Pizza Casserole with Zucchini Crust

Are you inundated with zucchini from the garden? Tired of making zucchini bread?

Yeah, we thought so (we are too).

Then we've got another question for you: Do you like pizza? Do your kids?

If the answer is "yes," we’ve got a recipe you're going to want to try.

It's simple, really. Mix shredded drained zucchini with eggs and cheese. Spread it into a casserole dish and bake it for a while.

Then top it with all of your favorite pizza toppings. Voila! 

This casserole combines everything that’s great about pizza with a vegetable-laden crust that tastes fantastic.

We got the idea from an old trick Lo's mom used to do with leftover macaroni and cheese. She'd mix it with a couple of eggs, spread it into a baking pan and prebake it. Then she'd add tomato sauce and pizza toppings.  

As kids, we loved it.  

As an adult, I've occasionally remade the recipe just to relive the nostalgia. But, I've also started looking for other ways to achieve similar results.

This concept is similar -- but it sneaks in some extra vegetables. So, if you're a mom with picky kids, this recipe might just be something you want to tuck into your repertoire.

We'd be delighted to hear what your kids think.

Get the recipe: Zucchini Pizza Casserole

©BURP!

End of Summer Tomato Pie

 Gosh, I love September.

Wanna know why?
Because my garden is literally bursting with produce, and whatever I don't have already at home, I can easily procure from the farmer's market.  It's a cook's dream!

Of course, if you know me, you'll also know that I'm a big fan of the cooler weather that comes in September and October. So, that's just an added bonus.

The fact is, when the dog days of summer give way to a bountiful harvest that includes succulent, garden-fresh tomatoes, it’s time for BLT’s, caprese salads and panzanella. And we've eaten our fill of all of those things this year.

But, it’s also the perfect time to make delicious savory pie!

This delicious summer pie contains layers of colorful tomatoes along with flavorful herbs, smoky bacon and plenty of cheese.

While you can make this pie with any type of tomato, using a variety (from cherry tomatoes, to yellow, orange and green) increases the complexity of the flavor in the dish.  It also makes the pie even more beautiful to behold.

Just check out all those awesome colors in this pie, which we made with a combination of heirloom tomatoes including Black Krim, Brandywine and German Stripes.

But, that's not the only thing that sets this pie apart.  Another thing is the crust.

Rather than using regular old pie crust, we use a buttery cornmeal biscuit crust that gives the dish an almost deep-dish pizza-like quality.

This pie is delicious for dinner, but it almost makes a perfect light summer lunch or brunch.

Get the recipe: Savory Summer Pie

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Summer Lifesaver: Grilled Tamale Pie

I guess we've been kind of spoiled this year. The weather in Wisconsin has been pretty temperate this summer. So, we've had very few hot muggy days.

That makes me pretty happy, as I'm simply not a fan of hot, humid weather -- which tends to render me limp, listless and headachey.

Yes -- I'm afraid I'm a wimp when it comes to the dog days of summer.

However, I'll confess that I don't believe summer has TRULY happened unless we have a few of those scorching hot days when the idea of cooking makes my stomach turn.

This week -- and into the weekend -- looks like it's going to bring some of that weather.

Fortunately, I've got a plan.

When the kitchen is too hot for cooking, adapting recipes for the grill is a life-saver. Such is the case with this delicious tamale pie, which can be prepared completely on your backyard grill.

It all starts with fresh summer vegetables like zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and fresh sweet corn which are cooked with fresh chorizo and black beans in a cast iron skillet and topped with a cornmeal crust.

But, look twice. Because this isn't the tamale pie you might be used to.

While some recipes for tamale pie call for cornbread as a topping, we opted to keep things more traditional by using a mixture of masa harina (the flour used for tortillas and tamales), butter and chicken broth.

It's easy to throw together and it creates a delicious tamale-like topping that cooks quickly and lends an authentic flavor to this great hot weather dish.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Tamale Pie

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Conjuring Summer: S'mores Brownies

Here in Wisconsin, winter has been just a bit brutal. Between the "Polar Vortex" that seemed it would never end, to nearly constant 1-5 inch snowfalls, we're seriously looking forward to spring and summer.

Unfortunately, we haven't really reached the point in the season where we're seeing many new spring vegetables (but, oh! what we'd give for a nice bunch of local asparagus or a few morel mushrooms...) But, our minds are still trying to conjure up a bit of warmth with the recipes we create.

Take for instance our latest re-creation -- the s'mores brownie!

I mean, why not? They're great made over the campfire, but they are even better as a brownie, right?

Well, not always. We've tried a few too many "s'mores brownies" that don't quite make the cut. Some fall short in the chocolate department (either because the brownies are too cake-y, or because the chocolate flavor falls flat). Others don't give you enough of the "crunch" factor from the graham crackers.

So, we decided to come up with our own.

First, we developed the fudgiest brownie we could find. Then we surrounded it with melted dark chocolate and crisp graham crackers (a top AND bottom layer) and added a top layer of gooey, perfectly browned marshmallows.

Looking pretty good aren't they?

They’re easiest to cut when they’re fully cooled, but our guess is that you’ll have a difficult time waiting to sample their ooey-gooey goodness.

S'mores Brownies

There are more great recipes where this one came from! We created this dish as part of our work with the Go Bold with Butter blog, where you'll find an amazing collection of delicious recipes using real butter.

©BURP!

Perfect Summer Dessert: Chocolate Coffee Trifle in Jars

All this talk of six years and coffee mugs was making me hungry for coffee flavored things.

So, it was back into the kitchen with us.
Chocolate is always a favorite of Peef, who is (I do not lie) one of the biggest chocolate addicts I have ever met in my life. He came from a long line of chocolate addicts, and his obsession has rubbed off on me a little bit over the last 14 years.

Of course, that coffee craving still wasn't letting up. So, I reached for one of my favorite dessert solutions:  Kahlua.

I also reached for the recipe for a great buttery chocolate pound cake recipe that one of our colleagues over at the Butter Blog created.

Layering Kahlua-soaked pound cake with an easy homemade chocolate mousse and topping with a bit of whipped cream was a pretty great idea, if I do say so myself.

And yeah -- we put them in jars. Don't laugh. It's not because we've fallen down the hopeless hipster hole. It's actually a pretty smart idea.

Putting them in mason jars not only makes them cute and transportable, but it also creates the perfect portion sizes -- so you won't be tempted to eat the whole friggin' trifle...

Which you'll probably want to do. I mean, just look at it.

It is, in fact, a perfect treat to serve as the finale for your next casual summer cookout or dinner party. And since the components can be made ahead, you’ll be left with plenty of free time to attend to other important details....Like grilling up the perfect steak. Or searing that eggplant until it's absolutely tender.

Chocolate Coffee Trifle in Jars

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