Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

My zucchini plants this year did give me a few zucchini but that was about it. Luckily good people who can grow things like to give zucchini away. I love zucchini bread, but only so much of it so then I had to decided what to do with all the rest of the zucchini. I found two new zucchini loves. One is zucchini fries and the other is this stuffed zucchini. It was really, really good and I love that it is cooked on the grill so you don't have to heat up your house!

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
Source: Our Best Bites

2 medium zucchini (about 10″)
4 oz Italian sausage
1/4 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend
1 T Italian style bread crumbs
kosher salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stove top. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, some salt and some pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down. Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside. Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs.  Then, give them a little drizzle of olive oil.
Place them back on the grill (filling side up). Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook. If you’re doing this inside, it will take a little longer seeing as you can’t close the lid to keep in the heat. You also might want to broil them in the oven when they’re finished to help the cheese on top get nice and bubbly.

Peach Pie

This is probably my most favorite peach dessert of all time. It is my Grandma Hunsaker's recipe and it is so so good!!!


PEACH PIE
 
4 cups peaches
¾ cup sugar
1 pkg. Knox gelatin
¼ cup cold water
½ cup hot water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ pt. cream
Crust:
16 graham crackers
1 teaspoon flour
½ cup melted margarine
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Make crust and press ¾ of it into a 10” pie pan.  Add sugar to the sliced and peeled peaches.  Set aside.  Mix gelatin and cold water and let set until hard and add hot water to soften gelatin.  Add lemon juice to peaches.  Let it begin to set.  Add whipped cream to mixture and pour into crust.  Top with remaining graham cracker crust.  Chill before serving.

Cinnaburst Bread

About a year ago, my friend introduced me to cinnamon chips. I now put them in everything and I love them. I knew when I found this recipe on pinterest I had to try it. It is just a basic white bread with cinnamon chips mixed in, but it is so yummy!

Cinnaburst Bread
Source: Rae Gun Ramblings

 

1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk

1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1/3 cup oil
1/2 T salt
1 egg
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cinnamon chips ( I might have added a little more)

In mixer combine yeast, sugar, and warm water and milk; let bubble for about 5 minutes. Add in oil and egg. Slowly add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Add the cinnamon chips when it gets close to the right consistency. The dough will be very sticky but the softer the dough the lighter the bread. So use the least amount of flour you can handle. Let rise in mixing bowl for about 30 minutes. Form into loaf (or whatever shape you want). Let rise and additional 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Makes 2 loaves

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Spaghetti has always been a meal that I have liked. It is just an easy go-to meal when I have nothing else planned. My kids even like it pretty well, so that right there is a keeper. This spaghetti recipe is spaghetti in a casserole form. I thought it was really good and pretty easy. My kids weren't entirely sold on it because "it has white stuff in it", but they did pretty good eating it.


Million Dollar Spaghetti
Source: Being Grown Up

1 lb. ground beef
1 can spaghetti sauce
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
1 c. cottage cheese
1 stick of butter ( I didn't use this much, I used more like 1/2)
8 oz. noodles
shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Boil the noodles. While they are boiling mix up the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. Make sure it is mixed very well. Brown your ground beef and drain. Then pour spaghetti sauce over it. Take a few slices of butter and place in bottom of a casserole dish. Then, layer half the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Pour the creamy mixture on top of the noodles and spread all over. Then add the rest of the noodles and put a few slices of butter on top. Pour the ground beef with sauce over top and spread. Place dish in over for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take dish out and put cheese on top and put back in oven for 15 minutes.

Butterfinger Blondies

My sister-in-law showed me this on pinterest because she knows I love butterfingers. They are my most favorite candy bar ever. So of course, I have to try all butterfinger recipes that I see!! Next on my list are the butterfingers that are made out of candy corn!

Butterfinger Blondies
Source: Six Sisters Stuff

1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 16 “Fun Size” bars)

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. On low add your dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda) until just combined.
Stir in your chopped Butterfinger. Spread in a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until center is just set. Remove from oven and cool completely.

 

Butterfinger Buttercream

 

1/2 cup room temp butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 4 “Fun Size” bars)

 

Cream the butter and shortening together until smooth. Add in you powdered sugar on low speed. Turn speed up to medium and mix until smooth Stir in your chopped Butterfinger. (or sprinkle them on top rather than stirring them in!). Spread on your cooled blondies

Sausage, Potato Pasta

My friend made this for us when she invited us over for dinner once. It is seriously so good. I think the potatoes are what set this dish apart from other dishes. The combination of all the ingredients is perfect. When I asked her for the recipe, so said you put in a little of this and a little of that but she didn't have an exact recipe. I have a hard time with out a precise recipe but this one isn't too hard to figure out.

Sausage, Potato Pasta

1 lb. sausage
Rosemary
3-4 potatoes, cubed
Penne noodles
Whipping Cream

Brown the sausage with a little of the rosemary. Add the potatoes with a little rosemary and cook for a few minutes. Turn heat to low, add the cream and bring to a boil. Let boil softly until potatoes are done. Meanwhile cook your penne pasta according to package directions. When noodles and sauce are done, mix together and serve.

Peachy Keen Bars

I just bought a bushel of peaches from the fruit stands in Willard, UT. There is nothing better than a fresh peach. These peaches were so good. I canned 3 batches of peaches and then decided to try this peach dessert that I found on pinterest. It is really good by itself or with some vanilla ice cream.
Peachy Keen Bars
Source: Just a Peach

1 pkg. dry cake mix, yellow or white
1/3 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs, divided
4 c. peaches, sliced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13” pan with nonstick cooking spray.           

In a large bowl combine cake mix, butter and 1 egg; mix with fork just until crumbly.
Set aside 1 ½ c. crumbs for topping. Press the remaining crumbs on bottom of prepared pan; Bake 10 minutes. Cut peach slices into 1” pieces; Spoon onto partially-baked crust. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla extract; beat with mixer until creamy.
Spread over top of peaches.Sprinkle with reserved crumbs; Bake 30 minutes. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving;  Serves 12. Store leftovers in refrigerator.