Zucchini Squares

This is an appetizer I took to a Valentine's Day party earlier this year, and am taking to another party tomorrow night. They are yummy, but most importantly: So easy to make! You could serve it as a side dish, too.

Ingredients

3-4 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup biscuit mix
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup grated cheese*, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, setting aside some of the cheese, and mix well. Pour the mixture into a 9"x13" or 9"x11" baking dish and top with the reserved cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold.

Cheese

The original recipe called for parmesan only, which is fine, but I prefer to use a mixture of parmesan and cheddar. Pepper jack cheese would be good too, if you love it like I do.

Slow-Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Are all scalloped potatoes cheesy? Or are all cheesy potatoes scalloped? I don't know - but I do know that these are the most delicious and easy thing ever to make, if you can stand waiting a few hours to let them cook. The cold weather is definitely making me crave a big ol' plate of these potatoes.

Ingredients

cream of tartar
cold water

8-10 medium potatoes, sliced thinly
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup jack cheese, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve the cream of tartar in the cold water (you can also use just plain cold water). Use about 1/2 teaspoon per cup of water. As soon as you have sliced the potatoes, put them in the water to keep them from discoloring. Drain well.

Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker, and top them with half of the diced onion, salt and pepper, and half of the cheese. Repeat layers, and then top with the undiluted soup. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Variations

To make this a truly vegetarian dish, use a different cream soup in place of the chicken: cream of potato, cream of mushroom, what have you. Also: Because we have such a ginormous slow-cooker, I often use two cans of soup, pouring one in before starting the second potato layer.

Also: The more cheese, the better! I've yet to try anything other than jack and cheddar with this dish, but I'm getting very tempted to try it with either goat's or blue cheese. Mmm.

Calabazas

Calabazas is (according to my dad) the Spanish word for zucchini squash. Not knowing Spanish, I guess I'll have to take is word for it - and if you don't know any better, you'll have to take mine. Whatever you call it, this is definitely one of my favorite things to make and eat.

Ingredients

extra-virgin olive oil (plain or garlic)

1 white onion, cut into 1/4" rings
5-6 zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices
2 tomatoes, cut into large chunks

jack cheese, grated

Directions

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the oil until the onion is translucent. Mix in the zucchini. (Depending on the amount you put in, you may need to add more oil as this cooks.) When the zucchinis are fork-tender, gently fold in the tomatoes and then let sit, covered, for five minutes. Stir the vegetable mixture again and top with the jack cheese. When the cheese has melted, stir together and serve.

Variation

I once made a brilliant variation of this recipe by substituting a red onion for the white, mixing in canned corn and using cheddar cheese instead of jack. As Snoopy would say: scarf city!

Real Men Don't Eat Quiche

I heard that in a commercial once, and I think it's absolutely silly! I mean, quiche is good. It's full of cheese and whatever else you want to put it in, and they're so easy to make. They're awesome for using up leftovers that you don't know what the hell else to do with. And there is such a thing as a manly quiche.

I don't know if the quiche I have in the oven right now is "manly" but I think it's going to be pretty awesome, anyway.

Ingredients

1 refrigerated 9" pie crust
1 tbsp strawberry jelly

3 eggs
2 cups mild cheddar cheese, grated - divided
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup cactus, diced (Yes - cactus!)
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1 cup leftover roasted pork, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Take out pie crust out of the fridge to get soft - you can put it on the counter, but I find putting it on the stovetop as the oven preheats helps it "thaw" faster.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-to-large saucepan and saute onion until translucent. Add bell pepper and cactus and saute a few minutes longer. Add broccoli and pork. After mixing together, sprinkle with desired amounts of salt and pepper. (Garlic salt is great; I use that if I have used regular olive oil instead of the garlic olive oil I'm in love with.)

Put the pie crust in an (obviously ovenproof) pie/quiche dish and spread the jelly on the bottom. (You can also use mustard or ketchup, but I think berry jams/jellies/preserves are great in quiches, especially with meat; you'll be able to taste yumminess but not really identify it.)

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork and then mix in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, and the parmesan cheese, combining until the cheese is thoroughly coated with the egg. Mix in the pork and veggies, again until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture into the pie crust. Top with the reserved 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake for 35-45 minutes or until done (pastry crust will be golden to dark golden brown and the cheese sprinkled on top will be nicely browned).

I read that quiches are to be served "lukewarm" but I know I can never stand to let them cool for that long. I try to wait at least 10 minutes after removing it from the oven, but that's still pretty damn hot! If you have leftovers (I never do - not braggin', just sayin') you can pop it in the microwave or eat cold.

One day, I'll post the original "Zucchini Pie" recipe that began my love affair with quiche. If you don't have a dish that you think will be appropriate to hold a quiche, they sell some really nice ones at Target ranging from only $9 to $15.