Category: Picnic Food

Spicy Spiral Mac & Cheese

spicyspiralmacncheeseThis is my twist, no pun intended, on a zippy macaroni and cheese that can be served as a side to liven up any burger, steak or chicken main dish.  There is nothing timid or Low-Cal / Low-Fat about this dish.  You’ve been warned.

I’m intending to pile it on top of my BBQ Brisket Sandwiches tomorrow night.  Yummy!

Spicy Spiral Mac & Cheese

  • 1 1/2 Cups Cellentani Pasta
  • 4 TBSP Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Flour
  • 3 Cups Whole Milk
  • 1 tsp Dry Mustard
  • 3/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper
  • 3 tsp (or more to taste) Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
  • 1 Cup Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
  • 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesano/Reggiano/Asiago Blend
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. A little at a time, whisk in milk, mustard, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat and whisk in Pepper Jack, Cheddar and P/R/A blend until smooth. Stir in cooked pasta and pour into shallow 2 quart baking dish.
  4. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stir in chili powder. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture.
  5. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

TIP:  For a crispier top, you can mix in 3 TBLS bread crumbs with the butter and chili powder and sprinkle on top.

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Zucchini Banana Bread

banzucbread

A little different spin on a classic.  Honey instead of granulated sugar cuts the sweetness and adds a little moisture to this bread.  While the bread is really good the first day, I wrap mine in foil (to maintain the moisture) and put it in the refrigerator so that the zucchini’s moisture can do it’s work.  The second and third day, if it lasts that long, the bread gets better and better.  I try and double the ingredients to make two loaves, then freeze the wrapped bread (in a Ziplock freezer bag) to enjoy later.

Zucchini Banana Bread
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup mashed overripe (black skins) banana (about 2 medium sized bananas)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2  cups zucchini, shredded (do not drain the natural moisture)
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. Beat together the oil and honey in a stand mixer
  3. Add in the mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla
  4. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt
  5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir on low until just combined
  6. Using a spoon fold in the zucchini
  7. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spay and pour in batter
  8. Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon on top of the batter if you want to
  9. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean – do not undercook

I like to serve this with whipped cream cheese with a touch of nutmeg in it.

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No fail Deviled Eggs

FullSizeRender_1According to Wikipedia, “Deviled eggs (US) or devilled eggs (UK), also known as stuffed eggs, angel eggs, eggs mimosa, Russian eggs, dressed eggs, picnic eggs are hard boiled eggs shelled, cut in half, and filled with the hard-boiled egg’s yolk mixed with other ingredients such as mustard and mayonnaise, but many other variants exist internationally. Deviled eggs are usually served cold. They are served as a side dish, appetizer, or a main course, and are a common holiday or party food.”

I couldn’t come up with a better description than theirs,  but I’d add that every chef, chef wannabe and home cook adds their own touches that make their deviled eggs anything but ordinary.

Some of the exotic ingredients I’ve seen included in other recipes for deviled eggs:

  • Greek Yogurt
  • Sour Cream
  • Cream Cheese
  • Sweet Pickle Relish
  • Horseradish
  • Wasabi Powder
  • Dill Pickle
  • Sugar
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Jalapeno/Habanero Chilies
  • Chipotle Chilies
  • Turmeric
  • Green Olives
  • Black Olives
  • Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
  • Pimentos
  • Poppy Seed
  • Thyme
  • Cilantro
  • Parsley
  • Salsa
  • Minced Onion
  • Caviar
  • Cream
  • Capers

The ingredients that people top their deviled eggs with are as diverse as the ones they put inside, but those most commonly found include:

  • Old Bay Seasoning
  • Paprika
  • Curry Powder
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Chopped Chives
  • Dill
  • Caviar
  • Anchovy
  • Bacon Bits
  • Shrimp
  • Herring

I prefer mine as simple as can be:

Lisa’s Basic Deviled Eggs

  1. In a medium saucepan, in about 1 quart of cold water, place fresh eggs (I do 6-12 large or extra large)
  2. Over medium-high heat, bring pan of eggs & water to a boil
  3. When you reach a boil, set timer for 20 minutes and reduce heat to medium
  4. When timer goes off, immediately remove eggs and place into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process
  5. Peel the eggs, cut each in half lengthwise and place the yolks in a bowl
  6. Mash the yolks with a fork then add approximately 1 TBLS Spicy Creole Mustard (I like Zatarain’s)
  7. Add approximately (to your taste) 2 TBLS (1 TBLS per 6 eggs give or take) Mayonnaise (I like the taste and consistency of Best Foods) and stir with a fork until well blended and you have enough volume to fill all of the halves
  8. I use a pair of spoons to mound the egg yolk mixture into the empty egg white halves, but you can also put the mixture into a plastic bag (to pipe out with the end snipped off) or a pastry bag with a star tip attached for a neater presentation

I add a turn or two of freshly ground pepper and nothing else, but will occasionally sprinkle a little bit of paprika on the egg white halves BEFORE I fill them with the yolk mixture if I’m feeling fancy.

The temperature deviled eggs are served at is as varied as the ingredients people use to make them.  I prefer to loosely cover the eggs and quick chill them in the freezer, if I am short for time, or in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

snapwareeggstorageChilling Tip:  If you don’t have a covered, locking storage/ transportation dish made specifically for deviled eggs, here is a simple way to protect your refrigerator (or freezer) and the food inside from absorbing the overpowering smell of egg:  Put a plate inside a gallon sized zip bag then place the eggs on the plate in the bag and close securely before chilling.

Picnic or tailgate tip: Prepare filling and transfer to a plastic zip bag.  Carry whites and yolk mixture separately in cooler.  Fill eggs on the spot, pressing filling out of snipped corner of bag.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood