Recipes Archives — Bless this Mess

August 15, 2018

Easy Healthy Make Ahead Zucchini Egg Bake

Healthy Easy Zucchini Egg Bake recipe is made with 3 ingredients, can be customized to your liking, reheats well, and is a great option to prep ahead.

I have a few recipes that I make over and over and OVER again. They aren’t much of a recipe, though, so I’ve never really put them on the blog. This simple healthy zucchini egg bake is one such “recipe”. I’ve been making one version or another of this recipe on repeat for years and I love it. I thought it high-time I shared it with you so that you can enjoy it as much as I have.

I love zucchini egg bake because it’s high in protein, low carb, filling, and easy to make. The best part is that you can make it ahead of time and just reheat it as needed. I’ll often make a pan or two of this early in the week and then just reheat it for breakfasts or simple lunches all week long. When I can start my day off with some protein and vegetables it’s much easier to keep eating well throughout the day. There’s something to say about starting off the day on the right foot.

Here’s the other thing that I love about this egg bake recipe – you never have to make it the same way twice. It’s pretty foolproof and you can add what you like. I’ll often cook up a 1/2 cup of bell peppers and 1 cup of chopped mushrooms with the zucchini. I love mushrooms and peppers in my egg bake. You can also add cooked meats like sausage, ham, or crumbled bacon or toss in a cup or so of your favorite shredded cheese.

I know you are going to make this recipe over and over again, and I can’t wait to hear what your favorite additions to the base recipe are.

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August 14, 2018

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate zucchini bread that is rich, moist, and perfectly sweet with the addition of chocolate chips for good measure.

Chocolate zucchini bread is one of those fun bread recipes that is pretty much dessert, but because we call it a bread it’s ok to serve it for breakfast alongside scrambled eggs. Dessert you can eat for breakfast? Sign. Me. Up. I love this chocolate zucchini bread recipe because it’s simple, easy, sweet, and chocolatey, thanks to the use of cocoa and chocolate chips! I like that this recipe uses brown sugar (it adds a nice depth of flavor and enhances the chocolate) and that you don’t have to do anything special with the zucchini before tossing it in (meaning you don’t need to try to remove any moisture). It’s a tried-and-true recipe that you’ll make over and over again!

This chocolate zucchini bread recipe is part of zucchini week!

I’m celebrating all things zucchini this week by posting a zucchini-centered recipe every day this week. Some are sweet, some are savory, and all of them are delicious with zucchini as the star. I love this time of year and I hope to help you fully utilize and enjoy the zucchini bounty that is all around! My ducks actually ate and trampled all of my zucchini plants just as they were starting to blossom (I replanted but I’m not sure if they’ll have time to grow before fall hits), so I was without zucchini of my own. One little post on Facebook asking friends and neighbors if they had extra and I had a counter full just a few hours later. Hooray! Ask and ye shall receive! Don’t live in a tiny tight-knit community? Hit up the farmer’s market. Zucchini are a dime a dozen this time of year.

Recipes that use grated zucchini are great for using over-grown zucchini.

I like to buy or pick nice small zucchinis for stuffing or making “zucchini boats”, but for every small zucchini there’s a monster zucchini out there too. You pick and pick and pick them and then you turn around and a few are the size of a small boat. Grated zucchini recipes, like chocolate zucchini bread, are great for using up some of the larger-than-life zucchini. Just slice them in half (stem to blossom end), scoop out the pith and seeds (the seeds get hard and woody when the zucchini get large), and then peel them. Then grate as normal.

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August 13, 2018

Supreme Pizza Stuffed Zucchini

All the flavors of a supreme pizza turned into a stuffed zucchini, made with sausage, pepperoni, peppers, onions, cheese, and more. Done in less than 30 minutes.

Long live allllll the pizza! This recipe is all of the flavors of a supreme pizza, stuffed into a zucchini! It’s a fun twist on a classic and makes for one seriously delicious zucchini boat. Stuffed zucchini and zucchini boat recipes are on repeat in my house all summer long. I love that zucchini is mild in flavor but sturdy enough to be a vehicle to get all kind of other flavor into your mouth. Making vegetables taste good is my job, and this pizza stuffed zucchini might just be the best tasting vegetable on the block. I have 5 kids and truth be told, they all ate this for dinner! Big win in my book.

I didn’t want to do just normal pizza zucchini so I went for the supreme angle. You saute up a little sausage and cook mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper along with it. Add a little pizza sauce plus some cheese and pepperoni and you have yourself a delicious, simple, low-carb dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. I think the magic is in the veggies and sausage; they add so much flavor.

This recipe is part of Zucchini Week! I’m sharing sweet and savory zucchini recipes for a solid week. Long live this inexpensive, bountiful, and versatile summer vegetable! I can’t get enough of it.

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August 2, 2018

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Fresh peach ice cream made with peaches right off the tree, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla is easy, simple, and delicious.

Fall is in the air here in southern Utah. The nights are cool even tough the day can still be blazin’ hot. I love this time of year because you can swim and eat ice cream during the day and make a fire to roast mallows on at night. I’m so glad I live here; it is beautiful.

Utah has lots of pioneer heritage and those pioneers were wonderful about planting fruit trees wherever they went. There is a three story apple tree in my neighbors yard that I’m sure is pioneer planted. I would have never thought of Utah as being a great place to grow fruit, but it really is. The warmth mixed with plenty of irrigated water from the mountain really does well for fruit. Right now peaches, plums, and pears are ripe while we wait for our apples to sweeten with the onset of cold. Mmm, I love apple season.

What fruit is ready in your neck of the woods? Do you have any trees of your own?

This recipe is a great way to use fresh peaches for dessert. Fresh peaches and ice cream is a combo that is just meant to be. It’s simple to make, is full of peach flavor, and has a perfect creamy texture with just the right amount of sweetness. This is a favorite to make a batch or two of and keep in the freezer while peaches are in season. We can’t get enough fresh peach ice cream so we indulge when it’s here.

Tips and Tricks for making Fresh Peach Ice Cream

If the peaches don’t want to blend up try adding part of the milk called for to help things move around. If you like more chunks in your ice cream, blend up 1/2 the peaches and dice the other half. Add the diced peaches to the ice cream just before serving.
I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that you just freeze the canister the ice cream is made in. It takes about 15 minutes to make ice cream with no salt and ice to mess with. I love it!
If you like a harder ice cream, put the ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours and then let it sit for 10 minutes on the counter before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer it is like store-bought.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Fresh peach ice cream made with peaches right off the tree, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla is easy, simple, and delicious.

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess

Ingredients

3-4 medium peaches, peeled and pitted
1 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 T. vanilla extract
pinch salt

Instructions

Add the peeled and pitted peaches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
In a medium bowl mix the peach puree, milk, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt together until the sugar dissolves.
Add the ice cream mixture to your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions.

Notes

If the peaches don’t want to blend up try adding part of the milk called for in the recipe to help things move around. If you like more chunks in your ice cream, blend up 1/2 the peaches and dice the other half.
Add the diced peaches to the ice cream just before serving.
I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that you just freeze the canister the ice cream is made in. It takes about 15 minutes to make ice cream with no salt and ice to mess with. I love it!
If you like a harder ice cream, put the churned ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours and then let it sit for 10 minutes on the counter before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer it is like store-bought.

If you love fresh peach ice cream, you might also like these recipes:

So many peach and ice cream desserts to choose from! ENJOY!

This post was originally published in September 2012 and has been updated in August 2018.

July 23, 2018

Pineapple Zucchini Muffins

Pineapple Zucchini Muffins are perfectly sweet and extra moist and fluffy thanks to the addition of crushed pineapple and grated zucchini.

We are leaving for Idaho this weekend for a wedding and to visit my sister and friends. Then at the end of the month we are taking the kids to Yosemite, Sequoia, and San Francisco. I LOVE to travel, and I’ve been looking forward to these trips for a long time.

When you start to dabble in a hobby farm, leaving on vacation, even a short one, takes on a whole new level of planning. Will the chickens, ducks, and bunny need anything? Who can check on them? And then there is the garden which is now massive and producing so much food. I know when we get back we are going to have some zucchini the size of the Ark, so I’m planning on making these zucchini pineapple muffins again soon.

I love using small zucchini that are 6 to 8 inches long for things like my favorite garden veggie side dish and for fresh corn and zucchini succotash. You don’t have to peel them or take out the seeds; they are perfect for things like these dishes. But every now and again that zucchini gets a little crazy and before you know it, it’s gigantic and boat-like. Those monster squash are the perfect kind to use in a recipe like this. Just peel the outside, remove the seeds, and grate away.

These muffins are awesome! The pineapple adds a lot of moisture and sweetness and they have just the right amount of spice. They make an easy snack or a delicious side to scrambled eggs at breakfast. I use whole wheat flour when I make these all of the time, so feel free to switch out that white flour if you like because it works great with this recipe.

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July 19, 2018

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Loaded Baked Potato Dip made with bacon, sour cream, cheese, and more – perfect for potato chips!

Mmmm. Tater chips. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t love a good potato chip as much as the rest of the world. There’s something so delicious about that salty crispy treat. Add a good chip dip to the mix and you have yourself a real winning combination.

This simple dip is made by adding cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, and spices to sour cream. When you dip potato chips in it, it tastes just like you are eating a loaded baked potato with extra crunch! This dip is one of our all-time favorites and I always get lots of compliments when I make it for parties. It’s simple but packs a lot of flavor. Enjoy this chip dip at parties, picnics, and cook-outs all summer long; you’ll be the hit of the party, guaranteed!

This dip is everything that a dip should be without anything extra. Using sour cream is perfect because it’s a bit more natural than most mayonnaise and you don’t have to wait for a block of cream cheese to come to room temperature. Fresh cooked bacon (nitrate free for bonus points), delicious green onions, and sharp cheddar bring it all together. Serve with simple Sea Salt or Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Kettle Brand Chips and you have yourself a loaded baked potato with a fraction of the effort.

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July 18, 2018

Cornbread Waffles with Chili – 15 Minute Dinner

Fast and Easy Cornbread Waffles with Chili that only take 15 minutes to get on the table. The whole family will love adding their own toppings.

My mom and I have really bonded over the blog. In the last 18 months or so we have spent tons of time on the phone talking about recipes, craft ideas, working through problems or comments that may have stung a little. She’s definitely my number one blog fan and it means the world to me. She came across a few recipes in her local newspaper and was excited to share them with me. She was on the phone telling me about cornbread, cooked in a waffle iron, with chili on top. Huh?? I’d never even heard of such a thing. It sounded easy enough and for some reason I just had to make it. I went to the store and picked up what I needed and made it that very night.

Cornbread waffles with chili was shockingly delicious and probably the easiest thing in the world. You can’t beat a meal that takes 15 minutes to put together, and I didn’t have to turn on my oven in this summer heat either. Double win! I was shocked at how much my family loved it. If you have ever had Navajo Tacos, this eats a lot like those, which is a very good thing. The corn bread and chili were a great base for all of your favorite toppings. My kids love anything that they can customize and this was just perfect for them.

In the notes of the recipe, I mention how to use your favorite cornbread recipe and homemade chili instead of the store-bought stuff if that is more your style. I honestly had to go pick up the mix and the can because they aren’t things I keep on the shelf.

So trust me on this one and make it soon. It was tasty, fast, and needs no oven – always a good thing in my book.

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July 11, 2018

Garden Vegetable Pasta

Garden Vegetable Pasta Sauce made with all the vegetables that come from a summer garden, with or without meat, making the perfect easy pasta dinner.

Happy Tuesday! If you are like me you spent yesterday doing all kinds of fun family things and now your house is trashed… summer is a catch-22 aren’t they? Have an awesome day of fun and relaxing but then you have to make up for it the following day times ten. This is such a great pasta dish that comes together in a snap, so plan on it for tonight so that you don’t have to think about dinner or take too long getting it ready. Garden vegetable pasta is just what you need.

This pasta is all things good in your garden made into a simple sauce that is chock full of goodness and flavor. I chose to use canned or home bottled tomatoes in the recipe because working with fresh garden tomatoes in a sauce adds a lot of extra steps. Everything else can come from the garden or farmer’s market and you can make it with or without meat (see the notes of the recipe for details). It’s such a forgiving recipe and one that I make often in the summer when my garden is full of yummy things to eat.

So gather up some veggies, boil up some pasta, and add a heavy hand of fresh cheese – you won’t regret it.

Dinner is done.

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July 9, 2018

Amazing Baked Chicken Recipes

A collection of amazing baked chicken recipes all in one place so that you can get a simple healthy dinner that the whole family will eat on the table in no time!

You all know how I feel about simple, family-friendly dinners that aren’t fussy. I LOVE them. I mean, I have five kids and a life. Sure I love to cook but that doesn’t mean that I don’t ever struggle getting dinner on the table for my people. One thing we all love is a great roasted chicken recipe and this particular recipe is a keeper; I can’t wait for you to try it, too.

There’s a reason baked chicken recipes are some of the most popular home-cooked dishes. Chicken is such a versatile meat that can take on so many delicious flavors. I don’t know about you, but I seem to always have chicken in my freezer, so it’s easy to throw together for dinner, too. There are SO many baked chicken recipes out there, so I curated some of the best – and threw in a few of my favorites from Bless This Mess – to make dinner tonight a breeze!

Chicken legs, chicken breast, chicken leg quarters, you name it and we have it, all in one place. And do you know what else I love about simple baked chicken recipes? You can make your favorite sides to go along with them! I’m always a fan of the easy roasted vegetable and seasonal fruit route, or you can serve these recipes with a pasta salad on the side, some kind of baked potato, or even biscuits. Great main dishes need great sides to go with them, amiright?!

I can’t wait for you to try these awesome recipes.

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July 2, 2018

Quick Pickled Cucumbers and Onions

Quick pickled cucumbers and onions made with optional carrots and radishes make the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, and more!

Simple fresh things like pickled cucumbers and onions are what I want to eat when the weather gets warm! This fun recipe comes with a lot of variations so that you can make easy pickled cucumbers with what you have on hand all summer long; it’s so versatile. You can change up the kinds of veggies you add in with the cucumbers and onions, you can change how you chop things (which will make it more like a slaw or pickles), and you can change the herbs that go into them. This is one of those “perfect for summer” recipes because you can use what you have growing in the garden or what is in season at the farmers market and fine tune it all to your preferences. Nothing sad about that!

I have a thing for pickles if you haven’t noticed. My grandma’s refrigerator pickles are one of my all-time favorite cucumber recipes, and I make them all summer long. I’ve also ventured out lately and made spicy homemade pickles and some really simple dilly cucumbers in vinegar (all of these recipes are for fridge pickles that you just eat, not the canning kind of pickle recipe). They are so fun to have on hand and keep in the fridge for anytime a pickle craving hits. And because you don’t have to can or bottle them, they are super easy to make, eat, and keep! Plus they are delicious on all things sandwich, burger, or pulled pork, plus they go great on cheese and snack boards or as a side dish. Once you start making simple homemade pickles, you won’t go back. So fresh and crunchy and delicious!

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