spoonful to test it was tasty, but I still HAD to try the marmalade with fresh, homemade sourdough bread for my final rating – and let me tell you, this will not be the last time I make this recipe!

It makes for a great breakfast when slathered on top of sourdough English muffins.

I had a friend joke that they call marmalade “old people jam” and it made me laugh; Pinterest already thinks I am an older lady, so why not just embrace it? Haha

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Recipe

4 Medium Oranges, sliced thinly

1 Lemon, sliced thinly

6 Cups Water

4 Cups Sugar (if you like it sweeter you can add another 4 cups of sugar)

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Directions

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, cover, and leave overnight.

Bring to a boil the next day, reduce heat to a simmer for 2 hours.

Bring to a gentle boil for 20 – 30 minutes. Target heat using your candy thermometer is 220 Degrees F. Test thickness by taking a spoonful and placing in the fridge for a minute; if it is watery, continue to cook. If it gels well, your batch is done.

Fill clean, sanitized jars and seal with hot water bath.

Makes about 3 pints.

Enjoy!

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Have you made marmalade? Do you plan to give it a try? I would love to hear from you below!

(Published April 2020)

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Fried Tacos

You can never go wrong with tacos! I mean, we even have a day of the week dedicated to their deliciousness!

My family’s taco recipe is a little different than what you traditionally think of when you are planning Taco Tuesday (or TacoS Tuesday, as my niece calls it).

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We actually fry our tacos, which makes the cheese super gooey and extra delicious!

First, you’ll need to fry the raw ground beef. I often will fry a large package of the ground beef all at once so I have extra meat to freeze for next time I am making tacos.

(I haven’t tried using ground turkey or pork, but I imagine those meats would work quite well, too!)

As you cook the meat, add salt & pepper to taste as well as cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. If you have taco seasoning, you can use that instead; I just keep all the individual spices on hand and tend to make the spice mix myself.

Make sure to break the ground meat into small chunks as it cooks.

Once it is fully cooked so there is no more pink showing, drain any excess fat off. I like to place the pan back on the heat again and fry the meat until it is slightly crispy, but that’s up to you.

Next, spread refried beans on half the corn tortilla. CLICK HERE for the refried beans recipe. (I find making refried beans from scratch is WAY more cost effective than buying the canned version. And it really doesn’t take a ton of time as long as you plan ahead)

Then add your ground beef on top of the beans and then a slice of cheese.

The amount of meat you add is totally up to you! If you have carnivores in your house, you may want to add as much meat as you think will stay on the taco.

If you are on a tight budget, trying to make ends meet, you can keep this meal filling without breaking the bank by adding more beans and less of the meat.

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Fry the taco, folded over, in a pre-heated pan with oil. Don’t add too much oil; you just want enough to give the tortilla a nice golden finish.

If you end up with a lot of splattering, it means you added too much oil.

At one time during our kitchen renovations, I had to make a “temporary kitchen” work without a stove… and I actually just brushed oil on a griddle to make these tacos. It worked great! The point is, that’s how little oil you really need for this recipe.

To that point, I bet you could even make these tacos on the BBQ if you had a griddle accessory. Summer is so short where we live that I love using the grill as much as possible when the weather is nice!

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Once the first side of the taco is golden-brown, flip it to the other side and fry it to the same crunchy perfection.

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Once both sides have been fried, you add your toppings and enjoy!

I personally love sour cream, chunky salsa, jalapeños, cilantro, avocado, green onions, and lettuce on my tacos. You can also add Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, tomatoes or cucumbers. If you like spicy food, you could even try my Fire Roasted Salsa to turn up the heat.

Guacamole is another tasty option too! (CLICK HERE FOR MY GUACAMOLE RECIPE)

They also freeze really well, so I will often make a large batch and freeze the leftover tacos (it seems impossible to have leftover tacos, right?!) to have as a quick, yummy lunch later on.

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Just microwave for 2 minutes from frozen and – viola! Tacos!

Or toss them in the oven at 350º until they are hot and crispy.

Either way, they are the first on my “freezer meal prep” list for when baby arrives!

Recipe

– 1 package corn tortillas
– 2 pounds ground beef (raw)
– 1/4 teaspoon cumin
– 1/4 teaspoon paprika
– 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
– 2 cups refried beans
– 10 slices cheddar cheese
– Canola Oil

Directions

Fry the ground beef until slightly crispy, adding cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice as well as salt & pepper to taste.

Spread refried beans on half the tortilla, then add ground beef and slice of cheese.

Pre-heat a pan to medium-high heat and add just enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Fry the tacos (folded in half) until the first side is golden-brown, then flip to fry the other side until it is golden-brown as well.

Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Makes 10 tacos

What are your favourite toppings for tacos? Drop a comment below!

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Spicy Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps, Shrimp Street Tacos, and Carne Asada Taco recipes!

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Fried Zucchini Steaks

Try out this creative way to cook zucchini!

I absolutely love fresh, homegrown zucchini!

When the plants start producing, however, it can be hard to keep up with using the bounty before it gets over-ripe or goes bad.

Therefore, I like to have a wide variety of recipes to choose from so we can eat tons of zucchini without getting sick of it.

Fried zucchini steaks are a family classic that I have loved since I was a child!

(I also love my zucchini pizza boat recipe for grilling season)

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Fried zucchini steaks are quick and easy to make – and my husband thinks it smells like KFC! lol (I assume because I use canola oil to fry the zucchini steaks)

So let’s get started on this recipe!

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I begin by slicing the zucchini into thick rounds. This recipe works best with an oversized zucchini.

Next, I beat an egg in a pie pan and coat one zucchini round at a time in the egg.

Then, I coat the zucchini round in flour.

Once I have about 4-5 zucchini steaks coated, I add them to a pre-heated pan with canola oil.

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It should only be enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan; if you use too much, it will splatter and make a mess.

I salt and pepper the zucchini steaks as they fry and then flip them when they are golden-brown on the first side.

How long they should be cooked will depend on you; some people prefer them to be fairly crunchy, whereas other people like their zucchini steaks cooked until they are soft all the way through.

If you would like crunchy zucchini steaks, I recommend cooking them on higher heat so you still have a nice, golden crust on them – but with a shorter cook time.

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If you would like them to be soft all the way through, you’ll likely want to cook them on a medium heat so you don’t burn the outsides while trying to get the insides nice and soft.

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You can serve these zucchini steaks as a main course or as a side veggie.

Make sure to prepare lots if your family loves this dish as much as mine does! We rarely end up with leftovers!

Fried zucchini steaks go well with scalloped potatoes and dilly green beans for a garden fresh meal – or you can throw some actual steak into the mix!

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Recipe

1 large zucchini

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup of flour

Salt & pepper to taste

Canola oil, as needed

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Directions

Slice zucchini into thick rounds.

Coat zucchini in egg, then in flour.

Place in a pre-heated pan with canola oil over medium-to-high heat (depending on “doneness” desired).

Fry until golden-brown on both sides.

Add salt & pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

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What do you think?

Will you give this quick, easy – and yummy – recipe a try?

Drop a comment below!

Be sure to check out my other zucchini recipes – zucchini pizza boats & garden lasagna!

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Zucchini Pizza Boats

Summer is the time for lazy days at the lake, yard work – or harvesting tons of fresh veggies from the garden!

Here in Saskatchewan, this is the time of year that the zucchini go crazy.

Gardeners use every possible recipe to use up their excess and then start giving zucchini to their friends, family, neighbours, and maybe even complete strangers!

We all want to make sure the produce we have worked so hard to grow doesn’t go to waste.

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So I’m here today to give you inspiration for one more yummy way you can use your zucchini – Zucchini Pizza Boats!

The great part about this recipe is that it is low carb, does great on the grill, and you can use other garden fresh veggies.

Just like with pizza, it is a flexible recipe that you can pick and choose which toppings you would like to use.

I like to start with a zucchini that is borderline too large because the skin will be a little tough, which makes the “boat” hold its shape on the grill better. Plus this gives you a larger hollow to add your sauce and toppings to!

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Cut the zucchini in half long-wise and scoop out the soft, seedy part.

Don’t throw it out, though! We will use the insides in the sauce in a minute.

Next, heat a pan on medium heat and add some butter, a few cloves of garlic, and diced onion.

I personally like to add whole cloves of garlic; once they are nice and soft, I just smash them with my knife on the cutting board and give them a quick chop.

I find that method a lot quicker than mincing or grating the garlic raw.

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Oh! And this is where the zucchini insides get added; toss it into your sauce, seeds and all.

Next, add diced tomato and some chopped oregano & basil.

I like a bit of heat to my food, so I add an entire cayenne pepper (either a fresh, chopped pepper or a crumbled, dehydrated pepper).

Then, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. This really makes the flavour pop!

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And as expected, give the sauce a nice seasoning of salt & pepper.

Allow it to come to a simmer and cook the sauce down until it is no longer watery.

The more tomato you add, the more like a pizza sauce it will be.

Adding the zucchini insides, however, makes the sauce a bit different texture than normal pizza sauce, but hey – waste not, want not!

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Once your sauce has cooked down to the desired consistency, scoop it into your zucchini boats.

Then you get to add your toppings!

I find that the toppings work best when they are added first and then the cheese added on top; when the cheese gets gooey, anything on top tends to try to slide off if the zucchini boat isn’t quite flat.

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You can bake the zucchini boats at 350º for about 40 minutes (depending on their size, time will vary).

My favorite, however, is throwing them on the grill with a bit of smoke!

The flavour is amazing that way, plus if it is a hot day you aren’t heating up your house.

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On a pre-heated grill, it typically takes about 40 minutes on low-to-medium heat to cook the zucchini boats.

NOTE: Be careful how high your flame is; you do not want to char the skin!

You can also use a pre-soaked wood plank to add flavour (and catch any gooey cheese that tries to drip off).

I like my Maple Grilling Plank better for this recipe than my Cedar Grilling Planks because it has a lighter flavour.

I like the zucchini to be soft enough to easily pierce with a fork, but not so soft that it is falling apart.

Some people may prefer their zucchini to be firmer so they are almost crunchy still.

That is completely up to you!

Once you remove the zucchini boat from the heat, allow it to cool for a couple minutes.

Enjoy!

I promise this will become a fast favourite!

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While zucchini is usually served as a side veggie, I like serving this dish as a main course – or even the entire meal because it is so filling!

Recipe

1 large zucchini

1 large tomato

1/2 large onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons butter

1 cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Basil & oregano, to taste

Salt & pepper, to taste

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Directions

Cut the zucchini in half long-wise and scoop out the soft, seedy centre (reserve for later).

In a pan on medium heat, sauté garlic, diced onion, and diced tomato in butter.

Add zucchini insides along with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, basil, and oregano.

If you want some heat, add cayenne pepper as well.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Simmer until the sauce has reduced to desired consistency.

Scoop sauce into zucchini boats, then add toppings and cheese.

Bake at 350º for about 40 minutes or grill on low-to-medium heat for about 40 minutes.

Cook time will vary depending on the size of zucchini and desired softness.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

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What is your favourite zucchini recipe? Drop a comment below!

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Easy Biscuits and Gravy

I almost always make eggs of some kind for breakfast; fried, scrambled, poached… you name it, I’ve probably made it!

But, from time to time, it is nice to change things up with something different.

For me, biscuits and gravy are a treat because I don’t make it often.

Don’t ask me why!

Maybe I just get into a rut of making the same things over and over again…

Or maybe I make eggs so much because our chickens have been such prolific producers!

Either way, this biscuits & gravy recipe is always a hit.

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The Biscuits

Start by mixing the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Then cut in cold butter using a pastry blender.

Depending on how flakey you would like your biscuits, you can add anywhere from 1 – 3 tablespoons of butter. The more butter, the flakier the biscuits.

Pro Tip: Using cold butter helps make the biscuits fluffier and flakier.

Next, add the milk and gently mix until the flour is fully incorporated.

Make sure not to overwork the dough.

Then roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut into biscuits.

This recipe makes 6 – 2 1/2 inch biscuits, which I find is a perfect serving size.

I use my biscuit cutters from Amazon to get perfectly shaped biscuits with pretty scalloped edges.

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Pre-heat your oven to 400º and bake your biscuits on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I personally like to line my baking sheet with parchment paper so I have as little clean-up as possible.

You can cover the biscuits and allow them to cool or serve them hot!

The Gravy

Mom always used Jimmy Dean Italian sausage, however I recently discovered that a local business carries Mild Italian beef sausage – AND delivers to our acreage!

For those of you who have never lived in a rural location, you likely don’t understand the excitement of actually being able to get delivery…

Where we live, we can’t even get the mail delivered to our house – so this is a big deal.

Oh! And the beef is also high quality and ethically raised.

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While the biscuits bake, start the gravy by frying the sausage until fully cooked, breaking it into small chucks as it cooks.

Salt & pepper to taste (I like to season my meat now and then add more to the gravy later; this gives the meat great taste without the gravy getting too salty).

If you are using pork sausage, you will have plenty of drippings to mix the flour into, however if you are using a lean meat, you may need to add 1 tablespoon of butter.

Once the meat is fully cooked, sprinkle the flour on top of the meat and mix it in.

Allow it to brown slightly, string occasionally on medium heat (this step is the key to good gravy; browning the flour before adding the milk gives it a rich flavour).

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Add 1/3 cup of milk and stir until the mixture has thickened.

Add the remaining cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of beef stock; stir until it is combined and starts to simmer.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Remove from heat once it has reached the desired thickness.

Cut your fresh biscuits in half and scoop the gravy over both halves.

Enjoy!

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Biscuit Recipe

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cold butter (up to 3 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

Directions

Mix dry ingredients, then cut in cold butter.

Stir in milk and incorporate ingredients (do not overwork dough).

Roll out dough on floured surface.

Cut & bake at 400º for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Makes 6 – 2 1/2 inch biscuits

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Gravy Recipe

1 pound mild Italian sausage

1 teaspoon butter (optional)

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/3 cup whole milk

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Fry the sausage in a large pan, breaking it into chunks as you stir.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Stir in flour and allow to brown slightly (add melted butter if you are using a lean meat that does not have drippings).

Add 1/3 cup milk and stir until thickened.

Add remaining cup of milk and the beef stock.

Stir until thickened to desired consistency.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Scoop onto biscuits & enjoy!

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What is your favourite breakfast food? Drop a comment below!

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Mom’s Baking Powder Biscuits

What is better than Mom’s home-cooking?!

This is a recipe I grew up on and still love making to this day!

These tasty biscuits are great with butter, hot out of the oven.

Or you can add fresh, homemade jam…

… or you can make biscuits and gravy…

… ooor, you can use the dough to make Pigs in a Blanket!

This recipe is the foundation for so many yummy options.

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Start by mixing the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Then cut in cold butter using a pastry blender.

Depending on how flakey you would like your biscuits, you can add anywhere from 1 – 3 tablespoons of butter. The more butter, the flakier the biscuits.

Pro Tip: Using cold butter helps make the biscuits fluffier and flakier.

Next, add the milk and gently mix until the flour is fully incorporated.

Make sure not to overwork the dough.

Then roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut into biscuits.

This recipe makes 6 – 2 1/2 inch biscuits, which I find is a perfect serving size.

I use my biscuit cutters to get perfectly shaped biscuits with pretty scalloped edges.

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Pre-heat your oven to 400º and bake your biscuits on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I personally like to line my baking sheet with parchment paper so I have as little clean-up as possible.

You can cover the biscuits and allow them to cool or serve them hot!

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Recipe

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cold butter (up to 3 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

Directions

Mix dry ingredients, then cut in cold butter.

Stir in milk and incorporate ingredients (do not overwork dough).

Roll out dough on floured surface.

Cut & bake at 400º for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Makes 6 – 2 1/2 inch biscuits

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Be sure to join my mailing list to get my recipe for the gravy I make for biscuits and gravy as soon as I publish it!

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What is your favourite way to eat biscuits? Drop a comment below!

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No-Knead Bread

Easy 4 ingredient, no-knead bread recipe

The smell of baking bread filling the house is one of my favourite scents!

On cold winter days, fresh bread with a hardy stew really hits the spot.

This no knead recipe turns out perfectly every time – the main challenge is the patience it takes!

In order to ditch kneading the bread, extra rise time is required.

18-24 hours of rise time, to be more specific.

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I will usually start a batch Saturday morning so we have fresh bread for lunch on Sunday.

Aside from the rise time, this recipe requires very little of your time to prep and bake.

Oh! And did I mention that it only has 4 ingredients?!

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Start with a large glass bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water, then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of yeast on top.

Allow the yeast to develop for about 5 minutes before adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 3 cups of flour (if you are in a rush, you can skip the 5 minutes and the loaf will still turn out fine).

Mix everything together until the flour is all incorporated; you shouldn’t have to work too hard and can add a bit more water if you find you still have dry flour.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place on the counter to rise for the next 18-24 hours.

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Unlike many bread recipes, this loaf does not need to be in a particularly warm spot; during the winter months, my concrete counters can be quite cool and we usually keep the heat in the house fairly low.

The extra rise time is to thank again!

Fast-forward 24 hours… Now the dough is ready to bake!

Pre-heat the oven to 450º with your dutch oven inside the, um, “real” oven.

I have an old-school cast iron dutch oven that I scored at a garage sale years ago and it works great!

If you don’t have a dutch oven, you should seriously consider getting one. Some even have an enamel coating that helps eliminate seasoning the cast iron and makes cleanup much easier.

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Once the oven and dutch oven are pre-heated, sprinkle some cornmeal in the bottom of the dutch oven to keep the dough from sticking to the bottom.

The cornmeal also gives the loaf a rustic, artisan feel.

Next, gently scoop the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface.

The dough will be quite sticky at this point, which is exactly what we want.

Try to disturb the dough as little as possible; this helps keep that nice, fluffy rise that we just waited 24 hours for.

Gently fold the dough from the right side into the middle, then from the left side into the middle. Repeat with the other 2 sides.

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This helps shape the loaf into a nicely rounded ball.

Once you have shaped the loaf (remember, do not over-work the dough!), place it seam-side down in the dutch oven.

Bake with the lid on for 30 minutes. The moisture the lid holds in helps give the loaf the soft, chewy inside and the crusty, artisan exterior.

Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes so the loaf gets that nice, golden finish.

Once it has finished baking, remove your loaf from the dutch oven and place on a cooling rack; cover it with a towel to allow it to cool at a slow enough rate that it doesn’t get dried out.

When you cut into your fresh loaf of bread, the crust should be fairly hard and the inside should be moist and chewy with large air pockets.

Be sure that your bread knife is sharp so it cuts the loaf well, rather than crushing the bread before it cuts through.

This is by far my favourite one-loaf recipe because of how quick and easy it is! At least “quick” in the sense that I only spend about 5-10 minutes of my time total making it.

And, it turns out perfectly every time!

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You can add different finishes to your crust; this is just the most basic, easiest method to get you started.

Some people will brush the crust with melted butter or an egg wash (before baking) for different effects.

You can also get creative with the ingredients; do you want jalapeño cheddar loaf? Just throw some diced jalapeños, shredded cheddar cheese, and some cayenne powder in when you mix up the dough!

Want a garlic rosemary loaf? Add some fresh rosemary leaves and a dash of garlic powder!

You get the idea… This is the building block for all kinds of different options.

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