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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.

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.

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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.

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!

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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!

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

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Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls are a quick and easy dinner idea that the whole family will love because everyone can build their own bowl, just how they like it.

Have you gotten into the burrito bowl trend yet? It’s one of my favorites because everyone can pile on what they like and how much of it they like.

The chipotle chicken comes out so tender and so full of flavor too. The best part is that you can make it in the Instant Pot OR the slow cooker which means I think just about all of you can make it today. You only use a few tablespoons of chipotle sauce but it adds so much flavor! I found the sauce in a can at my little store and it came in medium heat. If you don’t like it too hot, add one tablespoon; if you like it really hot, add up to 6 tablespoons.

Did you know that chipotle peppers are just smoked and dried jalapeños?

That’s a good way to gauge the heat – one tablespoon is about like using one jalapeno pepper in my experience. There’s so much added flavor, though, because the peppers are smoked. I love using this chipotle sauce in recipes like this because with a base of something simple like rice, it adds a lot of flavor to the whole dish and not just the meat that is cooked in it.

I love adding fresh corn on the cob, removed from the cob, to burrito bowls. It adds a great sweet crunch!

Chipotle Chicken Burritos Bowls are a quick and easy dinner idea that the whole family will love because everyone can build their own bowl, just how they like it.

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3 Ingredient No Bake Muesli Bites

3 Ingredient No Bake Muesli Bites made with tropical muesli, almond butter, and honey that only take 1 minute to stir together.

You all know how I feel about no bake oatmeal bites. I have many recipes for them on Bless this Mess (including the super popular post with 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls all in one place!), and I make at least a batch of them every week at my house. My kids love them, I love how easy they are to make, and I love that I always have everything on hand to make them. I also love that they taste like a cookie but have some great fat, complex carb, and fiber in them which means they are a great snack option for my busy family.

Today I’m working with Bob’s Red Mill to tell you about their new Muesli cups and I’m honored that they asked me to do this. I love and use many Bob’s Red Mill products in my kitchen, and I can’t wait to share this new one with you.

What is Muesli and how do I eat it?

Muesli is a breakfast or brunch dish that is made with a mixture of raw rolled oats and other ingredients like nuts, grains, seeds, coconut, spices, or dried fruit. It can be eaten hot or cold in so many ways. You can add hot water to it and eat it hot like oatmeal, you can add milk or nut milk and eat it like cold cereal, or you can add yogurt and grated apple and let it sit overnight to soften like overnight oats. We discovered it on a trip to Australia a few years ago and have been enjoying it at home ever since.

I like to think of it as uncooked granola without the added sugar and oil. If we aren’t eating it hot or cold, we’ll just eat it raw like trail mix. My kids LOVE uncooked rolled oats. Seriously, they’ll grab the carton and just eat them straight.

Keeping the Muesli and oatmeal cups from Bob’s Red Mill is one of my favorite time saving tips. My kids can get them out themselves and add some milk, I can take them easily in my carry-on while traveling, and they’re perfect for on-the-go breakfast or snacks in the car. We love them.

3 Ingredient No Bake Muesli Bites made with tropical muesli, almond butter, and honey that only takes 1 minute to stir together.

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How to Cook Potatoes in the Oven

Directions on how to cook potatoes in the oven including oven temperatures, times, and how to do it with and without foil.

Baked potatoes are always and forever going to be on my dinner rotation for a few reasons. They are cheap to buy, easy to make, and the family can customize them to their liking. Customizable meals (like tacos, burgers, and other things where the kids can dress the dish up how they prefer) are always a hit in this house. The kids love it, and I love that they don’t fuss about what’s being served.

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing more that I love than a loaded baked potato. Bring on the toppings: butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar, freshly cooked diced bacon, and chives from the garden. That is a complete baked potato in my mind. I also like warming up some leftover broccoli and cheese soup to spoon over the top of my potatoes – so good!

I know this recipe isn’t rocket science, but knowing how to cook potatoes in the oven, the right way, is a game changer. I’m here to tell you to put down the foil and roast those potatoes in their own skin, on a rack, slathered in oil and sprinkled with salt. Sometimes all you need is a few simple ingredients put together in the right order. This, my friends, is simplicity at its tastiest.

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How to Cook a Whole Baked Chicken

How to cook a whole baked chicken in a few simple steps to yield a moist, flavor-packed chicken that you can serve for dinner any night of the week.

Whole cooked chicken is one of my very favorite dishes to make. It’s great all year long, because it’s such a classic chicken main dish recipe that pairs well with all kinds of sides. I feel like a whole baked chicken might be a bit intimidating, so I’m here to show you that it’s really very simple. The moist and tender meat that you get is worth making, too. No more dried out chicken breasts for dinner.

We raised 36 broiler hens last fall with our neighbors and then the day before Thanksgiving we processed all of the birds. So I have lots of whole chickens in my freezer right now. The time and energy that it takes to humanely and respectfully raise your own meat isn’t lost on me. So I always like to treat the chicken in my freezer as something special. This recipe is a tried-and-true method for cooking a whole chicken that turns out well every time.

My family of 7 can eat a whole chicken for a meal. If your family is smaller, you should be able to make two meals out of a 5-pound chicken. If I’m wanting to stretch one chicken to two meals for my family, I’ll remove what meat I want for a later meal (normally a scant 2 cups) and serve the rest. We’ll enjoy the chicken and fill up on the sides when the chicken runs out. And then I save the bones and skins from this recipe and make stock out of them. So one chicken can be made into several meals this way which makes them very cost effective to cook whole. I’ll link to some of the recipes that I like to use my extra chicken for at the bottom of the post.

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Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat

Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat is made with just a few simple ingredients but packs tons of flavor and is done in about 25 minutes.

The easiest and most flavorful chicken taco meat made in the instant pot (or slow cooker) with chicken breast or thigh meat to turn Taco Tuesday into something to celebrate! Seriously – so much flavor, so fast. What’s not to love?! Chicken taco meat is something that I love to throw in the mix when we get tired of our standard ground beef tacos. This recipe is one of my favorites because it’s full of flavor thanks to chipotle sauce and it’s so simple – anyone could throw it together. Long live eating all the tacos! And fun fact, you can cook your corn on the cob to serve with (or on the tacos) right along with the chicken. Instructions follow.

I could write a whole lot about tacos because you know I love them. I love me some easy chicken tacos (think food truck), lentil tacos, and crispy pork tacos (made in the Instant Pot). There’s just something magical about wrapping up really flavorful food in a warm tortilla and slathering it with all the guacamole and salsa it can hold. Why is it so good?!

You know what else I love? My Instant Pot!

I contacted the folks at Instant Pot a while ago to see if we could work together. It was their busy season and I didn’t hear anything back so I just purchased two Duo 8 Quart Instant Pots so that I could start using them in my kitchen and develop recipes for you all. I have LOVED them. I have a few kitchen gadgets, but my Instant Pot gets used as much as my slow cooker and blender which is really saying something. It makes perfect hard boiled eggs (even from my fresh backyard chicken eggs which are normally a nightmare to peel), I use it to cook beans in bulk (and then freeze them for later use), and I love to make broths and stocks in it. It is awesome.

The folks at Instant Pot got back to me and I asked them if they would give away an Instant Pot to one of the readers here at Bless this Mess and they said YES!

YOU GUYS, you can win an Instant Pot! Keep reading!

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Sweet and Spicy Cucumbers and Vinegar

Sweet and spicy cucumbers and vinegar make the most delicious refrigeration pickles that only take about 5 minutes to make.

Making your own pickles sounds like a whole lot of work and you might even be thinking of hot water baths, canning, and boiling rings. I’m here to tell you that you can make the most amazing homemade pickles by simply adding cucumbers and vinegar and a few other ingredients together and letting them sit in the fridge. If you’ve never eaten quick pickles or refrigerator pickles, then you are missing out. They have so much flavor and the best texture. The cucumbers stay nice and crisp because they don’t go through much of a heating process. When you can pickles, you are boiling them in a hot water bath inside of the jars for a while, normally at least 10 minutes, which really changes the texture of the cucumber. When you make refrigerator pickles, the fresh cucumbers only get hot water poured over the top of them.

They have all the flavor and such a great texture with half the work! You do need to note that this is not a canning recipe. These pickles are meant to be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a week. If you are looking for a shelf-stable pickle recipe, this isn’t it. I love that I can make a batch of these sweet and spicy pickles in the morning and they are ready to eat by the afternoon. They are even better if you let them sit overnight.

You’ll love how easy it is to make your own sweet and spicy cucumbers and vinegar!

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Perfect and Simple Grilled Fish Fillets

Ever wonder how to get perfectly flaky grilled fish fillets on the grill? This recipe is the simplest and best way to grill just about any firm white fish!

Welcome summer! When you combine a few pounds of beautiful fish fillets, amazing seasonal produce, and the grill, you are in for one simple yet perfect dinner. This recipe for simple grilled fish fillets is amazing. It takes about 5 minutes to prep, 7 minutes on the grill, and you are done. I can’t wait for you to try it. Add a side of watermelon, some corn on the cob, and fresh green beans and you’ll have dinner done in about 30 minutes with little to no effort! This is one of my ideal healthy simple meals and I could eat it once a week for the rest of my life and die a happy woman.

What I love too, is that you can literally pair it with just about anything that you have on hand and want to use. I like recipes like this because then I can hit up the farmer’s market or my garden, pick gorgeous fruits and vegetables and use them for the sides to this really simple but delicious main dish grilled fish recipe. It’s simple, it’s classic, and it’s always a hit in this house.

Ever wonder how to get perfectly flaky grilled fish fillets on the grill? This recipe is the simplest and best way to grill just about any firm white fish!

Tips and Tricks for Making Grilled Fish Fillets:

  • You have a lot of options when it comes to what kind of fish to grill. I tend to stick with less expensive fish like tilapia, catfish, cod, and pollock. All of these firm white fish are mild tasting and really easy to throw on the grill.
  • Don’t under salt this recipe and don’t forget the lemon. Because it is so simple, they really bring the needed acid and salt to a simple fish recipe.
  • When buying fish I like to find wild caught fish and I prefer when they are individually sealed if frozen. That way I can take just the few I need out of the freezer while the rest stay frozen. I have great luck buying high quality fish at Costco.
  • Don’t skimp on the oil. It help the fish to not stick the grill.
  • No outdoor grill? I’ve had great luck making this recipe on a grill pan inside.
  • I love this fish recipe with really simple sides like corn, green beans, and watermelon. It’s also great with a side of crusty bread, with some simple Santa Fe Rice, any of these 8 pasta salad recipe, or served with roasted vegetables. You can’t go wrong with any of those!

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!

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Perfect and Simple Grilled Fish Fillets

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Ever wonder how to get perfectly flaky grilled fish on the grill? This recipe is the simplest and best way to grill just about any firm white fish!

  • Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1 firm white fish, I used Louisiana Drum (about 4 large fillets)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Good quality olive oil, about ½ cup
  • Additional coarse sea salt
  • 1 or 2 lemons cut into wedges
  • ½ cup chopped parsley, optional

Instructions

  1. Rinse the fish and lay it onto paper towels. Use the paper towels to pat the fish dry and place the fillets on a wire rack (a baking or cooling rack placed inside of a baking sheet works great to catch any drips and spills).
  2. Sprinkle half the salt and half the pepper over the fish. Carefully drizzle half of the olive oil over the seasoned fish. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, evenly distribute the oil all over that side of the fish. Flip the fish over on the rack and repeat with remaining salt, pepper, and oil. Let the fish rest and marinade while you fire up the grill.
  3. Turn your grill on to high and allow it to heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the grill is very hot. Carry the fish out and open the lid to the grill, it should be very hot. Use a brush to scrap the grill grate clean and then lower the temperature to low. Place the fish on the grill, close the lid, and leave the fish to cook with the lid closed, without turning for 7 to 10 minutes (chances are really good your fish will be done right at 7 minutes unless it is very thick, check it 7 minutes!).
  4. The fish should be white and flakey when you test it with the end of a paring knife. Using a metal spatula remove from the grill.
  5. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and lemon juice before serving and then serve with additional lemon slices and chopped parsley to suit individual tastes (the first squeeze of lemon isn’t optional, it makes it amazing, but additional lemon and parsley are up to you or your guests. I didn’t feel like this tasty dish needed anything extra because it was excellent as it was).

Notes

  • You can use this cooking method for just about any firm white fish such as catfish, tilapia, pollock, and cod.

I can’t wait to hear how this simple grilling method turns out for you. I have done all kinds of things to fish from frying it (always tasty but a little labor intensive) to baking and cooking it in foil. These grilled fish fillets were by far the simplest and best tasting fish I have made. I can’t wait to make it again and plan on putting this into my meal rotation ASAP. Long live the simple and fool-proof yet crazy delicious recipes!

Grilled Fish Fillets
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