Now that the days are growing warmer, I’m more in the mood for ice cream. Okay. Forget everything I just said. I’m always in the mood for ice cream, especially homemade ice cream.

When Erika suggested this recipe (brought to us by Josie of Daydreamer Desserts), I knew it needed to be made. Soon. I mean, cheesecake ice cream filled with strawberries, chocolate grahams and dark chocolate? Seriously, who could refuse that?

But enough with the chit-chat. Let’s get to the good part—the part where I torture you with images of delicious food.

Here’s your list of lovely ingredients: fresh strawberries (preferably organic), cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, lemon juice, sugar, salt, dark chocolate, heavy cream, and chocolate grahams.

Core and slice 12 ounces of strawberries.

In a blender or food processor, puree the strawberries, cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half…

And lemon juice, sugar, and a pinch of salt.

Make sure it’s nice and smooth.

Pour the pureed ingredients into an ice cream maker and churn.

Meanwhile, prepare the (optional) mix-ins. Slice the remaining strawberries very thinly. Sprinkle with a couple teaspoons of sugar and mix well. Place in the freezer.

Melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler (I used a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water).

Heavy cream and dark chocolate. Nom.

Spread three chocolate graham crackers with the melted chocolate and place in the freezer.

About five minutes before the ice cream is finished churning (25 minutes for me), add the mix-ins.

Chop the chocolate-covered chocolate graham crackers roughly and add to the ice cream.

When the ice cream is finished churning (about 30 minutes for me), transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm. Or eat directly from the ice cream maker if you prefer a softer ice cream.

I cannot be held responsible for the amount of calories you will consume by devouring this ice cream.

Recipe notes:

- While the strawberry mix-in added some nice color to the finished ice cream, they’re very cold and hard to taste. Next time I think I’ll leave them out.
- This ice cream isn’t overly-sweet, but I, not being a fan of very sugary desserts, would probably cut out some of the sugar next time.
- The chocolate grahams spread with dark chocolate were brilliant.

Thank you to Josie (a self-taught pastry queen and mom) for sharing this recipe with us. Make sure to visit her blog Daydreamer Desserts where she shares her beautiful photos and delicious recipes. These Peanut Butter Oreo Fudge Parfaits look particularly yummy.

Recipe

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

by daydreamerdesserts on August 30, 2010 in Desserts, Ice Cream
See this recipe post on daydreamerdesserts’s site! August 30, 2010

DessertsIce Cream

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook Time 30 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 8

8

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Recipe Description

If you love strawberries, cheesecake and ice cream as much as I do… you’ve got to try this combination.

Preparation Instructions

For the ice cream:

In a blender or food processor puree the strawberries, cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, lemon juice, sugar and salt.

Pour ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn per manufacturer’s instructions, approximately 30 minutes.

While the ice cream is churning, prepare mix-ins if desired.

For the mix-ins:

In a small bowl combine the strawberries and sugar, mix well and place in the freezer

Melt bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave in 30 second intervals at 50% power. Stir after each interval. Repeat until melted.

With a spatula cover the chocolate graham crackers with melted chocolate and place in the freezer.

Approximately 5 minutes before ice cream is done, remove strawberry mixture and graham crackers from freezer. Add macerated strawberries to the ice cream while still churning. Roughly chop graham crackers and add to ice cream.

Ingredients

• FOR THE ICE CREAM:
• 12 ounces, weight Strawberries, Hulled And Sliced
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• _____
• FOR THE MIX-INS:
• 4 ounces, weight Strawberries, Hulled And Finley Diced
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ cups Bittersweet Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Heavy Cream
• 3 whole Chocolate Graham Crackers

 
 
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Newly-married Erica Kastner shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.

 
This pie had me at the word easy. Okay, it really had me at chocolate and pie. I was looking for a quick and fancy pie to serve after dinner to celebrate some fantastic report cards, so when I typed the words “easy pie” into the Tasty Kitchen search engine and voilà! I found Sissy’s recipe for Easy Chocolate Pie.
 
I had to do a double take at the ingredient list because for the pie filling, there were only five ingredients listed. Five ingredients that I already had in my pantry! And whether you make your own pie crust or buy store-made dough, that’s really up to you, because the pie filling is the real star of this recipe. It’s creamy, pudding-like and not too sweet, which I love! I topped mine with homemade whipped cream and couldn’t resist sneaking a slice before dinner.

I told you it was easy. So easy you probably don’t need a step-by-step tutorial—but you’re getting one anyway!
 
 
 
 

In a large bowl add 1-1/4 cup granulated sugar and 3-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
 
 
 
 

Whisk to fluff and combine.
 
 
 
 

Crack and add two whole eggs into the bowl with the cocoa and sugar.
 
 
 
 

Add in a five-ounce can of evaporated milk.
 
 
 
 

Add the melted butter and then just whisk until everything is incorporated into the dry ingredients. Really try hard not to pour this into a mug and drink it.
 
 
 
 

Prick the bottom of your pie shell a few times. 
 
 
 
 

And pour in the chocolate pie filling.
 
 
 
 

Carefully place the pie into a preheated 350ºF oven and bake for 50 minutes. Meanwhile, the most unbelievable chocolaty aroma will creep throughout your house.
 
 
 
 

It may slightly jiggle in the center, but that’s totally okay because as it sits it will cool and set up more. 
 
 
 
 

The camera loved this pie! At every angle this pie looked every bit delicious as the title leads you to believe. It’s one of those recipes you can whip up at a moment’s notice for an impromptu family gathering, school bake sale or for those lifetime movie nights. Whatever the occasion, this pie will truly shine!
 
 
 
 

A little whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate shavings and you have not only one easy pie but a fancy, delicious, stunning, chocolaty (did I mention delicious?) pie.
 
 
 
 

Thank you Sissy for sharing this pie with us. It was everything you promised it to be, easy and chocolaty! I’ll be making this pie again, that’s for sure!
 
Be sure to swing through Sissy’s TK recipe box for more of her recipes. And while you’re at it, stop by her blog Out on a Limb where she chronicles her day-to-day happenings. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a pie to finish eating!

Recipe

Easy Chocolate Pie

by Sissy on February 7, 2012 in Desserts, Pies February 7, 2012

DessertsPies

4.60 Mitt(s) 5 Rating(s)

Prep Time 1Minute

Cook Time 50 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 8

8

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Recipe Description

This simple but decadent chocolate pie comes together in a snap and the aroma calls you to snatch it out of the oven!

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, mix together cocoa powder and sugar.
2. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the crust) and whisk together. Batter will be very thin.
3. Put the pie crust into an 8 or 9 inch pie pan and prick the dough several times with a fork.
4. Pour batter into crust and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the batter sets up and there is a thin crust on the top.

Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 whole Refrigerated Pie Crust, Or Use Your Favorite 1 Crust Dough Recipe
• 3-½ Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 1-¼ cup White Sugar
• 2  Eggs
• ½ sticks Melted Butter Or Margarine
• 1 can Evaporated Milk (5 Oz Can)

 
 
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Laurie is the force behind Simply Scratch, a blog that documents her efforts to find and create recipes that are made simply from scratch. (We think it’s sweet that her mother-in-law helped her set up her blog and get started.) We love her recipes; they’re not just tried and true, but they look gorgeous as well. Check out her blog and you’ll become a fan too.

 
Do you pass by recipes that look like they’re too much to mess with? I do it all the time, often finding out later how easy many of those recipes really are. Take these Hong Kong Egg Tarts submitted by Kristy of eatplaylove, for example. At first glance, I thought they’d be more involved, with water baths, tempering cream and eggs, or the like. Thankfully, a friend—who happens to have excellent tastes—mentioned that they were one of her favorite desserts when she frequents Chinese restaurants. Kristy also mentions in the recipe that they’re listed on The World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods as compiled by CNN Go.

I’d never heard of them before but I was intrigued to see what the fuss was all about. I was happy to find them quite easy to make. So easy that I made two batches in two days, and for the second batch I dropped the crust for a gluten-free version. Of course they’re tasty, or I wouldn’t have made the second batch. They kind of remind me of a custard pie my grandmother used to make.

This ingredient list is short. Begin with water, sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, and prepared tart shells. Use your favorite pie crust recipe, or take a shortcut and use pre-made like I did. I found frozen mini tart shells at our local grocer. For the gluten-free version, I used small ramekins (see the end of this post) sprayed with cooking spray.

Start by combining the water and sugar in a sauce pan and heating it to a boil. Set aside to let cool.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs together.

Add in the evaporated milk and combine well.

Once the sugar water mixture has cooled a bit, gradually add it into the egg/milk mixture, as well as the vanilla.

Mix it all up! See? How easy is that! Almost finished.

To avoid any clumps, pour the custard into the individual tart shells (or ramekins) through a sieve.

Bake according to recipe below. The egg mixture will slightly rise and set, and the crust should be golden brown.

If going with a gluten-free version, again, pour the egg mixture through a sieve into coated ramekins. Bake for the same time as stated in recipe below.

I sprinkled a little cinnamon on top for a nice addition.

Such an easy recipe, but with simple additions, like berries, coconut, or chocolate, you could easily change this basic recipe for year-round goodness.

Thanks to Kristy for bringing this delightful (and easy!) recipe to our attention. It’s a keeper. And be sure to check her site Eat, Play, Love for this recipe (what a cutie patootie she has assisting on this one) and other wonderful offerings.

Recipe

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

by eatplaylove on January 29, 2012 in Desserts
See this recipe post on eatplaylove’s site! January 29, 2012

Desserts

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 20 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 24

24

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Recipe Description

A traditional egg tart served in Hong Kong. It’s listed as #16 on The World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods as compiled by CNN Go.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and set it aside to cool.

Next beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the evaporated milk. Pour in the sugar water and mix thoroughly. Finally, mix in the vanilla.

Place the tart shells on a baking sheet. Pour the custard through a sieve into the shells.

Bake the tarts at 425ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the egg mixture has risen and the crust is golden brown.

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup Water
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 4 whole Eggs
• ¼ cups Evaporated Milk
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• 24 whole 3-inch Prepared Tart Shells

 
 
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

 
If I am asked to bring a food item to a party, I always sign up for dessert. I usually choose to make cookies, because they are my life and everyone likes cookies. When I saw these Funfetti Cookies (recipe adapted from Yammie’s Noshery’s Funfetti Whoopie Pies) pop up on Tasty Kitchen from member Julia, I knew they would be perfect cookies for my friend’s baby shower. Funfetti Cookies are perfect for any party and I love that these cookies are made from scratch. No box mix is involved, but they are still easy peasy! 

To make the cookies, you need the following ingredients: butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract, egg, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, rainbow Jimmie sprinkles, and nonpareil sprinkles. 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and egg. Beat until combined. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. 

Whisk to combine.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. 

Add in the sprinkles. 

Carefully stir in the sprinkles, making sure they don’t bleed into the cookie dough. 

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes. 

Cool cookies on a wire rack. 

Store cookies in an airtight container.

Funfetti cookies sure are fun to make and eat! The sugar cookies are soft and filled with colorful sprinkles. I loved the slight sweet crunch the sprinkles added. They are delicious right out of the oven, but keep well too. So if you need to make them in advance for a party, you can. They will keep in an airtight container for up to four days. 

These cookies are perfect for any celebration: birthday parties, showers, summer barbecues, etc. Everyone loves them! And if you don’t have a party to go to, don’t worry, you can still bake these cookies. A freshly baked batch of Funfetti Cookies is sure to get a party started!  

Thanks Julia for sharing this recipe. These cookies are my new go-to party cookies! Make sure you visit Julia’s blog, Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body, for other mouthwatering recipes! 

Recipe

Funfetti Cookies

by Julia Mestas on April 30, 2012 in Cookies, Desserts
See this recipe post on Julia Mestas’s site! April 30, 2012

CookiesDesserts

5.00 Mitt(s) 7 Rating(s)

Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 15 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 14

14

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Recipe Description

Funfetti Cookies from scratch. No cake mix, and I even made cake flour at home!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer (or hand mixer) for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond, and egg. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low speed until it’s all added and combined. Mix in the sprinkles (don’t overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the dough).

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (fits 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes. (Note: Only bake until they very slightly start to turn light golden brown just on the edges. You don’t want them to totally turn golden or they’ll be crisp cookies. Check them around 10 minutes, then 12, and so on.)

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Recipe adapted from Yammie’s Noshery’s Funfetti Whoopie Pies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter, Room Temperature
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• 1 whole Egg
• 2-½ cups Flour
• ¼ cups Cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ cups Rainbow Jimmie Sprinkles
• 2 Tablespoons Nonpareil Sprinkles

 
 
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Maria and her husband Josh (who she affectionately refers to as her “dough boy”) blog at Two Peas and Their Pod. They’ve been featured on Saveur, Eatocracy, Gourmet Live, Glamour, and the Los Angeles Times, to name just a few. They’d also just recently added a little pea to their pod. We’re so glad to have them here!

 
When I was a kid, my mum carefully tucked a sandwich into my lunchbox each day. Often it was turkey and cucumber, ham and cheese, or the always-dreaded tuna fish. Not that I didn’t like tuna fish; I just didn’t enjoy sitting in the lunchroom version of Siberia with my odiferous sandwich. If I wanted to sit with the popular kids, peanut butter was where it was at. However, I wasn’t a peanut butter and jelly kind of gal. My favorite combination was peanut butter and banana, with a drizzle of honey.

When I saw this recipe for Banana, Peanut Butter and Honey Muffins by Tasty Kitchen member Laura, I was whisked back to childhood. These muffins are moist, flavorful and lightly sweetened. These would definitely keep me at the popular table in the lunchroom.

Let’s move on to the recipe.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups and coat each baking cup lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

These are the ingredients you’ll need for the first step.

In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

And these are the ingredients you’ll need for the next step.

In a medium bowl, mash the banana with the back of a fork.

Add yogurt, egg, water and peanut butter.

Add honey and vanilla, and stir until combined. Pour the yogurt mixture into the well of the flour mixture.

Mix together until just combined. Do not overmix or the muffins will be tough. Nobody likes tough muffins. The batter will be thick.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter.

In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar and the remaining cinnamon.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on the tops of the muffins.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Set the muffin tin on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely. If you can’t wait, eat one warm. I highly recommend this!

Thanks so much to Laura for this recipe. Be sure to check out Laura’s blog, Tutti Dolci. As the title suggests, it is filled with all sorts of delectable sweets.

Recipe

Banana, Peanut Butter & Honey Muffins

by Laura | Tutti Dolci on March 2, 2012 in Breads, Muffins
See this recipe post on Laura | Tutti Dolci’s site! March 2, 2012

BreadsMuffins

4.50 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 15 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 12

12

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Recipe Description

All the elements of an open-faced peanut butter and honey sandwich, in muffin form!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with baking cups then coat baking cups with cooking spray. Set aside.

Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine banana, yogurt, egg, water, peanut butter, honey and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Add this wet mixture into the well that you made in the center of the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be thick.

Fill each baking cup 3/4 full of batter. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the muffins.

Bake for 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan set on a wire rack for 2 minutes before removing them from the pan to serve warm or cool completely. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Ingredients

• 1-¼ cup Flour
• ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 whole Ripe Banana, Mashed
• ⅔ cups Plain Fat Free Yogurt
• 1 whole Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
• ¼ cups Water
• ⅓ cups Creamy Peanut Butter
• ⅓ cups Honey
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon

 
 
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Dara Michalski is a doll and a sweetheart who clearly knows her way around the kitchen. She blogs at Cookin’ Canuck, where she shares her flavor-packed recipes and fun, engaging writing. The photography’s pretty incredible, too.

 
Homemade cereal, what a revelation! Zoe Dawn’s recipe for homemade grape nuts thrilled me. I’ve made homemade granola before, but never grape nuts. So I was excited to give this a try. And I have to say, I liked it even more than the kind you get in the store.

You will need the following things: sprouted whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular whole wheat flour and it worked well!), light brown sugar, baking soda, salt, molasses, buttermilk, and butter.

Start by combining the dry ingredients in a bowl, including baking soda …

And a good dash of sea salt.

Combine it all together well.

Then begin to pour in the wet ingredients. First the molasses …

Then the buttermilk …

Then the melted butter.

Give it a nice stir.

It will start to come together until it is uniform in color and texture but not especially wet.

Press it into a baking dish and put it in the oven to bake.

Once it comes out of the oven, let it cool completely in your baking dish.

Once it’s cool, preheat the oven to 275ºF and crumble the mixture with your hands as fine or coarse as you would like your grape nuts to be. You will need several trays for this. Or you could cut this recipe in half to begin with if you don’t want quite so much on hand!

Place the sheet trays in the oven so that the coarse mixture dries out slowly.

Let it cool out of the oven once it is firm, and once cool, store it in airtight containers.

This was so much better than grape nuts from the store. It had a better texture and the flavor was fabulous. Thank you so much to Zoe Dawn’s for this homemade breakfast cereal idea!

Recipe

Grape Nuts

by zoedawn on January 31, 2011 in Breakfast
See this recipe post on zoedawn’s site! January 31, 2011

Breakfast

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time 5 Minutes

Cook Time 2 Hours

Difficulty Easy

Servings 12

12

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Recipe Description

Mmmm. Everything you want in a breakfast cereal: crunchy, hearty, lightly sweet, and healthy! The cook time is long but for the most part, you don’t have to do much to it.

Preparation Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients together. Stir in the wet ingredients. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Cut the cake into squares and crumble with your fingers. If you prefer a finer, less chunky grape nut, grate the squares on a cheese grater. Put the crumbles onto two large baking sheets with sides. Bake at 275ºF, stirring every 15 minutes, for a total of 60 to 90 minutes, or until grape nuts are dry. The timing will depend on the size of your little pieces. Cool on the baking sheets and then transfer to jars for storage. Will keep for several weeks. I’m sure they would freeze, too, if you want to try it.

Yield: about 3 quarts, depending on the size of your grape nuts.

Ingredients

• 4-½ cups Sprouted Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• ½ cups Scant, Light Brown Sugar
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ cups Molasses
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• ½ cups Butter, Melted

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books Girl Hunter and Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

 
Quiche. It’s a peculiar word, isn’t it? Sort of like a cross between kiss and kitsch. And eesh. Since I tend of fixate on how some words sound funny when you say them over and over again (I’m real mature like that), my head exploded with all sorts of quiche-related puns, most of them really bad or pathetically lame. For example, I almost called this post, “Quiche On My List.” Then I had visions of Hall and Oates barging into my house and mercilessly hitting me on the head with a club that looked a lot like a keytar, so I stopped myself.

But I digress.

A quiche is basically a savory custard tart, the custard formed by baking a mixture of eggs, milk or cream, and any other add-ins of your choice. Spinach seems to be a popular choice of filling, but mushrooms aren’t too far behind. Now that spring is upon us, there are so many great fresh local veggies available, so you can pick your favorites!

 
 
 
As much as I love my veggies, I think it can’t hurt to throw a little bit of meat in there, too. Maybe it’s because the first really good quiche I ever had was filled with ham and cheese, or maybe it’s because growing up, one of my favorite things for breakfast was a ground beef frittata. For me, eggs and meat have always been a perfect match. And hey, it doesn’t have to be red meat either. Check out the smoked salmon quiche below!

 
 
 
A quiche typically uses a pastry crust but if you need to forgo the crust, we’ve got some crustless versions to show you. I’m pretty sure you could also just omit the crust in any of the other recipes. Or do the opposite and add a crust to the recipes below if you want one! Looking for a good pie crust recipe? You can’t go wrong with this perfect pie crust. And if you need some guidance, Calli has a really great step-by-step tutorial for rolling out beautiful pie crusts.

Don’t forget, you can also get creative and replace the crust with something else unexpected. Spaghetti squash crust, anyone? Or how about the potato crust from cookincanuck’s quiche above? Genius, I tell you.

 
 
 
If you can’t decide what kind of filing to make, why not make them all? You can create individual-sized quiches in tartlet pans, muffin pans, or ramekins. Then your guests can choose their favorite. Or, if you’re like me, you can pretend you can’t decide and pick one of each. I just tell people I work in culinary research and then start taking photos of my food. At that point, they pretty much just shrug their shoulders and leave me alone. (I sometimes hear them whispering to each other as they point in my direction but I’m usually too busy chewing to hear what they’re saying.)

 
 
 
And last but not least, there’s this quiche, with a photo taken by TK member and TK Blog contributor missamy that pretty much speaks for itself.

Amy did a step-by-step blog post of this recipe by Nancy in New Mexico here in the Tasty Kitchen Blog, and I’m telling you, I never get tired of looking at this. In fact, every time I have the photo up on my screen and some random cable/appliance repair/heating guy walks by, he always—and I mean ALWAYS—stops in his tracks, gazes at the photo, and then I swear, a barely-audible sigh escapes his lips. And I’m talking big, burly guys here. One of them even has a tattoo and all.

Which pretty much proves that real mean do eat quiche, especially when it’s loaded with bacon and cheese.

So this weekend, whether you’re cooking for Mom or Mr. Mom, or just for yourself (because we all deserve something special sometimes), why not try something different? I’ve had very little quiche-eating experience in my life, and my quiche-making experience is almost non-existent. But I know that after putting this roundup together, I’m excited to try making my very first quiche. Hey, I might even sing some Hall and Oates while I’m at it!

But only if I find a helmet first.

 
Once upon a time I loathed mushrooms. I mean, really. I wouldn’t even consider eating them—I didn’t care if they were on pizza or piled high atop a filet. Didn’t matter. It wasn’t happening.

Then I got married.

My husband goes through these huge phases with different foods (I once caramelized onions every day for what was probably three or four months) and sure enough, mushrooms made the list. For a few weeks he wanted soft and juicy sauteed mushrooms in every meal that I could fit them. And one day? Well, I got hungry and took a bite.

Pleasantly surprised, I kept on eating. My aversion quickly turned to love and soon enough, I was the one who couldn’t get enough of mushrooms. These days I find myself including them in grilled sandwiches, pasta dishes and even grains. Sometimes I eat them (gasp!) plain as a side dish. It gets pretty crazy over here.

And then … then I saw Lauren’s recipe for Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms. Seriously? Could my life get any better? I knew they’d be happening—like, immediately. And they did. And they were to die for. And now I want to eat more. For breakfast.

Here’s how you make ‘em!

You need: baby bella stuffing mushrooms, cream cheese, green pepper, red onion, pepperoni, black olives, garlic salt or powder, dried basil and oregano and black pepper. And also some grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese!

First up, clean those mushrooms. Using a damp rag or paper towel, simply wipe the dirt off each. Then remove the stem. It should pop right out.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, grated cheese, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Add in the chopped green peppers, olives, pepperoni and red onion. Mix it together well.

Stuff about a teaspoon or so of the cheesy mix into each mushroom.

After every mushroom is stuffed, you want to bake them for 20 minutes. When 20 minutes has passed, switch on the broiler and broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly …

Just like this.

Serve warm, so the cheese is melty and creamy. Like a mini portable pizza!

We couldn’t believe how much the mushrooms really did taste like pizza. Even my husband, who isn’t a huge fan of black olives, scarfed three right out of the oven, searing his taste buds out of existence. These are truly fantastic and will surely be one of my go-to appetizers.

Thanks so much to Lauren’s for the recipe. Check out her fabulous blog Lauren’s Latest where she shares her incredible culinary creativity.

Recipe

Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms

by Lauren's Latest on December 7, 2011 in Appetizers
See this recipe post on Lauren's Latest’s site! December 7, 2011

Appetizers

4.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 22 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 2

2

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Recipe Description

A great way to turn mushroom haters into lovers!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray two mini iron skillets with non stick cooking spray and set aside. (A sheet tray will work just fine, too!)

Wash mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove stems. (They should just pop out!) Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir cream cheese, parmesan, basil, oregano, garlic salt and pepper together until combined. Stir in remaining ingredients, excluding the mushrooms.

Spoon into prepared mushroom caps by the heaping teaspoonful. Place 5 in each skillet and bake 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, switch your oven from bake to broil and brown the tops of each mushroom. Remove and serve hot.

Ingredients

• 10 whole Baby Bella Or Crimini Mushrooms
• 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
• ¼ cups Grated Parmesan Or Mozzarella Cheese
• ¼ teaspoons Dried Basil
• ⅛ teaspoons Dried Oregano
• Garlic Salt And Pepper, To Taste
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Pepperoni
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Green Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Red Onion
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Black Olives

 
 
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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

A simple alternative to fajitas and enchiladas, enfrijoladas make a fun weeknight pantry supper that also works for Meatless Monday. You can serve these enfrijoladas topped with sour cream, cilantro, and salsa. I’ve highlighted the simplest version, but there are other great recipes that include meat, vegetables, and even eggs! For fans of spicy food, add a little heat to the bean mixture or serve hot sauce with the other toppings.

Big tip: microwaving the corn tortillas before dipping them into the refried beans keeps them pliable enough to fold without breaking. Another bit of good news: there was enough sauce and room in the pan for eight tortillas, making it a perfect dinner for four.

Start with these ingredients.

Heat the refried beans, broth, and water in a large pot. Note: I measured and mixed the broth and water in the Pyrex measuring cup and poured it all in at one time.

Then add the tomato paste.

Whisk until thoroughly mixed. The texture should be pretty soupy! While the sauce is mixing and heating, microwave the corn tortillas until hot.

Now get set up with your baking dish, grated cheese, tortillas, and the bean mixture. Using a pair of tongs, dip the tortilla into the bean mixture and allow it to soak for just a moment.

Place the bean mixture-coated tortilla in the baking dish, add a portion of cheese to one half, and then fold over. Repeat with the remaining seven tortillas, then top the dish with the remaining bean mixture and cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and it looks like this! It took everything inside me not to dig into that dish with a spoon.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, salsa, and chopped fresh cilantro!

Thank you, Caroline, for introducing me to this classic Mexican recipe. I will certainly be stocking refried beans in my pantry from now on so that I can make these again! Visit her blog, Pink Basil, for more recipes, thoughtful writing, and great photography.

Recipe

Enfrijoladas

by Pink Basil on March 12, 2012 in Casseroles, Main Courses
See this recipe post on Pink Basil’s site! March 12, 2012

CasserolesMain Courses

4.67 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Prep Time 1 Hour

Cook Time 30 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 4

4

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Recipe Description

Enfrijoladas: delicious Mexican comfort food!

Preparation Instructions

Heat up the refried beans in a large pan. Add in the vegetable stock, water and tomato paste and blend until smooth. You want the sauce to be very thin, so add more liquid if necessary. If the sauce is too thick it will weigh down the tortillas and tear them. Using tongs, take a tortilla and dip in the sauce. This is a bit of an art—you want them to soak through enough that they are pliable and won’t tear, but soak them for too long and they’ll come apart when you lift them out.

Lay the tortilla dipped in bean sauce flat in a small baking dish. Sprinkle some cheese on one side of the tortilla, and then fold it in half like a quesadilla. Repeat this with each tortilla until the baking dish is full. Pour the remainder of the bean sauce into the pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Ingredients

• 4 cups Refried Beans
• 1 cup Vegetable Stock
• 1 cup Water
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
• 6 whole Small Or Medium Size Tortillas
• 3 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

 
 
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Three Many Cooks is the always-entertaining food blog of Pam Anderson and her two daughters, Maggy and Sharon. Pam is a well-known and much-respected food writer and author, Maggy is a “hippy adventurer meets 1950s housewife,” and Sharon refers to herself as a recovering food snob learning to survive on a graduate student’s budget. Theirs is a strong relationship both inside and outside the kitchen, and it shows in the food they create and the stories they tell.

 
When I set out to gather recipes for this post, I had no idea what I was getting into. Not a clue. Not even the thinnest sliver of an inkling. Nada.

Nevertheless, I approached the task with a great deal of trepidation, primarily because I’m by no means an authority on Mexican food. So when I discovered that Cinco de Mayo is really more an American celebration than Mexican (save for the state of Puebla), I heaved a sigh of relief. Which was short-lived, because then I remembered I’m no authority on Tex-Mex food either.

You know what? It was all for naught. Because once I started browsing the rich TK recipe archives and struggled to keep up with one great Mexican-inspired dish after the other (I was saving links left and right, my mouse practically developed writer’s cramp), I was too distracted by the food to remember what I was worrying about in the first place.

So let’s get this roundup off to a start, shall we? We’ve got almost 100 recipes to show you (I told you I didn’t know what I was getting into!), and what better way to start than with the first meal of the day: chocolate.

Just kidding! You know I meant breakfast.

 
 
 
For most, though, Cinco de Mayo is more about the party. Even the great Rick Bayless acknowledges that drinking has become a big part of it. And when I think Mexico and party, I think of two things: beer and margaritas. If you’ve got some non-drinkers or kids in the party, check out the horchata below!

 
 
 
Of course, any Mexican-themed party needs great snacks and appetizers. Especially with all those drinks going around. I don’t know about you, but give me some chips and salsa or guacamole, and I’m good to go. Show me to a corner, give me some extra napkins, and if you want me to love you even more, tell me I don’t have to share with anyone.

 
 
 
Lots of folks already have a favorite salsa or guacamole recipe, so I started looking for other kinds of appetizers. Like ceviches, hot dips, nachos, or (get ready for this) fried avocado strips. (You heard me.) Speaking of dips, if you have a little bit of extra time, why not go the extra mile and bake your own tortilla chips? Fresh hot out of the oven, home baked tastes so good you can enjoy them plain. Which helps, especially when someone is in a corner hogging all the salsa and guacamole.

 
 
 
When I saw the homemade chips, it got me thinking. Sometimes, we just don’t have time to make everything from scratch. Sometimes, we just have to pick our battles. So if you’re pressed for time or don’t have the inclination to (because the laundry is piling up and where is my right shoe? and good grief, the mailbox just fell), remember that it often takes just one or two really good homemade components to put your own stamp on the entire menu. It can be something as simple as your own blend of taco seasoning (there are two below, including one that doesn’t call for chili powder), a special hot sauce blend, or your own enchilada sauce (goodbye, canned sauce!). You’ll be amazed at what a batch of homemade flour tortillas (if you want to make them with bacon fat, more power to you), or crispy baked taco shells can do to elevate your party’s street cred.

 
 
 
You know what else homemade tortilla chips are good for? Chicken tortilla soup. Actually, any other soup for that matter. But most especially Mexican-inspired soups. (Want to know what else tortilla chips are good for? I like to crunch them up and use them as croutons in my salad, too. But that’s another story for another roundup.)

 
 
 
Now we’re coming to the meat of the party. (Look, I made a pun!) I may not know much about Tex-Mex food, but I do know tacos are a big part of it. And boy, do you guys know tacos. I found so many, I had to separate them into two categories. First up, meat tacos. Beef, chicken, venison—I name it, you’ve made it.

 
 
 
But what surprised me is that, as classic as beef (or chicken) tacos are, you, my friends, have submitted more taco recipes featuring seafood instead of meat. Who knew! Not that I’m complaining, mind you. There are few things I love more than a good spicy fish taco. Though the beer-battered shrimp taco below just might make me change my mind.

 
 
 
Tacos are, of course, not the only choice for your Cinco de Mayo main course offering. There are chile rellenos, carnitas, tamale pies, and even pasta done up Mexican style. Chicken enchilada spaghetti? Oh, most definitely yes, please. Most definitely.

 
 
 
Now I know most of these dishes are served with flour tortillas, but all you gluten-free folks need not worry. You can try making gluten-free flour tortillas, or get hold of masa harina (masa harina is typically gluten-free, but may be processed in a plant that also processes wheat, so make sure you check first!) and make your own corn tortillas. Or skip the tortillas altogether and make them in foil packets! Dairy-free? Check out the Mexican chocolate ice cream below. Vegatarian? Not to worry. You’re well-covered, too.

 
 
 
And of course, no party would be complete without something sweet. Take your pick below. You can also just take your favorite chocolate recipe and add some chili pepper or cinnamon to add a Mexican flair to it. Or whip up some dessert tacos! You can also make a large batch of Mexican hot chocolate roasted pecans for people to snack on, or package them up as great little party favors. How cute would that be?

 
 
 
Whew. I almost thought we wouldn’t make it all the way through! Believe me, as large as this roundup is, the list I started with was much larger. Which shows just how much you all love this kind of food. And who can blame you? Peppers, corn, beans, cheese, tomatoes, chili, sour cream, spicy chocolate … all good. All goooood.

So tell us what you have on tap for this weekend! Here’s a hot tip: You might want to plan to have tortillas, refried beans, and cheese left over. Then head back here on Monday for a new step-by-step guest post that’ll put all that leftover goodness to use. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

Party on, friends!

 
 

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